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plain wire vs exotic wire

CashNVape

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side by side 22g ss316 coils
same ss316 wire but Clapton
dual mode, both ohming out to 0.20 ohms.

which fires quicker?
which causes less ramp up time?
I know you'll get more flavour from the claptons over plain wire but how much of a flavour gain do you really get going from plain wire to a Clapton coil?

I feel like a set of claptons in n80 in dual mode 0.2ohms takes more time to heat up on a single battery hybrid tube than running plain SS or A1 wire running same setup same ohms. if it's the same ohms why is it taking more amps than single wire?

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
 

Neunerball

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I've been using all sorts of coils. IMO, to each it's own. A plain wire can be as satisfying as an "excotic" wire. The only difference might be the amount of vapor produced by an "excotic" coil. However, I personally enjoyed utilizing either kind of coil(s). The question should be, do you go for battery life, or high wattage (less battery life).
 

f1r3b1rd

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I used nothing but plain wire for years. About a year ago I started using all sorts of Clapton and alien wire.
Last week popped in a plain wire build (22g SS). In all honesty, I don't notice a huge difference other than the plain wire doesn't hold as much juice as the exotics so I have to drip more often or use more Cotton.
 

Carambrda

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Human perception of flavor is subjective. For me, the 'feel' (warmth, smoothness, density, wetness, throat hit, restrictiveness of the draw, etc. etc.) and quantity of the vapor are equally as important as the flavor, just like the 'feel' and quantity of the sauce are equally as important as the flavor when I eat my steak. If that makes sense. Simple clapton coils are a waste of time for me because fused claptons are not more difficult to make. Moving from claptons to fused claptons, the improvement is nothing short of spectacular. But aliens are better still, albeit the difference is much smaller, and actually it depends. I like other (sort of) advanced coil builds besides fused claptons and aliens, though. Switching between multiple different coil types is like switching between different juices in the sense that it easily gets boring if I don't switch it frequently enough.

More importantly, I find that some juices need a different coil type compared to other juices for me to get the best flavor from them [these juices]. Or vice versa... some coil builds can be brought to life by choosing a different type of juice. Similarly, the wattage, the choice of atomizer, the airflow adjustment, the strength of my draw (and how I change this strength during my draw), and the wicking style all also play a huge part. Mech vs regulated plays another part. In the case of a regulated, power curves play a huge part. (For example, staple staggered fused claptons with Kanthal cores, Kanthal ribbon, and Nichrome80 wrap wire benefit a LOT from using power curves.) Finally, my own preferences are not invariant. Just like my choice of what juice I want to vape, my choice of 'feel' and quantity of the vapor I want is moving all the time. That is why I vape on so many different setups... variation is compulsory, in several many ways.
 

Synphul

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I haven't tried single core claptons, only multicore fused claptons. For me the flavor is a definite boost. Resistance isn't everything when it comes to ramp up, it has to do with wire mass and how the power is flowing through the wire. Adding a clapton wrap to a single wire increases mass, there's more metal to heat up and depending on the gauge used can have a significant impact. If the wrap is 30-32ga it will take longer to heat up or more power to get it to heat equally as fast as the single plain wire than say 38-40ga wrap wire.

The staggered fused clapton wire I got on a spool used all stainless 32ga wrap and using 28ga cores it took forever to heat up and cool down. I made my own using 28ga ss316 and 38ga ni80, much faster response and cool down.

It's down to personal preference which is what makes coil variety so great. If you personally see no flavor difference in single plain wire coils over claptons and someone else likes the flavor of fused claptons better and yet another person likes the flavor of single clapton paralleled with a plain simple wire - then each person can have what works for them. Taste is subjective so what works best for you is what's best to use. No way to know until you actually use it yourself and decide which is better in your opinion.

If a particular build (say clapton or fused clapton) seems to work so well for others and not for you, make sure you're using a similar build before giving up on it. r055co may have claptons that are 2x28ga ss316L with 42ga ni80. If mine were 2x30ga or 2x26ga kanthal with a 30-32ga ss316 wrap yet mine weren't working for me it'd be better to try what they're using before saying 'claptons suck'. Maybe my configuration is what sucked and if it were more like theirs I might like it. Or not, but no way of knowing until you try.

