Volta: Battery-Powered Portable by VaporGenie
- Thread starter VaporGenie
- Start date
OF
Well-Known Member
Is this long term? In other words will blowing it all out between loads prevent problems? Or it part of the current load causing the problem?
TIA
OF
After having this one for awhile, I felt it was time to give my thoughts. I will try and keep it brief, as I am not that great at reviews.
I was fortunate enough to win one of these in the "name that vape" contest generously hosted by VG for their new battery operated genie...The Volta. What arrived to me, was a well packaged unit, with two mouthpieces, a glass lid, a couple of batteries with caps, and a dual battery charger. The unit itself is somewhat steam punk in appearance, which I like. The lid is attached by a strong magnet (rare earth). The heating chamber is a corrugated metal, so you have to load it and then hit it while on its side, so that the material can sit on top of this heated foil. A battery is inserted at the end, and is engaged via a small copper switch. It is comfortable in the hand, and heats up very quickly...feels like seconds. The instructions advise shaking every second or so as you hold the switch; eventually vapor wisps out of the unit, and you can take a draw. What I got was a nice heavy hit, with a cooked flavour typical of conduction.
I did notice that you have to be careful, otherwise particles can easily make their way through the mouthpiece. I also detected some wood charring, from contact with the heating foil. It does not really bother me, but some people might not care for it. I am also not a fan of the heated grill...I find material can get easily caught and start to char. Cleaning is not that bad, a light flick of the flexible grill will dislodge everything but the more stubborn back corners. Battery life has been good, but I don't have hard numbers there. Parts are replaceable, which may be of interest to some. Not really a big deal to me.
Does what it says on the tin. Heats quickly, and is nicely built. I wouldn't mind seeing a redesign on the heating core, maybe more of a basket design, encouraging a little bit more convection? I dunno. Here is my breakdown:
Positives:
--Looks great. Nicely built
--Heats fast and hits hard
--Replaceable parts
--Does what it advertises.
--Good battery life
--Solid Glass lid
Negatives:
--Some wood charring
--Material is easily caught in heating foil
--Material can make it through the mouthpiece
--Taste is not great
Neutral:
--Small capacity, roughly equivalent to the MFLB that may be a negative to some users, and a positive to others.
Edit: Photo of char marks
I was fortunate enough to win one of these in the "name that vape" contest generously hosted by VG for their new battery operated genie...The Volta. What arrived to me, was a well packaged unit, with two mouthpieces, a glass lid, a couple of batteries with caps, and a dual battery charger. The unit itself is somewhat steam punk in appearance, which I like. The lid is attached by a strong magnet (rare earth). The heating chamber is a corrugated metal, so you have to load it and then hit it while on its side, so that the material can sit on top of this heated foil. A battery is inserted at the end, and is engaged via a small copper switch. It is comfortable in the hand, and heats up very quickly...feels like seconds. The instructions advise shaking every second or so as you hold the switch; eventually vapor wisps out of the unit, and you can take a draw. What I got was a nice heavy hit, with a cooked flavour typical of conduction.
I did notice that you have to be careful, otherwise particles can easily make their way through the mouthpiece. I also detected some wood charring, from contact with the heating foil. It does not really bother me, but some people might not care for it. I am also not a fan of the heated grill...I find material can get easily caught and start to char. Cleaning is not that bad, a light flick of the flexible grill will dislodge everything but the more stubborn back corners. Battery life has been good, but I don't have hard numbers there. Parts are replaceable, which may be of interest to some. Not really a big deal to me.
Does what it says on the tin. Heats quickly, and is nicely built. I wouldn't mind seeing a redesign on the heating core, maybe more of a basket design, encouraging a little bit more convection? I dunno. Here is my breakdown:
Positives:
--Looks great. Nicely built
--Heats fast and hits hard
--Replaceable parts
--Does what it advertises.
--Good battery life
--Solid Glass lid
Negatives:
--Some wood charring
--Material is easily caught in heating foil
--Material can make it through the mouthpiece
--Taste is not great
Neutral:
--Small capacity, roughly equivalent to the MFLB that may be a negative to some users, and a positive to others.
Edit: Photo of char marks
RUDE BOY
Space is the Place
I can't top Tweeks review on build quality for trying so I won't try.
