The HI

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
WOW!! How much help can one person offer?:love:
i KNEW something was wrong when the Elev8r wasn't performing in the Mobius.
grr! thank you :)

ok so, what should i get for my Mobius to make sure it works with my other vapes&stuff?

Haha yeah, I am only sorry I didn't realize sooner! This is what you want:
18mm male to 18 mm female, to raise up your Mobius joint so then you can attach your reducer properly! This is actually why I sold my matrix rig long ago, but now I just got one of these adapters and realized I could have kept it lol

Yeah @SpudBob also has some good tips regarding the technique (btw I do not believe halogen is available anymore, the new style cores are just a new style that are improved but the housing and such and basic tech is still the same?)
 

~vapeslut.xo~

Well-Known Member
I dont know If you have the new halogen heater.
i donnnn't think so. Alan told me this is a 3/8 SS heater.
I have the older 3/8& 7/16th SS heaters in mine. I rarely go over 11.5 but I like flavor over clouds. I never go higher than 12V though. At 11.5 I can pack the tube and let it roast for a few seconds before I draw and NEVER combust. It is technique though. A buddy of mine also has problems when i let him use my rig. You got to take long steady moderate pulls not too much air flow if you know what I mean. There can be a bit of a learning curve but keep practicing you'll master it in no time!
thanks! that helped!
Haha yeah, I am only sorry I didn't realize sooner! This is what you want:
18mm male to 18 mm female, to raise up your Mobius joint so then you can attach your reducer properly! This is actually why I sold my matrix rig long ago, but now I just got one of these adapters and realized I could have kept it lol
perfect!!
Yeah @SpudBob also has some good tips regarding the technique (btw I do not believe halogen is available anymore, the new style cores are just a new style that are improved but the housing and such and basic tech is still the same?)
ah ok, there we go!

Really enjoying my HI :)
don't have to worry about a lighter, a lot less cleanup & organization.
but the power is still there!

i can extract a full bowl with the HI, despite my technique being superr-bad :)

----------

PS if anyone is reading this thinking about getting one, I wouldn't think twice!
I couldn't say that for the Sticky Brick or Elev8r.
I feel like for those, you need to be more committed to vaping.

PPS finally, Alan is wonderful to deal with, shipped like lightning and got here even earlier than tracking!
he must have wrote an entire book of info + instructions, for which i thank him dearly :)
excellent value for the money, which it didn't cost a lot of!
 

CurryLeafTreehugger

Well-Known Member
Congrats! I use both of mine "native" with the SS tube 95% of the time. Its the ultimate micro dozer! Ha! Makes your material last and last!

I made a glass one-hitter, the only drawback with it is I have to make my own basket screens for it. But Alan has made me a corked stem that will have 3/8" glass tip, and 1/2" glass mouthpiece with the cork holding the two pieces together, with the screen sandwiched between them. I use crumbs in that thing. CRUMBS, I say. Not having to make, remove, clean, or insert basket screens would only make me love it more.

I have also figured out several ways to use the U lock to make a "bowl" for the vape that can be attached to a "whip", without a bong. While doing that I finally figured out what the band on the U lock is for - it helps hold the flat screen stable on the lip of the stem. So now I can make a band for my other stem where I have the screen mounted that way (I got the idea after receiving the U lock, its the same screen holding mechanism).

Well not NOW now. It'll be a week and a half yet before my vaccination is complete and I can go out in public again, hit the brew supply shop, and get a few extra feet of food-grade heat-resistant silicone tubing to play with. Plus plus - while fiddling with stuff to take pictures, I suddenly hit on a different way to secure a flat screen that is mounted on the lip of a stem, like the U lock, and a regular glass stem that I set up in the same way with a piece of silicon tubing stabilizing a flat screen on the lip of the stem.

I mean OTHER than cutting a piece of glass to go in there.

Use a piece of silicone tubing that can fit inside the tubing holding the screen. A thin (short) piece could just be pushed in to hold the screen down flat. I can haul it back out with one of my nutpicks whenever I need to change or clean the screen. It will reduce the max size of your load a little bit but I'm a microdoser. I won't notice. YMMV. it also gives me a stop to help standoff from shoving the herb right into the heater core (screen is OUTSIDE the stem resting on the lip instead of a basket screen mounted INSIDE the stem an inch or two from the end of the stem). While you can try to adjust the standoff by changing the length of the silicone airlock on the tip, I like having a physical stop better. THUS FAR, and no further!