Keep in mind I don't use mechs, only regulated so my experience is limited. How the various wire masses, resistance, metal types and coil build styles affect the vape/performance on a mech may be entirely different since the coil determines all the user adjustments with straight mech mods. I still think wire mass has a lot to do with it and may need to be compensated for. Wrap wires are generally thin enough gauge they have little effect on overall resistance, yet they add mass to the coil. As mass increases it takes either - longer to heat or more power. Since your resistance stays the same you're not adding more power, therefor it takes longer to heat the extra material. If I'm wrong (since I'm no mech expert) hopefully someone will correct me and explain it better.
 

Letitia9

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I normally prefer tri core fc, but have recently found I prefer single wire for my sharper unsweetened citrus vapes. I do get better lung hit satisfaction from the fc's.
 

CashNVape

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I normally prefer tri core fc, but have recently found I prefer single wire for my sharper unsweetened citrus vapes. I do get better lung hit satisfaction from the fc's.
for some reason I can't stand anything with citrus. maybe I should try them with single wire coils instead of claptons or aliens.

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
 

CashNVape

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I'll wrap some 22g ss coils tonight. since my bd coil order is super slow. they were supposed to be here days ago. now the tracking says bumphuck Egypt. so I'll play with my reg wire

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
 

The Cromwell

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Claptons and such are much less efficient than regular wire coils.
Simple roundwire coils will ramp up MUCH faster than a clapton of the same resistance at the same wattage.
You will also get a better vape at the same wattage on round wire.
To me the parallel roundwire builds are best for flavor and efficiency of cloudage.
 

Letitia9

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The claptons give me a much more satisfying hit. Freely admit they are not the most efficient coils, but I love them.
 

SteveS45

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I started using plain SS316L because I could not fit the Claptons in an RTA and using a heavy wire gives good surface area. Whatever floats your clouds!
 

r055co

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Claptons and such are much less efficient than regular wire coils.
Simple roundwire coils will ramp up MUCH faster than a clapton of the same resistance at the same wattage.
You will also get a better vape at the same wattage on round wire.
To me the parallel roundwire builds are best for flavor and efficiency of cloudage.
All depends on the gauge of the wrapping wire, 38g - 40+g is negligible in regards to additional wire mass. Using small gauge wrapping wire the coils are very responsive and efficient. Actually more so due to more surface area for juice.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 

Letitia9

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Since I started ordering smaller gauge wire fc my ramp time is amazing. I was stunned at the difference it makes. They don't last as long tho. Ramp time more than make up for it.
 

The Cromwell

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All depends on the gauge of the wrapping wire, 38g - 40+g is negligible in regards to additional wire mass. Using small gauge wrapping wire the coils are very responsive and efficient. Actually more so due to more surface area for juice.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Question I always had on clapton style coils is which heats up faster the cores or the wrap?
I know they cannot be perfectly balanced except in a very rare occasion.

And on the wrap wire mass. You wrap a lot of the little stuff around the cores it has to add noticible mass.
I will not do the maths on the surface area of the wrap or how the length of the wrap relates to the cores it is wrapped around.
My head would hurt too badly and I might start killing people.


I miss Boden....
For those who know/knew him you will understand.

he won cloud comps against claptons and such using ellipictal parallel round wire builds.
And Knew all the maths and physics involved.
 

CashNVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Question I always had on clapton style coils is which heats up faster the cores or the wrap?
I know they cannot be perfectly balanced except in a very rare occasion.

And on the wrap wire mass. You wrap a lot of the little stuff around the cores it has to add noticible mass.
I will not do the maths on the surface area of the wrap or how the length of the wrap relates to the cores it is wrapped around.
My head would hurt too badly and I might start killing people.


I miss Boden....
For those who know/knew him you will understand.

he won cloud comps against claptons and such using ellipictal parallel round wire builds.
And Knew all the maths and physics involved.
I just took some 22g ss wire and wrapped 7 wraps. dual coil, 0.15ohms after cotton added, also have some aliens in n80 0.15ohms.
taate is exactly the same. takes longer to heat up the aliens. this was all done on two brass comp lyfe mods "Swiss" with battle decks. Looks like buying claptons is a waste of $ when I can just wrap my own plain wire. now I need to venture past SS and A1 wires. I like n80 because it ramps quicker but down own plain n80 wire, yet.

