Discontinued The Venus Apollo

[Vape Dr.]

@GTAVaper I tried the Apollo many ways using the stock SS crucible first, but that thing is a huge heat sink and takes a good bit of time to cool down.

So the first thing I did was try your solo stem mod which I think was a huge step in the right direction.

After trying the solo stem mod I was very happy with the results, the draw restriction (I have my bottom intake blocked like all that suggested this in the thread), and the ability to lift the loaded stem away from the bulb while it was heating made the Apollo much simpler to use.

The one thing I noticed was the amount of hits were limited due to the stem bowl size but it was also very convenient to be able to unload and load the stem during a session (for some reason even if I push the boost button to prolong the session mine still shuts down in 4 minutes)

I'm a multiple sipping low temp guy as opposed extracting the chamber with a huge hit or 2 like I've noticed most of you here do through water pipes. I keep it on 30-40% and don't use boost.

I was on a mission to get good dry hits from this beast but they needed to be cooled down, they can be harsh on the throat.

I want to thank you GTA for the solo stem mod because that eliminated the SS crucible which for me which was key, it cooled down the draws and allowed you to lower the stem after heat up.

Once you get your milaana (hopefully soon) I think you will LOVE the long RBT stem mod (most people prefer the short stem with the Milaana anyway). It should make you very happy and have longer sessions.

I use the mouth piece as the chamber with the stock RBT screen basket style (the RBT screens are very nice and thick and strong) with an EQ or an EVO ELB lid (I just put it on the table face down and press my thumb on the bottom to "mushroom" it out a bit so it stays snug) to hold the herb from falling out.

This way the mouth piece is the 18mm joint so if you want to use a water pipe you just pop it in upside down and your good to go!

An ELB does not fit in the 18mm joint, I tried this as soon as I first got my Milaana.
It did fit in the mouth piece side but it cracked the glass once it was heated.

I did this because I have many Milaana stems so I tried it so no one else would ruin a stem if it did not work, it would have be sweet if it did.

 

[GTAVaper]

@GTAVaper I tried the Apollo many ways using the stock SS crucible first, but that thing is a huge heat sink and takes a good bit of time to cool down.

So the first thing I did was try your solo stem mod which I think was a huge step in the right direction.

After trying the solo stem mod I was very happy with the results, the draw restriction (I have my bottom intake blocked like all that suggested this in the thread), and the ability to lift the loaded stem away from the bulb while it was heating made the Apollo much simpler to use.

The one thing I noticed was the amount of hits were limited due to the stem bowl size but it was also very convenient to be able to unload and load the stem during a session (for some reason even if I push the boost button to prolong the session mine still shuts down in 4 minutes)

I'm a multiple sipping low temp guy as opposed extracting the chamber with a huge hit or 2 like I've noticed most of you here do through water pipes. I keep it on 30-40% and don't use boost.

I was on a mission to get good dry hits from this beast but they needed to be cooled down, they can be harsh on the throat.

I want to thank you GTA for the solo stem mod because that eliminated the SS crucible which for me which was key, it cooled down the draws and allowed you to lower the stem after heat up.

Once you get your milaana (hopefully soon) I think you will LOVE the long RBT stem mod (most people prefer the short stem with the Milaana anyway). It should make you very happy and have longer sessions.

I use the mouth piece as the chamber with the stock RBT screen basket style (the RBT screens are very nice and thick and strong) with an EQ or an EVO ELB lid (I just put it on the table face down and press my thumb on the bottom to "mushroom" it out a bit so it stays snug) to hold the herb from falling out.

This way the mouth piece is the 18mm joint so if you want to use a water pipe you just pop it in upside down and your good to go!

An ELB does not fit in the 18mm joint, I tried this as soon as I first got my Milaana.
It did fit in the mouth piece side but it cracked the glass once it was heated.

I did this because I have many Milaana stems so I tried it so no one else would ruin a stem if it did not work, it would have be sweet if it did.

Perhaps with low temperature vaping the stem mods may very well perform better without the bottom half of the herb chamber. But with high temperature vaping the heat sink of the lower herb chamber helps produce a constant high volume of fully extracted vapour.

