Vapman

bounce5

Well-Known Member
Actually I don't. While some of us would favor this option perhaps, I think most want to have it installed. They don't even own a tiny screwdriver or sandpaper, nor the skills to confidently use them on their very own VM. Some of those venturing into the new waters of 'sand to fit' will use this as an opportunity to wreck things by sanding too much, loosing screws and all the other traditional things new guys can explore.......

As it is now the center section dimensions control placement of the filter well, I suggest you continue in that 'interchangeable parts' mode but including the 'heat shield' washer?

OF

Considering I'm one of the dummies that oversanded, I have to agree. Pre-installed would be ideal. It's okay though, I look forward to the full benefits of a fresh middle piece with the heat protection ring when @vapman starts selling them. Thanks for making that decision. For now Old Toasty (name of my middle piece) will keep chugging along until the little mica wheels come off...
 

dxer

Active Member
Good to know. I ordered one of these and I'm in Canada, too.



Thank you for posting these instructions, dxer. They will come in handy!

MP
You're quite welcome!

I also could have added the easiest way to sand by far is with the sandpaper flat on a table or workbench. Work the wood on the paper instead of the usual vice-versa. Stop occasionally, and rotate the wood around in your fingers, to ensure even removal :)
 

OF

Well-Known Member
ive used acetone soak a couple of times now on middle section

it makes the wood look like its just been stripped - maybe like a reclaimed door or a hipster coffee shop

It's entirely possible it has stripped the finish if you actually soaked it. Soaking in solvent is not what I'd do (wiping is the extent there) since there's no way to rinse the dissolved junk out of the wood it's soaked further into. Soaking can't remove all the contamination from such a porous material, the best you can hope for is to uniformly contaminate the bulk of the wood. A bit like watering your Scotch, after which all you can ever have is Scotch and water.

If it was mine I'd buff the outside of the wood off with 000 or 0000 steel wool then refinish with boiled linseed oil (the original finish). Any residual smell from the inner surface of the wood should quickly be sealed off by condensate in use.

You're quite welcome!

I also could have added the easiest way to sand by far is with the sandpaper flat on a table or workbench. Work the wood on the paper instead of the usual vice-versa. Stop occasionally, and rotate the wood around in your fingers, to ensure even removal :)

Yes, "lapping", as opposed to sanding, is the call. If you want to take it a step further all but the cheapest grades of abrasive papers are 'wet or dry' (using waterproof backer and binder) so you can wet it and 'stick it' to a flat plate. A piece of glass or the bathroom mirror is the traditional surface for this.

While it's important to keep it flat, manually rotating it can lead to a series of flats. The traditional technique is to use 'figure 8 paths' keeping it flat the entire time, so the 'work' (the bit you're standing) sees the paper from 'all the points of the compass' without ever breaking contact.

Keeping it plumb is important, you can check your progress if you inspect the freshly sanded surface. The 'ring' of exposed wood should be uniform around the lip. You can maintain your grip, just turn it over for a quick look. Otherwise the idea is to put the work on the paper so it lays flat then grab it and start stroking. Don't grip the part and bring it to the paper to grind away, that's asking for flat again.

For sure it doesn't have to be perfect, but this is our personal Vapmen we're talking here so of course we want it to be.......

OF
 

dxer

Active Member
Ah yes, "lapping," that's the word my pre-coffee brain was searching for! Thanks :) I've lapped many a plane sole with silica on flat plate, and chisel backs with diamond paste...

In reality, the vapman ss washer upgrade is a snap, as it's a mm or two of removal. And yes, the subtleties, the old figure-8 motion... guess that's why woodworking is a craft! So many little tips that become natural after a while. Just sanding the VM back and forth in a line could indeed risk uneven removal. Thanks for adding that thought.

I think the key is in scoring the mark all the way around the mid section before starting. Hard to go wrong after that. Easy to ensure it'll be even and plumb when finished as long as your removal meets your mark all around.

