A bit new.. Looking for places to shop

[rueric]

Hello!

I posted a few days ago with great feedback in another topic..
Short gist is, I started vaping a year ago.. Atlantis CF Mod with the Atlantis Aspire tank.
I stopped vaping for about 9 months and doing research to try and get back into it.
After some thinking and research, I've decided to go with the new RX200s (Pre-ordered from 101vape) with a Boreas rta.

Question is, I am trying to learn how to start building my own coils and all.
From what I understand, the RX200 should act as my ohm tester.

As for materials, the wiring, and the tools, where should I go to pick them up? I just missed a deal @LightningVapes for their %50 off.. I have a few weeks before the mod comes in so I'd like to take this time to really get some coils made and stock up.

Also, what type of cotton should I use? I heard that japanese cotton was the best..

Thank you everyone!

-Eric

 

[rueric]

Hello!

I posted a few days ago with great feedback in another topic..
Short gist is, I started vaping a year ago.. Atlantis CF Mod with the Atlantis Aspire tank.
I stopped vaping for about 9 months and doing research to try and get back into it.
After some thinking and research, I've decided to go with the new RX200s (Pre-ordered from 101vape) with a Boreas rta.

Question is, I am trying to learn how to start building my own coils and all.
From what I understand, the RX200 should act as my ohm tester.

As for materials, the wiring, and the tools, where should I go to pick them up? I just missed a deal @LightningVapes for their %50 off.. I have a few weeks before the mod comes in so I'd like to take this time to really get some coils made and stock up.

Also, what type of cotton should I use? I heard that japanese cotton was the best..

Thank you everyone!

-Eric

 

[JERUS]

Cotton Bacon v2 seems to be a favorite, lots of vendors, personally I still use Koh Gen Do pads and while it takes a little bit of time to work in it still vapes nicely. Bought a big overpriced box from Nordstroms but they threw in some little sample things (like cologne) which was cool and considering I bought it almost a year ago for $12 I'm not complaining (still have like 1/3 of it left too!). I like my pads, but if you want the top quality name brand Cotton Bacon v2 is probably what you want. It's supposedly dental cotton which you can buy rolls of for $15 or so that would last you nearly a lifetime.

As far as places to shop, don't underestimate Ebay and Amazon, you can get a lot of good prices there, though always check where the product is shipping out from, nobody likes waiting weeks when they could have spent an extra dollar and gotten it in days. Aside from that I'll use something like Vapecrawler or just browse the dozen or so sites I've used before to find the best pricing (always factoring in shipping!).

LINK

Might be a nice bundle to start with.

 

[Stigma]

I started out with cotton bacon V2 and loved it. Last Friday I got some Native Wicks and it's even better. As far as ordering online I personally don't want to even question if I'm going to receive what I actually paid for. I also don't want to wait for weeks to get my stuff as I'm extremely impatient. I prefer to only order from U.S. Vendors that are verified legit. Just a personal choice that works for me. My two go to vendors are Myvaporstore.com and Vapesocietysupply.com. Both have great prices for authentic products and both always have my order at my door in under a week.

 

[HondaDavidson]

Tools? Well I got mine at Walmart. Finger nail clippers for cutting and cheap precision screw drivers set. Made a coil winder tool from a block of wood and a wire coat hanger. (google: Artistic Wire Coil Gizmo) Also got my cotton for wicks there. As cotton is cotton. Wire, most of mine came from Lightning Vapes, as they tended to have the best price when I was looking.

While the meter on the mod CAN be used for making coils.... I would NEVER trust the mods meter for any trouble shooting. Reason, the mod might be the trouble.

 

[nightshard]

I started with nail clippers, but a pair of diagonal cutters do a much better job.

You'll get a much better deal on tools at a hardware store, then in a vape store.

This is what i use for building:

 

[HondaDavidson]

That^^ is almost exactly the same kit I started with. Except I got the cutters/scissors and tweezers in the cosmetics section of Walmart. Actually wife did, I stole them from her make-up kit. I wear glasses and have kids with electric toys, so already had the little screwdrivers. The torch and ceramic tweezers I haven't needed, for more than a year. I don't compress my coils, to make them contact (micro) coils. I wind them as such. BUT I do mostly spaced coil builds anyway. I use the mod, pulsing, to temper and oxidize the coils so don't need the torch.

 

[suprtrkr]

You can get by with not much more than a good scissors and a small screwdriver set, especially if the screwdrivers have different sized shafts. Failing that, a cheap drill index will provide you with some winding mandrels. I do recommend a stand alone ohmmeter, $10-15 on ebay, or a good one from USAOhmmeters for $27 plus shipping. I buy my wire online, wherever it's cheapest. Kanthal A1 I usually order direct frim Temco Industrial, because I usually buy 250 feet in the most useful gages. I prefer to wick rayon over any kind if cotton I have yet found, but a $3 bag of unbleached organic cotton balls will get you there.