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
 

The Cromwell

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I just took some 22g ss wire and wrapped 7 wraps. dual coil, 0.15ohms after cotton added, also have some aliens in n80 0.15ohms.
taate is exactly the same. takes longer to heat up the aliens. this was all done on two brass comp lyfe mods "Swiss" with battle decks. Looks like buying claptons is a waste of $ when I can just wrap my own plain wire. now I need to venture past SS and A1 wires. I like n80 because it ramps quicker but down own plain n80 wire, yet.

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
Yep either just dual SS316 round wire builds or parallel builds for me.
KISS works well for me.
 

skiball

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I feel like exotic wires heat more evenly.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
 

skiball

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After you finally beat them into submission :)
Whatever works for you. As long as it is safe enjoy it.
What can i say i'm hammer all i see is nails. But really after i went from 24g to clapton etc, couple pulses and a slide and done.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
 

CashNVape

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I feel like exotic wires heat more evenly.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
hmm, so does plain wire... after scraping, pulling, squeezing the coil.

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing
 
Last edited:

r055co

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Question I always had on clapton style coils is which heats up faster the cores or the wrap?
I know they cannot be perfectly balanced except in a very rare occasion.

And on the wrap wire mass. You wrap a lot of the little stuff around the cores it has to add noticible mass.
I will not do the maths on the surface area of the wrap or how the length of the wrap relates to the cores it is wrapped around.
My head would hurt too badly and I might start killing people.


I miss Boden....
For those who know/knew him you will understand.

he won cloud comps against claptons and such using ellipictal parallel round wire builds.
And Knew all the maths and physics involved.
38g - 40 +g is rather thin, thinner than hair so the minute amount of mass it adds is negligible when it comes to power needed.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
 

The Cromwell

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If like me you use SS316 spaced coils you only need to pulse enough to burn off any impurities.
None of the getting it to heat evenly stuff. They just do.
 
Exotic wires up tons of carbonized juice very fast, which produces extremely dangerous fumes to the lungs. By the time we start tasting the burned fumes, we already inhaled tons of it.
Exotic wires are not as safe as plain wires.
Also,it's always good to keep in mind that while nicotine has some benefits to our body, too much of it can cause inflammation to our system, and that can lead to many life threatening issues. Have fun and stay safe.
 

SteveS45

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Antz-Antz-everywhere.jpg
 

r055co

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Exotic wires up tons of carbonized juice very fast, which produces extremely dangerous fumes to the lungs. By the time we start tasting the burned fumes, we already inhaled tons of it.
Exotic wires are not as safe as plain wires.
Also,it's always good to keep in mind that while nicotine has some benefits to our body, too much of it can cause inflammation to our system, and that can lead to many life threatening issues. Have fun and stay safe.
What a bunch of horseshit, I put this right along the lines of Popcorn lung.
 

Letitia9

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Exotic wires up tons of carbonized juice very fast, which produces extremely dangerous fumes to the lungs. By the time we start tasting the burned fumes, we already inhaled tons of it.
Exotic wires are not as safe as plain wires.
Also,it's always good to keep in mind that while nicotine has some benefits to our body, too much of it can cause inflammation to our system, and that can lead to many life threatening issues. Have fun and stay safe.
I run multi wire single coil builds exclusively and dl and would bet money my vape is cooler than any single wire build in a mtl atty. You need to do a bit more in depth homework.
 

SteveS45

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I run multi wire single coil builds exclusively and dl and would bet money my vape is cooler than any single wire build in a mtl atty. You need to do a bit more in depth homework.

Maybe just needs to tell their handler to fuck off? LMFAO~! Screw the Wunt!~!
 

Letitia9

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Personally I prefer to believe that they just haven't fully finished the homework before calling them out as an antz. Lot of conflicting articles these days and can understand the confusion. The atty design has more to do with heat than coil type from what I've read.
 

SteveS45

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Personally I prefer to believe that they just haven't fully finished the homework before calling them out as an antz.

