AGA-T/Paps Hybrid easy as pie...

[studiovap]

Soldering sounds painfully gruesome, might I suggest plugging the holes with silicone?

Haha painfully gruesome LOL. I had previously drilled out one of my wick holes to over 4mm on the top plate and 3.5mm underside to use a glass tube insert as an insulator, and filling this hole was the biggest problem as you might imagine. Now I've done it with solder once would I do it again? Well probably as now I have the method worked out I'm sure I could perform it quickly enough to avoid heat staining the knurled ring, and you do end up with a perfect seal and a polish able metal finish.
JB weld is I believe non toxic when cured and if not another food safe epoxy with a reasonable stability might be an option.
Silicone would undoubtedly be an option, but would feel to me like a tempory/unstable solution.
Other options interference fit rod sections drifted or pressed into the holes with a hammer or preasure from a bench vice.
What ever you choose as the plugging option it needs to be 100% leak proof or you will have to worry about juice getting onto your batteries. Mine with the solder is bone dry every time I open her up to swap batteries.

 

[MattBott]

JB weld will break down, over time, when in contact with e-liquid.

I have a Smoktech Natural coming in from a co-op. Still waiting for the run to finish manufacturing, then ship from china, then from the co-op host. But as soon as I get it, I'll test an AGA-T top cap on it.

 

[rcbell.N51]

So, after much research and long consideration, I've decided I didn't like the "fill with solder" solution. I really don't even like using the screws in the two threaded holes.

I think I'm going to try an interference/press/friction fit. Spent some time trying to figure out how I'm going to do that with a minimal amount of professional tools. I decided to pick up some 316 Stainless Steel Dowel Pins at 1/8" Diameter and 3/8" Length (a little too long but I couldn't find any 5/16"). I'm going to drill out all 4 holes with either a #31 or #32 tap drill bit because they will give me holes 0.12" or 0.116" respectively (1/8" is 0.125"). I'll obviously try the smaller #32 first because the smaller the tolerance the better. In my research I came across a video of a guy press fitting wrist pins in piston rods by freezing them and heating the piston rods with a torch. They pretty much dropped right in so I think I'll try the same method. I considered buying a small arbor press in case that doesn't work, but I'd probably rarely, if ever, use it after this little project.

Anyway, anyone have other thoughts? Am I completely off the rails here? Are my calculations off? I'll report back with results, hopefully by this weekend.

 

[studiovap]

So, after much research and long consideration, I've decided I didn't like the "fill with solder" solution. I really don't even like using the screws in the two threaded holes.

I think I'm going to try an interference/press/friction fit. Spent some time trying to figure out how I'm going to do that with a minimal amount of professional tools. I decided to pick up some 316 Stainless Steel Dowel Pins at 1/8" Diameter and 3/8" Length (a little too long but I couldn't find any 5/16"). I'm going to drill out all 4 holes with either a #31 or #32 tap drill bit because they will give me holes 0.12" or 0.116" respectively (1/8" is 0.125"). I'll obviously try the smaller #32 first because the smaller the tolerance the better. In my research I came across a video of a guy press fitting wrist pins in piston rods by freezing them and heating the piston rods with a torch. They pretty much dropped right in so I think I'll try the same method. I considered buying a small arbor press in case that doesn't work, but I'd probably rarely, if ever, use it after this little project.

Anyway, anyone have other thoughts? Am I completely off the rails here? Are my calculations off? I'll report back with results, hopefully by this weekend.

Off the rails? maybe a little in the overkill area LOL
The threaded holes filled by ss screws with a little plumber's tape to make a perfect seal are 100% non toxic, do not leak, and can be ground down a little after installing if you want a neater finish, that is two holes you don't have to worry about. the solder filling is easy once you know to rest the topcap on a heatproof smooth surface to stop and cool the solder as it reaches the bottom of the hole, If you slightly underfil the hole from the back of the topcap you could top of the holes with silicone plugs if you are concerned about eliqid being in contact with solder, which is 93% tin.
I see where you are coming from, wanting to make it perfect though, safety wise and durability wise.

How about this: Go to your local friendly jeweler and ask him if you can buy some of his silver solder, it is used not only for jewellery, but in food applications, might be a few bucks, but less than a press.

What ever you do let us know, if you method is a go I may try it on my next AGA-t

 

[badinfluence357]

would it be easier and cost effective just to take it to your local iron works shop and just have them fill the holes with liquid steel or somthing else like silver solder....I might go that route if I decide to mod one for myself.

Sent from my SCH-R910 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rwechsler]

Why not just manually tap the holes and just stick a screw in there? I ordered myself an AGA-T and AGA-T2+ just to mess around with, and that's what I'm planning to do right now. I'll post some progress pics as the project all comes together

 

[studiovap]

Why not just manually tap the holes and just stick a screw in there? I ordered myself an AGA-T and AGA-T2+ just to mess around with, and that's what I'm planning to do right now. I'll post some progress pics as the project all comes together

Been having a play with the two left over AGA-t 510 connection end caps over the weekend, god I wish I had a lathe at my place, anyway it's amazing what you can achieve with a dremmelalike a disc grinder a hack saw blade a file and some sandpaper.
Suffice to say I hate waste, and have found a use for the spare parts left over from making this mod. Will post pictures and info when I am back home with my desktop pc tomorrow.

