Battery damage. Help me diagnose the issue?

[Jsgillis86]

I bought a couple of clone mechs to see for myself what they were all about, and on the first night of use I ended up with...



...that happening.

The mech in question is a King V2 stainless tube clone. I took it out of the box, cleaned the hell out of it, checked every nook and cranny to make sure it wouldn't damage my battery, stuck one in and test fired. It worked just fine.

I checked the battery (VTC4) every hit or two and it barely even got warm and showed no signs of damage. After a few hours I thought she'd be alright not being checked so often and let her rip. Took her out at the end of the night and, well, you guys saw the picture.

Now I've used the exact same battery with the exact same build on the same RDA for a good while on my X1 and my Broadside and have never had any issues. I don't chain vape, I build low but not stupid low (the build on this one came out to .24), and this same battery only had this happen when I switched to the King clone.

This means is has to be the mech, right? But how? And why? I wanna know to avoid in the future.

If it's not the mech, can anybody help me figure out what the hell happened? The internet didn't have much for someone in my specific situation, and if this was my fault I'd like to know so I can not be a dumbass in the future.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[LetTheLuckRoll]

I am not an expert but it looks like arch burns , probably from cheap metal i the mod .

 

[Zamazam]

Yep, that's signs of arcing. Is the bottom negative contact on your mech ss or copper?

 

[Jsgillis86]

It's looks to be copper. I tried to check the site I ordered it from to be certain but they're not even available anymore.

 

[DirtyVapourz]

Is it spring or magnet fired? If spring, have a good look at your spring and check for hotspots.


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[Jsgillis86]

It's spring loaded.

What's the best way to check for hotspots? I do it with my coils all the time but I've never checked a spring before.

 

[DirtyVapourz]

Sorry by hotspots I mean any Scorch marks or discolouring in spring.


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[r055co]

How well did you clean the Mech before you started using it?

Yeah it's arching, I'd clean the shit out of it and really focus on the switch and the connections. Make sure they're smooth and polished.

 

[Jsgillis86]

Man, I cleaned the piss out of all three of the clones I ordered before I started using them. Copper polish and multiple runs through the ultrasonic cleaner (many thanks for that tip r055co). I clean my batteries regularly as well as my contacts. When it comes to mech anything I think I'm a bit of a worrywart, but it's just so hard to accept a regulated vape after you've gone mech. Anyways.

I've been through hell with these clones and I'm about done with them. One came with a burr the size of a railroad spike directly in the middle of the negative connection. I smoothed it out with high grade, high grit Japanese natural sharpening stones and it worked decently.

The SS mod I started this thread about, I cleaned, sanded down the connections, cleaned again, polished them on 12000 grit CBN on nano-cloth, and either stainless steel mods just lack or this one doesn't perform like my copper mods.

The other felt janky and poorly machined from the start. It unlocks itself in my pocket, and my X1 and Broadside both hit way harder while staying cooler.

Maybe I got some sub-par clones, but either way I think I'm done with them. I've always been a "buy once cry once" kinda guy anyways, and when my face is on the line I shouldn't be trusting a $20 mech.

Sorry if this discourages anyone and I'm sure there are clones out there that may be 1:1 or even better than the archetype, but I'm just gonna stick to the good stuff. I might be ruined early, but I've always believed you get what you pay for.

 

[Jsgillis86]

Sorry for the rant. I should've expected the outcome for the price I paid. Sucks either way, but hey, as is life.

Good news is that I, somehow admist my whiny bitch-fest, concluded that I need a SubZero Shorty in my life. And onward.

 

[r055co]

Sorry for the rant. I should've expected the outcome for the price I paid. Sucks either way, but hey, as is life.

Good news is that I, somehow admist my whiny bitch-fest, concluded that I need a SubZero Shorty in my life. And onward.

Yeah Clones are really hit and miss, in my experience there's only a couple Clones that I like, most Clones I've gotten or tried are mediocre at best.

Subzero Shorty rocks, it's the best 18650 Tube I've got, love it so much I got a second for the FDA Stash. Only con is the 510 pin battery rattle adjustment can be a bit janky. Other than that she's a real winner, performs excellent, looks sexy and machining is superb.

 

[scalewiz]

Arcing would be correct in the picture. Are you vaping low ohm? The higher the current draw the more arcing that will occur. Check out the switch construction; maybe a modification would help. The switch may not be moving far enough and is not putting any pressure on the battery. Whatever the case, the corrosion occurring will increase resistance and the problem compounds as you use it. If the bottom contact that touches the battery negative is small in diameter, or raised in one spot, it will reduce the contact area.

Clean it, and maybe make the switch push on the battery bottom just a little harder.

 

[HondaDavidson]

That is a sign of poor electrical contact. Clone vs authentic has nothing to do with it.. the metals used, the condition of the contact, how you are pushing the button, your coil........ all will have more to do with the issue. Try a little dielectric grease on the contact surfaces, after making sure your contact are making good contact.

