Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap

[Gray Area]

All this talk about buttons has had me thinking...

I like a decent temp for my hits and have been leaving the vapcap for a couple of seconds past the click (if I'm not doing sip and dip - which I love using my FD, so much consistent/relaxed than with a torch).
I can see a bit of heat damage to the switch on one side. Not much but over time who knows??

Anyway I came up with a temporary solution to stop any further problems...
A small disc of 1mm thick high temp silicone, which I drop into the glass tube. It sits nicely on top of the switch and (I hope) protects it from the heat of the cap a bit.

I'm not sure if I'll glue it in place with a dot of high temp silicone sealant yet. If I do I'll probably make the disc a little smaller (just to aid air movement and all that sort of stuff).

I'm not 100% sure if the glass disc on button cap will work for me. The switch is not quite central to the tube (perhaps on all/by design) but it won't leave a lot of clearance to one side... so depends on just how wide it is i guess.

 

[Jayar]

So I received my first IH this week, the gorgeous Flux Deluxe! I just love how compact and simple to use it is. I'm getting consistently cooked herbs and more heat cycles from each bowl. No more butane, hooray!

I managed to find a nice protective case in which the FD fits very snugly, it took a few attempts to zip up first try but after leaving it in overnight to stretch a little it now fits perfect. Bought the case from UK Amazon for £2.50 (search Acme Made Sleek Video Camera Case).



I'm glad to see discussion regarding the momentary switch as last night I either failed to hear the click or more likely failed to wait for the cool down click before reheating, D'oh! Hopefully I havent done too much damage and the cap with glass disc fix will still snap on nicely.



@Gray Area My switch is also off centre, I'd therefore assume it's by design. Where did you source your high temp silicone disc? What temp is it rated to? I also like to heat a little longer than the click especially when vaping extracts.

 

[Gray Area]

@Jayar the silicone is simply a circle cut from a baking tray. It's supposed to be rated -40C to 250C so should (hopefully) do the job.

Maybe the switch will fit mine after all, as yours looks to be just the same...

 

[Jayar]

OK, thanks @Gray Area

***starts rummaging in garage***

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi all,

So glad so many of you have these now!

I am sorry there are any issues at all, of course, but I am glad we are able to talk about them together as they come up,

All this talk about buttons has had me thinking...

I like a decent temp for my hits and have been leaving the vapcap for a couple of seconds past the click (if I'm not doing sip and dip - which I love using my FD, so much consistent/relaxed than with a torch).
I can see a bit of heat damage to the switch on one side. Not much but over time who knows??

Anyway I came up with a temporary solution to stop any further problems...
A small disc of 1mm thick high temp silicone, which I drop into the glass tube. It sits nicely on top of the switch and (I hope) protects it from the heat of the cap a bit.

I'm not sure if I'll glue it in place with a dot of high temp silicone sealant yet. If I do I'll probably make the disc a little smaller (just to aid air movement and all that sort of stuff).

I'm not 100% sure if the glass disc on button cap will work for me. The switch is not quite central to the tube (perhaps on all/by design) but it won't leave a lot of clearance to one side... so depends on just how wide it is i guess.

That looks like one brilliant and easy solution to the issue, @Gray Area ! Thanks for sharing it!

So I received my first IH this week, the gorgeous Flux Deluxe! I just love how compact and simple to use it is. I'm getting consistently cooked herbs and more heat cycles from each bowl. No more butane, hooray!

I managed to find a nice protective case in which the FD fits very snugly, it took a few attempts to zip up first try but after leaving it in overnight to stretch a little it now fits perfect. Bought the case from UK Amazon for £2.50 (search Acme Made Sleek Video Camera Case).



I'm glad to see discussion regarding the momentary switch as last night I either failed to hear the click or more likely failed to wait for the cool down click before reheating, D'oh! Hopefully I havent done too much damage and the cap with glass disc fix will still snap on nicely.



@Gray Area My switch is also off centre, I'd therefore assume it's by design. Where did you source your high temp silicone disc? What temp is it rated to? I also like to heat a little longer than the click especially when vaping extracts.

^^^ @Jayar - Hmmm.... It would be great to find a spare piece of silicone to use for now, until you receive a pyrex button. I am assuming the switch is still functional, in which case adding a barrier should limit the damage to whatever has already happened. If it's fried, send me a PM and we will figure out the next steps to get it fixed.

