Gear Slug .33 Rosin Forge

[Abysmal Vapor]

I just got surprised by the quick delivery from the US ! Thanks to @BornAgainSteama for his kindness and for getting me started into the rosin thing!
Edited : NVM my vise questions ,managed to score one that is 125 mm for 12 euro,same as the one @Andreaerdna has,will be here in two days.

 

[Toadjuggler]

Longtime lurker, new member here. I stumbled across this chat while researching home rosin production, bought a Deuce as a result and just today (after turning half an ounce of Amnesia Haze into crackers and getting nothing you could vape back) I got everything right at the same time and squeezed 0.4 g out of a two gram plug. Brilliant product with quite a learning curve to it but I am a complete convert now.

No interest in buying some $3000 Heath Robinson contraption that looks like the thing they'd use to toast pannini in a motor-shop: keeping it simple, elegant and (ahem) a load cheaper.

Big thanks to Natty Bushdoctor and all you good folks here who did so much of the experimenting and question-asking so I didn't have to.

 

[Nattybushdoctor]

I really enjoyed reading that. Thank you for posting this and welcome to the family.

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

So did I. Welcome @Toadjuggler ! I would love to see some pictures of your finished product.

I really wonder how big of an indication as to the success of the slug this forum is. I haven't been here long and I have seen a decent amount of new buyers appear. It makes me happy.

 

[Toadjuggler]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'll try to remember to take a few snaps next time but yesterday's product had an urgent appointment with some hot titanium...

This is a nice, polite and friendly forum. I'll see what I can contribute, add another view from the UK.
I can certainly answer any questions about import duty on a Slug to the UK and commiserate with people over the fact that they arrive in the UK super-fast (good work Natty) but take ten days to cover the last forty miles.

Cheers all.

 

[Ramahs]

Welcome, @Toadjuggler !

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

Oh yeah I know the dilemma haha I would love to have a nice gallery of my presses but sometimes you just gotta taste it before anything else haha

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

Still waiting on my vise ,because they sent me the wrong one 75mm,so no sluggin for me today,hopefully tomorrow ,will get thigns going. I have prepared 0.1мм 316L and some 1mm grade 2 Ti for the experiments ). Also have prepared my temp probe ,so i can detect temps at various points on the slug body,hopefully i will be able to get some idea where i am tempwise . I am really wondering of what are the temps in the inner tube needed to achieve proper results.

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

Still waiting on my vise ,because they sent me the wrong one 75mm,so no sluggin for me today,hopefully tomorrow ,will get thigns going. I have prepared 0.1мм 316L and some 1mm grade 2 Ti for the experiments ). Also have prepared my temp probe ,so i can detect temps at various points on the slug body,hopefully i will be able to get some idea where i am tempwise . I am really wondering of what are the temps in the inner tube needed to achieve proper results.

What kind of temp probe?

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

What kind of temp probe?

Well i have multimeter with a thermocouple . Those can be found for dirt cheap.(5$) and also have a digital bbq thermometer like the one on the SV3,but i doubt it would work as good as the multimeter.(probe is the white cable with the black taped part ending with a tiny metal pin which is the sensor)

 

[ClearBlueLou]

Still waiting on my vise ,because they sent me the wrong one 75mm,so no sluggin for me today,hopefully tomorrow ,will get thigns going. I have prepared 0.1мм 316L and some 1mm grade 2 Ti for the experiments ). Also have prepared my temp probe ,so i can detect temps at various points on the slug body,hopefully i will be able to get some idea where i am tempwise . I am really wondering of what are the temps in the inner tube needed to achieve proper results.

Bummer about the vise...guessing those arestainless and titanium plates to forge onto?

You give me an idea with your thermo...regarding the temp of the slug’s contents, IIRC, NBD has consistently said 200F and as little time at temp as possible. By the time the slug reaches temp, the piston reaches temp too; the compressed herb at this point is a cylinder about 15x15mm, and completely surrounded by 200-degree steel. There’s probably math to determine the internal temp of the cylinder at this point, but I don’t know it

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

And you plan on touching the outside of the slug to get an idea of the temp? I've heard the IR thermometer idea but Natty has already debunked that. I'm interested in how your probe does.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

I have a digital probe for the kitchen, might be able to get a reading from the slug...still waiting for new herb to conquer

The IR thermoguns are no go for the slug

 

[steama]

I have a digital probe for the kitchen, might be able to get a reading from the slug...still waiting for new herb to conquer

The IR thermoguns are no go for the slug

Ask @Stu what he would do? A temp test master around these parts.

