Ok so I have a good one, I got into vaping my senior year of highschool. Purchased my starter kit (alien with baby beast) well I ran the first coil out everything went fine for a week decided to swap coils after that it's been this nightmare of wtf am I doing wrong for almost 2 years... I've read every thread on the internet, I'm priming correctly, it's not fatigue, tried playing with wattage, tried breaking in slower then faster, tried inhaling differently, tried airflow, tried playing with wattage tried different juice, tried different coils, tried poking holes to help wicking not chain vaping I swear I'm damn near a trouble shooting expert from all the research... I was so convinced I had a faulty set up I said screw it and bought vapeston nano mesh, new batteries and a voopoo drag... same issues no flavor... plenty of vapor... burns eventually... narrowed it down to possibly the way I use it and or terrible luck...
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YEAR LONG COIL NIGHTMARE
- Thread starter D00MSWITCH
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- burnt coils no flavor
AndriaD
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I'd be willing to bet that the problem is factory-made coils. There's a good reason wny so many vapers build their own: the factory ones are very often total CRAP, and also expensive to keep replacing when they burn out after 3 hits. 
People who make vape gear, particularly those factory workers in China, don't give a single rat's ass about anyone's vape experience, it's just money to them. If you want a great vape, you have to get proactive -- factory coils are fine for beginners, they provide a way to start simply... but they remain total crap, and the sooner you learn to make your own, the sooner you'll have a vape you can depend on.
Andria
People who make vape gear, particularly those factory workers in China, don't give a single rat's ass about anyone's vape experience, it's just money to them. If you want a great vape, you have to get proactive -- factory coils are fine for beginners, they provide a way to start simply... but they remain total crap, and the sooner you learn to make your own, the sooner you'll have a vape you can depend on.
Andria
There's a good reason wny so many vapers build their own: the factory ones are very often total CRAP, and also expensive to keep replacing when they burn out after 3 hits.
This exactly. There's been numerous various threads recently discussing the variegations of CRAP factory stock coils are being.
I can suggest you look over TEMCo's resistance wire and use wire from them if you cannot find a reputable source of wire. You might want to try out 26 - 28 American Wire Gauge (The size of the wire's diameter.) to start learning to build coils. Here is good search link from the Tubes of You that are good tutorials on coil building. You might also consider looking for a coil jig, or a coil jig system. Many suggest using drill bits, screwdrivers to wrap wire around and that too does work. I prefer though a standardized tool specifically for the work, just my preference.
As for an RDA, I might suggest the Wasp Nano and maybe the Gorge. These are both single coil designed RDA. Some can manage building them with dual, even quad coils. Ultimately though, a decent single coil build can do you just as well and it doesn't need to be anything fancy either. Currently got a already made up coil that is 24awg at .5 ohms made out of Kanthal A1 or just what it's called for short, A1 on my Wasp Nano. It is doing rather well for me and do not expect to change it for oh at least two, maybe three or four weeks. Some go even longer on such coils.
The prefab coils I use come from FastTech. I did some cost analysis, for $3.50 it works out cheaper for me to buy a pack of 100, than it is to buy a 100ft roll of A1 and then build the same coils myself. Will I have some dud coils? Maybe but even if I have 5 run foul, still cheaper value wise for me and the coils seem to be spot on and lacking in duds. If you roll out your own coils, or use good prefab ones and yes there are good ones the same as there are bad ones, you'll save yourself some money and hassle long haul.
AndriaD
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One other thing I wanted to mention. Some folks are reluctant to build their own coils; I was very girly-girl about the whole idea, swearing up and down that I would NEVER EVER build my own coils, I was TERRIFIED of messing with "electrical stuff." That lasted about 3 months into my vaping career... till I saw how really stupid-easy it is. You don't need coils that look like jewelry just to get a good vape; I've been using the same little near-2-ohm coils since I started, and still find nothing at all wrong with them. They're a piece of cake.
Andria
Andria
Yeah it took me about a month to say Funk factory heads.... and with the help of Steam-engine and youtube vids, learn to rebuild factory heads. Few week after that fastech Vape mail brough my first Kayfun.
Why any one with hands would buy coils or factory heads I don't get. I can throw away 100 bad coils for the price of a head.
Why any one with hands would buy coils or factory heads I don't get. I can throw away 100 bad coils for the price of a head.
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Nah, it can be a real challenge for some with this or that disability. I was a bit afraid at first that my near-vision being so awful would pose a big problem, but after a while I didn't worry about looking at them too closely; I count the wraps as I go, so I don't need to see it THAT well. The wraps still end up pretty darn close, though I never compress them.
