Homegrown vapouriser

[Al B. Fuct]

I built this vape back in 2000. Similar to all other soldering iron based vapes, just a little more mechanically refined than many I've seen.

 

 

Based on a pickle jar (Bick's brand is a nice size & shape, pickles ain't too bad either ) and a 25W soldering iron heating element, temp controlled with an incandescent light dimmer.

 

 

Calibrated the temp dial with a known calibrated temp adaptor for a Fluke DMM.

 

 

Wonky art showing airflow path from many years ago- I can Pshop better now, but you get the idea.

 

The vape is built on a cast aluminium project box from Jaycar.

 

The handle is removed from the soldering iron heating element and bolted to the top of the aluminium box through the inverted pickle jar lid with common machine screws.

 

Holes are drilled through the lid, the aluminium box top and the bottom of the box to allow air to flow through the box and into the jar. If intake holes are on the bottom, rubber feet are needed to stand the vape off the table surface.

 

Bowl or crucible is a common stainless steel thimble with a hole drilled through and fixed to soldering iron element end with suitable stainless machine screw. Vapour is drawn via the 10mm plastic tube.

 

Easy construction, takes about an hour. Seems like 140-150C is about the best temp setting, if I recall correctly. I still have this thing around, but I don't actually like using it much. If I built it over again, I'd make only one air inlet hole in the box (and probably on the back or top of the box instead of the bottom) of about 8-10mm so a fingertip can be used to control airflow.