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I can’t remember 100% but I think the cat tracks I used to make were 8-10 strands of 32ga
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
So just line them up like any multi core coil? Any tips for that. I've got a key ring to give it a shot but will find something better if necessary. I'm probably not gonna try today just pre game info.I can’t remember 100% but I think the cat tracks I used to make were 8-10 strands of 32ga
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
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Cat tracks are forgiving as hell since if you did have a couple crossovers in the process of claptoning, that can be remedied during the process of tapping the wire flat. You just work from one end of the wire going slowly and using a rounded or domed faced object to tap it with on any kind of anvil you can make due with and that process lines everything up even if it crosses during the Clapton process. After that process I washed the hell out of the wire and torched it, but I think that’s when I was using Kanthal so I’m not sure if the torching would be necessary with N80 or Stainless.
Edit: I just taped both ends of the group of cores like I do any fused core build. No special technique
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Edit: I just taped both ends of the group of cores like I do any fused core build. No special technique
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Actually just looked back in the picture archives of mine and found my pics of making Cat Tracks...if your sticks look janky as hell before you wrap them into coils, you didn’t do anything wrong...the process gets ugly before it gets nice looking:
Date stamp on those were Dec 26, 2015...I should try building those again and see if I can do better...
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Date stamp on those were Dec 26, 2015...I should try building those again and see if I can do better...
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
CrazyChef v2.0
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Very nice work fellas 
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nice post @ScReWbALL 
@Wtmke1 there are different styles of cat track. the twisted messes tutorial on youtube shows him using a smaller number of larger cores (i think his was 8 x 30 or something), but other people like to use more strands of smaller wire (@CrazyChef v2.0 does 30 x 38 for example). dont stress too much about cores being parallel, just do your clapton wraps a little looser than normal and they should mostly straighten out during the hammer-time. if your clapton is too tight, it will barely flatten out the wire...also, make sure your chosen clapton wrap is a larger wire than your cores by a few gauges...
to save some time, i like to put a hook (like a ceiling hook/wall hook for hanging things) into my drill chuck, and then wrap my chosen core wire right off the spool, in one continuous loop from that hook to my swivels until i get the amount of cores i want. just make sure there is even tension on it the whole time (clamp your drill down so you have two hands free and no worry it will tip over and fuck you up). once you get the desired amount of cores between your swivel and drill, just clapton it like anything else. the build is one of the easier 'fancy' builds, but the hammering is time consuming. good luck, and post your pics
@Wtmke1 there are different styles of cat track. the twisted messes tutorial on youtube shows him using a smaller number of larger cores (i think his was 8 x 30 or something), but other people like to use more strands of smaller wire (@CrazyChef v2.0 does 30 x 38 for example). dont stress too much about cores being parallel, just do your clapton wraps a little looser than normal and they should mostly straighten out during the hammer-time. if your clapton is too tight, it will barely flatten out the wire...also, make sure your chosen clapton wrap is a larger wire than your cores by a few gauges...
to save some time, i like to put a hook (like a ceiling hook/wall hook for hanging things) into my drill chuck, and then wrap my chosen core wire right off the spool, in one continuous loop from that hook to my swivels until i get the amount of cores i want. just make sure there is even tension on it the whole time (clamp your drill down so you have two hands free and no worry it will tip over and fuck you up). once you get the desired amount of cores between your swivel and drill, just clapton it like anything else. the build is one of the easier 'fancy' builds, but the hammering is time consuming. good luck, and post your pics
Ipv3li, lol. It met an untimely end bouncing off the floor in the entryway of my house. And I think that was a Mutation X v3 I was using, too.
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
I still have my ipv3. Been thinking of getting rid of it lately. Can't even remember the last time I used it.
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Heavyyyy :/ you need one of Raymo's gizmos lol
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Sorry for the slightly blurred coil pic. My phone is a POS, lol.
it took most of a spool of 36 with it too
sucked it right out of my hand and all over the place instantly....its pretty much a promise of catastrophe at those speeds (making decore at full tilt) if something breaks or gets stuck. got to get some of those metal clamps asap.
KingPin!
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What’s the build Roo?Nothing fancy here. Finally picked a Goon today so I just wanted to post a few pics to share. Gave the coils a bit too much glow and lost my colors but oh well. Tastes great and that's what matters.
KingPin!
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it took most of a spool of 36 with it too
While your waiting for a new batch to be made mate grab a hand vice from amazon gets the job done and it’s relatively cheap
Derp, yeah I guess I forgot to mention that, lol.
