Hi Vaping Underground members, In this review i take a look at the Layercake RDA from District F5VE. The Layercake RDA was supplied for the purpose of this review by Neil from District F5VE.
https://www.districtf5ve.com/collections...r-cake-rda
Introduction
The Layercake is the follow up of the much praised Cosmonaut RDA and gets it's name from both the stacked vice style deck and the outside having a beauty ring between the top and bottom sections of the sleeve. After some initial rumblings from people that due to not taking care when fixing their coils in place the Layercake's design had nothing to stop one of your coil legs being fixed while in contact with the central screw (after using the Layercake and doing a couple of builds beyond me why any of your legs would be positioned close to the screw anyway) and shorting the RDA, and to District F5VE's credit they have done a fix by having two raised lips on the insulator to stop this from being possible. As well as an easy build and super aesthetics innovation has been provided in the form of the insulator material used called "Ceramisteel" which has an higher melting point than most metals and is stronger than any other insulator currently in the marketplace. So let's give the Layercake RDA a good look.
In The Box
I was sent a second 2 piece 810 drip tip from their "ONE" range which is as understated yet classy looking as the Layercake itself, i switched to this drip tip when using the RDA before changing drip tips again for reasons you will need to continue reading to find out why.
https://www.districtf5ve.com/collections...ip-ss-base
Contents:
1x District F5VE Layercake RDA
2 piece 810 drip tip
1x Gold Beauty Ring
1x Black Beauty Ring
1x Graphite Beauty Ring
1x Gold Plated Squonk Pin
1x Gold Plated 510 Pin
1x Allen tool
5x O-Rings
1x Extra Post Screw
Coil position guide
Picture before insulator lips added to prevent coil legs contacting centre screw.
Aesthetics
The Layercake arrived in a small very understated cardboard box and when i opened it i was met by the nicest looking RDA i have seen to date which is 24mm in diameter and very short. I received the Black version which has a high quality Matte Black finish and central glossy Black beauty ring, the top and bottom sections of the sleeve when knowing the name of the RDA are the top and bottom layers of the cake with the beauty ring being the filling. The Layercake is also available Stainless Steel and Graphite colours with the Graphite coming with a glossy Graphite beauty ring to break up the Matte finish and the Stainless Silver version i believe has a Gold beauty ring, i assume it's Gold has included with the Layercake are two extra beauty rings and the other colours i received were Graphite and Gold. The drip tip is a very low profile, wide bore, 2 piece 810 which is 2 toned and just adds to the understated beauty of this RDA, the Layercake has dual airflow slots which are quite long but very narrow. Moving to the base we have branding and the famous saying "LET THEM EAT CAKE", the Layercake comes pre-installed with a protruding, Gold plated BF pin. The Build quality is quite stunning and has a very classy look about it.
Layercake Specs and Features:
24mm Diameter
Stainless Steel & Aluminium Construction
Low Profile Design For Improved Flavor
Single Screw Clamp Style Deck
Accommodates Single & Dual Coil Configurations
Proprietary Ceramisteel Insulator
Withstands Temperatures up to 1000ºC With Tensile Strength Of Steel
Large Phillips Head Screw
Dual Adjustable Side Airflow
10mm by 1.3mm Airflow Slots
Single & Dual Coil Compatibility
Signature Airflow
810 Wide Bore Drip Tip
9.5mm Inner Bore Diameter
Internal Sleeve O-Rings
Squonk Mod Compatible
Gold Plated Pin
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Black, Graphite
The Airflow
The outer sleeve is in two parts that meet half way up the RDA where the top section goes inside the bottom section secured by 2 o-rings. The bottom section has two sections (one either side) cut out the edge of the sleeve which matches the size of the airflow slots in the top section. The top section of the sleeve has airflow slots on 3 sides, you turn the top to line up the slots with the cutouts on the bottom section (when the two sleeve halves are together the beauty ring complete the cutouts on the bottom section making them slots to match the slots on the upper half) to open the airflow both sides. If you continue turning the middle airflow slot on the top section comes into play lining up with one of the bottom cutouts to have airflow just one side making the Layercake suitable for a single or dual build. The airflow is quite low and will give mainly side but a bit of bottom also. The chamber is very low with a domed shape and the airflow slot's while quite long to cover the full length of the coil are quite narrow, this is telling me this RDA is about flavour even if the deck will allow for cloud chasing builds if that's your thing.
The Deck and Build
The build couldn't be any easier, the deck has a central section made up of base plate, on top of that a thick insulator plate and then a top plate which are held in a stacked position by a single central screw. Unscrew the screw to loosen the plates and allow for vertical separation then just place one coil in the required position and trim your legs, then do the same with your other coil if you are doing a dual build. Now that your coil legs are the correct size place both coils in position making sure that one leg from each coil is between the bottom plate and the insulator plate and the other is between the insulator and the top plate, then simply tighten the screw. I found the coils where positioned pretty much perfectly but if needed you can manipulate them into a better position with a coiling rod or fit for purpose utensil. I wicked as i would any other RDA but made sure i allowed for a flow of liquid around the wicks, don't suffocate the deck. The Layercake comes pre-installed with a BF pin which i find a strange choice because it has a very shallow juice well and low airflow so although i found out if your not over zealous it works ok on a squonk device it's not the most squonk friendly RDA.
Setting The Airflow
When you screw the RDA onto your device you need to check the airflow slots are lined up with your coils as the bottom section of the sleeve tends to turn out of position. Turn the bottom and line the airflow up correctly then it's fine unless you take the RDA off the device. When adjusting the airflow by turning the top section of the sleeve make sure you hold the bottom section else again the bottom section can turn slightly and need realigning.
