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What are the best swivels for coil building?

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Hi guys. So I've been building for quite a while now, but one aspect I've never gotten to the bottom of is regarding fishing swivels.

I know that stainless steel ball bearing swivels are the way to go. I've been using centro swivels for a while now, and while they work well, my question is...

Can it get better? Can I get swivels which spin more freely, which minimise drag and twisting on my cores?

I can't seem to figure out whether bigger swivels are better. On one hand, I think of the weight of a bigger swivel. Bigger welded rings, etc. Logically, since the wire has more weight to turn, it will cause a degree of twisting. But also, a bigger swivel means bigger bearings, so I figure that is an advantage, considering the speed at which we use our drills.

Basically, my question is this...

What's the best size swivel?

I have #3 and #5, but I'm wondering if bigger will be better?

Also, I've never purchased any brand other than Centro binox, so I have no benchmark for comparison.

http://www.centrofishing.com

Any advice in this regard will be appreciated.
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
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Here's what I use. A spin Lt. They have a mini also. But I clamp it to a shelf and spin away. They make all kinds of stuff now that they didn't used to. A whole slide station that looks pretty cool

https://usaohmmeters.com/shop/ols/products?page=2
07f250b2baf127b24fb08fea742fd7a8.jpg


Sent from a pile of wood chips
 

~Don~

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I use a variant of the spin LT that a member here printed for me... tossed in some ceramic bearings, pin, and a secondary ball bearing swivel.

Works well

5685cccda89ecdf5e071f38fb57cbc4f.jpg


I stuck an ORing on the back side of the carrier so it grips the center of the bearing as added grip.

a2cbded29f0b89917d5bd0b475a925a3.jpg




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Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Thanks a lot for the advice guys. That spin LT definitely looks like something worth having. Will probably cost a lot to get one shipped to SA though.

Don, I'm curious, when you build, does the swivel spin on its own bearing, or does the spinning happen on the LT? Any particular reason why you connected the swivel in reverse?

I run 3 swivels at a time. Was just running three number #5s, but I've been doing some experimenting lately. After going through a bunch of different lubricants, I finally decided that the one I'd been using from the start was the best all along. ie Q20. Other lubricants last longer, but Q20 gives me the best speed due to its low viscosity. Just that I have to lube up regularly, that's the only schlep, but it's worth the performance.

Then I've been trying different combinations of swivels, and seeing which of the three spins most. But this is proving to be tricky. The #3 seems to spin just as well as the #5.

Here's what I really want. I wanna be able to build a fused clapton, 2*26/36 without getting any twists in the wire. Or at least, I wanna get less twists. I know my tension on the fuse wire is one major factor, but I'm almost certain the twists are primarily due to the swivels lagging behind the drill.

Twists in my alien wire, I can handle, because they come out when I wrap the coil, but it's an issue with the fused claptons. I need to keep using the drill to untwist them. To untwist the side that's already in the chuck is easy, but needing to put the wire at the swivel end into the chuck to untwist it is a pita. And it's the only way I know of because that end twists in the opposite direction, so I have to put that end into the chuck to do it.

This wastes a lot of time and I need to find a solution :/

Do you guys still get twists in your fused clapton wire, using the LT?
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
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Member For 4 Years
Thanks a lot for the advice guys. That spin LT definitely looks like something worth having. Will probably cost a lot to get one shipped to SA though.

Don, I'm curious, when you build, does the swivel spin on its own bearing, or does the spinning happen on the LT? Any particular reason why you connected the swivel in reverse?

I run 3 swivels at a time. Was just running three number #5s, but I've been doing some experimenting lately. After going through a bunch of different lubricants, I finally decided that the one I'd been using from the start was the best all along. ie Q20. Other lubricants last longer, but Q20 gives me the best speed due to its low viscosity. Just that I have to lube up regularly, that's the only schlep, but it's worth the performance.

Then I've been trying different combinations of swivels, and seeing which of the three spins most. But this is proving to be tricky. The #3 seems to spin just as well as the #5.

Here's what I really want. I wanna be able to build a fused clapton, 2*26/36 without getting any twists in the wire. Or at least, I wanna get less twists. I know my tension on the fuse wire is one major factor, but I'm almost certain the twists are primarily due to the swivels lagging behind the drill.

Twists in my alien wire, I can handle, because they come out when I wrap the coil, but it's an issue with the fused claptons. I need to keep using the drill to untwist them. To untwist the side that's already in the chuck is easy, but needing to put the wire at the swivel end into the chuck to untwist it is a pita. And it's the only way I know of because that end twists in the opposite direction, so I have to put that end into the chuck to do it.

This wastes a lot of time and I need to find a solution :/

Do you guys still get twists in your fused clapton wire, using the LT?
I do get twists but minimal.

Sent from a pile of wood chips
 

~Don~

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I don’t make my runs much longer than 20cm my Aliens only use 7.2cm per coil, so I get almost no twisting.

As for fused claptons I’ll spin up 1.5m worth and not worry about any twisting.

Reason being, you can roll them flat with an old mech mod, or any rolling pin, and even at 1.5m I get maybe two twists.

Hope that helps


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~Don~

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
And that’s at 2400rpm on fused claptons


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MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
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Yea chef has more experience building coils than anyone I know. Lol

Sent from a pile of wood chips
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Thanks a lot for all the advice guys.

I'm actually in the process of shopping some new swivels, kinda similar to the ones CrazyChef posted. The design kinda reminds me of the swivels which came with the daedalus. I'd all but forgotten about them until tonight.

I think I'm gonna test those swivels first and compare them to the centros. Of course I plan on cleaning them up really nicely first, using some thinners, isopropyl alcohol, then lubricating, the whole nine yards. Wanna give them a fair chance and see how they hold up.

Crappy thing is I'm extremely limited for choice right now, with this seemingly endless lockdown and all. Was checking out these HiUmi swivels on Aliexpress. They're cheap, I know, but been doing some research and the design looks good. It uses 3 ball bearings, and they're available in a range of sizes.

If the daedalus swivels impress me, I plan on getting me some of those HiUmi swivels.

Unfortunately, no access to the Mustad brand. Checked out their website, and they don't ship out of the US. You guys are seriously spoilt for choice, lol.
 

CrazyChef v2.0

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Unfortunately, no access to the Mustad brand. Checked out their website, and they don't ship out of the US. You guys are seriously spoilt for choice, lol.
No access to Amazon or something similar?
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
No access to Amazon or something similar?

I've never purchased off amazon, but I noticed the swivels are available on EBay...

I do have access to those, and cool thing is there are free delivery options too.

Just one thing concerns me about the Mustad swivels is the weight rating. It seems to be much lower than the swivels I currently use.

What other brands of swivels have you compared the Mustads to, as a benchmark? AFW? Sparrow?

I'm not too familiar with many American brands, but these are two names which have come up in my research.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
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Member For 5 Years
I also use a 3D printed jig similar to the Spin LT, but the axle on mine is 3D printed instead of a metal one, and the hook that's attached to the axle is more lightweight. The main reason why experienced coil builders prefer to use such a jig is to eliminate the added weight of fishing swivels pulling down on the cores, i.e., the exact opposite of what's shown in two of the pictures that were posted in this thread. :p
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
I also use a 3D printed jig similar to the Spin LT, but the axle on mine is 3D printed instead of a metal one, and the hook that's attached to the axle is more lightweight. The main reason why experienced coil builders prefer to use such a jig is to eliminate the added weight of fishing swivels pulling down on the cores, i.e., the exact opposite of what's shown in two of the pictures that were posted in this thread. :p

I think this hits the nail on the head. This was my exact predicament regarding using bigger swivels.

