Discontinued Lil' Bud by Vapwood

P.A.M.

Vapo Rising
Full steam ahead!!!

Kind of felt like I owed you folks a indoor video sooner rather then later so I brought the Lil' Bud for a family visit... Indoors, window closed, normal room temp., no added lights or gimmicks, just a guy sitting under a window seal.

Feels like I got my preferred micro dose bowl figured out. next I'll go for a real cloud buster and start experimenting with .05-.08 bowls.

 

Fat Freddy

FUCK CANCER TOO !
Full steam ahead!!!

Kind of felt like I owed you folks a indoor video sooner rather then later so I brought the Lil' Bud for a family visit... Indoors, window closed, normal room temp., no added lights or gimmicks, just a guy sitting under a window seal.

Feels like I got my preferred micro dose bowl figured out. next I'll go for a real cloud buster and start experimenting with .05-.08 bowls.


Any evidence of excessive botanical larfiness?

.
 

P.A.M.

Vapo Rising
do you have to stir?
I like to turn the stem about 1/4 turn between each draw.

My screen rim is flush with the stem rim. The herb fills about half or less of the screen bowl. Screen bowl being flush to the stem rim ,i can move the herb a bit with my little finger like I did in between the 3rd and 4th draw.

I did give it a stir after video but it didn't get much more out of it.

@Fat Freddy , I don't follow your question ? I didn't take pics of abv but it was tasty :)
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
Another nice vid, *larfy* or no...

Stirring will squeeze the last bit out, revive a stale bowl. Not absolutely mandatory, depends on how dark you want your ABV. I tend to stir once. Stirring and hitting again can give me a couple of really tasty hits as well. The ABV can come out very dark, and I never taste char.

BATCH 3 UPDATE
Damn am I getting meticulous? The process of *faring* in furniture making, isn't the final, final, finish, but a constant keeping up with the planing, sanding process. Today I fared all day, ensuring a good fit and look of the switchbox. The units look real nice pre-beeswax, gonna look sick post.

So... now we are ready to assemble. Monday shipping is looking good.
 

kaisersosay415

Well-Known Member
Another nice vid, *larfy* or no...

Stirring will squeeze the last bit out, revive a stale bowl. Not absolutely mandatory, depends on how dark you want your ABV. I tend to stir once. Stirring and hitting again can give me a couple of really tasty hits as well. The ABV can come out very dark, and I never taste char.

BATCH 3 UPDATE
Damn am I getting meticulous? The process of *faring* in furniture making, isn't the final, final, finish, but a constant keeping up with the planing, sanding process. Today I fared all day, ensuring a good fit and look of the switchbox. The units look real nice pre-beeswax, gonna look sick post.

So... now we are ready to assemble. Monday shipping is looking good.
Man o man this news just made my day
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
Good Morning... It's spring time on Long Island, and I'm snowed in. We got a like 8 inches and it's still falling. I am in full protest and just want to leave it there (gonna be 45 today). This is going to cut into my shop time (and energy level). But I am really looking forward to the next part of the build process, when blocks of wood become Lil' Buds. I'll do a QC check of each one, which definitely involves a short session. There are a couple of things I look for, but delivering a strong, smooth, fast hit, is at the top of the list.

@P.A.M. Wish I had your monster lungs to test LB's...
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
Here's a peek at pre-assembly/ beeswax applied. It's batch 3 and some of batch 4 (which will be walnut and cherry batch. This is some very nice cherry. I like cherry with the contrasting walnut. I found some nice walnut to spice things up a bit. Cherry will darken with age, actually quite quickly when handled a lot.

WGugDUB.jpg
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
An Observation

I tested lots of coils today, using a 510 connector and mod box. It's just as much a burn off as it checking on coil function. What I noticed is it will achieve a state of soft, almost translucent glowing red. This is very different from super hot cherry red (IE: cleaning a screen with a butane torch). It takes about 3 to 5 seconds, depending on battery life (even in a regulated mod box) to stabilize at what appears to be max heat. I haven't tested in the dark, but it would be kinda cool to see the coil glow in the dark.

