KFL+2, New Builder, and Ohms for Taste

[Emilie]

This Black Friday I went into my local B&M for their BOGO coil sale for my Nauties. They also had a special on KFL+ atties and I've been wanting to try rebuilding to future-proof my setup, so I was sucked in.

Anyway, they offered to build my first coil for me, and since they were so very busy, I didn't get a chance to see how it was done.

No big, plenty of tuts out there for rebuilding.

Well, my question is not how to build a coil (I used to wrap my own chain mail ring coils), but which is better for taste (I couldn't care less about clouds). Do I want to stay around the 1.5Ohms that they built for me, or do I want to go slightly down (not too far, I think the lowest my current APV will go is 1.3Ohms), or up?

I can hardly compare the taste I'm already getting out of my KFL+ that's at 1.5Ohms to the Nautilus BVC at 1.6Ohms. It's absolutely amazing the difference between the Glasso and this RTA.

I need to build my own coil for the KFL+2 that I received two days ago, and I want to make sure I'm getting the best flavor I can out of it.

I'm wicking with Organic Cotton, which apparently I can do better than the guy that wrapped my coil as his only lasted a couple of days while mine is lasting longer.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Lefty]

1.5 is generally the middle of the sweet spot on a single coil kayfun. With a regulated mod the difference between say 1.3 and 1.5 or 1.7 are negligible since you can dial the power up and down. With a mech you can use that to tweak your output to suit. The quality of your coil and in particular the wicking will do more for taste. As long as your coil is responsive and free of hot spots your biggest variable is wicking material, density and style. Organic cotton is probably the most popular choice and usually works well. You can experiment with others to suit your taste as they all have advocates and tastes vary.

 

[Emilie]

Thank you.

I'll keep it around the same readings I'm getting now.

The guy at the vape shop showed me how to re-wick my coil a couple of days later when I went in, but after only two more days I was getting burnt taste again. He was choking the juice with too tight of wicking. I then did it looser, and it was awesome flavor through and through, and it's already lasting longer with no burnt taste.

I was just curious about the rule of thumb on the relationship with Ohms and flavor.

Thanks!

 

[BoomStick]

What mod are you using? The build of the load needs to be paired with the power supply.

 

[M5amhan]

i use 28g kanthal with 7 wraps around 3/32 and that gets me 1.35 ohms. if u want to make sure it can fire on your mod do 8 wraps. i use organic cotton for wicking as well, not too loose not too tight. ive told other new builders about this for kayfun and they had great results, just make sure the juice channels arent blocked once you put on the chimney. use a small tool and just free it up

 

[Emilie]

What mod are you using? The build of the load needs to be paired with the power supply.

It's a ProVari Mini (2.5).

 

[Emilie]

i use 28g kanthal with 7 wraps around 3/32 and that gets me 1.35 ohms. if u want to make sure it can fire on your mod do 8 wraps. i use organic cotton for wicking as well, not too loose not too tight. ive told other new builders about this for kayfun and they had great results, just make sure the juice channels arent blocked once you put on the chimney. use a small tool and just free it up

Sounds great! Thanks!

I just received my 28g Kanthal, but then I read something that made me think I might need to go with a higher gauge. I'm pretty sure that's what the man at that vape shop told me he used, though.

How often do you need to re-wick? Turns out I needed to again today.

 

[M5amhan]

Sounds great! Thanks!

I just received my 28g Kanthal, but then I read something that made me think I might need to go with a higher gauge. I'm pretty sure that's what the man at that vape shop told me he used, though.

How often do you need to re-wick? Turns out I needed to again today.

depends on the juice. basically anything i vape (fruits, light deserts) i usually vape through 30ml, which is also when i change flavors, then i rewick. with something like a chocolate vape/dark juices i have to rewick after about 15ml if its a contact coil. i actually have to use spread out coils with the chocolate vapes/dark juices so itll taste good throughout the 30ml

 

[M5amhan]

readyxwick will last you as long as you need it to though if youre looking for longevity

 

[BoomStick]

With a volt limit of 6v and amp limit of 3.5a, a 1.7 ohm coil will allow use of all the available power. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 28 gauge wire would be my choice for that combo of devices. Shoot for 1.7 ohms and adjust voltage to what works best. Also, thicker juice needs larger diameter coils to keep up well with wicking. I wrap on a 7/64" drill bit for my max vg juice. Smaller coils allow for less wick and can't keep up when vaping my kayfun at about 17 watts.