Thanks for reporting the issue. Sorry this happened, but it's just a switch, and we will get it resolved. It will be better protected/less vulnerable going forward.

The switches do not need to be perfectly centered under the holes to work, for what that's worth, but these are hand made devices, so I'm sure some switches are more well-centered than others. The pyrex button, when mounted on the caps, are "clockable", meaning they can be installed in four different rotation positions.

II glued up a batch ~25 wafers + switch caps last night to send out to the first batch owners, so there wil be more on info on this coming soon.

@Jayar - love the case, too! thanks for posting that.

 

[analytika]

Hi all,

So glad so many of you have these now!

I am sorry there are any issues at all, of course, but I am glad we are able to talk about them together as they come up,



That looks like one brilliant and easy solution to the issue, @Gray Area ! Thanks for sharing it!



^^^ @Jayar - Hmmm.... It would be great to find a spare piece of silicone to use for now, until you receive a pyrex button. I am assuming the switch is still functional, in which case adding a barrier should limit the damage to whatever has already happened. If it's fried, send me a PM and we will figure out the next steps to get it fixed.

Thanks for reporting the issue. Sorry this happened, but it's just a switch, and we will get it resolved. It will be better protected/less vulnerable going forward.

The switches do not need to be perfectly centered under the holes to work, for what that's worth, but these are hand made devices, so I'm sure some switches are more well-centered than others. The pyrex button, when mounted on the caps, are "clockable", meaning they can be installed in four different rotation positions.

II glued up a batch ~25 wafers + switch caps last night to send out to the first batch owners, so there wil be more on info on this coming soon.

@Jayar - love the case, too! thanks for posting that.

Why not a light emitting diode and sensor at the entry point, so that it's Auto on when you insert the dynavap, auto off when you withdraw it?

 

[Jayar]

@mr_cfromcali Switch is still working fine and looks like it'd take a bit more abuse before it became non functional. I think I'd have to be pretty unlucky to have another accident before implementing a solution. I have no concern of the switches function being affected by being slightly off centre, only that the Pyrex cap had enough space to fit which you've cleared up, cheers!

For the moment I've just ordered a small disc of klingersil (12mm dia 0.75mm depth) from ebay, it's rated to 350°C. Should turn up within a couple of days and looks like it'll do a good job as a heat barrier.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Why not a light emitting diode and sensor at the entry point, so that it's Auto on when you insert the dynavap, auto off when you withdraw it?

That's an interesting idea, @analytika . "Why not a LED....?" - probably because I haven't tried that variant before, and it didn't occur to me. But I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion. Any particular components you like or would recommend?

 

[maxvapor710]

I suggested infrared detection above, @Pipes says the glass tube gets dirty enough to affect the reliability.

I would still suggest putting a small magnet in place of the current switch and a hall sensor off to the side to detect the change in magnetism.

You could also look into ultrasonics but the power consumption is likely going to be higher than infrared.

 

[Moses Baca]

In the same post @Pipes also said that magnets lose power with heat and that opens up a whole new can of worms.

 

[maxvapor710]

In the same post @Pipes also said that magnets lose power with heat and that opens up a whole new can of worms.

I believe he was talking about using a hall sensor directly against the metal of the vapcap, not measuring the magnetic interference of a known embedded magnet. I have done this successfully on other projects with hot metal which is why I recommended it in the first place.

It may not be ideal for this particular project because it would require some microprocessor control / calibration to get just right and I think that is the opposite way @mr_cfromcali is trying to take this device.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

I believe he was talking about using a hall sensor directly against the metal of the vapcap, not measuring the magnetic interference of a known embedded magnet. I have done this successfully on other projects with hot metal which is why I recommended it in the first place.

It may not be ideal for this particular project because it would require some microprocessor control / calibration to get just right and I think that is the opposite way @mr_cfromcali is trying to take this device.

Thanks, @maxvapor710 . The tech is intriguing and interests me for various reasons, but your observation here is accurate:

It may not be ideal for this particular project because it would require some microprocessor control / calibration to get just right and I think that is the opposite way @mr_cfromcali is trying to take this device.

This is true. The current Flux Deluxe project is not processor-controlled, so a solution requiring digital logic - as well as any significant change to the circuitry - would be for a future project. I'm still interested in discussing it (and have some Arduino bits I picked up to play with in my copious free time ) , just want to be clear about where I see applying anything to come from the topic. The "future projects" tag is true for other tear-it-out-and-do-it-differently suggestions, too.