But I think that this coming long weekend - especially if I get my Milaana order before then - I will try some low temperature vaping without the lower herb chamber and see how that compares and come back with my observations.

Keep on @Vape Dr. ......and please keep sharing your results

That is the beauty of FC! Those that share their experiences, whether through text postings, (walls of text in some cases ), pictures, or videos are helping all those who come after with getting the best experiences from their new vapes - with the shortest learning curve possible - if they have bothered to do their homework by reading through the relevant threads.

I will at some point do some comparisons of all the mods I have compiled through my own efforts as well as others and under strict testing conditions (equivalent load size, warm-up times, and power levels/boost times) and try to post objective results with video where appropriate.

At some point, I would like to try higher wattage bulbs......I don't believe that this would be helpful for your style of lower temperature vaping.....except for perhaps bringing down the warmup period to its minimum of 31 seconds.....but something that might be of interest to high temperature, water piece vaporists.

It really is strange about your boost button not stopping the shutdown at 4 minutes. Perhaps, you might want to take a video of this and share it with @villekille2 through a PM'd link and see what he suggests to fix it?

As mentioned before, I think that my final setup (I have 2 short Apollo tubes and 1 long Apollo tube to play with ) will be 1 - 19mm short tube mod, 1 - 14mm short tube mod, and one extra long - long tube Apollo Solo & 14mm/19mm mod (haven't decided which one yet) - but if I stick to 14mm glass for this extra long modded stem then I can stick the DHGate PNWT clone on top for my version of minimal water Apollo usage.

We all learn from each other

 

[Bravesst]

Hello @Bravesst

I don't have a Milaana yet as it should be shipped this week (or already has been shipped early this week as an email from Ryan last week stated ......in which he apologized for the delayed shipping ) so I won't have a comparison of the vapour profile until my Milaana arrives.

But I am surprised that you rate the Milaana as having tastier vapour as I have had several PM conversations with people who have stated the exact opposite opinion......and I believe that there is a post or two within the Milaana thread (don't think it was posted here) where this was also stated.

Perhaps it is a matter of technique as well? ......and from what I recall from the Milaana thread - you have been obsessive in perfecting your Milaana technique - whereas the Apollo is still new to you?

But until I have some time to play with my new Milaana, I really can't provide any comparisons regarding the vapour taste from personal experience......just what was related to me. But I do remember that when I was using it stock that I did have some initial occurrences of charring and even combustion with the stock setup until I dialed it in.

However, I am happy to hear from you that the vapour quality from the Milaana could be comparable and in the same ball park as the Apollo.

With the stock setup, I did get great taste from the Apollo at low temps.....but with my vape usage temperature stepping into higher temps through water I found that I was able to get much better performance with my Solo stem mod......which I still believe performs better than the 14mm glass mod.....although I also much prefer the cohesive single unit that the 14mm glass mod provides over the Solo stem mod that comes apart.

I will be trying to incorporate both the Solo stem and 14mm/19mm glass into a single cohesive unit mod maybe this weekend, (14mm glass first - until I recieve my Milaana order) or during the Canadian July 1st long weekend that is coming up as described in a prior post of mine. I am really hoping that I will also get my Milaana before the long weekend as well so that I will have that to play with as well during my time off as I am also going to be taking a vacation on the July 4th Monday for an extra-long weekend.

One tip that I can relate to you as to how to get the best taste from your Apollo (stock OR modded stem) is that I highly recommend that you don't insert the herb chamber into the Apollo until AFTER it has gone through the warmup period.

This will eliminate any conductive heating of the herb through the SS chamber walls during the heat up period which will help preserve the low temperature terpenes from being released.....at least until you are ready to start vaping.

Another benefit to a modded stem, 14mm, Solo/Air stem, or 19mm (in increasing diameter of bowl diameter - which directly corresponds to herb volume per equivalent depth of the packed herb) is that you can get much more efficient herb usage with smaller volume loads......and extract further since there is a threshold of required volume in the stock chamber that is required for best performance and smaller loads won't achieve that since they can't be tamped into a little puck upon loading.

You can see this in posts 1042 & 1043 in this thread where I demonstrate how the packed 14mm glass stem mod small load of post 1042 relates to the coverage of the same load within the stock chamber as shown in the picture within post 1043.