To fix it so I could use the whip with the bong, I need to find a silicone plug with a hole drilled in it already that will fit in the mouthpiece of the bong. I don't know what size that might be since I don't have the bong yet LOL!

U lock to be turned into a "bowl" for a log-vape-whip: Normal configuration, the glass stem is an inch long inserted into 1/2" tubing. There is a band at the lip of the stem where the screen is resting that helps to secure and stabilize the screen.

21-05-24 U Lock.jpg

the metal post looking thingy there is an old heater core from an air core! It came out of the maple body behind the alpha there to the left. I still use the body as a stem caddy. Anyway the point of the heater core is that it is going to be the stand for the U lock "bowl" when not in use. I'm going to build a stand for my bong and I'll glue the old core to it somewhere appropriate so I can lift the bowl off the heater core and set it on the old core as a holder. I don't think it would be a good idea to leave that sitting on the heater core when not in use, something might melt, overheat, or catch fire LOL! Seriously you shouldn't leave things like that sitting on the heater core and trapping heat. Plus its easier to dump and clean it if you let it cool off, and it would be nice if it could cool off without falling over and spilling ABV.

21-05-24 U Lock v Heater Core.jpg

I can use the U lock either way (upside down or right side up) and it will fit on an Alpha core one way and a regular heater core the other way. I'm not sure which HI heater core would be closest in size to a UD regular size heater core but I hope to find out in person soon-ish. This should work pretty much the same way on at least some HIs

21-05-24 U Lock P1.jpg .............. 21-05-24 U lock P1 with whip.jpg

The above picture shows how the "bowl" would fit on a regular HI/UD stem, with the screen side down. I would attach the whip to the glass piece sticking out there - in the 2nd pic above I left a gap so you can see how I've attached the "whip" (I don't have a 2' or 3' long piece of tubing for real yet, so pretend that little 2" piece of tubing is the whole whip LOL!). In this position, the glass stem is above the screen.

And you can flip the whole thing over to make it work with an Alpha heater core:

21-05-24 U Lock P2.jpg .............. 21-05-24 U Lock P2 with Whip.jpg

I don't have a disassembled Alpha dog so we'll just pretend that old heater core is Alpha sized LOL! The glass stem is about the same size as the Alpha core so it won't fit inside OR outside, but with an airlock applied to the tip, it will still seal (more or less) around the Alpha core. I only have one spare piece of 1/2" tubing so I can't fully illustrate. I used my single spare piece of 1/2" tubing to simulate a 3' whip LOL!

In this position, the glass stem (1" long) is on the bottom and the screen is above it. There are other ways to make this fit as well but this protocol leaves the U lock minimally modified. I can still just set it on the old heater core when not in use.

Now for the mouthpiece. Alan sent me a prototype for a wooden stem sized to fit an Alpha. But the Alpha core is like 1/32nd too big to easily fit into the largest tube you could make from that blank size. (It was a prototype after all). In use the thin wall at the tip dried out really quickly - thank heaven for mineral oil LOL!

21-05-25 Wood stem 1.jpg .............. 21-05-25 Wood stem 2.jpg

I'm going to use it for the mouthpiece for the whip. It just so happens that 3/8" tubing fits PERFECTLY INSIDE the tip of the stem, or 1/2" tubing fits OVER that 3/8" tubing and butts up against the lip of the wooden stem, almost as if it were made for it! (So there is the 3/8" stub sticking out of the wooden stem - if I use 3/8" tubing for the whip then that is the whip LOL!

If I use 1/2" tubing for the whip, I would just slide the larger tubing over the smaller stub inserted into the end of the wooden stem. When brand new that task will be difficult to impossible (well not really impossible but close) but with broken in tubing, it slides on and off just fine. An added bonus for klutzes like me - if you overextend the reach of the whip, and if your bong is properly secured (which mine will be, in a stand I will build after I get the bong so I can see what would work best) - instead of pulling the entire bong over and flooding my entire coffee table and everything on it with malodorous bong-water, it will just separate (with broken in tubing, if you are using still sticky new tubing hopefully the stand will still protect you from the bong water before you actually pull it all the way over, but sticky new tubing would be highly unlikely to separate).

