I got my crius v3, now for my questions

[Mattp169]

So i got the crius v3 for xmas

am not a builder.
i built a few coils on a kanger subtank rba with very limited success. BUt decided its time I am able to build my own coils and not rely on prebuilt coils.
SO I got a crius base don the multiple good reviews to learn on.

First build I tried was using some pre made SS 316L Clapton wire - 2x26ga core 32ga wrap

That took a lot of work to get anything with enough resistance to fit! I finally got 2 5 wrap coils with a 1.97ish ID to fit, read and fire.

It was reading in at just at .1 ohms and fluctuations kept making my koopor plus think the ohms were too low to fire.
But when it did fire -OMG the flavor was OFF
i was using my ADV which is
fa peach
fa white peach
fa fresh cream
fa mango
fa vanilla (whichever one is handy)
fa pear

All I could taste with this build was peach, and it was metalic and chemically tasting. PLUS it was just too dam hot.

SO i decided - Ok maybe a clapton with such a low ohm is not my thing. I do seem to prefer cooler vapes usually - and maybe this deck just aint big enough to handle this clapton wire and make coils that are high enough in ohms - SO LETS GO SIMPLE

I used 28ga SS 316L
made 2 simple 10 wraps coils with 2.5ish ID
ohms were reading around .5
i dry fired them. pinched them with ceramic tweazers made them nice and tight contact coils.
but 1 coil would heat up a lot faster then the other. But no hot spots. Just one coil heated faster then the other, like 3 times faster.
I made several more coils and kept getting the same results.
I finally got 2 heating up close to the same and tried it.
wicked it with rayon
juiced it up and the flavor was off.
there was this taste undelrying in the vape i can not described. it wasnt,burnt,chemical,oil,metal or anything else, just an off taste.
as for the juice - still my ADV described above
i could taste the peach and mango, but not the cream and vanilla. it was an OK flavor, but not as full as the same juice on my crown .5 coils and that weird taste was there
about a tank or so of this and that weird taste disappeared( i think or i got used to it), and the flavor was improving
HOWEVER
i could not take this build past 40 watts without it being burned tasting. Which makes no sense to me since i can run a .5 crown coil at 55 all day long and even higher

So after trying this build out on and off all day, i decided - somethings just not right - i am going to try again.

so i made 2 new coils (28ga SS 316L 10 wraps 2.5ID)
installed them
pulsed and pinched ETC ETC
both were firing the same now both heated the same and from the middle to the legs.
ohms read at .54
I decided to use some konga cotton i had laying around

MUCH MUCH BETTER
my ADV tastes ABOUT the same as the crown -i could taste the vanilla and cream with the peach and mango
I went through half a tank with only 2 or so dry hits
switched to my Apple DIY flavor and it tastes spot on (same as in my crown or maganus)
Ive gotten 2 dry hits in about a tank
I can run this one above 50watts with no issue

So as I type this im pretty proud of myself figuring this all out and feeling more confident in making my own coils

NOW FOR THE QUESTIONS

1. To those who have used both rayon and cotton - does rayon often give an off flavor or a very DISTINCTIVELY different flavor then cotton?
2. Is it possible my rayon needs cleaned or something - if so HOW?
3. am I right in my thinking that this tank is not well suited for a beginner to try and get a good clapton build in? and would i be best off getting something else to experiment with claptons? if so what other tanks would you suggest? Or what tips can you offer to get claptons in this tank?
4. is there any way to fix the issue i had when 1 coil is heating much faster then the other, besides just making new coils?
5. does rayon effect how high you can fire it? I cant figure out why the first 28g build would be burnt above 40 watts so any thoughts are appreciated here?
6. as i've been typing im getting semi dry hits off this build now. my juice is max VG.has anyone else experienced this issue and how do I fix it? It just seems like the wicking cant wick this juice quite fast enough. do i need to use less wick, more wick or something?

im sure ill have more questions later but lets start here TYIA

 

[TheVapingDevil]

I have not tried claptons yet so I can't comment on that
However I have used both rayon and cotton in mine
When I use Rayon the first few hits are very strange tasting. This is until the rayon starts wicking and delivering the juice on its own. Another area of concern when working with rayon is cleanliness. Wash your hands three times because that shit is so absorbent it will pick up any oils on your hands.
Make the wicks longer than usual and only touch the ends. When it's installed cut off the ends your hands touched.
In terms of wicking. Rayon likes to be tight in the coil and loose in the wick channels. I usually thin mine out a lot at the point it enters the juice channel. Once I get that right I can vape it at around 50 watts using a .17 24 g ss build 2.5mm Id.
Hope that helps a little bit


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[Izen]

Tired. Can't address everything now. Sure others will... Don't recall you mentioning breaking down the tank and thoroughly washing it out. (probably did but), that can mess-up your taste big time on first use if you didn't. Can't comment on rayon wick, have only used Japanese organic cotton. Small deck for Clapton's. Doable, but not really for a beginner. RDA's are best for Clapton wire (bigger decks). Suggest you stay with 24-26-26Ga. Kanthal wire. Point #4. - Did you strum the coils? (after dry burning & pinching them) ...didn't think so. That would help/fix the problem with unequal heating. Watch some YouTube builds. -that it for me for now. Everything comes in time. Great start!!!

