jacobd Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I'm building E-hookah from copper sheet and soldering it together. My buddy is a wiz at making the wiring for them and such. So he's doing that part, I was just curious if anyone had any recommendations for a coating for the copper that would resist the heat (the exposed drip-tip style coils get pretty hot) and the chemicals (vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings). I know they make sealants for wooden pipes and such. Maybe in your past experiences you have come across a coating that had to withstand the same conditions even if not for the same reasons. I know this is rather odd. However, in the masses of questions asked I haven't found one that didn't get a good answer. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Build what you want, but I recommend you quit the Nicotine habit. I would not put any of those material vapors in my lungs. (Soapbox done) Copper is a great heat conductor and electrical conductor. You will have to isolate the copper from both. Some type of carbon film might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Copper has beep used as a food production/prep product since pre Roman times its pretty much ok with exposure to virtually everything except acid! What is the real concern is your solder. Most are lead based and that lead is really bad for you . Make sure you use silver solder ! Just using "lead free plumbers solder" might 'stick it together ' but it comes 'unstuck' when it gets hot :). B.T.W. isn't the whole 'e' thing to get away from the nicotine? it seems sort-of counter-intuitive to add nicotine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 You can enamel it if the bowl doesn't get too hot it's pretty impervious. Tin solder. Don't smoke, there's nothing good about it. If I were to break out my old hookah I think a little soap in the water and blowing throug it would be a fine use. Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. <wink> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Could it be tinned like a copper pot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 Since it is a hookah, I take it that the copper part will be in the center, and it will have hoses with the mouthpieces on them. Copper is toxic in some situations, and many alloys contain lead, and nickle which some people have an allergic to. We use some leaded nickle copper alloys at work. To minimize heat transfer you can use air space, ceramic insulator,or something similar. Tin may melt from the heat of the coil. Enameling would be good, but getting everything to fit up when done may be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 On one of my many trips to Cairo I spent an interesting afternoon watching some craftsmen making hookah out of some kind of magnetic s/s and it was soldered, never having seen s/s soldered successfully I paid one $10 to 'show' me, he happily proceeded to urinate into a pot and use it for flux. I thought "interesting but not appealing " and took a pass on the souvineer hookah. Just food for thought! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobd Posted December 12, 2014 Author Share Posted December 12, 2014 I went to the E-cig because of my struggles with Grizzly Wintergreen. I only buy fluid from one shop i trust and my buddy who is doing the wiring that makes his own. They both use vegetable base instead of god knows what. We have 2 friends who want one, and the owner of the shop is possibly interested in selling them if we get one working well. This at this point is just to determine if it can be done SAFELY and economically. I still have to find a diaphragm (I think I'm using that word right, I need a piece that will hold fluid until I increase pressure by pushing a primer bulb or something similar, and it lets a few drops out to re-hydrate the wicks). Another thought if I can find an epoxy that I know will take the heat and not leech anything nasty I might use it instead of solder. I've been looking for some if the epoxies used on appliances or culinary implements, just haven't found anything concrete yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 What about providing a diagram of your hookah. I'm not really familiar with them. I find it interesting that smokers are concerned with putting toxic substances into their lungs. I guess copper, glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings aren't considered toxic when heated. (Soapbox done:) If your going to do this, then I guess it's best to be as safe and non-toxic as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I'm afraid this doesn't sound like any hookah I'm familiar with but I haven't looked at one in almost 40 years. How hot does the coil get? Once cured, Phenolic resins are pretty unaffected below 900f, if I recall correctly. The stuff sure smoked up the oven room while curing though but it was easy to tell when it was done, it stopped smoking and the smell went away. I feel your struggle with kicking nicotine addiction. I fought it for years. Chantix was working pretty darned well for me but within a week or two of stopping Chantix I'd find myself following smokers closely and eyeballing ash trays. I was still fighting backsliding when the Great White cured me. I don't recommend trying what cured me of tobacco, catching a falling tree with your head is just a faster, less painful way to die. Sorry Jacob, didn't mean to get preachy, honest. I understand why ex-smokers tended to be preachy though, I look forward to yo joining our ranks. If you can post some diagrams or link showing how the things work we might have some better ideas for you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobd Posted December 13, 2014 Author Share Posted December 13, 2014 I don't smoke, never been drawn to it other than an ocaissional Honduran cigar. It's snuff/dip I can't shake. I'll attach a picture of the coils from my handheld cig. The coils tbemselves can melt if the kanthal and the design of the coils means super low resistance. However, cotton running through the coils is fed by a mixture of vegetable glycerine, flavoring, and nicotine. This makes the vapor. When you change flavors and pull the cotton out, you "cook the coils" for a second to get the old stuff off. The coils reach an orange temp in a couple seconds. The terminals and kanthal I'm not worried about as they are brass or stainless, but my buddy wants a steampunk looking copper outer shell and floor to this thing. I don't if over time the copper oxidizing (assuming that's what the green stuff is) would become toxic. I can get lead free copper sheet, I just want to make sure there isn't anything I'm missing that could be dangerous. It would also be easier to clean if it was coated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Guys I've known who dipped were hooked worse than I was, nicotine is additive stuff no matter how you take it. I'm thinking the vapor thingy tech is pretty mature for something only a few years old. I think I'd make a steam punk cover rather than trying to make one. Were I to need to "make" one I think I'd look into kiln hardware. Ni-chrome wire probably wouldn't be safe but the elec. contacts, etc. should be fine. Of course there are electric cigarette lighters that ought to be really easy to modify, it just wouldn't look like a cigarette. How about making an E pipe? The world is full of electric stuff that gets hot enough to vaporize most anything not made of platinum, osmium, that whole part of the chart. Oh yeah, hookah, I remember now I sidetracked myself there. I don't think vapor generators get hot enough to put non-volatile toxins in the air. Check out a toaster's innards that's more than refractory enough. You may not be able to use toaster guts but it'll give you a handle on material that'll laugh at a vapor generator. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobd Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Guys I've known who dipped were hooked worse than I was, nicotine is additive stuff no matter how you take it. I'm thinking the vapor thingy tech is pretty mature for something only a few years old. I think I'd make a steam punk cover rather than trying to make one. Were I to need to "make" one I think I'd look into kiln hardware. Ni-chrome wire probably wouldn't be safe but the elec. contacts, etc. should be fine. Of course there are electric cigarette lighters that ought to be really easy to modify, it just wouldn't look like a cigarette. How about making an E pipe? The world is full of electric stuff that gets hot enough to vaporize most anything not made of platinum, osmium, that whole part of the chart. Oh yeah, hookah, I remember now I sidetracked myself there. I don't think vapor generators get hot enough to put non-volatile toxins in the air. Check out a toaster's innards that's more than refractory enough. You may not be able to use toaster guts but it'll give you a handle on material that'll laugh at a vapor generator. Frosty The Lucky. Ok I think you have my mind on the right tracks here. I just need to do some more hunting for an epoxy that won't poison myself or someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 They already make vape pipes. Personally I would steer clear of epoxies since they are nothing but chemicals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobd Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Yeah, my whole thing on epoxies was only if they are safe. I may try to find a buddy with a lathe and some brass. I did find some culinary equipment grade epoxy for up to 450 degrees tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 The 260 brass alloy is lead free, 360 which is really common is a leaded alloy--this is what we use at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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