Discontinued The Timber Elite by Vapwood

[Bravesst]

Looking forward to this one is batch 1 of elites the prototypes models?

We blew right past the prototypes. Only Alan and I got one. That doesn't mean I won't use your feedback to build better Elites. You're just gonna get a really polished unit, like the one below. I got the process pretty much down, went like clockwork. It's all about breaking it down to many little jobs. The new batch of @Alan buttons fit even better (flange is perfect). I'm excited to get the first six or seven built and shipped.

Just off the *assembly line*, first Walnut Elite.

 

[HerbieVonVapster]

Awesome news Mike definitely happy to see you putting the extra work into them. I just figured the prototypes would be a little more unfinished than production model. Thank you for sharing the process of the creation of this vaporizer definitely enjoyed seeing the process play out.

 

[nonbeliever]

Mike, if I remember correctly, you also have an iHeat. Were you using that on a Witcher mod (was it side-by-side?). How do the iHeat and elite compare when holding them in your hand?

What a beautiful piece of digital art.

 

[P.A.M.]

Mike, if I remember correctly, you also have an iHeat. Were you using that on a Witcher mod (was it side-by-side?). How do the iHeat and elite compare when holding them in your hand?

What a beautiful piece of digital art.

The iheat/witcherr combo is surely smaller , it would be fun to see.

the witcher mod is discontinued , not many other side by side mod boxes , if any available. some witcher mods are still available . Still, the sbody Macro II DNA 75 i purchased for my iHeat was under $50 while on special at fasttech . It was still more then I wanted to spend but worth it for the iHeat and to get a closer "Elite" preview and practice.

 

[oddjobold]

We blew right past the prototypes. Only Alan and I got one. That doesn't mean I won't use your feedback to build better Elites. You're just gonna get a really polished unit, like the one below. I got the process pretty much down, went like clockwork. It's all about breaking it down to many little jobs. The new batch of @Alan buttons fit even better (flange is perfect). I'm excited to get the first six or seven built and shipped.

Just off the *assembly line*, first Walnut Elite.

Wow what a looker. Glad i paid a little extra for walnut now.

 

[Bravesst]

The iHeat and Witcher were a great combination - a bit more narrow, shorter (without iHeat attached). I wouldn't put this bad boy in my front pocket, but cargo pants work. It does fit in a front shirt pocket as well, but just about.

Lot goes into making that look so pretty. I discovered sanding sponge blocks. At this point, I almost exclusively use the sponge blocks for all my hand sanding, in addition to my belt / disc sanding machine. The blocks are great at softening edges without taking off too much, and chasing the unevenness. One issue is that grit from manufacturer to manufacturer changes. 220 grit on 3m is like 400 grit on other, so you have to adjust.

The other thing I'm obsessed with is finding the right files. I have over 100 different files, but just the right size, shape, grit is critical for shaping wood, especially the cover plate. I just found another couple of needle file sets that might make this even better. Nice thing is files aren't too costly.

It seems like Google is finding Vapwood more and more. The Elite, as I thought it would, has a much broader market, mass appeal, with all the bells and whistles. Luckily it's not just bells and whistles, but sound science, and lots of hard work that makes the Elite able to perform so well. And I gotta admit, it does look cool.

 

[Mr. Gweilo 420]

Exciting times

 

[Bravesst]

Elite Building Day
Maple / Walnut / Cherry

 

[Bravesst]

Good morning Elitists!

The assembly of the Elite involves many steps, and after the last few days of assembly, I realize it's a slower process than the Classic, at least at this point. I do have a couple of ideas to speed things up. If I can preform the 14 gauge wire that comes off the board and goes to the coil to the *exact* size and shape, final assembly will drop together more easily. In final assembly you have 2 14 gauge (thick as house wiring) wires coming from the board with rign connectors attached to the ends. The coil, mounted to a 7/8 wood disk, also has 2 ring connectors attached. The ring connectors get screwed paired up with small screws, washers, nuts. The better the ring connectors mate up, the less adjustment needs to happen. Eventually I'll get it down to zero. I could just shorten the 14 gauge wire as short as possible, but that may expose the board to higher temps, due to the proximity of the coil. I now coil the wires a couple of times, leaving them about 2.5 inches long, as they connect board and coil.