 

[Mattp169]

thanks for the responses so far.

yes i did try strumming the coils, pinching them more, i put the drill bit back in and moved them vertically.

i have watched several youtube videos, but never saw one with one coil heating faster then another.

i found out if i drop my wattage from 50w to 49watts the dry hit taste goes away completely.

im not really understanding why with a crown coil which is a dual coil at .5 ohm I can go above 50 with never a dry it, but with my own builds 50 and above gives dry hits...can anyone explain? i know there is a slight difference in the crown coil build versus my own, but is that slight difference all there is as to why?

 

[TheVapingDevil]

My thought on that is that the crown coils have much more cotton in there and packed pretty tight. That's not possible with and rta coil build. Just my thought and I'm gonna with it lol


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[vuJim]

Given my experience with RTAs, and the Crius, in particular, I wouldn't blame you for ignoring my comments altogether, but...

Coils: I'm with @Izen: Start simple and go up from there. Say 6 turns of 26 ga. Kanthal to start with. On the uneven heating: Wind one coil, put it in. Adjust, etc. Read the resistance. When you put the 2nd coil in the resistance should be cut in half, ±0.1Ω or so.

SS coils: Reading the threads, here, on SS: It seems most have much better results with of so-called "non-contact" SS coils than with so-called "contact" coils. I.e.: You want to see at least the slightest bit of space between each turn. Perhaps this is because SS has much lower contact resistance than other coil materials? (Not a metallurgist, so cannot say.)

Wicking (with cotton): It seems that you want the cotton to be somewhat snug going through the coil. I.e.: When you pull it back and forth it wants to tug on the coil? That's the impression I get. You want lots of fluff at each end of the coils. You want the tops of the juice channels completely covered, but you don't want to see very much wick, at all, through the juice ports, once the tank is re-assembled. If you subsequently find you have too much wick in there, you can gently pull it back out and trim some off.

One of the YouTube videos talks about seeing bubbles from all four juice ports after vaping. I finally got mine to do that, last night. Perhaps coincidentally: It also leaked juice all over my mod and hand.

N.B.: I have apparently not got my wicking fu down on the Crius, yet, so my comments re: wicking, in partcular, may be of little or no value.

Wattage: Some people have gotten their Crius' up to 60, 70 or more watts. I've never been able to run mine over 45W, and usually no more than 35W, without burning. I'm sure it's coil configuration, wicking, juice, what-have-you. I stopped worrying about wattage.

Finally: It's a really fun tank to build on. The fill method rocks. I have so far not be able to get mine to sing for me

 

[AmandaD]

If one coil is heating up faster than the other, then the coils aren't the same size. If this happens, I just start again (easier than trying to count wraps).

I don't get any break-in taste from rayon, as I do from cotton. But it does need to be quite thick in the coil.

On my current Crius I'm using the coils that came with it at 0.3 ohms and 50 watts. No dry hits. I do find I have to fiddle with the juice flow to keep it running nicely.

 

[vuJim]

On my current Crius I'm using the coils that came with it at 0.3 ohms and 50 watts. No dry hits. I do find I have to fiddle with the juice flow to keep it running nicely.

I'm glad it's not just me, then. (Or maybe I'm not?) I can wick the thing. Run it up to 50W and it vapes beautifully. Next thing I know it's burning. WTF

Eyeball the juice ports. Grrrr... Take it apart to find all that cotton that had been up top had sagged into the juice channels. Once that happens I can "fix" it by trimming the wick back, but then there's not a lot of wick "bulk" either side of the coils, so if I try to run the power back up: Burning.

 

[Mattp169]

@AmandaD im getting the exact opposite experience with cotton and rayon. no break in taste on cotton, but theres some weird taste with rayon.

when im at 50w or higher i have to play with juice ports to get rid of the burning/dry hit taste. but i would rathe rnot have to adjust. just set up fill and go.

so based on comments so far...
this tank is not necessarily a high wattage tank. but that dont matter it seems. at 49w with a .5 coil build im getting the exact same flavor and clouds as i do at 55w with the .5 crown coil. So im not super concerned that I cant run this build at 50-55...just curious as to why so I learn more about building.

when the coils were heating unevenly..i did count wraps and swear they were the same....but those coils are small, so maybe one had 10 wraps and one had 9......anything is possible...this is my first dual coil deck..so who knows???

im liking this tank...but dont feel 100% confident I got coil building figured out or ready to make my own videos yet. im going to try other wires like Ti and try this build in TC mode eventually. and keep experimenting.

I will try and rewick with rayon eventually and see if i get different results.

