This is quite easy and has been discussed a few times in this forum but here is a quick reminder…
Only the middle piece and the mouthpiece needs a deep cleaning (they are the only pieces in the vapor path).
1. Take the bottom piece (ring), middle piece and mouthpiece apart.
2. Unscrew the 2 screws that holds the screen (filter) on the middle piece. A magnet can be useful to keep the screws safe.
3. Soak the wood piece in
pure acetone in the smallest jar possible (to use the less acetone possible). Soak for 1 h, gently shake the jar from time to time. The acetone will color. (If your mouthpiece is wood, put it in acetone too.)
4. Soak the steel parts (filter + heat protection ring if your Vapman is from 2014 or more recent) and the POM (or Ti or SS) mouthpiece in ISO.
5. Let the wood dry and oil the middle piece (coconut virgin oil, boiled linseed oil, beeswax…)
6. Rinse the steel and POM/Ti/SS pieces through hot water (not the wood !)
7. Put everything back together.
If you feel the need to clean the bowl, keep reading.
The bowl is the same for both Swiss and Italian, Classic and Basic (Pure) models. The three tiny tubes that holds the conical bowl are stamped in place manually, using a custom tool. It is like a hollow rivet assembly but at a jewelry scale, with really tight tolerances. You can see how it is made on
this video from 2:05 to 2:20.
I think that you and
@jeffp have this issue : the tubes have set apart from the bowl. Unless you can have the exact same custom tool you won't be able to stamp back the tubes properly.
Moreover copper is a soft metal and when the tubes have been set apart form the bowl, the indentation where it connects to the bowl and the holes in the bowl may have been deformed. I doubt they can be put back together as easily as brand new parts.
You have the possibility to change the whole assembly bowl + tubes.
If you have an
Italian Pure Vapman it is easy : the hole in the ring is wide enough to let the bowl pass through. Just unscrew the 3 screws that hold the tubes, place the new assembly and screw back.
If you have an
Italian Classic Vapman, there is one more step : you have to get the mica off before. It's easy since it is only held by a few screws.
The Mica is bent in shape on a custom tool so try to keep it in shape when you set it apart from the ring.
Unfortunately, both of you have Swiss Vapmen. And I think you too
@Cheebsy.
As you can see in the video, on the Swiss Classic version, the tubes are stamped on the bowl
in situ (inside the ring) :
1. Loosely screw the tubes in place
2. Adjust the bowl on the tubes
3. Tighten the screws
4. Stamp the tubes ends on the bowl
I believe that they are assembled this way because the hole in the Swiss Vapemen is not wide enough to let the bowl pass through.
I don't have a Swiss Basic so maybe someone who already have took apart one can tell if the ring hole allows the bowl to pass through.
@Gourmet maybe ?
I only have Classic Vapemen and on the Swiss version, the mica shield is held by the tubes screws and forced into a groove after shaping (video from 0:35 to 0:45). The vapman is buffed, oiled and polished with the mica in place. This is why on the Swiss Classic the mica appear to be "glued" to the wood at its edges. (Linseed oil harden the mica edges.) I wouldn't risk removing the mica on these ones. Therefore the bowl cannot be set apart from the ring. You can't soak it in anything because the mica will peel. With a lot of precautions you can try to plug the ends of the tubes with toothpicks and pour a few drops of iso inside the bowl until it is fully filled and wait a night or so… And then remove the iso carefully with cotton and then rinse without allowing any liquid to touch the mica.
Edit : I am sorry for the book I just wrote but I am really admirative of the craftsmanship involved in the making of the Vapman and I tend to be a bit extendible when talking about it…
Maybe the simplest way is to ask
@vapman what do they think about it…