I wanted to say the more I use the Volta the more I like it .
The biggest problem I found with the Volta Was the bits of herb drawing through the mouthpiece .
EZ fix push a small screen in the mouthpiece = no more herb in mouth .
I've also found that I'm a vapor hog .
So when the load in the volta is really done after 4 hits (if dumped the ABV is a nice dark brown with very little black charred specks from under the heating coil ) . But me rude boy being a vapor hog will take 4 more hits (good productive but not tasty hits) and turn most of the load near if not black .
[ the little bit of wood taste Tweek mentioned goes away quickly and charring of the wood stops after breaking it in .]
THING IS I GET STONED AND I GET PAIN RELIEF , even with lower quality herb . And I have yet to have any ash or smoke produced .
The Battery life is great plus they charge quickly also it's the only vape I own with removable rechargeable batteries where the Two batteries provided are enough for a whole days use .
For now it's the vape that is always sitting on the patio table with a JyARz of herb ready and waiting .
PEACE ALL .
I wanted to say the more I use the Volta the more I like it .
The biggest problem I found with the Volta Was the bits of herb drawing through the mouthpiece .
EZ fix push a small screen in the mouthpiece = no more herb in mouth .
I've also found that I'm a vapor hog .
So when the load in the volta is really done after 4 hits (if dumped the ABV is a nice dark brown with very little black charred specks from under the heating coil ) . But me rude boy being a vapor hog will take 4 more hits (good productive but not tasty hits) and turn most of the load near if not black .
[ the little bit of wood taste Tweek mentioned goes away quickly and charring of the wood stops after breaking it in .]
THING IS I GET STONED AND I GET PAIN RELIEF , even with lower quality herb . And I have yet to have any ash or smoke produced .
The Battery life is great plus they charge quickly also it's the only vape I own with removable rechargeable batteries where the Two batteries provided are enough for a whole days use .
For now it's the vape that is always sitting on the patio table with a JyARz of herb ready and waiting .
PEACE ALL .
I have a question for those with the Volta, I suffer from debilitating pain in my hands (why I vape in the first place). I currently use the MFLB while at work and as my daily driver however my hands are getting worse so the battery push on the MFLB is causing my hands to actually lock up. back to the point, how easy is the battery push? Does the different position make it easier on the hands?
You don't push the battery, you press a spring-loaded switch:
S1N3
Tarzan @ KloudSociety
Hey VG can you tell us more about the new Bamboo Covers? (Is this redesign going to impact the current price point?) In recent months the availability of discounted solo's is making the sub 150 vaporizer market quite interesting and competitive. Added with the likes of the Firewood and even the upcoming ZenPen.
Unfortunately I had some camera lens issues, but I just got through an unboxing vid. Im excited to say l'll be taking this guy on my vacation next week to do a thorough review.
First Impressions: The Volta can char your material and I found traces of peppering in my ABV, the hits where thick but the vapor taste is lost quickly in favor of density, the unit heats up much faster than the 10-20 listed, tiny material can get jammed under the heating plate, and sometimes pass through the mouth piece. I do like the units ability to conserve with its small trench. The heat up and inhale usage doesn't waste product with a constant running oven. Attempting to inhale while the battery was turned on is also possible though not advised on the instructions. After a few seconds, the air flow made the mouthpiece hot but I was able to take larger thicker vapor draws. All in all it's looking interesting and I look forward to having an opportunity to use it a bit more before a final write up.
I checked your site today, listed Out of Stock. Can only assume that is good news and congratulations on the success of the unit!
And thanks again for providing some of the context on the LED indications my wife also stated the colors were very similar (she is color blind).
Bamboo Covers in the unboxing video
Unfortunately I had some camera lens issues, but I just got through an unboxing vid. Im excited to say l'll be taking this guy on my vacation next week to do a thorough review.
First Impressions: The Volta can char your material and I found traces of peppering in my ABV, the hits where thick but the vapor taste is lost quickly in favor of density, the unit heats up much faster than the 10-20 listed, tiny material can get jammed under the heating plate, and sometimes pass through the mouth piece. I do like the units ability to conserve with its small trench. The heat up and inhale usage doesn't waste product with a constant running oven. Attempting to inhale while the battery was turned on is also possible though not advised on the instructions. After a few seconds, the air flow made the mouthpiece hot but I was able to take larger thicker vapor draws. All in all it's looking interesting and I look forward to having an opportunity to use it a bit more before a final write up.