Andria
Another option would be to rebuild the factory coil heads themselves. There are a bunch of people who have done it successfully. Then you can use the tank you already have with minimal investment.
From what I have seen it does look fairly tedious and not so beginner friendly to rebuild the factory heads, but your op makes me think you can handle it.
Buying and RTA/RDA as suggested above is probably your best bet though.
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From what I have seen it does look fairly tedious and not so beginner friendly to rebuild the factory heads, but your op makes me think you can handle it.
Buying and RTA/RDA as suggested above is probably your best bet though.
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$1.00 reading glasses from the dollar store.. problem solved.
*I use them too.. 3.5x magnification*
So reading the thread, I think everyone has covered pretty much everything. Your coil has about 70% to do with your flavor and the other 30% made up by tank design, airflow and size of the mouth piece. (smaller mouth piece = better flavor)
So yeah, your best bet is to focus on the coils and the only way to get good results every time is build your own. So if you have a dud, you toss it. So in order of flavor builds starting simple:
Straight simple coil. 1 strand of wire wrapped around your choice of core. 3.0 recommended, but depends on atomizer space. Flavor = ok
Single core clapton. 1 strand of wire, put in a drill, then wrap a 2nd much thinner wire around (Like the base string on a guitar) Flavor = pretty good, much better than single strand wire
Dual core clapton. 2 strands of wire, put in a drill, wrapped with a much thinner wire Flavor = WOOHOO
3 core clapton. Same as above with 3 strands for core. Flavor = OMG--- I can feel my hair grow....
and then there is the ultimate coil which I still cant build..
10 strands of 0.5 x 0.1 mm flat wire, stacked, framed with 2 (one per side) strands of regular round wire, then carefully wrap in a much thinner wire (32ga or higher) - this is quite a complex build. Flavor = Mind blowing.
Mainly the middle 3 types are your go to flavor builds, depending on how lazy you are on a given day. To start, use no more then enough wire for 1 coil.. (about 9 inches). It is easier to work with. You can start doing more at one time when you get used to it.
So yeah, your best bet is to focus on the coils and the only way to get good results every time is build your own. So if you have a dud, you toss it. So in order of flavor builds starting simple:
Straight simple coil. 1 strand of wire wrapped around your choice of core. 3.0 recommended, but depends on atomizer space. Flavor = ok
Single core clapton. 1 strand of wire, put in a drill, then wrap a 2nd much thinner wire around (Like the base string on a guitar) Flavor = pretty good, much better than single strand wire
Dual core clapton. 2 strands of wire, put in a drill, wrapped with a much thinner wire Flavor = WOOHOO
3 core clapton. Same as above with 3 strands for core. Flavor = OMG--- I can feel my hair grow....
and then there is the ultimate coil which I still cant build..
10 strands of 0.5 x 0.1 mm flat wire, stacked, framed with 2 (one per side) strands of regular round wire, then carefully wrap in a much thinner wire (32ga or higher) - this is quite a complex build. Flavor = Mind blowing.
Mainly the middle 3 types are your go to flavor builds, depending on how lazy you are on a given day. To start, use no more then enough wire for 1 coil.. (about 9 inches). It is easier to work with. You can start doing more at one time when you get used to it.
Good advise. . To a point.... if your a vaper like me the Good to bad order might be reversed.. I get BETTER flavor from simple single wire or twisted builds... All tbe fancy wrapped wire builds, clsptons, do for me is convert More juice to vapor making MORE flavor by using more juice. Both from bottle and battery.
MORE just doesn't always taste BETTER.
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It is debatable wether or not claptoned wires produce better flavor than bare wire.
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Do you inhale very softly? Air pressure helps liquid get into the wick holes
When I used factory coils, I didn't poke a hole, I sliced a big gash into the cotton and pulled at it with tweezers. It's a balancing act though, between air pressure, cotton density, and eliquid thickness. Too little wick density and too much air pressure from a strong inhale can lead to spitting or flooding.
You could try adding one or two drops of water at your eliquid to make it thinner - ONE OR TWO DROPS max, per 10mL, a tiny drop of water can thin VG really well and too much will ruin your ejuice
I also recommend an RTA, it'll save money and once you figure it out, it will vape consistently. Factory coils are terribly inconsistent, so even if you get one to work with such and such trick, the next coil may need something totally different to work right
Something like the Ijoy Exo RTA, it's easy to figure out wicking and has juice flow control - also has two options, for one or two coils
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I've been using claptons since just about the start. Lately, I've been wrapping SS 316L 26 ga parallel, 3.5 id and 9 wraps and putting them in my RDAs. They work great.
Awesome advice from everyone thankyou, what's the difference between a "Clapton" and plain ss wire...