Almost as if that wooden stem were made for just this purpose. Which in a way it was. Not having an alpha dog to measure directly, knowing the alpha core was about 1/2" OD, it turns out that core is ever so slightly more than 1/2" (probably something-millimeters and just that bit larger). 3/8" silicone tubing fits perfectly into the wooden end of the stem, it slides right in there and butts up right against the screen, and then the standard 1/2" silicone tubing slides right over that stub of 3/8" sticking out there, and it looks and works great. I think it will make an EXCELLENT mouthpiece for a whip.

I can easily use either the 3/8" tubing or the 1/2" tubing for the whip, and it wouldn't matter (with a little simple finagling) which device I was using the whip with. Whatever the orientation of the U lock "bowl", it will be easy to reconnect the whip accordingly.

What do you think an optimal length and tubing size would be for a whip? I'm looking for that sweet spot on the draw, not too restricted but not too wide open.

When the bong gets here I can start looking for a silicone stopper - I need to actually measure the ID of the mouthpiece to find a stopper that will fit, so I can attach the whip to the bong ...

I've read about people experiencing difficulty cleaning their silicone whips because the silicone is allegedly prone to damage from alcohol (I mean you can always clean the stuff with PBW, but then there's no reclaim). But the tubing I am looking at is for brewing beer - I don't see how it could work for that function if it were susceptible to damage from alcohol! But I will certainly ask when I can get over there, post vaccination finalization.

I keep thinking I've peaked and it can't get any better, and then it does! I have loved every vape I've ever had - and every vape I've ever had and with which I have been more than satisfied gets replaced with another vape that turns out to work even better than the one before. I've always been just fine with my glass stems - but now they are better than fine. I've got a longed-for glass one-hitter, several ways to be able to use flat screens so I can get away from basket screens, and now the one thing I have ever only idly considered - a whip for my vapes! YAY!!!
 
Last edited:

SpudBob

Well-Known Member
FYI, I use my 7/16th WAY more than my 3/8. The stems on my 7/16th fit INTO the heater wheras my 3/8 stems "float" if that makes sense on the top of the heater. The floating action allows you to customize your airflow but I find with the 7/16th set up and a lower 11.5-12V setting it is not necessary. Once you get the draw, think long steady not too much airflow, down ITS MAGIC!!! I think Alan eats, sleeps,lives Vape and is ever pushing the boundries of what is possible. A True Master of his craft IMO!

Nice Log collection Curry by the way!!!
 

androponic

vaped.
Haha yeah, I am only sorry I didn't realize sooner! This is what you want:
18mm male to 18 mm female, to raise up your Mobius joint so then you can attach your reducer properly! This is actually why I sold my matrix rig long ago, but now I just got one of these adapters and realized I could have kept it lol

Yeah @SpudBob also has some good tips regarding the technique (btw I do not believe halogen is available anymore, the new style cores are just a new style that are improved but the housing and such and basic tech is still the same?)
the 18m to 18f carbed adapter from OGB is also good for raising the joint up as well and you get the carb option. i think you have one of these since i believe i found out about them from you so i got a few and use them in different setups his stuff is a little more but lasts.
@~vapeslut.xo~ in case you are interested:

https://oregonglassblower.com/18mm-Glass-Adapter-With-10mm-Carb-18M-18F-18-18c10.htm
 
Last edited:

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
FYI, I use my 7/16th WAY more than my 3/8. The stems on my 7/16th fit INTO the heater wheras my 3/8 stems "float" if that makes sense on the top of the heater. The floating action allows you to customize your airflow but I find with the 7/16th set up and a lower 11.5-12V setting it is not necessary. Once you get the draw, think long steady not too much airflow, down ITS MAGIC!!! I think Alan eats, sleeps,lives Vape and is ever pushing the boundries of what is possible. A True Master of his craft IMO!

Which one do you have by the way, steel core or a glass core? Different stems I imagine...

the 18m to 18f carbed adapter from OGB is also good for raising the joint up as well and you get the carb option. i think you have one of these since i believe i found out about them from you so i got a few and use them in different setups his stuff is a little more but lasts.
@~vapeslut.xo~ in case you are interested:

https://oregonglassblower.com/18mm-Glass-Adapter-With-10mm-Carb-18M-18F-18-18c10.htm

Yeah I have plenty from OGB, great place to buy and customize, I do not have any carbed adapters though, I thought about it when Lamart had them in stock, but ultimately decided it made no sense for me because I like to always remove the heater (if I cannot remove the heat entirely) to fully clear my hits...
 
Last edited:

androponic

vaped.
Which one do you have by the way, steel core or a glass core? Different stems I imagine...



