pain in my face making coils.....

kingaaa

I just find it tedious and sometimes frustrating, anybody use pre-made coil??? I see lots of them on Fasttech and Gearbest, but as usual the details on measurements are a bit vague - I have a few tanks now ranging from 22" to 25", single and double....

OBS Crius Plus 25mm
OBS Crius 22mm
OBS Engine 25mm
OBS Engine Mini 23mm
OBS Ace 22mm (single)
Wotofo Serpent Mini 23mm (single)
Augvape Alleria 22mm
Kangertech Toptank Mini 22mm (I find stock coils work better with this one< it's a leak-machine!!)

I don't really find a huge difference between standard kanthal and claptons flavour-wise,and I dont really do TC, mainly VW... wouldn't mind trying flat-clapton though...any suggestions???

chipfox

I gave a go at making a few fancier ones. I don't think it has ever been nearly worth it. The fused claptons were cool but they're huge and you need massive power. Anything else is just a gimmick. The principles behind claptons are solid but I'm still not mad about them.

I was on kanthal for years and it served me well, but after going with stainless steel I'd feel fairly confident saying that it's just superior in every way.

Works in wattage mode and TC mode, super low resistance compared to kanthal, way easier to work with that kanthal. Buy some on fasttech for €2, I guarantee you won't regret it. You can do so many wraps and still have really low resistance. Easily space out the coil if you prefer the wraps not touching.

I basically just use TC mode as a wattage mode anyway. Always at 275C. I'm convinced you get way more out of the battery and it just won't overheat and scorch the cotton like kanthal

Thecageyone

Some of my coils have been in the tanks for months tbh, I clean them regular and re-wick every few days. But changing the coils, very every now and then.

The deck size of your tanks matters more than the diameter of the tank itself.

Pre-made coils will be either 2.5 or 3mm usually, get the 2.5 for your smaller tanks.

kingaaa

chipfox wrote: »

I gave a go at making a few fancier ones. I don't think it has ever been nearly worth it. The fused claptons were cool but they're huge and you need massive power. Anything else is just a gimmick. The principles behind claptons are solid but I'm still not mad about them.

I was on kanthal for years and it served me well, but after going with stainless steel I'd feel fairly confident saying that it's just superior in every way.

Works in wattage mode and TC mode, super low resistance compared to kanthal, way easier to work with that kanthal. Buy some on fasttech for €2, I guarantee you won't regret it. You can do so many wraps and still have really low resistance. Easily space out the coil if you prefer the wraps not touching.

I basically just use TC mode as a wattage mode anyway. Always at 275C. I'm convinced you get way more out of the battery and it just won't overheat and scorch the cotton like kanthal

What gague wire are you using ???

chipfox

24 gauge ss. I think around 10 wraps of 2.5mm gives around .4 ohms. I never put in it in wattage mode any more though unless I'm dry firing a dirty coil. Sometimes I change the temp but really it's not much different to changing watts with kanthal. The coil I have in now is ~7 wraps of 2.5mm and it's reading at 0.28 in my serpent mini.

Before that it would have been 22 gauge kanthal practically always. That gauge is always easy to work with but ss just seems to wrap itself around a drill bit and stay fixed

I've gone through 8ml of juice today on my 0.28ohm set up in the serpent mini and the 18 month old battery is still at like 30%. I don't have any proof but I just know TC seriously saves on the battery and I absolutely never get burnt cotton any more. Except for when I forget to fill this damn tiny tank

Dr Bill V1.5

kingaaa wrote:

I just find it tedious and sometimes frustrating, anybody use pre-made coil??? I see lots of them on Fasttech and Gearbest, but as usual the details on measurements are a bit vague - I have a few tanks now ranging from 22" to 25", single and double....

Pre made Clapton coils are handy if you want to try something different but as said above SS is probably the most versatile, it has a very fast ramp up compared to Claptons, gives a fantastic flavoursome vape and is very easy to work with.

JackieChang

I've been vaping for over three years and I've never built a coil. First of all I don't have time, and secondly it just seems like a very boring hobby and finally I am able to afford €2 every three or four weeks. My coils last that long as I vape plain unflavoured juice.

Thecageyone

JackieChang wrote: »

I've been vaping for over three years and I've never built a coil. First of all I don't have time, and secondly it just seems like a very boring hobby and finally I am able to afford €2 every three or four weeks. My coils last that long as I vape plain unflavoured juice.

It's not all about money. But it never turns out to be €2 every other week, not if you use more than the one tank, and allow for the inevitable dud coils you'll get now and then. I've had stock coils that cost €5 fail after a day, actually some that never worked to begin with. And if you're buying 'premium' liquids it all starts to add up, if you vape above the average. I get through about 15ml per day.

Building your own coils gives you infinite options. You build precisely to your style, the flavour is almost always better than stock coils and it's piss easy to do. I was the same, I was almost 3 years vaping before I bothered trying. But when I started RDAs were a bit crap, and people were building awkward builds with silica and steel mesh - couldn't be bothered with all that. Nowadays it's made so simple, the RTA era meant there was decent decks, better built tanks, better quality just about everything, including the cotton.

I don't know how building the odd coil every few weeks or months and freshening up cotton every few days is really boring, but it's not for everyone.