Let me add: to build my own I would need a new tank Cotton and wire to wrap? What about wattage reading this would require like a resistance tester right? Plus do most of the rebuildable tanks run a 510 so I could continue to use my current mod...
You can use any modern rebuildable tank on your mod - almost All tanks have 510 threaded connector
You can build on your mod, it can check resistance.
Yeah, one new tank would cost around as much as like 2 packs of coils, and then $10 for cotton and wire that can last months
If you don't want to go into building, check around the forum here for tank reviews, there are some better ones you might have better luck with
Actually, it makes a denser vapor. The denser the vapor the "more intense" (I'll use this phrase) the flavor. LOL Same reason kids know 8 sticks of gum taste better than one. (Oh you know you did it...)
The thing is, the OP wasn't "like you" but was getting muted flavor from the stock coils,which are generally single or parallel builds. Considering all other options were considered, making the flavor more intense might be the answer. I probably lean towards the OPs taste. Peppermints should be eaten 5 or 6 at a time. LOL.
Now you have me thinking about twisted wire again... 2x 2twisted claptoned together... might be tricky to wrap... but should be an interesting build.
AndriaD
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$1.00 reading glasses from the dollar store.. problem solved.
Well, I can't use the ones from the dollar store, or other real cheapies; the glass isn't good enough quality, and it gives me a headache to wear them. I've been getting Foster Grant readers from Walgreens, but I'm at the very last diopter, 3.75 -- and can't even find those anymore, highest I can find anywhere is 3 or 3.5. So I'll probably get some real glasses this year, the kind I really need: Transitions bi-focals. I'll be a much safer driver if my slight near-sightedness and astigmatism are also corrected.
Andria
AndriaD
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You might be able to use the tank you have, depending on how the heads for it are configured; some aren't hard to rebuild, and that's how a lot of us started. Some however aren't worth the bother, and you'd be better served to get a real RTA, RDTA, or RDA. Yes, you will need cotton; for some unknown reason, "organic cotton" presents much better flavor. I don't know why, but I know it's true. You also get better wicking if you use a "combed" type of cotton, where the fibers are all perfectly aligned -- much better capillary action with those. Ko Gen Doh and Shiseido are reliable brand names. They're actually cosmetic cotton pads, so no worries about the FDfuckingA banning them.
You'll need wire, obviously. You can find Temco wire on Amazon; the resistance you normally prefer, the wattage you normally use, will dictate what gauge of wire -- probably something like 26 to 28 gauge (higher numbers indicate finer-gauge wire; lower numbers are fatter wire, which needs higher temps or watts to get up to vape temp quickly). Kanthal is the most commonly used; stainless steel, 316L, is also commonly used, as it can be used for both variable-wattage and temp control vaping.
Yes, it's a good idea to have an ohm meter to check your builds, but if you can check resistance with your mod without needing to press the fire button, that will do for a start, until you get an ohm meter.
Andria
Or turn the watts waaay the hell down, (no, don't do this in TC mode ;-).
AndriaD
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It's not so much the possibility of burning the wick, but rather of there being a short -- a wire touching some metal that it shouldn't, maybe -- some of those heads are really tiny! If you don't have to press the fire button to read the resistance, then it's all good, but if you need to actually fire the mod to test the resistance, and there's a short... very NOT good. I got by very well before I bought an Omnitester, and rarely use it, since I use only regulated mods... but if ever a coil gives me attitude, it's great having the Omnitester to really check it out.
Andria
To Clapton a wire you wrap really thin wire around thicker wire/wires. Just like the thicker strings on a guitar. Many people act like it is a fact that you get better flavor from claptoned wires but I have found that other factors are much more important when considering how a coil performs.
It can be a lot of fun making all kinds of crazy wires by claptoning though.
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Most but not all seem to like the mesh coils. So far, I find them too dry.
Most tanks now are either good for rebuilding or for factory coils, but not both. An exception is original Fireluke (not mesh) that came out last summer.
AndriaD
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I never use DTL-style vaping, it really bothers my asthma. But once, trying to get an RTA to vape the way I like (tight draw!), I accidentally took a DTL hit, just trying to get ANYTHING. Sadly, the airflow WAS closed pretty tight... and I got a whole lungful of burnt cotton!
Which further cemented my distaste for DTL vaping.
And let me know that none of the modern RTAs were going to suit me at all, since I don't huff my vape!Andria
DTL is just more relaxing to me - MTL and my face will cramp and I get tense/frustrated.. RTL is OK.
And, of course, when yer testing you can also BLOW, rather than suck/inhale.
Oh, and yes: the flavor of crispy cotton is rather foul.. Wakes you right up - and it makes you fondly recall the GOOD experiences with ss-mesh wick.