Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap

[Jethro]

I don’t trust 18650’s from Amazon. For some reason Amazon is as bad as EBay for fake rebranded 18650’s. At least that’s how it was a couple years ago when I was all into flashlights.

To be honest with you I'm a little miffed by the 18650 universe in general. It seems incredibly difficult for an amateur like me to deal with. There are a zillion different kinds, but not one store near me sells them. Batteries plus didn't have the right ones. Best buy doesn't sell them, the hobby shop that says they are now radio shack doesn't have them. Amazon doesn't have the right ones next day with prime, I've waited a week. All I could do is search on the exact battery Jeff listed above. I wish the device came with the right batteries but hopefully I'll figure it out. But I think I have a different problem now that I'm trying to perform the shield upgrade above...

Got a cut in this red wire. It looks like it contacted the battery contact! Hope it didn't short anything! Can I just paint some liquid electrical tape on it Jeff?

 

[mr_cfromcali]

To be honest with you I'm a little miffed by the 18650 universe in general. It seems incredibly difficult for an amateur like me to deal with. There are a zillion different kinds, but not one store near me sells them. Batteries plus didn't have the right ones. Best buy doesn't sell them, the hobby shop that says they are now radio shack doesn't have them. Amazon doesn't have the right ones next day with prime, I've waited a week. All I could do is search on the exact battery Jeff listed above. I wish the device came with the right batteries but hopefully I'll figure it out. But I think I have a different problem now that I'm trying to perform the shield upgrade above...

Got a cut in this red wire. It looks like it contacted the battery contact! Hope it didn't short anything! Can I just paint some liquid electrical tape on it Jeff?

Yes, you can give that a try. I'm sorry about that - that's the exact issue the insulator is supposed to guard against. The silicone wire insulation is fantastic at rejecting heat, but its abrasion resistance isn't as strong as good old vinyl.

If it still seems suspect after the fix, contact me offline and we'll figure out something else.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Some overdue Sunday Fluxer updates:

Battery pack insulators: Done and ready to be mailed (after a little trimming).

I made over 100 of these, so I have plenty on hand for both existing and yet-to-be-built heaters. I'll start sending these out tomorrow. I'll be sending these in letters, with some brief instructions I still need to write up.

This is important, so please make a similar insulator yourself to install as a temporary fix until my insulator reaches you.

Background info: http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/f...eaters-for-dynavap.33573/page-36#post-1360215

MOSFET relay issue: I'm still fighting this battle, too. I sent out the first ten or so heaters with the new power relay MOSFETs last week. I expect to hear soon how they are working for people. I already know of at least one repaired heater that failed again after a few uses, despite having the new MOSFETs - BOOOOOO! - so this may NOT be the solution I had hoped it would be. We should learn more this week as heaters with the new MOSFETs see use.

This issue has been frustrating for everyone affected by it, so please know that I am taking it seriously. I'm a one person operation, however, and my forensic abilities are limited. So far I have not been able to positively identify a single, common, consistent root cause, and I am unable to recreate the failure on my bench - I can fix them, but I don't know the exact force or mechanism that is breaking them. That makes it tough to remedy. I am continuing to look into the issue, but I am not convinced I have cracked it yet. Some folks have been completely unaffected by it, while others have not been able to use their heaters more than few times before they stopped working. I acknowledge that this is very frustrating for all involved, and I am sorry for that frustration.

Flux Deluxe waiting list: It's long and getting longer. Thank you to all that are waiting! My progress has been slow lately, mostly due to the MOSFET and power relay issues I mentioned above. Sorry. I am continuing to build heaters, and will keep chipping away at the list, so as always, thanks for your patience.

Flux Deluxe in a wooden case: I received the first shipment of cherry cases from Berkshire Box Mods, and will be ready to offer these soon as an option. I am still working out the final pricing, as these require some extra milling and drilling, but these will probably be a $25 or $30 premium option for a bare wooden case, and perhaps as much as $60 for one with custom art work like the one shown below. I will clarify the pricing once I have some more info from the wood shop.

