I made this project because of the real lack of a good how to on the internet. Hopefully this finds its way into the right hands.Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anyone's actions but my own. This blog is for informational purposes only. If you do anything illegal or foolish, bring harm to yourself or others with this information you are solely responsible. If you do not understand all of these directions(especially the part about wiring), do not attempt this project. You accept all of this or unconditionally agree not to attempt to recreate this project in any way or form.
What is a Vaporizer?
A vaporizer is a smoking accessory without the smoke. The concept is you heat what ever you would normally smoke to the point just before it starts to burn. This vaporizes the good stuff while leaving the rest.
Why use a Vaporizer?
It is much easier on your lungs then normal smoking, with far less tar inhaled.
Materials Needed:1) 1 x Soldering Iron (Radio Shack carries a nice cheap one)
2) 1 x Glass Jar w/ lid(~7 1/2" tall and 3 1/2" in diameter)[NOTE: pictured olive jar pic #1]
3) 1 x Dimmer Switch (comes with 3 twist on wire caps)
4) 1 x 3/4" to 1/4" Brass Fitting
5) 2 x 6" pieces of 3/8" soft copper tubing
6) 2 x 3/8" to 3/4" Brass Fittings
7)Distracting TV cartoon
1 x Screw w/ nut that will screw into the soldering iron tip (IMPORTANT)[NOTE: see pic #3]
3' of 3/8" or 3/4" plastic tubing (your choice) [NOTE: not pictured]
5 Pieces of wood that fit together to form a box (see pic #2)[NOTE: the top is longer]Tools Needed:
For this project I used:
a chop saw (wood box)
a hand drill (wood box)
a reciprocating saw (wood box)
wood and metal files (wood box and jar lid)
pliers
wire cutters
screw driver
3/4" drill bit
3/8" drill bit
Epoxy
Step 1: Assemble Heating Element
Grab the 3/4" to 1/4" Brass fitting. Unscrew the retaining sheath.
Thread the screw threw the hole and tighten the nut in place.
Screw the sheath back on.
Unscrew the tip that came with the soldering iron and screw on your new bowl.
Reverse the sheath until it directly contacts where the tip screws into the soldering. This will help it conduct heat.Step 2: Assembling the Box
This was a very simple box, nothing fancy. It consists of five sides.
I planned the holes on the top of the box to fit within the glass jar in the materials picture. At this point I cut the jar lid to the approximate size needed for the two brass fittings and the soldering iron. I then stenciled on to the top piece of wood where to drill the holes. For this I used the 3/4" drill bit. That size perfectly fit the two brass fittings, and using some files I was able to make the irregular size of the soldering fit also. I admit I did start over on the top once.
I assembled the copper tubes with their brass fittings and glued them in place vertically. I noted that it was very important to get the hex nuts on the brass fittings pointed the right way or the jar wouldn't fit properly. At this point I also glued the lid in place. Make sure it has a good seal all around.The dimmer switch side of the box I used math to center it(approximately). Then I drilled a couple starter holes and used the reciprocating saw to cut the rest. After this was done I attached the dimmer switch with a few wood screws.
The sides with holes in them were made with a 3/8" drill bit. Although not shown in the pictures I did end up drilling a hole for the power cord.
The box was assembled by pre-dilling holes for wood screws. Wood glue would have worked fine, but I didn't feel like waiting.
You will now need to cut the cord on the soldering iron. Cut it about 5" from the base of the iron. This leaves a nice tail to plug in with later.
Now glue the soldering iron in place. Only apply glue to plastic on the soldering iron. You do not want to inhale burning glue(if you're intelligent).
Attach the top to the base of the box. I used glue for this.
Step 3: Wiring
This part is rather easy.To avoid fire, electrocution or death:
Before continuing, read all of the instructions that came with your dimmer switch, then modify your design accordingly. If you don't understand this part do not continue this project.
The dimmer switch you bought hopefully came with 3x twist on wire caps. The wiring should look like the diagram. Connect one wire from the soldering iron to the dimmer switch, then connect the other wire (not the ground) from the switch to one of the wires on the cord you cut. Connect the other wire from the soldering iron to the other wire from the cord. You can ignore the ground unless your soldering iron actually has a ground.
You should also tie a knot in the cord on both sides of the box so that it does not pull out from use. I suggest a figure of 8 knot.
Step 4: Final Assembly
Let the glue dry(leave the jar off for this). Feed the plastic hose through the holes in the sides and stick them right into the brass fittings on the underside of the top of the box. I had to use a pair of tongs to do this because the box I made was rather small. If your hoses do not seal well wrap them in tape.To the left is a close up of the tubes, heating element and jar.
This is the final product. It is wise to let it heat up first without using it to make sure you are not getting anything noxious from the epoxy.Step 5: Use
To use simply plug it in. Set the dimmer to low. Put the smokable substance in the bowl. Tighten the jar into place and wait for it to warm up. You will probably need to turn up the dimmer to get it to vaporize. This all depends on how humid your smoking substance is.
All in all this project cost me about 25$ not including the stuff I found around the garage, like the wood. If you don't have all the tools listed above I'm sure you could cobble together a less pretty version of this, but given a little creativity it shouldn't be too hard.