The tight tolerances of the Elite make keeping batches small a good idea. When working on aspects of the unit that require precision, some burn out starts to happen - eye fatigue, neck strain, general agitation. That's when you either have to stop working, or change tasks to something less meticulous, maybe more laborious or creative. Small batches doesn't keep you at one job nearly as long. When working on batches of 20, drilling the necessary series of holes can be mind numbing. What I've been doing is keeping each phase of the operation going. There is progress being made on all fronts of Lil' Bud building, Classics and Elites, and at every level. Nice to have work options.

What's up next at Vapwood HQ

• Final assemble 2 Elites, 1 Classic
• Rough out bodies for 6 more Elites (EDIT: wound up with 16)
• Cut battery mortises in the 6 units above (EDIT: again, 16 mortises cut)
• Begin prep work for coils

 

[Bravesst]

Good morning Elitists!

What's up next at Vapwood HQ

• Final assemble 2 Elites, 1 Classic
• Rough out bodies for 6 more Elites (EDIT: wound up with 16)
• Cut battery mortises in the 6 units above (EDIT: again, 16 mortises cut)
• Begin prep work for coils

Good day in the shop, 2 final assemblies and 16 units roughed out with battery mortises all done. I put a real dent in the above list. I've got a couple of coils left, so I'll assemble a few more units, then it's coil building time. What's nice about assembling Elites, is the ease of testing functionality once assembly is complete. All good.

 

[Bravesst]

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to reveal my Elite parts, supplies, and tool list, or basically what it takes to build an Elite...

PARTS
Evolv DNA75 Color Control Board
Screen Holder
Custom Wood Buttons (@Alan)
Coil Material / Screen (Alan)
Roasting Tube (Alan)
Battery Terminals (2)
Magnets (4)
Wire (14 and 18 gauge)
SS Hardware (9 screws, 2 nuts, 4 washers)
Wood (Body, Bottom Cap, Cover Plate, Back Plate)

SUPPLIES
Sandpaper
Router Bits
Drill Bits
Beeswax
PPE


POWER TOOS
2 Routers (with multiple jigs)
Router Table
Tablesaw
Drill Press with x/y Axis Vice (improved accuracy all around)
Planer (uniformity and tighter tolerances achieved)
Miter Saw
Belt Sander (unparalleled finish)
Bench Grinder
4 Shop Vacs

HAND POWER TOOLS
6 Drills / Screw guns
Heat Gun

HAND TOOLS
Files
Screwdrivers
Pliers
Wire Cutter / Stripper
Tweezers
Awls / Picks
Knives
Chisels
Rulers
Calipers
Sanding Sponges
Hand Saws

SELF MADE JIGS
Battery mortise
Board mortise
Bottom Cap Cutout
Cover Plate Template

 

[Bravesst]

Here's the full batch. Notice the front *live edge* walnut. Not sure if it'll survive all the steps, but I'm gonna try.

TESTING UPDATE
Zero issues, I'm having a grand old time, much different than a year ago, all good, all the time. Here's 10 points I look for in a vape. I'm sure you have more. This is a comparison of the Elite and Classic. Of course, the Elite has the technological advantage of the board doing most of the tough stuff, but without being over technical (Ease of Use: 10), with almost no learning curve.

1. Potency: 10 / Classic 8
2. Efficiency (herb and battery): 10 / Classic 7
3. Power: 10 / Classic 10
4. Taste: 10 / Classic 8
5. Ease of Use: 10 / Classic 6
6. Portability: 8 / Classic 9
7. Fun: 10 / Classic 8
8. Beauty: 10 / Classic 9
9. Maintenance: 10 / Classic 9
10. Reliability: 10 / Classic 8

 

[cpk]

My Classic will outlast any Elite. lol

 

[P.A.M.]

My Classic will outlast any Elite. lol

I know right !?!
I contest number 7 to 10.

Oh the fun i have with a Classic I wouldn't dare to have with an Elite

Of course the wiseguy holds advantage over the soldier.

Neat looking Walnut , Elites are Looking great , Mike!

