I need coil rebuilding advice

[Blade]

I just ordered my first upgrade, a Protank clone. It will sit on an eGo 1100mah straight voltage battery for now. Anyways, I plan on building my own coils for it to save money. My question is, what guage wire should I use and what size wicks? Also, is organic oderless bamboo wicks any good?

 

[Huckleberried]

Can't say much about the bamboo. I either had the wrong kind, which was kind of earthy tasting and had to be boiled a few times, or I just didn't care for it. I use rayon for wick now, but I also liked cotton. I was using 100% cotton yarn, or cotton balls prior to rayon.

With my protanks I use 32 gauge wire, or 30. Not much room in those for wraps, lol.

 

[Blade]

Can't say much about the bamboo. I either had the wrong kind, which was kind of earthy tasting and had to be boiled a few times, or I just didn't care for it. I use rayon for wick now, but I also liked cotton. I was using 100% cotton yarn, or cotton balls prior to rayon.

With my protanks I use 32 gauge wire, or 30. Not much room in those for wraps, lol.

I'll try rayon and 30 guage wire. Thank you!

 

[Huckleberried]

This post shows the number on the box (near the top right corner of the picture. If you've not used rayon, it's a helpful thread, too.

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/rayon-question.44296/#post-249624

 

[Pauly Walnuts]

Cotton and 30ga worked the best for me. I started with 32, then 30, but 28 was too thick for the little pt coils.
If you don't want to boil bags of cotton balls, the Japanese cotton is everywhere now.
I had the best luck wrapping around 1\16 dril bits YMMV.

 

[Blade]

This post shows the number on the box (near the top right corner of the picture. If you've not used rayon, it's a helpful thread, too.

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/rayon-question.44296/#post-249624

I've never built a coil or anything like that, but I've found some pretty good tutorial videos on Youtube.

 

[Huckleberried]

I did well with the Youtube videos, myself. I read a bunch, looked at a ton of tutorials. I've used 1/16 like Pauly mentioned, 5/64 drill bit and a 4-40 machine screw. Of those, I like the 5/64 bit. I have bad eyes, lol. I ordered a coiler from FT, but that'll be a while before it gets here. Just thought I'd see how it does.

 

[Huckleberried]

@Blade, do you have an ohm meter? You need to get one to check the resistance before you fire one up. Be safe.

 

[Blade]

@Blade, do you have an ohm meter? You need to get one to check the resistance before you fire one up. Be safe.

Don't have one of those. Are they cheap? I'll check Ebay.

 

[Huckleberried]

I think I paid about $12 for mine, can't recall. I got one from Discount Vapers, though they're pretty much sold by most vendors. You definitely need one, or a multimeter (haven't used one of those, surely someone here has).

 

[Pauly Walnuts]

Multimeters are tricky and take some getting used to. I have two and neither gives the correct ohms. They are great for all sorts of things, especially battery voltage testing, but not so much for someone just learning how to rebuild.
Id get the ohm meter.

 

[Blade]

I think I paid about $12 for mine, can't recall. I got one from Discount Vapers, though they're pretty much sold by most vendors. You definitely need one, or a multimeter (haven't used one of those, surely someone here has).

Looks like I can't afford one right now. Is there something I can do to build a coil safely without an ohm meter for now?

 

[Jaaxx]

You can use a multimeter, but there is a trick unless you have a high end one with a REL or Delta function for ohm readings. Set the meter to read ohms, then touch the leads together and note the result. Then you read the coil and subtract that result from the reading to get the "true" number.
This method simply takes the resistance of the meters lead wire out of the equation and gives a much more accurate result.

 

[Huckleberried]

@Blade, I personally don't recommend using a coil that isn't tested. If you have access to a multimeter and follow @Jaaxx's suggestion, you should be fine.

 

[Blade]

You can use a multimeter, but there is a trick unless you have a high end one with a REL or Delta function for ohm readings. Set the meter to read ohms, then touch the leads together and note the result. Then you read the coil and subtract that result from the reading to get the "true" number.
This method simply takes the resistance of the meters lead wire out of the equation and gives a much more accurate result.

Found a multimeter for a really good price, but which setting do I turn the knob to? Keep in mind I'm a vaping noob and know nothing about ohm and whatnot.

 

[Jaaxx]

 

[BigNasty]

OK for rebuilding mom's beloved protank.. which I absolfuckinglutely hate...
I have a pink based luer lock blunt needle that is the perfect diameter to fit in the portank base.
I take a single turn of kanthal 34 ga. fold it in half and roll a 8 wrap parallel coil and seat it in the atty base, a tiny tug of Japanese cotton that I have cut down for her attys since I loathe it in my rda.
Comes out to a 1.6 and she loves it.

 

[Jaaxx]

My wife loved her protanks and aerotanks. I hated rebuilding them! I'm an orchid guy, so I set her up with one and she loves it now. The upside is that with her vaping habits I only re-wick her every couple of weeks and recoil every two months! Sweet.

 

[Jaaxx]

Caveat: Her orchid has a top fill cap otherwise it would have been a deal breaker. She would never use a screwdriver every time she needed a refill.

 

[Blade]

Ok, on that setting there are other settings, like 200k, 20k, and so on. Which one do I use?

 

[Blade]

OK for rebuilding mom's beloved protank.. which I absolfuckinglutely hate...
I have a pink based luer lock blunt needle that is the perfect diameter to fit in the portank base.
I take a single turn of kanthal 34 ga. fold it in half and roll a 8 wrap parallel coil and seat it in the atty base, a tiny tug of Japanese cotton that I have cut down for her attys since I loathe it in my rda.
Comes out to a 1.6 and she loves it.

