Totally what I meant ,when I said uncomfortable with it.
GROUP HUGSeriously, come on guys, lets hug it out!
Man I love this thread!!!
Vapman rules
GROUP HUG
If I remember correctly, @vapman once told me that to gold plate copper, you need a barrier layer of nickel so that the copper doesn't react (doesn't diffuse into the gold layer), so maybe you've sanded off the gold enough that you can now see the nickel below.
OK, so I just got a little worried and I hope someone calms me down about this… So my seasoning apparently doesn't hold that well on copper/gold and while I was brushing the bowl with ISO on a small painting brush the black coating started to go and what was under it is what I would call a completely flaked off bowl. I guess I have heated too much but hash and oil needed it to get some results so…
What worried me most is this fragment from an article online (http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-copper-oxide.htm):
"Copper(II) Oxide
Occurrence, Production and Properties
This compound — also known as cupric oxide (CuO) — occurs naturally as the black or grey mineral tenorite. Like Cu2O, it can be made by heating copper, but at a lower temperature. This method gives an impure form, however, and it is best prepared by heating some oxygen-containing copper compounds, such as the carbonate, hydroxide, or nitrate. It is a black solid that melts above 2192°F (1200°C). At this temperature, it loses some oxygen, leaving small amounts of copper(I) oxide. Like the other form, copper(II) oxide is insoluble in most solvents, but reacts with acids, forming salts.
Health Effects
Although copper is an essential element for mammals, many of its compounds, including both forms of copper oxide, are toxic in all but small doses. If inhaled, copper(I) oxide can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and damage to the respiratory tract. Swallowing this compound can cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Copper(II) oxide can cause similar symptoms if swallowed, as well as vision problems and skin discoloration. Both compounds can cause metal fume fever, a condition that produces flu-like symptoms and is a hazard in occupations that involve strong heating of copper structures or wire."
Can this be a problem for me?There sure is black powder after I torch it in order to get read of the gunk after a bowl of the wax. I get rid of it I guess after the ISO brushing and if some is left it's in minute quantities but still… Is copper safe to be inhaled when heated up?
And also did I destroy my Vapi already?
EDIT: Can I have a Ti bowl in my Vapman with a hard ceramic middle section please?? It shouldn't be that hard, right???
@natural farmer You are by far not the first user coming up with the fear about copper and copper oxide. Here are the facts:
Copper is along with tin, the metal used for the longest time by mankind, we are talking about 10`000 years!! That makes even the redwoods looking small.
Copper is a very important and vital element for all plants and animals including humans.
Copper is and was always widly used in our daily lives. The best chef cooks actually cook in copper pans, swiss cheese is made in huge copper bowls, jewelry, electric wires, hot water tubes…..
Copper oxide can`t be inhaled, it simply does`t exist in gaseous forms! Therefore it is not possible, even if you try, to get any copper oxide out of the bowl from vapman!
To get toxicated from copper oxide you have to actually eat it, in fact you have to eat more than 0.04 grams daily! To get this amount of copper oxide you would have to get the bowl oxidized on purpose, scrape off the oxide and eat it. With one layer of oxide you would still be far away from 0.04 grams meaning you would have to do it several times a day!
After being used so intensively for over 10`000 years, have you ever thought about why it is so damn hard to find any cases of copper intoxications? I was searching for days through internet about this topic and could not really find any specific cases. Do you know anybody ever having a problem with copper, or do you know anybody who knows anybody having an issue with it. I don`t.
Yes, copper oxide is toxic (so are a lot of things) but there is definitely a hype about it which is way out of proportion to the actual risk.
I am actually using copper BECAUSE it is safe and been tested for such a long time. Do you think any of the new materials we are using these days (also on vaporizers) are safe after being used for only few years or months?
The copper bowl of vapman is coated with gold for aesthetic reason only, it prevents the discoloration of the surface and has absolutely nothing to do with safety. Between the gold layer and the copper, there is a very thin layer of zinc to prevent the gold from diffusing into the copper, this is why the bowl looks like steel when scraping or sanding off the gold layer. Also zinc is no problem, metals don`t have any emissions at these low temperatures.
Regarding the middle section: Only wood works, anything else gets hot or is toxic (plastic).
If you want to make sure not to inhale any toxic substances when vaporizing, you should avoid over heating by any means, over heating botanical substances results in the production of toxic by products similar when smoking. This also applies when cooking food, overheating is never a good thing. Vaporizing at lower temperatures is the healthiest way to vaporize, regardless what vaporizer you are using.
I got to go now, I will answer the other posts later on. Thank you.
vapman
Thank you very much Rene for your time and knowledge! And the rest of the guys as well of course!!! 
The position of the Vapman is better for concentrates that melt I think as the oil doesn't drip on the screen and eventually inside the middle section. With a slight move of the wrist you can go from draw position to heat position or even do both at the same time. Cooler heats and harder draws this way! 
Yes, that is the very first one ever engraved. I even have a video of the engraving being done (although that doesn't prove anything, it looks cool).Thanks pal! Now it feels a little better as I don't think I have gone that deep myself... My crucible is not that whitish yet and I guess it's because I haven't sand it down. Just some brush and magic eraser scrubbing!
BUT... My Vapi is not the first one to be engraved after all, right?