Yeah I have plenty from OGB, great place to buy and customize, I do not have any carbed adapters though, I thought about it when Lamart had them in stock, but ultimately decided it made no sense for me because I like to always remove the heater if I cannot remove the heat entirely to fully clear my hits...
haha, my bad! i read so much here its a blur sometimes. maybe @~vapeslut.xo~ would be better off with the TAG one you linked, TAG is quality and 12 bucks is great. no carb but will make that glass piece more useful wothout joint depth being an issue.
 

~vapeslut.xo~

Well-Known Member
1.) i seem to get better results with much smaller bowls in the Heat Island :)
seems like it can actually extract more from less...and less from more.

am i talking crazy here?

2.) the stems can get pretty hot. i'm wondering what kind of stem provides the most cooling possible, that Alan has.

SS Tube - very tiny steel stem, very tiny bowl. can combust in this one, gets hot quick. can also extract the quickest i think :)
Slide-a-Bowl Tube - the best cooling, most comfortable. i'm still not sure if i am putting the material in the proper spot :\
Turbo Tube - a regular glass tube with silicone at the end for the bowl portion. quick, easy & tasty!
GoNG Tube - for the Mega Globe

EDIT: ohmigosh. i didnt even realize all of these stems fit in my Mega Globe!
perhaps the vape is working a bit too well ;) even more options! yay
 
Last edited:

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
1.) i seem to get better results with much smaller bowls in the Heat Island :)
seems like it can actually extract more from less...and less from more.

am i talking crazy here?

2.) the stems can get pretty hot. i'm wondering what kind of stem provides the most cooling possible, that Alan has.

SS Tube - very tiny steel stem, very tiny bowl. can combust in this one, gets hot quick. can also extract the quickest i think :)
Slide-a-Bowl Tube - the best cooling, most comfortable. i'm still not sure if i am putting the material in the proper spot :\
Turbo Tube - a regular glass tube with silicone at the end for the bowl portion. quick, easy & tasty!
GoNG Tube - for the Mega Globe

EDIT: ohmigosh. i didnt even realize all of these stems fit in my Mega Globe!
perhaps the vape is working a bit too well ;) even more options! yay

Haha I can't believe you have not tried them through the globe yet, yeah! That and J hooks are great for cooling of course... Don't forget to turn your voltage down (and let it sit a bit to stabilize temperature) when you use the steel small bowl! Glad you enjoy it!
 
Shit Snacks,

CurryLeafTreehugger

Well-Known Member
FYI, I use my 7/16th WAY more than my 3/8. The stems on my 7/16th fit INTO the heater whereas my 3/8 stems "float" if that makes sense on the top of the heater. The floating action allows you to customize your airflow but I find with the 7/16th set up and a lower 11.5-12V setting it is not necessary. Once you get the draw, think long steady not too much airflow, down ITS MAGIC!!! I think Alan eats, sleeps,lives Vape and is ever pushing the boundaries of what is possible. A True Master of his craft IMO!

Nice Log collection Curry by the way!!!

Thank you! I'm only keeping two though. One has been gutted because it had a failure. I use it as a stem caddy now. It was an air core UD and they replaced it under warranty. I didn't even know it HAD a warranty LOL! I am sending its replacement to Vitolo along with my much hated Plenty as soon as I can get out of here reliably and safely (eg after my vaccination is fully effective, 9 days from now).

So I'm only keeping the new Alpha in the front (its a maple burl I named Ondine) and the Hawaiian Koa twig in between the two older dogs.

Soon I hope to have a HI in hand so I'm interested to know your thoughts on the cores you've tried. You say you use the 7/16th way more than the smaller 3/8" - are these the glass cores or standard metal cores like in the UDs? Like that one I surgically removed from my old air core, the thing I'm using for demo and as a stand in the pictures I posted.

Has anyone had the opportunity to try one of the xmas tree glass cores? With the metal mesh all up and down inside the glass cover for more heat mass. Actually anything at all comparing the cores people have tried would be useful. I probably won't "get" all that I'm told until I have a unit in hand, I have trouble these days picturing things purely intellectually. But once I get the thing in hand things generally clear up and come together so it may take me awhile to fully comprehend what y'all impart here, but understanding WILL come. As soon as the HI does, LOL!