 

[Emilie]

Thank you all for your help and suggestions.

It seems that my wicks are only lasting 2-3 days right now, or about 10-15ml. Maybe a little more.

I don't actually care about longevity, and actually need all the practice I can get right now (along with having all the time in the world), so changing often doesn't bother me. I was just wondering if I was doing things right or wrong.

It turns out that my wick lasted longer than the shop guy's wick, but only by about a day or so.

I vape 25 PG / 75 VG. Perhaps the coil is a little tight right now, but it's usually starting to taste burnt after getting pretty low in my tank. Today was different, though, and I had just recently filled my tank when I could taste the wick burning.

I'll shoot for a slightly bigger coil when I build mine, and I'll go for about 1.7Ohms. Thanks! At the moment I'm at about 4.2 Volts on a 1.5Ohm coil. I could probably go higher if I wanted to, but I'd probably dry my wick faster that way. It's not a micro-coil, but it's not huge, either.

This whole rebuilding thing surely is a lot more work than using Glassos, but I think the taste difference is certainly worth it! I also cut down to 1mg/ml strength from 2mg/ml.

 

[BoomStick]

A kayfun won't wick properly if you overfill it. It needs a certain amount of empty space in the tank or it gets locked up. With the right amount of fluid, proper diameter coil, and a good wick job it's a solid performer. Once you figure out a setup that works well for you, keeping it up and running becomes easy and doesn't require spending a bunch of time screwing with it. Then you'll have a reliable, low maintenance device that provides an amazing vape. You have a great mod to go with it too. Very nice combo.

 

[Emilie]

Thanks!

Yeah, I JUST discovered the too much juice bit. I overfilled it a few minutes ago, and what'dya know, burning wick. :|

As I said, I need the practice.

I need to go get a few drill bits. If I knew where my chain mail coil winding mandrels were, I'd use those, but perhaps they're a tad long, anyway.

I'm not sure how people can use the all-stainless tank with no window. I wouldn't want to re-wick every time I run out of juice, or is there something I'm missing?

 

[BoomStick]

I can usually tell when it's just about to run out. Sometimes I can hear the juice channels gurgling and sometimes I can taste the wick drying out. I run mine in all steel mode, but can see why most people use at least a clear middle tank section. I like the durability of all steel, but I'm gonna get a clear middle piece and try it out. I've been using mine for a while and still sometimes run it dry before I realize it needs filled.

 

[Emilie]

I'm definitely not at that point yet.

Something has happened, and now my juice is not wicking right at all. I've changed my wick three times today alone, and after only a few draws I get that burnt taste.

I don't *think* I'm blocking the juice channels, but I don't know for sure. I'm also not putting too much juice in. Actually, I'm putting about 3.5-4ml in.

What could be causing this? It's been near flawless until today, and my first re-wick lasted a LOT longer than this.

Help! What could I be doing wrong?

Thanks!

 

[BoomStick]

Coil diameter, juice channels, juice level and too much wick in the coil. Gotta be one. If you're sure it's not too full, maybe you put too much wick in the coil. If it's too tight it will choke the wick. I promise it gets easier as you work through it. Sometimes finding out what doesn't work is good. Better defines the working parameters. I'm invested now. Let us know how it goes. I love my Kayfun and would really hate it if you can't get it sorted out.

 

[Emilie]

I appreciate it! I really want to like these atties and excel at them.

I was pretty sure it had to do with the wick somehow as nothing else had changed other than juice level, and I was following the proper instructions on that, according to the shop that sold it to me. The only other thing I thought it might be was me ruining the coil somehow when pulling old wick out, but I don't think I've damaged it at all.

I re-wicked again, this time being very careful not to block my juice channels. I think it's working this time! Last time, no air was bubbling back up into my tank, but this time, small bubbles are rising a short time after drawing, as they always have before. I'm also not getting that burnt taste, so I think this one turned out okay (crossing fingers!).