Huh?

 

[BigNasty]

Huh?

OK the pink luer lock blunt tip is an 18 ga needle. Fits perfectly in the slot on the protank coil base without crowding the sides and bottoming out on the silicone spacer.
34 ga wire about a foot or so gives you plenty of wiggle room, fold it in half and tightly wrap the parallel coil. Gives you double the surface area, acts like a dual coil in a single coil atty.

 

[Blade]

OK the pink luer lock blunt tip is an 18 ga needle. Fits perfectly in the slot on the protank coil base without crowding the sides and bottoming out on the silicone spacer.
34 ga wire about a foot or so gives you plenty of wiggle room, fold it in half and tightly wrap the parallel coil. Gives you double the surface area, acts like a dual coil in a single coil atty.

I have alot to learn.

 

[Blade]

Also, what ohm am I trying to achieve?

 

[BigNasty]

Also, what ohm am I trying to achieve?

1.2ish and above.
http://www.steam-engine.org/coil.asp

 

[Huckleberried]

I like a 2.2 - 2.5 ohm. I take longer draws. Lower ohms to me burn up too fast. Shorter draw would work fine for lower.

 

[manson]

You can use a multimeter, but there is a trick unless you have a high end one with a REL or Delta function for ohm readings. Set the meter to read ohms, then touch the leads together and note the result. Then you read the coil and subtract that result from the reading to get the "true" number.
This method simply takes the resistance of the meters lead wire out of the equation and gives a much more accurate result.

I'm using my Fluke and read .2 ohms when I touch leads. in all my mistaken stupidity why shouldn't this reading be "added" to the ohm measurement of the atty ?

 

[Blade]

Thanks for all the help, hopefully nothing explodes

 

[Huckleberried]

LOL, Well, I hope not, too! As long as you follow the videos you've selected, and the suggestions here, you should be fine. Just be sure that when you fire it to check it, that there's not cotton or rayon in it yet! Unless, of course, it's loaded up in your tank with juice, LOL.

 

[Blade]

Dry fire with no wick right? And saturate the wick before use?

 

[Huckleberried]

Correct. Saturating the wick before use does help, but not essential, if you forget.

 

[Blade]

Thank you for being patient with my noobyness lol

 

[BigNasty]

easiest noobness to endure so far.
Not like you are arguing about low amp batteries and sub ohming on them.

 

[Huckleberried]

Thank you for being patient with my noobyness lol

No worries. I didn't start using an ecig because I knew how to build coils. One of these days, you'll be on the opposite side of the discussion, yourself! It's all good.

 

[Jaaxx]

I'm using my Fluke and read .2 ohms when I touch leads. in all my mistaken stupidity why shouldn't this reading be "added" to the ohm measurement of the atty ?

That means the leads themselves have .2 ohms of resistance. So when you measure the coil the meter itself is adding the coil resistance to that number, so you must subtract out the lead's resistance. ie.- If your leads are .2 and you measure a 1.4 ohm coil the meter will show 1.6. Hope that makes sense.

 

[manson]

Yes it does. Thanks for pointing my mistaken stupidity in the right direction.

 

[Jaaxx]

Not stupidity. It is sooooo easy to get twisted thinking about this stuff. If it weren't for the fact that I've been building guitar amps for years I would be screwed thinking about it. Thankfully no-one needs to know the fundamentals of electronics to do this. Just the specific rules are enough to get by.

 

[BigNasty]

Not stupidity. It is sooooo easy to get twisted thinking about this stuff. If it weren't for the fact that I've been building guitar amps for years I would be screwed thinking about it. Thankfully no-one needs to know the fundamentals of electronics to do this. Just the specific rules are enough to get by.

Try explaining it to a luddite.. enjoys vaping just don't care how it is done as long as it vapes.

 

[manson]

I do complete overhauls on commercial and residential refrigeration. PCB's, sealed system. How could i have not known this ? I must return to to my electrical bible. Once again....thank you for holding my hand and guiding me towards the light. Sometimes when you think you know something and stare at it for hours and still can't figure it, out an outside opinion with a big mouth is exactly what you need to point you in a different but correct direction.

 

[Blade]

LOL, Well, I hope not, too! As long as you follow the videos you've selected, and the suggestions here, you should be fine. Just be sure that when you fire it to check it, that there's not cotton or rayon in it yet! Unless, of course, it's loaded up in your tank with juice, LOL.

Should I be doing anything with the rayon before installing it in the coil? My vape taste weird now.

 

[Huckleberried]

Make sure your hands are clean before you twist up the end of it and thread it through. Skin oils or gunk can transfer to the wick pretty easily. That's a common one, and the first thing that came to mind. Don't OVER stuff the coil. Once you get used to the amount to use, it'll be easier. Of course, too little, and it'll leak easily.

Rayon doesn't boil well, so don't do that. That's a tip I got from AmandaD.

 

[Blade]

Make sure your hands are clean before you twist up the end of it and thread it through. Skin oils or gunk can transfer to the wick pretty easily. That's a common one, and the first thing that came to mind. Don't OVER stuff the coil. Once you get used to the amount to use, it'll be easier. Of course, too little, and it'll leak easily.

Rayon doesn't boil well, so don't do that. That's a tip I got from AmandaD.

Yeah I was using too much in the coil, thank you.

 

[Huckleberried]

Glad it was an easy fix for you, Blade.


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