Also I feel I should mention, there are many different types of silicone tubing out there. The stuff I got from UD (and as far as I can tell the stuff my local brew supply carries looks the same) is very very sticky and tight when new but it has a pretty short break-in period. Once you're past that getting it on and off even quite large (comparatively) stems goes much much easier. I can work a broken-in piece of 1/2" ID tubing on to my UD Alpha stem that has a 3/4" OD without much trouble. And I am old, shaky, and decrepit so if I can do it, you probably can too. A big part of me futzing around with all these different stem configurations is so I do not ever have to handle a basket screen again (well, except the ones that are in the stem just to support my uber fine flat screens LOL!). That's because it just really annoys me every time I drop a basket screen because my fingers spazz out on me and then I can't find it again. Probably there are a dozen icky icky basket screens back up under my couch LOL!

BUT I have a piece of some other stuff that came on a UD stem in the last shipment (with my Alpha and the Koa). I had talked about putting silicone tubing on my glass stems to encourage them to bounce instead of break when (not if, WHEN) I drop them. Like all the other 6 stems that I used to have that are now broken. Might have been 8, even. At any rate, this stuff is on there good. I could probably get it back off by warming and lubricating up under the edge and fiddling and finagling. Hell, I got that heater core out of the vape body in under 15 minutes using 2 nut picks to remove the retaining ring, I think I can manage a bit of plastic (WITHOUT cutting it off). BUT.

Point being. This stuff is visibly not the same as the HI or brewers supply stuff. It is almost clear - the stuff I have is much more opaque. And the non-HI stuff is definitely NOT loosening up over time. If it is silicone - and there is actually no reason for it to be given its location and intended function - it doesn't act like the silicone tubing I am using. So consider that when buying silicone tubing - if it doesn't behave like I describe, that would most likely be because it isn't the same thing LOL!
 
CurryLeafTreehugger,

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Thank you! I'm only keeping two though. One has been gutted because it had a failure. I use it as a stem caddy now. It was an air core UD and they replaced it under warranty. I didn't even know it HAD a warranty LOL! I am sending its replacement to Vitolo along with my much hated Plenty as soon as I can get out of here reliably and safely (eg after my vaccination is fully effective, 9 days from now).

So I'm only keeping the new Alpha in the front (its a maple burl I named Ondine) and the Hawaiian Koa twig in between the two older dogs.

Soon I hope to have a HI in hand so I'm interested to know your thoughts on the cores you've tried. You say you use the 7/16th way more than the smaller 3/8" - are these the glass cores or standard metal cores like in the UDs? Like that one I surgically removed from my old air core, the thing I'm using for demo and as a stand in the pictures I posted.

Has anyone had the opportunity to try one of the xmas tree glass cores? With the metal mesh all up and down inside the glass cover for more heat mass. Actually anything at all comparing the cores people have tried would be useful. I probably won't "get" all that I'm told until I have a unit in hand, I have trouble these days picturing things purely intellectually. But once I get the thing in hand things generally clear up and come together so it may take me awhile to fully comprehend what y'all impart here, but understanding WILL come. As soon as the HI does, LOL!

Also I feel I should mention, there are many different types of silicone tubing out there. The stuff I got from UD (and as far as I can tell the stuff my local brew supply carries looks the same) is very very sticky and tight when new but it has a pretty short break-in period. Once you're past that getting it on and off even quite large (comparatively) stems goes much much easier. I can work a broken-in piece of 1/2" ID tubing on to my UD Alpha stem that has a 3/4" OD without much trouble. And I am old, shaky, and decrepit so if I can do it, you probably can too. A big part of me futzing around with all these different stem configurations is so I do not ever have to handle a basket screen again (well, except the ones that are in the stem just to support my uber fine flat screens LOL!). That's because it just really annoys me every time I drop a basket screen because my fingers spazz out on me and then I can't find it again. Probably there are a dozen icky icky basket screens back up under my couch LOL!

BUT I have a piece of some other stuff that came on a UD stem in the last shipment (with my Alpha and the Koa). I had talked about putting silicone tubing on my glass stems to encourage them to bounce instead of break when (not if, WHEN) I drop them. Like all the other 6 stems that I used to have that are now broken. Might have been 8, even. At any rate, this stuff is on there good. I could probably get it back off by warming and lubricating up under the edge and fiddling and finagling. Hell, I got that heater core out of the vape body in under 15 minutes using 2 nut picks to remove the retaining ring, I think I can manage a bit of plastic (WITHOUT cutting it off). BUT.

