Wood Mods - New

[whokrz]

This is something that LordDavon and I have cooked up, for a good cause. The e-cig parts are donated by DiscountVapers. When everything is ready, we will reveal the details on how this could be yours.

Indulgence with hidden cap, my first tank cone and tip. Turned in spalted big leaf maple burl

Here are pictures of the inset cap. I used my forceps to aid in loosening and tightening the cap.

 

[tmcase]

I should be trying to make the twist in October. Hopefully I can take it apart without breaking anything. The one drawback that I see is the mark on the tube for the VV will be buried under the wood making it hard to know what voltage you are at.

This shouldn't be a problem because the mark on the tube is directly under the button so the button would be the new mark.

 

[whokrz]

My riva suffered damage at the hands of a adapter I had in my case. I assume that the case was hit pushing the adapter threw the CA finish and slightly into the wood. The wood is brown ebony and is not stabilized. In the pictures you can see how much worse the fogging of the CA is compared to stabilized wood. The stabilized wood also took far more abuse at the hands of Lordavon.
I also noticed that smaller areas of fogging appeared a few days later. I am not sure if this was from moisture or the 9000ft in elevation I was at.

 

[whokrz]

This shouldn't be a problem because the mark on the tube is directly under the button so the button would be the new mark.

Cool that is great to know. I hope when I try to reassemble the twist it will be obvious how it all lines up. If not I will make marks on the inside of the tube.

 

[LordDavon]

This is something that LordDavon and I have cooked up, for a good cause. The e-cig parts are donated by DiscountVapers. When everything is ready, we will reveal the details on how this could be yours.

Indulgence with hidden cap, my first tank cone and tip. Turned in spalted big leaf maple burl

Wow Lewis, you did an amazing job on this!

 

[whokrz]

Thank you

 

[whokrz]

Here is how my lavatube currently looks after its battle with my stone tank and the floor.

The first time it broke I used CA which failed after more abuse.
The second time I used 5 minute epoxy which lasted a little longer but still failed. It also broke the plastic ring that holds the 510 connector.

In the next few days I will be trying to put acrylic on my lavatube. My goal is a more durable lavatube that will survive a construction site. It will be modded for my stone tank. It will have a acrylic tank cone that will come down over the tube. This should be much stronger than relying on the 510 connector to take the impact.

I also was researching if I could take apart a Provari and came across this thread. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...coating-polishing-more-your-mods-service.html
It looks like the tube on a Provari is stainless and they buff really nice. This should allow me to glue the wood to the tube and not have to worry about getting glue on the paint. I should be able to sand off any unwanted ca and buff the metal.
I wish I had a broken Provari to take apart before trying to mod a new one.

Here is what they look like polished

 

[stravaigin]

This is something that LordDavon and I have cooked up, for a good cause. The e-cig parts are donated by DiscountVapers. When everything is ready, we will reveal the details on how this could be yours.

Indulgence with hidden cap, my first tank cone and tip. Turned in spalted big leaf maple burl

Here are pictures of the inset cap. I used my forceps to aid in loosening and tightening the cap.

This is absolutely beautiful

 

[txtumbleweed]

Amazing Lewis another beautiful one!

 

[whokrz]

Thank you.

Yesterday I drilled out the #24 - Molten Metal acrylic blanks for my lavatube. I figured it was the appropriate acrylic for a lavatube. It has a permanent tank cone and a hidden cap for the bottom half.

Today I glued in the 510 connector and soldered the wires. Soldering inside the the blank was a pain.

Then I glued the tank cone to the tube.

Currently it looks a little odd, but tonight I am vaping VV for the first time in weeks

I don't know if this would be something that I would turn for paying customers. It would make me uncomfortable as I have to break the top and bottom cap. It may also only be possible to turn in acrylic. To make the top section I have to drill a pilot hole, then drill with larger bits from both ends, then widen the pilot hole for the 510 connector. Stabilized wood may be to soft for the larger bits to track correctly. Stabilized wood also is not consistent in hardness which could also cause the bits to wander.
The other big downside is that the top cone has to be permanently attached to the tube. I am sure this would not appeal to many people. I thought about attaching the cone to the 510 connector, but the stock plastic top cap does not seem to like abuse and cracks. However I don't know if this is a common problem or if I just abused it to much.

On a brighter note Eric just got these in Segelei Variable Voltage Tube
The tube unscrews from the body and I am pretty sure I can turn it. Once I get my hands on one I will know for sure. I can't wait to play with one. I think china finally made a VV I can work with

Also there is the XL4 that is able to reach higher voltages.
XL4 Variable Voltage - Stainless

 

[whokrz]

Well I made my first video. Hopefully this will give everyone a better idea of how the finish looks.

 

[whokrz]

Hopefully I didn't scare off to many people with that video

Here is my lavatube with permanent tank cone and tip. Turned in #24 - Molten Metal.

 

[whokrz]

Unfortunately due to bad soldering, not cleaning/sanding the 510 connection prior to gluing with CA and not using enough CA my lavatube is down.
I noticed that the tank was wiggling a little during lunch, so I tightened the tank and wiggled it a little more. I decided I would just flood the bottom of the tank cone with CA when I got home. When I tried to take another hit there was no electricity going to the 510 connector. I am glad I had my secondary with me or it would have been a long day. I got lucky and was able to twist off the cone with out damaging it so at least I get to try again with out turning a new one.
Beta test version 1: Fail
Beta test version 2: Repair wiring, try to solder better, clean/sand 510 connector, glue with epoxy. I will also just press fit the cone on for now so it the connector fails again I can take it apart easier.
If that fails I will turn a now cone and use 510-510 Adapter (Sealed) - High Desert Ecigs for the 510 connector. I don't think it will wiggle out. Thanks Lordavon for the link!!!