A stem mod will also allow you to switch out the spent herb more easily without having to worry about removing the hot stainless steel herb chamber from the side breech since you load and unload the stem through the top of the unit by turning it upside down and sliding it down/up over the modded stem.

@smutman was one of the earliest Apollo owners and had been previously using the Apollo in stock configuration and as you can see from his recent posts that he is now a big fan of his newly modded stem configuration......which you should also be able to create as described in @Vape Dr.'s posts.

Although, if you are using the Milaana stems, then I think that you would want to use the stock RBT screen in the end of the non-male end of the stem, along with an Arizer bowl screen as @Vape Dr. has recommended - rather than an ELB (if you have those).

As you've probably already read in a recent post, the stock Milaana screen has a slightly smaller inner diameter glass stem than the @DDave mod 19mm glass stem and you don't want to be cracking your Milaana stem by trying to insert the ELB into the non-male end of the mouthpiece as @Vape Dr. has shown to have occurred when he tried to make an ELB fit into the end of an RBT stem.

I am very happy to see all the newcomers to "Mission Apollo" as this is a fairly unknown and newcomer vape to the market that IMHO blows away most of the other vapes currently available with it's performance. Since this vape is only available from one location worldwide, it may take some time to gain in popularity (at least in North America) as most people either buy from a B&M vape store or order from large online retailers where they never come in contact with the Apollo as a purchase option.

I hope that with further practice and modding that you will be enjoying your future Apollo mission launches and vape vacations at your own personal "Tranquility Base"




P.S. Ok, ok......I think that I will be trying to keep my posts short until I have some new mod news and videos of comparative performance of the different mods as I tend to sometimes write huge walls of text that not everyone enjoys making their way through

Edit:
@Bravesst

I just saw in the Milaana thread that you have an UD.....so if you have the long UD 14mm glass GonG and some 1/2" OD, 3/8" ID silicone tubing then you also have all the materials to make the 14mm stem mod that I have previously posted.....which also has the added benefit of being able to also move the bowl screen location as well for dialing in the performance.

This mod works great and also incorporates the use of the lower portion of the herb chamber which locks into an airtight seal with the rest of the stem .....and the lower herb chamber also locks into the heater unit very well as you can see with your current stock setup of your Apollo......just remember to give the stem a little twist as you mate the two pieces as this small action also helps seat it properly.

2nd Edit:
@smutman

Nope, no word on the Helios.

Although a while back Ville shared a temporary link with me that showed a video of a later version prototype Helios in action.

At that time it didn't have the RGBW Bluetooth controlled LED that I've been pestering him to include with the Helios .....and I don't know if Ville will incorporate this suggestion (so I can have my "disco globe" to break out in a darkened room ) but the performance was very nice and it really pumped the vapour out very well.

It also had a sort of breathing effect with the LED which was lit (even when not boosted) which looked like the light was pulsating up and down the section of whip closest to the Helios. Which would look even cooler if you had an RGBW LED cycling through various colours while it did this (hint, hint...... @villekille2 )

It has a round base, slightly smaller controls so that it fits within the smaller control panel section (due to the round base design) and used the same bowl as the Venus (tinted version) although Ville also seemed to be open to considering a change to the bowl design.....at least at that time which was a long time ago ......and I have not heard from him lately through PM .....and the last post he made here (occurring after my last PM with him I believe) was to confirm the compatible socket sizes for anyone wanting to find higher wattage alternative halogen bulbs.

If you click on Ville's Venus Apollo Instagram page you will see the Helios in the same configuration that I saw it as the leftmost vape in the row of the last picture posted (last time I checked)

Thank u for that comprensive post. I have zero knowledge here, but love many things about Mr. Armstrong. So... you can by pass loading herb chamber with a stem mod? I have many stems, solo and Milaana. Got some reading to do

 

[Vape Dr.]

@Bravesst page #43 post #1053 shows the milaana stem mod .
It is a step by step with pictures, very simple!

Here is a Nibbler G added to the Milaana stem mod.



18mm to 14mm adapter with F-bomb



!8mm Pinnacle Pro DLX 2.0 hydra tube



Vapexhale Hydrabomb hydrartube



Vapexhale honeycomb hydratube



With the the Milaana stem mod not does the Apollo work with any water pipe but can also be used with any hydratube.

