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Coil tools worth it?

Ralph_K

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I got the coilmaster kit. I use most of the tools except for the meter and needle nose pliers. I use one of my mods to check ohms and to pulse.
 
I got pliers cutters and a small screwdriver set(various sizes all labeled) from the dollar store and also had extra tweezers and such around the house. I bought a ohm meter but its not as accurate as my mod so i always double check it on there.
 

Loki Vapes

Member For 4 Years
only tools you need in my opinion: good pair of toothless needle nose pliers, sharp pair of scissors, good pair of flush cutters, 3mm and 2.5mm presicion screwdrivers, ball bearing fishing swivels, a cheap drill, accurate ohm reader, ceramic tweazers and a home made stand for my swivels and my drill
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
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I got a Coil Master kit when I started. I thought $30 shipped was a good deal. Only thing I haven't used is the cotton. I always use the Tab 521 meter on a new build, and sometimes use the 521 to pulse, depending on wire.
 

Droogbc

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
My Favorite coil jigs are -

UD V1 coil jig, getting very hard to find so I've got a backup in my FDA Stash

accessories-ld-coil-jig-box-contents_grande.jpg

I picked up one of those a few years ago at a b&m. Still find it very handy and use it often.
 

WPMac

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Member For 1 Year
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The only "must have" coil specific tools I've ever purchased was a cheap jig set, and that's ONLY because I didn't have a set of micro screwdrivers, and some ceramic tweezers, and I only got those after delving into complex coils. Everything else is from my pre-building toolbox. Sure, I have some other coil building tools I've purchased. WireOx Swivel system, and nylon plyers, and ... well ... I think that's it. But, they are by far not "must haves" unless your building complex stuff. Hell I don't even have a pair of flush cuts. Using my standard cheap wire cutters I've had for 10 years. You can do a whole lot with a lot of knowledge and practice ... But, with very little investing in tools.

My building kit includes:

Jig kit: 1.5mm-4mm, precision screwdrivers work just fine as well
Cheapo wire cutters
Cheapo Needle-nose pliers
Crap scissors for cutting fine wire
Sharp scissors for cutting cotton
Ceramic tweezers
Couple pairs of nylon pliers
Cheap non-serrated steak knife, mostly for spacing micros
10 year old B&D adjustable cordless drill
WireOx Swivel ($45 investment, but I spent more than that in good fishing swivels over time before purchasing this)
Sewing tape measure for mm's
Hot glue sticks/lighter
Some other little odds and ends
Swivel board I built out of cheap 2x4
Depending on your needs/desires a lot of this can go away. I built for a long time with just a jig some wire cutters and need nose pliers.

Attached files are my build station and what you can do with it. The coil pic is just to show how much you can do with little investment.
 

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jasonali13

Member For 1 Year
Has anyone tried pilot vape magician mini tab?

I want to start building coils and wanted to get a kit. Its a toss up between a coip master kit or pilot vape kit.

Both come with everything needed... i guess the main concern is the quality of the ohm reader.

You can find coil master every where easily.. but jot so much about pilot vape.

Any thoughts?

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk
 

WPMac

Silver Contributor
Member For 1 Year
Unlisted Vendor
Has anyone tried pilot vape magician mini tab?

I want to start building coils and wanted to get a kit. Its a toss up between a coip master kit or pilot vape kit.

Both come with everything needed... i guess the main concern is the quality of the ohm reader.

You can find coil master every where easily.. but jot so much about pilot vape.

Any thoughts?

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk
Sorry. I'm no help with this one. The only ohm reader I've ever had was a $5 cheapy-no-name that I bought with my first spool of wire many years ago. It was hardly ever used. I've always just used a reliable regulated mod to read pre-fire ohms. If you don't own a regulated mod you trust then sure, grab an ohm reader. Otherwise there's very little practical benefit over just using a device.
 

jasonali13

Member For 1 Year
Thanks WPMac.

Ive been reading its better to use an ohm reader instead of using a mod.. but definitely would try my mod instead then.

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk
 

WPMac

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Thanks WPMac.

Ive been reading its better to use an ohm reader instead of using a mod.. but definitely would try my mod instead then.

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk
That was the case for a long time. But the mod manufacturers have gotten pretty good with their chips. Most of the newer mods read resistance just as well as ohm readers do. And they have reliable safety features that will prevent misfires. But you can also get around that by dropping your wattage to the floor before testing the coils resistance on it. So even if the safety features fail pushing 1 watt through any coil wont blow up your device lol.
 

jasonali13

Member For 1 Year
That was the case for a long time. But the mod manufacturers have gotten pretty good with their chips. Most of the newer mods read resistance just as well as ohm readers do. And they have reliable safety features that will prevent misfires. But you can also get around that by dropping your wattage to the floor before testing the coils resistance on it. So even if the safety features fail pushing 1 watt through any coil wont blow up your device lol.
Excellent advise. Thanks!!

Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk
 

The Cromwell

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Sweet jeez, we'll I'll be upgrading then haha I was impatient tho so I got the first one I seen good reviews on. Love building my own coils.