Thanks, all! The first version of the Deluxe project isn't perfect, but the user feedback so far has been very encouraging. Thanks again to those willing to be early adopters! I will continue to address these issues as they come up.

Thanks for your feedback and help!

 

[Hackerman]

Whatever method of detection they use in the SJK heater it works 100% of the time every time, perfectly. I never get any false starts on metal tables or by placing magnets outside the loop. Some kind of proximity chip as I recall @stardustsailor saying. Is there no way to use a similar proximity detector?

Just tossing it out.

 

[pxl_jockey]

IDK, I’m looking inside the Deluxe and I just can’t imagine anything else fitting inside its enclosure. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole “stoners thinking about stuff” & spitballing aspect of FC. I don’t get that IRL right now so I really appreciate it wherever I find it. But until certain components & especially batteries get smaller some of these ideas can’t work until/unless @mr_cfromcali makes a larger IH unit or a plug-in unit that crams all the additional tiny parts where the batteries currently are.

So it seems pretty straightforward to me and my question for @mr_cfromcali is why don’t you just:
1) make more FDs & MFs first
2) make a Mains powered unit next
3) finally, implement the suggestions & ideas across all the models
Then you can simply use the second half of the year for your real job and family???

Loving the option of using my VCs out and about, it’s so quick and easy and discreet! Which is something that VCs have never had going for them, the whole torch while spinning thing. Love the Deluxe!

 

[Traveler]

“Flux yo self
Before you wreck yo self
Cause single flame torches are bad for yo health”

 

[-dab8-]

Whatever method of detection they use in the SJK heater it works 100% of the time every time, perfectly. I never get any false starts on metal tables or by placing magnets outside the loop. Some kind of proximity chip as I recall @stardustsailor saying. Is there no way to use a similar proximity detector?

Just tossing it out.

My SJK heater does not work NEARLY as nicely as you describe. The sensor for some reason is not sensitive enough to notice the vapcap unless it is constantly moving in and out of the field, unless I hold a larger piece of metal near the opening. More than a little annoying.

 

[Hackerman]

I had one like that too. That is adjustable with the pot (variable resistor) next to the proximity chip. I adjusted one already and it made 100% difference. If you need more detailed instructions, feel free to ask.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Some brief Sunday night Fluxer updates:

Flux Deluxe batch #1 owners:

I glued up a batch of the pyrex switch protectors for you, and will be sending them out this week, along with the other batch #1 items I owe people:

I will also include the other items that were added to the first batch over time:

• Battery meters (for those that did not get one)
• Rubber bands
• Stickers

A few will also receive a different red o-ring for the top of the glass insert.

My notes are good, and I think I know who gets what, but if you want to be sure I send you a particular item (in addition to the pyrex buttons, which all will get), please feel free to send me an email or PM. I have ~20 of these packages to mail out. It will take several days to get them all assembled and addressed, but I will get them out this week.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Flux Deluxe batch #2: Currently in progress:

Batch #2 is big, and I have started working on it even as I wait for additional parts to arrive. I expect to complete this batch in a several waves, so units should ship throughout the course of the build instead of only at the end. I am hopeful I will have some of the batch #2 heaters ready to ship by the end of this week.

A few "batch in progress" pics:

Batch #2 battery packs, in progress:

Batch #2 glass inserts from Saturday - after the cut, before the flame polishing:

A portion of batch #2 PCBs from Sunday afternoon. SMD and some other components have been soldered, waiting now for work coils, inductors, and LEDs.

That's about it for now.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

my question for @mr_cfromcali is why don’t you just:
1) make more FDs & MFs first
2) make a Mains powered unit next
3) finally, implement the suggestions & ideas across all the models
Then you can simply use the second half of the year for your real job and family???

Thanks again for the kind words, @pxl_jockey .

FWIW, my family does miss me, but our kids are busy teenagers these days and not in need of constant parenting, so I have some "project time" available at the moment.

Also, while I am enjoying the hell out of this project, my real job is the one that covers my mortgage, and at some point it's going to demand more of my time again. So if I seem like I'm all-in on this project, it's because I want to make good use of my this time while I have it.

Thanks again for all of great support! It's very exciting now that these are out there in the wild and people are actively using them and sharing their experiences. I can't wait to give more of you the opportunity to own or use a Fluxer heater.

Cheers,

 

[Gray Area]

Great to see batch two is so large. I had no doubt at all this thing would be a hit. It's just so neat...