@vuJim i have been following your journey with the crius in other threads so your input is greatly appreciated.

i would love to hear other builds people are using in the crius so i get more ideas of stuff to try ANd any one else;s experience with anything I descirbed in the OP

 

[Izen]

@Mattp169 Sorry about my assumptions earlier, but you never mentioned strumming the coils, so I thought you'd neglected that for the symptoms you experienced because I also assumed each of your coils had an equal number of wraps. Amanda knew... but I never had the experience of building with unequally wrapped dual coils simply because my old(er) eyes can't see sh%t without glasses and even with them - I need & use a magnification loupe to count my wraps and be certain the coils are the same before they're set-up on deck.

 

[Izen]

@vuJim Sounds like you're flooding your deck by not letting your wick pickup enough of the juice flow. I may not be describing this well but from what you've posted - I'd try exactly the opposite of what you're doing. Place more wick in the channels.

 

[vuJim]

@vuJim Sounds like you're flooding your deck by not letting your wick pickup enough of the juice flow. I may not be describing this well but from what you've posted - I'd try exactly the opposite of what you're doing. Place more wick in the channels.

@Izen: Read my latest two posts in the OBS Crius Problems thread. The seeping/weeping/leaking is coming out of the seam between the AFC ring and the part above it, not via the air intakes. It is not flooding.

 

[Mattp169]

@Izen im pretty much a total noob on coil building so anything you suggest is good by me, Even if I did it and didnt mention it. because just becaus ei did it, doesnt mean i know why or if it was a good idea to start with.

btw
i tried my build
316l 28ga 2.5ID 10 wrap
on my koopor plus in SS TC

I dont like it. you cant set the watts only the temp...so to get it to temp its firing high enough to make it burnt/dry tasting. switched back to power mode at 49 watts and still perfect for me

im finding TC less and less useful by the day.

 

[Izen]

@vuJim Sorry you're having those issues with it. Was only trying to help. I gave-up on tanks (you know that). They have their place just not with me anymore. Probably better to move on to something else There's something for everyone. The challenge is to find it. GL!!!

 

[vuJim]

@vuJim Sorry you're having those issues with it.

*shrug* It happens.

Was only trying to help.

I understand that, @Izen. No worries.

Btw: I misunderstood your other comment, and that was my fault. Brain fart I started out with more wick in the juice channels. That simply led to dry hits and burning right out of the gate. If you search on my very first post on my first build for the OBS Crius, you'll see I actually had the juice channels stuffed.

I'm sure I would've figured out the right wicking eventually. (Tho it looks like @AmandaD is experiencing exactly the same problem, and she has way more experience than I.) I think I might maybe have even figured it out on that last build. Alas: I believe I'll be leaving the Crius behind

 

[AmandaD]

*shrug* It happens.


I understand that, @Izen. No worries.

Btw: I misunderstood your other comment, and that was my fault. Brain fart I started out with more wick in the juice channels. That simply led to dry hits and burning right out of the gate. If you search on my very first post on my first build for the OBS Crius, you'll see I actually had the juice channels stuffed.

I'm sure I would've figured out the right wicking eventually. (Tho it looks like @AmandaD is experiencing exactly the same problem, and she has way more experience than I.) I think I might maybe have even figured it out on that last build. Alas: I believe I'll be leaving the Crius behind

The only tanks I've not had a single problem with are the Crown tanks with the stock coils. I have a drawer full of discarded tanks,because my vaping style just doesn't play nicely with most, whether RTAs or tanks that just take OCC coils. However, my second Crius is at least the next best to my Crowns. If only I could make it totally leakproof....which I'm thinking isn't going to happen. But I haven't given up yet I do put a fair amount of wick in the channels,but everytime I get to the top of the chimney I get a (healthy) leak. I have the same problem with the Billows, so my thinking is that I vape too fast (and they get hot) for most tanks.

 

[TheVapingDevil]

The only tanks I've not had a single problem with are the Crown tanks with the stock coils. I have a drawer full of discarded tanks,because my vaping style just doesn't play nicely with most, whether RTAs or tanks that just take OCC coils. However, my second Crius is at least the next best to my Crowns. If only I could make it totally leakproof....which I'm thinking isn't going to happen. But I haven't given up yet I do put a fair amount of wick in the channels,but everytime I get to the top of the chimney I get a (healthy) leak. I have the same problem with the Billows, so my thinking is that I vape too fast (and they get hot) for most tanks.

I have to agree. My crowns are my most reliable tanks. No leaks at all.
My Crius I do love them for what they are but both will develop this seeping over time. Like Amanda, I believe it has to do with getting hot when heavily used. If I only hit it here or there and not repeatedly it's great. If chain vaping it, seeping or leaks will occur if my wicking isnt perfect


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[Mattp169]

well i must be teh luckiest person
only leaks or seeping i get on the crius is when i refil and forget to close the juice ports-which i find annoying and is a negative about the crius imho.
Ive been using mine heavily
went thorugh like 15ml in it today already.I swear thi stank drinks juice worse then anything.

the only time my crius got hot was with the clapton build in it
it gets warm here and there, but not hot.

for the crown fans get a maganus OG -they are as reliable as the crown but with kanthal wire and bottom fill and the taste is just as good imho.