Point being. This stuff is visibly not the same as the HI or brewers supply stuff. It is almost clear - the stuff I have is much more opaque. And the non-HI stuff is definitely NOT loosening up over time. If it is silicone - and there is actually no reason for it to be given its location and intended function - it doesn't act like the silicone tubing I am using. So consider that when buying silicone tubing - if it doesn't behave like I describe, that would most likely be because it isn't the same thing LOL!

The 3/8 size can be standard steel core or hybrid glass core cover, the 7/16 size is also available both ways... I've never heard of a christmas tree core, but the instaHeat uses steel mesh in a spiral shape as the heater...
 
Shit Snacks,

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Shit Snacks,
  • Like
Reactions: dimmusp

SpudBob

Well-Known Member
. You say you use the 7/16th way more than the smaller 3/8" - are these the glass cores or standard metal cores like in the UDs?
There is nothing wrong with the 3/8 glass. The 7/16th S.S. is just such a "Beastie Boy"!

The MAN never sleeps! Alan's the constant Innovator!!!

Haha and yes the toilet paper HI! Why aren't more people here??)
Its" TPHI". Sorry I'm HI!
 

~vapeslut.xo~

Well-Known Member
-enjoying the ease of use of my Heat Island very much :)
-only the Elev8r has got me higher

-I run it at almost full voltage, 12.2ish max is 12.5, when i'm using it in my Mega Globe
-the SS Tube is great, i am decently medicated and i looked at the pile of AVB i had used. it was only 1/4 the size of a joint! Which
about 3 SS Tubes loads.

The convenience of having a Tube sit in my waterpipe, then just picking up the Heat Island...aahhh! it's gorgeous :)
i will focus on the SS Tube for now, and move on to one at a time. Also, now i am beginning to visualize and wonder how a
custom-made log would feel, and look...hmm;)

PS the AVB gets dark in the SS Tube, but nowhere near as dark in the other - glass - tubes. i Like to get the most out of my bud so i will have to experiment :)
 
Last edited:

~vapeslut.xo~

Well-Known Member
well i was trying to get BIG hits so far, but now i'm discovering just how tasty the HI can be at lower temperatures :)

my one complaint so far is that the herb sometimes "puffs" up out of the bowl and onto my desk.
this seems to happen alot, in my Mega Globe, or when i am using a stem dry.

If i remember to be very still and not breathe when finishing the hit,
the herb won't go anywhere. But i don't always remember to do this. :\:\
 

SpudBob

Well-Known Member
-the SS Tube is great, i am decently medicated and i looked at the pile of AVB i had used. it was only 1/4 the size of a joint! Which
about 3 SS Tubes loads.
Plus you get to use your ABV for Edibles or to make balms,tincture's etc. It really stretches your Herb. Its a WIN-WIN! I NEVER smoke anymore. Vapeing is so much easier on your lungs. When I used to smoke I could really feel the effects on me during exersize/activity. Since I took up vapeing 5 0r 6 years ago I dont have that feeling anymore at all.
 

CurryLeafTreehugger

Well-Known Member
1.) i seem to get better results with much smaller bowls in the Heat Island :)
seems like it can actually extract more from less...and less from more.

am i talking crazy here?

2.) the stems can get pretty hot. i'm wondering what kind of stem provides the most cooling possible, that Alan has.

SS Tube - very tiny steel stem, very tiny bowl. can combust in this one, gets hot quick. can also extract the quickest i think :)
Slide-a-Bowl Tube - the best cooling, most comfortable. i'm still not sure if i am putting the material in the proper spot :\
Turbo Tube - a regular glass tube with silicone at the end for the bowl portion. quick, easy & tasty!
GoNG Tube - for the Mega Globe

EDIT: ohmigosh. i didnt even realize all of these stems fit in my Mega Globe!
perhaps the vape is working a bit too well ;) even more options! yay

1) I don't have a HI (yet) but I have had 4 other log vapes over the years (all from the same manufacturer, but still). I think this is true of many if not all log vapes - they are most impressive at microdosing. Doesn't mean they can't deal with large loads - just that you don't HAVE to.

2) I noticed this also with the stems I got from Alan. I actually intended to ask him for longer (glass, I only use glass) stems but forgot when I actually placed the order. Not throwing shade, just an observation. I have not seen a lot (well actually not any) of mention of it from anyone heretofore so maybe you and I are on the far end of the spectrum for how much cooling we want for the vapor. You know, because you and I must be so much more SENSITIVE than the rest of the plebes, LOL!