Using SS wire from AVS. It's 30X4 core with a 40GA Clapton. 8 wraps on a 3mm bit .2ohms @85W in TC at 425. Keeping the temp down for now because I was recently in meds that dehydrated the hell out me so my throat feels like the desert. I was surprised at how much flavor and vapor came out of the goon at just 425. Man, I absolutely love this thing and can't wait to crank the temp back to 500.
If anyone has tips or advice I'm all ears. I love tinkering and want to continue to get better. This shit is fun!
KingPin!
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Have you ever tried some of the other types of builds? Braids, aliens staples etc? They are fun and the next natural progression from clapton fusing
I love ribbon personally can’t beat a good framed staple the flavour and vapour production is very impressive
I've shied away from the braids because they look like they would spit back like twisted. Am I wrong in thinking that?
Been wanting to try framed staples badly. Probably should have picked some up when I ordered the spooled Clapton wire. Definitely next on my list. Would like to work with a thicker wire than what I'm working with now. I started spacing the wraps because the wire is a bit springy and a few times when I'd go to pinch them after pulsing one wrap would start to slide over the one next to it.
KingPin!
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Erm on the braid front possibly think it depends on the type you choose and how well it’s done not as smooth as a staple though
I’d say start with 28g frames and 0.4 x 0.1 ribbon start with those two easiest to work with I find anyway...oh I should add I use 36 or 38g wrap
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How much VG is in your juice? I braided some 32awg and no spitting for me, very high VG here though, 85% and up
Torching and stretching it should kill any hot spots
I'll have to give both a try. The framed staples I have my eye run a lower resistance than I prefer due to being all SS but nothing wrong with giving them a shot. Might have to look into something made with Kanthal to bump the resistance up.
The juices I currently have are between 70-80% VG so I'm thinking spit back could be a problem. I had tried twisted coils in an rta last fall and absolutely hated them because of the low resistance made the spit back very hot. I do have my eye on a spooled wire that's triple twisted with a Clapton wire wrapped around them. Thinking the Clapton will help alleviate the spit back. Plus the resistance of the wire is in the range I prefer.
I usually space my coils so I really don't have to deal with hot spots. Really like the flavor and cooler vape from spaced coils.
KingPin!
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Yeah can be tricky with all SS builds...I use a mix n match approach kanthal ribbon, SS frames and N80 wrap for dual coil anyway
I'll have to keep this combination in mind for my dual coil builds. Only thing is I prefer to use TC to help keep the vape cool to warm. I spent too many years in bars watching bands, guzzling beer and chain smoking so the hotter vapes are too much for my throat. A wuss I am, erm.
KingPin!
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Ahh in that case aliens! Or remove the frames and just go ribbon on the staple, can try 0.3 it’s a bitch to work with though at least for me
KingPin!
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Please mate! Poxy stuff pisses me off no end
Gimme a few minutes and I'll upload some pics and explanation, I'm not saying "this" is the definitive way, this has just allowed me to be able to stack ribbon and not have it fall apart.
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The is awesome! Cannot express enough how much I appreciate the help and advice. This board has sped up my learning curve big time. So happy I chose to join VU! You all rock!!!
I like to pull my wire straight to start with and cut all pieces next to each other. Then I find the middle and with my index on top and my thumb at the edge pull the ribbon over the edge and off. At this point I just let the ribbon fall. Then whilst still pinching the ribbon with my right to keep it aligned I'll fold it downwards with my left and grab the left hand side of the stack. From there I pinch again with my right hand at the top, where the bend is, and fold the ribbon gently downwards again.
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When the ribbon is pinched downwards I then grab the 2 halves of the stack, quite firmly with my left hand, and pinch them together again with my right. Hold the bent part of the ribbon as the different angles the ribbon hangs at from bending helps to align it properly. Then when it's all stacked, I'll wrap a piece of ribbon around and hold it tightly with my remaining fingers and pinch down pretty hard. The I'll glue this point. After stick a piece of ribbon as a slider just behind this using the same method of keeping the ribbon slider tight with your remaining fingers and then pinch. Don't pinch too tightly on this as it will restrict you being able to slide the ribbon down the stack.
