Coil spreading....ugh

[skenzer]

So, I've been really trying to get better at building coils, Actually, just trying to perfect the right vape for me. One issue that I've run into on a regular basis is my coils tend to spread when I mount them on my RDA. Especially with RDA's that have smaller decks or posts that are kind of spread a little farther apart. Or if I have to mount the coil close to the posts so it won't touch the inside of the cap when it's assembled.

Do the veteran builders have any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening? Or do I let them spread and just try and repair them once they're mounted?

Any help would be much appreciated
B

 

[oncebitten]

After you mount the coil on the deck. Dry fire it and get it hot and glowing then release the fire button and use tweezers to squeeze the coils together. Do this a few times then insert the wick and all will be well with the world

 

[UncleRJ]

What kind of wick are you using?

We can go from there.

 

[CaFF]

Sounds like you might need longer 'tails' on your coils to reach the posts. Or, bigger coils that fit.

You should be able to attach them without pulling them apart. Use the screwdriver or bit you wrap on to hold the coil like a handle until you have then attached. That way, they can't warp.

 

[skenzer]

Thanks Oncebitten, I'll give that a go.

UncleRJ > I'm using cotton for wicking....KGD or regular sterile cotton.

Would having a pair of ceramic tweezers be helpful? so I can squeeze the coil while it's firing. I've heard that might be an option.

 

[Nailz]

I squeeze the coils while torching them before I mount them on the topper, but then I dry burn them and squeeze them again once mounted.

Seen a lot of people like the ceramic tweezers, but find it works just fine heating them up good and then letting go of fire button and squeeze together with normal tweezers, so I've not spent the extra money for the ceramic tweezers.

 

[skenzer]

Sounds like you might need longer 'tails' on your coils to reach the posts. Or, bigger coils that fit.

You should be able to attach them without pulling them apart. Use the screwdriver or bit you wrap on to hold the coil like a handle until you have then attached. That way, they can't warp.

Thanks for the tips. I like to keep my resistance around .6~.8 so maybe I'll try using larger gauge wire so I can do more wraps and still keep my resistance where I like it. I'm using 28g now but I figure dropping down to 26 or 24 will allow me to do more wraps.

 

[skenzer]

I squeeze the coils while torching them before I mount them on the topper, but then I dry burn them and squeeze them again once mounted.

Seen a lot of people like the ceramic tweezers, but find it works just fine heating them up good and then letting go of fire button and squeeze together with normal tweezers, so I've not spent the extra money for the ceramic tweezers.

Sounds good, thanks! I also torch them before mounting..but I haven't really done much beyond that other then checking them once mounted to see if they're firing properly.
Sounds like I need more practice. What a shame, I have to spend more time doing vape stuff......poor me.

 

[Nailz]

Sounds good, thanks! I also torch them before mounting..but I haven't really done much beyond that other then checking them once mounted to see if they're firing properly.
Sounds like I need more practice. What a shame, I have to spend more time doing vape stuff......poor me.

Coils are easy with practice and that is all it is 'practice'
When I wrap coils now, I really don't even need to squeeze them together as wrapped them so tight, but wasn't always that easy.
I let me wife have a go at doing a coil tonight, she watched me do one, then she tired, she was so frustrated, as hers looked awful compared to mine, but it's just because I have wrapped 100's of coils.
Keep wrapping, and before you know, your coils will be easy to do and look awesome

 

[CaFF]

Thanks for the tips. I like to keep my resistance around .6~.8 so maybe I'll try using larger gauge wire so I can do more wraps and still keep my resistance where I like it. I'm using 28g now but I figure dropping down to 26 or 24 will allow me to do more wraps.

Yeah, it all depends on the atty you are using.
Also the diameter of the coils. More wire length = more resistance.

I have DC builds in my Aqua's (that last pic) that are using 7 wraps of 33 gauge wire each, but are done on a 1.8mm screwwdriver.

My IGO-L dripper has one twisted 32 gauge coil twice that size.

But, they end up being about the same resistance....

 

[skenzer]

Yeah, it all depends on the atty you are using.
Also the diameter of the coils. More wire length = more resistance.

I have DC builds in my Aqua's (that last pic) that are using 7 wraps of 33 gauge wire each, but are done on a 1.8mm screwwdriver.

My IGO-L dripper has one twisted 32 gauge coil twice that size.

But, they end up being about the same resistance....

Someday.....someday I'll start getting into the twisted coils as well. I'm still at coiling 101. Yours looks killer though..nice!

 

[CaFF]

Someday.....someday I'll start getting into the twisted coils as well. I'm still at coiling 101. Yours looks killer though..nice!

Thx, I made it myself too with a screwdriver and a pair of vice-grips.

 

[skenzer]

Coils are easy with practice and that is all it is 'practice'
When I wrap coils now, I really don't even need to squeeze them together as wrapped them so tight, but wasn't always that easy.
I let me wife have a go at doing a coil tonight, she watched me do one, then she tired, she was so frustrated, as hers looked awful compared to mine, but it's just because I have wrapped 100's of coils.
Keep wrapping, and before you know, your coils will be easy to do and look awesome

Cool, thanks for the encouragement. It's a great hobby isn't it? Not only was i able to quite dig's but I also picked up a great hobby to boot. Unfortunately it's not a cheap hobby...especially when you're addicted to buying RDA's like I am. ugh. VJ doesn't help me either with his listing of "deals" all the time!

 

[skenzer]

Thx, I made it myself too with a screwdriver and a pair of vice-grips.

Dang, I only wish I could do that! I'm making my coils with the Artistic Wire coiling Gizmo. It makes great coils but I keep practicing on a drill bit anyway.

 

[CaFF]

Dang, I only wish I could do that! I'm making my coils with the Artistic Wire coiling Gizmo. It makes great coils but I keep practicing on a drill bit anyway.

Well, I meant I made the twisted wire that way....pretty easy to do.

Loop wire, hold the end tight with the vice grips, slip the loop over a screwdriver, then just let the weight of the grips hold it taught and spin the vice grips until ya have a nice twisted wire....
.

FWIW,
I do most all of my coils as "contact coils" wrapped on a precision screwdriver shaft like the pic showed.

This is how small those Aqua coils are....but because of that, it's 0.9 ohms for the DC set even though I used 33 gauge wire.

 

[skenzer]

Well, I meant I made the twisted wire that way....pretty easy to do.

Loop wire, hold the end tight with the vice grips, slip the loop over a screwdriver, then just let the weight of the grips hold it taught and spin the vice grips until ya have a nice twisted wire....
.

FWIW,
I do most all of my coils as "contact coils" wrapped on a precision screwdriver shaft like the pic showed.

This is how small those Aqua coils are....but because of that, it's 0.9 ohms for the DC set even though I used 33 gauge wire.

Got it, thanks. Actually looks pretty straight forward. How does the twisted wire change the vape experience for you? And what does that do for resistance? I'm assuming it adds more resistance?

 

[CaFF]

Got it, thanks. Actually looks pretty straight forward. How does the twisted wire change the vape experience for you? And what does that do for resistance? I'm assuming it adds more resistance?

Actually, it lowers it. Think of it as one continuous dual coil along the entire length of the wire.

Here's a quote from another forum:

The idea is that the 2 strands of 32g twisted together will sorta resemble to resistance of a 28g wire (thicker, double wire will have lower resistance), I think, to help answer the OP question, the reason that it works so well is that there is more surface area on the "twisted wires" for vaporizing juice. Also, twisted shaped of the wires prolly helps juice wick from the wick to the wires a lil better....even if just slightly. Another thing, because the wire is twisted, technically there are less bits of coil actually touching the wick and that prolly is helping make the initial build easier.

That 6 wraps of twisted 33 wrapped on a 1.8mm shaft came out to 1.6 ohms, but hits a lot harder because of the extra wire and greater surface area being heated. It is as if it was a DC. Very rich and full flavor with lots of vapor. =)

Now, I didn't want a low-ohm for that build, if I did, I'd just use a fatter gauge of wire like 30 or 28.

 

[tick22]

Lots of great info guys, thanks, also at the building 101 class...

 

[havok333]

Dang, I only wish I could do that! I'm making my coils with the Artistic Wire coiling Gizmo. It makes great coils but I keep practicing on a drill bit anyway.

I have one of those artistic wire gizmos too and they so a great job! When winding, use a fair amount of tension and it will help the coils stay nice and tight without as much need for tweezing.

 

[bigbadthor]

I just built a coil tonight that had the same issue. My solution: screw down the coils in my RDA, put the screwdriver inside the coil then pull outward as steady and hard as possible to lose any slack. By the time I was done, the coil was hanging over the lip of the deck. The slack between the wraps kept it from staying uniform and tight. Then I unscrewed the coil and used tweezers to get the coil back into place. Done. This should help if firing/tweezing isn't helping.

 

[Nu2Mods]

I saw this with a feller on youtube and tried it. Burn your length of wire before coiling it. This will take some of the springiness out of the wire and the coils will stay tighter without much adjustment afterward.