But here's the question...

Let's assume the weight of the swivel isn't an issue. Would a bigger bearing be better? I mean, wouldn't it be more difficult to spin a bigger bearing than a smaller one (the weight of the bearing also coming into play here)?

You actually gave me a really neat idea here. Honestly, buying a jig like the one you linked to just isn't affordable. The price of the product aside, shipping charges are crazy on bulkier items.

But I'm thinking of ways to eliminate the weight issue of my swivels. I think it's doable. My main gripe now is just with regard to the size of the bearing.

My limited logic tells me smaller is better for speed, since it takes a shorter time to complete a full rotation. But I'm also thinking that bigger will be more capable of keeping up with higher speeds. So I'm guessing there's kind of a trade off to be made?

I'm really not sure if my thinking is correct.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I think this hits the nail on the head. This was my exact predicament regarding using bigger swivels.

But here's the question...

Let's assume the weight of the swivel isn't an issue. Would a bigger bearing be better? I mean, wouldn't it be more difficult to spin a bigger bearing than a smaller one (the weight of the bearing also coming into play here)?

You actually gave me a really neat idea here. Honestly, buying a jig like the one you linked to just isn't affordable. The price of the product aside, shipping charges are crazy on bulkier items.

But I'm thinking of ways to eliminate the weight issue of my swivels. I think it's doable. My main gripe now is just with regard to the size of the bearing.

My limited logic tells me smaller is better for speed, since it takes a shorter time to complete a full rotation. But I'm also thinking that bigger will be more capable of keeping up with higher speeds. So I'm guessing there's kind of a trade off to be made?

I'm really not sure if my thinking is correct.
In coil building situations where the weight isn't an issue, then you can do what's shown in the two pictures that I was referring to. In which case the Spin LT or similar jig would not be needed, BUT... if you already own such a jig, then I'm guessing it takes less effort to just attach a few ball bearing fishing swivels to it to help eliminate some of wear and tear on the skateboard bearing that's in the jig, as opposed to attaching the ball bearing fishing swivels directly to a separate hook. (I.e., it saves the effort of having to screw a simple hook into yet another wood plank or whatever it is you use to mount it above your desk.) In any event, ball bearing fishing swivels are fairly inexpensive compared to the best of the best skateboard bearings so that's why they can be more economic especially in the long run, if you build a lot, depending on what exactly it is you have in mind when building coils.

As for the speed of your drill, a lot also depends on how hard you're pulling the drill away from the swivels, as the combination of both is what determines the amount of friction you get, so, after a little while the ball bearing may start to overheat, eventually, like, if you don't give it enough time to cool back down again. I use the Bones Swiss Ceramic skateboard bearings that I linked to, plus a bottle of Bones Speed Cream. These bearings are expensive, but I managed to snag a packet off of Amazon Germany (I am in Europe) for a good price, and, this type of excellent quality gives me peace of mind. I don't build that often anyway in the first place, but the best for speed would definitely be the Wirbler Magneto by Just Vapour that I also linked to, or similar magnetic type thing.
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
In coil building situations where the weight isn't an issue, then you can do what's shown in the two pictures that I was referring to. In which case the Spin LT or similar jig would not be needed, BUT... if you already own such a jig, then I'm guessing it takes less effort to just attach a few ball bearing fishing swivels to it to help eliminate some of wear and tear on the skateboard bearing that's in the jig, as opposed to attaching the ball bearing fishing swivels directly to a separate hook. (I.e., it saves the effort of having to screw a simple hook into yet another wood plank or whatever it is you use to mount it above your desk.) In any event, ball bearing fishing swivels are fairly inexpensive compared to the best of the best skateboard bearings so that's why they can be more economic especially in the long run, if you build a lot, depending on what exactly it is you have in mind when building coils.

As for the speed of your drill, a lot also depends on how hard you're pulling the drill away from the swivels, as the combination of both is what determines the amount of friction you get, so, after a little while the ball bearing may start to overheat, eventually, like, if you don't give it enough time to cool back down again. I use the Bones Swiss Ceramic skateboard bearings that I linked to, plus a bottle of Bones Speed Cream. These bearings are expensive, but I managed to snag a packet off of Amazon Germany (I am in Europe) for a good price, and, this type of excellent quality gives me peace of mind. I don't build that often anyway in the first place, but the best for speed would definitely be the Wirbler Magneto by Just Vapour that I also linked to, or similar magnetic type thing.

I watched a tutorial/review quite recently actually, but I can't remember the name of the jig the guy was using. The design was similar to the LT, but using magnets. I'm guessing it's kinda similar to the Magneto. But the reviewer concluded that although it was a good jig, the swivels he used were considerably better. I think he said they were Sparrow swivels, although he pronounced it as "spaarow."

I build professionally, so I build quite often. I've been kinda slacking lately with the lockdown and all, was basically just selling stock on hand, but holiday's over for me, lol. Out of some specs, so gotta get back to business. But I've spent a good few hours just doing maintenance, experimenting, tweaking my setup, etc.

Fishing swivels are probably best for me. As you mentioned, they're cost effective, easy to replace, etc, and they work well. But I just want them to work better. I need to get my fused claptons to stop twisting :/

But I made kind of a breakthrough last night. Since I decided to check out my daedalus swivels, I came by something else I'd forgotten about. Those three little guides to keep the cores from twisting. Anyway, I have them a shot, and it really made making my tri core aliens a little easier. Basically, I had to focus less, which is cool, although it doesn't exactly save me time.

Anyway, what I discovered was I could just chuck all three cores into one side of the chuck, as opposed to spreading them in the jaws, one in each of the three.

So this has me thinking. Maybe I can do the same for dual core fused claptons. Normally I just fold the wire in half, twist the loose ends which I insert into the drill chuck, then put the other end with the loop, in the snap at the swivel end.

I'm thinking that twisting the loose ends which go into the chuck could be a contributing factor to my fused claptons twisting. Dunno if I'm right, but it's worth giving a new method a shot.

But perhaps I'll try tomorrow or so. No time to mess around tonight, since I've gotta complete my order for tomorrow. Strictly tri and quad core aliens on the agenda tonight.
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
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I use the patinos revolver swivel ...what I liked about the design is it twists on the centre mount...I find on some builds when I apply tension to the wrap it tends to bow a little (Especially longer lengths in the centre) , the swivel moves with it so the spinner is always centred, putting less strain on the ceramic bearing
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I watched a tutorial/review quite recently actually, but I can't remember the name of the jig the guy was using. The design was similar to the LT, but using magnets. I'm guessing it's kinda similar to the Magneto. But the reviewer concluded that although it was a good jig, the swivels he used were considerably better. I think he said they were Sparrow swivels, although he pronounced it as "spaarow."

I build professionally, so I build quite often. I've been kinda slacking lately with the lockdown and all, was basically just selling stock on hand, but holiday's over for me, lol. Out of some specs, so gotta get back to business. But I've spent a good few hours just doing maintenance, experimenting, tweaking my setup, etc.

