Fluxer Heaters, induction heaters for Dynavap

penrar

I put the high in Hi-Vis.
Sooo... that wait was rather worth it... and it's a damn good job I had the afternoon off yesterday for 'testing purposes' *^_^*

I'm the proud owner of #205. Went for a standard - black case - 15mm coil with glass and green LEDs underneath. Classy doesn't come anywhere near describing this little unit properly. At all!

Aggressive is definitely the right word for the performance on this thing - I bought it for outdoor vapcapping and I'm finding I get two heat cycles on Ti tips and three on SS. All of which are roasted to the brink of combustion - which is perfect for me! 4-5 seconds for Ti and 5-6 for SS. This is definitely what I was looking for in an IH for such a long time but had to 'make do' with the (mains/desktop) underpowered LucidCustoms big silver box (pre-Dynatec) where I'd be counting up to 4 seconds after the click. Feels nice to respect the click again!!

I've got low temp caps for enjoying a more chilled sesh if need be but it feels so nice to finally get this in place and not have to think about torches, gas or the damn wind :D

Mr C - I tip my hat to you Sir. Thank you!!! This is exactly what I imagined it'd be like. The build quality and craftsmanship are absolutely stellar. The stickers are dope (and really handy for putting on the mains adaptors - finding the right one in a pinch is now simple) and the inclusion of optional rubber feet was a welcome gesture too.

If there's any kind of waiting list for a mains powered desktop model, I call dibs.
 

RustyOldNail

SEARCH for the treasure...
A Fluxer Heaters Update:

Hi all,

My ducks are all in a row, and I'm finally ready to start making and selling Flux Deluxe heaters again. Huzzah, and thank you for your patience! The next batch of Order Confirmation emails will be coming out shortly, and I'm hopeful my rate of production will increase going forward. I would love to finally get to the folks who joined last spring, summer, and fall.

As the regular readers of this thread know, I have been holding off sending out new order confirmation emails until I could put some standard business protections in place. That's finally done, and I am very happy about that fact! I'm ready to move forward with Fluxer Heaters LLC. It's a more formal business now, and I'm hopeful it will be strong enough to stick around for a while.

Making the business more professional costs money, and...well, I think you know where this paragraph is headed. I'm now incorporated as an LLC and have some insurance and other standard business expenses I need service monthly and quarterly. These are costs I did not have when I introduced the Flux Deluxe at its present price in November of 2018. It is great to have been successful enough to reach this point, but my business expenses have continued to grow along with the business, and it is now necessary for me to raise my base price to cover these new costs. This is my first price increase since introducing the Flux Deluxe in November of 2018. I am sorry to have to do this, but I assure you all that I really, truly do. The new pricing model is below.

I am also going to take this as an opportunity to alter the way I bundle my options to allow me to make more heaters, more easily. I am consolidating the Flux Deluxe into two models: a base model and a standard model. Each has a few commonly requested options, but they are otherwise set. This achieves one objective of eliminating the in-between PCB builds, which were slowing and complicating my production.

I am also adding a Fluxer Heater's 'Custom Shop' to accommodate requests that take a bit more time or material to produce. The prices for these services will reflect a more realistic rate for my time.

From a construction standpoint, I am doing this to narrow my circuit boards to two base models instead of the present three, which in turn should enable me make more of each, more quickly. It will also let properly value the four case colors I am having pre-machined vs the other colors I still must machine by hand.

I have more details on the Flux Deluxe home page: https://fluxerheaters.com/flux-deluxe

These are the new Flux Deluxe prices and option packages, effective immediately:

Flux Deluxe w/analog relay - Base model: $170 + shipping, batteries not included, details below.

Color: Choice of black, gun metal, or purple only
Coil: Choice of 15mm or 16mm coil only
Internal on/off switch included; alternate external switch +$10
Glass insert
External battery meter
Cloth bag
Rubber band (1)
Rubber feet (4)
User Guide (currently in development) to be posted on www.fluxerheaters.com when complete -
Includes one (1) mains-to-12V battery charger w/charge status LED, allowing you to recharge the heaters 18650 batteries* without removing them from the heater. Choose from US, UK, EU, AUS, or 12VDC automotive adapters; additional adapter(s) are available for +$10.

1 year warranty
*Batteries are NOT included

$170 + shipping

There are no substitutions or options beyond those mentioned for the Flux Deluxe base model.