 

[Bravesst]

EDIT
Hitting a brick wall on batteries. Out of stock or can't find.
PLEASE HELP!

First mod, long solo stem, 0 ring (which I tried to get inside glass tube, but could not, for other variatons without Ss chamber, but I think chamber bottom in place might just be best), lvl 4, boost as needed, cool huge cloud on a solo load of .1. Potential here is quite endless. Using solo stems allows me to preload. Gonna order some more o rings and solo stems. BTW, Milaana taste is matched! Got a feeling I'm going to use on low heat, boost as I sip, Milaana style.

Mod 2 / UD stem, o ring, sick!

ENDLESS POTENTIAL HUGE CLOUDS COOL THICK VAPOR .1G LOTS OF LONG SIPS

 

[villekille2]

very cool to see all the mods. I've been working on product development. I'm very much open to hear from you any suggestions. I have understood that the vapor feels very warm from the short tube for many people. this is something easily fixed and I have been working on a cooling unit which would fit inside the standard tube and be easily removable and adjustable for different levels of cooling. Also it is easy to reclaim residues that naturally will accumulate more when vapor is cooled. Also the draw resistance can be adjusted .And it should work with all the existing tubes so once I have it in production it will be available as an accessory.

 

[StormyPinkness]

very cool to see all the mods. I've been working on product development. I'm very much open to hear from you any suggestions. I have understood that the vapor feels very warm from the short tube for many people. this is something easily fixed and I have been working on a cooling unit which would fit inside the standard tube and be easily removable and adjustable for different levels of cooling. Also it is easy to reclaim residues that naturally will accumulate more when vapor is cooled. And it should work with all the existing tubes so once I have it in production it will be available as an accessory.

Excellent, I love hearing this. Can't wait to see it.

 

[Bravesst]

Still hitting batt brick wall... illum.com out of stock (tip from local ecig vape shop, who have zero button tops)

UPDATE
Just ordered 2 batts from Finland, total 6, until I can stock up locally.

 

[GTAVaper]

Still hitting batt brick wall... illum.com out of stock (tip from local ecig vape shop, who have zero button tops)

Contact IMRBatteries.com......they are pretty quick to restock. I was eyeing the button top brown LG2's before my Apollo arrived and they were in stock at that time but then when I went to order they were out of stock. I used the email alert.....wasn't contacted but went back to the site in about a week and they were back in stock. The button-top HG2's fit a lot better than the original eFest batteries since they are a little shorter.

Sanyo/Panasonic 18650GA should be good as well..... if you can find button top (even higher capacity at 3500mAh - but won't work in your Milaana - whereas the button top LG HG2's will also work in the Milaana).

Better just to wait a week or so.....but maybe call IMRBatteries and perhaps they will give you an accurate ETA?

Edit: Since you have already been introduced to the world of 18650's .......one way to use up extra button top batteries is to buy some nice high powered LED flashlights (O-Light, EagleTac, Nitecore, Fenix, Sunwayman, etc).....they always come in handy

 

[Custom Flower Hardware]

Just received this beautiful piece and I must say WOW! . I love it I get to read the entire thread and see all these wonderful mods from this great place FC! Now I just have to get used to her. Kinda got a Herbie like sig outta the first try but way to early to comment. Shit, it took me like 10 min to figure out how to turn it on! getting old!!

 

[GTAVaper]

I just put together a long Apollo tube, Solo stem-14mm Gong, 11" glass stem mod tonight

I then tried a small micro-dosage load in the Solo stem and tried it both dry and also with the DHGate PNWT clone.

Wow !!!

I thought it was awesome with the water tool; but then I tried it without it, and the vapour was also extremely pleasant. It was something that I could sit there and sip on without any problem and without any water whatsoever and enjoy a pure and completely unfiltered taste.

The mod is long, but it also is very easy to sit in your lap and lay against your chest and sip on while reclining back on the couch and watching TV since the stem is not that far a reach from your mouth.

