Vaping from a dab pen or wax pen has been a popular way to consume shatter, crumble, and the more popular derivative of cannabis, wax concentrates. We get asked all the time how one can vape shatter from a wax pen or from a dab pen? So, we’re here to help you understand how you can consume your favorite extracts using a wax pen of your choice.
But first, let’s look at what shatter is and why many consumers want to know more about how they can be consumed.
Shatter and Other Extracts
Shatter is just one of the many forms of cannabis extracts. Shatter is a byproduct of extracting the active ingredients of the actual plant matter which gives you a gooey resinous substance packed with all the good stuff including the flavonoids, terpenes, and other cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. The term shatter refers to the texture of the extract that breaks and shatters – like glass.
How is shatter different from other cannabis extracts?
Well, apart from its frail and fragile consistency, shatter will have an amber or gold color that is transparent or translucent to some degree and there’s a reason for its unique color and consistency. See, other cannabis extracts involve the process of whipping, stirring, or shaking several times during the extraction process which agitates the individual molecules in the product. This causes the opaque and cloudy appearance you see on other cannabis extracts. On the other hand, shatter is made in a way that the molecules are stacked in rows. This molecular arrangement allows more light to pass through and gives shatter its glass-like features.
Want to know more about cannabis concentrates? Here are some of shatter’s distant relatives that can be used on a wax pen.
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Crumble – A dry form of cannabis. Its consistency causes this extract to fall apart or “crumble” when handled.
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Budder – Sticky and gooey, budder resembles the consistency of peanut butter. Fun fact, budders start out as shatter.
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Wax – Pretty much like budder, it’s also viscous. However, the consistency is stickier that it requires to be handled with a dab tool, else you’re in for a mess.
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Oil – This type of extract is runny and is often contained in pods or cartridges.
Vaping Shatter on a Wax Pen
A wax pen or dab pen is a small and portable device used to consume cannabis extracts, typically the aforementioned varieties above. It’s usually made out of three components; a battery, an atomizer, and a mouthpiece and offers simple and straightforward operation. That said, using a wax pen to consume shatter is easy.
Here’s how.
1. Prep the wax pen.
Make sure that your wax pen has a fully charged battery. They will typically be recharged using a small USB charging cable that can be connected to a wall adapter and plugged into a wall outlet. However, you can still plug them on your desktop and laptop computers or on a video game console. If your dab pen uses a different charger, make sure to refer to your user guide or contact the manufacturer.
2. Load the unit.
Open the mouthpiece to access the atomizer. Common wax pen atomizers include those made from quartz and ceramic, but both will do a great job of heating, melting, and vaporizing your shatter.
Get your dab tool or your loading tool and break a small amount of shatter. With your loading tool, scoop up the shattered concentrates and transfer it to the atomizer. Avoid, over-packing as it can result in leakage.
3. Fire it up!
Power your wax pen on (usually by pressing the power button five times) to activate the battery. Press and hold the power button to trigger the heating element and start the vaporization process. Some dab pens may require different steps so make sure to refer to your user guide or contact your manufacturer for more information on how your device is operated. Once the shatter is heated and vaporized, prepare to inhale the vapor and enjoy.
Some Factors to Consider
Just like how cannabis extracts have different textures and consistencies, your wax pen will also have various features that will affect your overall experience. Here are a few things you might want to consider when vaping shatter with a dab pen.
Temperature.
Temperature plays a huge role in vaporization, that’s why it has been one of the most sought-after features consumers look for when buying a wax pen. The average wax pen will have three temperature settings and is often offered in pre-set profiles. Dabbing shatter from a wax pen using a low temperature profile will result in flavorful vapor production while the higher temperature profile will result in a more potent effect. Vaping shatter using the medium setting will typically give you a balanced result with flavorful vapors that can potentially melt your face off.
Airflow.
Another factor to consider when vaping shatter using your wax pen is airflow. While it’s often overlooked, airflow can significantly affect your sessions. A tighter airflow will not only facilitate a tighter draw but it will also keep the vapor warm and thin. On the other hand, a loose airflow will make inhaling from your wax pen easier and can increase the density of your vapors apart from cooling it down. One thing you should take note of is that the more air you get, the more watered down the vapor will feel while the less air you let it, the more you preserve the properties of your shatter.
Atomizer.
Atomizers or heating elements can also be a great way to personalize your sessions. As we’ve briefly covered above, your wax pen can either have a quartz or a ceramic atomizer. Quartz will ramp up heat faster, therefore reaching temperature profiles that can extract the psychoactive active ingredients from your shatter. Sitting on the other end of the spectrum, ceramic will facilitate low and slow heating that allows the terpenes and the flavonoids to be extracted into the vapor making for a smoother and flavorful experience.
Final Thoughts
So, here you have it. The basics of vaping shatter using a wax pen or a dab pen. Bear in mind that although shatter and other cannabis extracts have different consistencies, the way they are consumed using a wax pen is pretty much the same. Also, make sure to use a wax pen that lets you personalize your sessions and customize the results.