1st post on a Vaping forum to me is an ANTZ or just some butt buddy from a former disgruntled member who is trying to create Google search result bot fodder.
 

SteveS45

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Personally I prefer to believe that they just haven't fully finished the homework before calling them out as an antz.

Nice you want to see the good or give the benefit of the doubt, but I see a person just posting NEGATIVE BS for no reason. I mean really you just signed up to post this with good intentions? Fuck that~! I see a person on a mission to discredit Vaping and I will call them out on it because I advocate for Vaping! If this 1 post member even comes back and wants proof I will provide links to disprove what they posted.
 

fidola13

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
side by side 22g ss316 coils
same ss316 wire but Clapton
dual mode, both ohming out to 0.20 ohms.

which fires quicker?
which causes less ramp up time?
I know you'll get more flavour from the claptons over plain wire but how much of a flavour gain do you really get going from plain wire to a Clapton coil?

I feel like a set of claptons in n80 in dual mode 0.2ohms takes more time to heat up on a single battery hybrid tube than running plain SS or A1 wire running same setup same ohms. if it's the same ohms why is it taking more amps than single wire?

get N sub Ω low...

️Cloud Chasing


I’m after Flavor with this vapor and I’ll take ss spaced single wire any day of the week for quick ramp up and flavor. Usually 26 or 28g shooting for .3 to .6 depending on RBA.

I find most exotics frustratingly sloooow to ramp up, I don’t get any improvement in flavor plus they suck up juice and batteries.

If I want “exotic” I’ll make a parallel or twisted wire. :giggle:
 

Carambrda

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I’m after Flavor with this vapor and I’ll take ss spaced single wire any day of the week for quick ramp up and flavor. Usually 26 or 28g shooting for .3 to .6 depending on RBA.

I find most exotics frustratingly sloooow to ramp up, I don’t get any improvement in flavor plus they suck up juice and batteries.

If I want “exotic” I’ll make a parallel or twisted wire. :giggle:
Frustratingly slow ramp up in cohort with a complete lack of improvement in flavor just indicates probably you are using thick wires so the total amount of metal to heat up is huge in comparison to the total surface area of the coil(s), and/or are using a metal type that heats up slow (e.g., Kanthal), and/or the size of the coil build is too big for the wattage you select. The "chasing" in "flavor chasing" already suggests it takes some certain minimum extra effort, some additional trial and error to get there. I.e., it's pretty much the exact opposite of writing them off as "exotics". There's no such thing as free lunch. ;)

Playing with not just the coil type and various many different variations of types, but also the number of wraps that make up the coil, the coil's inner diameter, the positioning of the coil with regards to airflow characteristics, the airflow adjustment, the strength of your draw, the wicking material and wicking style, the wattage, the juice choices, the quality of the mod and atomizer, the matching of a coil build's characteristics with the characteristics of the mod and atomizer, the choice of battery and the number of batteries used in the mod, the preheat settings on the mod and the advanced preheat capabilities of the mod, switching from a regulated mod to an unregulated or mech... all are additional factors that also can have a profound impact on the flavor performance.
 

Carambrda

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In my own personal experience, another major upgrade when it comes to flavor performance can be had from abandoning the old adage that big clouds from high wattage DTL (Direct To Lung) are incompatible with the flavor chasing hobby. The whole idea that the cloud chasing realm is where they factually belong is ridicule.

I've run across comments like, "if I want more flavor, I'll just increase the percentage of flavorings in my DIY juice". The reality is that more flavor doesn't necessarily always equate to better flavor; matching the intensity of the flavor to one's own personal preferences is critically important, but there's only so much additional flavoring percentage you can add to a juice recipe before certain flavor notes start to taste noticeably "off" so it's a game of balance and there are no standard answers as for what ultimately constitutes excellent flavor because we're dealing with the human kind of perception that either does or doesn't satisfy the subjective goal of enjoying it, which is the one true reason why we're doing it in the first place.
 