Fishing swivels are probably best for me. As you mentioned, they're cost effective, easy to replace, etc, and they work well. But I just want them to work better. I need to get my fused claptons to stop twisting :/

But I made kind of a breakthrough last night. Since I decided to check out my daedalus swivels, I came by something else I'd forgotten about. Those three little guides to keep the cores from twisting. Anyway, I have them a shot, and it really made making my tri core aliens a little easier. Basically, I had to focus less, which is cool, although it doesn't exactly save me time.

Anyway, what I discovered was I could just chuck all three cores into one side of the chuck, as opposed to spreading them in the jaws, one in each of the three.

So this has me thinking. Maybe I can do the same for dual core fused claptons. Normally I just fold the wire in half, twist the loose ends which I insert into the drill chuck, then put the other end with the loop, in the snap at the swivel end.

I'm thinking that twisting the loose ends which go into the chuck could be a contributing factor to my fused claptons twisting. Dunno if I'm right, but it's worth giving a new method a shot.

But perhaps I'll try tomorrow or so. No time to mess around tonight, since I've gotta complete my order for tomorrow. Strictly tri and quad core aliens on the agenda tonight.
Twisting of the three cores has never been a problem to me when aliening. Just don't pull on your drill so hard, it'll be perfectly fine, and they won't bunch up on you if you don't pull on your decore as you only need to keep it snug so those little guides are a pure waste of your time, when all they really do is add weight to the cores for no reason whatsoever. If you still get twist in your cores it means either you're pulling too hard or you've got shitty swivels. I have done this with three regular, non ball bearing fishing swivels chained together and the amout of twist I got was nonetheless minimal... this was with three 27g Ni80 cores and 36g wrap wire, alien build. How I insert my three cores into the chuck of my drill is simple. Just use two pairs of pliers. One pair to hold the equal tension, one pair to twist the ends carefully together. Put a 90 degree bend in the twisted part. The rest is trivial. I know a lot of people use the little guides from a Daedalus, bent paperclips, mini clothespins, a key ring, a piece of ribbon wire wrapped around the cores and pinched flat, Patino's alien makers... all kinds of shit. The reality is that all you truly need is to apply minimal tension─the least amount possible to keep it snug, and this holds true for BOTH the wrap wire AND the cores. That plus putting the right amount of stretch in your decore. If you do that, then, after you realize that starting the drill up slow and watching it catch before going full speed on the drill is the way to go, you'll find that making aliens is easier than making regular fused claptons. No joke. It's just a bit more work and that's it.

That said, I have yet to come across a reviewer who isn't a noob when it comes to coil building. And, no, I don't even consider myself a pro... I don't build that often like I said. I keep getting aliens for free, from a friend who builds professionally, and, he's the guy who taught me how to make them myself. Usually they are 27/36 Ni80 aliens at 5 wraps, 2.5mm ID. Perfect for a single battery mech, and they look and vape exactly the same as the ones that m.terk also makes... he follows the same specs. For a stacked mech, if it's going to be aliens, then I prefer 29/36 Ni80 at 7 wraps, 3mm ID. But to be able to vape on such a powerful build you need to know how focussed airflow works, which not a lot of people do. You're going to hurt your throat if you don't.

29g aliens.jpg
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
I agree with you about aliens being easier to make, lol. Tri core aliens generally go really quickly. I've changed my specs as I've progressed. Now I only use 38ga for my aliens. I still use 36ga for my fused claptons.

My issue is actually with my fused clapton cores twisting, and I don't even do such a long run. Basically enough to get 4 coils.

I've been making aliens without any guides for a long time now. Basically, ever since I've been building professionally, I haven't used those daedalus guides, but when I saw them last night, just figured I'd give them a go, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I've been using them all night and getting excellent results.

The key ring becomes essential when building with more than three cores. I actually learnt quite a bit from M Terk. You can say my building style mimics his. I learnt how to build by watching tutorials on YouTube, lol. Would have been awesome to have a live demonstration, but no such luck.

I make 4 specs.

3*28/38 6 wrap
4*29/38 5 wrap
5*29/38 5 wrap

And a fused clapton 2*26/36 6 wrap.

I used to have a tri core nano build, but decided to drop it. I do custom builds for friends on occasion, but for the most part, I just stick to these 4 specs. Basically catering for what's in demand.

Personally, all I vape on are single penta cores on a mech squonk and nudge 22, running single 21700s. Have two identical setups, cos I liked the first one so much. Running a 30t on one and a 40t on the other. All my other setups are shelved, lol.

My only real issue is my fused claptons twisting. They're generally good in the centre, but the ends have twists. Not major twists, but it's annoying. I have to untwist them, and that wastes time.

But also, I do my fused claptons at very high speed, so dunno if that could be the reason. Basically, I think my swivels don't keep up. And perhaps I use too much tension. Perhaps I also pull on the drill too hard, now that you mention it.

But now that I'm getting back in the groove again, soon as I get my orders done, I plan on trying to iron out these issues.

For now, I'm looking for some new swivels, and trying to find errors in my technique.
 
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Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
I've been using these for years - have literally built thousands of coils using them.
View attachment 162573 View attachment 162574

Hey Chef, great news. I'm able to get mustad swivels locally. Not the ones you use, but I'm able to get the ball bearing swivels with 2 welded rings, which is what I actually prefer.

They're way cheaper than I expected. Just around $1.30 a pack. So I'm thinking of getting a few sizes one time.

I can get size 1, 2, 5 and 6.

Which sizes should I go for?

I generally connect either 2 or 3 swivels, and not necessarily the same sizes.

Which 3 sizes would you recommend?
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years

That's a really nice looking jig. Pretty pricy too though, lol.

I plan on getting more swivels a lil later today. Unfortunately, buying something from Europe just isn't a viable option for me right now. I'm still waiting on a couple of things I bought from China, and it's been months that I'm waiting for my one package.

With the whole covid thing, the postal service has become very unreliable. I don't think it's wise for me to import anything at this point.

But I'm managing pretty well with my current setup. My fused claptons are still twisting, unfortunately, but I've been too busy lately to tinker with things.

I'm hoping some new swivels will mitigate the issue somewhat. I've never tried the size 1 centros. They have around a 30kg rating, and I'm hoping the smaller size will give me even better results.

My logic is that it's lighter, and should complete a rotation quicker. Maybe smaller is actually the way to go...
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
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Member For 5 Years
That's a really nice looking jig. Pretty pricy too though, lol.

I plan on getting more swivels a lil later today. Unfortunately, buying something from Europe just isn't a viable option for me right now. I'm still waiting on a couple of things I bought from China, and it's been months that I'm waiting for my one package.

With the whole covid thing, the postal service has become very unreliable. I don't think it's wise for me to import anything at this point.

But I'm managing pretty well with my current setup. My fused claptons are still twisting, unfortunately, but I've been too busy lately to tinker with things.

I'm hoping some new swivels will mitigate the issue somewhat. I've never tried the size 1 centros. They have around a 30kg rating, and I'm hoping the smaller size will give me even better results.

