Discontinued Lil' Bud by Vapwood

[Bravesst]

This is a second hand unit. How was the unit handled before @Montezhuma got it?

Wood won't mold unless moisture is introduced. How did moisture get in there? Every LB is hand crafted from quality, kiln dried cherry and walnut from Urban Hardwood on Long Island. This is a specialty hardwood shop, and they do the kiln drying themselves.

The wood is then brought to my shop, stored in a rack to allow it to acclimate to my shop. It was winter when this LB was built, so it was pretty dry. Next the stock is sized and the cutting begins. Each piece is sawed, routed, drilled, sanded, planed by hand, under my watchful eye. The wood leaves here clean and dry. Pure beeswax is applied to the exterior, and battery compartment, not the coil compartment.

What is going to happen when I have the vape? I'm going to identify what's going on. I will replace out of courtesy, as you bought it from a third party, and I'm not obligated to do so. If it is mold, this is what happens when wood is introduced to water. Any wood, any vape, whether the ability to take the vape apart is there or not. Lil' Bud is just walnut or cherry and stainless steel. Keep it dry.

And I'm still not sure why you took apart a vape you just bought when you say it worked perfectly. If you are concerned about the purity of your vape, do not buy used. Lil' Buds leave my shop mold free, and will stay that way forever if handled right.

 

[P.A.M.]

@Montezhuma , @Summer post is bang on! go read it again! Read the others again while at it ! Plus the man offered you a replacement unit. He didn't have to do that considering you purchased a second hand unit which could have been tampered with or simply not taken care of from its previous owner. you mention never having used water with it like you are 100% sure it's never seen water yet you are not the original owner.

You seem more concerned about Mike's response then you are about alerting the community about who sold you that vape . If you take so good care of your Vapes and know you ain't Source of the problem , wouldn't you want to advice others of being cautious of purchasing from the private seller ? You seem to be trying to install fear in users and seem suprised none of us are buying it .

 

[Summer]

(wine or soda involved maybe?)

Well, that's thinking outside the box. Never would have occurred to me.

I've heard nothing from bravesst in regards to what he will do to address the defect, regardless of how it happened.

You're assuming it's a defect, but if it's not, then there is nothing for Bravesst to do about it. Don't get ahead of yourself -- the 1st step is returning the vape to him. No more to be said until he receives it & analyzes it. Case closed for now.

 

[Bravesst]

One thing I was wondering. Wood is a porous living thing. Could it just be a bad piece of wood which had spores mixed with darkness, heat and a humid climate? In this supposition there is no human mistake just the variability of the natural resource and life itself.

Anything is possible on a microscopic level, but the discoloration is on freshly cut surfaces. I worked these areas in close, drilling, sanding. After all the finishing, the wood is dry, dry, dry.

 

[P.A.M.]

#nomoldhere

https://imgur.com/a/tzGg9z2

My LB unit goes from -5 to 10degrees Celsius outdoors to 20degree Celsius indoors daily , sometimes 3+ times a day.
You'd think that creates condensation or some degree of humidity.. yet, no mold, no discolouration. Hmm , maybe because I kept it dry ? It is a dry herb vape after all! @Montezhuma , are you sure the previous owner wasn't Homer Simpson? That guy likes to swim in Duff beer you know , his vapes might get wet .

Now to assemble and vape the fuck out of it! Haven't even had my coffee yet .. perhaps should fill java tank first

 

[cpk]

Thanks P.A.M. for taking the time and effort to disassemble your LB and show these pics.

 

[beyond6strings]

I would like to turn this conversation back to how great this all-wood beast is. I've been wrapping things up so didn't get to celebrate 4:20 until a minute or so ago when I was reminded just how good the Lil' Bud is with a fresh battery and some yummy dried flower thrown in there. For the longest time the first draw on almost all vapes is 'just for flavor'. Not with the Lil' Bud. You get clouds and flavor. Good lord.

I've started to put the screens in 'backwards'. I find it easier to clean them and it's even easier for me to set the screen for micro-dosing. And I also have OCD and for some reason I don't like seeing the metal not smooth on the wall of the stem. Personal-problem solved.