I checked your site today, listed Out of Stock. Can only assume that is good news and congratulations on the success of the unit!
And thanks again for providing some of the context on the LED indications my wife also stated the colors were very similar (she is color blind).
Bamboo Covers in the unboxing video
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Great video and review S1N3 
I had a fairly similar experience with mine. I think the unit is great for those looking for quick, deep extraction of small amounts in a pocketable package. Not really great for anyone chasing flavour per se, but a good option for those who liked the format of the MFLB but wanted a bit more of a smoke like punch.
I had a fairly similar experience with mine. I think the unit is great for those looking for quick, deep extraction of small amounts in a pocketable package. Not really great for anyone chasing flavour per se, but a good option for those who liked the format of the MFLB but wanted a bit more of a smoke like punch.
Hey VG can you tell us more about the new Bamboo Covers? (Is this redesign going to impact the current price point?) In recent months the availability of discounted solo's is making the sub 150 vaporizer market quite interesting and competitive. Added with the likes of the Firewood and even the upcoming ZenPen.
Unfortunately I had some camera lens issues, but I just got through an unboxing vid. Im excited to say l'll be taking this guy on my vacation next week to do a thorough review.
First Impressions: The Volta can char your material and I found traces of peppering in my ABV, the hits where thick but the vapor taste is lost quickly in favor of density, the unit heats up much faster than the 10-20 listed, tiny material can get jammed under the heating plate, and sometimes pass through the mouth piece. I do like the units ability to conserve with its small trench. The heat up and inhale usage doesn't waste product with a constant running oven. Attempting to inhale while the battery was turned on is also possible though not advised on the instructions. After a few seconds, the air flow made the mouthpiece hot but I was able to take larger thicker vapor draws. All in all it's looking interesting and I look forward to having an opportunity to use it a bit more before a final write up.
I checked your site today, listed Out of Stock. Can only assume that is good news and congratulations on the success of the unit!
And thanks again for providing some of the context on the LED indications my wife also stated the colors were very similar (she is color blind).
Bamboo Covers in the unboxing video
The original glass cover got covered in resin pretty quickly, although it wasn't hard to clean. I wonder how the bamboo cover will fare.
Your initial impressions reflect mine, except I didn't find the mouthpiece got too hot. The Volta requires that you learn the right technique, which I found not difficult to do but I have a lot of MFLB experience. That's why I have a Volta, in fact; Dan felt I was a good candidate to assess it so he sent me one. I actually like it, although I don't use mine frequently. That's because the MFLB is more pocket-friendly for taking along when I go out, and at home I tend to use my FV. I'd certainly use the Volta a lot more if I didn't have the MFLB. I keep it loaded at my desk because I like to hit it on occasion just to switch things up, and as I said, I just really like it. The steampunk look appeals to me.
RUDE BOY
Space is the Place
I have been using the volta daily for the last month or so . at home its become my primary one hit vape .
Its the fastest and the best vaporizer I've used to get quick near total relief from neuropathy in my hands and feet . Its ability to do a small amount of Herb at high temps in few hits is just what I needed . The VG classic and a couple other Flame based vapes can do the same . The FV in conduction mode with the S2 batteries is the only other battery powered portable I've found that comes close . But the Volta does a better job for me .
Then I can just sit back in the evening put on some music and sit back and relax with it , a pretty sweet little vape with a high place in my collection now .
It could work well as someones only vape IMHO .
Its the fastest and the best vaporizer I've used to get quick near total relief from neuropathy in my hands and feet . Its ability to do a small amount of Herb at high temps in few hits is just what I needed . The VG classic and a couple other Flame based vapes can do the same . The FV in conduction mode with the S2 batteries is the only other battery powered portable I've found that comes close . But the Volta does a better job for me .
Then I can just sit back in the evening put on some music and sit back and relax with it , a pretty sweet little vape with a high place in my collection now .
It could work well as someones only vape IMHO .
Hello Everyone
Sorry I havent checked in here in a while. To answer everyones questions:
1) The pressing force required for the Volta switch is about 300-350 grams.