My logic is that it's lighter, and should complete a rotation quicker. Maybe smaller is actually the way to go...
I like the medium size ones from a brand named Madcat. They have a 110kg rating:
http://madcat-fishing.de/shop/madcat-power-bb-swivels/

Speed is just a matter of how fast your drill can go. Mine does up to 2,000rpm (Milwaukee M18 Fuel FPD-0). However, if the ball bearings in your swivels are too small for how hard you like to pull your drill away from them, at such high speed they'll just get burnt to a crisp in a matter of only minutes. Here's a pic of the jig I use:

coil-beast-jpg.93927
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
By the looks of all the jigs, it seems like I actually need to use bigger swivels.

The weight rating on all my swivels is pretty decent. Even the #1 swivels are rated at 90lbs, which is quite a lot for such tiny things.

I figured there's no way I'm pulling back on my drill with more than 3kg of force. Definitely not more than 5Kg. So, for me, my only predicament is about size.

The #5 swivels are rated at 335lbs. The #3 are rated at 200 lbs.

If I connect the #3 behind the #5, the #5 spins the #3 swivel. Basically, the #3 spins easier. So my logic tells me the #1 should spin easier than the #3. But I really don't know. It feels like I'm missing something.

But the centros are too expensive for me to just buy a size which won't work. I'm thinking of buying the mustads in smaller sizes just to experiment with.

Please can you tell me the diameter of that black cylindrical thing which the swivels connects to. Sorry, not sure what it's actually called. But if I know the diameter of that, it should give me a fair indication of the size of the bearing.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
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Member For 5 Years
By the looks of all the jigs, it seems like I actually need to use bigger swivels.

The weight rating on all my swivels is pretty decent. Even the #1 swivels are rated at 90lbs, which is quite a lot for such tiny things.

I figured there's no way I'm pulling back on my drill with more than 3kg of force. Definitely not more than 5Kg. So, for me, my only predicament is about size.

The #5 swivels are rated at 335lbs. The #3 are rated at 200 lbs.

If I connect the #3 behind the #5, the #5 spins the #3 swivel. Basically, the #3 spins easier. So my logic tells me the #1 should spin easier than the #3. But I really don't know. It feels like I'm missing something.

But the centros are too expensive for me to just buy a size which won't work. I'm thinking of buying the mustads in smaller sizes just to experiment with.

Please can you tell me the diameter of that black cylindrical thing which the swivels connects to. Sorry, not sure what it's actually called. But if I know the diameter of that, it should give me a fair indication of the size of the bearing.
Just get the #4 instead. What you are missing is that a catfish doesn't turn as fast as a cordless drill... the strong internal heat buildup resulting from friction at high rpm will destroy the #3 ball bearing fairly easily, and, the #5 is adding too much weight that only creates more drag. That's why skateboard bearings are much better for speed. They're big so they heat up slow, and, most of the extra weight gets supported by the jig that's holding them in place.
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
I honestly came to the exact same conclusion you did. The #4 swivels are probably the most ideal.

I considered exactly what you're saying about the catfish too, lol. If you read my initial post intently, you'll realise this. Hence my whole predicament. These swivels weren't made to support these speeds. Quite amazing that they do.

My #3 swivels still perform flawlessly. As I said, they're rated 200 lbs. Definitely won't be turning to mush. And I always lubricate. I've found an oil which strikes a good balance. Pretty low viscosity, and still long lasting, so I don't need to lubricate so frequently.

Here's the flop with the #4 swivels. You don't get them with 2 welded rings. Only 1, with a snap at the other end. I have no need for snaps, and they just increase the length of my swivel setup. I cut the snap off the one swivel, but now I need a jump ring to make another welded ring. If I just connect a cross lock snap directly to the swivel, the swivel wobbles. It needs a welded ring on both ends to balance it nicely.

I ordered some jump rings a while back from China, but just waiting for them. In retrospect, I should have just purchased them locally, but I only found a good supplier after I already ordered them from China. I might just buy more locally anyway, since it doesn't work out too costly. But let's see what happens when my swivels arrive. They should be arriving next week, God willing.

I bought more size 4 swivels, again, with only one welded ring and a snap on the other end, but the image shows it has two welded rings. The snap is connected to one of the welded rings, so all I'll have to do is cut the snap, and I'll have a perfect swivel. But these are brass, so much cheaper that the #4 stainless steel swivels I have. I wanted to test how brass swivels hold up, so I rather buy those in future, if they hold up well. Figured they'll be lighter to. A sizeable swivel which is lightweight should be ideal. I bought jump rings made from different materials for this very reason. The weight of the rings is significant.

Anyway, let's see what happens now.

Thanks for all the advice. Just telling me to get the #4 swivels is quite encouraging, since you came to the same conclusion I did.

Got me some mustad swivels too, with two welded rings. Quite eager to test those. Got quite a big one too. Hopefully I'll finally be able to really get to the bottom of the whole ideal size thing. So far, I'm with you on the #4 's, but only way to know for sure is a practical test.

If I can get my fused claptons to stop twisting, I'll be over the moon.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I honestly came to the exact same conclusion you did. The #4 swivels are probably the most ideal.

I considered exactly what you're saying about the catfish too, lol. If you read my initial post intently, you'll realise this. Hence my whole predicament. These swivels weren't made to support these speeds. Quite amazing that they do.

My #3 swivels still perform flawlessly. As I said, they're rated 200 lbs. Definitely won't be turning to mush. And I always lubricate. I've found an oil which strikes a good balance. Pretty low viscosity, and still long lasting, so I don't need to lubricate so frequently.

Here's the flop with the #4 swivels. You don't get them with 2 welded rings. Only 1, with a snap at the other end. I have no need for snaps, and they just increase the length of my swivel setup. I cut the snap off the one swivel, but now I need a jump ring to make another welded ring. If I just connect a cross lock snap directly to the swivel, the swivel wobbles. It needs a welded ring on both ends to balance it nicely.

I ordered some jump rings a while back from China, but just waiting for them. In retrospect, I should have just purchased them locally, but I only found a good supplier after I already ordered them from China. I might just buy more locally anyway, since it doesn't work out too costly. But let's see what happens when my swivels arrive. They should be arriving next week, God willing.

I bought more size 4 swivels, again, with only one welded ring and a snap on the other end, but the image shows it has two welded rings. The snap is connected to one of the welded rings, so all I'll have to do is cut the snap, and I'll have a perfect swivel. But these are brass, so much cheaper that the #4 stainless steel swivels I have. I wanted to test how brass swivels hold up, so I rather buy those in future, if they hold up well. Figured they'll be lighter to. A sizeable swivel which is lightweight should be ideal. I bought jump rings made from different materials for this very reason. The weight of the rings is significant.

Anyway, let's see what happens now.

Thanks for all the advice. Just telling me to get the #4 swivels is quite encouraging, since you came to the same conclusion I did.

Got me some mustad swivels too, with two welded rings. Quite eager to test those. Got quite a big one too. Hopefully I'll finally be able to really get to the bottom of the whole ideal size thing. So far, I'm with you on the #4 's, but only way to know for sure is a practical test.

If I can get my fused claptons to stop twisting, I'll be over the moon.
But why does it have to be Mustad? Other top rated brands can be found within the US, and they have 2 welded rings on all sizes:
https://spro.com/collections/swivel...-swivel-2-welded-rings?variant=30586028556422
 

SteveS45

Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Now I am no where near the class of these Coil Builders but I have never used a Swivel and I personally don't see the need for it with my builds. Now maybe for some Crazy Alien Clapton it might be needed but I guess I am not at that level. Remember now this is just my opinion not a DIY suggestion.
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
But why does it have to be Mustad? Other top rated brands can be found within the US, and they have 2 welded rings on all sizes:
https://spro.com/collections/swivel...-swivel-2-welded-rings?variant=30586028556422

It doesn't have to be mustad. But since CrazyChef recommended them, and since they're available locally for such a good price, figured I might as well try them.