Absolutely love my FD I hammer it a fair bit throughout the day and it's performing like a champ
I like to "dip and sip" a bit so occasionally run it without the lid if I feel I'm being a bit too demanding but I'm probably being over cautious as I rarely trigger the thermal safety thingy

I tend to regularly take it a 2-3 seconds past the click. Now I know the potentiometer that we have access to under the batteries will slow down and speed up the click, but am a bit unsure what the real world effect that will have on the hit... (I'm sure you probably explained somewhere when you first mentioned it, I'll take a look).
What I'm aiming for is the cap to be a little hotter when it clicks; like I'm aiming my torch I little more towards the open end of the cap... dunno if messing with the pot will achieve that or not or if I should just stick with leaving it a couple of seconds more like I've been doing?

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Great to see batch two is so large. I had no doubt at all this thing would be a hit. It's just so neat...

Absolutely love my FD I hammer it a fair bit throughout the day and it's performing like a champ
I like to "dip and sip" a bit so occasionally run it without the lid if I feel I'm being a bit too demanding but I'm probably being over cautious as I rarely trigger the thermal safety thingy

It certainly cools more quickly without the lid, and there's nothing bad about that. If you plan on running it hot, it would be better to use it with the lid off.

I tend to regularly take it a 2-3 seconds past the click. Now I know the potentiometer that we have access to under the batteries will slow down and speed up the click, but am a bit unsure what the real world effect that will have on the hit... (I'm sure you probably explained somewhere when you first mentioned it, I'll take a look).
What I'm aiming for is the cap to be a little hotter when it clicks; like I'm aiming my torch I little more towards the open end of the cap... dunno if messing with the pot will achieve that or not or if I should just stick with leaving it a couple of seconds more like I've been doing?

This is a great question, @Gray Area . I know what it is you want, as I have spent some time puzzling this out myself.

Some of the answer lies with the trim pot. For rapid heat rise, you want full power and fresh batteries, so the pot should be set to 0 (should be full counter-clockwise; there is a tiny black "0" on the white plastic backing under the black thumbwheel, if you feel like confirming). For slower heating, turn the pot clockwise to add resistance. This reduces power, and consequently increases heating time and thus also increases the time between the two clicks. The range of adjustment offered by the pot in this v1 version is purposely limited, but I did that in part because I was worried about people melting the switch by accidentally overheating. The new heat shields are game changers in that regard, so look for this feature to give you a slower heating profile/more time to heat in the future.

In what may be a surprise, another element at work here is the wall thickness of the glass insert.

Thinner glass = more heat, more rapidly
Thicker glass = less heat, less rapidly

Here are three inserts, (L to R): 1.2mm, 2mm, 2.5mm:

some overhead views:

The Flux Deluxe uses the 2mm-thick middle insert, as that gives the most even results and produces a nice vapor.

I have found, though, that thinner glass = a slightly hotter hit.

If you want to try an experiment, gently remove* the glass insert and try some hits without it. The coil is enamel-covered, so it is hard to scratch. Keep the vapcap centered for the fewest difficulties. Let me know if you notice a difference.

For the curious, I am looking into some sources for thinner glass inserts, but so far they are proving hard to find in the right height, or in a size that is easy to modify. They are hard for me to make from longer stock, unfortunately, as the thinner glass breaks more easily when worked. That gets old, quickly.

Looking on fasttech.com, these could be close, but at 25mm they are a bit too tall:

https://www.fasttech.com/p/9645038

These are a better height, but at 17mm diameter, they are just a bit too wide (stock coil inside diameter is 16mm):

https://www.fasttech.com/p/9678242

So I am still looking.

In the mean time, try the bare coil just to see if that works any better for you.

BTW, for those whose heaters are heating too quickly for your taste - and I believe that may be one or two of you - the opposite of this is also true: If you want to blunt the heat of your, ...er... blunt, the thicker glass will dull that edge. That was actually how I discovered this - I have a stash of the thicker inserts and was frustrated that my hits with them would not get as hot as I wanted. Investigation lead to a conclusion that was incredibly obvious in hindsight, lol.

Really glad it is working well, for you, @Gray Area ! We will find a way to get you a hotter hit.

* Remove it over something soft, though, as the inserts are very easy to drop.

 

[7oli5]

Just letting everyone know, Mosk delivers. Packed very carefully and arrived on the other side of the globe in 7 days. Looking forward to playing with it tonight...