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk
My newest coilmaster setup has a slot for winding fused claptons and such.
Gave the backup away so had to get another one.
something like $7-8 as I recall.
 

Wb80

-DIY-demon-
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All i really use is a 4$ jig. Small pair of wire cutters and a pair of sharp scissors. And normal tweezers when needed. And a drill
 
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JBT81

baby empath
VU Donator
I don't think ceramic tweezers are necessary but it can help with stubborn coils or a bad winding job. I pretty much only strum the coils to even them out now.
The best jig IMO:
1926001-10.jpg

$2 from FT free shipping. Then just get some wire clips or use a nail clipper if want. Flush cuts from a wire cutter can make things simple for tight builds where nail clippers won't fit.

i've always admired those things. i'm looking at the coil master jig v4 found it on ebay for ~14$ hmmm wonder if it's all that necessary. i really value convenience so...

i bought a vandy vape tool kit and some ceramic tweezers from my local shop

b6db5deb63e28eface37e6e408f9a9a2_1024x1024.png


thumbnail


they do the job nicely!

EDIT: found one on fasttech for ~8$ here https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10012320/5978700-coil-master-styled-v4-6-in-1-e-cigarette-wire
heehee savin moneyyyy
 
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The Cromwell

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i've always admired those things. i'm looking at the coil master jig v4 found it on ebay for ~14$ hmmm wonder if it's all that necessary. i really value convenience so...
Or the $7 clone from FT.
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10012320/5978700-coil-master-styled-v4-6-in-1-e-cigarette-wire

They discontinued the one I bought that did not say clone but I suspect it was.
It is fine to use though. Think I paid between $5 and $6 for it.
All the China tvpe stuff has gone up in price noticeably over the past year.
Tariffs? Higher wages in China? I dunno.
 

JBT81

baby empath
VU Donator
Or the $7 clone from FT.
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10012320/5978700-coil-master-styled-v4-6-in-1-e-cigarette-wire

They discontinued the one I bought that did not say clone but I suspect it was.
It is fine to use though. Think I paid between $5 and $6 for it.
All the China tvpe stuff has gone up in price noticeably over the past year.
Tariffs? Higher wages in China? I dunno.

hmm... is it sturdy? i didn't notice it was a clone...

EDIT: looks like it's made out of aluminum as well... probably good enough for me :)

alas, i believe the US is probably at least partially responsible for the Chinese inflation... just my guess
 

The Cromwell

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hmm... is it sturdy? i didn't notice it was a clone...

EDIT: looks like it's made out of aluminum as well... probably good enough for me :)

alas, i believe the US is probably at least partially responsible for the Chinese inflation... just my guess
The one I got has aluminum handle and spinner thingys. But the shafts are steel of some sort.
Mine works well.
I think the authentic is made of pretty much the same materials.
 

Just Frank

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
When I got my first Griffin RTA I didn't know what I needed. I got a roll of wire and some cotton pads. I used a nail wo wind my coils and a finger nail clipper to cut the wire. I was vaping with those two things. Oh I forgot, I used household/kitchen scissors to cut the cotton. Since then I've pieced together mix of stuff.

  • I got a cheap coil winder on FT. It's incredibly small and I dont use it.
  • I got a pair of curved ceramic tweezers. I rarely use them.
  • Flush cutters are nice. Mine might be a bit dull now.
  • A fine purchase I made was from a craft store. They're $4 mini scisors. They're made out of titanium and have stayed sharp for a long time. I use them to trim cotton.
  • I got a different mini curved scissors in the makeup isle at a store. I use one of the pointers to tuck in wicks. They're better than any tweezers I've tried. I can't find them anymore. They've been replaced with junk..
  • Mini screwdriver set costed a buck. I think everyone knows what these are. I mainly use the large size which is 3mm.
  • Ohm reader....I used it once. I prefer to build right on a mod.
Most rebuildables include bits and pieces for building. My Griffin had a small T shaped tool. I still use them all the time and have probly got atleast a dozen more with other attys. I friggen hate flat head screws. I replace them all if I can. I think we all get what we need and have to be crafty at times.
My scissors-
0403191603a.jpg
 
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The Cromwell

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And some trial and error, patience, skill and time for those kinds of coils.
The round wire parallel coils I use take me about 3 minutes from start to finish.
And the single round wire coils a minute maybe.

But whatever you prefer that keeps you off of smokes.
 

Shredtravolta

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And some trial and error, patience, skill and time for those kinds of coils.
The round wire parallel coils I use take me about 3 minutes from start to finish.
And the single round wire coils a minute maybe.

But whatever you prefer that keeps you off of smokes.
Indeed!:cheers:
 

WPMac

Silver Contributor
Member For 1 Year
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And some trial and error, patience, skill and time for those kinds of coils.
The round wire parallel coils I use take me about 3 minutes from start to finish.
And the single round wire coils a minute maybe.

