First ever build...don't laugh!

[rades]

So after a good month of research and getting everything I needed, I did my first build. I did a 1.4 single coil on my tugboat with Fuhattan clone. My multimeter has its own resistance of .1, my coil came out to 1.5. Hence the 1.4 final. I know my coil looks like garbage but it's my first time. I need some positive energy going forward haha.

I'm still nervous as hell to vape on it for a while, I keep checking it, making sure the battery isn't hot, looking at my coil after a vape, etc... lol

Here's some pics from today, if you guys think I need anything more, let me know...

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[rades]

The flavor is great, my only complaint is I'd like some more warmth, than again it's my first build and I'm using cheap shit cotton balls from Wally World...


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[Huckleberried]

Try rayon

Nothing wrong with cotton, I just like the flavor from rayon. With cotton, you'll likely have better flavor the longer you vape it. Sometimes you get that cottony taste for a bit. Congrats on your coil!! You're bitten now!

 

[Teresa P]

If it works, it's a good coil.

 

[rades]

Thanks guys! Is the charger I purchased decent? I got it from RTD Vapor, along with the batts


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[Teresa P]

Xtar is awesome....

 

[Free2Vape]

Congrats, dude! Awesome first coil. You just got hooked there's no turning back now️


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[rades]

I think it looks pretty awesome as well, I like the no over charge feature...reassurance.


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[Roguexx]

Everyone stays somewhere I went through20ft of cool before I add a functional coil

 

[Free2Vape]

That charger looks better than my intellicharger. Mine has lasted for three years already so time will tell


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[rades]

I saw those too, very nice. I already have my eye on a Lab 65 with a fogger v6 . Post some pics of what everyone's vaping today!...I like to see what other people's set ups are to get good ideas...


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[fq06]

Great 1st try, they will only get better from here!

Make sure the coil is lined up with the air holes height wise and try to build it a little closer to the holes.

Less cotton under the coil so air can flow around the whole coil easier.

A lower resistance coil will be needed on a mechanical mod for a warmer vape. Or two of the same since adding a coil cuts resistance in half.
Maybe some 26g & 24g wire will get you closer to the normal 0.7 to 0.2 ohm dripper build that most use on a mechanical to get a nice warm & full vape.

 

[rades]

Awesome, good points! Thanks for your help.


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[robot zombie]

Lots of good tips here.

Since you already have the 30, why not try twisting up some of it? If you've got a drill and a screwdriver or pair of pliers, then it's pretty easy to learn. Check out some videos on it over on the youtubes.

Single strands of 30 gauge aren't going to give you much heat in the range they work best at. The twisted wire can get hotter and runs at around half the resistance. If you can manage a dual build at .3-.5, then you'll really be vaping with kanthal. More surface area + more power = more flavor, more heat, more vapor. I'm assuming that those AW 18650's are the 20 amp ones? If they're 10, then .5 is the lowest you can safely go, which is still plenty of power.

Disregard all of that if you're not using either. I'm not too familiar with AW batteries, but I know they have some decent high drain batteries and a few really low drain ones. Can't tell which you've got from the pics. In a mech, you really want batteries that can handle a minimum of 20A continuous. Forget the 18350's. They don't have the capacity. Sony VTC4's and Samsung 25r's are both fine choices. LG also makes a range of great, high-drain cells.

Tinker around with it and you'll find your skills for wrapping coils improving pretty quickly. It'll help you get a sense of how little things affect the end result, too.

I'm still nervous as hell to vape on it for a while, I keep checking it, making sure the battery isn't hot, looking at my coil after a vape, etc... lol

Not a bad instinct to have starting off. Over time, knowledge will overtake fear. You only need fear what you do not know.

Oh, ditch the multimeter though. Get an ohmmeter with a 510 that can read to the hundreths ASAP. Even a cheap one is better than using the probes. They're much more accurate/consistent and will save you a lot of hassle. They're a necessity on mechs, especially if (and when) you wind up sub-ohming.

 

[rades]

Yup, those are 20 amps. Lots of good points as well, thanks! Damn I thought the multi meter would have been better, does any old ohm reader work better than a multi?


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[robot zombie]

Yup, those are 20 amps. Lots of good points as well, thanks! Damn I thought the multi meter would have been better, does any old ohm reader work better than a multi?

Yup. For general applications, a decent multimeter will serve you well. But for vaping even the cheap little handheld, AAA-powered ones are much better. They're made to do one thing and they do it well. They are much more accurate within their much narrower range.

 

[UncleRJ]

Congrats on joining the rank of builders!

And never, EVER feel the need to apologize for your first build.

I remember mine like it was yesterday.

Watched all the video's, had lots of advice from friends via PMs.

Had all the stuff I needed all layed out including a propane torch.