 

[vuJim]

... my second Crius is at least the next best to my Crowns. If only I could make it totally leakproof....which I'm thinking isn't going to happen. But I haven't given up yet I do put a fair amount of wick in the channels,but everytime I get to the top of the chimney I get a (healthy) leak.

I don't get what you're saying. What do you mean "every time [you] get to the top of the chimney?"

My Crius I do love them for what they are but both will develop this seeping over time. Like Amanda, I believe it has to do with getting hot when heavily used. If I only hit it here or there and not repeatedly it's great. If chain vaping it, seeping or leaks will occur if my wicking isnt perfect

I think we need to distinguish between "leaking" as a result of flooding vs. seepage from the seam above the AFC ring. The former would definitely be a result of wicking vs. liquid viscosity. The latter would have nothing to do with wicking whatsoever.

As for the weeping/seeping from the seam above the AFC ring: Y'all may be on to something. Elsewhere I wrote that the new bottom assy. Wetvapes sent me was worse than the old one, but there's one other change: Previously I was using a max VG juice. This last time, on the new bottom assy., I was using a 50/50 juice. Thinner. LIkewise: Heat thins max VG. So the tank is (more-or-less) weep-free as long as the juice is thick? But right in the instruction pamphlet it claims "By adjusting the juice flow in order to use 100% PG to 100% VG liquid." So it should be able to handle thinner liquids without leaking, weeping or seeping, no?

well i must be teh luckiest person
only leaks or seeping i get on the crius is when i refil and forget to close the juice ports

See: That was never a problem, for me. I refilled, as necessary, and didn't bother closing the juice ports. It never leaked when I did that. Why should it? There's no significant change in tank or liquid dynamics. In fact the only mention in the instruction pamphlet of closing the juice flow control entirely, as a leak preventative measure, is "please close the juice flow control to avoid the leaking 100% if you put it away overnight." (I rarely remembered to do that, either, and never found a puddle under the tank the next day.)

 

[TheVapingDevil]

I don't get what you're saying. What do you mean "every time [you] get to the top of the chimney?"


I think we need to distinguish between "leaking" as a result of flooding vs. seepage from the seam above the AFC ring. The former would definitely be a result of wicking vs. liquid viscosity. The latter would have nothing to do with wicking whatsoever.

As for the weeping/seeping from the seam above the AFC ring: Y'all may be on to something. Elsewhere I wrote that the new bottom assy. Wetvapes sent me was worse than the old one, but there's one other change: Previously I was using a max VG juice. This last time, on the new bottom assy., I was using a 50/50 juice. Thinner. LIkewise: Heat thins max VG. So the tank is (more-or-less) weep-free as long as the juice is thick? But right in the instruction pamphlet it claims "By adjusting the juice flow in order to use 100% PG to 100% VG liquid." So it should be able to handle thinner liquids without leaking, weeping or seeping, no?


See: That was never a problem, for me. I refilled, as necessary, and didn't bother closing the juice ports. It never leaked when I did that. Why should it? There's no significant change in tank or liquid dynamics. In fact the only mention in the instruction pamphlet of closing the juice flow control entirely, as a leak preventative measure, is "please close the juice flow control to avoid the leaking 100% if you put it away overnight." (I rarely remembered to do that, either, and never found a puddle under the tank the next day.)

For clarification I get the "seepage" from between the juice control ring and the AFC. It starts out after a few tanks have been put through after rewicking. As the tank is put through some heavy usage it will get worse where you need to wipe it with a paper towel pretty frequently or suffer with sticky fingers. Occasionally I have had a ml or two pour out of the afc but that was due to crappy wicking. Once I added more wick to the juice channel the problem went away. Of course that could be a trade off because you can get too much wick in the channels resulting in muted or dry hits so it's a balance. Overall I have been very happy with mine but like anything in the Vape world their are some trade offs. It's a matter of what you can and cannot tolerate. I have yet to find the "perfect" device although the crown is the closest I have found yet with the Crius in second only because of the seepage. In my experience I enjoy the flavor of the Crius over the crown. But the crown wins in every other area.


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[OE Burntpiston]

Not sure how to fix your issues, my only asumtion is wicking issues that you will need to figure out. I'm running nichrome80 26g dual clapton wrapped with 36 kanthal, with 5 wraps at .17 Ohms. I can run all day on 80W with the same mod. I even ran it up tp 150W but usaly the second hit taste a little burnt. It helps to slow down the ramp up time. On my koopor plus I normally keep it set to soft or MIN. Except with TC mode I have it set to max with nickle builds on my triton.