I thought, let's see what happens. I take my current DD, my only LB right now, and just hit the button, no pull, loaded stem in. I totally don't want anyone to do this ever. I held for 20 seconds and the body isn't that hot. The herb chamber is barely warm. I'm going to do a test really soon where I just tape the switch on and see how long it takes to burn up. I'll be standing by with an extinguisher, eye protection, outdoors. Very little heat leaves the coil unless your draw it with your breath. And you get quickly zoned in to the optimal draw rate.

No real drawback for a bit longer button depression, other than drain on battery. With a full battery, about .08 nicely loaded, I hit the button for 5 seconds before I took put my lips to the stem. I've gotten really good timing with draw speed, pressure, button lately, so no charring ever. I was curious to see what happens with this short pre heat. The hits were fuller, smoother, I could feel the expansion of the air in the air path.

I truly believe that the higher the volume of heat to more evenly saturate, the smoother the potential for the hit. If you draw before the coil tops out, you might be on the edge of running out of heat, versus dealing with a very stable, therefore reliable, long lasting, heat source. This might also forestall stirring, but can be used in combination with a stir. It definitely allows you to get more out of a battery (use it down lower).

I like that I don't have to preheat, but if you're a taste chaser, and you are looking to take LB as far as possible, it's something you might try. It requires even better timing, as you don't wanna overdraw on this maxed out coil, or it will have the reverse effect.

I'm always looking for smooth taste without wispy. It's really a bunch of little things.
 
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P.A.M.

Vapo Rising
@P.A.M. Wish I had your monster lungs to test LB's...

i would gladly test ANY Vapwood vapes!

I did a longer sipping session today with more herb / more tokes/draws rather then my usual big micro dose hits. Pleased to say it went very well .found myself chipping ice in the driveway soon after , the bigger dose did its thing no doubt .

Gave it 2 seconds preheat before tokes (basically just the time to press trigger prior to resting it in your mouth , no counting involved) and got very good draws. I guess that is what Mike explains in previous post about giving the heater that second to fully warm up . Impressive how fast it does so !

I do like to session vape from time to time. I do prefer lung busting microdose hits due to "bong combustion days" background where I /we would "one shot deal" a full bowl of flower through the bong.

I do much prefer vaping dry nowadays, and the Lil'Bud does so very efficiently.

One question in regards to beeswax @Bravesst , what color is your beeswax? White , yellow? I'd like to order a few cubes or sticks of it to keep the LB neat looking , no sign of wear yet , just for future reference..

Great planing and sanding job on Batch 3, They look very smooth/clean , even from a distance in their Flyin V formation .

I do like the contrasting switchbox's too, two fine woods in one vape. They all look great when individually singled out, that's the beauty of handcrafted wood objects.
 
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Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
@P.A.M.
>>>BEESWAX ON AMAZON really cool stuff and the only beeswax I've used. It's got to be heated. I use a heat gun with gloves. I heat both the wax and the wood. It soaks in nicely. Really protects beside making the grain pop.

I think I like the dark switchbox / light body vs the other way around, but I change my mind from day to day. I'm taking my time with this batch, so it should come together quicker at the end.

I've never been a water / glass guy. It was joints only for years and years. I like the simplicity of a portable, one handed operation. Press the button and I'm vaping. I don't like big complicated set ups.

Half a day in the shop today, life calls...
 

Fat Freddy

FUCK CANCER TOO !
I understand heating the beeswax, but what do you mean about heating the wood?

I would think that for the average person using a hair dryer would get the job done almost as effectively but certainly more safely than a heat gun. At any rate, he's saying that he heats both wax and wood with the heat gun for maximum penetration of the wax into the wood.
 