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

Flux Deluxe w/analog relay - Standard model w/under glass LEDs and built-in batter meter: $195 + shipping, batteries not included, details below.

Color: Choice of black, gun metal dark green, or purple
Coil: Choice of 15mm or 16mm coil
Internal on/off switch included, alternate external switch +$10
Choice of glass or carbon fiber insert
Under glass LEDs (red)
Built-in battery meter
Cloth bag
Rubber band (1)
Rubber feet (4)
User Guide (currently in development) to be posted on www.fluxerheaters.com when complete
-
Includes one (1) mains-to-12V battery charger w/charge status LED, allowing you to recharge the heaters 18650 batteries* without removing them from the heater. Choose from US, UK, EU, AUS, or 12VDC automotive adapters; additional adapter(s) are available for +$10.

1 year warranty
*Batteries are NOT included

$195 + shipping

There are no substitutions or options beyond those mentioned for the Flux Deluxe Standard model.

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

Fluxer Heaters Custom Shop:

Please see the Fluxer Heaters' Custom Shop for info and prices on alternate case colors and materials; alternate under glass LED colors; and alternate coil sizes.

I don't have a direct link for it yet, so for now, please see https://fluxerheaters.com/flux-deluxe , it is down towards the bottom of the page.


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

Thank you for your support, and thank you for your business!

Thank you all for helping to make Fluxer Heaters successful! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the encouragement you have given me, and also the great patience you have shown towards me as I have figured out how to make and sell these heaters! While I have been making heaters, I have also been learning how to run this operation as a business, and I have learned a lot so far. I am hopeful the above changes will position this business well for the coming year, and allow me to make a lot more heaters for people.

Thanks again! I expect to begin sending out a new batch of Order Confirmation emails later tonight or tomorrow.

Cheers,
:leaf:

$170.00 x 2000 (waiting list) = $340,000. I don’t know the list drop out rate, but perhaps it’s time to hire at least one or more part time assembly people to decrease 6 months or longer quoted wait times. From a buyers perspective, if like me, one stumbles across your product, does a bit of research, and decides to buy, but the wait is obviously long..... Easy enough to get on list, though proper receipt via email is pretty standard for many vendors. But in a potential 6 month wait period, many things can change in a buyers life, and they drop out for a million reasons, all that means to you and your business, lost revenue. I wish you the best, hope you can find a way, other then China, we have those heaters already, to produce more volume.
 
RustyOldNail,
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mr_cfromcali

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
$170.00 x 2000 (waiting list) = $340,000. I don’t know the list drop out rate, but perhaps it’s time to hire at least one or more part time assembly people to decrease 6 months or longer quoted wait times. From a buyers perspective, if like me, one stumbles across your product, does a bit of research, and decides to buy, but the wait is obviously long..... Easy enough to get on list, though proper receipt via email is pretty standard for many vendors. But in a potential 6 month wait period, many things can change in a buyers life, and they drop out for a million reasons, all that means to you and your business, lost revenue. I wish you the best, hope you can find a way, other then China, we have those heaters already, to produce more volume.

Hi @RustyOldNail , and thanks for your comments. I don't want to write out a novel-length response, but it is an interesting proposition to think about expanding production by adding more hands to the process, and I have actually given it a fair amount of thought. Unfortunately, only about 10%-20% the raw "interest" numbers you cite translate into actual sales, so it is not quite the gold mine it might appear to be from the outside.

I made some inquiries with some assembly houses last year and found that there are challenges in scaling up production that are different than the challenges I faced in designing and building the product to this point. They require more planning and logistical savvy than I may have, and they also carry more risk than I like.

But I hear what you are saying, and I agree it would be much better for me if I could make more of these, more quickly, while also maintaining my quality. Unfortunately, doing all of those things simultaneously is actually hard to do. I'm working on it, but it isn't easy, it isn't happening quickly, and it carries risk. So...yeah.

FWIW, two reasons why I am so behind are that I engaged in two major work stoppages in the last year, one for eight weeks last March and April while I resolved the first PCB's MOSFET issue, and then again in January and February of this year, when I stopped production for two months while I acquired liability insurance and set up my LLC.

Now that I have those things in place, I am actually trying to make as many of these as I can at present. I have plenty of cases and parts on hand, and am about to send out more "confirmation invitation" emails. The price increase has also done its part to damp down demand - which was not its intent, but it happens - so I may be caught up sooner than anticipated. I am finally (!) up to people who joined the list in June, so we'll see how quickly I work though those.

