Koil Boi got its start in late May of 2020 when Kyle wanted to make an Induction Heater for his Dynavap M. Because of Covid-19, the supply chain made it difficult to find a heater online. Kyle asked Joe for some help with soldering, and fabricating a housing for his own. After some prototypes made of poplar, which through some tweaking would become the 2020 Fire, Kyle found an ABS project box that could accommodate all of the components. The box was a perfect canvas for hydro-dipping, a process of applying spray paint on a surface of water and plunging an object in to transfer the paint. Our first two 2020 Clouds were created in June of 2020, Kyle's original 'Electric Blue' design currently lives in the UK, while Joe's 'Electric Red' lives on the Prototype Shelf. Friends wanted them, then friends of friends wanted them. We set up Koilboi.com and got to work.
Three months in, we made the decision to acquire an Ender 3. After months of testing, the 2021 Cloud was launched, but we couldn't stop there. With the ability to create and produce objects with a 3d Printer, we listened to our customers. They wanted powerful portability. We decided on using 3 18650 batteries for a battery pack, and the Spark was launched. By December of 2020, we had made the Storm, our battery operated induction heater.
Things were going great, and we were adding more customization regularly, through new designs for the 2020 Clouds and more PLA colors with prints. After some issues with the 2020 Fire's 'missile launch' style switch, and our first momentary button's reliability, updates were made. The Fire was redesigned with a more compact design and launched in 2021.
Some quirky designs were launched, like the Cloud 12, the world's first dodecahedron IH. It featured artwork made by our late cousin Mike's design, which was based on recurring feedback from a camcorder aimed at a CRT tv. The Cloud 12's design proved notoriously difficult to assemble, so after a couple months, it was pulled.
In March of 2021, the small section of Joe's basement that had enough electricity to run Koil Boi was getting cramped, so an investment was made to finish a large portion of the basement, adding studs, drywall, electrical, and lighting was desperately needed. Renovations were completed in less than 3 weeks, and the expansion of products continued.
420 of 2021 was Koil Boi's first big break. We had a massive number of orders that required us to take on temporary helpers, purchase more printers, and work around the clock to get caught up. We couldn't have pulled that off it weren't for the recent renovation.
We introduced UV PLA into the cloud lineup, but the filament was abrasive on the printer nozzles, so we made a limited run.
We weren't satisfied with the form factor of the Spark, so it went under some changes and slimmed the design down in the summer of 2021.
Halloween is a favorite for Koil Boi. For the holiday, we made a limited edition "Jack-Cloud-Lantern" - one of Joe's favorite photo shoots.
Some time in early 2022, Kyle wanted an e-nail PID. So after some iterations, and trying to avoid the market's gravitation toward a box, the Sun was created with the intention to work with 710Coils' Deep Dish Axial Coil for a dab rig.
After designing the Sun for Kyle, Joe wanted to make another quirky design, but the Cloud 12 left a bad taste in Kyle's mouth, so what was tried and true was right in Kyle's mind. After MONTHS of bothering Kyle about a fun design, Joe designed the "Cheesy Boi". Joe has a special place in his heart for cheese, and thought others would too. Kyle approved a single day release for April Fool's Day in 2022, and after the incredible reception for the device, it was permanently added to the roster.
With 420 approaching, we made a limited edition run of a 2021 Cloud, featuring a stylized leaf on the front, this time around, we were more prepared for the sale.
Most of the profits from the 420 sale went into R&D for our version of the Ball Vape, the Flare. Kyle spearheaded the research, and Joe ran development. With an existing PID made in-house, accessories for it changed our game.
The Ball Vape hype was up, and we acknowledged that the cost to entry for this market was absurd. The Flare and Sun had competitors beat on price, as most suppliers opted for machined components. We want people to have fun designs without breaking the bank, and Ball Vapes slowly became Koil Boi's main products sold.
We found a laser engraver online that further expanded our abilities to make fun designs, and used it for the ephemeral launch of the 2022 Cloud. A unit designed to satisfy those who wanted a greater degree of control in their IH profiles, but the functionality that allowed for a slow-roast ended up becoming more of a hassle, as our solution of a buck converter didn't make the output an exact science, but guess work on the customer's end. It was pulled roughly two months after it's launch, being resigned to the prototype shelf along with the first Fires, Clouds, and Cloud 12.
With a more extensive product category, the work to produce a 2021 Fire was more than Joe had time for. The operation to construct a 2021 Fire came to 55 minutes per unit. But with Rhino 7 and the laser, Joe created the Laser Fire. A wrap-around design that used a PLA endoskeleton for support.
In February of 2023, Kyle insisted that the Flare needed a proper tool rest, not happy with the ash trays that were provided with every Flare. The First Koil Boi product to use moving parts was a sort of tongs for the Flare. Flare Tongs. Flongs. We loved the name, and it completed the bundle that many customers enjoy today.
Kyle loves a clean dab session, and found that applying heat while consuming concentrate is what contributes to chazzing. The development of the Crucible was Kyle's way to that clean dab session.
Kyle has his Crucible, and Joe has his Flare and Flongs, we needed a successor to the Sun that used a single device to control both. In August of 2023, we launched the Binary to do just that, and the Sol to replace the Sun.
So far, that's a brief look into Koil Boi's history, thanks for reading!