Summer

Long Island, NY
OK, so you have to heat the wax to soften it, then you apply it & then heat it again once it's on the wood., or you heat the wood slightly before you apply the softened wax? :shrug:
 

Fat Freddy

FUCK CANCER TOO !
OK, so you have to heat the wax to soften it, then you apply it & then heat it again once it's on the wood., or you heat the wood slightly before you apply the softened wax? :shrug:

I've never done it so maybe @Bravesst might fill us in on techniques. However, I would think that as a matter of controlling the wax application so that it doesn't drip into/onto areas that it shouldn't, one might heat the wood first and then apply the softened (not melted and runny) wax via soft cloth. But, just guessing. :huh:

.
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
Okay... first that was an Amazon link to the beeswax I use. I ordered it today, that exact thing.

They are bars of yellow beeswax. I take a small bowl to rest / heat the wax with heat gun (guess a blow dryer would work). I don't really look to fill up the bowl with wax, I kinda melt it right onto the unit. I clamp the heat gun so it's aiming down at the table I'm working on. The heat gun needs to be hot enough to melt the wax and heat the wood. I wear leather gloves, but still need to be careful.

The wax and wood get heated, going back and forth. Get the wax to melt into the wood, wipe with a cloth that will eventually be saturated with wax. Have another one or two clean ones around. I don't so much melt the wax in the bowl, but rest in the bowl during melting. Easier to melt the tip of the bar, and apply it directly to the hot wood while it's melting.

There is no part of LB that is not beeswaxed, except inside the oven chamber (not the tapered bowl), so don't pour melted wax down the hole. If you must wax the taper, heat the hole, take your soaked cloth and swab around. If you're redoing a LB, just leave inside the bowl once it's used. No reason to do anything but wipe with a clean cloth in the taper. If you do stick your finger down there, be careful not to push on the screen.

Just doing a single unit is pretty painless. Take your time, but you can't really mess it up. You can always re-apply heat and start over.

Before I get to beewax, I go through sand paper grits from 220, 320, 400, 600, #0000 steel wool. Once beewax is applied, I just buff with a clean soft rag. It's pretty fool proof. If I was refinishing a unit, I'd start at 320 or 400, no need for 220 any longer. Anything after 400 is gravy!.
 
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Andreaerdna

If God is the answer, then the question is wrong
Hair dryier works amazing for waxing wood

I stick a bead of beeswax on wood and apply hot air, when melted i start rubbing and heating again and again until all looks good then wipe off excedence while still hot.I Have thick skin and I can do it without gloves, just a cloth to handle hot parts
 

Bravesst

Full Steam Ahead
Manufacturer
As thick as your skin can be, the finger tips, nail beds, sometimes will get caught under the heat for too long. My gloves aren't thick, cheap thin leather workgloves. I actually let the gloves get saturated with beeswax as well, but I prefer the cotton cloth for wiping smooth.

Yesterday Batch 3 assembly began. Didn't get too far, but today and tomorrow should see some real progress. The only real difference about batch 3, is the build process is a bit more methodical. I am tidying up all loose ends as I go along. Magnets are installed on the bodies, and all units are fitted for back plates. All back plates are cut to size and ready to install except for safety tab slot (that happens after a double check of perfect placement when unit is completely assembled). Switchboxes have been paired to main bodies, and are completely finished.

EDIT
I decided to test one less vent hole - a bit restricted. The third hole in at the front of the unit, really opens up the air flow. The holes are about 120 degrees / equidistant apart. Optimal.

@P.A.M. was right, the finish quality of this batch is very high. I'm testing #UNIT 11, my crash test dummy for this batch, and probably my new DD. It's got a couple of minor cosmetic flaws, but other than that standard LB quality. It's feels so nice in my hand. Lots of planing and sanding went into this guy. I'm testing him out right now with a microdose load, very nice. Smooth, hits like a freight train, tastes great, makes thick vapor in 3 to 5 seconds.

I took a video of a coil test... maybe this is the closest thing to coil porn. This is the coil in my test unit. I'll post when my six hours are up and I can post new.
 
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