I had to give it one more try tonight. I really didn't want to go back to my glassos!

 

[BoomStick]

Pulling bubbles is a good indicator the wicks are being fed. Good stuff. Hopefully the magic fairies don't mess it all up over night.

 

[Emilie]

So far so good.

 

[Emilie]

What do you find is about the amount these will hold when filled properly? I seem to be getting about 3.5-4ml. Does that sound right?

I know I'm WAY off topic now from my original...I just didn't think I should be starting all sorts of new threads.

 

[BoomStick]

If it's wicking, it's not over full. I haven't nailed down the exact amount it will hold and still wick. I usually don't go over 3ml, but that's just me being overly conservative. Going past 4 is probably entering lock up zone.

 

[Emilie]

Up until now, I've been filling my 3ml syringe to capacity when refilling, which is somewhere between 3.5-4ml of juice, with a little left in the tank (no idea how much). I'll not be doing that anymore, and simply add 3ml to my syringe when filling. That SHOULD put me around 3.5ml, maybe a little more, depending on exactly how much is left in my tank when I refill.

Thank you again for your help. I wasn't ready to give up completely yesterday, but I was certainly getting frustrated.

 

[BoomStick]

Glad you didn't give up. It's a great piece that is super easy to work with and very reliable once you get to know it.

 

[Emilie]

*Once you get to know it...

Yup, which is why I didn't want to give up on it. There are plenty of people that are perfectly happy with these atties, and I didn't want to let it get the better of me.

 

[M5amhan]

heres a protip for kayfuns and tanks in general. if you feel like you did everything right and still wick drys fast its bc the pressure is off. if you unscrew a section of the kayfun just enough to see some bubbles rise then screw it back down that pushes liquid into the chamber and gets the pressure right. even happens to me sometimes but its a quick easy fix. another way is plug the airholes and pull through the drip tip youll also see some bubbles come up and get the pressure right

 

[BoomStick]

I consider that working around a problem instead of correcting it. My Kayfun's afc is set to less than wide open, it's filled with max vg and I run it at 18 watts and can go higher without changing anything. No dry or burnt hits. The techniques you mentioned are temporary fixes in my opinion. Adjusting the setup would be a permanent fix.

 

[M5amhan]

I consider that working around a problem instead of correcting it. My Kayfun's afc is set to less than wide open, it's filled with max vg and I run it at 18 watts and can go higher without changing anything. No dry or burnt hits. The techniques you mentioned are temporary fixes in my opinion. Adjusting the setup would be a permanent fix.

no its pretty permanent for me, i do it once and the pressure is fixed for the rest of the tank. takes 3 seconds and when i refill the pressure is still good. if the build is off then yea fix it but sometimes you do everything right and the pressure just doesnt fall in place

 

[BoomStick]

I see what you mean. An initial pressure adjustment. I thought you meant continual pressure adjustments.

 

[InMyImage]

When rewicking I also like to dry burn the coils to burn off any gunk that has built up on them and is decreasing the performance and flavor of the coils.

 

[Emilie]

When rewicking I also like to dry burn the coils to burn off any gunk that has built up on them and is decreasing the performance and flavor of the coils.

I've been doing this, too.

All seem to be good suggestions so far, everyone. Keep 'em comin' if you have more!

 

[InMyImage]

BTW, how many wraps are on the top side of the coil currently in the build? There are several ways to get a 1.5 ohm build so if you have a build with a lot of wraps I find that you are most like to run dry. I'm finding that staying around 6-8 wraps works best for me.

 

[BoomStick]

if you have a build with a lot of wraps I find that you are most like to run dry. I'm finding that staying around 6-8 wraps works best for me.

Considering only coil length ignores many other factors that affect wicking performance. Coil diameter for example. Opening up that longer coil will allow for more wick and improve the wicks ability to keep up.

 

[Emilie]

I meant to count wraps the last time I re-wicked, but didn't. I believe he said around 6-8, though. Tightly coiled.

