darkstar72
Well-Known Member
If interested in the hand railing idea, consider the 1 and 3/4 inch diameter wood dowel from Bell Forest, linked here.
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'The Misty Log' - DIY wooden Log Vaporizer
- Thread starter blokenoname
- Start date
Shouldn't be afraid of a little torch action when solderingAnd please don't ask me, how I managed to solder the connector pole to the nichrome... had s/thing to do with me getting pissed with the soldering iron & taking the jet flame to it
I use it to get the solder off of the barrel jacks for reuse, or preheat big stuff. All about getting the heat where it needs to be.@Flotsam Good luck with the build. This project has really showed me how simple a vaporizer can be. And thanks for the link to the dowels @darkstar72.
I've been working on a new halogen design, incorporating the larger 2mm tubes for heater sockets. I think that forming these into sockets can actually work quite well. Been using a pair of round nose pliers, like this: https://www.michaels.com/product/bead-landing-round-nose-pliers-10035773 to form the contacts. I use the small flat part to crush the tube flat while the bulb pin is inside it, then take out the bulb and gently compress using the round part until the pin fits tight. If you go too far you can squeeze it back. Once the tubes are mounted in a base its pretty easy to take the bulb in or out.
The complication has been in design of the body. Something has to come apart for access to the bulb. I think my 1" heater well is a bit too narrow to be reaching into for that. So I have been looking at a 2-piece design sort of like some of the HIs. I also don't really like the idea of reusing wood screws/threads many times, so I want it to go together with threaded inserts or captive nuts. My first attempt worked but is a bit wonky. Was hard to drill straight by hand, but I will be able to use a drill press for the next design.
I think maybe the next one should have the heater cover screws coming in from the top hold it all together. But the space for screw heads gets pretty cramped with the 11mm OD heater cover, and 1" drilled heater well. I also found some nice hardwood plugs that can replace the cork, or maybe be used in a bottom-loading design, similar to the screw-in core from above.
Latest update, on this idea of an easily serviceable/long lasting halogen log. This one has a nice machined socket for the 10W halogen bulb, and is held together by just the 2 heater cover screws. Same 11mm/10mm heat island style cover, and square walnut body. I am pretty happy with the design overall. The bulb will eventually break, but it just requires 2 screws to be removed for replacement. And this shouldn't wear out the threaded inserts or bulb sockets for a very long time.
Mill-Max sent me a free engineering sample of the socket contacts I requested, along with some cool catalogs
. These press into the 2mm OD, 1.7mm ID SS tubing nicely. The insertion/removal force on the bulb is light much lighter than the formed contacts, and lighter/smoother than the G4 sockets. The bulb pin goes in a little less than halfway. No scratching of the nickel plating on the bulb pins, or sockets, after 10-20 cycles. I think they will hold up very well, could reccomend them to try out. But I still might prefer a plain SS tube with a formed socket, though, since this fully covers the bulb lead, and feels more secure.
Was able to use a small drill press for this body, which made a big difference in the quality, especially for the heater well. 2 4-40 (about M3) screws hold down the heater cover, and the top piece of wood, to the base, which contains the bulb socket/support tubes, threaded inserts, power jack and wiring. The center hole is 3/8", allowing the bulb to pass through the top piece. In the bottom piece, it is instead filled in with 3/8 walnut plug, which has 2 5/64" holes for the bulb tubes. This makes it easier to replace the sockets if needed, and much easier to crimp copper wires to the SS tubes for the jack connection.
There are some minor things I still don't really like. One is that the threaded inserts and the outer bodies of the pin sockets are brass, which is leaded. I don't think this is an issue, since the pin sockets are gold plated, and the threaded inserts are well away from the vapor path. Could be fixed by using the SS tube formed sockets, and SS nuts rather than brass inserts. The other thing is that getting the heater cover screws in is a bit fiddly-requires holding the tube carefully in place, while using a thin screwdriver to get the screws in. It could be easier if they went in from the bottom, into a tapped washer or something.
Parts used:
heater cover: 11mm OD, 0.5mm wall 304 SS tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099QMDZRY
bulb tubes: 2mm OD, 0.15mm wall 304 SS tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R9B592L
bulb contacts: Mill Max 0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0 (BeNi contact, press fit) https://www.mill-max.com/products/p...tacle-crimp-type/0303/0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0 available at Mouser https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mill-Max/0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0
bulb: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BC9NQGR
barrel jack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPS3QD8
screens: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QF5TLZV
2x2 (1.5inx1.5in) walnut about 4" overall length (from Home Depot) https://www.homedepot.com/p/Swaner-...lnut-S4S-Hardwood-Boards-08011636WA/318989598
M10 SS washer, 10.5mm ID 20mm OD (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=4122&cclcl=en_US
2x 4-40x3/4" pan head SS machine screw (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=828432&cclcl=en_US
2x 4-40 brass threaded insert for wood (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=3015&cclcl=en_US
3/8" walnut plug (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=412218&cclcl=en_US
Mill-Max sent me a free engineering sample of the socket contacts I requested, along with some cool catalogs
. These press into the 2mm OD, 1.7mm ID SS tubing nicely. The insertion/removal force on the bulb is light much lighter than the formed contacts, and lighter/smoother than the G4 sockets. The bulb pin goes in a little less than halfway. No scratching of the nickel plating on the bulb pins, or sockets, after 10-20 cycles. I think they will hold up very well, could reccomend them to try out. But I still might prefer a plain SS tube with a formed socket, though, since this fully covers the bulb lead, and feels more secure.