WPMac

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Frustratingly slow ramp up in cohort with a complete lack of improvement in flavor just indicates probably you are using thick wires so the total amount of metal to heat up is huge in comparison to the total surface area of the coil(s), and/or are using a metal type that heats up slow (e.g., Kanthal), and/or the size of the coil build is too big for the wattage you select. The "chasing" in "flavor chasing" already suggests it takes some certain minimum extra effort, some additional trial and error to get there. I.e., it's pretty much the exact opposite of writing them off as "exotics". There's no such thing as free lunch. ;)

Playing with not just the coil type and various many different variations of types, but also the number of wraps that make up the coil, the coil's inner diameter, the positioning of the coil with regards to airflow characteristics, the airflow adjustment, the strength of your draw, the wicking material and wicking style, the wattage, the juice choices, the quality of the mod and atomizer, the matching of a coil build's characteristics with the characteristics of the mod and atomizer, the choice of battery and the number of batteries used in the mod, the preheat settings on the mod and the advanced preheat capabilities of the mod, switching from a regulated mod to an unregulated or mech... all are additional factors that also can have a profound impact on the flavor performance.
In my own personal experience, another major upgrade when it comes to flavor performance can be had from abandoning the old adage that big clouds from high wattage DTL (Direct To Lung) are incompatible with the flavor chasing hobby. The whole idea that the cloud chasing realm is where they factually belong is ridicule.

I've run across comments like, "if I want more flavor, I'll just increase the percentage of flavorings in my DIY juice". The reality is that more flavor doesn't necessarily always equate to better flavor; matching the intensity of the flavor to one's own personal preferences is critically important, but there's only so much additional flavoring percentage you can add to a juice recipe before certain flavor notes start to taste noticeably "off" so it's a game of balance and there are no standard answers as for what ultimately constitutes excellent flavor because we're dealing with the human kind of perception that either does or doesn't satisfy the subjective goal of enjoying it, which is the one true reason why we're doing it in the first place.
^^^ So much YES in all of this ^^^
Vaping is like eating. Some people like their steak like a hockey puck and some like it still bleeding.
Flavor is in the eye of the beholder.

As far as ramp goes ... The knowledge of how to build a coil to heat the way you want has everything to do with the knowledge of how the wire heats in the first place. Depending on the gauges used, "Exotic coils" can be built to ramp just as quickly as naked wire given the same resistance and power. Given the same gauges, of course anything with any sort of wrap wire is going to ramp slower. But with proper planning you can build an intricate coil to the desired resistance, while still keeping similar ramp time.

In the end I feel like talking down on any other safe vaping style is a disservice to everyone. I spent many years vaping only 1 way, and in turn not being able to fully put down the cancer sticks, because things I heard about how "this" was the best way to vape. It wasn't until I branched out into other styles that I found what really worked for me. SO, PLEASE never tell someone they are doing it wrong (as long as they are doing it safely)... Never tell someone not to try something just because you don't like it. Opinions are great and helpful and important ... but please make sure your not stating your opinion as fact! And please make sure your facts are accurate before passing them along.
 

fidola13

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Member For 4 Years
Frustratingly slow ramp up in cohort with a complete lack of improvement in flavor just indicates probably you are using thick wires so the total amount of metal to heat up is huge in comparison to the total surface area of the coil(s), and/or are using a metal type that heats up slow (e.g., Kanthal), and/or the size of the coil build is too big for the wattage you select. The "chasing" in "flavor chasing" already suggests it takes some certain minimum extra effort, some additional trial and error to get there. I.e., it's pretty much the exact opposite of writing them off as "exotics". There's no such thing as free lunch. ;)

Playing with not just the coil type and various many different variations of types, but also the number of wraps that make up the coil, the coil's inner diameter, the positioning of the coil with regards to airflow characteristics, the airflow adjustment, the strength of your draw, the wicking material and wicking style, the wattage, the juice choices, the quality of the mod and atomizer, the matching of a coil build's characteristics with the characteristics of the mod and atomizer, the choice of battery and the number of batteries used in the mod, the preheat settings on the mod and the advanced preheat capabilities of the mod, switching from a regulated mod to an unregulated or mech... all are additional factors that also can have a profound impact on the flavor performance.

That’s what I was informed of on another forum so I ordered some thin Clapton wire to play with. I forget what gauges but much thinner from what I was using. I’m looking forward to seeing the difference.

Thanks for the detailed explanation!
 

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