It is just as comfortable with the PNWT clone on top in this same position and without a lot of adjustment required......it's a very ergonomically comfortable mod to use

But I still used the lower portion of the herb chamber because this mod has the Solo stem connecting in the same way that I connected the 14mm glass mod I posted previously......and so it nests in very well in a solid friction fit with the double layered silicone tubing SonG joint which attaches the Solo stem bowl to the lower herb chamber with a vapour-tight seal.

I have another idea for a fast bowl swapping mod that is taking shape but will wait for the 19mm glass to arrive to see whether this mod would be better done in 19mm glass or 14mm glass.

I will post some pics of the new 11" long Apollo tube mod tomorrow night......I'm finally tired enough to fall asleep now ......so I should probably take advantage of that while it lasts

 

[Bravesst]

Mr. Armstrong is quite the tool.

It's like we've all been using hammers, and now we have nail guns. Hammers work well, but no carpenter would be without his power tools .

I feel like Thomas Edison... I have a feeling, it's gonna get crazy good, really soon. I'm gonna contact Ed (TNT). Wood custom stems might kick ass, and I can't wait for Villke's accessories.

Could you imagine what's in store?!

So far I like my UD stem, 1 O ring SS, chamber bottom only. I cannot squeeze these o rings inside the glass tube, only around UD or Solo stems, sitting atop chamber (bottom only), with stem inserted into chamber, seal created by o ring sitting on top.

@Vape Dr. How do you get stems with oring INSIDE glass tube? O ring seems way to big.
TIA

 

[PPN]

Hi, I was very close to sell mine cause hot vapor but I modified it and now the vapor is really smoother.

I use a ceramic bowl I got around (can't remenber where it comes from), it fits really well the heater and with some silicon o-rings it fits tight enough in the glass tube. I added a storm silicone mp too, I'll post a pic later.

And I forgotten to mention thanks to GTA Vaper and VapeDr for the mods and mainly to VilleKille for this amazing vaping jewel!

 

[Bravesst]

Milaana vs Apollo

1. POTENTIAL: M 8 / A 9
2. EASE OF USE: M 9 / A 6
3. READY TO GO: M 9 / A 6
4. LEARNING CURVE: M 5 / A 6
5. EFFECT / EXTRACTION: M 9 / A 9
6. TASTE: M 9 / A 8
7. STEALTH: M 7 / A 5
8. BATTERY LIFE : M 8 / A not sure yet, both swappable, not a big issue 8???
9. MOD POTENTIAL: M 6 / A 9
10. CLEANING: M 9 / A 5???
11. RELIABILITY: M 4 / A 5???
12. FINISH, BUILD QUALITY: M 5 / A 9
13. VAPOR THICKNESS: M 9 / A 9
14. ABV QUALITY: M 9 / A 9 / both Vapes it's whatever you want it to be
15. PRODUCT EFFICIENCY: M 9 / A 8
16. CS: M 4 / A so far 7
17. HARSHNESS: M 9 / A 6 mods a must
18. TRAVELING: M 6 (button tech on move) / A 6 (big, hot)
19. TACTILE FEEL: M 8 / A 6
20. SEXY: M 6 / A 8

Totals
Milaana 145
Apollo 145

 

[KeroZen]

I love it when the conclusion is "buy them both"!

 

[Bravesst]

I love it when the conclusion is "buy them both"!

And.... those ratings will hit 150+ with more dialing in

Found recommended battery
http://www.illumn.com/batteries-chargers-and-powerpax-carriers/batteries.html

From Venus website
BATTERY INFO.

recommended and tested types include:

Efest 3100mAh 18650 Li-Mn batteries button top
Keeppower 3200mAh IMR NH1832 Button top "high drain"
Sony VTC5 18650 2700mAh button top

 

[GTAVaper]

Mr. Armstrong is quite the tool.

It's like we've all been using hammers, and now we have nail guns. Hammers work well, but no carpenter would be without his power tools .

I feel like Thomas Edison... I have a feeling, it's gonna get crazy good, really soon. I'm gonna contact Ed (TNT). Wood custom stems might kick ass, and I can't wait for Villke's accessories.

Could you imagine what's in store?!

So far I like my UD stem, 1 O ring SS, chamber bottom only. I cannot squeeze these o rings inside the glass tube, only around UD or Solo stems, sitting atop chamber (bottom only), with stem inserted into chamber, seal created by o ring sitting on top.