It depends on your budget, really. If you have nothing at all, you might want to look at a UD coil tool kit as this will include an ohmmeter and a variety of mandrels, plus tweezers, wire cutters, etc. Usually under $40 on ebay.

 

[rueric]

Thank you both for the links!

@Stigma I was not able to find the Cotton Bacon v2 (Or any Cotton Bacon) on the two sites you referred me to.

@JERUS Thank you so much! That looks like a very good economical kit! I have a slight concern over the "quality" of the wires.. From what I am reading, different brands have different quality wires.. and while 700 feet of wire seems like a great deal, if it is 700 feet of bad wire, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Just looking for a confirmation that they are good to go and I won't have any problems. I think this will be particularly good since I will be trying to make some different types of coils (When I get more experience) so the assortment of gauges seem good to have.

Also @JERUS , do you have any good link to maybe some bulk cotton? I love the idea of just paying a bit more for a larger supply rather than having to re-order small batches constantly and paying the shipping charges each time from a store.

Thank you!

P.S. Looking for a decent ohm meter since it was recommended. Let me know what you think! Thank you!

 

[AmandaD]

When I use cotton, I use Muji (inexpensive on Amazon)! I don't think the Amazon links work, but it's a big bag and lasts forever - just do a search on Amazon for 'muji cotton'

 

[JERUS]

Thank you both for the links!

@Stigma I was not able to find the Cotton Bacon v2 (Or any Cotton Bacon) on the two sites you referred me to.

@JERUS Thank you so much! That looks like a very good economical kit! I have a slight concern over the "quality" of the wires.. From what I am reading, different brands have different quality wires.. and while 700 feet of wire seems like a great deal, if it is 700 feet of bad wire, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Just looking for a confirmation that they are good to go and I won't have any problems. I think this will be particularly good since I will be trying to make some different types of coils (When I get more experience) so the assortment of gauges seem good to have.

Also @JERUS , do you have any good link to maybe some bulk cotton? I love the idea of just paying a bit more for a larger supply rather than having to re-order small batches constantly and paying the shipping charges each time from a store.

Thank you!

P.S. Looking for a decent ohm meter since it was recommended. Let me know what you think! Thank you!

There is different quality wire, but it's not a huge deal for personal use. Some cheaper wire you should really clean, but the SS bundle I just got from that same eBay seller looks all pretty darn clean and spiffy (though it's still recommended to clean, I'm lazy and just dryburn). The main difference is the more expensive stuff will last longer, so you might not have to redo your coil for 2 months instead of having to do it once a month... not a big concern for personal use, but if you want the highest quality stuff check out KidneyPuncher.

MUJI
Koh Gen Do
Cotton Bacon v2 bulk From the manufacturer, didn't show total price so I'm not sure what's up there but I imagine if you create an acount you can complete the purchase? I don't know I was too lazy. It's also sold in individual packs for $5.99 at VaporDNA I know @raymo2u uses that stuff maybe he has a better vendor for it?

Looks like you get a lot more of MUJI than you do KGD for your money. I haven't tried MUJI but give me another 3-4 months and I'll run out of the KGD I have and give it a whirl .

USA Ohmmeters is supposed to be one of the better brands. Then there are the 521 tabs which you can testfire the coils on them which is nice. If you're willing to spend ~$30 I'd say go with one of those. If you're looking for the cheap option, you can pick one up for like $5-10 a bunch of different places, just know those won't be as accurate so test on the ohmmeter and confirm on the mod and if there's a big difference (more than .02 difference I'd say) then double check everything on the coil is right and test it again. Basically if you go cheap (I did) just make sure to give yourself room for the error that is likely present.

 

[BKTOAD]

Temco for wire also. Free shipping and lowest price or at least competitive. Would get 24, 26, 28 at least (personal preferences, but I think pretty standard) 36 or 38 as clapton wrap it you want to go that route. I think temco only has up to 36? might be wrong.

Other than that, same as above posts. Started with nail clippers(anywhere) and upgraded to flush side cutters(amazon) as mentioned. Clippers worked well enough. Just anal.

Precision screwdrivers.(anywhere)

I have a mandrel.(craft store, amazon, beading aisle) not necessary, but I like it. can just use your screwdrivers.

Scissors for fly tying.(cabelas) Good precision scissors. Fine enough tips that I use them to fluff my cotton even.

On the fence between regular ole organic cotton balls(anywhere) and japanese organic pads(amazon, 101 vape). Seems some attys like one, some the other it seems to me. Cotton balls are much cheaper and readily available though. Cotton balls tend to wick faster for me, while the pads are easier to get consistently sized. flavorwise, maybe a slight edge to the pads, but might just be in my head.

