Gas Vapourizer

[maddydog]

Can you post a close-up pic of that heat shield. I like the look of it as it should provide some wind protection.
Thanks

It's a piece of motorcycle exhaust heat shield simply shaped and jubilee clipped on. A piece of Varroa mesh would probably work just as well
It's quite effective at shielding the flame and does appear to channel the heat towards the pipe. I notice that vapour leaks from the back of the chamber of yours also!
Must admit I've given up with the gas vapouriser and I'm in the process of buying a 240v type. I've already got a generator and if I expand as planned the gas version is just too slow for me.

 

[Eyeman]

It's a piece of motorcycle exhaust heat shield simply shaped and jubilee clipped on. A piece of Varroa mesh would probably work just as well
It's quite effective at shielding the flame and does appear to channel the heat towards the pipe. I notice that vapour leaks from the back of the chamber of yours also!
Must admit I've given up with the gas vapouriser and I'm in the process of buying a 240v type. I've already got a generator and if I expand as planned the gas version is just too slow for me.

Yes I do get some leakage but it looks like 90+% comes out through the tube. I really like it's size, portability, light weight and simplicity. During the main season being able to have it in the car so it's at hand and can be used when needed for that queenless nuc or A/S is going to improve my mite control. I think I could rebuild it if there was a problem. Also spare fan is only £2 and gas 0.79p for 100+ vapes.
I'm only vaping 14 colonies at each out-apiary so saving a couple of minutes with the sublimox wont make much difference. Main time factor for me is travelling between apiaries.

 

[protheroe]

I de threaded the grub nuts after taking apart to clean so will try tapping and using sturdier bolts but there's not much thickness to play with so if it doesn't work I'll tig weld the barrels on and clean from fan end where the bolts don't suffer from the heat.the vapouriser does work well if you get around the problems.when they designed it they should have made it with a larger block for bigger bolts and slightly larger chamber with shorter barrel and maybe a bit more powerful fan but I suppose the fan was readily available and would be rather expensive to design and make a new one and then where to go with portable power supply for it

 

[maddydog]

Yes I do get some leakage but it looks like 90+% comes out through the tube. I really like it's size, portability, light weight and simplicity. During the main season being able to have it in the car so it's at hand and can be used when needed for that queenless nuc or A/S is going to improve my mite control. I think I could rebuild it if there was a problem. Also spare fan is only £2 and gas 0.79p for 100+ vapes.
I'm only vaping 14 colonies at each out-apiary so saving a couple of minutes with the sublimox wont make much difference. Main time factor for me is travelling between apiaries.

Yeah for a quick one off or couple of vapes it's got a role. Whatever works for each individual is the main thing. I've already got a generator and a few extension reels for my business so no extra effort needed

 

[Eyeman]

Yeah for a quick one off or couple of vapes it's got a role. Whatever works for each individual is the main thing. I've already got a generator and a few extension reels for my business so no extra effort needed

I wouldn't belittle the little beast.
Ready to go straight away and no setting up, no lugging around. Just over 1 min warm up then vaped 14 colonies one after the other throught the CB hole in under 10 minutes.
Quick rinse with water back in the car and off to the next site.
When I compare it to the varrox I used to use, lugging that battery, avoiding tripping over the wires, twiddling my thumbs waiting, unplugging, reconnecting, fiddling around under the OMF!
I even heard Beefeiendly say he would like something less bulky that the sublimator and its generator !

 

[Beefriendly]

I even heard Beefeiendly say he would like something less bulky that the sublimator and its generator !

Damned by faint praise

Yes I would....from what I've gleaned from this interesting thread you guys have bought a gas vaporizer chopped it up added bits and reverse engineered the whole shebang. Full hats off respect. Well out of my DIY range.
If you can do me one for £50 I'll give it a go!

 

[Eyeman]

Did you get round to trying that fan after

Tried the 9V fan and it worse than the one that's fitted- smallers fins makes for less wind.

 

[Beefriendly]

Tried the 9V fan and it worse than the one that's fitted- smallers fins makes for less wind.

Why not try the sublimox principal of a closed chamber with nozzle outlet so as the OA sublimates into vapor there is only way out as it rapidly expands into vapour which is out of the nozzle in a very pressurized manor. No fan required.

 

[Eyeman]

Had another fiddle today. Reattached a piece of aluminium that I'd previously removed and have now attached it to extend the arm that direct the flame onto the tube. All the heat is now concentrated onto the OA canister & tube. Dry test run showed residual QA vapour emerge in under 30 seconds. Will have to wait till Wed for next vapping session.