@Vape Dr. How do you get stems with oring INSIDE glass tube? O ring seems way to big.
TIA

For the UD stem mod I would highly suggest no o-rings.....use silicone instead.....see my June 13th post on page 42.

My latest longstem mod uses both silicone and o-rings but for the regular 14mm UD stem mod none is best.

But if no silicone then o-rings will have to make do.

O-ring in that case is stretched along the length of the UD stem to allow fit so that it isn't enlarging the diameter of the UD stem around the Full circumference of the stem all at once.....just partial.

I think you can see this in some of @Vape dr's pics.....if not I will make sure it's visible when I post my new mod.

 

[StormyPinkness]

For the UD stem mod I would highly suggest no o-rings.....use silicone instead.....see my June 13th post on page 42.

My latest longstem mod uses both silicone and o-rings but for the regular 14mm UD stem mod none is best.

But if no silicone then o-rings will have to make do.

O-ring in that case is stretched along the length of the UD stem to allow fit so that it isn't enlarging the diameter of the UD stem around the Full circumference of the stem all at once.....just partial.

I think you can see this in some of @Vape dr's pics.....if not I will make sure it's visible when I post my new mod.

I ordered some of the silicone tubing you posted about, I wanted clear over white though which unfortunately is taking longer to ship. Can't wait to start messing with this stuff, I actually have an arizer air straight stem I can try. Thanks for the help. Package comes next week.....

 

[Bravesst]

For the UD stem mod I would highly suggest no o-rings.....use silicone instead.....see my June 13th post on page 42.

My latest longstem mod uses both silicone and o-rings but for the regular 14mm UD stem mod none is best.

But if no silicone then o-rings will have to make do.

O-ring in that case is stretched along the length of the UD stem to allow fit so that it isn't enlarging the diameter of the UD stem around the Full circumference of the stem all at once.....just partial.

I think you can see this in some of @Vape dr's pics.....if not I will make sure it's visible when I post my new mod.

I understand exactly what you're saying... stretch lengthwise to decrease diameter initially. Can't wait to try this and get some silicone tubing you recommend. I have Solo, Milaana, and UD stems. Wish I could play tonight...

 

[GTAVaper]

I understand exactly what you're saying... stretch lengthwise to decrease diameter initially. Can't wait to try this and get some silicone tubing you recommend. I have Solo, Milaana, and UD stems. Wish I could play tonight...

No - I don't think that you are understanding.....but I may be wrong.

In any case, I just got home late from work and shopping so just want to relax and chill right now .....but I will get those pics up this weekend to illustrate exactly what I mean......unless you do understand and it is I that am not understanding your explanation of your understanding.

Wow....that was convoluted!

 

[Custom Flower Hardware]

Nice cool rips and it even matches!!

 

[GTAVaper]

Nice cool rips and it even matches!!

Absolutely beautiful aesthetically speaking and the mod also looks like a very secure connection with the vapour whip section!

Well done!

Your Apollo is also an absolutely gorgeous example of a very attractive natural wood grain that is free of any real imperfections.

Mine has stretch marks and looks like it's given birth, especially on the back cover.....but it still performs awesomely!

 

[vapognak]

very cool to see all the mods. I've been working on product development. I'm very much open to hear from you any suggestions. I have understood that the vapor feels very warm from the short tube for many people. this is something easily fixed and I have been working on a cooling unit which would fit inside the standard tube and be easily removable and adjustable for different levels of cooling. Also it is easy to reclaim residues that naturally will accumulate more when vapor is cooled. Also the draw resistance can be adjusted .And it should work with all the existing tubes so once I have it in production it will be available as an accessory.

you are the best!
Thank you so much for this! Be sure I will order it.

 

[Bravesst]

I love the potential here, but to create relaxed, sipping kinda session I love, I still need some tweaking. For me, this is my Zion replacement, really not fair to compare it to a Milaana. It's big, it's heavy, it's hot, but it can potentially produce some crazy vaporization. I love the boost button concept, while cruising on 3 or 4. I am also beginning to realize it need more than 2 minutes to get going - not really a con, as the heat sinking is part of what makes this vape great. That level of even heat transfer takes time. Sometimes you u have time , sometimes you don't.