Remember, I'm not in the US. I'm in South Africa, and there are many brands which we don't have access to. I don't mind importing stuff on occasion, but only if it's really worthwhile.

Here's where I get my swivels from:

https://www.ganis.co.za/pc780/bi0/h...swivels-available-at-ganis-angling-world.html

The centro swivels I buy are comparable to the Krok swivels, as far as I can see. The design actually seems identical.

I was chatting to Kenny, aka Sherlock Hohms, since he uses the really big krok swivels, and said he'll advise me to get them, as well as the small ones if possible. Said he uses the big ones for most of his builds, but told me if I can't get both, I should just get the smaller ones.

My order hasn't been posted yet, so I contacted the supplier to add some #7 centro swivels to it. I feel a little heavy hearted spending so much on swivels, but curiosity will always be erking me unless I try them for myself. So I figured screw it, just bite the bullet and do it. Its an investment after all, and just might be the solution I'm looking for, RE my fused claptons twisting.

Remember, my fused clapton spec is 26*2/36. Its using some heavy wire, and I only use electric drills, so we're talking 3000 rpm speeds. When I say I do fused claptons at high speeds, I meant it. If my drill could go faster, I'd probably do them even faster. Its such a mediocre build, and my profit margin on them is so small. It sucks that I have to spend so much time on them, because of the stupid wire twisting. If I could help it, I wouldn't even do fused claptons, but my clients want them, so I have to do them.

I've accepted that I might just be wasting money on the mustad swivels, but I have to try them, so I know for sure. Who knows, perhaps they'll surprise me. If they can perform as well as the centros, I could save a lot of money going forward. Although, after this, it's unlikely I'll be needing to buy more swivels for a long time.
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Now I am no where near the class of these Coil Builders but I have never used a Swivel and I personally don't see the need for it with my builds. Now maybe for some Crazy Alien Clapton it might be needed but I guess I am not at that level. Remember now this is just my opinion not a DIY suggestion.

Get some swivels, Steve. Where fused claptons end, that's where the game really begins. I got into coil building because I really wanted to build my own aliens. I love the alien coil. Its all I vape on. It was like, if I could just build my own aliens, my life would be complete, lol.

Turns out I was really good at it, and while I'm not exactly making a ton of cash, I'm doing pretty ok, and best thing, I never need to buy coils, lol.

I've tried many Coils, but for a lazy vaper who doesn't like to install coils and wick too often, aliens are amazing.

Sometimes I don't need to rewick for over two months. Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, my coils after two months often look better than some people's coils after two days. But cotton won't last forever. Although, I get amazing longevity with bacon prime. If I only Vape one kinda juice in an rda, I'm sure I could make my wicks last over three months.

Yeah, I'm lazy, lol, what can I say. I'll only do something if it has to be done. But I'll tell you guys one thing...

If you vaped on my setups, two month old wicks and all, you'd wanna eat your lips. Its a flavour chasers paradise.

And as I mentioned, I only drip. Drip drip drip. Currently, all I use are two identical setups. Two mech Squonks with a nudge 22 on each, a single Penta core 0.22 build, and Samsung 21700 battery. But I don't use the Squonk function. I drip, cos I change flavours too frequently, and just love the hit of my squonkers.

Anyway, apologies for my rant. But if you have the patience for coil building, try using a Swivel setup. Making your first complex build is an amazing feeling. Making my first fused clapton felt great, even if it was using the daedalus, but building aliens was a game changer.

Take the plunge, bud.
 

CrazyChef v2.0

Gold Contributor
ECF Refugee
VU Challenge Team
Member For 5 Years
Reddit Exile
VU Patreon
It doesn't have to be mustad. But since CrazyChef recommended them, and since they're available locally for such a good price, figured I might as well try them.
I've only tried a few brands. But when I tried the Mustad ones, they worked and they worked very well. They never need any type of lube (oil, graphite, etc.) whatsoever. So I had no reason to shop around any longer. I have made literally over 10,000 coils using these. I would change them once per month - but that's after making a minimum of 300 pairs of coils with them.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
It doesn't have to be mustad. But since CrazyChef recommended them, and since they're available locally for such a good price, figured I might as well try them.

Remember, I'm not in the US. I'm in South Africa, and there are many brands which we don't have access to. I don't mind importing stuff on occasion, but only if it's really worthwhile.

Here's where I get my swivels from:

https://www.ganis.co.za/pc780/bi0/h...swivels-available-at-ganis-angling-world.html

The centro swivels I buy are comparable to the Krok swivels, as far as I can see. The design actually seems identical.

I was chatting to Kenny, aka Sherlock Hohms, since he uses the really big krok swivels, and said he'll advise me to get them, as well as the small ones if possible. Said he uses the big ones for most of his builds, but told me if I can't get both, I should just get the smaller ones.

My order hasn't been posted yet, so I contacted the supplier to add some #7 centro swivels to it. I feel a little heavy hearted spending so much on swivels, but curiosity will always be erking me unless I try them for myself. So I figured screw it, just bite the bullet and do it. Its an investment after all, and just might be the solution I'm looking for, RE my fused claptons twisting.

Remember, my fused clapton spec is 26*2/36. Its using some heavy wire, and I only use electric drills, so we're talking 3000 rpm speeds. When I say I do fused claptons at high speeds, I meant it. If my drill could go faster, I'd probably do them even faster. Its such a mediocre build, and my profit margin on them is so small. It sucks that I have to spend so much time on them, because of the stupid wire twisting. If I could help it, I wouldn't even do fused claptons, but my clients want them, so I have to do them.

I've accepted that I might just be wasting money on the mustad swivels, but I have to try them, so I know for sure. Who knows, perhaps they'll surprise me. If they can perform as well as the centros, I could save a lot of money going forward. Although, after this, it's unlikely I'll be needing to buy more swivels for a long time.
Sorry, I didn't realize you were in South Africa. At 3000rpm those #7 Centro swivels would likely not be overkill, but I somehow doubt it will help to eliminate the twist in your fused claptons because, the more weight is pulling down on the cores, the more tension is required to keep the cores snug... added tension creates more friction inside the ball bearing, and, added friction creates more drag.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Get some swivels, Steve. Where fused claptons end, that's where the game really begins. I got into coil building because I really wanted to build my own aliens. I love the alien coil. Its all I vape on. It was like, if I could just build my own aliens, my life would be complete, lol.

Turns out I was really good at it, and while I'm not exactly making a ton of cash, I'm doing pretty ok, and best thing, I never need to buy coils, lol.

I've tried many Coils, but for a lazy vaper who doesn't like to install coils and wick too often, aliens are amazing.

Sometimes I don't need to rewick for over two months. Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, my coils after two months often look better than some people's coils after two days. But cotton won't last forever. Although, I get amazing longevity with bacon prime. If I only Vape one kinda juice in an rda, I'm sure I could make my wicks last over three months.

Yeah, I'm lazy, lol, what can I say. I'll only do something if it has to be done. But I'll tell you guys one thing...