 

[Jsgillis86]

Arcing would be correct in the picture. Are you vaping low ohm? The higher the current draw the more arcing that will occur. Check out the switch construction; maybe a modification would help. The switch may not be moving far enough and is not putting any pressure on the battery. Whatever the case, the corrosion occurring will increase resistance and the problem compounds as you use it. If the bottom contact that touches the battery negative is small in diameter, or raised in one spot, it will reduce the contact area.

Clean it, and maybe make the switch push on the battery bottom just a little harder.

I cleaned it more times than I remember. I really did want it to work well. When the arcing occurred my build was low. .24 if I remember correctly.

What I ended up doing was sanding down the negative pin a bit (it was grinding against the sides pretty hard with every push) and then used some knife sharpening compounds to make the actual negative connection more level than it was.

This worked and the arcing stopped, but, as stated above, it just didn't perform as well as my other mechs. Whether this is because of its stainless body or being somewhat janky in construction I'm not sure. All I know for sure is that the experience all around has been less than satisfying.

 

[Jsgillis86]

That is a sign of poor electrical contact. Clone vs authentic has nothing to do with it.. the metals used, the condition of the contact, how you are pushing the button, your coil........ all will have more to do with the issue. Try a little dielectric grease on the contact surfaces, after making sure your contact are making good contact.

My comment about being done with these clones centered more around their sub-par construction than the arcing session. I bought three and all of them are finicky.

 

[Jsgillis86]

Yeah Clones are really hit and miss, in my experience there's only a couple Clones that I like, most Clones I've gotten or tried are mediocre at best.

Subzero Shorty rocks, it's the best 18650 Tube I've got, love it so much I got a second for the FDA Stash. Only con is the 510 pin battery rattle adjustment can be a bit janky. Other than that she's a real winner, performs excellent, looks sexy and machining is superb.

If I've learned anything from this experience it's that quality machining means a good deal to me. I can put up with a touchy battery rattle adjustment feature if it means the mod itself is machined well overall.

 

[r055co]

That is a sign of poor electrical contact. Clone vs authentic has nothing to do with it.. the metals used, the condition of the contact, how you are pushing the button, your coil........ all will have more to do with the issue. Try a little dielectric grease on the contact surfaces, after making sure your contact are making good contact.

Disagree, poor quality Clones could have everything to do with it. Quality of machining and design have a lot to do with poor electrical contact. I've had two Clones that made such poor connection due to machining that I tossed.

 

[The Cromwell]

Also if you just lightly hold the switch against the battery bottom it will arc more. Need to hold firmly not super hard but firmly.

 

[Jsgillis86]

So, end result. My obsession with steel (as a result of my obsession with cutlery) produced some very interesting results (and opinions).

I've gotten all of my clones firing without a hitch, but after evaluating the minor discrepancies between all of the tubes I own, my clones just don't hold a candle to my authentics. I'm no machinist nor am I an electron specialist, but (for reference) I do have a lengthy background in basic chemistry and particle physics.

Overall, it makes sense to me that a ~$100 copper mod would come stock with a copper more pure than a $20 copper mod. This is the way of things. Now I don't mind a little elbow grease on my part especially when it relates directly to my experience, but the length of my efforts in relation to the end result are still lacking, even if it's in the slightest.

Many thanks to everyone who aided in my opinions on the matter. To all, your words were and are invaluable in my education on the subject.

Side note: SubZero Shorty? Get one. They're impressive.

 

[r055co]

So, end result. My obsession with steel (as a result of my obsession with cutlery) produced some very interesting results (and opinions).

I've gotten all of my clones firing without a hitch, but after evaluating the minor discrepancies between all of the tubes I own, my clones just don't hold a candle to my authentics. I'm no machinist nor am I an electron specialist, but (for reference) I do have a lengthy background in basic chemistry and particle physics.

Overall, it makes sense to me that a ~$100 copper mod would come stock with a copper more pure than a $20 copper mod. This is the way of things. Now I don't mind a little elbow grease on my part especially when it relates directly to my experience, but the length of my efforts in relation to the end result are still lacking, even if it's in the slightest.

Many thanks to everyone who aided in my opinions on the matter. To all, your words were and are invaluable in my education on the subject.

Side note: SubZero Shorty? Get one. They're impressive.

Yep, it's just not all about "looks" nor is Cooper is just Copper, etc. These have a large play in the equation, the same goes for wire. While it's foolish to think just because it has a high $$$$ it is automatically high quality one should look for decent quality and bang for the buck.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole

 

[Jsgillis86]

Like I need another rabbit hole. Eh, too late now.

 

[The Cromwell]

Yep, it's just not all about "looks" nor is Cooper is just Copper, etc. These have a large play in the equation, the same goes for wire. While it's foolish to think just because it has a high $$$$ it is automatically high quality one should look for decent quality and bang for the buck.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole

the Clone can be better than the origional.
Like the Original Manhattan, the New Yorker clone is a far better mod.

It is far more of a crapshoot with clones though. Although many clone attys are just as good as the genuine ones. I would not buy a clone regulated mod at all.

 

[r055co]

the Clone can be better than the origional.
Like the Original Manhattan, the New Yorker clone is a far better mod.

That is a very rare exception

It is far more of a crapshoot with clones though. Although many clone attys are just as good as the genuine ones. I would not buy a clone regulated mod at all.