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After the ribbon slider is done cut the ends off the ribbon stack as there is usually a bit of jankiness from grabbing and straightening. Then put your thumb and finger tightly between the ribbon that's been glued and the ribbon slider and slide the ribbon towards the end. Once it's at the end I like to put my thumb back where I started, pinch down and slide the ribbon through my finger and thumb to make sure there's no loose wire. Bring it up just behind the ribbon slider you pushed down the wire, dab of hot glue and release. That's my usual method. If you find the ribbon is loose after gluing the end you can always heat up the glue and slide you're finger and thumb down the length to tighten it up and when it dries its sorted. Hope this helps @KingPin! la, and anyone else who's having trouble with ribbon. .2 I just use the same method but as I said because of the width and height it's a little bit more finicky.
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KingPin!
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After the ribbon slider is done cut the ends off the ribbon stack as there is usually a bit of jankiness from grabbing and straightening. Then put your thumb and finger tightly between the ribbon that's been glued and the ribbon slider and slide the ribbon towards the end. Once it's at the end I like to put my thumb back where I started, pinch down and slide the ribbon through my finger and thumb to make sure there's no loose wire. Bring it up just behind the ribbon slider you pushed down the wire, dab of hot glue and release. That's my usual method. If you find the ribbon is loose after gluing the end you can always heat up the glue and slide you're finger and thumb down the length to tighten it up and when it dries its sorted. Hope this helps @KingPin! la, and anyone else who's having trouble with ribbon. .2 I just use the same method but as I said because of the width and height it's a little bit more finicky.
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Rage you’re a star thanks so much for taking the time to write that lot up the next time I build I’ll try this with my 0.3 and I’ll name the coil the Karmic!
You're welcome la, I don't know how to put writing under the pictures so I hope I explained it well enough. Just keep us updated with how you get on and any hiccups I'll try help you out
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You're welcome la, I don't know how to put writing under the pictures so I hope I explained it well enough. Just keep us updated with how you get on and any hiccups I'll try help you out
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Awesome post! I gave up on ribbon wire a long time back, but I might have to dig the spools I have out and try this...thanks for sharing!
And I don’t know if I’m showing my age here with not knowing acronyms or abbreviations people use nowadays, but I can usually figure them out and am stumped on what “la” is or is it just a nickname? Lol, sorry...curiosity is killing me.
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
It's not a problem @ScReWbALL, I hope it helps you pick up staple coils more easily as they can be quite a satisfying vape.
And "la" is just a saying in Liverpool, it's a shortened version of lad but has been skewed many ways so I may say lerd, lid or kid but it's often just la. It's just like saying dude at the end of a sentence. No offence or anything meant, just the way of speaking I've been brought up around lol
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And "la" is just a saying in Liverpool, it's a shortened version of lad but has been skewed many ways so I may say lerd, lid or kid but it's often just la. It's just like saying dude at the end of a sentence. No offence or anything meant, just the way of speaking I've been brought up around lol
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nice instructions @KarmicRage thats almost exactly what i do too. i have never tried .2, but i dont find .3 any harder to work with than .4. a properly prepped staple or framed staple stack is easier to alien/clapton wrap than round wire imo (cant triangle, or twist up, or pull apart at high speeds).
thats almost exactly what i do too. i have never tried .2, but i dont find .3 any harder to work with than .4. a properly prepped staple or framed staple stack is easier to alien/clapton wrap than round wire imo (cant triangle, or twist up, or pull apart at high speeds).
I think my issue with ribbon wire is the same thing making it difficult to spin out Staggered builds and such...freehanding rather than setting up a swivel system. I’ve got some swivels from when I tried awhile back...think I’ll get those out and take a hook I used to help anchor the Christmas tree to the wall (damn tree-climbing cats). My workstation when I don’t migrate to the living room is practically in a corner, so, I figure I mark on the wall a spot level with the chuck of my drill, put the wall anchor/hook in at that spot and attach the swivels to the hook...then I can just leave my drill on my workstation and have a good length of open area to stretch cores/ribbons and attach to them to the swivels anchored into the wall.
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
I've only done 1 .2 build upto now but that was pretty finicky. I think I should revisit it again and see how my dexterity has improved but I only have FeCrAl, I ordered .2 ni80 ribbon at the same time but that didn't turn up. Got some .3 ss316l ribbon to replace it though so swings and roundabouts, just waiting on more .2 to come in before I try as the all FeCrAl build was kinda slow on the ramp up.
Nice one for the feedback though guys, I always doubt myself with what (I think) I know lol but its nice to have some reassurance from other seasoned builders
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Nice one for the feedback though guys, I always doubt myself with what (I think) I know lol but its nice to have some reassurance from other seasoned builders
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no reason to doubt yourself if what you are doing works
im sure none of us do the same technique in the exact same way, but we can all get the same end results (a pair of aliens for example). someone might not be able to understand what i mean, or they might think or move their hands so differently from me, or not struggle with the same things i do, that my advice doesnt help them...but yours or anyone elses might (even if we are all basically saying the same thing).when i got here there were less than 5 people who could hit aliens, and with little bits of advice from each of them, i finally got it...then with an extra person giving advice, someone else got it, and stuck around to give advice which helped more people get it and stick around to help. pretty quickly we are in a situation where its common knowledge and no one is left behind.
@ScReWbALL set up some swivels you monster
I do have one thing extra to say.... Corrugated ribbon is a cunt trololol
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It's great how helpful this forum is, not just this thread but other categories as well. A few people i don't agree with (that's on other threads thoughno reason to doubt yourself if what you are doing works
when i got here there were less than 5 people who could hit aliens, and with little bits of advice from each of them, i finally got it...then with an extra person giving advice, someone else got it, and stuck around to give advice which helped more people get it and stick around to help. pretty quickly we are in a situation where its common knowledge and no one is left behind.
@ScReWbALL set up some swivels you monster
) but it's horses for courses. What helped you may not help me and what helped me may not help you, maybe the sum of both lots of information works for another person. It's the ability to fairly easily find this information out that's great. Hats off to you for being around so long, I notice some of the earlier participants have either stopped doing it altogether or have taken what they needed and left which, I haven't scrolled through everything though so I am speaking generally. Nice to see that some have decided to stick around and help keep the movement of information alive.... If only we had newspapers and broadcasters who felt the same (-_-) lol Sent from my MI MAX 2 using Tapatalk
@ScReWbALL set up some swivels you monster
I know! Part of that “Old Dog New Tricks” apparently holds true. I don’t even know what my hesitation is with them.
At first I think it was just because of the times...the swivel system became more mainstream after I was already comfortable building all the coils I thought I would be able to master freehand-style.
I gave up on ribbon too quickly and I was basically scared of Staggered builds after maiming myself doing them and losing the ability to build for a couple of weeks.
But with this new crop of builders coming up that we’ve seen excel and progress faster than any group that I’ve seen before...it’s making me question my ways and if maybe I can master some more builds.
Damn whippersnappers are too damn good and the only way for me to continue to be useful around here is to break out of my little safety box and branch out again...but it’s been awhile since I’ve done that.
It’s weird to feel new to something, yet be so familiar with it at the same time.
So, yes...@Pegleg Meg, @Wtmke1, @Mykreign, and others that are kicking ass in progressing in building skills...I blame y’all for me having to sacrifice my comfort zone in order to try to stay current.
Of course, that puts @mach1ne, @KarmicRage, and @KingPin! on the “Evil Eye List” too for your damn good advice and genuine encouragement you’ve given everyone around here...yes, you’re instigators and, therefore, just as guilty
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Guilty as charged haha. I'm certain that with the tricks out there for setting up now you should be able to branch out into some more intricate builds that are available. I mean, I got down the alien stagg and staggerton, a fair bit janky mind, before I can even properly do a normal staggerton. That's only because of the help available from some of the best minds in the business of building, I wouldn't have gotten this far if it hadn't been for their information being shared in different formats I.e. YouTube, Instagram and last but certainly the best (I've tried) is here
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Makes it fairly straightforward, the starts are the limits.
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Speaking of Staggered builds and such. The two main techniques I’ve read and watched people do on tutorials for creating perfectly spaced claptons is either using a weighted object placed in a gap behind where you’re claptoning and then the paraclapton and then reverse the drill and pull one of the Claptons out...are there other techniques that are worth checking out? I’ve been working on paraclaptoning to do interlocked Aliens, but it seems like a waste of good wrap wire to use that technique for Staggered builds...I’m leaning towards the weighted object technique unless there’s some other good ways out there that I can check out
Edit: Along with that question, is it better to make a long spaced clapton and clip it halfway and use those two pieces to fuse or can that cause some unraveling and it’s better to just make two separate spaced clapton wires independent of each other to fuse?
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Edit: Along with that question, is it better to make a long spaced clapton and clip it halfway and use those two pieces to fuse or can that cause some unraveling and it’s better to just make two separate spaced clapton wires independent of each other to fuse?
You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
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