A tool box(anywhere) to hold all the $#!% you will acquire to build with. Happens to the best of us.

Not necessary, but a dental pick type tool for manipulating wicks (hardware store). I usually just use a cut bit of wire most of the time anyway.

Ceramic tweezers(vape 101)- not necessary but nice to have.

 

[Stigma]

Thank you both for the links!

@Stigma I was not able to find the Cotton Bacon v2 (Or any Cotton Bacon) on the two sites you referred me to.

@JERUS Thank you so much! That looks like a very good economical kit! I have a slight concern over the "quality" of the wires.. From what I am reading, different brands have different quality wires.. and while 700 feet of wire seems like a great deal, if it is 700 feet of bad wire, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Just looking for a confirmation that they are good to go and I won't have any problems. I think this will be particularly good since I will be trying to make some different types of coils (When I get more experience) so the assortment of gauges seem good to have.

Also @JERUS , do you have any good link to maybe some bulk cotton? I love the idea of just paying a bit more for a larger supply rather than having to re-order small batches constantly and paying the shipping charges each time from a store.

Thank you!

P.S. Looking for a decent ohm meter since it was recommended. Let me know what you think! Thank you!

I recommend Native Wicks its even better and I recently got it at Myvaporstore.com

 

[Markw4mms]

Threads merged

 

[gopher_byrd]

When looking for deals you can't beat our wonderful host VaporJoe! http://vapingunderground.com/forums/vaporjoes-usa.53/ or here http://vaporjoe.blogspot.com/

 

[rueric]

Thank you everyone!

Vaporjoe blog spot seems pretty awesome, I now have it bookmarked

I am going to go with the Muji cotton from Amazon.. Might just get the double pack for $14 shipped prime.
I was going to go to the local hardware store today to see if I can pick up ceramic tweezers and proper wire cutters. I already have a drill and 3mm screw drivers.

As for the coils, I'll go with the eBay link mentioned earlier.. assortment of wire gauges for $17 seems pretty great to me for 700 ft.

Just looking for a decent ohm meter now.

Also, for the Muji cotton, I've heard mixed reviews on whether or not I should peel off the initial outer skin to use the cotton inside.. Anyone have any thoughts on whether or not I should do that?

Finally....

I haven't dived down into the whole ohms/wattage/resistance yet.. But does anyone have a site where there is sort of a one-stop shop to learn about it all?

Thank you! This site has really been great with a great community and really useful feedback!

 

[gopher_byrd]

For the cotton I've done it both ways, with and with out the outer skin. For smaller coils, 2 mm ID, I tend to leave it on and just cut strips to size. With larger coils I will take off the skin and use the Scottish roll technique. It's up to you.

Ohm's law is really just simple math. E=IR where E=volts I=Amps and R=resistance. Ohm's power law is P=IE where P=watts. Since we don't know the amps you solve for that using I=E/R and plug that into the power equation to get P=E*E/R. An example using my typical build: Batteries come off the charger at 4.2 volts but don't stay there long and it takes them a while to get to 3.7 volts so I use 4.0 volts instead. My typical build is 0.4 ohms.

P=E*E/R P=4*4/0.4 P=16/0.4 so P=40 watts, I=E/R I=4/0.4 I=10 amps.

So with my typical build I am drawing 10 amps producing 40 watts. I only use Sony, LG, or Samsung batteries that are capable of at least 20 amps. This means my typical build is not going to stress my batteries and I could actually go with a lower resistance coil if I felt like it. I get reasonable clouds, but not the super dense weather system which is good for me since I travel a lot and have set off hotel smoke detectors in the past...

 

[JERUS]

Thank you everyone!

Vaporjoe blog spot seems pretty awesome, I now have it bookmarked

I am going to go with the Muji cotton from Amazon.. Might just get the double pack for $14 shipped prime.
I was going to go to the local hardware store today to see if I can pick up ceramic tweezers and proper wire cutters. I already have a drill and 3mm screw drivers.

As for the coils, I'll go with the eBay link mentioned earlier.. assortment of wire gauges for $17 seems pretty great to me for 700 ft.

Just looking for a decent ohm meter now.

Also, for the Muji cotton, I've heard mixed reviews on whether or not I should peel off the initial outer skin to use the cotton inside.. Anyone have any thoughts on whether or not I should do that?

Finally....

I haven't dived down into the whole ohms/wattage/resistance yet.. But does anyone have a site where there is sort of a one-stop shop to learn about it all?

Thank you! This site has really been great with a great community and really useful feedback!

