For me the best is basic Fused Claptons using 317L SS. The bump in flavor above Fused Claptons IMO is subjective. Now I've tried some complex wire and yes there are improvements in flavor but for myself best bang for the buck is SS FC. They're simple to knock out and the flavor over bare wire like single, parallel, twisted and single core Claptons is a large jump and beyond them not so much. Using high gauge wrapping wire is where it's at, between 38g - 44g,
THIS! (Although using whatever wire material you prefer - or at least don't object to.)
I once tried a clapton that came with an RTA (I forget which), and didn't think anything special about it when using rayon.. Possibly due to rayon's ultra-fast wicking ability - or at least that's my theory anyways, as to why the standard clapton wasn't any better.
And fused claptons just make more sense to me, anyways.
I've recently gotten a Daedalus claptoning jig to make fused claptons myself.. Great for anyone with issues like eyesight, dexterity, pain, and muscle fatigue. It makes them PERFECTLY, too - once you figure out the right spring tension to apply (not too loose that it wraps over itself, and not too tight that the claptoning wire snaps. .... I'll tell you what though.. The 100ft spool of 40g that it came with only lasted maybe 3 feet or so. So for the claptoning wire, I wouldn't dick around with getting anything smaller than 1000ft rolls (wish I knew where to get longer rolls for cheaper). Probably go with whatever wire material is cheapest (and not objectionable), since this wire will not be the heating element - so I don't think material really matters here, just preferably not springy.
But once I tried one of the fused claptons I made with it... WOW! There's just no going back to round/twisted wires anymore - I always did twisteds before this. There really is a substantial improvement in flavor with fused claptons - no joke. It really surprised me - I was not expecting that. My theory is it's because the FC literally contains 2 or more juice channels (depending on # of cores) - while the standard single-core clapton doesn't.
I still think anything
beyond fused claptons, with however many cores, is strictly into the coil-art/build-enjoyment territory - or at least not worth it enough. I might try something more advanced than FC, but I think it'll just be for build-enjoyment reasons. Actually, I got a bunch of ribbon wire to play around with for staple fused claptons.. And the Daedalus makes claptoning a piece of cake... I can't recommend it highly enough! Just get it! I've seen a couple of other claptoning jigs, but they seem like a joke compared to the Daedalus. (And no, I don't have any affiliation with them.
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Also, I've heard it mentioned that aliens could be a slight bump up in flavor, from FC's. But I can't understand how that could possibly be, though..
I mean, it seems to me like there is
exactly the same amount of wire, surface area, and juice channels as a FC.. It just looks 'wavy', is all. Does anyone know how there could
possibly be any more flavor over FC's (assuming the same gauges and cores involved)? I just don't understand the point of aliens, other than strictly coil-art.