At least I had VV for 1.5 days. I hope to have it running again tonight.

 

[whokrz]

Beta test version 2:
I ran it at work for a day with no issues from the epoxied 510 connector. The only issue I had was the cone kept slipping off the tube because I didn't glue it in case the connector failed again. Last night I glued the cone to the tube again using CA. It held up just fine at work today. The wide base is working really well and doesn't get knocked over like it always used to. I also found that two tooth picks work great for removing the cap and they fit in my case without taking up any room.

I will take it backpacking with me and see how it holds up. I will only be using it for 3-4 days because the batteries will be dead by then. After that I will be onto my little riva, modded ce5s and a solar charger. I can already hear the fish jumping in the lake and smell the pine trees

 

[Big Screen D]

Wow, that's gorgeous country Lewis!

 

[txtumbleweed]

Well I made my first video. Hopefully this will give everyone a better idea of how the finish looks.

Hey ya did a good job on the video. It is good to put a person with the art. I just might have to get a LT wooded. I had hoped to use a Kick in my Redwood Indulgence LG but it didn't fit too good so I abandoned that ideal for now.

 

[whokrz]

We were unable to take the trip up to the mountains. At least I still have time off work so the kids and I have been going to amusement parks, the beach, playing games and movies instead. It is great to have time to spend together, which it seems we do not do nearly enough (pesky adult responsibilities).

Kevin had a allergic reaction from his tip that caused him to cough when he took a drag. This was caused by a small area of the CA finish that was rubbed off by the center on the lathe during turning. Right after turning exposed stabilized wood has a high gloss just like the CA finish. This makes these areas very difficult to see. After a few days the exposed stabilized wood dulls down and is easily visible.
The stainless steel tube inside stop about 1/8" before reaching the tip so that the tube is not visible. I have been sealing this small section of the air tube with thin CA to prevent swelling and allergic reactions. I can not visually inspect inside the hole to tell if it is 100% sealed. This may have also contributed to his allergic reaction.

Kevin came up with the idea to have the stainless steel tube run all the way threw the tip. This will allow the centers of the lathe to ride only on the stainless steel, which will eliminate the centers from rubbing threw the finish. It will also eliminate the 1/8" of wood inside the tip that I can not fully inspect. With this new design I will be able to visually inspect all of the wood surfaces to ensure that it is completely sealed. I hope this new design will prevent any future allergic reactions.

Kevin has already mailed me back his tip. I have turned it down to the stainless tube and refinished it. The tip is currently on its way back to Kevin for testing. Hopefully the new design will eliminate his allergic reaction. I wish I could test the tip personally, but I am not allergic to small areas of exposed wood. Thanks Kevin for all of your help and testing with the tip!
With the new design the stainless steel tube is visible, but to help prevent any future allergic reactions it is a small price to pay. Here is how the the new tip looks.

If you have received a tip that has a dull ring around the hole or if you are concerned that your tip may not be fully sealed please contact me so I can take care of the problem. Below there are two options. Both will be free and I will cover shipping both ways.
1) I can refinish the dull area to hopefully seal the tip. This will allow the stainless to remain hidden.
2) If testing is successful you can send me the small piece of wood that came with your mod and I will make you a tip in the new design.

It is very important to me that everyone is happy with their mods. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes and I will do my best to correct the problem.

 

[whokrz]

Hey ya did a good job on the video. It is good to put a person with the art. I just might have to get a LT wooded. I had hoped to use a Kick in my Redwood Indulgence LG but it didn't fit too good so I abandoned that ideal for now.

Thanks I was very nervous making that video.
PBusardo used a piece of a busniss card to help the Kick make contact in the indulgence. He shows how at 11:30 in the video.

I read that someone used copper foil to sleeve the inside of a tube mod so the battery wouldn't rattle. I assume this would also allow the Kick to make contact properly.
It also make be possible to put a small amount of RTV sealant on the edge of the kick to replace the business card. I have not tried this but it may be a more permanent solution.

I should be getting the Segelei LT soon. It has a removable tube that I should be able to turn. Here is a picture of what they look like. I also hope to make removable cones for these.

I can try to turn your LT if you like but there are some definite draw backs.
1) I would have to break the LT and hope it breaks in the right place.
2) In order for me to turn them it has to have a cone. This allows it to fit between the centers on the lathe. The center will not fit into the 510 connector.
3) The cone is not removable so you would have to decide if you wanted a tank cone or a carto cone.
4) I ended up with small scratches on the painted metal from sanding. It is not real bad, but it is noticeable.
5) The metal on the LT is soft. I am guessing aluminum. The center damaged the threads inside. I was able to clean them up so it is functional, but it is definitely not as smooth as I would like.
6) My soldering skills are not the greatest. If my bad soldering fails it is trapped inside the mod. I had this problem with my first attempt.
7) It may only be possible to turn them in acrylic. I do not know how well the drill bits will track threw the wood seeing how I have to drill from both ends. It is also possible that I just got lucky on my first attempt.

 

[gormly]

CRAP, I knew I forgot to send something.. darn it.
New package on the way.

 

[whokrz]

CRAP, I knew I forgot to send something.. darn it.
New package on the way.

I am still on vacation so no hurry