DIY Vaporizer

Here’s a DIY vaporizer build. It uses a 30 watt Radio Shack soldering iron as a heat source that is regulated with a common dimmer switch. This is done by removing the soldering tip and replacing it with threaded rod attached to a brass pipe fitting assembly. This is housed inside of a Mason jar with a copper pipe for air intake and another for output. Not surprisingly the creator tipped us off anonymously, saying that this a “smoking accessory”. A bit of searching and we came across this Wikipedia article about a Volcano Vaporizer which sheds light on what one is used for.

We don’t condone using illicit substances. But even more so, we’re skeptical about breathing through this thing because of the warning that [Anon] included about noxious vapors put off by the epoxy putty when it heats up. Still, it’s an interesting build so we though we’d share.

93 thoughts on “DIY Vaporizer

  1. I don’t think the epoxy gets hot or anything, the warning is against any fumes that might still be lingering after it sets.

    Now, this would be perfect with that soldering iron temperature control project from a few days back.

  2. “Not surprisingly the creator tipped us off anonymously.”

    Hah, not surprising? I dunno, here in California, no one cares if you smoke pot. If it were my project, I’d want some credit! I still haven’t gotten anything on HaD (for lack of submitting, if nothing else).

    But I have always been surprised at how much a vaporizer costs. It really seems like you could make one for much cheaper than what they tend to sell for!
    -Taylor

  3. I have a similar build where I bought a bunch of soldering iron elements and used them along with a temp controller/thermocouple and a few pieces of brass. I’ll definitely check out this build though..

  4. I was working on a prototype a year or so ago. Not quite a fan of the bulb-style, desired something that could be used for whips (vapor bros) and bags (volcano). Ran into a few issues that kept it from ever getting off of the ground.

    Ni-chrome wire and Pyrex tubing are pretty cheap, but I couldn’t figure out how to connect the glass together in an airtight fashion that was also safe under high heat (outside of big spending on a torch when I’ve never blown glass).

    Other than that, coiling a heating element, working with a thermocouple, running a blower, and tying it all together with a microcontroller and some buttons and a display is rather easy.

    1. No need for a microcontroller. It’s just a basic control system, as long as (1) you know your target temperature, (2) you are able to use quality parts, and (3) you can calibrate/test it, you should be good to go.

  5. Lol, funny because I was thinking of this before and how you could attempt this at such a low cost. There is much use in this project as the Consumer doesn’t have to pay 100-300$ (Assuming this thing works equal to a real vap)

    How does one empty the device after it has brewed a toke?

    aha

  6. Ok, for the potheads who “don’t get it” or the non potheads who are wondering how this thing works:

    The two lengths of tubing coming out of the base are a carburetor and a mouth piece. In the center there is the heater attached to a copper fitting… this is where the pot goes. As it heats, you plug the tubing lengths and the chamber fills with smoke. You breathe in on one side and uncap the other to evacuate the chamber.

    The advantage here is that you’re not inhaling burnt plant matter read:Carbon. You’re only breathing what you burn off the plant, which happens to be (at least partly) what gets you high.

  7. ha! i made this exact one in high school, those were the daze! my dad took back his soldering iron and my mom took back her mason jar. one tip on this design is that you can find a screw that fits the threads of the soldering iron and buy a small metal bowl with a hole in it, and put together. then there’s the ‘ol paper towel roll with dryer sheets or panty hose filled with activated carbon in it to blow vapsmoke through to kill odor. ha! i love macguyver stoners, the other day i was waiting in my car for a freind and i decided to make a hack as fast as i could with what i had in my car. i had a 9 vol battery in my pocket, a guitar string from a squire strat that i keep in my car, and a pen. hmm electro magnet. then my friend showed up and i said f*ck it, let’s go bowling

  8. @M4CGYV3R
    same here but when you vape you her 99% of the THC vs a bong where its like 75% … unless you drink the water but that shit stinks i could never immagion drinking it

    vaping is also much healthier

    to everyone else there is nothing wrong with smoking weed a fair chunk of the population does it and many of thoes people you would never expect

  9. I’m surprised you wouldn’t make one copper pipe shorter. That way you could be sure the chamber was completely flushed, and you wouldn’t have to worry about some of the “good stuff” getting stuck at the bottom of the jar. That’s what, uh, my friend did when he made his own.

  10. I get that people want others to know how they did something but is posting about smoking isn’t that great of an idea. If i was a cop and not up to my quota i would just go on facebook (and now hackaday) and look up “weed”. There are so many confessions online that i could probably break a record.

    Learn how the internet works and learn that you are not anonymous.

  11. Made a similar rig in 1993 using a car cigarette lighter as the element. Air flowed in through the element, and then a vertical output pipe drew from the top of the jar down, through an L-fitting, and out the front through a tube.

    Would be great to see this extended to include a microcontroller for temperature and air flow control, maybe with a Volcano-like vapor trapping system.

    Even better: check out the gun-like vaporizor that Stacey Keach (Sgt. Stedanko) tokes on in Nice Dreams– compact with a little blower.

  12. totally built one in high school very similar to this… it worked reasonably well, but i didn’t have a proper way to calibrate it. a good addition is a little water box to cool and moisten the air.

    illicit, though? my state-legal doctor’s recommendation would have something to say about that, if it weren’t an inanimate piece of paper.

  13. @Metalwolf

    you can walk up to a cop and say “i smoke weed all the time” and there is NOTHING that cop can do … you can show that cop pictures of you smoking weed and there is NOTHING that cop can do

  14. I’ve seen these made before with much simpler materials. Soldering iron w/ a dimmer switch spliced into the power cable for temp control. Glass fishbowl with silicone caulk around the rim, turned upside down on the conical reflector for a flood light. Thimble with a hole punched in it on top of the iron with the original tip. Whole thing supported inside a decorative birdbath filled with gravel. Four outlet tubes made of fish tank tubing which happened to fit perfectly in the holes in the reflector. Worked like a charm.

  15. ya i was thinking about some flaws in this vap on yes the copper and the epoxy.Smoke in my opinion should never touch anything but glass and or water befor hitting your lungs(wips are alright but still add a funny tast)……I know that store bought vaps are expensive but worth it because most of them use food grade materials, were im from ive had cops hold my bubbler look at it smell my jar of bud and give it all back you guys are paranoid!! ive used both home made and bought. if made right there great but be creative and use safe materials you guys should cheack out http://www.myiolite.com

  16. I’ve always posted here as anon.

    as for the noxious fumes that was just when the epoxy was setting around the handles and such. The only thing that gets hot is the end of the soldering iron with the receptacle, otherwise the entire thing stays cool.

    Word of caution I didn’t include in the original blog. DON’T USE COPPER. BRASS ONLY!

    Copper precipitate is very bad for you to breath.

    I honestly didn’t think they were going to post this.

  17. The whole point of vaporizer is helth benefits. Homemade one are likely ro have toxic components especially when they heated so I will recommend not to DIY. (To those who will scream about hacking rather than buying I ask if they making medicine at home too or biying it)

  18. I like to break off a couple fist-sized chunks, toss ’em in the blender, dump it in a sock, and slide that sock over the end of the hair dryer, with the heat on. i call it vap-o-room. even better, though. blender+herb+everclear. better than that? coffeegrinder+herb+everclear. better than that? coffeegrinder+herb+mynostril. better than that? elbowb0ngz

  19. I realize this is a hacking site but come on guys let’s have some standards. What gets posted next? Some hack to make rufies or a great way to steal your neighbor’s bank account number?

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