 

[Stu]

Ask @Stu what he would do? A temp test master around these parts.

I'd recommend K-type thermocouple to measure temp. IR guns won't give an accurate reading due to the thermal emissivity of the metal.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

So 1st time ripped the paper,2nd time the slug drop on the ground .3rd time i decided to go all in. I got rid of the silicon paper and pressed straight onto 0,12mm stainless steel 304 foil. Got a nice drop of light amber rosin.Also added a screen with the diameter of the inner circle of the forge.(standart pipe screen that fits 18mm gong).Taste is nice but i didnt expected it to be so sharp on my throat. Material was a bit too fresh i dunno if it was the reason,but not much of choice around here. Anyway I can say i am pleased for starters. But would like to see more improvement in yield and to see if electrifying will work. @BornAgainSteama Now that i have the slug i admit that it wont be an easy task to load a hot slug.Maybe prepress would help also some silicone gloves for cooking and a handle will be a must,but i still see it very much possible.
I dont have much to compare but product was not as tasty as my qwet experiences also it was not as smooth. I am still in the beggining of this journey,but for now from my POV QWET is still less messy and better quality,than what i experienced today .
@ClearBlueLou We can reverse math it,lol.. When setup on a routine ,flames size and time that work optimally,one can measure temps both on the inside and on the outside and check what is the difference ,also i am curious to see what is the Temp "lag" between the outer inner and back./front .
Btw instead of Titanium i ended up using a big square chinese knife as a backplate..(i dont know how it is called but it is a large square block sharp on one side._

Next on schedule is measuring temps with the thermocouple .

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

All you need is an old pair of pliers to handle a hot slug. If you wanna load a slug quicky there are many different ways of cooling it off. Steama uses a fan. I find Nattys advice about simply running cool water over it to work well. I have a paper towel with isopropyl on it waiting to dry off the slug after the water has cooled it. I actually wouldn't use cold water. Getting the slug to a warm yet handle-able temp is key. If you get it cold the cleanup is harder. With my alcohol paper towel I simultaneously dry and clean the slug and it's spotless in less than 30 seconds after I use it.

The foil is interesting.

That is also called a cleaver.

I am glad to see you are pleased with the slug after finally being able to use it.

Also how did you rip the paper?

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

@Gonzo_Dabs Thx for clarification on the name didnt have time to google it out before,there are at least two words for it in my mother tongue though ..
I wrapped around i a stainless steel bqq poker and it works nice as a handle. I dont like the bull leather thing cause it release particles which might end up inthe rosin.
I meant it is going to be hard to load if kept at a constant heat via electricity .Collection from foil is really easy either with a scraper or a tiny piece of foil. I will get more into adding SS mesh next ime i play around with it. Btw when cooled via icecream can the product turns to shatter.. which i hate cause it shoots crystal daggers everywhere. There must be some temp that is sweetspot for consistency ,i wonder what it is .. About 5 C maybe..

 

[Gonzo_Dabs]

The strap is mainly for storage of the slug. I noticed it sheds too so I stopped using it as a handle.

Cool it down with an icepack. It needs about 5 to 10 seconds of contact. Itll warm up enough once removed from the ice pack to not shatter. It's really about finding the perfect middle temp to collect it. Not too warm and sticky and not too cold and brittle. Don't scrape to collect. Tap and stick the rosin to your tool.

 

[steama]

These Tovolo Mini Tongs are the best tool I have found for handling a hot deuce slug. The tong's metal goes all the way through the silicone coated tips so even the hottest slug is nothing for these. They lock shut for storage and are great for handling all the hot slug33 stuff. I got the red color because they are for hot stuff. Only costs $8 bucks from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-Mini-...538874335&sr=8-16&keywords=tovolo+candy+apple

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

Things got a bit better today. Using mesh screen + 304 foil is the way to go for me. Taste was better,effects also.. return wasnt great. I notice that i get a bit of sipage on the wrong end but ii guess those aint some spectacular ammounts to have regrets for,but still i cannot feel the rosin path as to be efficient and not messy as QWET. I really want to become a believer and aint going to give up anytime soon )..,just cannot afford to do it often,so i guess success will come around at one point in time.

