The Bud Toaster - (currently: Model 14, version 3)

[Hippie Dickie]

no, they are all suitable. and here's why: superb temperature control. i have convinced myself that an accurate (meaning consistent) temperature profile will extract exactly the herbal component desired.

the rare times i have access to sativa it is just as wonderful as anything else that the herb fairy delivers.

i am recently finding (re-learning) that less is more. i using about 1/4 of vial -- loose fill, no packing to keep the air flow optimal -- and it is just as effective as using full vial. PLUS there is less opportunity for tolerance buildup.

also, i think i am beginning to like the AC power supply -- just a little bit more convenient than the battery on the desktop (this from someone who curses the stupid extra mouseclicks required because software managers don't understand how software is used). It will be part of the standard package.

 

[Egzoset]

Salutations Hippie Dickie,

...i am beginning to like the AC power supply...

I like that too! Now, out of curiosity i'd wish to ask: how difficult would that be to allow user-maintenance of the FirmWare?...

 

[Hippie Dickie]

have you looked at the programming? i put lots of comments in my code ... are there parts that you find unclear? i don't think it is difficult at all.

oh, i get what you are asking ... you want the BT to have a mini-USB connector so you can just plug it into your iPad mini, eh?

no, not this model. This is designed to be the minimalist vaporizer -- the absolute minimum needed to provide an all glass vaporizer with computer temperature control.

you can certainly update the firmware -- i do it all the time -- but you need the free software from Microchip, their $35 programmer board, and a $10 SOIC-8 clip.

 

[Egzoset]

...you need the free software from Microchip, their $35 programmer board, and a $10 SOIC-8 clip.

I see. So i gather from this information that you can't update the FirmWare once all of the chip's pins have been soldered, right?...



Oh. Never mind, it wasn't really important in the 1st place! Keep it going...

 

[Hippie Dickie]

no. i update the firmware all the time. That's what the SOIC-8 clip (and some ribbon cable) provides ... a way to attach the programming board to the soldered in processor. i discovered that having a 3.9k ohm resistor on the leads coming from the processor chip will electrically isolate the chip sufficiently to allow the programming board to see and program the processor chip. (this has been covered in the thread -- somewhere).

 

[LooneyTune]

I have a noob question about using a vaporizer: when you vape, is there any residual smell in the room? Well of course there should be some, mj is famous for her odour, but compared to smoking it, is it more discrete? There should be no combustion/burning smell apparently, but how about the herb itself? Can somebody else tell that you were vaping when they enter your room after a while?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

the vape "smoke" dissipates pretty quickly - within minutes -- plus, there is little to no odor on the breath and clothes. the herb itself may be the bigger odor source.

odor from vaping is not as bad as smoking, but you could still be discovered if the timing is bad.

i for sure would not use a vape in a dorm room where the consequences of being discovered are so severe/extreme. in an apartment shouldn't be a problem.

 

[LooneyTune]

thank you very much for the detailed response! Yeah, it sounds like it's the "cleanest" way to inhale this wonderful herb, both health-wise and stealth-wise. Hopefully I'll have the chance to check it for myself in the near future hehe

 

[Massiv710]

wow I really like how much effort you put into these projects. I like the bomb. The fact that you make your own boards says a lot about your expertise. You rock

 

[Hippie Dickie]

thanks for the compliment. by age 64, i've learned a few things.

after i made a few iterations of prototype boards and got the details right, i just farmed the final version to a pcb production house -- if not simple, at least it was very straight forward with lots of free help online. Very good pcb layout software totally free to download and use. Click a button and the boards appear 3 days later. like magic.

 

[mw1111]

Sorry, i'd love to read through the thread tomorrow as the first page to here shows quite the transformation in design. My question is, would you build one for sale?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i plan to make 1000 units for sale ... after USC21 is changed to permit drug paraphernalia manufacturing (it's the jobs, the jobs), sales and distribution.

 

[stickstones]

hippie...i too haven't checked in for a while. it got too techie for me earlier on (not my strong point) and i got lost, but I really like what you are doing. That thing is looking very refined! I'm gonna have to start this thread over in the next few weeks and get up to speed!

 

[Hippie Dickie]

so, sticks, how's it going? ... i think the most relevent part starts around april 20, 2011, when i started using this unit. over a year and a half of daily use, a few broken glass pieces replaced: i drop a vial every 8 months or so, and i drop the inhale tube a couple of times a year. had to break out the diamond glass drilling rig when i broke my last 16mm tube -- keeps the shop skills current, i guess.

and i finally got back into the code and downloaded an update, so that process is current in my mind again. i tested (and debugged) the user control. i can now change the session temperature without changing the saved temperature, unless i hold the button for > 1 second.

as usual, when i touch the code, i learn a lot and tidy up the programming.

new source code has been uploaded to my SkyDrive.