 

[Bravesst]

My Classic will outlast any Elite. lol

Longevity
Elite: TBD
Classic: 10

 

[Bravesst]

Good morning,
I plan on keeping to my February promise, and whatever I can get assembled by tomorrow, packed up and shipped Wednesday. That will also include about six Classics.

The rest of the batch has already be cut into blanks with mortises and the first hole for the air path. I'm also going to need coils and cover plates to get this batch done.

Much to do...

 

[GreenHopper]

Awesome news man, I'm so impressed at how quickly you have managed to pull the Elites together.

Unfortunately I'll be away for 4 weeks from the 19th of March so won't be able to do much testing. I'm not brave enough to take the vape with me, last time I was away I lost my vape (grasshopper) the first day and there is no way I'm risking my Elite.

I'll be following the news as and wifi us available though

 

[Bravesst]

I've mentioned this before, but a few things have gone into putting the Elite out there so quickly. Two thirds of the unit is a Lil' Bud Classic that's been designed and endlessly tweaked. Add to this a DNA75 color control board mounted to a wooden cover plate that fits over the face. Integration was the issue, but by separating the process into two builds that come together in final assembly, it became pretty straight forward. However, still far from simple or easy. It took about six builds to make all the mistakes (vs the Classic which took about 30 or more). I'm not saying every process has peaked, but I've got a good handle on the entire unit.

Right now, I've got six Elites built, might get one or two more before it's time to ship. Once these units ship, I have to take a few days to get my 2018 books in order, but I'll be back at in by the weekend. Batch two, the size of which still remains a mystery, even to me, will ship in March. All told, there are over 25 Elites sold, and I anticipate a rush in sales after reviews happen. I'm still taking the $50 down payment to hold a place in line. I may have to bump this up to $100 to reflect the cost of parts, but for today, it's $50.

 

[muunch]

How do we know which batch that we're in?

Not that I'm particularly worried, considering you put these together way faster than I anticipated(perhaps I'm just cynical from past endeavours) I only paid last month!

 

[Bravesst]

How do we know which batch that we're in?

Not that I'm particularly worried, considering you put these together way faster than I anticipated(perhaps I'm just cynical from past endeavours) I only paid last month!

I understand your cynicism. I hope to have all currently paid (or down payment) orders completed and shipped in March. I've eliminated the *Down Payment* option on Vapwood. In the store itself, when you select *Elite*, you'll get the option of either *full* or *partial* payments. Partial payment will bring the base price of $329 down to $99. All add ons will be added to the $99 partial payment, including shipping, mouthpieces, batteries. The coupon code: ELITIST will still work on the partial payment, saving you $30 right up front.

Realistic waiting time, at this point, should be end of March or early April. I anticipate beginning a brand new batch in a couple of weeks. It will become about keeping up with sales, for both myself, and @Alan. We will do our best to stay ahead of things.

 

[muunch]

Sweet deal and godspeed.

These things look super sweet so I'm fine with waiting. I had taken a break from FC during the initial conceptualization of this vape, and when I came back on in January, the thing was already shaping up quite well! Not much of a wait, I feel like I've cut most of the line

 

[Bravesst]

Originally, I'd planned on shipping 6 first batch Elites, but I got a bit caught up assembling today and got 2 more done. Looks like 8 Elites will ship this week. I still have to final finish each one, as well as double check the board functionality / coil resistance, and flip the screen, not to mention pack up. Friday is the new ETA, still making the February deadline. Same for the February Classic batch. I'm not going to rush now. Working on a carrying case, but it won't happen for batch one. Some sellers are slow to ship. You have my IOU.

All in all, the Elite is well in hand, at least for the first 25 or so. Hopefully, the new partial payment program will allow more people to jump on board early on. With each assembly, it get's more *zen*. I really don't know a better way to describe the feeling when I experience zero surprises, and everything just goes exactly according to plan. All the work's been done, it's time to reap the rewards.

 

[little maggie]

I don't really understand the partial payment program. Could you explain it a bit more?

 

[Mr. Gweilo 420]

I don't really understand the partial payment program. Could you explain it a bit more?

Its a partial payment that holds your place until Mike is ready to build or ship your unit.

 

[little maggie]

Its a partial payment that holds your place until Mike is ready to build or ship your unit.

Thanks for the answer but it leaves his website confusing. It says that it is 75% off which makes no sense.