Review Continued Below:
https://www.districtf5ve.com/collections...r-cake-rda
Introduction
The Layercake is the follow up of the much praised Cosmonaut RDA and gets it's name from both the stacked vice style deck and the outside having a beauty ring between the top and bottom sections of the sleeve. After some initial rumblings from people that due to not taking care when fixing their coils in place the Layercake's design had nothing to stop one of your coil legs being fixed while in contact with the central screw (after using the Layercake and doing a couple of builds beyond me why any of your legs would be positioned close to the screw anyway) and shorting the RDA, and to District F5VE's credit they have done a fix by having two raised lips on the insulator to stop this from being possible. As well as an easy build and super aesthetics innovation has been provided in the form of the insulator material used called "Ceramisteel" which has an higher melting point than most metals and is stronger than any other insulator currently in the marketplace. So let's give the Layercake RDA a good look.
In The Box
I was sent a second 2 piece 810 drip tip from their "ONE" range which is as understated yet classy looking as the Layercake itself, i switched to this drip tip when using the RDA before changing drip tips again for reasons you will need to continue reading to find out why.
https://www.districtf5ve.com/collections...ip-ss-base
Contents:
1x District F5VE Layercake RDA
2 piece 810 drip tip
1x Gold Beauty Ring
1x Black Beauty Ring
1x Graphite Beauty Ring
1x Gold Plated Squonk Pin
1x Gold Plated 510 Pin
1x Allen tool
5x O-Rings
1x Extra Post Screw
Coil position guide
Picture before insulator lips added to prevent coil legs contacting centre screw.
Aesthetics
The Layercake arrived in a small very understated cardboard box and when i opened it i was met by the nicest looking RDA i have seen to date which is 24mm in diameter and very short. I received the Black version which has a high quality Matte Black finish and central glossy Black beauty ring, the top and bottom sections of the sleeve when knowing the name of the RDA are the top and bottom layers of the cake with the beauty ring being the filling. The Layercake is also available Stainless Steel and Graphite colours with the Graphite coming with a glossy Graphite beauty ring to break up the Matte finish and the Stainless Silver version i believe has a Gold beauty ring, i assume it's Gold has included with the Layercake are two extra beauty rings and the other colours i received were Graphite and Gold. The drip tip is a very low profile, wide bore, 2 piece 810 which is 2 toned and just adds to the understated beauty of this RDA, the Layercake has dual airflow slots which are quite long but very narrow. Moving to the base we have branding and the famous saying "LET THEM EAT CAKE", the Layercake comes pre-installed with a protruding, Gold plated BF pin. The Build quality is quite stunning and has a very classy look about it.
Layercake Specs and Features:
24mm Diameter
Stainless Steel & Aluminium Construction
Low Profile Design For Improved Flavor
Single Screw Clamp Style Deck
Accommodates Single & Dual Coil Configurations
Proprietary Ceramisteel Insulator
Withstands Temperatures up to 1000ºC With Tensile Strength Of Steel
Large Phillips Head Screw
Dual Adjustable Side Airflow
10mm by 1.3mm Airflow Slots
Single & Dual Coil Compatibility
Signature Airflow
810 Wide Bore Drip Tip
9.5mm Inner Bore Diameter
Internal Sleeve O-Rings
Squonk Mod Compatible
Gold Plated Pin
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Black, Graphite
The Airflow
The outer sleeve is in two parts that meet half way up the RDA where the top section goes inside the bottom section secured by 2 o-rings. The bottom section has two sections (one either side) cut out the edge of the sleeve which matches the size of the airflow slots in the top section. The top section of the sleeve has airflow slots on 3 sides, you turn the top to line up the slots with the cutouts on the bottom section (when the two sleeve halves are together the beauty ring complete the cutouts on the bottom section making them slots to match the slots on the upper half) to open the airflow both sides. If you continue turning the middle airflow slot on the top section comes into play lining up with one of the bottom cutouts to have airflow just one side making the Layercake suitable for a single or dual build. The airflow is quite low and will give mainly side but a bit of bottom also. The chamber is very low with a domed shape and the airflow slot's while quite long to cover the full length of the coil are quite narrow, this is telling me this RDA is about flavour even if the deck will allow for cloud chasing builds if that's your thing.
The Deck and Build
The build couldn't be any easier, the deck has a central section made up of base plate, on top of that a thick insulator plate and then a top plate which are held in a stacked position by a single central screw. Unscrew the screw to loosen the plates and allow for vertical separation then just place one coil in the required position and trim your legs, then do the same with your other coil if you are doing a dual build. Now that your coil legs are the correct size place both coils in position making sure that one leg from each coil is between the bottom plate and the insulator plate and the other is between the insulator and the top plate, then simply tighten the screw. I found the coils where positioned pretty much perfectly but if needed you can manipulate them into a better position with a coiling rod or fit for purpose utensil. I wicked as i would any other RDA but made sure i allowed for a flow of liquid around the wicks, don't suffocate the deck. The Layercake comes pre-installed with a BF pin which i find a strange choice because it has a very shallow juice well and low airflow so although i found out if your not over zealous it works ok on a squonk device it's not the most squonk friendly RDA.
Setting The Airflow
When you screw the RDA onto your device you need to check the airflow slots are lined up with your coils as the bottom section of the sleeve tends to turn out of position. Turn the bottom and line the airflow up correctly then it's fine unless you take the RDA off the device. When adjusting the airflow by turning the top section of the sleeve make sure you hold the bottom section else again the bottom section can turn slightly and need realigning.
Review Continued Below: