What's the worst that could happen with a mech mod...

[Mesh]

... assuming a Samsung 25r battery, a fairly decent Chinese authentic mod and a good RDA, and a build well within the amp range of the battery (say 14 amps from a 20 amp cell)?

After vaping for years on regulated devices, I'll be receiving my first mech mod tomorrow (Wotofo Phantom - I'll be using it in non-hybrid mode, at least at first) and I'd like to know what I'm letting myself in for

I'd been put off getting a mech because of the constant warnings from certain vapers. I definitely agree we should stress safety and caution (especially to new vapers), but assuming the main precautions are taken, what's the worst case scenario? Any opinions appreciated!

(I've been building RDA coils for a good few months and I know how to use an ohms calculator.)

 

[Mike H.]

Worse that can happen is a faulty cell or user fault.

There is some maintenance required in a mech mod..all contacts must remain clean and in proper adjustment.

The RDA or tank can cause havoc as well..loose 510 pin causing a short..a shorted coil etc..

An ohm meter is a must for a mech mod user...its not simplly install the coil and your done..Adjusting the coil for proper heating will and can change the actual ohms..so its a must that the coil is properly installed, ohms properly read and ready to vape before installing it on the mod.

Other than that i dont see any other possible issues besides maybe putting the mod down or in your pocket without the lock on (if it has one) and it fires till something bad happens.

 

[Mesh]

Worse that can happen is a faulty cell or user fault.

There is some maintenance required in a mech mod..all contacts must remain clean and in proper adjustment.

The RDA or tank can cause havoc as well..loose 510 pin causing a short..a shorted coil etc..

An ohm meter is a must for a mech mod user...its not simplly install the coil and your done..Adjusting the coil for proper heating will and can change the actual ohms..so its a must that the coil is properly installed, ohms properly read and ready to vape before installing it on the mod.

Other than that i dont see any other possible issues besides maybe putting the mod down or in your pocket without the lock on (if it has one) and it fires till something bad happens.

Thanks Mike. But what happens after the short with an IMR or INR battery? Is there an actual likelihood of explosion or fire if there are vent holes in the mod? And is the venting fairly sudden or does the battery give some prior warning by gradually heating up?

 

[Mike H.]

Its possible to have it explode if not enough venting...if the pressure has no place to go it builds up and a single spark igniting the gas isnt a good thing.

Shorts can cause venting but its still dangerous even without an explosion as you have fire hot gas that can burn your flesh off if you dont get it away from you in time as well as catch things on fire.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Its possible to have it explode if not enough venting...if the pressure has no place to go it builds up and a single spark igniting the gas isnt a good thing.

Shorts can cause venting but its still dangerous even without an explosion as you have fire hot gas that can burn your flesh off if you dont get it away from you in time as well as catch things on fire.

In high school before time began, we made battery tests. Just leaked. Car battery exploded in my car in front of a NAPA store. Blew a hole in my hood. Your guess is as good as mine. Anything that close to my face I make sure it's right.

 

[robot zombie]

Hard short from the button mechanism, 510 connection, or the atty itself (center post coming loose, insulator melting, using an atty with too short of a 510 or a loose 510 pin in a hybrid.) A tear in the right spot on the battery wrap can also cause arching inside the mech, which when combined with venting, could lead to an explosion.

Generally speaking, all of these are very much preventable with proper care and mindful use. Venting is usually not a cataclysmic event. The battery gradually gets hotter and hotter before finally reaching a critical point. IMR batteries in particular tend not to vent as easily and typically will not explode as long as the gasses have somewhere to go. Long before it vents, you'll know something is wrong.

 

[CurlyxCracker]

I'll elaborate on the venting even more. It not only needs ventilation it need adequate ventilation. That gas needs to be released quite fast as it builds up quickly. One or two pin holes are not adequate.

 

[BoomStick]

A hard short causes these batteries to overheat very, very fast due to the amount of energy they are capable of discharging. However, when using good equipment that is properly setup the chances of a hard short occurring is minimal. Other than knuckleheads using hybrid top cap mods with atty's that have incompatible 510 connections or building way too low (both are improper setups) the biggest cause of failure that I've seen or read about seems to be accidental firing. Like setting it down on a non recessed button that isn't locked or having the button get depressed when pocketed. In other words, it's usually due to negligence of some kind, not equipment failure. I know you asked about possible results of having a problem, but I think understanding the causes of and avoiding problems is more important. Just a few of my thoughts. Good luck and enjoy your new gear.

 

[smacksy]

My brother had his 26650 BFM mech vent.(blow apart) ..appears the atomizer he was using wasn't meant for use with the hybrid top cap..the pin didn't protrude far enough and caused a hard short when he pushed the fire button...
The mod got hot so quickly he had to drop it...it blew both end caps off and the switch housing blew a hole in the ceiling, barely missing his girlfriend's head..the tube shot around like a bottle rocket burning the carpet and setting off smoke alarms, finally coming to rest in the kitchen...good news was nobody got hurt..bad news was he almost got kicked out of his apartment, but agreed to pay for the damages.. Also could not vape in his apartment anymore..
So yes, a mech batt can vent, and can cause serious damage when it does...vape safe!

sent from my XT1080 via Tapatalk

 

[CurlyxCracker]

My brother had a 26650 BFM mech..appears the atomizer he was using wasn't meant for use on the hybrid top cap..the pin didn't protrude far enough and caused a hard short pushing the fire button...
The mod got hot so quickly he had to drop it...it blew both end caps off and the switch housing blew a hole in the ceiling, barely missing his girlfriend's head..the tube shot around like a bottle rocket burning the carpet and setting off smoke alarms, finally coming to rest in the kitchen...good news was nobody got hurt..bad news was he almost got kicked out of his apartment, but agreed to pay for the damages.. Also could not vape in his apartment anymore..
So yes, a mech batt can vent, and can cause serious damage when it does...vape safe!

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I wouldn't touch a BFM mod, period. There's no insulator in the top cap. Dead short waiting to happen. Nifty novelty piece but pipe bomb waiting to happen

 

[smacksy]

I wouldn't touch a BFM mod, period. There's no insulator in the top cap. Dead short waiting to happen. Nifty novelty piece but pipe bomb waiting to happen

I've had the stainless BFM for about a year now..using the hybrid top cap is not an issue with me as I make sure the RDA's I use have a protruding pin..in the mech world voltage drop is a big thing
and without a insulator/pin in the top cap it has almost zero voltage drop making for one of the hardest hitting mechs I've ever had the pleasure to vape..(its like a gun, only as safe as the man using it, lol)...my brother was new to vaping, and he really should've known to use the right RDA..like the Doge with a protruding pin seen here...vapes great!

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[Mesh]

Cheers guys, lots of great advice and info here. The mech's arrived and it's working really well. I'm gonna need to build a bit lower than I usually do on regulated mods, but I guess that's all part of the fun.

 

[CurlyxCracker]

I've had the stainless BFM for about a year now..using the hybrid top cap is not an issue with me as I make sure the RDA's I use have a protruding pin..in the mech world voltage drop is a big thing
and without a insulator/pin in the top cap it has almost zero voltage drop making for one of the hardest hitting mechs I've ever had the pleasure to vape..(its like a gun, only as safe as the man using it, lol)...my brother was new to vaping, and he really should've known to use the right RDA..like the Doge with a protruding pin seen here...vapes great!

sent from my XT1080 via Tapatalk

I don't mean to be that guy. But, how does the insulator in the top cause voltage drop? The are there in hybrids to make sure the positive terminal touches nothing but the 510 pin. That spring causes more voltage drop than anything.

 

[CurlyxCracker]

Cheers guys, lots of great advice and info here. The mech's arrived and it's working really well. I'm gonna need to build a bit lower than I usually do on regulated mods, but I guess that's all part of the fun.

Just be safe, vape on! Mechs are nice to have but you'll come back to regulated devices. Or at least I did, only mech (semi-mech) I use is my series box I built.

 

[Mesh]

Just be safe, vape on! Mechs are nice to have but you'll come back to regulated devices. Or at least I did, only mech (semi-mech) I use is my series box I built.

Thanks man. I've calculated that i'll need .3 or .35 resistance to get the watts I'm used to, so it's not super low (by current sub-ohm vaping standards). I'm the kind of OCD person who regularly checks the heat of the battery even in a regulated mod, so hopefully I'll be able to spot any hazards before any calamity.

 

[BoomStick]

Just remember that when you adjust the ohms of your build you're also adjusting the amount of metal you're using which changes the effect of using a certain amount of power. Building coils for use with fixed voltage is completely different than building coils for use with adjustable voltage. In order to get a balance of surface area and heat that's similar to what you're accustomed to you may have to pretty much forget about what your coil specs and power levels were when using vw mods. I've found that for dual coil kanthal builds used in an rda 24g coils measuring around .3 is a good place to start. Then you can adjust the gauge, diameter and wraps to really dial it in to get the performance you're hunting. Good luck and have fun experimenting.

 

[smacksy]

I don't mean to be that guy. But, how does the insulator in the top cause voltage drop? The are there in hybrids to make sure the positive terminal touches nothing but the 510 pin. That spring causes more voltage drop than anything.

Without giving you a crash course in basic electronics 101 a pin and insulator in the circuit is not as efficient as the the pin touching directly on the top of the battery..
And what spring are talking about?
My hybrid top capped BFM, and XXIX uses a magnetic switch with copper buttons and contacts.. No springs here just sayin


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[Mesh]

Just remember that when you adjust the ohms of your build you're also adjusting the amount of metal you're using which changes the effect of using a certain amount of power. Building coils for use with fixed voltage is completely different than building coils for use with adjustable voltage. In order to get a balance of surface area and heat that's similar to what you're accustomed to you may have to pretty much forget about what your coil specs and power levels were when using vw mods. I've found that for dual coil kanthal builds used in an rda 24g coils measuring around .3 is a good place to start. Then you can adjust the gauge, diameter and wraps to really dial it in to get the performance you're hunting. Good luck and have fun experimenting.

Thanks. I only have 26g at the moment and I tried it wrapped six times around a 2mm screwdriver (dual coils). It gave me the ohms I wanted (.3) but the inner diameter is much lower than than the 3mm that I'm used to, which made arranging the cotton wick difficult. So I might try a 2.4mm screwdriver next. According to the Steam Engine calculator, this would need five wraps to get .3 resistance. Is five wraps problematic in any way? It's less wraps than what I've ever built, but to be honest I don't know the science behind this.

 

[CurlyxCracker]

Without giving you a crash course in basic electronics 101 a pin and insulator in the circuit is not as efficient as the the pin touching directly on the top of the battery..
And what spring are talking about?
My hybrid top capped BFM, and XXIX uses a magnetic switch with copper buttons and contacts.. No springs here just sayin


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No, no. I think you misunderstood me no pin. Just insulator. Like this in 4nine top cap.

That would not be part of the circuit.

Sorry must of been looking at the clone about the spring.

 

[smacksy]

No, no. I think you misunderstood me no pin. Just insulator. Like this in 4nine top cap.

That would not be part of the circuit.

Sorry must of been looking at the clone about the spring.

Its not the insulator that causes a voltage drop..its the pin that is seen in the middle of it... it increases resistance in the circuit as opposed to a direct contact on top of the battery...
Notice no pin or insulator in the top cap
used in my XXIX...

It makes for almost zero voltage drop and a hard hitting 18650 mech...

sent from my XT1080 via Tapatalk

 

[CurlyxCracker]

Its not the insulator that causes a voltage drop..its the pin that is seen in the middle of it... it increases resistance in the circuit as opposed to a direct contact on top of the battery...
Notice no pin or insulator in the top cap
used in my XXIX...

It makes for almost zero voltage drop and a hard hitting 18650 mech...

sent from my XT1080 via Tapatalk

Just my personal preference then I suppose, I feel safer with an insulator up there (no pin) to prevent any possible contact with the positive terminal and the metal of the mod. Extra cautious? Probably but just my preference.

 

[BoomStick]

Thanks. I only have 26g at the moment and I tried it wrapped six times around a 2mm screwdriver (dual coils). It gave me the ohms I wanted (.3) but the inner diameter is much lower than than the 3mm that I'm used to, which made arranging the cotton wick difficult. So I might try a 2.4mm screwdriver next. According to the Steam Engine calculator, this would need five wraps to get .3 resistance. Is five wraps problematic in any way? It's less wraps than what I've ever built, but to be honest I don't know the science behind this.

You'll just be trading some length for width. What I think you might find is that 26g provides too little surface area with too much resistance for use with a mech and it's fixed voltage when trying to run an rda. I'd be surprised if you don't end up finding the performance you're looking for by using at least 24g and maybe even 22g. The balance between thickness and resistance of 26g is just too far off to work well for most people when setting up an rda on a mech. Fixing one of the two power variables really changes what you have to consider when dialing your setup in.

 

[smacksy]

Thanks man. I've calculated that i'll need .3 or .35 resistance to get the watts I'm used to, so it's not super low (by current sub-ohm vaping standards). I'm the kind of OCD person who regularly checks the heat of the battery even in a regulated mod, so hopefully I'll be able to spot any hazards before any calamity.

Seeing you stated you only have 26g at the moment, I like this dual parallel 26g build .. 5 wraps on a 3mm bit at .28 ohms vapes great on my 26650 BFM mech..its my favorite build with 26g..

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[Mesh]

You'll just be trading some length for width. What I think you might find is that 26g provides too little surface area with too much resistance for use with a mech and it's fixed voltage when trying to run an rda. I'd be surprised if you don't end up finding the performance you're looking for by using at least 24g and maybe even 22g. The balance between thickness and resistance of 26g is just too far off to work well for most people when setting up an rda on a mech. Fixing one of the two power variables really changes what you have to consider when dialing your setup in.

OK, got it. 75 metres of 24g kanthal has just been ordered. How many wraps do you normally go for yourself, just out of curiosity?