And Mike-hope you're having a great 4/20 in CO.

 

[Montezhuma]

As soon as I can get to the post office the device will be sent to mike. Again I am very grateful that he is even willing to do so. I just wanted some acknowledgement that it is indeed possible, and is something to think about. Most likely what happened was this vape was not used for a substantial amount of time, and was unable to warm up and expel moisture with regular use. @P.A.M. You seem to enjoy your lil bud very much, and more importantly often, so it makes total sense that yours is mold free. But not all of us are in the same boat. Some of us have vapes on the back burner, waiting to be played with. It's just something that I found, in my vape, that I think others deserve to see and think about, if they so choose. I was never here to shit on vapwood. I wouldn't have bought it, especially used, if I didn't think I'd like it. And I do. I still do despite this issue. And to answer your question @Bravesst, I take things apart if they can be taken apart. I enjoy that as much as I enjoy vaping. They go hand in hand as my favorite hobbies. If there hadn't been mold, I would have simply put it back together, knowing it would function the same way.

 

[Summer]

@Montezhuma, just stop saying it's mold until, if & when, it is confirmed to be.

Make sure you get tracking for the package.

 

[Fat Freddy]

One thing I was wondering. Wood is a porous living thing. Could it just be a bad piece of wood which had spores mixed with darkness, heat and a humid climate? In this supposition there is no human mistake just the variability of the natural resource and life itself.

Can you say, SPALTED?

 

[Bravesst]

Visiting with Alan has been beyond informative. His knowledge and expertise, I feel, are unsurpassed. I am proud to have him as a friend, teacher, and designer of Lil' Bud. This trip will pay off ten fold with knowledge gained, as well as the enjoyment of spending time with good people.

Right now there is light snow in Aurora, but yesterday was a beautiful day. I spent most of it wandering around the main open air 420 event in Denver. Vendors of all kinds, great food, good music, people from all walks of life converged here. I'm glad I was a part of it.

Lil' Bud took the ride, but stayed in the car. Consumption in public is still very much illegal, much like alcohol consumption. This year, I hear the real party is in Colorado Springs.

LB riding shotgun...

Just a pic or two of some cool stuff. I didn't feel right taking pics of the crowd, with various stealth attempts at consumption going on all over.

 

[P.A.M.]

@Montezhuma , i Appreciate the fact you think it's because I use it Often that there is nothing wrong inside . Suggesting that and that it's because I don't have other vapes to play with is total ignorance. Where's the fucking logic in that ??? I might not have as many vapes as you do (like it fucking matters ) but I'm pretty sure that if I had bought my LB , never used it , opened it up, there would still be nothing wrong with it .

This is definitely not about how many vapes One has or vaping experience or about the vape's design . It's about WOOD , which you don't seem to have much experience with.

I have worked and built with many hardwoods before , am from a lumberjack family ffs, even made maple sugar, I have never seen a peice of hardwood deteriorate as fast as yours. Mold simple does't grow that fast under normal conditions, even in poor condition. maybe if you put it into a Grow Room with no dehumidifier and even then , it would grow dust like lint prior to spotting as your pics. I agree with @Summer you should stop suggesting its mold. Like should stop demanding people acknowledge it's possible . Of course it's possible , under what conditions though??? Could very well be a 1 in a 1000 bad chunk of wood . As @jardri says, there would be no human mistakes but only course of nature. You, you seem to suggest that this happened due to human error or design . Do you really think this could not happen in other wooden vapes left unused? You do Know the ones with glass, the whole glass surface isnt completely sealed with the wood, just a few drops of epoxy. Same could happen there under your logic . Same could happen in wooden vape regardless if they can be opened or not . If anything it's an advantage for the Lil' Bud , to be able to check for detoriation, not a flaw. If it was my business and you kept insisting to hear what you want to hear , I'd simply tell you sorry for your misfortune, nothing I can do for you since you didn't buy it new . If anything , I'd have you sign a waiver that it's made of natural resources and can't be held responsible for bullshit, to return it if not happy , case closed. There are haters of this vape , you must have witnessed that by some of the posts made on Reddit , your LB could very well have been purchased to be tampered with and resold or simply not taken care of in major fashion , we don't know that, we don't know you, we don't know who sold it to you.