Also, let me know if you would be interested in a wooden case with a similar Fluxer logo, as I can order more of these if people are interested. I also have another one with a smaller etched Fluxer logo, in the bottom right corner of the lid, , similar to the small Fluxer sticker. I'll build that one out soon.

Those are the updates for now. I am a little behind in my correspondence, and I apologize. If I owe you an email or reply, I will try to get caught up on all of that today.

Thanks again, everyone, for your support.

Cheers,

 

[lookhigh]

And a happy st'Patricksday fluxers. green all the way.

 

[HersheyStainz]

Flux Deluxe in a wooden case: I received the first shipment of cherry cases from Berkshire Box Mods, and will be ready to offer these soon as an option. I am still working out the final pricing, as these require some extra milling and drilling, but these will probably be a $25 or $30 premium option for a bare wooden case, and perhaps as much as $60 for one with custom art work like the one shown below. I will clarify the pricing once I have some more info from the wood shop.

Also, let me know if you would be interested in a wooden case with a similar Fluxer logo, as I can order more of these if people are interested. I also have another one with a smaller etched Fluxer logo, in the bottom right corner of the lid, , similar to the small Fluxer sticker. I'll build that one out soon.

Wow that is a nice wooden case with the flux logo.

 

[started@52]

Yes, you can give that a try. I'm sorry about that - that's the exact issue the insulator is supposed to guard against. The silicone wire insulation is fantastic at rejecting heat, but its abrasion resistance isn't as strong as good old vinyl.

If it still seems suspect after the fix, contact me offline and we'll figure out something else.

I agree!
Call some ecig vape shops, we have one on every corner around here, they all usually have quality 18650 and sometimes cheaper then the net after shipping.

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hi all,

Some updates on various Fluxer topics.

Flux Deluxe battery pack spacer and electrical insulators - installation instructions and mailing update

I just posted the installation instructions for the battery pack electrical spacers:

https://fluxerheaters.com/faq-and-other-resources

I'll start mailing out the spacers tomorrow. For simplicity I'll do the US folks first, then international customers. I intend to have them all mailed out by the end of March, if not sooner.


Flux Deluxe in cherry - pricing and availability

I heard back from the wood shop, and I'll be able to offer the following wooden options.

These prices are for cherry, but other woods will be possible in the future - let me know your preferences.

• Wooden Flux Deluxe enclosures (unfinished, no logo or art, sized as above but similar in appearance to @Dubmonkey 's) are available for an additional US$30
• Wooden enclosures with a custom Fluxer logo as above starting at US$40 additional
• Wooden enclosures with custom, laster etched artwork supplied by you starting at US$65 additional. Note that you may only use art for which you control the intellectual property rights, so no 3rd party logos or characters, etc.

Availability: I have eight (8) bare wood cherry enclosures on hand, plus two similar with laser-etched Fluxer logos (a larger one, pictured, and a smaller one, not yet pictured). If you want to switch your order to one of these, let me know via email or PM.

If you are a current Flux Deluxe owner and want to switch your FD to a wooden case - send me a PM, we'll see what we can do.


Flux Deluxe power relay issues

I am continuing to work on this issue and wanted to share my thoughts. My current thinking is there are several different types of failures that present the same way, but have different root causes. I believe some of those different root causes include:

• bad power relay MOSFETs (in some cases)
• the 14mm and 15mm coils stress the heater more than the 16mm coil, and the original-spec power relay MOSFETs are marginal at the amperage the 14mm and 15mm coils can pull – some will work at that current level, but many fail
• very noisy tactile switches. Some of the tactile switches might bounce for a longer period of time than my debounce buffer can mask. My buffer should provide ~40ms of buffer – any bouncing in that period should be filtered into single, solid pulse. The switch is supposed to be stop bouncing in much less than 40ms, but each switch varies, and I think that at least some of the heaters that continue to blow MOSFETs after being repaired do so because their tactile switches are noisier than my circuit can manage. I'm not able to prove this yet, but it’s a theory.