Before the fact, for the glass stems at least, just ask for longer stems. He cuts them himself. Consider the following if you plan to order more stems:
  • Longer means more cooling. Alan's standard glass stems are 4" long. I ordered 3 or 4 of these (thin walled version) from him (intending to ask for 6" length) and they do get too hot by themselves for me. So first, consider ordering your glass in 5" or 6" lengths. I've decided in future I would like all my glass stems (except the glass one-hitter) to be 6" long, just because then all my stems would be the same length, but also to get better cooling.
  • Thick walled glass cools more than thinner - the last time I had thick walled glass stems, it was just not a good quality glass I guess, and I hated it. So I was real picky about not getting another thick glass stem (the poor quality stem did not come from Alan). Since then I've had some other thick walled glass and they are fine. So go for the thicker walled version for more cooling.
When it comes to not-glass, I got nuthin'. I only do glass. However I DO have an alternative to the SS one-hitter that won't combust or conduct. That would be the Frankenstem, my glass one-hitter. Which I made with parts from Alan. I do not remember what the skinny 3/8" piece of glass tubing came off of - I can't remember half of the stuff he has on his website and sometimes I'm not sure where I got the idea to try any particular thing, but I did get that piece from Alan, whatever its initial purpose was. No combustion with this. It's too small to actually hotspot but sometimes heat will obviously flow up more one side than the other. Using an airlock at the tip (small piece of silicone tubing that mates with the air core on the UD, not sure if it will be as effective with a HI since I don't have one yet) does seem to have a mitigating effect on that, but so does turning the stem while you draw. Here's how to make one if you want to try it:

All measurements given are approximates because Alan sells these in mm and I can't remember the numbers and I can't see well enough to read the mm markings so I measure and approximate. All estimated glass stem sizes (from me) are approximate OD in inches. All tubing is approximate ID in inches. Unless otherwise stated.

20210403_044704-small-jpg.6894
All the pieces

20210403_041511-small-jpg.6895
"I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille ..."

20210403_041559-small-jpg.6896
Fully assembled. 3/8" tubing* holding a 3" long, 3/8" glass stem tip to the 4" long standard thin-walled glass stem for the mouthpiece (from HI).

20210403_042542-small-jpg.6897
ON THE DOG

If you are using this with a standard size stem about the same size as the regular UD heater core (I'm not sure which HI models might correspond to that) just put a piece of 3/8" tubing* a couple inches long on the tip - it will fit around the core. The 3/8" glass tip won't fit either inside or outside that core but the silicone tip (I've been calling it an "airlock" though it doesn't actually "lock" anything) will fit around the core. I set it so that the glass tip rests on the top edge of the heater core. I have to use a DIY basket screen with this but the parts are pretty easily available.

If using with a larger core such as the UD Alpha the 3/8" glass tip fits easily inside the core. I have not seen an obvious advantage to using an airlock in this configuration but I do think there is some so I still do it. For this configuration (glass one-hitter) I put a small piece of 3/8" tubing* on the tip then slip a piece of 1/2" tubing over that. The 1/2" tubing mates perfectly over the UD stem.

The drawback to that stem is you have to make teensy tiny basket screens for it, then you have to get the teensy basket screen back in there every time you clean it. (I put my basket screens in upside down, that extends the period between necessary cleanings quite a bit). But there is an alternate solution:

Alan has that corked stem configuration that I asked him to adapt to this kind of stem build. Personally as soon as I hear I can place my HI vape order I will be asking him for at least 2 of those, so I can stop making the basket screens for the Frankenstem. In the past I bought lots of stems (I usually kept at least 6 at all times) but that was largely to avoid having to clean basket screens. With the flat screens, I have yet to have to clean one the way I used to with the basket screens, I can just dump them out and brush them off. So I don't feel I need as many stems available for a session (though I do still keep spares in case of breakage - I break on average about one stem a year so all my 6 or 8 original stems are gone now LOL!)

The original Frankenstem uses a 3" piece of 3/8" glass tubing for the tip and one of the HI standard thin-walled glass stems at 4" long. I have found that occassionally the mouthpiece will get hot in use. Not often, but it has happened. I'm a lightweight who routinely microdoses so my guess is that anyone who is more normal in their usage may overheat this stem a lot sooner than I do. There is a solution for that as well: either go to the thicker walled glass for the mouthpiece, or switch to a longer stem for the mouthpiece (5 or even 6" instead of just 4) or both - I asked Alan awhile ago if the cork connector can be drilled for the thick walled version of his stems. Haven't heard back yet, but I THINK it might be possible. IF not, I suggest getting a longer stem for the mouthpiece for sure.