I like to do as much DIY to personalise my vape experience as I can, which is why I also DIY my own juices.

PraxisPete

I built my first nichrome coils last Friday and I can't see myself going back to kanthal or ss anytime soon. It has all the advantages of ss in the quicker ramp up and lower resistance but I don't get the weird taste I used to get from ss.

kingaaa

Thecageyone wrote: »

It's not all about money. But it never turns out to be €2 every other week, not if you use more than the one tank, and allow for the inevitable dud coils you'll get now and then. I've had stock coils that cost €5 fail after a day, actually some that never worked to begin with. And if you're buying 'premium' liquids it all starts to add up, if you vape above the average. I get through about 15ml per day.

Building your own coils gives you infinite options. You build precisely to your style, the flavour is almost always better than stock coils and it's piss easy to do. I was the same, I was almost 3 years vaping before I bothered trying. But when I started RDAs were a bit crap, and people were building awkward builds with silica and steel mesh - couldn't be bothered with all that. Nowadays it's made so simple, the RTA era meant there was decent decks, better built tanks, better quality just about everything, including the cotton.

I don't know how building the odd coil every few weeks or months and freshening up cotton every few days is really boring, but it's not for everyone.

I like to do as much DIY to personalise my vape experience as I can, which is why I also DIY my own juices.

You know, I'm half thinking it's down to my failing eyesight - try a build with the Serpent Mini with not-great vision and see what I mean !! I ordered a par of magmifying glasses for 3 yo-yo's specifically for building...let's see how that works out....

youdipstick

kingaaa wrote: »

You know, I'm half thinking it's down to my failing eyesight - try a build with the Serpent Mini with not-great vision and see what I mean !! I ordered a par of magmifying glasses for 3 yo-yo's specifically for building...let's see how that works out....

I know what you mean,it's pure luck for me to get the coils captured on a serpent mini:D:D:D I.m using some high end magnifiers but my eyesight is just fukced,hopefully they will work for you...

Thecageyone

kingaaa wrote: »

You know, I'm half thinking it's down to my failing eyesight - try a build with the Serpent Mini with not-great vision and see what I mean !! I ordered a par of magmifying glasses for 3 yo-yo's specifically for building...let's see how that works out....

Could be the job alright! Hopefully it works for you. Honestly, once you get the hang of whipping up coils as needed you'll wonder why you ever settled for stock. Get a coil jig, something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/ngn/Walant-Coiling-CW-20-CW-25-CW-30-Builder-Maker/B01J2OSEG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484577058&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=coil+builder&psc=1

A little awkward at first, you just have to take it easy and allow the rig to form the coil without forcing it. Once you get used to it you'll be flying, perfect coils every time.

kingaaa

Thecageyone wrote: »

Could be the job alright! Hopefully it works for you. Honestly, once you get the hang of whipping up coils as needed you'll wonder why you ever settled for stock. Get a coil jig, something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/ngn/Walant-Coiling-CW-20-CW-25-CW-30-Builder-Maker/B01J2OSEG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484577058&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=coil+builder&psc=1

A little awkward at first, you just have to take it easy and allow the rig to form the coil without forcing it. Once you get used to it you'll be flying, perfect coils every time.

ahh... I have all the gear - been making coils for ages now, just find it's getting harder, sometimes it takes a couple of attempts - I'll see how I fair out with the magnifying goggles

bINNIe23

sound like you need to sell that serpent mini -to me! :-)

youdipstick wrote: »

I know what you mean,it's pure luck for me to get the coils captured on a serpent mini:D:D:D I.m using some high end magnifiers but my eyesight is just fukced,hopefully they will work for you...

jonski

bINNIe23 wrote: »

sound like you need to sell that serpent mini -to me! :-)

and he could switch to the Serpent Alto .

youdipstick

:D:D:D No chance,I'll use bull wire before I give up that yoke :D

jonski

youdipstick wrote: »

:D:D:D No chance,I'll use bull wire before I give up that yoke :D

£18.00 in a GB flash sale atm though

cocoman

JackieChang wrote: »

I've been vaping for over three years and I've never built a coil. First of all I don't have time, and secondly it just seems like a very boring hobby and finally I am able to afford €2 every three or four weeks. My coils last that long as I vape plain unflavoured juice.

Out of interest what PG/VG ration do you use with the unflavoured? Where do you buy it?

kingaaa

jonski wrote: »

and he could switch to the Serpent Alto .

funny you should say that...I have the Serpent Mini 25mm on the way !!!!

chipfox

I fell in love with the serpent mini the second it touched my lips. It's truly hard to explain how easy it is to build on and it's arguably the best flavour I've ever gotten.

I've gotten single SS builds down to .22 ohms in this tiny thing. Only drawbacks are I've to fill it 5 times a day and the drip tip that comes with it sucks. Throw in a POM drip tip and vape till you pass out

JackieChang

cocoman wrote: »

Out of interest what PG/VG ration do you use with the unflavoured? Where do you buy it?

I use 70PG 30VG. I try to keep the VG low as I don't like the big clouds - they tend to fill up the office quickly.

I buy 100ml bottles from a Polish site called Molinshop.

Postage is costly enough so I buy like 6 or 7 bottles at a time.