2) We hear you loud and clear about the bits coming through the mouthpiece. So, we are having some special screens fabricated. These screens will be made from a very special bonded stainless steel wire cloth. The bonding prevents the wires from coming loose. This wire cloth is really expensive, so the tiny screens cost us about $0.75 each. We will have them shortly and will send them for free to Volta owners.
3) To clean the heating element, you can flick it. This should dislodge stuff stuck in the corrugations. The heating element is pretty tough so it won't be damaged by flicking.
4) The bamboo covers were made for two reasons: 1) an unacceptable number of the glass windows were breaking, and 2) the glass windows get covered pretty fast. This blocks visibility and absorbs heat. We have found that users can quickly learn how long to hold the switch even if the bowl is not visible. And since the bamboo is a better thermal insulator than the glass, it actually extends the battery life slightly. And less gunk sticks to the bamboo because it does not provide a good condensation surface like glass does.
So, our intention right now is to abandon the glass. I like glass and really wanted to use it, but with all the disadvantages, I think the bamboo will be better. I would like to hear peoples thoughts about about this. We can have more glass windows made, but we cannot guarantee that we can make them more resistant to breakage (though we have some good idas about how to do this). How much will people miss the glass?
We will have more bamboo covers soon, and will send free bamboo covers to Volta owners that want them.
The bamboo panel is made with no-formaldehyde, soy-based adhesive. So there should be no toxic vapors from the bamboo.
Right now im thinking that switching to bamboo will allow us to reduce the Volta price, but we wont be making a decision on that until november.
Volta units are sold out at the moment, and will be available again probably in november. The plan all along was to wait until after this initial run was sold to make final design changes based on customer feedback. Now that these changes have been made, we are gearing up for full production.
Thank you for the feedback and commentary!
dan
Sorry I havent checked in here in a while. To answer everyones questions:
1) The pressing force required for the Volta switch is about 300-350 grams.
2) We hear you loud and clear about the bits coming through the mouthpiece. So, we are having some special screens fabricated. These screens will be made from a very special bonded stainless steel wire cloth. The bonding prevents the wires from coming loose. This wire cloth is really expensive, so the tiny screens cost us about $0.75 each. We will have them shortly and will send them for free to Volta owners.
3) To clean the heating element, you can flick it. This should dislodge stuff stuck in the corrugations. The heating element is pretty tough so it won't be damaged by flicking.
4) The bamboo covers were made for two reasons: 1) an unacceptable number of the glass windows were breaking, and 2) the glass windows get covered pretty fast. This blocks visibility and absorbs heat. We have found that users can quickly learn how long to hold the switch even if the bowl is not visible. And since the bamboo is a better thermal insulator than the glass, it actually extends the battery life slightly. And less gunk sticks to the bamboo because it does not provide a good condensation surface like glass does.
So, our intention right now is to abandon the glass. I like glass and really wanted to use it, but with all the disadvantages, I think the bamboo will be better. I would like to hear peoples thoughts about about this. We can have more glass windows made, but we cannot guarantee that we can make them more resistant to breakage (though we have some good idas about how to do this). How much will people miss the glass?
We will have more bamboo covers soon, and will send free bamboo covers to Volta owners that want them.
The bamboo panel is made with no-formaldehyde, soy-based adhesive. So there should be no toxic vapors from the bamboo.
Right now im thinking that switching to bamboo will allow us to reduce the Volta price, but we wont be making a decision on that until november.
Volta units are sold out at the moment, and will be available again probably in november. The plan all along was to wait until after this initial run was sold to make final design changes based on customer feedback. Now that these changes have been made, we are gearing up for full production.
Thank you for the feedback and commentary!
dan
RUDE BOY
Space is the Place
Hi Dan Thanks for the update .
I haven't had a problem with the Glass cover . But with a couple of close calls dropping it , I would like to check out a bamboo cover . Would there be anyway to get one without the notch for the LED's ? for me that may help dim the lights to keep it a little more discrete as I use it a lot in low lighting (star light) at night .
I did shove a screen into the mouthpiece There's been no complaints about the Volta since .
will you be selling the batteries on your website ? I use it an awfully lot . My batteries are still strong but would like to pick up a few more . can't have to much power .
Edit: I may miss the glass if it were gone , I am used to it and the glass does look soooooo good .