It is a nice feeling to give the vapman a little love after all it does for us :)

Yes, "lapping", as opposed to sanding, is the call. If you want to take it a step further all but the cheapest grades of abrasive papers are 'wet or dry' (using waterproof backer and binder) so you can wet it and 'stick it' to a flat plate. A piece of glass or the bathroom mirror is the traditional surface for this.

While it's important to keep it flat, manually rotating it can lead to a series of flats. The traditional technique is to use 'figure 8 paths' keeping it flat the entire time, so the 'work' (the bit you're standing) sees the paper from 'all the points of the compass' without ever breaking contact.

Keeping it plumb is important, you can check your progress if you inspect the freshly sanded surface. The 'ring' of exposed wood should be uniform around the lip. You can maintain your grip, just turn it over for a quick look. Otherwise the idea is to put the work on the paper so it lays flat then grab it and start stroking. Don't grip the part and bring it to the paper to grind away, that's asking for flat again.

For sure it doesn't have to be perfect, but this is our personal Vapmen we're talking here so of course we want it to be.......

OF
 

vapelander

Well-Known Member
Happy anniversary to our beloved vapman! Long live and prosper :) Vapman will be here for many years to come! Rene thank you for bringing out this amazing tool-artpiece that has recently been upgraded :) The contest is amazing and the collection of the gifts is delicious!! :clap:
This forum is amazing and i love that every month we have some new fans(not just buyers) that like me got really excited when they discovered this gem! Keep enjoying and exploring vapman's possibilities!:leaf:

Happy anniversary again from the mountains of Norway.
IMG_20160304_131438-2_zpsxpx83fzn.jpg
Always shredding with my best companion :wave:
 

cloudsosmoke

Well-Known Member
@OF

sorry i didnt say..

its pear basic so fortunately no oiled finish to strip
and oddly enough i quite like the effect - the way you can see the grain more clearly


ive been leaving it in for 10-20 min in a tall thin jar
(with very airtight lid) that i got for soaking tube bubbler ..
Sods law .. ive since found PBW which i think works better for keeping glass spotless

so quite large amount of acetone and it is still clear/clean (..hardly used)
atm im thinking dirt is getting rinsed out by the rest of the clean jarfull - i swirl it around

but - youre right i hadnt thought - if i dont replace acetone
the wood - unlike plastic or metal - will just start soaking up the dirt


im used to being able to do that with thermoplastic S&B crafty cooling unit
i just drop it in iso for 10min and rinse with cold water
(..i dont dare try the acetone - it might dissolve it!)


hmm..so i cant just leave my acetone jar to get medium dark like i do with my jar of iso

..i have NO2 test tube brush that fits - i might add scrubbing to my cleaning duties
 

OF

Well-Known Member
so quite large amount of acetone and it is still clear/clean (..hardly used)
atm im thinking dirt is getting rinsed out by the rest of the clean jarfull - i swirl it around

im used to being able to do that with thermoplastic S&B crafty cooling unit
i just drop it in iso for 10min and rinse with cold water
(..i dont dare try the acetone - it might dissolve it!)

Glad the factory finish didn't get wrecked. But it's not going to rinse out really, to make rinsing work you need a change of cleaner fluid. So that that fluid removes contaminated solvent (and with it, the contamination). There's just no way for that to happen with wood, not at a practical level. There's noting to move the contaminated solvent away. This is like a 'laundry stain' that can't be attacked by the available detergents in the wash, all you can do is spread it around. Non porous materials are/can be a different matter.

You can lessen the contamination on the surface, but you can do that without soaking the wood (and include some scrubbing with a small brush or pipe cleaner). I'd 'moist wipe' not soak.

But again, once you use it some, condensate will seal the surface and you'll never know what's underneath by taste.

I agree with you on PBW, great stuff where it can be used (should be, it was invented for just this sort of task.....), can't do reclaim with it which eliminates it for some uses?

I'm also not big on Acetone in general, it's pretty nasty on the liver (vapor or skin contact) one of those things I try to avoid I guess, I'll save my liver for Single Malts. It can be safely used, of course, but why have it around if there are alternatives that don't blow up, burn the joint down or otherwise have issues?

