will round cubic zirconia gems, like 6mm, work a cooling heat absorber in glass vape stems or a heat accumulators balls in ball vapes?

[seedy53]

they have a extreme heat rating and i thought they may be better than quartz very hard ts and boro glass balls. does anyone have experience or knowledge they can share? i am tempted to try but don't want to poison my lungs if not suitable.

 

[cannasoor]

I was looking myself at various pearl/ball materials online the other day and was surprised to read that effects on flavor were an issue with some materials. I don’t remember anything specifically about zirconia balls in that regard, but in discussions of glass/boro, quartz, rubies, titanium, SIC, <some other SIC-like thing>, etc., I recall rubies being mentioned as better flavor than some. There were also r/vaporents and maybe FC (?) discussions of health issues, mostly around breathing in sharp dust particles. No guarantees, but holes drilled in beads (probably intended for craft usage) was considered a bad idea, and even just balls clacking against each other was suspected by some, who claimed to have seen visible dust. OTOH, some people remarked that if you are at the beach or otherwise around wind & sand, you might be getting more of the bad stuff from that (again, don’t trust me or my second-hand interwebs info—I’m neither a micro-geologist nor a pulmonologist or whatever, and I suspect none of these people were either).

Anyway, I decided to hold off on any cooling balls for now, as flavor is a huge issue for me, FWIW / YMMV.

 

[seedy53]

I was looking myself at various pearl/ball materials online the other day and was surprised to read that effects on flavor were an issue with some materials. I don’t remember anything specifically about zirconia balls in that regard, but in discussions of glass/boro, quartz, rubies, titanium, SIC, <some other SIC-like thing>, etc., I recall rubies being mentioned as better flavor than some. There were also r/vaporents and maybe FC (?) discussions of health issues, mostly around breathing in sharp dust particles. No guarantees, but holes drilled in beads (probably intended for craft usage) was considered a bad idea, and even just balls clacking against each other was suspected by some, who claimed to have seen visible dust. OTOH, some people remarked that if you are at the beach or otherwise around wind & sand, you might be getting more of the bad stuff from that (again, don’t trust me or my second-hand interwebs info—I’m neither a micro-geologist nor a pulmonologist or whatever, and I suspect none of these people were either).

Anyway, I decided to hold off on any cooling balls for now, as flavor is a huge issue for me, FWIW / YMMV.

i'm going to try the cz gems. on order, now, cz with hardness rating 8 to 8.5 and synth ruby of hardness of 9 there won't be dust by rubbing or rattling. lime soda glass will.
the flavors with all those materials mentioned increase the smooth the heat and improved flavor, esp if you are comparing against using water bong pieces. balls used in dry, are flavorful and cooling. i use them every day. i have tried almost every cooling methods.
the is fav. dry method using ruby and boro balls and then 3rd best, quarts are my fav so far. if balls were an irritant, with my super sensitive lungs and throat, they would react.
this is my opinion and personal experience, only not speaking for anyone, other than me.

 

[cannasoor]

i use them every day. i have tried almost every cooling methods.
the is fav.

I have to say, I trust you more than those bozos on r/vaporents, so this is good enough for me.

* My expression of trust here is real & sincere—the joke is that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you on reddit … where I have in fact enjoyed your posts!

 

[Old Moderate]

The thermal heat capacity of cubic zirconia is in the 30’s (W m-1 K-1) which is right about the same as rubies, but higher than glass and steel and most other materials that might be used except aluminum. I’d be interested in how they compare to the rubies in terms of cooling. I suspect it would be similar as long as size was the same.

I have wanted to find some aluminum balls to try, but haven’t yet found some made out of the lower corrosion potential grades, although not sure how much that matters. It would be worth it try aluminum even if you switched them out after a week or so of testing a lower grade, but I haven’t pulled the trigger. Ideally, we’d have gold or corundum coated copper balls. Those would also have nearly the same volumetric heat capacity as water so near maximum for typical materials and temperatures. How do we find those?

