This is my first post on this forum and this thread is actually the reason I joined! I was looking into vaping and because the prices of vaporizers are actually a bit on the high side I searched for plans to make your own, since the concept is really simple: heat the herb and inhale the vapor. I made a version of this vape that works great. I used the cut scoop of a melon baller but put a nail with a flat head (roofing nail) through the hole. The nail is fitted into the end of the soldering iron (30w) which has a little side screw to tighten it in place. I think the nail would have more contact with the soldering iron than a screw because the screws threads actually minimizes the metal to metal contact. Also because the nail head is flat instead of grooved like a screw, its very easy to clean out the refuse after vaping. I also drilled holes through the cover and used 3 bolts to keep it in place, because I didn't think using glue would be the best way to do it, particular since that's not something you want mixed with the fumes you're inhaling. I drilled a 3/4 inch hole for the solder, then wrapped it in electrical tape to give it a snug fit. Then theres a 5/16 hole for the hose and 2 smaller holes for air intake. I pulled the hose through up to the level of the bowl to be as close to the vapor source as possible yet not too exposed to the heat of course that could melt it. The jar is a used glass marinara sauce jar, and the base is a small wooden box I found that worked out perfectly (if the images are not showing let me know) A few things I'd say, for anybody looking to build one of these. The unit takes about 4-5 minutes to heat up to vaping temperature when you turn it on max, then at that point I turn it to 3 o'clock (the screw on the right) and leave in there for the remainder of the session. What I did was make a little mark on the to gauge what position it was in relative to off and max. Turning it lower than max slows down the consumption a bit and makes a nice steady production of vapor. When you use it you do get light but visible clouds when you exhale. However, because its a fairly big jar with a lot of air in it, the vapor is quite dilute so don't expect thick puffy smoke. Also it lasts a good 15-20 minutes before you totally stop getting anything, and it's a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Another thing is that fairly soon you'll notice a build up of resin around the top of the jar (well, the bottom, upside down), that makes the jar turn a bit yellow. I haven't had to clean it yet but its a fairly issue with glass apparatus anyway, and alcohol is said to clean it effectively. I put a cheap plastic hookah mouthpiece at the hose, which is much more comfortable to draw on than just the hose. The jar gets a bit hot but not nearly hot enough to actually burn you. Dude great job with this build, even though I know it was like 5 years ago. Now with legalization of marijuana at our doorstep you can expect to see more interest in how to make these
I was going to modify my home unit Lotus vaporizer in this way adding a soldering iron connected to the plate on top
i think i might up grade my hose to a hookah hose and mouth piece in blue its got a blue mood light in the jar section looks good with the lights low
Omg I have to make this o.o For the people who have made one already, how fast are you going through the bud? Like obviously if it were an eighth a minute or something ridiculous I wouldn't make one lol
way better than the one i've made in the past. Definetly going to try this with the 40w heating element I have from a glue gun.
so the melon baller is made from what material? looks to be aluminum maybe? if it is aluminum is it going to cause any issues while you vape?
I've built one very similar to this one. I too used the soldering iron except I used the 30W one from Harbor Freight - $3.99. I do not recommend using a screw to fasten the bowl to the rod of the soldering iron, it will get warmer but not enough due to poor conductivity. I used the tip it came with, drilled a hole in the bowl, as the OP did, then flattened out the tip with a hammer, stuck it through the bowl and into the rod and then fastened it with the screw on the rod, my bowl heats up perfectly. I also used the push on/off dimmer so that when I find that perfect temperature setting - or sweet spot - I simply just turn it on or off right there. Also, I used the metallic top of the Mason Jar as a platform for the soldering iron unit to stay in by drilling a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the soldering iron then forcing it through, this also allowed me to screw the lid down giving it a much strong foundation. If you're not looking to break the bank buying a fancy vaporizer, I highly recommend trying this DIY vaporizer, it's fun plus you can completely customize it and it only costs you 15 bucks. Added benefit, if you're pulled over and a cop sees your DIY vaporizer, he's never going to link it to being a vaporizer... or at least not the cops here in Texas!! LOL
Hey man, I've been looking to get into smoking and want to give this build a try. I'm not very experienced with electrical circuits so I'm confused on how I would go about connecting the soldering iron wires to the light dimmer. I'm guessing I cut the soldering iron wires, strip off some of the rubber sheathing, connect the wires to the dimmer and cover with some electrical tape? If this is right, which wires do I cut and do certain wires correspond with certain wires on the light dimmer? Or does it not matter? Thanks for any help!