Small particles and the Volcano Vaporizer

[tieguanyin]

I have used and enjoyed the Volcano Vaporizer (Classic, Solid Valve in my case) for some time now. However, I recently became aware of small particles being vaporized into the bag. When hot air streams through the filling chamber, it does not only release the desired substances, but also lets tiny particles from the bud flow in. Some of them are visible to the eye, others are too small to see without investigating a bag used over time more closely. I believe tiny particles entering the respiratory system not to be good!

I am very concerned about this. To me, vaporizing using the Volcano had always seemed to be an outstandingly heathy way to inhale mj.

Fellow Volcano users, could you please let me know your thoughts on this. Thank you.

[jimmy8778]

i too have the 'cano. and from my years of experience this is a normal occurrence, and yes, sometimes you do get some blowback into the bag, but this can be avoided. I personally don't mind some, it happens, but if it concerns you then maintenance is your best option. First buy replacement bags, and screens. Then invest in some alcohol and a good cleaning brush, like a kids toothbrush.

Since the screens are metal, they have a tendency to bend, and when they bend they end up with gaps that allow those small particles to invade your bag and valves. Second, the whole unit heats up pretty good, and the metal is typically cold to start with so lots of hashish resin gets coated on everything the smoke touches, this buildup gets sticky and small particulate build up in the goo, and once its heated the goo is more liquid so bits can fly back. And some people are just stupid and forget to put the tree piece in the crucible, causing leafy bits to get stuck and sucked up, big mess.

But everything is alcohol safe, so unscrew the bolts from the tree piece to take the screen and the two washers off, remove bag and rinse for hash, or discard, unscrew the top of the bag assembly, and really just break it all down to the bare nuts and bolts, give a good soak in some alcohol and you have clean pieces.
If your screen is bent, replace it, change your bag, and make sure to scrub all the pieces where it is sticky, like the tube that runs to the bag, unscrew the metal part out of the crucible and really get all the cracks where the two pieces join together.

After that, reassemble, and remember to try to keep the leafy bits between the screen, none around the rims, this lets it past the screen, clean it often to avoid that build up, soaking is all that is really needed most of the time.

Also, that liquidy resin that builds up really is a hashy oil so wipe it out with papers and vape that, but it does build up where you cant wipe it out, and sometimes globs can blow through and out, but typically its small, and its hash so no worries. I typically never worry about it though because your throat and mouth catch most of all particles before they get to your lungs, but you can keep the heat lower to keep from drying the buds into dust.

[FourTwenty4Life]

The Volcano works great if the proper maintenance is kept up with it. Anyone still around these forums from the good old days of when I used to roam here regularly...VapedG13? Headshake? Dive? etc....?? I'm pretty vaped this evening and missed some of the old convos in here. I'll be around....

[vapefiend]

The Volcano works great if the proper maintenance is kept up with it. Anyone still around these forums from the good old days of when I used to roam here regularly...VapedG13? Headshake? Dive? etc....?? I'm pretty vaped this evening and missed some of the old convos in here. I'll be around....

Most vapes work just fine with appropriate maintenance. How does that address the 'small particle' issue, which is the topic? If you're saying that "if the proper maintenance is kept up with", then there will be no small particles getting through, I'd have to disagree. Any vape using a filtration system good enough to block all the small particles, is going to impede air flow and also block some of the compounds you're trying to get.


I believe tiny particles entering the respiratory system not to be good!True, but you inhale a lot more tiny particles than you'd think, on an everyday basis, even without vaporizing. Most pollutants are breathed or coughed out, killed by digestive juices, or eaten by macrophages, a type of blood cell that seeks out germs to destroy. I think jimmy posted some good tips, but you can only minimize the tiny bits getting through, not completely eliminate them. IMO you inhale a lot worse walking the typical city street, and especially mowing the typical yard. My lungs have been fine with vaping, for years now, but I have to wear a quality mask when cutting my grass, and even then....