Those are my current thoughts, but it’s also possible it's something else entirely. It is not a universal problem - some heaters work well from their first use onwards and don't require any repair, while others cannot seem to stay operational. That's one thing that makes me think the tactile switch might be a cause in some cases, as it’s present in every heater, and used for every heating event, but it’s a part that's known to be widely variable.

FWIW, I have drawn up an alternate Flux Deluxe design that uses a very slim 12VDC analog power relay in place of the solid state relay. I am not sure how well it will work - and the first version may not work at all - but a sample run with support for the new relay should be here in a week or so. I'll report back.


Flux Deluxe Waiting List

Slooooow progress lately; sorry. The power relay issues and some associated repairs have been taking up a lot of my Fluxer time. I guess the best I can say is that I have 15+ heaters in various states of completion at the moment, so the current cohort will wrap up soon. But overall, it's been slow going.


Mother Fluxer

I have been working on an SMD version of the MF for a month or so now. I seem to keep screwing it up, though, as the SMD version isn't working yet.

I know a few folks only stop by for these infrequent MF updates, so I want to let you MF folks know that I haven't forgotten about it, even if it is back-burnered at the moment. I have another Mother Fluxer PCB draft on order - due here next Monday or Tuesday - so we'll see if the next version is any more functional. Once the heater circuit is working we can discuss special features, etc.

That's all for now. Thanks!

Cheers,

 

[caliganja420]

Hey all, is it normal that the unit produces smoke when heating a second or two past the click? I tried to make it click without any herb in the chamber and it still produces light smoke coming out of the hole?

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

Hey all, is it normal that the unit produces smoke when heating a second or two past the click? I tried to make it click without any herb in the chamber and it still produces light smoke coming out of the hole?

Try to wipe the inside the glass tube and the button with a q-tip and see if it gets dirty,this is one possible source(either condensate or environmental dirt).
Also try cleaning the cap itself from the outside,they also get dirty very easy when its hot and gets in contact with something melty.

 

[caliganja420]

Try to wipe the inside the glass tube and the button with a q-tip and see if it gets dirty,this is one possible source(either condensate or environmental dirt).
Also try cleaning the cap itself from the outside,they also get dirty very easy when its hot and gets in contact with something melty.

Hey there, thanks for the tip.
I have noticed this only happens randomly? I just tried again and no smoke/vapor came out? It has happened with my psm too, when it had herb in the chamber, and a little vapor came out of the cap when inserted.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

@Rollingstoned Try touching the walls of the glass with the hot vapcap ,if there is condensate on the walls it will produce vapor. Maybe those cases with vapor are the ones you make contact by accident.
Do i get it right that you get smoke/vapor outside the vapcap,cause if it inside it is just abv dust and condensate.
Even after a iso wash and q-tipping my vapcap still will make vapor empty if i dont heat separately both the tip and the cap(holding it with pincers) in the SDS induction. I heat the cap till redhot,i dont do that for the tip,but i tend to blow trough it when it is how until it stops producing vapor,so in conclusion i'd say IH can be useful for cleaning too.

 

[odc57]

Try to wipe the inside the glass tube and the button with a q-tip and see if it gets dirty,this is one possible source(either condensate or environmental dirt).
Also try cleaning the cap itself from the outside,they also get dirty very easy when its hot and gets in contact with something melty.

Can I ask what size do you have. I have the 14mm and I have to pull it right when I get the "Click" It "Clicks" right at 5 seconds.. I have never gotten Smoke/Vapor from the unit...
FD #45

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

@odc57 I dont have a fluxer i own one of the Stardustsailors IH . It is my gf that uses it mostly ,but it is me who cleans it and i see that shits gets dirty at least with her manner of usage. She plays with the vapcap all the time and rotates with her fingers while doing graphic design shit with the other hand .

 

[mr_cfromcali]

Hey all, is it normal that the unit produces smoke when heating a second or two past the click? I tried to make it click without any herb in the chamber and it still produces light smoke coming out of the hole?