If you vaped on my setups, two month old wicks and all, you'd wanna eat your lips. Its a flavour chasers paradise.

And as I mentioned, I only drip. Drip drip drip. Currently, all I use are two identical setups. Two mech Squonks with a nudge 22 on each, a single Penta core 0.22 build, and Samsung 21700 battery. But I don't use the Squonk function. I drip, cos I change flavours too frequently, and just love the hit of my squonkers.

Anyway, apologies for my rant. But if you have the patience for coil building, try using a Swivel setup. Making your first complex build is an amazing feeling. Making my first fused clapton felt great, even if it was using the daedalus, but building aliens was a game changer.

Take the plunge, bud.
I, too, drip instead of squonk, but do so for a variety of reasons that are very different from yours. On a single battery mech, I almost always use that 0.11 ohms 27/36 Ni80 aliens at 5 wraps 2.5mm ID dual coil build that I previously mentioned. On a single battery mech, anything else either just fails to satisfy me or doesn't vape better, just takes more effort to build, and/or it vapes less efficiently. So, the only other build I like to use on a single battery mech is 0.08 ohms quad core 26/36 Ni80 aliens at 4 wraps 3mm ID dual coil build in the Asgard Mini with the separately sold ultem cap with 2 rows closed off on it, and that's only if using the ONE Tip drip tip by District F5VE. That's a pretty inefficient build to use, even with a single Samsung 30T, despite the rampup is still nevertheless instant. This build actually even bites my lips if I try to pinch them around the edge of the drip tip. Cotton Bacon Prime is completely useless for it, it just burns the wicks in half and that's it, same as that 0.25 ohms 29/36 Ni80 aliens at 7 wraps 3mm ID series (i.e. dual batteries in series mech) build in the pic I posted. Cotton Bacon 2.0 does last me a long time with these angrier builds. For relaxed builds, the Prime tends to do a better job than the 2.0 it seems. But I can't vape at low or medium power levels so that's one of the reasons why squonking is not for me, as only so much juice can fit inside a squonk bottle. Nouvelle cuisine is what I call it. Bottle reaches past half empty, can't vape because it oversquonks itself so need to be patient for juice to get sucked back into the squonk bottle. Wick goes half dry, can't vape because can't drip on top of the coils so need to be patient for juice to get sucked up into the coils, or just decide to drip on top of them anyway, just like all those times when had no time or patience to refill. And then it's time to clean out the squonk bottle once again, which is when finally one comes to realize, squonking is just a little too much sado masochism. lol
 

~Don~

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I, too, drip instead of squonk, but do so for a variety of reasons that are very different from yours. On a single battery mech, I almost always use that 0.11 ohms 27/36 Ni80 aliens at 5 wraps 2.5mm ID dual coil build that I previously mentioned. On a single battery mech, anything else either just fails to satisfy me or doesn't vape better, just takes more effort to build, and/or it vapes less efficiently. So, the only other build I like to use on a single battery mech is 0.08 ohms quad core 26/36 Ni80 aliens at 4 wraps 3mm ID dual coil build in the Asgard Mini with the separately sold ultem cap with 2 rows closed off on it, and that's only if using the ONE Tip drip tip by District F5VE. That's a pretty inefficient build to use, even with a single Samsung 30T, despite the rampup is still nevertheless instant. This build actually even bites my lips if I try to pinch them around the edge of the drip tip. Cotton Bacon Prime is completely useless for it, it just burns the wicks in half and that's it, same as that 0.25 ohms 29/36 Ni80 aliens at 7 wraps 3mm ID series (i.e. dual batteries in series mech) build in the pic I posted. Cotton Bacon 2.0 does last me a long time with these angrier builds. For relaxed builds, the Prime tends to do a better job than the 2.0 it seems. But I can't vape at low or medium power levels so that's one of the reasons why squonking is not for me, as only so much juice can fit inside a squonk bottle. Nouvelle cuisine is what I call it. Bottle reaches past half empty, can't vape because it oversquonks itself so need to be patient for juice to get sucked back into the squonk bottle. Wick goes half dry, can't vape because can't drip on top of the coils so need to be patient for juice to get sucked up into the coils, or just decide to drip on top of them anyway, just like all those times when had no time or patience to refill. And then it's time to clean out the squonk bottle once again, which is when finally one comes to realize, squonking is just a little too much sado masochism. lol

giphy.gif


Jk


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
I've only tried a few brands. But when I tried the Mustad ones, they worked and they worked very well. They never need any type of lube (oil, graphite, etc.) whatsoever. So I had no reason to shop around any longer. I have made literally over 10,000 coils using these. I would change them once per month - but that's after making a minimum of 300 pairs of coils with them.

Now I'm really excited to try them.

I've been using my #3 centros for well over a year now. Perhaps close to two years, and they're still performing great. Only flop is I used them for many months without any lube at all. I'm not sure how much unnecessary wear that might have caused.

The main reason I lubricate is to promote longevity. These are pretty pricy swivels, so I think it's worth the effort. Also, they do spin considerably easier with the right lubricant. Although, the wrong lube slows them down.

Graphite is one lubricant I haven't tried. It just didn't seem like a viable option, but I've experimented with lots of oils. Q20 works like the bomb. You'll notice a significant improvement in performance. Only catch is you'll need to keep lubricating them every so often.

I highly recommend using the kinda oil used in hair clippers. I use "Q in one" now. It doesn't make the swivels spin quite as easily as Q20, but it's has a higher viscosity, and is designed for high speed applications. Trick is to use very little. But lubricants are a whole other topic for me. There's just too much to say, lol. Let's just say, I delved quite deeply into this aspect, and I still haven't given up my search for the ultimate swivel lubricant.

The mustads are well priced, so it's understandable if you don't bother with lube and just change them monthly, but if you want them to last you longer, lube makes a huge difference.

Curious, how do you know when your swivels need to be changed?
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Sorry, I didn't realize you were in South Africa. At 3000rpm those #7 Centro swivels would likely not be overkill, but I somehow doubt it will help to eliminate the twist in your fused claptons because, the more weight is pulling down on the cores, the more tension is required to keep the cores snug... added tension creates more friction inside the ball bearing, and, added friction creates more drag.

With the #7 I might use just one swivel. I'll probably do some testing first, with other sizes behind it, just to test how easily it spins, but I'm thinking just one swivel might be sufficient with the #7s. Well, I might run two, but different sizes. Let's see what happens.

I concluded my order today. Got the #7s added. Got me some neat aluminum crimps too. Let's just hope they're the right sizes. I wanna eliminate the need for key rings, if possible, and try to have as little weight on my cores as possible.

Also I came by some really good looking split rings locally. Very well priced too, so hopefully I'll finally be able to start using my #4 swivels.

I can't Vape on such high power for too long. I've had phases with beastly builds, but I always end up coming back to my single coil builds.

Remember, I run a 0.22 build as a single coil, so very little mass. Instant ramp up. Its almost equivalent to running a 0.11 coil in dual, in terms of ramp up, but of course, it's way cooler, and my battery lasts way longer.

Although, I had a 0.07 build in my goon which I really loved at one point. Also a quad 26/36 Ni80 build, if I remember correctly, but 2.5mm in diameter. Strictly for deserts. But as I mentioned, I'm a very lazy vaper. I hate changing Batts, etc. So I generally try to strike a balance between convenience and performance.