 

[Eyeman]

Why not try the sublimox principal of a closed chamber with nozzle outlet so as the OA sublimates into vapor there is only way out as it rapidly expands into vapour which is out of the nozzle in a very pressurized manor. No fan required.

I'm happy with the existing fan following my modifications. Closing the fan inlet to the chamber is still something I might try in the future. At present it does the job- just fiddling to see if if can be further fine tuned.

 

[Beefriendly]

From your photo I can see the fan position...is it required though? As OA sublimates to gas it has an incredible expansion rate, which the sublimox uses to produce a pressurized stream of vapour over about thirty seconds. The volume of the gas produced is approx 800x the volume of the solid.
Not being critical, would love to have a gas powered vaporizer that really works.

 

[maddydog]

View attachment 14779

Had another fiddle today. Reattached a piece of aluminium that I'd previously removed and have now attached it to extend the arm that direct the flame onto the tube. All the heat is now concentrated onto the OA canister & tube. Dry test run showed residual QA vapour emerge in under 30 seconds. Will have to wait till Wed for next vapping session.

That's how I originally modified mine - resulted in melted aluminium

As for beef's suggestion, I'd expect 'pressurised' vapour to pour out of the lid. Maybe a stronger spring that can clamp the lid tighter would help? I think the makers could do worse than look through this thread and the adaptations we've tried and design a mark2!

 

[Beefriendly]

That's how I originally modified mine - resulted in melted aluminium

As for beef's suggestion, I'd expect 'pressurised' vapour to pour out of the lid. Maybe a stronger spring that can clamp the lid tighter would help? I think the makers could do worse than look through this thread and the adaptations we've tried and design a mark2!

Silicon high temp. sealing ring in lid....

 

[Millet]

From your photo I can see the fan position...is it required though? As OA sublimates to gas it has an incredible expansion rate,

I was thinking the same, a few videos i have watched with the gas powered vaporizers, the vaped product comes out easily without being fan driven.

 

[wessexmario]

A possible improvement on the fan arrangement would be to have a narrowing of the airflow tube at the T where the oxalic heating chamber connects. This would reduce the pressure of the passing air flow so sucking the vapour out of the chamber - the same venturi effect as makes a carburettor work.

 

[maddydog]

Silicon high temp. sealing ring in lid....

Yeah could work. One thing I have noticed over the years tinkering with oxalic vapour is that it often destroys anything it comes into contact with

 

[Beefriendly]

Not could ...it does work! It's the principal the sublimox works on...a heated chamber, and OA put into cap...invert so OA falls into heated chamber and instant vapour.
High temp silicon rings are cheap as chips as long as you don't buy them from the original sublimox suppliers

 

[maddydog]

Not could ...it does work! It's the principal the sublimox works on...a heated chamber, and OA put into cap...invert so OA falls into heated chamber and instant vapour.
High temp silicon rings are cheap as chips as long as you don't buy them from the original sublimox suppliers

I knew sublimox used a silicone ring, what I'm not sure about is how to fit the ring to the vapouriser heating chamber and still be able to close the lid. Not for me to worry about as I've chosen a different oxalic path

 

[Beefriendly]

I knew sublimox used a silicone ring, what I'm not sure about is how to fit the ring to the vapouriser heating chamber and still be able to close the lid. Not for me to worry about as I've chosen a different oxalic path

Sublimox has a lipped hollow lid that slides on to the heated chamber. The silcone ring sits on a recess on the part that slides down, sealing it. The lid is loose when cold and snug tight fit when all heats up.

 

[SDM]

I've been through most of the issues mentioned here from pipes blocking with condensed OA to molten aluminium. A fan wire then detached when cleaning it after a blockage spat all the vapour out the back. I was in the middle of 3 treatments so I needed to find a way to make it work while the new fans arrived.
I settled on a piece of chem resistant pipe I had from a turbo setup I'd built and a outboard fuel priming bulb as I'd similar on the vaporisers sold in Ireland. The one direction flow of the bulb seems to work a treat and the pipe shows no sign of deterioration after 100+ treatments. From loading it takes about 15 secs to discharge with a couple of pumps from the primer to kick out the dregs ( much more efficiently than the fan ever did). The only original piece on mine is the heat shield as the rest is now made of steel. The extra heat shield others have added is the next step, not for heat but as wind shield as I I find it can be extinguished in wind over 20kts, I'll also try milling a recess for a silicone ring. When I get round to making a 2nd eke I'll have a system i am truly happy with.
That said the original was not fit for purpose