 

[seedy53]

i can say 6mm cz gems worked, extremely well cooling and enhanced flavor used in my tallest/longest straight glass mouthpiece stem (60pc.) for my 'angus enhanced'. i love it. lets see how long before i must clean them lol. CZ GEMS work much better than 6 mm QUARTZ FOR SURE

 

[cannasoor]

i can say 6mm cz gems worked, extremely well cooling and enhanced flavor used in my tallest/longest straight glass mouthpiece stem (60pc.) for my 'angus enhanced'. i love it. lets see how long before i must clean them lol. CZ GEMS work much better than 6 mm QUARTZ FOR SURE

Wow, 60 balls fit in the tall stem, at 6mm each?

Also, where do you buy yours? Google searches show me a lot of faceted ones; is that what you buy? I have heard spheres recommended most.

 

[seedy53]

Wow, 60 balls fit in the tall stem, at 6mm each?

Also, where do you buy yours? Google searches show me a lot of faceted ones; is that what you buy? I have heard spheres recommended most.

6mm gems not balls 50 or 60 faceted ones

esty.com 28% off sale ends in 12 hours

Cubic Zirconia | AAA Quality Cubic Zirconia Round Shape | Pink Imitation Color CZ Loose Stones Brilliant Quality | (0.5mm-15 mm)​

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[seedy53]

i love what cz are doing for my cooling stems . 6mm CZ grade 3A gems are superior to 6mm quartz balls.

i have ordered 200pc from a new source of white CZ, 6mm gems, higher grade 5A - if they turn out to be a good deal, i'll share the info, but until then, i don't want anyone to be scammed if the transaction is false. delivery expected by Oct 26th. the thread is not very active so i may drop updates. if you are interested drop a like.

 

[Old Moderate]

How do they compare to rubies?

 

[seedy53]

How do they compare to rubies?

rubies are better but much more more better ? they are much more expensive, for sure.
i think they do very well, comparably speaking, esp. for cooling.
others, tell me they are just a little less good than rubies and a little better than quarts and boro glass.
because gem cut vs round balls, i cannot prove this in a real world application test.
i cannot find cz in 6mm balls like i can with rubies.
gem cut rubies above 3 or 4mm sizes are very expensive and 6mm gem cut rubies are beyond my budget, i want at least 100 pc.

 

[seedy53]

the results of my buy of 200 pc of grade 5A white cubic zirconia gems used in AE dry in the glass side-car bubblier.
i fill side cars large section where water fills with approx. 100pc of 6mm cz gems.
this filed the 2 bottom sections of the bubblier with these 6mm cz gems.
the results are a fantastic combination of very cool vapor and the smooth flavor was beyond my expectation.
now, i can take giant hits of vapor without being able to tell how much i was inhaling.
geez what a thrill being able to do this.
so results are these inexpensive cz gems are excellent for cooling and improving terp. flavor.
best bang for you dollar in the us market.

here is where i got the deal on quality product and buyer. it took a little over 20days to get delivered.
bought and delivered for about $17. from Hua Gang Jewelry at wish.com

200PCS AAAAA White 5mm~7.5mm Cubic Zirconia Stone Round Brilliant Cut Loose CZ Stones Synthetic Gems Beads For Jewelry​

Wish | Shop and Save

Discover affordable items for your home and life needs. Enjoy our money back guarantee, frequent discounts, flat rate shipping (select markets), and more.

www.wish.com

 

[seedy53]

the results of my buy of 200 pc of grade 5A white cubic zirconia gems used in AE dry in the glass side-car bubblier.
i fill side cars large section where water fills with approx. 100pc of 6mm cz gems.
this filed the 2 bottom sections of the bubblier with these 6mm cz gems.
the results are a fantastic combination of very cool vapor and the smooth flavor was beyond my expectation.
now, i can take giant hits of vapor without being able to tell how much i was inhaling.
geez what a thrill being able to do this.
so results are these inexpensive cz gems are excellent for cooling and improving terp. flavor.
best bang for you dollar in the us market.