 

[Tupak420]

Glad to see all the progress on this and excited to get mine in batch #2. Thanks for the updates and neglecting your family.

 

[Jethro]

Family is over-rated! Thanks for your dedication, it's mother-fluxing awesome!

 

[AtomicPB]

My FluxDeluxe arrived on Friday when I was not at home but I could pick it up from the post-office on Saturday. The delivery from the US West Coast to Germany took about 6 days, which I consider amazingly fast.

Since I am not new to induction heaters thanks to @Pipes PortSide, I already knew how cool such a heater can be, because I always liked the comfort of my Portside a lot.

So acutally I did not NEED another induction heater for my VapCaps but the FluxDeluxe from @mr_cfromcali had this great slick look to it and I always wanted something more portable not owning a PortSide Mini. I have also been impressed by the self made PCB and the documented efforts of @mr_cfromcali , so because of all of this I could convince myself to need another induction heater.

After picking up the parcel and unpacking the FluxDeluxe, I was amazed by how great it looked. It really does not look like a small-batch-self-made product but like a professional product. Very impressive. Like pointed out before by others here, the cases are not prone to fingerprints, if one does not overdo it with those chips-fingers.

Since Saturday I used the FluxDeluxe together with my GF and we had about 15 Sessions with it up until now, both using an Omnivap. In one session I normally reheat the Omni about 10 to 15 times.

I used the batteries (LG HG2) from my Portside and pre-charged them on Friday in a Xtar VC4 for having them ready on Saturday. The batteries lasted until now (Monday afternoon). I was checking a couple of minutes ago with the external batterie-indicator and since it showed only the red LED, I started charging the FluxDeluxe with the included charger. I really like the indicator and am very happy that @mr_cfromcali included them for us for free.

The experience with the FluxDeluxe is great. The heating works flawless and is not under- or overpowered, so that one can have a nice session with good clouds and chocolate brown avb. Not too dark but properly extracted. I did not fiddle with the potentiometer yet but will probably start with it later on.

The difference to a lighter is the more even and lighter tanned abv for me. With my triple torch the abv gets darker and the taste has some more roasty aromas in it. Depending on my mood I choose the heating method. Also I find that I get a little more visible and denser vapour with my triple torch. The vapour with an induction heater seems a little smoother to me though (this is for both induction heaters Portside and FluxDeluxe).

The difference to the Portside in my opinion is mainly the form-factor and the more professional appearance as both work great for me in function.

I really do love my new FluxDeluxe and am very impressed by @mr_cfromcali professionalism from starting to tinker and developing, refining the heater and lastly producing it while organising delivery and planing ahaed.

Thank's a lot @mr_cfromcali .

If I forgot something to mention that you guys are interested in or if I should try something special, let me know.

Some eye-candy and pictures for size comparison ...

 

[analytika]

I have found, though, that thinner glass = a slightly hotter hit.

If you want to try an experiment, gently remove* the glass insert and try some hits without it. The coil is enamel-covered, so it is hard to scratch. Keep the vapcap centered for the fewest difficulties. Let me know if you notice a difference.

For the curious, I am looking into some sources for thinner glass inserts, but so far they are proving hard to find in the right height, or in a size that is easy to modify. They are hard for me to make from longer stock, unfortunately, as the thinner glass breaks more easily when worked. That gets old, quickly.

Looking on fasttech.com, these could be close, but at 25mm they are a bit too tall:

https://www.fasttech.com/p/9645038

These are a better height, but at 17mm diameter, they are just a bit too wide (stock coil inside diameter is 16mm):

https://www.fasttech.com/p/9678242

So I am still looking.

In the mean time, try the bare coil just to see if that works any better for you.

BTW, for those whose heaters are heating too quickly for your taste - and I believe that may be one or two of you - the opposite of this is also true: If you want to blunt the heat of your, ...er... blunt, the thicker glass will dull that edge. That was actually how I discovered this - I have a stash of the thicker inserts and was frustrated that my hits with them would not get as hot as I wanted. Investigation lead to a conclusion that was incredibly obvious in hindsight, lol.

Really glad it is working well, for you, @Gray Area ! We will find a way to get you a hotter hit.

* Remove it over something soft, though, as the inserts are very easy to drop.

Pure glass isn't conductive below its melting point.

Are you using glass with significant impurities that absorb induction energy and heat directly?

Wouldn't insulating properties of the glass work the opposite way, thicker is more insulating?

I haven't seen the effect you're describing using high quality glass on a DIY.