I haven't had a problem with the Glass cover . But with a couple of close calls dropping it , I would like to check out a bamboo cover . Would there be anyway to get one without the notch for the LED's ? for me that may help dim the lights to keep it a little more discrete as I use it a lot in low lighting (star light) at night .
I did shove a screen into the mouthpiece There's been no complaints about the Volta since .
will you be selling the batteries on your website ? I use it an awfully lot . My batteries are still strong but would like to pick up a few more . can't have to much power .
Edit: I may miss the glass if it were gone , I am used to it and the glass does look soooooo good .
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One of our goals from the beginning was providing more intense heat so that extraction is thorough, heating is fast, and cold ambient temperatures are not a problem. I think i did overestimate the heating time in the video. we will be making a new video once the bamboo covers arrive.
I cannot think of a way to make a bamboo cover without a notch. They are laser-cut, so I guess we could have some made like that, if there is demand. I suppose you could fill in the notch with silicone. That might look cool if its translucent silicone.
Yes we will be selling replacement batteries, prob for $3.50 each. We are also having custom battery caps made (they will be purple).
We will soon be putting up a free product listing for the screens and bamboo covers. This will provide a simple and convenient way for Volta owners to request these free parts.
I cannot think of a way to make a bamboo cover without a notch. They are laser-cut, so I guess we could have some made like that, if there is demand. I suppose you could fill in the notch with silicone. That might look cool if its translucent silicone.
Yes we will be selling replacement batteries, prob for $3.50 each. We are also having custom battery caps made (they will be purple).
We will soon be putting up a free product listing for the screens and bamboo covers. This will provide a simple and convenient way for Volta owners to request these free parts.
RUDE BOY
Space is the Place
The notch isn't really a problem if I want no lights showing , a piece of tape or foil does a fine job . it was just a thought . More batteries will be great . I'm Glad the Volta is doing well for you as its been sold out for a bit.
Hope it finds the market and following it deserves .
Hope it finds the market and following it deserves .
@VaporGenie: I for one will not be bothered by replacing the glass cover. I never used it to gauge what I was doing and frankly, it never stayed clear long enough anyway. I'd say it was my least favourite aspect of the Volta once I learned how to use it without inhaling particles. That was actually pretty easy to do, but the screen is a nice addition. As I said already, I really like what you've done here and I'm pleased to see these improvements in the works.
$3.50 is cheap for that sort of battery. I don't recall the specs for it, have you ever released them?
$3.50 is cheap for that sort of battery. I don't recall the specs for it, have you ever released them?
Vapodudule
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear improvment from here. Volta has a place on the market for sure, especially if price is downed. Glass vs bamboo is tought choice and could result to a customer choice. why not offer both?
Glass has a place i feel, some freak volute could enjoy the creation of vapor through it.
Glass has a place i feel, some freak volute could enjoy the creation of vapor through it.
Here are the batter specs. We buy the Volta batteries from http://www.gebattery.com.cn/
18650 3.2V1300mAh:
1 Capacity
Nominal Capacity：1350mAh
Minimum Capacity：1300mAh
2 Nominal Voltage
3.2V
3 standard charger mode
CC-CV
4 Discharge Cut-off Voltage
2.0V
5 Max Charge Voltage
3.65±0.05V
6 Standard Charge Current
650mA
7 Max Charge Current
1.3A
8 Standard Discharge Current
650mA
9 Max Continue Discharge Current
10A
10 Max Pulse Discharge Current
20A
11 Weight
40g(approx.)
12 Max. Dimension
Diameter(Ø): 18.3mm
Height (H): 65.3mm
13 Operating Temperature
Charge: 0 ~ 45℃
Discharge: -20 ~ 60℃
14 Storage Temperature
During 1 month: -5 ~ 35℃
During 6 months: 0 ~ 35℃
18650 3.2V1300mAh:
1 Capacity
Nominal Capacity：1350mAh
Minimum Capacity：1300mAh
2 Nominal Voltage
3.2V
3 standard charger mode
CC-CV
4 Discharge Cut-off Voltage
2.0V
5 Max Charge Voltage
3.65±0.05V
6 Standard Charge Current
650mA
7 Max Charge Current
1.3A
8 Standard Discharge Current
650mA
9 Max Continue Discharge Current
10A
10 Max Pulse Discharge Current
20A
11 Weight
40g(approx.)