here is where i got the deal on quality product and buyer. it took a little over 20days to get delivered.
bought and delivered for about $17. from Hua Gang Jewelry at wish.com

200PCS AAAAA White 5mm~7.5mm Cubic Zirconia Stone Round Brilliant Cut Loose CZ Stones Synthetic Gems Beads For Jewelry​

Wish | Shop and Save

Discover affordable items for your home and life needs. Enjoy our money back guarantee, frequent discounts, flat rate shipping (select markets), and more.

www.wish.com

ok i assume we are done here. i find cz grade#5 gems to be equal and sometimes superior to ruby, lime glass, quartz, and boro balls for cooling when used inside of glass stems and glass bong like vessels.
tested 4mm, 6mm to 8mm cz gems. that's the last item i'll post, so mods close this thread if a want too.

 

[cannasoor]

I have just one quick question re the non-bubbler i.e. straight stems, whether you tried the CZ gems in there? As I get used to the AE (but away from my normal equipment, suppliers, etc.), I find I can use the long straight stem if I modulate draw, hit length, and temp steps.

But I am getting huge amounts of “stem honey”, even with less-than-optimal herb.

I worry that gems would get really coated quickly. (But I am oddly not the same person who brought this up on r/vaporents recently.)

Well, I still plan to buy the CZ gems and try them out, but not until I get back to my normal home. If I can’t report here then, I’ll do so in the AE thread. And I will have to continue to experiment with the bubbler, though I don’t see anywhere near so much honey there. (Only things I can think of are that I have finally settled on very restrictive air and veeery slow draw as my preferred mode when raw-doggin’ it with the straight stem. Whereas even running the bubbler dry is somehow more open, despite the same airflow adjustment. )

 

[chillAtGVC]

I've been using ~100 3mm CZ balls in the long AE stem. On stock levels 1-3, the vapour is room temperature. It gets slightly warm at 4 and quite warm at 5. I don't care for the heat at level 5 regardless so I am very pleased with the cooling effect. I just ordered more balls. The lower balls do get gunked up after you run a gram or so through it. I clean my other glass daily so I am working out the easiest way to clean them. The hardest part is getting them out of the stem when cold.

 

[TigoleBitties]

ok i assume we are done here. i find cz grade#5 gems to be equal and sometimes superior to ruby, lime glass, quartz, and boro balls for cooling when used inside of glass stems and glass bong like vessels.
tested 4mm, 6mm to 8mm cz gems. that's the last item i'll post, so mods close this thread if a want too.

Can you share a pic of what the bubbler looks like with the gems inside?

 

[seedy53]

I've been using ~100 3mm CZ balls in the long AE stem. On stock levels 1-3, the vapour is room temperature. It gets slightly warm at 4 and quite warm at 5. I don't care for the heat at level 5 regardless so I am very pleased with the cooling effect. I just ordered more balls. The lower balls do get gunked up after you run a gram or so through it. I clean my other glass daily so I am working out the easiest way to clean them. The hardest part is getting them out of the stem when cold.

i pour 91% iso and salt in straight glass stem and side-bubblier about once a week. let soak couple hours agitate/shake gently during soak period. drain and save iso/salt then rinse in very hot water a couple times, drain/dry for 1 hour, then 3min max heat burn off. or use a hair dryer.

pics- got to post them somewhere so i can post here. i'm not skilled at that, my phone is old and can't remember where to send my pic to, so i can get http address. that's fc requires

 

[TigoleBitties]

I've been using ~100 3mm CZ balls in the long AE stem. On stock levels 1-3, the vapour is room temperature. It gets slightly warm at 4 and quite warm at 5. I don't care for the heat at level 5 regardless so I am very pleased with the cooling effect. I just ordered more balls. The lower balls do get gunked up after you run a gram or so through it. I clean my other glass daily so I am working out the easiest way to clean them. The hardest part is getting them out of the stem when cold.