 

[ghost1k]

First off make sure you give the tank a good cleaning. Twist parts back and forth/up and down under hot water(dont lose those O-rings and grub screws(even though they provide plenty)). When I first got the tank it looked clean but every now and then I would get an odd flavor, not sure if it was machine oil but after a good cleaning I haven't had an issue.

The build deck in this is definitely limited as you have mentioned. I would get shorts from time to time to which I would unscrew the tank and screw it back on with less pressure(screw it down to where the juice flow control would begin to spin) and it would fire perfectly. This wont be an issue if the build fits correctly ofc. Right now I use a twisted 28g 7wrap build and it vapes great, I also use a 7-8 wrap 24g build in it that vapes great.

I haven't had issues with hot spots in this tank that I haven't had with my RDA. I tighten down the grub screws very firmly, pinch the coils together real quick and strum them pretty hard with tweezers where I can. After that it may take some pinching here and there but eventually they light up like they should. (usually if one coil is heating up quicker than the other I will unscrew the culprit coils grub screws and push it towards the base slightly and tighten down the grub screws and begin the strumming/pinching process)

With the crius you dont want a lot of cotton, a small bow tie is what it should look like. Get next to the base with the scissors and snip there(you may want even less when you get to testing them) you also want to trim them. Dont force or over stuff!. (To counter-act the seeping issue you need to make sure that the cotton is covering the top orifice where you put the cotton. I take tweezers and push from behind the cotton(under the coils) to make sure there are no areas for juice to creep out of) once you get the hang of it its easy.. lol

You can check out this video on how to wick and just how well this thing does wick when done properly if you would like. This is how to wick it(trimming is key!) Go to 13:00 to see how to wick and 18:20 to see how it wicks when done properly

I wouldn't say this tank is the greatest tank for a beginner but given a little practice its awesome. This tank isnt the most flavorful thing out there but it will put out vapor and perform.

Heh if you want a tank to throw bigger coils in, that is reminiscent of the crius check this one out(wicking this one is pretty much how you want to wick the crius)

or

These tanks are more like drippers in a tank lol

 

[Mattp169]

ive been seeing this griffin more and more. it looks like crius with crown style top fill.
the question is how big can the coils be for it? is there significantly more room on its deck vs the crius?

 

[ghost1k]

If you check out the video, he has 5/4 wrapped claptons in it. He said he has never been able to use that build in a tank and sits fine in the griffin.

 

[TheVapingDevil]

I'm seriously thinking of picking up a griffin to experience this large build deck with velocity style


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[Mattp169]

so i re wicked today with rayon. i was very careful to wash my hands and barely touch it and cut off what i touched.NO funny taste now. So that taste was either form something on my hands or I didnt clean the tank out very well to start with. So far though -no noticeable difference in flavor between rayon and cotton. I find rayon easier to portion out but harder to stuff the channels with vs cotton.

the griffin does look like a possible alternative to me because even though this is my first true RTA, im not liking everything about it - not sure if the griffin would be better. But I would like more room for bigger coils and the option to run single coils. and I can not for the life of me disassemble the crius completely so i can remove the juice completely. the pieces that hold the glass just refuse to turn and come apart...may have to try some tools one day. And this side fill thing is not my favorite but better then bottom fill. that damn gasket under the top fill sometimes pops out on one side and doesnt let it close right. Plus the drip tip is a PITA to get in sometimes

But like others have said...everything is a compromise

i would highly recommend the crius to anyone looking to get into coil building and trying out a RTA. It is much easier to build on then the kanger rba deck for me. Wicking is pretty simple.flavor is great. so far so good for me.

 

[vuJim]

... I can not for the life of me disassemble the crius completely so i can remove the juice completely. the pieces that hold the glass just refuse to turn and come apart...

I've seen this complaint elsewhere. I've never tried (haven't used mine enough for it to be a concern), but I've read that if you give it a good soak in hot water and use a pair of those rubber-ish jar-opening things to get a better grip, it will come apart. I've also read that, once you get it apart a couple times, it becomes much easier on subsequent disassembly.

And this side fill thing is not my favorite but better then bottom fill.

I love the fill method on that tank. My absolute favourite of the tanks I have. But...

that damn gasket under the top fill sometimes pops out on one side and doesnt let it close right.

I've never had that problem, even after blowing the tank dry with an air gun, but, yeah, that does concern me.

Plus the drip tip is a PITA to get in sometimes

Never had that problem, either.

Why do I begin to suspect their manufacturing process is not as repeatable as we might like?

i would highly recommend the crius to anyone looking to get into coil building and trying out a RTA.

I cannot. For one: Wicking that thing turns out to be significantly more twitchy than is at first apparent. There's too much, not enough, and a sweet spot that's hard to get and harder to keep. (Not just my own experience, but reading the experiences of others, as well.) Then there's the issue of the seepage problem so many of us have experienced.

I haven't decided what to do with/about mine, yet. I'm thinking of rebuilding it, today, after all, just to see what happens. If it weeps, again, at least I can get photographic evidence. If it doesn't: Then I can suspect my prior build was deficient.