12 Max. Dimension
Diameter(Ø): 18.3mm
Height (H): 65.3mm
13 Operating Temperature
Charge: 0 ~ 45℃
Discharge: -20 ~ 60℃
14 Storage Temperature
During 1 month: -5 ~ 35℃
During 6 months: 0 ~ 35℃
S1N3
Tarzan @ KloudSociety
Well back from holiday and just finished typing up my review.
Had to clear the ways with VTAC to make sure linking off site was acceptable. Happy to report I'm all good and if you would like to read the full write up click here
Regarding the LED issue I talked with the wife and yellow is not a good option. She mistakes Green for Yellow all the time. I did some brainstorming and came up with 3 ideas:
Regarding the Bamboo Lid, I did find the magnet and shape of cut a bit off. I know you might be thinking me some kind of perfectionist but the magnet makes the bamboo sit crooked see image:
Extracting my Final Bullets for ease of reference for the FC community
(and archiving if we ever stop paying the bills)
Pros:
Neutral:
Cons:
Image of Wood Char:
Image of the box contents:
Had to clear the ways with VTAC to make sure linking off site was acceptable. Happy to report I'm all good and if you would like to read the full write up click here
Regarding the LED issue I talked with the wife and yellow is not a good option. She mistakes Green for Yellow all the time. I did some brainstorming and came up with 3 ideas:
- TWO LEDS any color (LEFT one in use, RIGHT one for low power)
- ONE LED (White In-Use, Red Battery Low) unsure if white led's have more power consumption than green, red, and yellow.
- TWO LEDS with the lowest power consumption one with the silicone Tinted Blue.
Regarding the Bamboo Lid, I did find the magnet and shape of cut a bit off. I know you might be thinking me some kind of perfectionist but the magnet makes the bamboo sit crooked see image:
Extracting my Final Bullets for ease of reference for the FC community
(and archiving if we ever stop paying the bills)
Pros:
- Competitive price point at $120.00
- Durable and can withstand a fall
- Modular design allowing for easy part replacement
- Ability to turn oven on/off with a switch
- Thick vapor density
- Good choice for former smokers / combustion.
- Higher heat temps help extract more
- Light Weight
- Easily stored in your pocket for on-the-go use.
- LED indicator for In-Use
- LED indicator for Low Battery
- Magnetic lid prevents oven contents from spilling
- Replaced glass lid with bamboo, reducing need to clean constantly
- Lead Free Design
Neutral:
- Conduction heating
- Requires shaking when heating to mix material
- 2 LiFePO batteries keep their charge for 8 minutes
- Adequate sized heating chamber, use alone or with a friend
- Wooden vaporizer body becomes warm while in use
- Small amount vapor escapes when heating
- Manufactured in the USA
Cons:
- At 6″ assembled the vape is not discreet in use
- Material is passed through the mouthpiece
- Material is trapped under/ behind heating coils
- Trapped material is quickly charred producing noticeable odor
- Taste and Flavor limited due to high heat temps & charring
- Heating coils singe the wood inside the chamber
- A wooden heating chamber cannot be cleaned with ISO
- LED indicators may prove difficult with color blindness
Image of Wood Char:
Image of the box contents:
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Hi SiN3:
ABout the bamboo cover. Im embarrassed to say that yes the magnet is misaligned. What happend is that the company that laser-cuts the parts cut them wrong (i.e. not according to our print). The magnet hole is off by about 0.1". We didnt notice this mistake until after some had been assembled and shipped. Sorry about that. As soon as we noticed the problem, we stopped shipping these defective parts. Now I cringe every time I see those damn bamboo covers with the magnet in the wrong place!
We will have the correctly-cut bamboo parts available soon.
Thank you for the review!
ABout the bamboo cover. Im embarrassed to say that yes the magnet is misaligned. What happend is that the company that laser-cuts the parts cut them wrong (i.e. not according to our print). The magnet hole is off by about 0.1". We didnt notice this mistake until after some had been assembled and shipped. Sorry about that. As soon as we noticed the problem, we stopped shipping these defective parts. Now I cringe every time I see those damn bamboo covers with the magnet in the wrong place!
We will have the correctly-cut bamboo parts available soon.
Thank you for the review!