 

[Bravesst]

Keep Lil' Bud dry, but if there is some sort of spill or accident, your LB can be easily dried out with a household blow drier, without having to take apart. The hot air should be directed right into the tapered hole. You can buff up the unit while you're at it .

You can also examine LB without disassembly by putting a pen / flash light right against the vent hole, while u look down from the top. Alan got a good look inside his unit last night.

Bottom line, if you are concerned, buy direct. That will ensure you get a unit freshly crafted, guaranteed mold and every other contaminant, free Lil'Bud.

 

[pakalolo]

@Montezhuma , i Appreciate the fact you think it's because I use it Often that there is nothing wrong inside . Suggesting that and that it's because I don't have other vapes to play with is total ignorance. Where's the fucking logic in that ??? I might not have as many vapes as you do (like it fucking matters ) but I'm pretty sure that if I had bought my LB , never used it , opened it up, there would still be nothing wrong with it .

This tone is far from the respectful (and hopefully friendly) exchange that our Be Nice rule mandates. Instead, it's an invitation to a flaming response. If you can't suppress your hostility either send a PM or just don't post. Please keep your cool or expect a warning point.

 

[Bravesst]

Good morning!!! Time to return home. Was a great trip with great people. I learned a lot, as I knew I would. Lil' Bud got quite the workout. We talked and talked, ideas were flowing freely. Much will come of this awesome visit. By tomorrow, it'll be back to work on batch 4 and 5.

 

[beyond6strings]

Awhile back @Bravesst mentioned a few things about getting the most from you Lil' Bud. And one of the things he mentioned was keeping the screen clean.

Last night, after a long day at a music festival, I came home and had my first sub-par stem with the LB. I thought I'd been doing a good job keeping the screen clean, but took it out, torched it, put it back in and got what I've come to expect-tasty, thick vapor and evenly heated ABV.

So...if you're new(ish) to the LB; keep those screens clean and you'll be one happy camper.

Travel safe Mike.

 

[SloJimFizz]

@Montezhuma , i Appreciate the fact you think it's because I use it Often that there is nothing wrong inside . Suggesting that and that it's because I don't have other vapes to play with is total ignorance. Where's the fucking logic in that ??? I might not have as many vapes as you do (like it fucking matters ) but I'm pretty sure that if I had bought my LB , never used it , opened it up, there would still be nothing wrong with it .

This is definitely not about how many vapes One has or vaping experience or about the vape's design . It's about WOOD , which you don't seem to have much experience with.

I have worked and built with many hardwoods before , am from a lumberjack family ffs, even made maple sugar, I have never seen a peice of hardwood deteriorate as fast as yours. Mold simple does't grow that fast under normal conditions, even in poor condition. maybe if you put it into a Grow Room with no dehumidifier and even then , it would grow dust like lint prior to spotting as your pics. I agree with @Summer you should stop suggesting its mold. Like should stop demanding people acknowledge it's possible . Of course it's possible , under what conditions though??? Could very well be a 1 in a 1000 bad chunk of wood . As @jardri says, there would be no human mistakes but only course of nature. You, you seem to suggest that this happened due to human error or design . Do you really think this could not happen in other wooden vapes left unused? You do Know the ones with glass, the whole glass surface isnt completely sealed with the wood, just a few drops of epoxy. Same could happen there under your logic . Same could happen in wooden vape regardless if they can be opened or not . If anything it's an advantage for the Lil' Bud , to be able to check for detoriation, not a flaw. If it was my business and you kept insisting to hear what you want to hear , I'd simply tell you sorry for your misfortune, nothing I can do for you since you didn't buy it new . If anything , I'd have you sign a waiver that it's made of natural resources and can't be held responsible for bullshit, to return it if not happy , case closed. There are haters of this vape , you must have witnessed that by some of the posts made on Reddit , your LB could very well have been purchased to be tampered with and resold or simply not taken care of in major fashion , we don't know that, we don't know you, we don't know who sold it to you.

