Making Draw Tubes... Flower Quince?

stark1

Lonesome Planet
You need a 5.5x2.5 adapter if the plug isn't already hybrid, but yes, it will power a Flix just fine.

Decided to re-arrange the Caldron's face?


No.

It’s awesome how a simple pig tail allows you to use a corded IH
As a portable





I think I hijacked your thread. My bad. :popcorn:

So you harvest your (straight) draw tubes from the branches of this shrub?



free image hosting
 
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TommyDee

Vaporitor
Yep, that is a Flowering Quince flowering. I see you do not have a shortage of IH's either :D How can you not be hitting the cap all day long?

And yes, you got my jest on using battery packs instead of a brick. Still waiting for some meters.
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
Fairly universal too I might add. This is where you go for a stealth little box for the battery and a nice slender cord. A retractable cord would be over the top!

Now it is quite unfortunate that Flowering Quince doesn't produce large rounds but the fruit tree Quince does. I really like the accessories that quince will make. What is of special interest is the grain and texture when the bark is removed. I can see making plug covers and such out of pieces like that. The hardest part is peeling the bark. It has to be done at the time of harvest.
 

stark1

Lonesome Planet
A brilliant idea, TD! A male XT60 + coiled 12V cord + solder....

& life becomes a bit more elegant!

Been wondering where to source quince blanks here in the east coast. Would make a perfect combo.
Been thinking with wood cutting tool, a metal lathe can be used? A friend has one.

Perhaps for the practice, I should try turning some pen blanks.
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
I like the metal lathe as it has a slide for control. And the tools are fixed rigidly so they don't go flying about. I do most of the shaping with sandpaper on the lathe. I have some Rosewood blanks coming to play with.
 

stark1

Lonesome Planet
Sandpaper may well be the ultimate secret in shaping, slowly shaping to eye pleasing form?

Suppose it is possible to adapt a battery powered household drill into a lathe? How many rpm to turn wood?
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
Making a blank somewhat true to the bore is the first thing to tackle. A long 5/32" drill bit wanders a lot. Then you have to get the receiver for the VC true to the bore [8mm]. Can you square the ends [patience]. The turning of the blank can be somewhat suggestive of what you're after. I go for skinny so a single stage or maybe the mouthpiece taper will be added to be true to the bore. Remembering that changing length can change the axial center [2 points] you pretty much want the blank usable as-is.

For the final shaping, I have a 5/16" stub on a collet. I have a live center on the opposite side. Truing up the OD to the bore should not be obvious. You really need a way to clamp the piece and safely spin it as a pretty good clip. maybe 1000-2000 rpm is a great range. But any cheap lathe will get you to this point - note the live center as the one required upgrade.

Another way that can be done is to leave a stud that will become the mouthpiece or the VC port. It can be done with a drill locked to a bench. Its painful! Basically you end up parting the stem from the stub and finishing that end.

And whittling is a dying art. One could make some coin with talent!
 

TheThriftDrifter

Land of the long vapor cloud
I made my first stem on a battery drill, then graduated to a mains powered drill in a drill press converter thingy, using a long bolt as a mandrel.
Then I bought a second hand lathe that turned out (no pun intended) to be good for turning larger items, but not so good for DV sized goodies. I must get back on that lathe and show it who is boss.

TommyDee is 100% correct, YOU CAN DO IT STARKY!
 

TommyDee

Vaporitor
My poor lathe. For years I've lamented the way my switch would sometimes not work. It has a high and low setting and usually one would work. In recent years, the switch has been more problematic. I really hoped it wasn't worse. These motors involve start-circuits.

I dismantled the lathe from its tiny cubby and went to work. I soldered a wire across the switch leads and that worked. I proceeded to un-solder the switch so I could hack something together. While the switch was out I had a peek inside. Fuck! Sawdust! Sawdust was making the contacts 'hesitant'.

Lathe is all better now and I got the Rosewood blanks. Party!

As to what the hell I was working on...

My 'Screen Inverter' or DV-SI - surprisingly it actually worked the first time out! Not as clean as the tube but worked.

20200822_142647.jpg
 
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TommyDee

Vaporitor
I knew I should have used FQ the first time.

"The Inverter"
20200823_120707.jpg

Freakin' works better than expected. Took the CCD out of a clean C-Vap, reversed its cone and reinstalled it reversed in the cap. Easy as pie! Flat CCD? No problem. Just poke the center to make it slightly conical. Press on the cap and a better breather is born.

Why?
If you can see this image as I see it, the shadows show that the CCD is lifted away from the ledge in the cap. This allows a lot more slots to pass vape.

49673242627_3449619898_b.jpg


This is literally the difference between me using VC's and me finding another medication device.
 
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TommyDee

Vaporitor
Yesterday I think I learned what 'sealing the wood' is all about. The rosewood stem smelled a lot like rosewood. No surprise there but the amount of smell surprised me. I put the thing in a 150F oven for about 4 hours and now it is more what you'd expect.

I don't really know what to do with the stem though.
 
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