But whatever you prefer that keeps you off of smokes.
It does take a bit of commitment to build much beyond naked wire coils. Though if your willing to invest the time to get past the initial learning curve then you will find that it doesn't take long to build the standard "exotic coils". Using my shitty 1200 RPM drill I can spin up a set of aliens, from scratch, in 5-10 mins. I can make a set of standard SSFC in about 15-20 mins. And I'm not even close to being as fast as some of the better builders out there.

The real time investment comes with the minor details and intricacies that come with artistic building as a hobby. Multiple layers and fuse patterns and different installation techniques. But, the majority of those things are mostly aesthetic and have no real bearing on the average vape experience.
 

The Cromwell

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It does take a bit of commitment to build much beyond naked wire coils. Though if your willing to invest the time to get past the initial learning curve then you will find that it doesn't take long to build the standard "exotic coils". Using my shitty 1200 RPM drill I can spin up a set of aliens, from scratch, in 5-10 mins. I can make a set of standard SSFC in about 15-20 mins. And I'm not even close to being as fast as some of the better builders out there.

The real time investment comes with the minor details and intricacies that come with artistic building as a hobby. Multiple layers and fuse patterns and different installation techniques. But, the majority of those things are mostly aesthetic and have no real bearing on the average vape experience.
True,
Just never got into coil building as a hobby and that is pretty much what it is if you build those coils.
 

WPMac

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Member For 1 Year
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True,
Just never got into coil building as a hobby and that is pretty much what it is if you build those coils.
That is accurate and inaccurate in the same statement. Just like almost everything vape related ... it comes down to personal preference and vape style. Some like it hot and dense. Some like it cool and "stealth". Some like the flavor slamming your face. Some just like a subtle hints of it. Every combination of juice/power/build/atty is going to taste a little different.

A 2 core fused clapton tastes different than a parallel build. It doesn't mean better or worse ... just different. And each respective coil is going to preform differently at different power levels and with different juices. Part of almost every builder's hobby is chasing that "perfect vape" for them. That includes both ends of the builder spectrum. The naked single wire builders and the razorhawk enigma enthusiasts alike. When someone's perfect vape is a 2x28g KA1 parallel single coil ... then hell yah roll it and I couldn't be happier for them! But I found it didn't quite satisfy my needs. I needed more heat, I needed a thicker denser fog, I needed more/different flavor. And as I progressed through the fused builds I found my own personal favorite vape that, even if I ever give up wire as a hobby, I will build as long as I am a vaper.

So again yes fused building is generally attributed to being a hobbyist. But, that doesn't mean someone has to be a hobbyist to want to learn it and benefit from it.
 

The Cromwell

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your not kidd'n. I take apart some of my clippings, and I can hardly see what's there. and this is with good readers on.
I think I would need a Hubble to build.
I got one to use for delicate electronics work and to read the markings on chips.
 

WPMac

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... and the hands of a surgeon :D
And quite often a magnifier visor :)
your not kidd'n. I take apart some of my clippings, and I can hardly see what's there. and this is with good readers on.
I think I would need a Hubble to build.

Unless your doing complicated fuse patterns then magnifiers aren't really required even with bad eyes. I have wretched vision and don't use the jewelers glasses very much anymore. They are a great tool for learning. But, in the end, you figure out that seeing the wire in detail is not all that important. It's more about the angle at which the wrap wire is hitting the core wire. And that is easier to see than you think.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to talk anyone into doing these things. I'm just trying to spread the knowledge that coil building is not as difficult as it seems and can be beneficial to your vape experience.
 

JBT81

baby empath
VU Donator
i like to think that when i buy a drill and some wire i will spend an evening and get it down pat... but more likely it will take a few weeks of practice, tweaking my style and changing habits.

i'm pretty hyped for it again after rereading some of this thread. looking forward to posting my first decent build on VU sometime soon!
 

WPMac

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i like to think that when i buy a drill and some wire i will spend an evening and get it down pat... but more likely it will take a few weeks of practice, tweaking my style and changing habits.

i'm pretty hyped for it again after rereading some of this thread. looking forward to posting my first decent build on VU sometime soon!
While it doesn't really work overnight ... it is likely to take less time than you think. It's all about doing it consistently. People in the build community talk all the time about "talent". But the majority of being able to make a coil, of any type, is a LEARNED skill. Like riding a bike. Most people are more than capable. You just have to learn how to do it. And then be able to retain that knowledge and muscle memory through repeated practice until your just flat comfortable with it. Then it is really like riding a bike. At that point, even if you don't practice it is still something you will be able to do. It just might take a second for body to remember after a long break.

That process will repeat for each difficulty step-up you decide to take. Except you will find that the majority of steps are easier than the last to master. So much of coil building is built on a couple of singular concepts. It is when you learn a new build that isn't based on a previous concept you already know that people tend to have the most trouble. i.e. Going from fused claps to aliens wraps.

ANyways. I wish you luck on your journey and if you need any insight or inspiration check out the other threads in the builders corner forums. There is a wealth of knowledge just in the stickies alone. As well as the fact that there are a number of active builders on the forums and we are all willing to lend a hand.
 

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