Your quite the defender of the faith. Lot of "we's" lobbed in there. Take a step back.
@Montezhuma has been quite respectful in this thread.
Your playing the bad cop no one asked for.

 

[Bravesst]

Awhile back @Bravesst mentioned a few things about getting the most from you Lil' Bud. And one of the things he mentioned was keeping the screen clean.

Last night, after a long day at a music festival, I came home and had my first sub-par stem with the LB. I thought I'd been doing a good job keeping the screen clean, but took it out, torched it, put it back in and got what I've come to expect-tasty, thick vapor and evenly heated ABV.

So...if you're new(ish) to the LB; keep those screens clean and you'll be one happy camper.

Travel safe Mike.

Thank you! I have found that I can keep the screen clean without having to remove it often for cleaning. I keep it pretty close to the tip of the stem, and try and dump the load as soon as it's spent, then pick clean a bit. You can also give the screen a heat blast (in LB), then pick clean afterwards. With this method, I'll get a week or two out of a screen / stem.

I think it has a lot to do with the gooeyness of the strain as well. Either way, clogged will hamper your ability to pull the heat into the load.

 

[P.A.M.]

Your quite the defender of the faith. Lot of "we's" lobbed in there. Take a step back.
@Montezhuma has been quite respectful in this thread.
Your playing the bad cop no one asked for.

And You're* playing the added mod no one asked for , when pakalolo already intervened.. thanks for your concern, yeah I might have lost my cool abit but found @Montezhuma 's " some of us have other vapes to play with " senseless in this situation .. i do have a couple other vapes I could use and my Lb would still be mold
Free if I did.... how you liking your LB anyways ? Do you still have it? Anything positive to bring to the board rather then instigate further ?

 

[Bandoo]

Keep Lil' Bud dry, but if there is some sort of spill or accident, your LB can be easily dried out with a household blow drier, without having to take apart. The hot air should be directed right into the tapered hole. You can buff up the unit while you're at it .

You can also examine LB without disassembly by putting a pen / flash light right against the vent hole, while u look down from the top. Alan got a good look inside his unit last night.

Bottom line, if you are concerned, buy direct. That will ensure you get a unit freshly crafted, guaranteed mold and every other contaminant, free Lil'Bud.

I have definitely smelt mold starting in my wood vape (from another co) when I left the stem in with stuff in it and didn't use it for a while. And that one does have glass..

I think the best thing is to always empty the stem if it's going to be in there after a day or so and leave it without the stem in and let it air out.
Now I check the smell every once in a while and leave it apart or empty when not using it for a while. It never returned.
Keep it aired out. We are talking about heat and wood and breath..

The hair dryer is a good idea if you can get the hot air to flow through it then let it sit for a spell.
My 2 cents.

 

[Bravesst]

I'm home, safe and sound, after an amazing weekend with really good people. Every need was taken care of by the most gracious of hosts. From the moment I arrived to the the moment I left, I felt welcomed, while enjoying myself and learning as much as I could absorb. Lots of facts were being hurled my way, hope some of them stuck.

I got to see where it all happens, the Toasty Top shop. All I can say is quality at every level. I'm proud to have @Alan as the designer of Lil' Bud. Getting his seal of approval on being able to bring that design to fruition with LB, was just the icing on the cake (and what good cake it was).

Now it's time to get back to building. Batch 4 and 5 will be rolled together. I'll take stock of everything tomorrow before I actually start work. Look for a date in early May.

I have definitely smelt mold starting in my wood vape (from another co) when I left the stem in with stuff in it and didn't use it for a while. And that one does have glass..

I think the best thing is to always empty the stem if it's going to be in there after a day or so and leave it without the stem in and let it air out.
Now I check the smell every once in a while and leave it apart or empty when not using it for a while. It never returned.
Keep it aired out. We are talking about heat and wood and breath..

The hair dryer is a good idea if you can get the hot air to flow through it then let it sit for a spell.
My 2 cents.

There are lots of wood vapes out there, and lots of different people using them. More than a few scenarios come to mind that could get the inside of a unit wet. LB is rather unique in it's ability to be taken apart and see inside. But yes, the hair dryer idea is a good one.