 

[LooneyTune]

I found by chance on ebay this type of clamping thermocouple
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-1cm-Pipe-...018?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1eb7a732
It seems an easy way to get a temperature reading from a vial or a pipe, I found it very interesting, and maybe it's practical too for people experimenting with your design.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i'm finally getting around to making another unit of model 14, version 3. i have 3 populated printed circuit cards just waiting to be finished, so i'm on it ... finally.

just on a whim, i decided to make the heater coil longer -- 32" instead of 24". the loops of the coil are much closer together, so i added some polyimide tubing as insulation to keep the loops from touching (and shorting).

it will be interesting to me to see if it makes any difference at all -- maybe more IR heating, maybe better temperature control (although 1°F is good enough).

Here is the 24" coil that i've been using for over a year:

and here is the new 32" coil:

i hope to get the Deans plug attached for initial power on, but it will be several days before i get the cube drilled and assemble an operable unit for testing.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

well, i couldn't wait. once i had the Deans fitted with copper strips, formed (bent) to meet the pcb, and drilled to accept the #2 sheet metal screws that attach the Deans to the pcb, i screwed it together, attached the BBQ thermometer and fired it up.

first vape for unit #3 at 11PM on 11/28/2012.

first off: the setting that i call "DC BIAS" (for "duty cycle bias", i.e. the setting for the pulse width modulator that controls the current to the coil and provides a 1°F/sec temp increase) is very different -- much higher.

second: surprising amount of outgassing from the polyimide during the first 5 minutes after power on. i thought this shit didn't have a melting point. i need to do some research.

getting too late tonight, but tomorrow, after work, i'll upload the eePROM and see what DCBIAS is set to now. and i need to add the heat shield.

 

[JCat]

In relation to the outgassing ... I'm imagining you handled the polyimide? Handling it (touching it at all) will leave oils/residue on it which will vaporize off when heated. Similar things have been noted in the Inhalater thread and the consensus (I believe) is that the outgassing is due to handling of the polyimide.

 

[thesoloman]

i plan to make 1000 units for sale ... after USC21 is changed to permit drug paraphernalia manufacturing (it's the jobs, the jobs), sales and distribution.

what if i wanted a bud toaster to use for aromatherapy with white sage would it be possible to get one before said change?

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i appreciate your interest, but i have a few more steps to go (development and off-site testing) before i'm ready to commit the time and effort to start production.

i have a pretty complete vision for what i want this product to be ... and it just isn't there yet.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Power Pack v3 ...

this is the next version of the power pack using two 26650 batteries ...

The batteries are covered and protected and polarized to prevent accidental discharge and eliminate the possibility of plugging them in backwards:

There are polarizing pins made from 1/16" diameter wire. The positive end has the pins 3/8" apart, the negative end pins have 5/8" separation. The hole in the end cap is 1/4" diameter.

There are two printed circuit boards to provide electrical contact to the battery ends, and also provide a very strong/stable physical construct:

One pcb just connects the two batteries together:

The other pcb has the Deans power plug:

i always use a cable to connect the cube to the power pack, but if the pp is plugged directly into the cube:

or, in the hand ...

Firmware update ...

also, i finally got pissed off enough about the temperature undershoot during the initial power on of the cube that i decided to fiddle with the PID gains ... i added a table just for the integral gains and now the initial undershoot is gone ... easy peasy.

 

[VaporEyes]

i appreciate your interest, but i have a few more steps to go (development and off-site testing) before i'm ready to commit the time and effort to start production.

i have a pretty complete vision for what i want this product to be ... and it just isn't there yet.

You have a very interesting product here and when it is to your liking, you have quite a few customers in waiting, such as myself.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Thanks, VaporEyes ... baby steps, i'm taking baby steps ...

Here is the power pack with its first "dress" -- some 1/4" mahogony end pieces and a black leather wrap.

And so, finally, here is a picture of the complete package -- vaporizer and power pack:

And i really think i can build 1,000 units of this design (after i get a CNC router).

This is beyond exciting ... all the open design issues have been resolved to my satisfaction.

 

[Buildozer]

dam Hippie Dickie.. i love what your'e doing... iv'e been meaning to stop by and let you know, but i wanted to read through the whole thread first. iv'e tried but haven't managed to yet.. these days my focus seems to be shitty and getting worse ha...reading for long is a PITA.. i need to eat some ginkgo biloba and try to learn some things over here haha.. inspiring work! this has to be one of the coolest threads

 

[Hippie Dickie]

@Buildozer - thanks for your interest.

Just a quick update as i get cranked up to make February happen ...

playing with the PID gains (yet, again) ... and being rewarded for the effort. Now seeing very stable temperature settings. now, instead of just guessing, i need to do some math analysis on the heater response and figure out (1) what the gains should really be, and (2) make the algorithm be self-adjusting on the gains, based on the error history.

also thinking through about a million variations on the power pack manufacturing. i think i've reduced the assembly effort from four screws and nuts to two wire clips and 2 pins. this will be the next prototype -- maybe tomorrow, if i get some other work finished first.