Was able to use a small drill press for this body, which made a big difference in the quality, especially for the heater well. 2 4-40 (about M3) screws hold down the heater cover, and the top piece of wood, to the base, which contains the bulb socket/support tubes, threaded inserts, power jack and wiring. The center hole is 3/8", allowing the bulb to pass through the top piece. In the bottom piece, it is instead filled in with 3/8 walnut plug, which has 2 5/64" holes for the bulb tubes. This makes it easier to replace the sockets if needed, and much easier to crimp copper wires to the SS tubes for the jack connection.
There are some minor things I still don't really like. One is that the threaded inserts and the outer bodies of the pin sockets are brass, which is leaded. I don't think this is an issue, since the pin sockets are gold plated, and the threaded inserts are well away from the vapor path. Could be fixed by using the SS tube formed sockets, and SS nuts rather than brass inserts. The other thing is that getting the heater cover screws in is a bit fiddly-requires holding the tube carefully in place, while using a thin screwdriver to get the screws in. It could be easier if they went in from the bottom, into a tapped washer or something.
Parts used:
heater cover: 11mm OD, 0.5mm wall 304 SS tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099QMDZRY
bulb tubes: 2mm OD, 0.15mm wall 304 SS tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R9B592L
bulb contacts: Mill Max 0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0 (BeNi contact, press fit) https://www.mill-max.com/products/p...tacle-crimp-type/0303/0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0 available at Mouser https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Mill-Max/0303-0-19-15-26-27-10-0
bulb: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BC9NQGR
barrel jack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPS3QD8
screens: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QF5TLZV
2x2 (1.5inx1.5in) walnut about 4" overall length (from Home Depot) https://www.homedepot.com/p/Swaner-...lnut-S4S-Hardwood-Boards-08011636WA/318989598
M10 SS washer, 10.5mm ID 20mm OD (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=4122&cclcl=en_US
2x 4-40x3/4" pan head SS machine screw (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=828432&cclcl=en_US
2x 4-40 brass threaded insert for wood (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=3015&cclcl=en_US
3/8" walnut plug (from Ace Hardware) https://shop.hillmangroup.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=412218&cclcl=en_US
Thanks brainy! It passed its first test well 
and stood up to a very hot burn in at around 12.3V overnight. No visible oxide discoloration on the bulb tubes, pins, or contacts. While the heater cover and screens got that slight yellow tint. So it seems that system isn't getting too hot, like the cheap ceramic sockets did.
The wood plug is more heat resistant than the cork, and better mechanically, but isn't 100% airtight. I kind of liked the idea of sealing off the base so the airpath is isolated. So I put a small cork in the bottom of the same hole as the wood plug sits in, to back it up. Easy to do if you get it in before soldering. The cork/wood plug combination might work well for protecting any cork pieces used in logs/stems from heat or crumbling. Curious to try it with a larger cork and dowel, to fit a 1" hole. Could allow for a full heater assembly to slide into a simple tube wood body. I think that's kind of like how some of the HI's are? And some of bloke's earlier builds in this thread, though I can't see the pictures.
Another small tip I have is for cutting the tiny SS tubes without a dremel, and without crushing them. If you use a hacksaw, it binds up on the tube, since it's thinner than the tooth pitch. But if you cut backwards, it can be very gentle and leave the end pretty clean. Very quick and just needs a touch of the file to deburr the OD. The ID can be deburred with a drill bit, twisting by hand. Since this leaves the tube round, its easier to make into a socket that won't scratch the plating off of the bulb pins.
and stood up to a very hot burn in at around 12.3V overnight. No visible oxide discoloration on the bulb tubes, pins, or contacts. While the heater cover and screens got that slight yellow tint. So it seems that system isn't getting too hot, like the cheap ceramic sockets did.The wood plug is more heat resistant than the cork, and better mechanically, but isn't 100% airtight. I kind of liked the idea of sealing off the base so the airpath is isolated. So I put a small cork in the bottom of the same hole as the wood plug sits in, to back it up. Easy to do if you get it in before soldering. The cork/wood plug combination might work well for protecting any cork pieces used in logs/stems from heat or crumbling. Curious to try it with a larger cork and dowel, to fit a 1" hole. Could allow for a full heater assembly to slide into a simple tube wood body. I think that's kind of like how some of the HI's are? And some of bloke's earlier builds in this thread, though I can't see the pictures.
Another small tip I have is for cutting the tiny SS tubes without a dremel, and without crushing them. If you use a hacksaw, it binds up on the tube, since it's thinner than the tooth pitch. But if you cut backwards, it can be very gentle and leave the end pretty clean. Very quick and just needs a touch of the file to deburr the OD. The ID can be deburred with a drill bit, twisting by hand. Since this leaves the tube round, its easier to make into a socket that won't scratch the plating off of the bulb pins.