And I was a bundle of nerves (as I suspect most of us are the first time).

Sad but true, it took me about three hours to have a functioning coil and to get it installed.

Now it takes me about 10 minutes to do the same while watching TV!

 

[nabibrian]

Good work on your first build!
Can't wait to see how you progress in your builds!!!!

 

[rades]

So I did my second build today and took the advice and did a twisted coil. Dimensions are:

30 gauge kanthal twisted
12 wraps
1.4ohms


Build looks a lot better than yesterday, just takes a while to heat up, which is expected with all those wraps! Here's some pics guys...

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[scarecrowjenkins]

Not bad for a first try!! I discovered early on that the yellow screwdrivers are troublesome-especially when you get to the part about installing the coils. I have found the small steel screwdrivers commonly found at most hardware stores work a LOT better. Also-a 510 ohm reader would be a worthwhile investment as well. Aside from the batteries, those would be my only pieces of advice. Done yourself a fine job for your first try!! Eventually you'll get the feel for all the little tricks. There are quite a few experienced builders hiding around here, you can always visit the "specialty builds" and "post your builds" threads for ideas and questions!! I read this not long ago-you may find it helpful:
http://vapingunderground.com/thread...er-to-measure-the-resistance-of-a-coil.84934/
Cheers!!

 

[rades]

Awesome! Thanks for the kind words


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[wildchilli]

seeing as you have a dual post build deck like i did with my first set up ( I used a RSST genesis style dual post )

heres how i started i twisted wire to a get a thicker more conductive set up like your second build
did a few wraps extra on both coils for a dual set up ( based on you tube videos i watched i gauged the size by what i had seen ) so if they did a twisted 28 gauge with 4 wraps i did 5 or 6
cotton wick inserted juice it up test it for heat vaper production ( i didn't have my ohm reader yet at this stage )
if its to slow to produce vaper ( more than 2 seconds of holding fire button ) you have to many wraps
removed wicks inserted the item ( in my case a drill ) back in the coil undid the positive post of wire took a one wrap of each coil
and tried again when it gets to where you get vapor amount and the warmth you like you got yourself a pretty good idea for the next build
without having to waste to much wire by trial and error

 

[Robert B]

Dude, get that coil ramped up !! joking

 

[rades]

Gimme a couple weeks lol


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[Neunerball]

So I did my second build today and took the advice and did a twisted coil. Dimensions are:

30 gauge kanthal twisted
12 wraps
1.4ohms


Build looks a lot better than yesterday, just takes a while to heat up, which is expected with all those wraps! Here's some pics guys...

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That's why there's sub-ohm builds. Lower resistance = more power = quicker hot coil.

On a mech mod, I usually build a 0.3 Ohm dual coil.

 

[rades]

I'll get there, I'm getting lower and lower as I feel more comfortable with mechs. Going for a .8-1.0 coil this weekend


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[Neunerball]

My typical build is a dual coil 24g 7/6 wrap 3mm ID => 0.3 Ohm

If you have 30 g only, use 3 strands and twist them.

 

[rades]

What do you mean twist them! Like a twisted coil?


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[Neunerball]

What do you mean twist them! Like a twisted coil?


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Yes, when you make a twisted wire of 3 strands, you get about a 24g wire.

 

[Neunerball]

On second thought, it might be more a 25-26 gauge.

 

[Robert B]

Gimme a couple weeks lol
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You're doing fine! just ribb'n ya.

Run over to walmart and grab yourself a set of these screwdrivers for 2 bucks. As Scarecrow says, it makes setting your coils a lot easier with the smaller shaft handles. 26g is also a good starter wire. Little stiffer, easier to screw down on the atty posts without cutting the wires with the post screw. Steam Engine calculator is a great reference too. Lets you mess around with coil scenarios before wrapping a coil

 

[robot zombie]

Very nice! You're getting better.

Still too much cotton, though. Less is more. A bed of cotton offers little benefit. It's not worth the trade-off unless you're running nano coils. It mostly just sits there, holding juice and suffocating the coil by adding air resistance.

It's generally common practice to raise the coil a little higher and have just enough wick to be touching the deck... ...maybe a little bit more so it almost forms a broken doughnut shape. Juice moves more readily through a shorter wick. Most coils benefit more from having the unimpeded airflow under them. They wick better and heat up more evenly. Just taking a lot of that cotton out will probably improve the ramp-up delay and overall performance significantly.

 

[wildchilli]

What do you mean twist them! Like a twisted coil?


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A how to for twisted wire

youtube is your friend for speeding up your learning curve ( worked wonders for me )

i only had 28 gauge to start with the ramp up time on 5 wraps vs a 2 strand twisted 5 wraps you'll see real quick the difference it makes