The Lotus Vaporizer
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shopdognyc
Well-Known Member
I am going towards dark brown. I think in the past, I've let it go much earlier, but really try and go to the very edge now.
Loving the lotus, definitely a very versatile vape. Sometimes a bit tricky to tell how well the heat transfer is going from torch to plate, even with a j-hook I just find myself cross-eyed between torch flame and the slightly foggy glass hook underneath the bowl... especially with flames that aren't super consistent it can be a bit frustrating.
Anyway, this may be totally unnecessary for many of you, but I had some super finely ground weed at some point and found I got a fair amount of particulate flying right into my mouth every other hit or so. I ended up modding my aluminium stem a bit and thought I'd share, should be fairly easy to replicate for many of you and I think it is definitely an upgrade.
First, I hated the screen in the bowl, it always came out and frazzled and stuff. So I ended up dremeling down a screen that came with my boundless tera (the larger ones). Essentially, it has a 1mm-ish metal rim, if you get rid of just that it fits the bowl or the stem snug and makes it much easier to clean and helps with the consistency IMO. Also looks a bit more snazzy.
Next, to help cooling and also catch particulates, I essentially replicated the intercooler the simrell vortex has. It's fairly easy to do if you have the right tools. Just need some SS sheet metal (took the thinnest I could find on amazon, like .5mm or so), then cut a straight piece that just about fits through a dynavap condenser, grind/dremel/file it smooth on the edges, pull it through the condenser and then twist and twist and twist while pulling like crazy on it. Once the desired about of helixing was there, I took a big torch, got it red glowing once to make sure I don't inhale some horrible stuff of the SS sheet metal, and done. Keeping it in the condenser stops it from going wiggly all over the place (I'm sure you can all appreciate my highly technical description of the process). I also made a bunch for some dynavaps I have, so thought I'd give it a shot, and it works really well. It fits perfectly into the stem, just at a level where you can push it in/pull it out with tweezers, but doesn't come flying down your trachea as you inhale. A little bit of reduced airflow, but better cooling across hits and no more plant bits in my mouth!
Also, first time posting images here, sorry if this goes haywire.
Anyway, this may be totally unnecessary for many of you, but I had some super finely ground weed at some point and found I got a fair amount of particulate flying right into my mouth every other hit or so. I ended up modding my aluminium stem a bit and thought I'd share, should be fairly easy to replicate for many of you and I think it is definitely an upgrade.
First, I hated the screen in the bowl, it always came out and frazzled and stuff. So I ended up dremeling down a screen that came with my boundless tera (the larger ones). Essentially, it has a 1mm-ish metal rim, if you get rid of just that it fits the bowl or the stem snug and makes it much easier to clean and helps with the consistency IMO. Also looks a bit more snazzy.
Next, to help cooling and also catch particulates, I essentially replicated the intercooler the simrell vortex has. It's fairly easy to do if you have the right tools. Just need some SS sheet metal (took the thinnest I could find on amazon, like .5mm or so), then cut a straight piece that just about fits through a dynavap condenser, grind/dremel/file it smooth on the edges, pull it through the condenser and then twist and twist and twist while pulling like crazy on it. Once the desired about of helixing was there, I took a big torch, got it red glowing once to make sure I don't inhale some horrible stuff of the SS sheet metal, and done. Keeping it in the condenser stops it from going wiggly all over the place (I'm sure you can all appreciate my highly technical description of the process). I also made a bunch for some dynavaps I have, so thought I'd give it a shot, and it works really well. It fits perfectly into the stem, just at a level where you can push it in/pull it out with tweezers, but doesn't come flying down your trachea as you inhale. A little bit of reduced airflow, but better cooling across hits and no more plant bits in my mouth!
Also, first time posting images here, sorry if this goes haywire.
BabyFacedFinster
Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
I was looking to refurbish my Lotus cap that was purchased back in Oct 2014.
Is the $15 standard hot plate kit all I need for the upgrade? I've read about silicone gaskets and metal plates resting on bare wood in older models and wanted to make sure I'm doing this correctly.
Thanks
Is the $15 standard hot plate kit all I need for the upgrade? I've read about silicone gaskets and metal plates resting on bare wood in older models and wanted to make sure I'm doing this correctly.
Thanks
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kilo
Well-Known Member
The silicone gaskets have been discontinued. I wrote to Mendocino Therapeutics to ask for one and this was the response:
So I ordered one, along with a hot plate, and plan to refurbish the vapor cap I bought back in '16. Those old vapor caps don't have the debris screen and may need disassembly and cleaning more often than the newer models, so you might want to order the hex driver. It's much easier to use than the Allen wrench which is supplied with the kit.
The screws are quite small and it's a fiddly sort of job, at least with my spatulate fingers. I'd suggest working over a towel or a tray, just to make sure you don't drop a screw which then disappears under a couch or something. They send replacement screws, though, so it's not a biggie.
Fenton Mewley
A man in search of cloudier pastures
If you're wondering about wood stems, I would suggest that you look at custom pipes and the makers' shop on etsy, and then contact the makers you like with some specifications. Shouldn't be too hard to get someone to make what you want in your budget range.
If anyone is looking for a cheap wood solution, I think you could get away with buying one of those cheaper mass production pipes with a fat and deep bowl and then drill it out to fit the WPA.
If you're wondering about a custom vapor cap then I would imaging that would be quite a bit harder and unadvisable, but totally rad nonetheless if it works out.
BestBuds
The Dude
Indeed I am, and please forgive my disbelief but have you ever cleaned your vapor cap? If you have, do you really think that, that is too hard to duplicate? If you had a template for the hole placement it wouldn't be that hard at all. I am no woodworker, so maybe that's why I don't believe it can't be done.
@khelek41girl can do amazing things. I'm sure something like this wouldn't be impossible?
Hey! So the Lotus is actually protected by Patent #8490627, so legally no duplicating can be done. NOW! If you were to contact Lotus Vapes and ask them if they could, they might do that for you. Otherwise, I would certainly be willing to try, as long as they have specifically given their approval to do so.
In general, I make it a practice not to duplicate other makers works for ethical reasons, which is why if anyone specifically asks me to duplicate someone else's vapes/accessories, I typically refuse and offer alternatives that do not involve using someone else's concepts/ideas. If I know that the other maker has given their consent, then that is obviously a different story.
Like, for instance, Dave from Mistvape is a friend of mine, and every once in a while we will talk about ideas. There are certain things that he has given me permission to replicate, and there are things that I wouldn't even consider replicating. The guy is a mad genius and half the stuff he makes, I couldn't replicate if I tried!
I would reach out to Lotus Vapes and ask them if they would do a custom cap for you. And, if it's something that they don't do, maybe just ask them if they would allow someone else to try. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at it if the approval was there
In general, I make it a practice not to duplicate other makers works for ethical reasons, which is why if anyone specifically asks me to duplicate someone else's vapes/accessories, I typically refuse and offer alternatives that do not involve using someone else's concepts/ideas. If I know that the other maker has given their consent, then that is obviously a different story.
Like, for instance, Dave from Mistvape is a friend of mine, and every once in a while we will talk about ideas. There are certain things that he has given me permission to replicate, and there are things that I wouldn't even consider replicating. The guy is a mad genius and half the stuff he makes, I couldn't replicate if I tried!
I would reach out to Lotus Vapes and ask them if they would do a custom cap for you. And, if it's something that they don't do, maybe just ask them if they would allow someone else to try. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at it if the approval was there
BestBuds
The Dude
I never thought of that! It IS a integral part of the vape, so not an accessory.
Good point. Even if I had to carve the dish myself iand then they would drill it out for me that would be so cool to have a cap that actually looked like a lotus flower or something.
I haven't actually taken apart mine to see how its constructed, but with the larger saucer cap version, it might provide enough material for you to hand carve out a lotus design into it. Like I said though, I don't know if the interior is hollow, or how things are constructed, so you would want to make sure of that first and foremost. Might make for a fun Sunday afternoon project though!
kilo
Well-Known Member
That's a good idea, and definitely the right way to go about it. However I think it would be expensive to do a one-off. I recently asked whether they'd consider fabricating a vapor cap from a non-flammable, more durable, insulating material and they said it wouldn't be economical as it would require re-machining and they sell so few of them. Now, making different wooden caps wouldn't be that expensive — witness the new "saucer" cap — but I would have to assume that they settled on the particular type of wood for a good reason and have probably got quite a few milled out and ready to assemble. Having taken some apart for cleaning, the tolerances are pretty tight.
khelek4girl, as someone who makes accessories, do you have a 10º tapered reamer or some other tool to make the socket for water pipe adapters?
And, any guess what kind of wood the cap is made of....looks like pine to me.
FlyingLow
Team NO SLEEP!
I don't know how many of you are long time Lotus users, but I have seen MANY caps get scorched... not sure I would invest much time or $$$ into an exotic cap.
But you do bring up an interesting point of customization, and I'd love to see a fine craftsman carve and whittle down the stock cap into the shape of a lotus [or something else creative].
But you do bring up an interesting point of customization, and I'd love to see a fine craftsman carve and whittle down the stock cap into the shape of a lotus [or something else creative].
kilo
Well-Known Member
Exactly. I really think a non-flammable cap would be a big improvement but this is still a niche market. In the meantime I'm just trying to use my torch more carefully!
Fenton Mewley
A man in search of cloudier pastures
I have never completely disassembled the Lotus cap. Do you have a guide? IDK how the lower plate is embedded, so I don't risk it.
As for cleaning, not really. I put two screens in the cap (before they even came with a screen). When I do "clean" it then a brushing and a gentle knock on the table gets most, if not all, of it out.
Been using this bad boy for almost 9 years, never felt the need to completely disassemble it for cleaning.
BestBuds
The Dude
Neither did I but Covid lockdown had me out of my mind board. As it turned out it did need a cleaning inside. The wood is very simple. I think there are pics on the Lotus website of the cap disassembled. I actually gained a new appreciation for the lotus, It's so damn simple but really very clever.
I live in the woods and if a squirrel farts we lose power. The Lotus is always my #1 black out vape.
UPDATE: Max already got back to me with his ideas. Long story short I could try it with a large cap
or he said he could talk to the shop about doing a 10 or 20 piece run with the internal cuts made and the rest left as is. Only the holes would need to be drilled by hand and the rest of the dowel would be left uncut.
Obviously that would only work if we had 10 to 20 people who wanted to try their hand at a diy hand carved cap.
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I hun
Followup, anyone tried adapting a Gandalf like pipe yet? Something like this:
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Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
I dropped and broke my Vaporscope Hybrid. When I went to replace it I see it is no longer on the website, neither is the original Vaporscope. I really loved my Hybrid, are these being discontinued permanently or is it temporarily out of stock @Max Jitter?
We are out of stock in both Vaporscopes now and won't have any back in stock until late January. Sorry for the delay.
Vapor_Eyes
taste buds
No worries, I’m happy to hear it’s not being discontinued. Thanks for the reply!
Paperback Writer
Im a Rastaman not a Dreadlock
Hey fellow herbalists, I have been rocking my Lotus daily since 2014 (maybe even a bit before 
) but I must say that is a very fine vaporizer! Many of my vaporizers have come and gone and none can really match the ease and vapor quality of the Lotus. It was my first butane vape and and I have been a fan ever since. Most low maintanence (like zero 
almost..) and love the fact that I can vape the whole bowl in one go or steady sip. Peace to all
) but I must say that is a very fine vaporizer! Many of my vaporizers have come and gone and none can really match the ease and vapor quality of the Lotus. It was my first butane vape and and I have been a fan ever since. Most low maintanence (like zero almost..) and love the fact that I can vape the whole bowl in one go or steady sip. Peace to all