 

[Izen]

@vuJim - You've posted before about never closing down the juice ports when you refill. You say that the tank never leaked because of this, "Why should it?" you wrote. There's no significant change in tank or liquid dynamics you've written. And besides, the manufacturer never specified the need to close the juice flow except as a preventative measure during overnight storage.

Really? - Please tell me why there is a juice flow control on the tank at all? Is it even necessary? Don't you think there's a change in vacuum pressure when the top fill cap is pulled open to refill? Don't you think this changes the liquid dynamics inside the tank? Do you believe the manufacturers instructions are complete and comprehensive?

Granted, I no longer own a Crius. I did have some seepage from time to time, but it would also run for hours bone dry, and then later on, mysteriously, there would be the some wetness coming from the bottom. Maybe I'm clueless about how the tank works... but I always closed the juice flow before pulling the top open. So again, maybe I'm wrong - but you're the one with the significant leaking. I only had a small intermittent amount of seepage. I would urge you to try again. One last time, before you throw in the towel. Put enough wick in the juice channels without plugging them. Keep the JFC closed before pulling the top open, and close it again when refilling. See what happens.

Honestly, I'm just trying to offer something to help. Maybe you've had enough of the Crius and you're done with them. I don't know. But, I'm done with them, and whatever happens and wherever it goes for you... Good luck !!! If the Crius ain't it... There's always something else.

 

[Mattp169]

i just use enough wick to be tight in the coil. trim it and stuff the ends in the juice holes so only just a tiny bit of wick is visible when looking at tth ejuice holes from the side.

i fi dont close the juice ports when filling it leaks
i ha dno seepage iwth cotton wick
im starting to suspect something though on this rayon wick job. theres juice appearing on the tank and at he bottom

 

[TheVapingDevil]

i just use enough wick to be tight in the coil. trim it and stuff the ends in the juice holes so only just a tiny bit of wick is visible when looking at tth ejuice holes from the side.

i fi dont close the juice ports when filling it leaks
i ha dno seepage iwth cotton wick
im starting to suspect something though on this rayon wick job. theres juice appearing on the tank and at he bottom

Honestly I get better results with cotton Than rayon in terms of seepage. Rayon will seep more and frequently Than cotton. Cotton seems to do better. I think it's because Rayon holds more liquid than cotton. Just my thoughts for what it's worth.


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[vuJim]

@vuJim - You've posted before about never closing down the juice ports when you refill. You say that the tank never leaked because of this, "Why should it?" you wrote. There's no significant change in tank or liquid dynamics you've written. And besides, the manufacturer never specified the need to close the juice flow except as a preventative measure during overnight storage.

Really? - Please tell me why there is a juice flow control on the tank at all?

If you read OBS' information on the tank: It's to allow variable liquid viscosities. As I posted, just above: "By adjusting the juice flow in order to use 100% PG to 100% VG liquid." Straight from OBS' own product documentation.

Don't you think there's a change in vacuum pressure when the top fill cap is pulled open to refill?

@Izen: You write as if these tanks are closed systems, when they obviously are not. No: I most certainly do not think there's appreciable change in vacuum pressure when the top cap is opened.

Don't you think this changes the liquid dynamics inside the tank? Do you believe the manufacturers instructions are complete and comprehensive?

No and yes, respectively. Further: I would note that neither OBS nor its vendors made any mention of closing the juice ports when filling, when the seepage/weepage issue raised its ugly head.

I did have some seepage from time to time, but it would also run for hours bone dry, and then later on, mysteriously, there would be the some wetness coming from the bottom. Maybe I'm clueless about how the tank works... but I always closed the juice flow before pulling the top open.

Yet you mysteriously got leakage, weepage, seepage, whatever, from time-to-time, anyway. So closing the juice ports during filling accomplished what, in this respect?

Btw: Night-before-last, when I experienced the worst seepage ever, was after the first, and only, fill, and the juice ports had been closed when I filled. I always have had them closed on the first fill, so I can open them and watch for the tell tale bubbles at each port.

So again, maybe I'm wrong - but you're the one with the significant leaking.

And again: A number of people have experienced this problem.

I would urge you to try again. One last time, before you throw in the towel. Put enough wick in the juice channels without plugging them. Keep the JFC closed before pulling the top open, and close it again when refilling. See what happens.

I am, I did and I did. We'll see.

I actually went several "revisions" back in my experimental progression. I'm back to six turns of 26 ga. Kanthal at 2.5mm, giving me 0.39Ω, and enough wick in the juice channels that I can clearly see it in all four juice ports. It's vaping very nicely at 35W. I start to get *snap* *crackle* *pop* at about the 3 second mark in the vape. Vape is nice and warm, fairly dense. Nice flavour. Presently loaded with Grand Rapids E-Liquid's High Voltage 50/50.

You missed one, btw: "Leave a bit of space at the top of the tank, when filling. Or, as the liquid is warmed, while vaping, it'll be forced out of the tank." Ask me how I know

 

[Izen]

Jim, I give up. I wish you the best.

