Making Draw Tubes... Flower Quince?

[TommyDee]

So this is probably a mundane subject for all the artistry that goes on in this realm. However it may be worth posting anyway.

I've been hacking at very overgrown Flowering Quince bushes. I'm left with a 2' diameter, 2 foot long series of a 'wood' shoots with individual stalks averaging 1" in diameter. Working this material I have to consider it somewhat equivalent to Maple.

I threw a couple of pieces up on the mini-lathe to see how well I could work it. Other than splitting while working it between the center pins, it did pretty well. Splits can easily be trimmed away later. I was able to core a 5" length with a long 5/32" drill bit, which is much nicer than an 1/8" hole. I took the OD down to just under 3/8" and let it sit overnight to dry a little. My final diameter was targeted at just over 1/4". This leaves a nice wall-to-hole ratio with a little space for decorations. Work in some peanut or olive oil and you've got a draw-straw. I've made 3 so far for the MFLB's. It is actually a pretty easy wood to work with, even green.

Anyone else found a wood species that works surprisingly well for making 'draw-straws'?

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

I've had good luck with fejoa wood for straws/stems, it cuts, turns and sands very nicely. It was dry though, never tried working green wood, how do you deal with the shrinkage as it dries?

 

[TommyDee]

I do a rough cut about 3 passes oversize and let it dry for a couple of days. Overnight is enough, but obviously more dry, better final fit dimension. These stems are holding up nicely. Not splitting or shrinking after two days from green to service. Been almost 2 weeks now and daily use.

What is a Fejoa... I can look that up ...looked up

That would be a very similar type of wood. It is hard so it breaks easily, not mushy and bendy.

 

[TommyDee]

It looks like I have a new medium to play with. I made a couple of stems for the Launch Box from my heritage Flowering Quince bushes. This is a very blonde wood that has hot pink hues when it gets wet.

There are some real masters here making great DynaVap accessories. And I'd love to get some of this wood into their hands. But in the meantime, I am doing some testing. Found that a quick quill stem works well down to 11.8mm on the OD at the o-rings. Held up fine to pressure and heat both.

Last weekend I trimmed some blanks from the bush and made a few things. This material works very well even green. But it shrinks like mad! Yesterday I came up with a new concept for DV VC's. I decided to cover the part that keeps burning the fuck out of me. First I tried making a cup to set my DV into. That shrunk to make it a VC-cap... and shrunk some more and trapped the cap.

In making the 'stand' and 'bucket' for the VC, I found this exquisite feature where the material splits. It doesn't split and separate, it does like bamboo, it is simply cracked but remains geometrically stable. So I decided to test that in a "VC Skirt'd Stem". Two reasons for this design... one, it fits my glass vile in the IH heater so the VC stays perfectly centered. And two, I want to know how heat tolerant this wood really is.

So now I have a XXL VC with a stealth radiator skirt. This length was a real test for my mini-lathe.

...okay, that was short lived. Nothing like vaping the local foliage! Couldn't salvage anything from the embers.

Anyone know if bone is a suitable medium I really do like this style!

It's all in good fun on a Sunday. Had a chance to clean up the Quince Quill.

 

[bassguy]

I know that working with bone you should absolutely avoid breathing in any dust whatsoever. I've smoked out of antler, which is close to bone. Maybe?

 

[TommyDee]

Nice idea. I know people make pipes from antler, yes indeed.

Huffin' bone dust is a problem?

 

[bassguy]

Indeed! As I understand it, bone dust is tiny and sharp and doesn't break down or get out easily once inhaled. Most particles wreak havoc in but bone causes particularly nasty problems.

 

[TommyDee]

That I won't forget

 

[Planck]

Huffin' bone dust is a problem?

I dunno about huffin' but suggest a dusty bone itself is a problem.
Nice stems!

 

[TommyDee]

I could so see that long skirted stem being ground from a solid alumina tube. Alumina works nicely with diamond grinding tools.

Also learning I need to saw the stalks, not sheer

 

[TommyDee]

Looks like I am getting better at coring the tubes. Found another interesting feature of this wood... the bark is real easy to peel off. What is left could easily be mistaken for deer antler in both color and texture:

 

[TommyDee]

From the stalk I made the VC drop box above from, I also made this little stash. Learned something new today... you -sand- cork - not machine it!