 

[InMyImage]

Considering only coil length ignores many other factors that affect wicking performance. Coil diameter for example. Opening up that longer coil will allow for more wick and improve the wicks ability to keep up.

Yes, sorry I was just thinking of the smaller coils. There are dynamics that come into play to find your sweet spot just like everything else.

I really was trying to make the point that in order to really give good advice we need to know what size the coil is and how many wraps.

 

[Emilie]

Around a 7/64" mandrel, I'm getting that I should have 8 wraps to get 1.7Ohms. If I follow this, should I coil tightly, or leave it a little loose? Meaning, should I leave a little space between the individual wraps, or should they be touching?

 

[BoomStick]

Contact coil. Touching.

 

[Emilie]

Contact coil. Touching.

Thank you. That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure.

 

[BoomStick]

Added picture.

 

[Emilie]

Added picture.

I appreciate it!

This coil is fine for now, but I want to build my other KFL+2, though I should probably wait until I get my new flavorings.

Or maybe I should just rebuild this one...I'll think about it.

 

[Emilie]

I just found out that I have 3/32" drill bits, but this cheap set didn't come with a 7/64", even though it came with a 5/64" and a 9/64". :/

The roads are kinda icy right now, so I'll get one tomorrow.

I wish I knew where my chain mail mandrels were.

 

[BoomStick]

I use a 7/64 bit with max vg. A 3/32 bit with 75/25 vg/pg should be fine if the wicking job is good.

 

[Emilie]

I use a 7/64 bit with max vg. A 3/32 bit with 75/25 vg/pg should be fine if the wicking job is good.

That's just it. I was talking all big-and-mighty about my wicking after my first, but then had several failures. I don't trust my wicking ability quite yet, but then again, I COULD use practice with building vaping coils and using my meter.

 

[InMyImage]

And then just when you are looking forward to vaping a new wick that you got just right and put together your KFL+, fill it up let it sit for just a short bit and then hit it and here the voop in the chamber as your wick goes up in flames because you forget to wet it out in the chamber! DOH!!!

 

[Emilie]

I bet that's tasty!

The few times I did burn my wick, I got a little light-headed and my lips felt like they were coated with something...is this normal (when it happens)?

Sorry, I'm sure it's a stupid question...

 

[Emilie]

readyxwick will last you as long as you need it to though if youre looking for longevity

Longevity, great, but what about taste? I'm seeing mixed reviews on taste on RBA.

Would anyone else recommend this wick?

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm really thinking about ordering some.

 

[InMyImage]

As for any residue on you lips after burning a cotton wick, if you burn one on purpose with just the deck on the mod, you'll actually see it sort of puff out. The residue is most likely ash combined with a bit of sensation that something is there that isn't because of the woosh of air that comes with the small fire that happens in the chamber briefly

As for taste with wicks, you will see people on both sides of that argument for every single wicking material there is. Wicking material is like juice, everyone's tastes are different so even though you can listen to the suggestions of other, don't just assume that it will be the same for you until you try it, so make sure you don't buy in bulk unless there just isn't much (or any sometimes) cost difference or you might get burned if you are disappointed. Although you can always use it as a contribution to a PIF box if you ever join one of them.

Just search for "pif box" to find the recent ones that are going on or collecting names and stay up to date on the status of new ones that pop up.

 

[BoomStick]

I prefer wicking material that comes from dirt. Some don't mind synthetic materials, I do. I'm not relying on science for this opinion, just what makes me comfortable. I have no issues with my drug store, organic cotton.

 

[UncleRJ]

One little trick you can try if needed.

You can always back off the bottom of the chimney assembly by about a half a turn to open the wick to more E-Liquid.

I know it sound funny but it actually does work rather well.

 

[M5amhan]

Longevity, great, but what about taste? I'm seeing mixed reviews on taste on RBA.

Would anyone else recommend this wick?

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm really thinking about ordering some.

its properly treated ceramic wick, similar to what is used in aspire BVC coils (i think?) but more like a premium version of what they use

 

[Emilie]

I ordered a foot of the 3mm ReadyxWick. I'll give it a shot, anyway.

I also now have a 7/64" bit to wrap some coils on.