 

[vuJim]

Jim, I give up. I wish you the best.

Please read more carefully, @Izen. I was agreeing with you. Well, in part, anyway. Doing exactly what you suggested I do. In fact: I'd already been in the process of doing it, had already done a new build and started using the tank, again, by the time I saw your post.

It is possible I got myself turned around and did not experience what I thought I did. So I'll give it another go.

Yes: I was pointing out that the very things you say, at one point, aren't issues, you experienced, yourself. Nonetheless: I'm not giving up on this tank. Not yet, anyway. (I can hear the groans of anguish from the audience.)

Btw: OT, but you should check this out: anyone tried elfwick?. See my last post in that thread.

 

[CgS_Drone]

When I have two coils of the same type in a RDA or RTA and one is firing more than the other and after doing the obvious and checking the screws and coils are looking the same I take whatever I wrapped them around (say 2.5mm mandrel) and have it ready, I pulse the mod until the coils start to show some glow to them then slide the mandrel into the coil that is not firing as fast as the other then slide it back and forth dragging it along the inside of the coil, remove the mandrel and pulse again and you should see the slower coil start firing faster. It's kind of like strumming the coil on the outside that you see people doing in video's. I have been able to bring both coils to the same after doing this one or two times.

As far as wicking the Crius I place my cotton in like normal then fluff the ends of the cotton as much as it will then bend it towards the opening in the juice wells to get my length ( I fold them to the outside of the juice well and cut them so the ends are half way of the round inlet of the juice well) then I cut them so there is an arrow shape to the cotton and put the point of the cotton into the juice well so I can only see the tip of the cotton through the round opening, Then I apply juice to the cotton until it cannot absorb any more and put the tank together. When I do this only about 1/3 of the cotton is actually in the juice well opening and the rest is touching on the deck around where the cotton would go into the juice well. I find I get better wicking when I do it this way.

 

[WARCHOP37]

So I finally experienced the seeping/weeping that everyone's been talking about. It's not like I have been riding the tank very hard. It only started happening on the way to work. It was pretty bad at first with almost what seemed like droplets forming around that spot between the AFC and the glass itself, but it abated abut over time. Still, not ideal for what I was ready to call the best RDTA I owned. Hope someone can help get this figured out.

 

[Markw4mms]

As an owner of two OBS-T-VCT, and Crius tanks I think the problem is a design flaw with the juice flow control. I'm pretty sure that the seepage is coming from whatever kind of seal they have between the juice control ring and the base. If OBS had reworked the VCT tank to allow room for the velocity deck and stayed with the top fill, and juice control at the top of the tank, we wouldn't be having this issue. My T-VCT tanks have never leaked a drop, and you can fill them all the way to the top of the tank, unlike the Crius. Don't get me wrong, I love the way the Crius vapes, it's worlds better than the VCT vapor production, and flavor-wise, but it is a pain to have to have a rag handy every time you refill it to wipe the inevitable weeping until you can hit it enough for it to stop (usually no more than 3-4 hits). As good as it vapes, I'm willing to put up with it as long as it doesn't get much worse as it ages. Here's hoping OBS will come up with a solution to this soon.

 

[burley]

Still, not ideal for what I was ready to call the best RDTA I owned.

I know that feeling. I'm right there, everything is perfect and good and solid - great flavor, great vape, this that and the other thing... It's kind of like dating someone you think is perfect in every way, and finding out that they snore really loudly. Every other facet is fantastic, but that snoring - I, personally, can overlook something like a little weeping (...from the Crius...) now and then, nothing a quick, light swipe of the thumb won't take care of. That being said, I can definitely see why someone would have a problem with it and not be so forgiving.

As soon as my SS version leaves Oompa Loompa Land, Florida, I'm going to be a pretty happy customer.

 

[Deeks]

I unfortunately benched my Crius v3 a while ago. This seeping and weeping thing everyone talks about was driving me nuts. I have too many other good tanks that produce just as good of flavor and vapor and don't leak that its not worth the headache to me. I will probably end up keeping it as a stay at home tank or maybe even a DIY tester tank but that's about it. I really really wanted to love this tank but yeah...

 

[TheVapingDevil]

Does make me curious if the new griffin that has the same style deck and juice control will have this problem corrected or if it will be the same Crius on steroids


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[Deeks]

I'm curious as well, the only thing off-putting to me about the Griffin is the tank capacity. I've grown too accustomed to having 5mls is my biggest problem. Even the Crius was a little short of that it seemed like I couldn't really completely fill it without making some sort of mess. Couple times when I would push the top cap thing down I got some juice squirt in the face (uhh...) lol.

 

[Markw4mms]

Does make me curious if the new griffin that has the same style deck and juice control will have this problem corrected or if it will be the same Crius on steroids


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Right now, I'm really thinking hard about giving the Indulgence Mutation X MT-RTA a try.