The important thing is, of course to enjoy your VM.....however that happens.

OF
 

IAmKrazy2

Darth Vapor
Alright. 88 degrees and humid as can be. Going outside for a VapMan bowl in the shade to help my luck in this contest. Cheers all.

I have mentioned this before but my favorite grill vape is the vapman. I enjoy the load and hit process greatly, and i load and take a few hits after i first put on those steaks or chicken drums or whatever. If i don't have the VapMan i often lift the lid too early, but the.VM just keeps me content and happy when waiting
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Nugg

Well-Known Member
Check the copper tubes that run into the bowl. Shine a light from under and see if you can see it through the tubes.

Other possible option is a build up of gunk in the middle section. Remove it from the bowl and see if you have draw restriction with just the middle section. If you do remove the filter and scrape out the inside.
 

DrNick420

Well-Known Member
Sorry for my ignorance but does the bowl unscrew or something? I couldn't figure out if i could get it out for better cleaning. do i need to uncrew it from the bottom?

I cleaned the whole bowl out with iso, theres a little residue still but the airflow is still messed up, so i guess maybe the air intake rods need cleaning?

Luckily i have 2 vapmans!
 
Last edited:

OF

Well-Known Member
Sorry for my ignorance but does the bowl unscrew or something? I couldn't figure out if i could get it out for better cleaning. do i need to uncrew it from the bottom?

I cleaned the whole bowl out with iso, theres a little residue still but the airflow is still messed up, so i guess maybe the air intake rods need cleaning?

Do not attempt to remove the pan ('bowl') the 3 tubes are attached to it in place, even if you remove the clamps you still can't get it out and then you have the alignment issue putting it back in place.

The above advice to try shining light down each tube is excellent, you should reconsider it. If you can draw normally through the center section when it's not on, that's almost certainly your problem.

OF
 

AJS

Calm Consistency
I have mentioned this before but my favorite grill vape is the vapman. I enjoy the load and hit process greatly, and i load and take a few hits after i first put on those steaks or chicken drums or whatever. If i don't have the VapMan i often lift the lid too early, but the.VM just keeps me content and happy when waiting
Will most certainly use this next time I'm grillin' burgers out back. I'm picturing it and it's just the perfect match.

Well, in the midst of my Milaana obsession, the Vapman is coming through beautifully. Still providing a niche that most vapes can never fill, and for that, I'll always love it. I've never enjoyed my "old" vapes very much during the honeymoon phase of a new vape, but even when trying the Vapman out again after a long Milaana binge, I'm still extremely impressed.

Tiny wispy flavorful hits to start off, mellow out the mood, and ride the creeping cerebral high; then pump out some heat and let that sedative conduction stone kick in. A pinch of herb and 11 hits later and I'm feeling great. The vapman really helps you savor the present moment, and not rush the good things in life. I really appreciate a new side of vaping when I use the vapman. I thought I touched that side with the mflb, but the vapman just hits a new point that encompasses the niche perfectly.

Edit: I've gotta come back, just finished another bowl and the technique was just perfect. Amazing flavor, and honestly, some lungbusters. Can't believe how big these hits can get. This vape is pretty much flawless. There's some huge buzz around the vapcap, wonder how the vapman holds up against it.
 
Last edited:

OF

Well-Known Member
I tried shining light down each tube and that confirmed they're clogged. But i'm not sure i own anything fine enough to fit down the tubes to clear out the gunk.
Ask your mother for a pin. ;) It's also a good idea to heat it up before cleaning.

I used piece of copper wire myself, having no Mother handy at the time.....

OF
 

vapman

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
On one of my vapmans the draw restriction is very difficult. feels like i am struggling to get any air thru!
i think the inside of the bowl is clean. what else can i check possibly?

@DrNick420 If it feels like the air restriction got bigger, it is most likely the inlets on the middle section that are clogged with condensates. Unless you have the bad habit of blowing regularly into your vapman, the nozzles normally don't get clogged at all. Besides this, there is so little air going through the nozzles, I think you would hardly notice it. In case there are particles in a nozzle, you need something smaller than 0.8mm, that is the smallest bore in the nozzle. A needle (ideally blunt, without the sharp tip) or a piece of guitar string works great for that task.