I've had good results putting my glass in tight fitting waterproof ziploc filled with iso and then putting this in a container filled with hot (not boiling) water. If you agitate it a bit while soaking, everything gets clean really quickly - usually in 10min.

If I had a stem filled with gems, I'd just soak everything at once I suppose.

 

[seedy53]

I've had good results putting my glass in tight fitting waterproof ziploc filled with iso and then putting this in a container filled with hot (not boiling) water. If you agitate it a bit while soaking, everything gets clean really quickly - usually in 10min.

If I had a stem filled with gems, I'd just soak everything at once I suppose.

just bee wax the o-rings every couple weeks or buy several replacements. i have both, cause i'm funny that way.
gems do not need to be spotless just sterile with most canna goo is gone. i clean often bubblier and stem swaps, clean one, use one, so my vaping is not interrupted

 

[chillAtGVC]

I have no problem with glass, I have two tanks filled with ETH for that. Yesterday, pushed the balls out into one of those round, two-part tea strainers. It worked well, other that getting the balls out of the cold stem. Today I am trying soaking the entire stem, o-rings and all, to see if I can rinse it clean enough like that. That would be ideal and fit in with the rest of my cleaning process. My big concern is how long it will take to dry like that as there won't be much in the way of airflow. I have two stems so if one will dry in a day I am all set.

just bee wax the o-rings every couple weeks or buy several replacements. i have both, cause i'm funny that way.

What do you use for beeswax? I have some in my shop for wood finishing but it is hard. Is there a softer, vape-safe form?

 

[seedy53]

I have no problem with glass, I have two tanks filled with ETH for that. Yesterday, pushed the balls out into one of those round, two-part tea strainers. It worked well, other that getting the balls out of the cold stem. Today I am trying soaking the entire stem, o-rings and all, to see if I can rinse it clean enough like that. That would be ideal and fit in with the rest of my cleaning process. My big concern is how long it will take to dry like that as there won't be much in the way of airflow. I have two stems so if one will dry in a day I am all set.


What do you use for beeswax? I have some in my shop for wood finishing but it is hard. Is there a softer, vape-safe form?

beeswax chap stick or hemp oil for lubing o-rings. reducing friction and keep cracking down

 

[Old Moderate]

My big concern is how long it will take to dry like that as there won't be much in the way of airflow.

My new preferred drying method is to just have a couple of bowls. I’ve moved to cleaning right before a sesh with ball filled stems. Any extra water left after rinsing away the iso provides extra hydration for the vapor and extra cooling by distributing the heat around the piece better as the evaporation of the water first consumes the heat and the as some of that vapor condenses on the other parts of the glass it transfers that heat to the piece as a whole. My post cleaning seshes are now always the coolest and most comfortable (moist) sessions.

 

[howie105]

Knowing what I like and how to get it out of my ballers, I use ruby balls. I tried boro, ss, zirc, quartz, etc. but always returned to rubies. Even my Zirconia Phase3, ZX baller uses rubies. In the end, it's really about your preferences, so give them all a try.

 

[chillAtGVC]

Can you expand on why you prefer rubies to the rest? I am pretty new to this whole ball thing.

 

[TigoleBitties]

Knowing what I like and how to get it out of my ballers, I use ruby balls. I tried boro, ss, zirc, quartz, etc. but always returned to rubies. Even my Zirconia Phase3, ZX baller uses rubies. In the end, it's really about your preferences, so give them all a try.

Can you expand on why you prefer rubies to the rest? I am pretty new to this whole ball thing.

I think @howie105 may have misunderstood? The discussion was about using gems/balls for cooling but it seems like his post was about using balls in heaters. Maybe I'm wrong