 

[TheVapingDevil]

I'm curious as well, the only thing off-putting to me about the Griffin is the tank capacity. I've grown too accustomed to having 5mls is my biggest problem. Even the Crius was a little short of that it seemed like I couldn't really completely fill it without making some sort of mess. Couple times when I would push the top cap thing down I got some juice squirt in the face (uhh...) lol.

Same here although I never got the face shot. I like the 5 ml tanks cause it holds more juice etc. but the top fill does make it easier so it's not a huge issue. I know a few people that just ordered some so o am going to sit patiently and see how their results fair out then try and make the right choice lolol


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[burley]

Can't wait for the Griffin. That's an automatic purchase... one of these days.

 

[Deeks]

Same here although I never got the face shot. I like the 5 ml tanks cause it holds more juice etc. but the top fill does make it easier so it's not a huge issue. I know a few people that just ordered some so o am going to sit patiently and see how their results fair out then try and make the right choice lolol


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Probably some exaggeration on my side but ya if I had it close to my face to see if I had that bugger as filled as I could get it, I would then push that top down and get some spots ejuice splatter on my glasses. I'm super OCD about dirty glasses and cleaning ejuice off of them is always a fun experience lolz.

 

[TheVapingDevil]

Probably some exaggeration on my side but ya if I had it close to my face to see if I had that bugger as filled as I could get it, I would then push that top down and get some spots ejuice splatter on my glasses. I'm super OCD about dirty glasses and cleaning ejuice off of them is always a fun experience lolz.

Oh I hear ya brother. I am always cleaning vg snot off of my glasses. Don't know how on the fuck it gets on there but it does lolol


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[raymo2u]

The day after I got the V3 I basically gave up on it, its a okay tank but has many flaws and many things needed to be fixed in order for it to be usable. I received the Aromamizer a few days later and its slightly better all around but still a tank that wont be used. The Girffin and the VCMT are the next tanks awaiting to arrive and I hope that either of them are decent or I will be giving up on the Velocity deck RTAs..They seem easy to build on but are not built around other values like wicking or made of decent alloys...I have bent the metal on my of these tanks with the cheap included allen key and the damn m2.5 grub screws are the flimsiest things in rebuilding, they should atleast be Cr.55 hardened or better.
Its a great Idea for a RTA but it needs to be updated and improved a long way before it can be useful for a daily tank...I have more success out of my Atlantis V2 with rebuilt coilheads (PITA)

 

[vuJim]

I have bent the metal on my of these tanks with the cheap included allen key and the damn m2.5 grub screws are the flimsiest things in rebuilding, they should atleast be Cr.55 hardened or better.

Yikes, dude. Ease up on the torque a bit. These aren't engine head bolts--or even wheel lug nuts It really doesn't take all that much tightening to create a decent electrical connection and keep the coils in place. Snug 'em down, pulse it a few times, check 'em. Done.

 

[raymo2u]

Yikes, dude. Ease up on the torque a bit. These aren't engine head bolts--or even wheel lug nuts It really doesn't take all that much tightening to create a decent electrical connection and keep the coils in place. Snug 'em down, pulse it a few times, check 'em. Done.

I break all my vape stuff at some point, I guess I am a bit hard on most things but I just wish they would step up on the pieces a bit...you know?? I find that hardened screws are great when using them in situations they are overrated for on my RC vehicles so why not on something Im constantly fiddling with? I am however reaching out to one of my RC machinists that makes some of my screw kits and buying a 500 piece lot of M2/M2.5/M3 sized set screws and afterwards it may warrant anyone else to purchase them through them if anyone is interested.

 

[raymo2u]

I stopped using my Authentic Crius the day I received it as the post bent and the insulator cracked bad and I managed to strip every single grub screw it came with the first build. I ordered a clone for half the price off FT and received it in 7 days. The clone seems to be made of a better alloy (Much Stronger) but it uses the same small and easily stripped set screws ( I Hate them). I managed to strip them all but after 2 builds. I drilled out the postholes to 2.7mm and threw a nice build for now in until my new hardened screws arrive...I honestly think the clone is a better made product for cheaper..no seeping, insulator seems made of peek, and the material used for the RTA seems better overall....
2x24K/46N60 Fused Clapton

 

[burley]

Yikes, dude. Ease up on the torque a bit. These aren't engine head bolts--or even wheel lug nuts It really doesn't take all that much tightening to create a decent electrical connection and keep the coils in place. Snug 'em down, pulse it a few times, check 'em. Done.

It's not hard to deform the metal around the juice control holes. At all. Having the black one, which is now more or less notorious for being difficult to tear down, I tried a trick told to me by a good member of this community and used the little screwdriver to get leverage and twist it free. It worked, but even a slight amount of pressure was all it took to bend one side of the hole slightly inward, the opposite edge outward. Made it grind and crunch when reassembling. It wasn't hard to get it close-enough to normal so I could keep using it, but it didn't take very much pressure at all to deform that hole.