You said that you installed the new SS ring, I bet the air restriction got bigger because your vapman is airtight again.
In case you want more volume of air mixed with the vapor, you could enlarge the holes on the mid-section.
The diameters are 1.5mm, holes which are a fraction bigger make quite a difference already. It also depends a lot on the type of wood. On ebony, 1.5mm is like an open door where on a softer wood with a less smooth surface, the air has a much greater flow restriction. The difference between hard and softer woods is in that regard quite amazing and unbelievable for those who never tried it. Aerodynamics!

Vapman is an engine, it can be tuned to anyones lung capacity or preference of vapor density, there is no right or wrong, really.


The sky is the limit! :)


vapman
 

DrNick420

Well-Known Member
@DrNick420 did you try to unscrew the screen to check if there is condensate/fragments of material behind it? I find it is good to clean it times to times.

Nah although that makes sense, i'll check it out,

@DrNick420 If it feels like the air restriction got bigger, it is most likely the inlets on the middle section that are clogged with condensates. Unless you have the bad habit of blowing regularly into your vapman, the nozzles normally don't get clogged at all. Besides this, there is so little air going through the nozzles, I think you would hardly notice it. In case there are particles in a nozzle, you need something smaller than 0.8mm, that is the smallest bore in the nozzle. A needle (ideally blunt, without the sharp tip) or a piece of guitar string works great for that task.

You said that you installed the new SS ring, I bet the air restriction got bigger because your vapman is airtight again.
In case you want more volume of air mixed with the vapor, you could enlarge the holes on the mid-section.
The diameters are 1.5mm, holes which are a fraction bigger make quite a difference already. It also depends a lot on the type of wood. On ebony, 1.5mm is like an open door where on a softer wood with a less smooth surface, the air has a much greater flow restriction. The difference between hard and softer woods is in that regard quite amazing and unbelievable for those who never tried it. Aerodynamics!

Vapman is an engine, it can be tuned to anyones lung capacity or preference of vapor density, there is no right or wrong, really.


The sky is the limit! :)


vapman

Thanks for this! I think I laughed a couple times while hitting it and accidenatlly blew back into it. I did'nt actually install the SS washer yet.
 
There's some huge buzz around the vapcap, wonder how the vapman holds up against it.

Vapcaps excellent and fares better than the vapman through a bubbler but I feel that it is without a doubt less efficient and less tasty. Given the cap a few weeks to truly measure its merits, apples to apples it simply falls short for me. George's CS rivals Rene's however, top notch fellow.
I've never enjoyed my "old" vapes very much during the honeymoon phase of a new vape, but even when trying the Vapman out again after a long Milaana binge, I'm still extremely impressed.
My vapman hasn't been put away since the day I got it! Still probably my favorite vaporizer. Magic.
 

vapman

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
A few words about installing the SS ring (washer):

When sanding down the mid-section, I strongly advice to check the spring tension during the process in order to make sure, you are not sanding over the point where the springs become too slack. Better check too often than too late!:nod:
While you are doing this, you may also check if one side has more tension than the other. In that case, it is possible to compensate it by putting a bit more pressure on the higher side while sliding over the sandpaper.

There is an app you can download for this, it is called "smart sanding".:lol:

@vapelander I like your fairytale photo!:tup:


Be smart and have a wonderful day!:)


vapman
 

PepeMiguel

Member
Hello Vapman family
I received this week my new walnut basic with the new bigger center bore and i love it, but i think that compared to the old one, it lose a little bit of his mystical/magical...
I love the grain of the basic walnut and i think maybe instead of charring it in two tones, maybe i can only sanded, oiled and polished the outside and leave the inside raw!
A two tones raw/oiled polished Vapman...
Did somebody already made it? Any pictures to visualised it?
I will exclusively use it with the Vapman station that why I came with this idea...
Cheers

Thank you René, i love your work, you are a genius...

PepeMiguel
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom