Protank Coil Rebuilds

[MacTechVpr]

First sorry to hear 'bout your bf's dad. PM separately.

Actually not runnin' CC or any rayon on KPT's for some time (test sometimes). Ran into too many problems with some juices. Mostly flooding with clearer lighter and gunking and flooding or poor performance with denser darker juices particularly tobacco. Also my tests many, many hundreds involved finding solutions the average user could easily do. So I leaned towards synthetics and for some time it looked like Eko would be the clear winner but it turned out too difficult to handle/wick for most folks.
I fine tuned a procedure for Nextel ceramic wick. And I'm running a coil now using some of my densest tobacco that's been running just shy of two weeks using a new maintenance approach. It's a departure from my suggestion to wash and briefly dry burn quickly and before you start seeing performance loss (or color change). I usually suggested about 3 days. This alternative process you don't wash or dry burn at all. I'm running batches of vg or 50% vg in the flavoring periodically. The results are interesting. I'm observing how long it prolongs use of the coil (how many subsequent tanks or refills) may be obtained. Like that, see? It does work actually and may be better for some folks who hate the taste of dry burned media. And vaping a diluted third or half tank of your fave now and again to get more days out of your coil isn't too hard to handle.

Just some thoughts this evening.

Good luck.

 

[EthelMaltol]

Bridjett, so sorry to hear your bad news, I hope he starts to feel a bit better soon!
Mac, there seem to be a lot of factors that influence the experience. I just need to have a bit more patience and experience. I've been having good luck dry burning stock heads and adding a bit of cotton or rayon as a flavor wick. But, that doesn't last forever, so I try to re-coil. My taifun and squape seem much more forgiving, but I don't want to give up my protanks just yet. The adjustable air flow bases make a positive difference. And, I can always use the stock heads for the time being. I appreciate your advice!

 

[MacTechVpr]

You're welcome. I'm determined to help all who are interested. Pretty soon I've resolved to break down and actually start producing some video on tensioned winding. There have been a great many adaptations including by super_X_drifter on ECF who conceived of the microcoil. Not all of these though necessarily get ya where you want to go. For me that's quickly with the least fuss and repeatable consistent result. So we'll be back here with that at some point in the near future and then will come an honest to goodness tutorial thread of some kind that cuts right to the chase. I've written I believe over a thousand pages on how to put these little varmints together. Hopefully we'll be able to neatly link the dialog to the imagery.

Thanks for your thoughts ethel and good luck.

 

[EthelMaltol]

WooHoo! I took my tiny needle wound micro coil, removed the rayon and inserted organic cotton. Been working really well! I was able to get more cotton thread through the tiny coil, and I also added a cotton flavor wick. Tons of vapor, no leaking! I haven't been taking it out with me, yet and I've been laying it on its side while I'm not using it. Now, I'm dreading the rewick though! Lol! I have a thin, very dark juice in there that isn't going to last very long.

 

[MacTechVpr]

WooHoo! I took my tiny needle wound micro coil, removed the rayon and inserted organic cotton. Been working really well! I was able to get more cotton thread through the tiny coil, and I also added a cotton flavor wick. Tons of vapor, no leaking! I haven't been taking it out with me, yet and I've been laying it on its side while I'm not using it. Now, I'm dreading the rewick though! Lol! I have a thin, very dark juice in there that isn't going to last very long.

Congratz ethel. Getting the density right with cotton is no easy task. Glad you got one in there.

What I was sayin' to ya before is that it's best if you go to a larger wick size (than windin' say on a needle). The more wick you got in there, the less likely to flood. And you get more vapor potential the more wick you can muster. I'm workin' on gettin' together a quick video. Not one of these hour long jobbers with half the explanation missin' and much ado about torchin' and scrunchy, squeeze. Were going to try and break it down for ya step by step. And it's not rocket science ethel. Just good science built around a simple principle and tools…a pin vise and tension.

And I hear you on the thick juice. I'm an avid tobacco lover and that's been a big part of my testing if you've seen any of my posts on ECF's Protank threads. It makes cotton even more difficult if you're like me and have to change out every day.

Good luck ethel.

 

[wizzard]

Fastech coils work perfect. I can rebuild a protank 2 coil in about 2 minutes with cotton and get at least 2 good weeks with my coil. Fasttech coils are cheap and it is so easy to rebuild with them.

 

[MacTechVpr]

Fastech coils work perfect. I can rebuild a protank 2 coil in about 2 minutes with cotton and get at least 2 good weeks with my coil. Fasttech coils are cheap and it is so easy to rebuild with them.

In a way I kinda envy you…the pigment buildup in cotton starts to taste ashy to me within a day or two at best. I need a far better wick/coil solution than anything factory or Fastech can offer. And frankly it's just too damned easy to build it and efficiently if you do it with proper electronics rather than the fisherman's knot China calls a coil. This is what drives my vapor train...





You're right, it takes minutes. And it's a lot cheaper than factory to boot.

Good luck wizzard.

 

[wizzard]

Sorry to hear your cotton is tasting burnt. I have never had a burnt taste with cotton. I did boil my cotton. When I install the coil I wet the cotton with the juice before I install the head in the protank 2. Your coil looks great wish I could get them that tight and compact. My eyesight is just not that good to make a coil that tight. Great looking coil. The flavor I get from cotton is amazing vs the silica wick.

 

[MacTechVpr]

Sorry to hear your cotton is tasting burnt. I have never had a burnt taste with cotton. I did boil my cotton. When I install the coil I wet the cotton with the juice before I install the head in the protank 2. Your coil looks great wish I could get them that tight and compact. My eyesight is just not that good to make a coil that tight. Great looking coil. The flavor I get from cotton is amazing vs the silica wick.

No worries wiz. I rarely burn anything lately except my fingers.

I'm an old codger too and an old hand at this. Just funnin' widja. Thanks for the props. I gotta tell ya I've worked long and hard on that coil. And it's not just a coil, it's an adaptation. It does not do what conventional coil does. Period. Anybody and everybody whose tried a real one, one wound to adhesion, can see this as clearly as night and day.

I developed the technique precisely because I have deficits, in part, and realize there are a lot of mature vapers out there and others with issues.

I'm workin' with a couple of folks so far on VU to try to get this engine running. Trying to promote the broadest most inclusive basic standard possible as I WANT TO SEE THIS COMMUNITY GROW.
also want to rock the vape wiz. I could use all the help I can get. Workin' with a couple of folks so far on VU to try to get this engine running. Join if you dare.

Most of all…I want to rock the vape wiz. My goal is a million man vapeathon on the FDA's lawn!

Good luck. Enjoy.

 

[Bridjett]

Mac and I will be collabing soon and I'll be making a video and posting it to my youtube channel in the near future with his amazing techniques he teaches me! So we'll both let you guys know when we get this going and I get them uploaded! :]


Mac is amazing, and hes the most generous person i've ever met on a forum. Were gonna have some amazing stuff coming out soon, and hes helping me help others like you guys. So well all be making the best coils of our lives soon enough arent me Mac ;]

 

[VH fan]

Fastech coils work perfect. I can rebuild a protank 2 coil in about 2 minutes with cotton and get at least 2 good weeks with my coil. Fasttech coils are cheap and it is so easy to rebuild with them.

Fasttech sells pre wicked coils that are pop in / pop out , and they do work extremely well if your in a real rush . Are they a great coil , of course not , they leave a lot to be desired but for most vapors they are more than adequate .

On the other hand building excellent Pro Tank coils is absolute cake as well , most do it with their eyes closed and the results are fantastic .

 

[MacTechVpr]

Happy Turkey-D to ya all.

Good luck and a great vape!

 

[Mike H.]

Ive been building coils for my evod tanks for almost one year now..30g kanthal seems to be a good medium and ive had zero problems with the insulators nor do i use those silicone caps.

I tried 32g first ,just mimicking the basic stock coil rebuild untill i discovered more on youtube with micro coils etc...

All of my coil builds have been 30g since ive found i can use more wraps with less resistance than 32g wire...My best "flavor" coil was just recent with 11 wraps on a 1.8mm i.d. and im in love with flavor and vapor production in general...Rather its in a protank, protank2 ,EVOD, it doesnt matter...its the same coil heads and with proper air flow and power this coils flat out rocks.

If you have an evod or a protank 2 mini then drill out your air holes to 5/64 to get some pretty amazing vapor production from such a simple tank and still keep great flavor..It becomes a much more airy draw where its not so struggling to take even a pretty big lung hit.

If you have the full size protank/ protank 2 i reccomend the new Kanger V3 air flow controller...I had one on a protank2 i lost and its miles ahead in air flow over even drilled out holes on the 510 threads..zero comparison.

Im sure im not the first to maybe do this coil but i thought i would share it for those who havent seen it and maybe wanted to try it.

30g Kanthal A1 wire, 11 wraps on a 1.8mm i.d., organic cotton wick (loose fitting)
2.3ohms registered on my mvp 20w..great with around 10 watts of power...you may like more or less but youll find a spot you like with this coil in one those tanks.





NOTE: I tried a 13 wrap and a 12 and got sum funky ohm readings..Maybe i had something touching(top cap or a wire) but 11 wraps seems to be about as long of a coil you want to try and fit inside the single coil head.

 

[wally]

I do mine with 34/ 5 wrap 2 ohm with spaces between coils. I have found with the spaces juice tastes little better and does not gunk up as fast. The older rubber insulators are best the white silicon are good but the newer clear ones are so soft they squish cause erratic readings. Sometimes they won't make contact. Looks like you have a nice build. Wish they had a place you can buy the lower insulators I forget the company that had them but they were robbing people over the prices and I will never do any further business with them for that reason. Ok it was lighting vapes 10 insulators for 6.00 because of that price I will never buy from them again that is pityfull

 

[rmayfield1957]

Took me a few times but now I can do it with my eyes closed.

30g kanthal 8-10 wraps on a 2mm screwdriver
1 piece of Peaches & Creme white yarn

After I wrap my coil I lay it in the grooves of the head with a drill bit or screwdriver. Assemble the bottom and snip the excess. Test the resistance then fire it and use tweezers to compress the coil. Compressing the coil makes it more rigid so it is easier to pull the wick and feed a new one. Feed a piece of P&C yarn through the coil. Depending on the juice ratio I may take one strand of the yarn and lay it on top of the coil as a flavor wick. Prevents flooding with thinner juices. Wet the coil with a few drops of juice. Install the chimney and snip he excess wick leaving about 1-2mm. Don't forget to install the rubber grommet over the chimney. I always do this. LOL Vape away.

From what I have seen they all look like they will fit in the other devices but I don't have a protank 3 to test it out.

i have protank 3 and i always build with singgle coil i was tried make it dual coil and OMG its really hard i was sweat to build it . anyway its protank 2 coil will be fit on protank 3 ?

don't compress them installed it may ruin the insulator, I compress mine before I install them with tweezers and a torch. Protank 2 will not fit in Protank 3.

 

[rmayfield1957]

I do mine with 34/ 5 wrap 2 ohm with spaces between coils. I have found with the spaces juice tastes little better and does not gunk up as fast. The older rubber insulators are best the white silicon are good but the newer clear ones are so soft they squish cause erratic readings. Sometimes they won't make contact. Looks like you have a nice build. Wish they had a place you can buy the lower insulators I forget the company that had them but they were robbing people over the prices and I will never do any further business with them for that reason. Ok it was lighting vapes 10 insulators for 6.00 because of that price I will never buy from them again that is pityfull

$5 for 10 pack
I buy the compleate kit its cheaper.

here a link if anyone interested they have Protank 1 2 3 parts:
http://www.lightningvapes.com/collections/all

 

[MacTechVpr]

don't compress them installed it may ruin the insulator, I compress mine before I install them with tweezers and a torch. Protank 2 will not fit in Protank 3.

True dat. If there's any asymmetry and you have contact between turns, or a gap in one or high turn…you're likely to go hot. This may result in a hot lead and yep, you'll burn a grommet.

All coils made from Kanthal can develop wire temp variations that may send a segment including leads hot whether or not there's solid termination. That is, unless, you oxidize them first. And that's exactly what this alloy is made for, made to do.

In the Fall of 2013 I started to introduce methods on ECF for creating coils using strain. The methods of tension I've explained make it possible to wind a coil in seconds that is as close as nature permits and ideally consistent to allow for uniform oxidation with just a few pulses.

That coil will not burn a grommet and will give you a vape with a lot more vapor density than a wire that's shorting in contact. All contact coils are shorts if not adequately oxidized.

You're winding with nickel, forget it. Can't form enough alumina oxidation for our purposes in my opinion. Strictly open (spaced) winds for TC. But you can benefit from the stress balancing tension provides to build rigidity and durability into such coils by winding them on a screw with strain. Enough tension and you'll get the symmetry and flow stability that keeps winds efficient. In other words cool by virtue of their even temp distribution.



Takes seconds to wind one with a very little practice for a consistent predictable resistance. All wires are strained. It's about balancing that strain to a coherent result and maintaining that integrity through the build. That's what gives you an awesome vape.

Best of luck to ya and holler if I can help.

 

[wally]

don't compress them installed it may ruin the insulator, I compress mine before I install them with tweezers and a torch. Protank 2 will not fit in Protank 3.

A protank 2 will fit in a three. I have all mine set up this way because I build the single coils for them cause they work much better than the protank 3 duel coils. I do an extra rubber boot for the top (place it upside down) so if you lay the tank down it won't leak. I have done this every since they came out. MIght note it works much better this way.

 

[Sirkris]

I still rebuild my wife's Protank 2 coils!

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk

 

[MacTechVpr]

I still rebuild my wife's Protank 2 coils!

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk

If you're still MTL and like a tight draw it can be outstanding with a stable build. The advantage of these is obviously ease of use. You can spin off several tensioned microcoils, install and oxidize them inside of 15-20 mins easily. These in turn if wicked with 2mm Nextel run circles around standard coils in terms of performance, both flavor and vapor. In a couple of days when standard coils are starting to taste ashy with a typical flavorful juice you're just still breaking in Nextel and it's been a whole lot fuller than a regular setup all along. A few more days in, you rinse, dry burn to tame surface accretion, reprise with VG or juice and you're right back to your normal vape consistency in a couple of pulls. The coil assemblies can often run far more than a month with most juices. Can't beat that for utility. But it's the flavor density for such a limited device that brings you back.



Probably hundreds of thousands of you around the world are still doing mostly clearo's and the conventional horizontal coil Kanger's are among the best. I still vape them on occasion for DIY flavor testing and to keep a sense of what other's experience. Personally though I exclusively run Nextel wicking in them for a true flavor experience. And I prefer the Aerotank Mega for it's better airflow and drier base.

Good luck!