 

[steama]

Things got a bit better today. Using mesh screen + 304 foil is the way to go for me. Taste was better,effects also.. return wasnt great. I notice that i get a bit of sipage on the wrong end but ii guess those aint some spectacular ammounts to have regrets for,but still i cannot feel the rosin path as to be efficient and not messy as QWET. I really want to become a believer and aint going to give up anytime soon )..,just cannot afford to do it often,so i guess success will come around at one point in time.

Why the mesh screen? It seems that a mesh screen would hold a great deal of rosin. This sounds like a wasteful idea especially considering how little rosin that small slug33 yields....good luck either way.

 

[Nattybushdoctor]

Why the mesh screen? It seems that a mesh screen would hold a great deal of rosin. This sounds like a wasteful idea especially considering how little rosin that small slug33 yields....good luck either way.

All kinds of interesting stuff going on here.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

@BornAgainSteama Mesh screen (16mm) helps a lot with not getting blowouts and particles in my rosin. I get a 2-4 small dabs worth rosin. And for the record the screen doesnt hold a lot of rosin in ,i try vaping it,nothing really came up from it . Anyway still figuring this out,but i am glad i am getting results without paper.
Here is what i like about metal foil :
1. Reusable
2. No flaking,no dangers of silicon in rosin.
3.Collection is not as bad i thought it will. For now i find much easier to scrape the goo ,than to find the perfect temp for removing it from the silicon paper..
When i master my technique better i will share yield mesurements and will let you know how it goes.
For now my biggest issues with the slug is loading it the right ammout 0.1 can really be the difference between a blowut and a decent press.
Also i am thing of hanging my slug to something because i am still not getting used to timing the closing of the vise with the heating and a couple of times my slug slided downfrom the jaws while heating .
Took some raw measurements of the inside and outside of the slug . I heated up till far end of the exterior had reached 105 C ,I measured it on the inside after the press , it was around 115 C. I am kind of thinking that slug wont yield really good with just 100C inside.
Did another try at 130 at the exterior far end, but this time i measured the temp on the front end after removal and it was 110 C ,yield was just 0.07 but this was a repress from the previous one which yield even less and also got some loss in the back end,probably 0.1 from the both presses in total.. Hopefully next time i get to play around with it i will get things right from the first time and will yield better results.

 

[steama]

@BornAgainSteama Mesh screen (16mm) helps a lot with not getting blowouts and particles in my rosin. I get a 2-4 small dabs worth rosin. And for the record the screen doesnt hold a lot of rosin in ,i try vaping it,nothing really came up from it . Anyway still figuring this out,but i am glad i am getting results without paper.
Here is what i like about metal foil :
1. Reusable
2. No flaking,no dangers of silicon in rosin.
3.Collection is not as bad i thought it will. For now i find much easier to scrape the goo ,than to find the perfect temp for removing it from the silicon paper..
When i master my technique better i will share yield mesurements and will let you know how it goes.
For now my biggest issues with the slug is loading it the right ammout 0.1 can really be the difference between a blowut and a decent press.
Also i am thing of hanging my slug to something because i am still not getting used to timing the closing of the vise with the heating and a couple of times my slug slided downfrom the jaws while heating .
Took some raw measurements of the inside and outside of the slug . I heated up till far end of the exterior had reached 105 C ,I measured it on the inside after the press , it was around 115 C. I am kind of thinking that slug wont yield really good with just 100C inside.
Did another try at 130 at the exterior far end, but this time i measured the temp on the front end after removal and it was 110 C ,yield was just 0.07 but this was a repress from the previous one which yield even less and also got some loss in the back end,probably 0.1 from the both presses in total.. Hopefully next time i get to play around with it i will get things right from the first time and will yield better results.

I have some fine SS micro mesh screen. I think I will give your method a try. I can visualize the mesh screen possibly helping from the way you describe it. Just vape the mesh screen to not waste the rosin in the screen.

People should always be willing to try new things to see if it is possible to make it better.

That is what I like about you @Abysmal Vapor always searching for a better way. It is very cool.