This is the a peeled bark finish of a heritage flowering quince. The ID is about 5/8". Holds a good weekend camp-out load to my estimation. No problem having most VapCaps dip in there for a quick load.

...and I learned what 'vaped' flowering quince looks like when condensed onto white ceramic halogen sockets - vape honey You know where this is going, right

 

[TommyDee]

...and the matching stem

I'll call this a "Hound's Tooth". A raw debarked 'twig' that has been worked for over a week now. It is completely different than the tube I envisioned when I first got the hole drilled through it more or less centered throughout. this piece has all the hallmarks I was after in this material. The unfinished raw stalk; the smooth opaque nature of the wood; and the highlighting of cracks as seen at the mouthpiece. Those are micro-fractures that quickly stain. Yet, the surface is perfectly smooth. Not knowing that this style mouthpiece is, I'll call it a bead-bit. Being a very light wood, it is easy to hold this in between your lips without support.

I am not using the spacer o-ring. I see no purpose. I also found a conflicting piece of information. Are VapCaps designed for 5/16" or 8mm? There is a difference! Unlike my previous quill stem, I gave this attempt time to shrink between operations. I drilled the core hole manually and the 5/16" counterbore with lots of extra length to be sure to avoid cracking. Before all was said and done, I cut off 3/4" to where the VapCap was installed. Although thin-walled due to some off-centerness, it is more than tough enough to manage the hole I ended up 'carving'. Basically, I ran a 5/16" drill-bit to the desired depth. I followed that up with a daily 'scraping' of the walls using a 5/16" OD brass hobby tubing with a sharp outer edge. This really helped make sure the size was fully 5/16" since wood does 'squirm' rather than cut sometimes. When I test fit the butt end of the drill bit, it has very little resistance which means that my 'whittling' the ID got me closer to the 8mm ID.

I made sure to put a small round on the end to help mate the VC. I also treated the whole stem with peanut oil. Putting the CV in there today was an easy slide with a very appropriate hold. A level of pressure form the o-rings that gives me very little concern about the thin-wall section of the pipe (it is in fact at the wound-wood).

I will definitely be making more quill stems now that I understand this process. Love the native wood look, but that may be more for units that have stems. From what I understand, those stems are 62mm long. That would have the appropriate style for raw stems. Fully bored to 8mm so the condensers will still function. Obviously I was hard core hits.

Maybe I need some DynaVap variety to expand this study PM me so I can send you my address so you can donate your extra XL or OMNI or well, any DV product!

Seriously... I will get one in someone's hands at some point. I know me, I'll have -way- too many stems in short order

 

[Planck]

FWIW I just measured a 18M. The OD is 10mm, ID is 7.9 at one end and 7.8 at the other. Made in Japan MITUTOYO caliper used.

 

[TommyDee]

I have that stem. I shoved a 5/16" drill bit through it... but it took some scrapping of the walls. No actual cutting so this material is provided pre-cored most likely. It's a lot cleaner now that the mill-scale has been removed! And I don't use the M-stem. Too damn heavy for my tastes. I need to make a stem that uses the condenser next. I may just splurge for a mouthpiece condenser for a fully raw stem.

Thanks for confirming @Planck . I know the fit in this stem is looser but not in jeopardy of falling out. And definitely air tight. That last 1/4" of 'treatment' was done very purposefully. For that 1" depth, the brass tube was a better fit than the drill-bit shank, which was looser. So I am pretty sure I am generous on 8mm for the bore.

Basically I want to see if I can get away with a 1mm wall with a flowering quince stem. Some test pieces suggest I can.

 

[TommyDee]

How about loosing 12 grams off your VC-M? ...but I'm afraid to drill the vent
So I'll make another with the vent later.

This really is a Quince VapCap M replacement body. It is 10mm on the OD and shrinking.

Now that I got making the seat for the VC down, I thought I'd find out the limit of this crazy material.
I didn't expect it to be whole and crack-free this morning but it was and still is.

I started with a twig about 1" diameter including the bark. The bark including recesses was more than 1/8" total.
This piece came from a longer piece I harvested about a month ago and its been outside in the cold since.
Since I was making a stem with the condenser, I plowed right in with a 5/16" drill-bit.
That is very quick work by hand. However, remaining centered is a real challenge.
Until I can jig that up much better, I'll just have to work with thicker pieces for the time being.
I trimmed the cored piece so both ends were open. I reamed the core with the magic brass tube.
This provides a good fixture for the lathe and a general work handling option.
But do know that since this is technically quite green, shrinkage on this is huge!
Don't think you can just come back where you left off.