It's possible that there is residual herb around the coil and glass.

For new heaters, it's also common for there to be some residual solder flux (yeah, same name, but not to be confused with magnetic flux...) on the PCB, and it may take a few cycles to completely burn off.



Updated to add: Smoke may also be the result of something going wrong - a component failure, for example. Make sure you know the cause of any smoke you encounter - some can be dismissed, but electrical issues involving smoke usually require repair.

To all: A reminder to please check your heaters periodically for signs of proper operation. Turn it on and insert a vapcap into the work coil, but do not press down. Nothing should happen, but wait 5-10 seconds to verify that the heater remains off until activated.

 

[Hackerman]

Every IH I use (All 3 Pipes models and 3 different SJK's) has that little wisp of smoke from the cap. It has been discussed in detail here before. The action of the induction heating process creates pressure. If you use an IH without a tactile switch you can see the cap blowing off the tip from pressure buildup.

Like I said, it's been discussed here many times before. Nothing to worry about.

 

[lookhigh]

Smell is a giveaway.
Electronics overheating smells bad, if there's smoke it will stink unlike cannabis residue.

 

[caliganja420]

It's possible that there is residual herb around the coil and glass.

For new heaters, it's also common for there to be some residual solder flux (yeah, same name, but not to be confused with magnetic flux...) on the PCB, and it may take a few cycles to completely burn off.



Updated to add: Smoke may also be the result of something going wrong - a component failure, for example. Make sure you know the cause of any smoke you encounter - some can be dismissed, but electrical issues involving smoke usually require repair.

To all: A reminder to please check your heaters periodically for signs of proper operation. Turn it on and insert a vapcap into the work coil, but do not press down. Nothing should happen, but wait 5-10 seconds to verify that the heater remains off until activated.

It happens with my Psm as well. I will keep checking often too see any signs. I am truly happy with my 16mm coil. Has been performing very nicely. Great work

 

[Mangu]

It happens with my Psm as well. I will keep checking often too see any signs. I am truly happy with my 16mm coil. Has been performing very nicely. Great work

How does the 16mm coil compare to your PSM experience? Heats faster? About the same? More or less heat cycles? Thanks in advance for the insight!

 

[caliganja420]

They are very similar, fluxer might be tad faster at heat up. I love the fluxer design and how it lasts much longer then portside mini. Also i like the 18650 since i have a few of them and have a few chargers.

 

[started@52]

I always figured and still believe, in my case at least, that the smoke came from the lil bit of herb that got stuck between the grooves in the outside of the tip and the inside of the cap. Guess I’m a messy loader.

 

[Moses Baca]

They are very similar, fluxer might be tad faster at heat up. I love the fluxer design and how it lasts much longer then portside mini. Also i like the 18650 since i have a few of them and have a few chargers.

Agree, the batteries were a major part of my decision to go with the FD over the PSM.

 

[Mangu]

They are very similar, fluxer might be tad faster at heat up. I love the fluxer design and how it lasts much longer then portside mini. Also i like the 18650 since i have a few of them and have a few chargers.

Makes sense. I picked up a PSM while waiting on the Flux list and I’m enjoying the heater a whole deal. May be enjoying it too much because I find myself charging it every day after 3 or 4 sessions. Would be nice to just swap out some batteries.

 

[7oli5]

Anybody wants to swap a 14mm for a 16mm fluxer? I would sell and buy a new one but the 3 month waiting...

 

[odc57]

Anybody wants to swap a 14mm for a 16mm fluxer? I would sell and buy a new one but the 3 month waiting...

What’s wrong with your Induction Heater ? Or what don’t you like about it ???

 

[7oli5]

What’s wrong with your Induction Heater ? Or what don’t you like about it ???

Nothing wrong I'm very satisfied with the fluxer and lucky not to have my relay go bad. I'm simply getting more cycles than I would like. The torch gives me 3-5 strong hits per load which I prefer rather than the soft 5+ hits I get with 16mm coil