Or you can just go to a whip and that will definitely solve all your overheating problems (if any). Just buy a standard U Lock from Alan and use it as a "bowl". Alan will know (no DUH!) which of his cores would mate best with eep a small actual bowl or something to put it in when not in use so you don't leave it sitting on the core, it might overheat and melt or break something, or just burn up the herb in the bowl if you leave it there. You can easily find teensy little sauce cups at most any Asian (as in not Indian but other Asian) grocery - they are usually only a couple-three bucks and perfect for this use. Don't forget to get a few extra screens but keep in mind, if you can use flat screens instead of basket screens, they will last for-virtually-ever in comparison. You're more likely to need a replacement for lost screens than worn out ones. See a few posts back if you are interested in that option.

* HEAT RESISTANT FOOD SAFE BREWER'S SILICONE TUBING.
NOTE
  • there may be other kinds of tubing in this class for which the following may not be true
  • New tubing is very sticky. Most of the uses I put it to, it is very hard at first to handle the tubing and get it on and off stuff. But it sort of "breaks in" and that didn't take all that long.
  • To facilitate "breaking in" you can heat the tubing to help it stretch. I did this by sticking it in or over a heater core, a hair dryer would also do it.
  • You could boil it or dip it in hot water but then you have to dry it off.
  • I avoid using oil or dish soap as a lubricant when trying to wiggle new tubing onto glass or whatnot to avoid any residue that might leave. I've been able to manage such tasks even with my decrepiteness without resorting to lubricants. YMMV.
  • Local brewer's supply shops will almost certainly have the tubing you need. Check prices - most are reasonable (especially if you figure in convenience vs shipping costs and minimum lengths) but some really sock it to you (or try). If its under $2.50 or $3 a foot it's good enough for me, and I can see what I'm getting. You're never quite sure of that with Amazon.
 

CurryLeafTreehugger

Well-Known Member
You guys are really hyping me up on the Heat Island!

How long does Allan usually take to respond to emails?

I asked him for some advice and photos last weekend, and I think I'm being too impatient... 😅

He's a one-man operation. Occasionally I've had to wait for a response, but once he is aware you're out there he's always been pretty good about getting back to you. So you may wait a couple weeks for the first response but then he'll respond in a timely manner once he picks up the thread.

Lots of irons in the fire and just the one person handling it all. Also probably why there's a 2 year backlog for the custom models, LOL! I'm hoping the heavy duty cardboard tube option (sort of an upgrade to the TP HI) will help get some off-the-shelf models that will be in stock or quickly made up most of the time. Or if he finds a reliable source for heat stabilized bamboo. Or both. Or everything. LOL!
 

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
well i was trying to get BIG hits so far, but now i'm discovering just how tasty the HI can be at lower temperatures :)

my one complaint so far is that the herb sometimes "puffs" up out of the bowl and onto my desk.
this seems to happen alot, in my Mega Globe, or when i am using a stem dry.

If i remember to be very still and not breathe when finishing the hit,
the herb won't go anywhere. But i don't always remember to do this. :\:\

Ah yes the blowback, so the way to avoid this, keep inhaling as you remove the HI from the stem, and do not stop inhaling until you remove the stem from your bubbler to clear... This should avoid any herbal bouncing out of the stem!

You guys are really hyping me up on the Heat Island!

How long does Allan usually take to respond to emails?

I asked him for some advice and photos last weekend, and I think I'm being too impatient... 😅

Haha yes you're being impatient, I don't know how long you've been waiting, but it is totally depending on what else he is doing! He will get back to you eventually, his responses usually incorporate a lot of thought and detail, so they take some time, especially if the email you sent had a lot of questions in it (or if you're anything like me, pontificating as well lol) There is no reason to rush, if it's been a week or more you might consider about following up with him, but I would probably wait two weeks to a month before I do that personally...
 

~vapeslut.xo~

Well-Known Member
You guys are really hyping me up on the Heat Island!

How long does Allan usually take to respond to emails?

I asked him for some advice and photos last weekend, and I think I'm being too impatient... 😅
Alan has answered all of our emails, even after i gave him the money ;)
Be patient :lol:(coming from me that is hilarious)
 
Top Bottom