I turned this stem down to 12mm, determined the section to keep, and proceeded to trim the piece to length.
The first time I did this at 11mm it exploded. Perseverance and a full top shelf bowl won out.

After I sized the length, I just kept turning it. I got it to 10mm and figured that was an "M".
A little sanding and buffing made it functional so before it self-destructed overnight, I had to test it.
12 grams of weight reduction is a freaking hell of a lot of weight to loose in one step!
I can't hold the M in my lips and teeth are a nono. This one I can easily hold between my lips while the hands are busy.

The collar at the business end is shrinking, that I know. It will be hell to take apart I'm sure.
But you can physically see where the wood is gathering just above the o-rings.
If this lasts, I will have defined a shrink-fit wood application

One last thought. I made two pieces. This one and a tiny paper thin coupon with holes. The coupon I coated in peanut oil.
This "VC-Q" has no finish yet. I need to understand how the finish affects the 'curing'.

I also know you woodworkers are rolling your eyes at all this and I don't blame you.
Technically this would be considered junk wood and I've junked a lot of it.
But I have to tell you that the more I work with this the more it fascinates me.
The fact that it cures to a hard shell while remaining flexible gives this an almost bamboo like quality.
And machining it on the lathe produces very stringy burrs but leaves a beautiful cut.
If you machine it wet, it leaves visible peach fuzz that oxidized gray immediately.
That's probably why cracks turn dark gray when you add an oil finish.

I will offer to send a sample to an interested USA based stem maker.
I'd love to get some expert opinions on this.

Now to let yesterday's blisters heal... must be time for another load

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

Nice work @TommyDee.

I haven't been on the lathe for a while due to I'll health and cold weather. Can't wait to get back into it.

I've got a pear tree that needs a prune and a couple of peach trees.

 

[TommyDee]

I am not up on wood-speak. What I see is that this wood is a super-tight grain in the radial direction, from the center out...
The annual rings are hard to understand. It appears there are only a few years of rings. However, I know these to be well over 25 years old. Therefore the visible rings are stress years. Think about working with a wood that has a grain nearly a 1,000 times tighter than oak. My wife says that some of my turnings look and feel like plastic.

Next step is to figure out if I can anticipate shrinkage. Basically oversize the core by maybe a millimeter and let it shrink onto the magic brass tube. By all rights the "Q"-stem should have split overnight. ...but it didn't.

 

[TommyDee]

Had a flame-out in the "Q"
That really ruins a VC

...and what's worse, I can't take this apart!

Well, on that front, the "Q" has gathered 0.3mm for those following. That means if I oversize the bore to a true 8.3mm (not just elongated wobbling!) and work it on that mandrel, I should be able to let the 1mm thick stem cure down to VC-size. I've also got the mill centered to drill the 'vent' or whatever it's called. Still can't get myself to try it. I'm not one to find the hole and I don't want to geometrically orient the stem with even more notches. Hell, I haven't even put oil on it yet! It's resisting stains.

Anyhoo... this thing. It was the end of a stem long age worn in the bush. The cracks are from some idiot (<= Tommy) used sheers to trim the stubs. Those cracks are from squishing of the stalk when green years ago. When you oil the wood, they just scream at you. No mistaking that there is a stress flaw in the wood, even if just a 1mm trace. It will stand right out like a gray threads. Fortunately, these are the exception and not the rule. But saving this piece was important to me. Sanded down to 600 grit and oiled with peanut oil. It was dry enough today to function exactly as expected.

I present the new flame-out prevention tool; BVC for Been Vaped Cup. I do prescribe to the idea of sucking the herb into the chamber. Old trick new purpose. And quite tasty I might add. Almost like a 'dry draw'. But that can come straight from the container. This is too small to transfer fresh herb yet again - zero sum gain. However, have you ever thought... "one more heatings?" only to ruin the honey coated inner walls of your VC and stem? Well now... That was my mistake last night. This little cup is my solution to inspect your ABV up close. Stirs it up and you just 'suck it back up' into the bowl again. Sure we have trays and fancy paraphernalia that are table bound. This bring things back to a more personal level. BVC as a concept is simple and easy to carry or keep with your kit.