Some, only some. What I have found is Clones of Chinese gear is close to the same as the Authentic but Clones of like Pinoy, US, etc gear is far from being the same quality, pathetic in most cases.

 

[MrScaryZ]

Man, I cleaned the piss out of all three of the clones I ordered before I started using them. Copper polish and multiple runs through the ultrasonic cleaner (many thanks for that tip r055co). I clean my batteries regularly as well as my contacts. When it comes to mech anything I think I'm a bit of a worrywart, but it's just so hard to accept a regulated vape after you've gone mech. Anyways.

I've been through hell with these clones and I'm about done with them. One came with a burr the size of a railroad spike directly in the middle of the negative connection. I smoothed it out with high grade, high grit Japanese natural sharpening stones and it worked decently.

The SS mod I started this thread about, I cleaned, sanded down the connections, cleaned again, polished them on 12000 grit CBN on nano-cloth, and either stainless steel mods just lack or this one doesn't perform like my copper mods.

The other felt janky and poorly machined from the start. It unlocks itself in my pocket, and my X1 and Broadside both hit way harder while staying cooler.

Maybe I got some sub-par clones, but either way I think I'm done with them. I've always been a "buy once cry once" kinda guy anyways, and when my face is on the line I shouldn't be trusting a $20 mech.

Sorry if this discourages anyone and I'm sure there are clones out there that may be 1:1 or even better than the archetype, but I'm just gonna stick to the good stuff. I might be ruined early, but I've always believed you get what you pay for.

An ultrasonic cleaner will not get off all the Oil residue and copper clean is for polishing not for removing oils get some dawn or equivlent and soak that sucka then go from there.. A mech is a very simple device its the most basic idea of electricity this can always be fixed if one is going to use a Mech learn how to do it right or stop using them.

 

[r055co]

An ultrasonic cleaner will not get off all the Oil residue and copper clean is for polishing not for removing oils get some dawn or equivlent and soak that sucka then go from there.. A mech is a very simple device its the most basic idea of electricity this can always be fixed if one is going to use a Mech learn how to do it right or stop using them.

Depends, if all you have in the ultrasonic is water then yes, but if you have a good cleaning solution in there it'll do a very good job of cleaning off the oil.

 

[MrScaryZ]

Depends, if all you have in the ultrasonic is water then yes, but if you have a good cleaning solution in there it'll do a very good job of cleaning off the oil.

true but most people do not understand this a good cleaner is relative to what you are cleaning.. I do not clean my electronics with Dawn and it surely is "Good" for dishes articulation is pretty important especially when people are getting ready to blow their face off with arching high amperage batteries

 

[r055co]

true but most people do not understand this a good cleaner is relative to what you are cleaning.. I do not clean my electronics with Dawn and it surely is "Good" for dishes articulation is pretty important especially when people are getting ready to blow their face off with arching high amperage batteries

After a good clean in the Ultrasonic you also need to use something like a Sunshine cloth to clean the contacts. It's pretty simple actually, run it through the ultrasonic to clean the oil or any other gunk, a good rinse then polish the contacts (preferably with something like a sunshine cloth).

A dab of Dawn, Simple Green or what ever good cleaner would be fine, personally I use a non toxic Jewelry cleaner.

 

[Alter]

I've come across some of my mechs that the battery contacts aren't square onto the battery, they aren't machined straight. I use a point file to square the contact and after that just have to keep it shiny with 350+ grit sandpaper.

 

[Jsgillis86]

An ultrasonic cleaner will not get off all the Oil residue and copper clean is for polishing not for removing oils get some dawn or equivlent and soak that sucka then go from there.. A mech is a very simple device its the most basic idea of electricity this can always be fixed if one is going to use a Mech learn how to do it right or stop using them.

No need to be rude, now. I use a non-toxic jewelery cleaner that was recommended to me by r055co, and own multiple types of polishing cloths. Coincidentally and ironically, I've been using Sunshine Cloth almost exclusively to clean my mechs.

And remember, the mech in question was one mech and the only mech I've ever had any issues with, and I resolved them by leveling the switch. Turns out it wasn't a matter of cleanliness.

 

[Jsgillis86]

the Clone can be better than the origional.
Like the Original Manhattan, the New Yorker clone is a far better mod.

It is far more of a crapshoot with clones though. Although many clone attys are just as good as the genuine ones. I would not buy a clone regulated mod at all.

I'm positive there are quality clones out there. I've just yet to see it for myself.

I'm still relatively snobbish at the moment, but I'm sure I'll try my hand at a clone or two again in the future. My clone mechs don't even hit poorly now (well, the SS one is kinda meh), but I can tell a difference between them and my authentics and they're still kinda schizy. It makes them difficult to use and detracts from the experience overall. But broke and curious is a pretty classic combination in my books.

 

[Jsgillis86]

I've come across some of my mechs that the battery contacts aren't square onto the battery, they aren't machined straight. I use a point file to square the contact and after that just have to keep it shiny with 350+ grit sandpaper.

Interesting. I've been using a combination of sharpening compounds, mostly CBN, and sandpaper on flat glass.