 

[Saulsaul]

I dont like much the way issues (there might be just one)
addressed here, too unrespecful

But technically they are "fine"
If i was a robot and not a human then i would be satisfied with "technically".

Every time i get my salary i am getting in some issues, i hope that next one would be enough to get for me the lil bud

I live in Jerusalem, so humidity is absolutely no issue

Keep the great work bravesst its seems like u have a treasure product that will get a lot of attention very soon

 

[Bravesst]

@Saulsaul
Thank you, but I feel this is just a blip in the evolution of Lil' Bud. Designed by Alan, built by me, there's a lot of expertise behind LB, enough to withstand much more than what we've seen.

I'm really excited to get back to work. I haven't been in my shop in almost a week, and I want to put some of my newly acquired knowledge to work. One of the things discussed on my trip was the use of exotic woods. I'm scouring the internet trying to find some decent deals in the sizes I need.

I feel like I've just returned from the epicenter of hand crafted wooden vaporizers. The inspiration is actually a bit overwhelming, but once harnessed, will be the source of many cool things to come.

 

[P.A.M.]

Happy to hear you are back home safe and Above it all!
exotic wood Lil' Bud's will showcase your amazing craftsmanship even more! Keep that inspiration flowin'!

Received my new charger last week. Got mine in auction for $8usd . They are availably "buy now" here from same seller for $9.57usd. Seen Two auctions that end tomorrow that are still around $4usd for anyone interested.

It works great so far , can manually change from .5A to 1A as desired. LCD display shows Voltage reading , percentage and amount of time the battery as been on the charger . It does stop charging at 4.20. (Approx 4.18 on my voltage metre ). I've let it charge 15 mins past full and battery was still 4.18. I will test it more but so far quite happy with the purchase . Approx charge time as been 3 hours so far .
I

 

[Zabou]

Greetings ppl !
Last night was Lil' Bud waxing night! I have made a paste that i use to polish my lathe woodworking projects which contains beeswax and drug store parafin oil. I melt them together in a bain-marie and let them cool. The paste u get is soft and spreads amazingly well on wood. I used a hairdryer to warm the wooden body and then applied the paste. Let it get absorbed by the wood and then wipe with a cloth. The results were amazing. That wood feels damn smooth.
After the cleaning and waxing,i grabbed a fresh battery and... Heaven!
Three stem loads in about 3 hours.
Load material was homegrown Malawi x PCK which cures for about 8 months now. Its kinda "oily" strain and that long curing period time really brought things out. Damn amazing floral taste at the beginning but when the real roasting time comes, it has an unbelievable "roasty nut with caramel" profile. Plz dont laugh, its true!
Its a 60/40 sativa indica strain so the more u push the temps, the more "stoney" u get.
So, three stems and each stem with a different way.
The first one was "hitted" for about 4 draws with really dense and tasty vapor. No "roasting nuts" here. Didnt want to "go for sleep" so soon .
For the second one i pushed it a bit further and after 4 draws of tasty vapor, i stirred and took two more hits, with dense vapor but now the "roasty" profile emerged. Damn nice high.
For the last stem, since it was sleeping time, after my first 4 draws i stirred for about 4-5 more times to really roast that load. Damn amazing caramel and nut profile. And the eyes were shutting
I really love the way u can cook the load in that unit. U can really tell when u need to stir and when u need to push a bit more on temp to get the most out of it without scorching the load ( that also requires some learning curve, since when i first got my Bud, i was almost scorching my loads every time till i get the grip on it and get familiarized with the "push-draw" technique).
So, right below i am posting my "after session" results with Fresh herb at the left edge, side by side with my three different load after vaping.
The one on the left was from first stem.
The middle one was from the second stem and the right one was from my third stem.
I also took a pic from my charger to see what happened to that battery after all that. It shows 3.8V from 4.20. Not bad at all !
Cheers guys!

My Lil waxed Bud !

Three stems material after vaping.

Charger at CH1 show 3.8v from a 4.2v fresh battery after an almost three hour "session"