But a 0.11 build is pretty efficient, just so long as you keep the mass down. The spec you mentioned sounds perfect. Unfortunately, I don't have any 27ga nichrome, nor have I really experimented with it.

Its been ages since I vaped on bacon 2.0, but I remember sharing your sentiments when I first tried prime. Main perk with prime is it doesn't have any nasty break-in taste. It takes v2 a while before it starts tasting good. Prime grew on me eventually. It's perfect for my kinda vaping. I really like native wicks too, but longevity sucks.

Koh gen do is still legendary. I wicked with some very recently, after many years, and damn was I impressed. Still a great cotton.

I'm thinking I should give bacon v2 another go one of these days. Its been over a year since I vaped on some.

Curious, what setup do you Vape on?
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
With the #7 I might use just one swivel. I'll probably do some testing first, with other sizes behind it, just to test how easily it spins, but I'm thinking just one swivel might be sufficient with the #7s. Well, I might run two, but different sizes. Let's see what happens.

I concluded my order today. Got the #7s added. Got me some neat aluminum crimps too. Let's just hope they're the right sizes. I wanna eliminate the need for key rings, if possible, and try to have as little weight on my cores as possible.

Also I came by some really good looking split rings locally. Very well priced too, so hopefully I'll finally be able to start using my #4 swivels.

I can't Vape on such high power for too long. I've had phases with beastly builds, but I always end up coming back to my single coil builds.

Remember, I run a 0.22 build as a single coil, so very little mass. Instant ramp up. Its almost equivalent to running a 0.11 coil in dual, in terms of ramp up, but of course, it's way cooler, and my battery lasts way longer.

Although, I had a 0.07 build in my goon which I really loved at one point. Also a quad 26/36 Ni80 build, if I remember correctly, but 2.5mm in diameter. Strictly for deserts. But as I mentioned, I'm a very lazy vaper. I hate changing Batts, etc. So I generally try to strike a balance between convenience and performance.

But a 0.11 build is pretty efficient, just so long as you keep the mass down. The spec you mentioned sounds perfect. Unfortunately, I don't have any 27ga nichrome, nor have I really experimented with it.

Its been ages since I vaped on bacon 2.0, but I remember sharing your sentiments when I first tried prime. Main perk with prime is it doesn't have any nasty break-in taste. It takes v2 a while before it starts tasting good. Prime grew on me eventually. It's perfect for my kinda vaping. I really like native wicks too, but longevity sucks.

Koh gen do is still legendary. I wicked with some very recently, after many years, and damn was I impressed. Still a great cotton.

I'm thinking I should give bacon v2 another go one of these days. Its been over a year since I vaped on some.

Curious, what setup do you Vape on?
I vape on a whole plethora of all different mech setups... I tend to collect them a little bit so it's been being an expensive hobby. Most of them are tubes from some of the higher brands like Purge (I have 36 of 'em), Comp Lyfe, Ronin, League Of Scoundrels, R6two, Cipher, Vaper's Mood, Broadside Mods (aka BJ Box Mods), Vaperz Cloud, Deathwish Modz, Kennedy, and a few others. More than a handful of them are stacked, and a few are multi-stacked. But I also have two Purge squonkers, 2 Vaperz Cloud Saga mods, a Stormbreaker and a Rulebreaker, 6 Hammer Of God mods (and soon I will be adding the new XL version that I still have on order), and a Purge Side Piece Slim. The latter is what I'm using right now, with that 0.25 aliens build that I previously posted, in the black ultem Carnage 1.5 RDA that is a fixed airflow one. Using the solid silver firing cup upgrade with this mod so no visible arcing damage despite it's still "only" a (cerakoted) brass mod. I don't fret over which hits hardest of the hard, as long as it hits hard, which I can guarantee a 0.25 build like that on a simple pair of Samsung 20S batteries always does... lol

Usually I go for a dual coil RDA, and, for the occasional single coil I like to use a big-ass fralien in the 24mm Deathtrap RDA on a stacked tube, but I also have all the other Deathtrap RDAs (i.e. the 30mm OG one, the II that's a 26mm, and the 30mm version of the II). My RDA sizes and battery sizes are a wide range... most of my RDAs are 24mm and 25mm ones, and batteries I use are Samsung 20S, Sanyo 2070C, Samsung 30T, iJoy 26650, and Lithium Werks (former A123 Systems) ANR26650M1-B. The latter being a LiFePO4 that only gets used in my 2 Vapergate The 99 stacked tube mods. My biggest RDA is the Colorado by Vapergate, which is only a 52.8mm RDA so not extraordinary big... for sure it'll be a smooth, cool, laid back MTL experience after I pair it with the new HOG XL. :p
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Lol, mtl experience indeed :p

Dude, that's some gear you've got there. Like damn. You've gotta be holding some kinda record or something. At least you know you're mor than sorted in the event of a vapocalypse, lol.

You remind me a lot of a buddy of mine from NZ. He's also a compulsive collector of high end gear, and into these hard hitting, beastly setups.

The biggest rda I have is a kali v2, but it's just collecting dust, lol. But I've learnt my lesson. Haven't bought any new gear in quite a while now. Its all just totally wasted on me. Latest gear I bought was the fatality m25 and jug mini. Again, collecting dust. Well, I let go of the m25. I just can't do rtas anymore. Sometimes it's just a nice thought, so I take the plunge, but as I said, it's all wasted on me.

So now I just stick to these two cheapy setups. I honestly don't think I gets better for my style of vaping, although I wouldn't mind a 3rd identical setup, lol. I honestly thought about it, but figured it wasn't really essential.

My only real expense now is juice. I still haven't tried my hand at DIY, despite having quite a lot of concentrates. You could say I'm kind of a compulsive juice buyer. Got more than I know what to do with. Again, many bottles collecting dust.

But I told myself that I'm gonna start when this bottle of cola juice is near the end. Its a cola on ice, and it's one juice I permanently have in my daily rotation. I'm sure it's easy enough to make too. I think I've got the right brand of concentrates too. So hopefully I'll take the DIY plunge soon. Coil building keeps me kinda occupied, but I do have free time every so often. Ultimately, it just comes down to my laziness :/ lol
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Lol, mtl experience indeed :p

Dude, that's some gear you've got there. Like damn. You've gotta be holding some kinda record or something. At least you know you're mor than sorted in the event of a vapocalypse, lol.

You remind me a lot of a buddy of mine from NZ. He's also a compulsive collector of high end gear, and into these hard hitting, beastly setups.

The biggest rda I have is a kali v2, but it's just collecting dust, lol. But I've learnt my lesson. Haven't bought any new gear in quite a while now. Its all just totally wasted on me. Latest gear I bought was the fatality m25 and jug mini. Again, collecting dust. Well, I let go of the m25. I just can't do rtas anymore. Sometimes it's just a nice thought, so I take the plunge, but as I said, it's all wasted on me.

So now I just stick to these two cheapy setups. I honestly don't think I gets better for my style of vaping, although I wouldn't mind a 3rd identical setup, lol. I honestly thought about it, but figured it wasn't really essential.

My only real expense now is juice. I still haven't tried my hand at DIY, despite having quite a lot of concentrates. You could say I'm kind of a compulsive juice buyer. Got more than I know what to do with. Again, many bottles collecting dust.