Make sure to get Flush cutters, not just wire cutters, you need one side flat so it cuts where you place it not half a mm off, otherwise you end up with some wire sticking out where you don't want it.

Lots of different ways to do wicks, I use the Scottish roll method for most everything, which has me peeling one backing off but leaving the other on. When I was just cutting strips and wicking with that I'd peel both backings off just out of habit but I don't think it makes a big difference either way.

As for ohm's and all that jazz. This might be more than you need but it has a lot of good information and a worthwhile read for any vapor looking to enhance their understanding:

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/ohms-amps-watts-volts.201024/#post-977591 (look up a couple posts to Robot Zombie's long post) That's the simple thing that is more what you're looking for I think.

Here's the long one that's worth reading for a lot of different stuff:
http://vapingunderground.com/thread...-sick-clouds-bro-thread-sticky-edition.78126/

 

[rueric]

Thank you all for the great information! Will definitely do more reading up on everything!

 

[rueric]

Hello All!

Thank you everyone for your helpful words.
Would anyone know of a reputable retailer still selling the Boreas?
I've been looking at a few of the shops I've seen (and known to be US based, I want this quickly).

I've tried 101vape, vapenw, and a few more but they don't seem to be carrying them now.
I see one now from 3fvape but i wanted to try and see if A) They were authentic and B) is that the cheapest I can get it for? C) Are they US based so I don't have to wait 3 weeks for it.

Thank you!

 

[JERUS]

Hello All!

Thank you everyone for your helpful words.
Would anyone know of a reputable retailer still selling the Boreas?
I've been looking at a few of the shops I've seen (and known to be US based, I want this quickly).

I've tried 101vape, vapenw, and a few more but they don't seem to be carrying them now.
I see one now from 3fvape but i wanted to try and see if A) They were authentic and B) is that the cheapest I can get it for? C) Are they US based so I don't have to wait 3 weeks for it.

Thank you!

https://www.subtanksupply.com/boreas-rta-tank-by-augvape.html - subtanksupply, Free shipping, might be a discount code somewhere
https://www.eciggity.com/boreas-rta-by-augvape/ - located in Hawaii so probably a 3-4 day ship
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10020732/4744200-authentic-augvape-boreas-rta-rebuildable-tank - china, cheapest by far I've seen but you'll be waiting ~3 weeks or so.

Anyways, @roxynoodle she might know a code somewhere.

 

[rueric]

I saw and read (briefly) the 104+ pages of thread of the Boreas, @roxynoodle if you see this, I am very excited to try this!

 

[rueric]

@JERUS is 3FVape reputable?
http://www.3fvape.com/home/8770-aut...rex-glass-7ml-25mm-diameter.html#.VzSvJ3qvhXw

 

[roxynoodle]

I saw and read (briefly) the 104+ pages of thread of the Boreas, @roxynoodle if you see this, I am very excited to try this!

The code for Subtank Supply is TENOFF. For Eciggity it is reddit10.

 

[roxynoodle]

@JERUS is 3FVape reputable?
http://www.3fvape.com/home/8770-aut...rex-glass-7ml-25mm-diameter.html#.VzSvJ3qvhXw

I have always gotten good service from them. I've never needed a return or exchange though, so I can't tell you what they are like to deal with if you do.

 

[JERUS]

@JERUS is 3FVape reputable?
http://www.3fvape.com/home/8770-aut...rex-glass-7ml-25mm-diameter.html#.VzSvJ3qvhXw

Yup, them and Fasttech I use, I did Gearbest once, never again took forever, and I've heard that's the norm. 3fvape IMO is one of the better china sellers. Still going to take a week or so to hit the US, then pray it doesn't go into one of the black hole custom stations that let things sit there for weeks (LA office is terrible). Basically saying if you want it fast, the extra money is worthwhile if you want the deal and can wait a few weeks, then China is great.

 

[rueric]

Thank you @roxynoodle for the codes and @JERUS for the info! I didnt even realize 3fvape is from china -_-

Btw roxy, while you're here.. was there talk about a Boreasv2 coming out? The end of that Boreas thread seemed like it was going off-topic so I had stopped reading lol

 

[roxynoodle]

Thank you @roxynoodle for the codes and @JERUS for the info! I didnt even realize 3fvape is from china -_-

Btw roxy, while you're here.. was there talk about a Boreasv2 coming out? The end of that Boreas thread seemed like it was going off-topic so I had stopped reading lol

No, that is unlikely I think. If the FDA regs stand, for sure it won't happen.

 

[rueric]

I was having a talk with my co-worker yesterday about how the vaping industry is booming right now with innovation, and leave it to the FDA to walk in to squash all of the capitalism that the US is built on. Once they start to regulate it, a lot less competition and the advancements will slow down dramatically. Really a shame..