...and don't give me the 'we have 'digger' routine'! Digger is a way to throw your herb everywhere but in the bowl. Don't Do Digger!

Gettin' a nice tan on that VC-M SS tip huh

 

[TommyDee]

The BVC has been very successful in scoping the status of the load. "Know when to hold them, know when to fold them." right? This is the perfect weigh-point to decide back-in-the-bowl or into the ABV-Pot <<== pun intended

So staring at that bicycle spoke and finding absolutely no use for the thread-ridges, I decided to cannibalize a few more spokes. I have a pretty good ability to straighten out old spokes for making these turn-able. I'm also finding that a 600-grit polish is more than enough to bring out a worthwhile luster to the stainless rods. These are 2mm exactly BTW. But I suspect I can make good use of the thread for one sided picks.

I think this makes the kit complete. A 1mm thick quince "Q" stem for the DV VC-M which is now permanently married to the VC. The condenser also won't come out. The combustion even is fading rapidly. I did intervene with swabs and IPA being very careful not to affect the wood. Time to order a second VC for new stems. I really want to see how long this one will last. And it's gorgeous as a minimalist-"M". It feels great and has a very light weight.

The stash is working out nicely. This piece had not been oiled. It doesn't appear to need any. The insides are smooth so herb doesn't stick to the walls (sticks to itself though!) and there is a shoulder at the '3 bowls left' mark. It holds about 2-1/2 MFLB trenches so it has gone well into my 3rd day of VC-dosing. I'm still super-grinding my flower through the kitchen wire screen. Makes for some pretty dense loads. I do this because the ABV is easily digestible at this size when added to a dish as a herb seasoning directly. All the micro-logs are removed with the standard cooking screens. I save those logs for a LB session. Nearly 1/2 dozen top shelf micro-logs all of one genus in a trench. You'd be surprised at how good those 3 draws are

And therefore I had to make the poker-cleaner-stirrer from another piece of Quince. This was too easy. This was sanded from the get-go. The head is asymmetrical which gives pause when handling it. Funny how some of this stuff just defines itself. This piece got oiled with peanut oil after a night of drying and shrinking onto the rod. I do want to make a tapped one. This one is loosely fitted so it can be changed. The hold is more than strong enough to clean out the CV and stir the stash. This is 4" long in case you wondered.

So what am I missing?

Oh yea, the VCC... the VapCapCup. I've been using that one above instead of a magnet. This one is not what I want in the end but works very well for now. It hides the metal bits from prying eyes and it just looks like part of the set. I'll make a more appropriate 'stone' out of Quince for parking the VC at a later time.

And the "Hound's Tooth" stem... Gawd I love that one from a Worx perspective but it is not my style for VC's. To bulky and long for my taste. If anyone wants it it's their's for the asking.

 

[TommyDee]

And an update on this amazing stuff. I decided that making pokers is an easy way to show off some of the more 'interesting' growth as I run across it. How pointy do people want their pokers?

Also an update on the 1mm thick "Q" VC stem. Remember that this is a replica plain case M with no carb-hole. Haven't used it or missed it. But today is a day to see what I am missing - or not.
Not only that, I wanted to start a new "Q" stem to put the carb-hole in. Still had the mill set up centered on the lathe-axis. I also wanted to test out a few thing I've been considering since starting this crazy journey.

Last time the "Q" was machined from a 1-month seasoning on a fairly large OD branch, probably 1" mean diameter. I hand drilled it with a 5/16 drill bit (.3125"). Trimmed the branch so I could access both drilled ends and slowly worked a 5/16" brass tube inside to keep it from shrinking and as a mandrel for the work-piece. I worked the piece to match the VC-M dimensions leaving a 1mm wall. And I let it shrink on the VC. Above the VC, the body OD reduced 0.3mm within a couple of days. O-ring was somewhat effective in maintaining size. The condenser tube was pretty much stuck.