So in closing, thanks again for your comments. I am thinking about this and while I appreciate your input, please know that there are challenges to scaling production, and it isn't as easy (or potentially lucrative) as it might seem from the outside.

Cheers,
:leaf:
 
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Baron23

Well-Known Member
Hi @RustyOldNail , and thanks for your comments. I don't want to write out a novel-length response, but it is an interesting proposition to think about expanding production by adding more hands to the process, and I have actually given it a fair amount of thought. Unfortunately, only about 10%-20% the raw "interest" numbers you cite translate into actual sales, so it is not quite the gold mine it might appear to be from the outside.

I made some inquiries with some assembly houses last year and found that there are challenges in scaling up production that are different than the challenges I faced in designing and building the product to this point. They require more planning and logistical savvy than I may have, and they also carry more risk than I like.

But I hear what you are saying, and I agree it would be much better for me if I could make more of these, more quickly, while also maintaining my quality. Unfortunately, doing all of those things simultaneously is actually hard to do. I'm working on it, but it isn't easy, it isn't happening quickly, and it carries risk. So...yeah.

FWIW, two reasons why I am so behind are that I engaged in two major work stoppages in the last year, one for eight weeks last March and April while I resolved the first PCB's MOSFET issue, and then again in January and February of this year, when I stopped production for two months while I acquired liability insurance and set up my LLC.

Now that I have those things in place, I am actually trying to make as many of these as I can at present. I have plenty of cases and parts on hand, and am about to send out more "confirmation invitation" emails. The price increase has also done its part to damp down demand - which was not its intent, but it happens - so I may be caught up sooner than anticipated. I am finally (!) up to people who joined the list in June, so we'll see how quickly I work though those.

So in closing, thanks again for your comments. I am thinking about this and while I appreciate your input, please know that there are challenges to scaling production, and it isn't as easy (or potentially lucrative) as it might seem from the outside.

Cheers,
:leaf:
Well, not a contract manufacturer...from my old professional experience, that's not appropriate for what you are doing.

But maybe a student working part time to stuff boards or???

Just a thought.

And I too am glad you are up to Jun as I'm an August person...and will def complete the transaction when my name comes up.

Cheers and thanks as always for your transparency.
 

Fat Freddy

FUCK CANCER TOO !
Well....I'm July...I think.

Though I'm cherry wood.

Has anyone gone with wood construction to date? If so, how's it working out to date?

Opinions: Am I risking a catastrophic accident going with the fragility of wood, as compared to metal? Anyone?


.
 

mr_cfromcali

Accessory Maker
Accessory Maker
Opinions: Am I risking a catastrophic accident going with the fragility of wood, as compared to metal? Anyone?

Hi @Fat Freddy - FWIW, cherry is a durable, medium grained hard wood, and I think the wood cases are sturdy for their size and not overly fragile. The walls are 4mm thick, so it isn't going to fall apart on you.

One aspect that will be vulnerable, however, is the finish. The wood is only sanded and oiled (unless you want it left bare to finish yourself), and it will remain "impressionable" to scratches and dings, so I would recommend protecting its finish when moving it or traveling with it - use the cloth sack it comes with or something even more protective. Don't jam it into a backpack pocket with a set of keys and expect it to emerge unscathed, because it won't.

Maybe someone who owns one will speak up so you can get their perspective, but those are my thoughts on the subject.
 
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Fat Freddy

FUCK CANCER TOO !
Maybe someone who owns one will speak up so you can get their perspective, but those are my thoughts on the subject.


Wait just a ding-dang minute! Are you telling me Mr. C that I'm not your VERY FIRST wooden IH ?! :rofl:


There have been others? Before me!?

Fine and dandy then! I will just wait and see what others have to say about your wood! :nope:


.
 

martinstraka8282

Well-Known Member
Well, Im due soon as a mid July sign up and have been so excited that I pre bought my batteries, but might have to ask to be pushed back due to some financial uncertainty heading our way with Covid19 appearing to be on the verge of shutting our city and business down.

Crazy times. Wishing good health for all.
 
martinstraka8282,
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MAbud

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, what month what list are we on? I’m July 2019 so hoping I’m close. Thanks!!
 
MAbud,

MAbud

Well-Known Member
Thanks! I’m on mobile and my screen is usually locked from flipping so I can’t see it. Sounds like I am close though!!! LFG
 
MAbud,
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