 

[GTAVaper]

OK......here is the new mod

@Bravesst

I've taken the picture so that you can see exactly what I mean about using the o-ring when it can't around a single location because it enlarges the diameter by too much.

That is when you let the ring move along the axis of the stem so that at each location the diameter of the stem inside the Apollo tube is only enlarged by a single width of the o-ring (slightly more actually as it tapers away) rather than by double the width of the o-ring as it does when the o-ring goes around the stem at a single level height (i.e., as they are normally used)

Sorry if my earlier explanation wasn't that clear.....but now that you see what I mean, if you go back an re-read it then it is easier to see what I was describing with the photo in front of you.

A picture is worth many words of description!

Comfortable clouds......haven't used a direct draw vape since my Solo.....and even then I was using it with a whip going to a bong at the end.

The draw resistance on this is perfect. You can definitely feel it......which is helpful in judging volume intake......but still more free flowing than a Mighty.

When my Milaana arrives, if I remember, I will compare the draw resistance to a fully open 19mm stem.....but for now, I really do like the 14mm draw restriction.

You can see that I've used the Solo stem mod on one end utilizing the double layer SonG joint that seals both into the Apollo tube as well as the lower half of the herb chamber (see 2nd last Photo 3).

The herb chamber will stick to the silicone.....but it isn't an extremely tight connection.....just a vapour tight connection.

This is more stable then an o-ring which can't hold the two pieces together at all.....but rather just seals the connection when a little pressure is applied. IMHO a much better solution than just the o-ring by itself.

The other side is very secure with the distorted o-ring helping for a much better friction fit. I pushed the silicone all the way to the end of the Solo stem before taking the last operational photo.

The silicone at the leave end of the Solo stem is really just used for helping with keeping the glass stem spaced/centered within the larger Apollo tube with an added benefit of helping to protection the glass stem from impacts.

It also looks nice when all lit up from hitting the boost button

On the 14mm glass end.....I cheated - I sacrificed my Supreme v3 large diameter silicone tube to slide over the end of the 14mm glass stem.

This tubing fits around 14mm.....which is why it was chosen by Ed the inventor of the Supreme as a direct draw mouth piece coming off of the smaller Supreme bowl 14mm silicone rings......but it is also very thin walled - unlike the other 3/4 OD, 1/2" ID large tubing that I have.

The thinner walled tubing was almost a perfect fit inside of the long stock Apollo tube and only needed the o-ring to make sure that it was secured on fairly snugly.

The silicone tubing was also very tricky to maneuver together and I used some "special tools" to help me get them on - as well as a lot of thumb pressure (see last photo 4)

By the time I was done, my right thumb was sore.....and my left thumb had formed a thick skinned blister that never popped....and I don't think it will either....but the skin has sheared away from the flesh underneath

The personal sacrifices I make in the name of
Where's my Nobel?

I tried to use the distorted o-ring trick to secure the Solo stem into the bottom of the Apollo tube a bit better but it gets outside of the diameter of the Apollo tube in that configuration and gets caught against the sharp walls of the heat shield when pulling it out.

Side Note: @Vape Dr. - I didn't know what you meant in your PM'd explanation when you experienced the same thing until it also happened to me and I realized what you were talking about.

Now in hand it feels very nice.....long enough but still not too awkward and can still stand on its own vertically on top of a water piece. The PNWT clone (or f-bomb style) inline bubbler still works very well but is a bit too top heavy to be walking around with it. Although seated and lounging with the PNWT clone still works well.

I have even sipped on it at power level 3/4 to start before climbing as my session continues and ending at 7/8 - depending on when I stop getting vapour. Extremely dark ABV with this kind of usage at the end......but so far no combustion - just reduced taste at the end

Now for the tools that help make wrestling with silicone tubing just a little easier .....but still a huge pain in the butt!

A crochet hook of unknown sizing ......and a palette knife paint spreader purchase from an art store.

Separate the silicone tubing with the paint knife and use the blunt end of the hook to push and the fine end to maneuver small pieces together or pull back on the silicone to position into it's final place.