This is the new "Q" body w/Vent. I cut it from a branch this evening. Say 7-8 inches long. The raw ends are there in the image. I trimmed and squared the stem to about 6 inches. This piece was maybe a foot off the ground. Put a drill number P in a chuck and manually dug out the center as deep as I could. Trimmed off the beat up first section and maximized the straight bore. Then trimmed the other end to expose the core. Ran an OD cut on the mini-log so I could chuck it up. The P drill is well oversized from the 5/16 - 8mm bore we need. The 5/16" OD brass tubing is insanely true to its size. turns out that it doesn't take long for the ID to 'swell' and make a reasonable fit. Since I have a mini-lathe, this is a bit tricky, but I got it shimmed up with a little tape and got it running true for the duration of the turn. I was working the middle 4" all the way down. I drilled the vent at .42" and continued to turn turn to .40" where I took over with 240-grit emery cloth. The part was still on the brass tube fixed on both ends. It has gotten a good grip on the brass tube from shrinking while working this very wet wood. It is literally curing with every cut. I used a high speed to run a parting tool with extreme care as this is a make or break. I ran both ends until nearly all the way through. Finished with a sacrificial razor blade. The ends can now be exposed for sanding the ends and the final sanding stages can be performed while on the brass tube. By the time I was done, the shrink was very tight on the brass tube. Works perfectly on the VC! Introducing a newly born "Q"!

...Now I can make quill stems with a higher level of confidence that they will actually survive.

 

[TommyDee]

Nope; Carb sucks! Went right to work on this beauty! I think I can end the search for the right stem now. Outed the glory shot in the VC thread but this one definitely belongs here.

As to the legacy, it was one of the recently harvested lot about an 1" in diameter. Drilled a deep core using the drill-bit "P" until I got a smooth solid bore for the VC about 1-1/3" in. I followed that up with a 5/32" long bit to see just how deep this sucker would go before breaking out the side. When I trimmed away the bad end of the VC-side to about 1/2" or so I continued the long bit. I came real close to the edge but remained in solid material. Once on the lathe I trimmed a few more segments just to square things up. This time I clamps very carefully between a section of 5/16" tubing and the live center on the tail-stock. Once I knew both ends were running true I went for the .4" OD. It fought me all the way to this minimalist OD. It was that basis from which I continued with sandpaper to get to this stage.

I seemed to have gotten cracks under control. They seem to have come from the brute force of harvesting with the pruning sheers. It is a crush pattern that radiates a long ways into the material being harvested. I'll be using more gentler means from now on. Neither stems from yesterday exhibited any cracks which, if I can remind, are highly visible when subjected to peanut oil. Oh yea, I forgot to mention; I did oil both pieces immediately after the last polish. It is almost like this material is being work-hardened as you go.

@Planck and @TheThriftDrifter ; Are either of you in the USA?

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

Nope; Carb sucks! Went right to work on this beauty! I think I can end the search for the right stem now. Outed the glory shot in the VC thread but this one definitely belongs here.

As to the legacy, it was one of the recently harvested lot about an 1" in diameter. Drilled a deep core using the drill-bit "P" until I got a smooth solid bore for the VC about 1-1/3" in. I followed that up with a 5/32" long bit to see just how deep this sucker would go before breaking out the side. When I trimmed away the bad end of the VC-side to about 1/2" or so I continued the long bit. I came real close to the edge but remained in solid material. Once on the lathe I trimmed a few more segments just to square things up. This time I clamps very carefully between a section of 5/16" tubing and the live center on the tail-stock. Once I knew both ends were running true I went for the .4" OD. It fought me all the way to this minimalist OD. It was that basis from which I continued with sandpaper to get to this stage.

I seemed to have gotten cracks under control. They seem to have come from the brute force of harvesting with the pruning sheers. It is a crush pattern that radiates a long ways into the material being harvested. I'll be using more gentler means from now on. Neither stems from yesterday exhibited any cracks which, if I can remind, are highly visible when subjected to peanut oil. Oh yea, I forgot to mention; I did oil both pieces immediately after the last polish. It is almost like this material is being work-hardened as you go.

@Planck and @TheThriftDrifter ; Are either of you in the USA?

First up I got to say that latest stem is a real beauty. I haven't been on the lathe for a while due to ill health, but seeing your work makes me want to get turning.
I'm in New Zealand, not sure if that's any help to you. I get a bit jealous of the prices and plethora of readily available vapes over in the US.

 

[TommyDee]

Careful what you wish for @TheThriftDrifter You live in paradise for the most part. I am hoping to send out a Beta stem to see what others think. Other than a post card, I can't get anything to NZ for under 15 bills.

And thanks... I am enjoying it

 

[Planck]

Damn @TommyDee that is a super nice stem!

Keep doing what you're doing.
We are witnessing the birth/realization of a stem artist.

I'm in Canada so I dunno if that can work but I'd love too.