But I told myself that I'm gonna start when this bottle of cola juice is near the end. Its a cola on ice, and it's one juice I permanently have in my daily rotation. I'm sure it's easy enough to make too. I think I've got the right brand of concentrates too. So hopefully I'll take the DIY plunge soon. Coil building keeps me kinda occupied, but I do have free time every so often. Ultimately, it just comes down to my laziness :/ lol
The only RTAs that I have are 4 OG Reloads ("OG", the original 24mm version), 1 Isolation. There used to be a time when I had concluded that there simply are no RTAs that give better flavor than the very best RDAs, but I later found that there are these 2 exceptions, and that the only thing that makes them exceptions is the fact that some juices I like taste better in them, like, for example, Jam Monster - Grape. You could say that the Reload has saved me from literally giving up on all grape flavored juices. But rewicking it so it'll vape just right after breaking it in and letting it sit till the next day is still a nuisance, and, you're not the only one who is lazy so, it takes a really long time for me to finally take the plunge and put it back in rotation for another while... it's the sacrifice I have to pay for having a multithousand Euros RDA collection, always within arm's reach.

Oh and, don't get me started about buying juices. After the lockdown I went shopping again, despite I still had a full box... ended up grabbing more than half of the Prohibition lineup and the whole Supergood 100ml Cocktail Collection, but I'm like you, so... yea. Too lazy to start a juicyitis thread on here. Yea. I did get into DIY mixing, though. I mean, I made one bottle of juice once, nothing more. lol I have close to 40 different flavorings. Some TFA, some CAP, mostly FA. Never opened any of them. They're in a hobby container some place in the basement. I was going to build coils again so finally found the energy to put up a new table for that, plus 2 small racks that I put on top of it. Had to move my old closet to a different room by taking it completely apart, then DIY assemble a new, narrower one to make the extra space required for the table to fit beside it. That was about a year ago. I still haven't used the new table to make any coils. Instead, I just kept putting my stuff on it. So now, just the thought of clearing the table makes me feel equally as knackered as I felt after I had finished assembling the furniture. And I always keep getting coils for free so why build them, when every pair lasts way longer than 2 months on average. Right now I'm trying to figure out what would be a great choice of octa coil to build that Colorado RDA.
 

Supercwazy

Member For 4 Years
Hey guys. So I finally got down to testing my swivels. I haven't really done any building with the new ones. Since I had orders to send out urgently, I just stuck to what I know. Good ol #5 centros. But I spent quite a bit of time last night cleaning and lubricating all my swivels, and testing them against each other.

The #7 centros are bigger than I expected. They're literally double the weight of the #5, and as expected, they don't spin as easily. But they still spin much easier than the #6 mustad swivels. Don't get me wrong, the Mustad swivels work fine, but there's a significant difference in performance compared to the centros.

Let me elaborate, for interest sake.

To test them, I started with the #7 Centro at the back, followed by the two mustad #6 swivels in the front. The centro kept spinning every time. When the swivels are performing efficiently, the back swivel shouldn't always spin. The front swivel should spin the most, the middle swivel second most, and the back swivel should spin the least. Basically, I couldn't get just the front mustad swivel to spin by itself. It might have spun alone for a brief moment in all my testing, but that was about it. I guess they're good for the price, but I don't see myself using them again unless my swivels mess up or something and I'm really desperate.

One thing I've come to realise is that the centros are freakin awesome. I pegged the new ones up against the old ones, and they work exactly the same. Basically, the old ones haven't deteriorated, and that's awesome, given I've been using them for well over a year already.

CrazyChef, I'll highly recommend you try the Krok swivels at some point, since I know you get those in the US. Rather than buying new swivels every month, rather get swivels which can last you indefinitely. The difference in performance alone makes it worth while, and it's more cost effective too. Trust me on this. Get some Kroks and you'll never look back. But make sure to get the ones with two welded rings.

Carambrda, the reload is really popular in SA as well, especially in our circle of vapers. There are many who swear by it. I bought me a clone a long time ago from fasttech, but being an rda guy, never bothered getting an original.

The 26mm was launched in SA very recently. I haven't vaped on it yet, but people only have good things to say. A friend is running a set of my quads in there. Says it's heaven, lol. He's been using an OG reload all this time, and says the 26mm kicks it. Or maybe it's just the coils ;) lol. Either way, I think it's something you'll be interested in. I find the OG reload to be amazing with deserts.

I don't like dripping deserts really. Except I'm my twisted messes 2. Its the only rda I vape deserts in. Well, that's my morning setup. My Tm2 on my kbox160. Its one of the oldest setups I own, and I still love it. The Tm2 is strictly for my 6mg deserts, with a single tri core micro alien in there. Absolutely love it. Its basically my morning cigarette substitute, lol.

Anyway, I'm about to launch into a build session. No orders to complete, but I'm keen to test this #7 Centro on some fused clapton builds. Kinda boring, I know, but it must be done. Guess that will count as using my free time constructively.

Will keep you guys posted and let you know my thoughts, God willing.
 

Just Frank

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
  • It was like, if I could just build my own aliens, my life would be complete, lol.
  • Turns out I was really good at it,
  • aliens are amazing.
  • Its a flavour chasers paradise.
I spun up my first alien wire and coils not too long ago. I installed one in one of my favorite set ups. The flavor is insane.

My goal was to learn how to make my own fraliens. I've made some and it feels good.

I enjoyed reading the swivel discussion. I'm a total wire spinning newb.. Earlier this year, I just went on eBay and ordered some #2 snap swivels. I have no idea what brand they are. I just know they came from "South Florida Tackle". I linked 3 of them together and tied them around part of a chair with a shoelace.

They've worked fine for me. But I know there's better ways to do this. I want to get some proper swivels or one of those jigs maybe. I haven't spun up wire much considering how much time I've had my supplies and tools to do so. I think if I got a little work station going maybe I'd want to practice more.
 

Just Frank

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Here's what I use. A spin Lt. They have a mini also. But I clamp it to a shelf and spin away. They make all kinds of stuff now that they didn't used to. A whole slide station that looks pretty cool

https://usaohmmeters.com/shop/ols/products?page=2
07f250b2baf127b24fb08fea742fd7a8.jpg


Sent from a pile of wood chips
Is that the Spin LT or the Mini LT? I can read what's on it lol. Just not sure which one would be good for me..

I went ahead and ordered one of those. It was totally impulsive and I don't know anything about it. I imagine it spins really well.
 
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Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Is that the Spin LT or the Mini LT? I can read what's on it lol. Just not sure which one would be good for me..

I went ahead and ordered one of those. It was totally impulsive and I don't know anything about it. I imagine it spins really well.
The mini version will break easily if you straighten your cores by simply pulling on them. The regular version is the most commonly used AFAIK, but it can still break if you pull on it much too hard... if you are the type of person who keeps breaking stuff, you should maybe consider straightening your cores the "normal" way by using the drill instead, or just learn to avoid using brute force altogether. ?
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Is that the Spin LT or the Mini LT? I can read what's on it lol. Just not sure which one would be good for me..

I went ahead and ordered one of those. It was totally impulsive and I don't know anything about it. I imagine it spins really well.
It's the regular spin Lt. They're really smooth running. Had mine for a couple years

Sent from a pile of wood chips
 

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