 

[studiovap]

Ok here are the Pics, all machining done with battery drill a dremmelalike a disc grinder a hack saw blade a file and some sandpaper. 510 connector cut off with hack saw, then polished back with sandpaper, base screwed on to Boge ss carto and gripped in hand drill to spin up. threads removed from inside topcap by clamping topcap with nut and bolt then gripped in had drill, spun up and ground treads away with stone disc spun inside on dremellalike. O-ring slot cut with reciprocating saw blade ground to use one tooth at a time (grinding two teeth away either side of the used tooth).
wick hole and fill hole drilled with battery drill, with cobalt bit 3.18mm.
I was going to drill and tap ground screw hole, but didn't have a small enough cobalt drill bit, so wire from coil pushed down the wick hole wedged between wick and hole, surprisingly working great stable 3wrap 30g Kanthal at 1.0 Ohms. It's not slick, but it works great and I have used a section of DC shortie tank rather than the thick walled AGA-T tank, this now holds over 4.2ml of juice.
Also used center post and nuts from redundant DUD.I could go on, but you get the idea

Testfire.

On the Poldiac

 

[asdaq]

Hey, it is pretty slick, nice work. I don't quite follow how you used did the groove for the o-ring. Do you mean you spun it in the drill and held the blade as tooling?

 

[studiovap]

Hey, it is pretty slick, nice work. I don't quite follow how you used did the groove for the o-ring. Do you mean you spun it in the drill and held the blade as tooling?

Yep you got it. Used a spacer on the carto shaft the Aga-t plate was screwed onto and adjusted it out of the chuck to give me a gauge to run the edge of the blade against.

 

[badinfluence357]

Wow imagine the possibilities with a lathe..your sills are superior...I'm amazed with the fact that you made it look so easy..Nice work!!!

Sent from my SCH-R910 using Tapatalk 2

 

[studiovap]

Ok, the final installment of the AGA-T salvaged parts Genny.

Bought a HSS M3 Tap set $40 and HHS 2.5mm drill bits, drilled my 2.5mm hole nice and close to the wick hole, tapped thread.
Spun topcap up in a drill again and deepened O-ring slot to take beefier O-ring, re-polished top plate and reassembled with same coil and wick.
Topcap fits nice and snug, ground screw works great

 

[studiovap]

Wow imagine the possibilities with a lathe..your sills are superior...I'm amazed with the fact that you made it look so easy..Nice work!!!

Sent from my SCH-R910 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks badinfluence, yep I'm excited about the lathe possibilities

 

[BuzzKilla]

are these caps, easy to tap out?

i only have 1 3mm & 4mm tap left, and i really don't want to waste time ordering more...

I'm going the way of set screws and Teflon, so that i can reverse this process, if the need arises...

I ruined 3 bits, just trying to widen the air hole on the top cap... lol

 

[studiovap]

are these caps, easy to tap out?

i only have 1 3mm & 4mm tap left, and i really don't want to waste time ordering more...

I'm going the way of set screws and Teflon, so that i can reverse this process, if the need arises...

I ruined 3 bits, just trying to widen the air hole on the top cap... lol

HSS taps and drill bits are a must for ss, and you really need to run your drill at very high speed and dive slow to avoid it jamming in the hole and shearing or blunting the bit, I had a similar nightmare to you trying to drill a second air hole in an agat topcap for my dual wick setup I posted a while back.
But. The larger the hole the stronger the drill bit and the slower rpms needed. The 2.5mm drill bit went through the top/bottom cap pretty easily and the tapping was pretty easy although I went slow in a bit out a bit etc.
The bottom cap is a lot thinner than the original topcap so this helped also.
Cobalt drill bits are even better with ss than HSS, but the smallest I could readily get were 3mm.
If you make sure you get the right size drill bit for the relevant tap, and that tap is HSS you should not have any problems

 

[BuzzKilla]

I've always done my taping by hand... so this is going to be interesting.
All my experience is with tapping aluminum (RC motor plates and servo brackets)

Mine are HSS taps, and i have the proper lubricants...
I just get easily frustrated when a bit snaps...

especially in a linkage rod that you spent 15min. making sure it was perfect, not to mess up your suspension geometry...

 

[studiovap]

I've always done my taping by hand... so this is going to be interesting.
All my experience is with tapping aluminum (RC motor plates and servo brackets)

Mine are HSS taps, and i have the proper lubricants...
I just get easily frustrated when a bit snaps...

especially in a linkage rod that you spent 15min. making sure it was perfect, not to mess up your suspension geometry...

Don't get me wrong BK, I don't mean tap the thread at high speed or with a drill, that was for drilling the holes only. All tapping of threads does need to be done slowly by hand.

 

[BuzzKilla]

sorry, i was referring to tapping SS By hand.... lol
I've never tapped SS that thick... 1/8" plate at most....

2 of the holes are already tapped to 3mm

i just need to tap out the larger wick holes to 4mm

Should i stick with teflon tape? has anyone tried locktite? or is it not worth the risk with juice contamination...

 

[asdaq]

Vap, how did you manage to spend 40 on a M3 HSS tap? You guys are supposedly Metricified since '88 so that shouldn't be a rarity. I got a 3 piece set for M3 and it was something like $6 which was seemingly outrageous as I later picked up a M3-12 tap die set (el cheapo) and doubt I spent more than $9.

And, I'm farther than you from China and we have Eurotaxes. Are you getting the fancy stuff?

Nice job all around, and on the groove ingenuity.

 

[calpis]

The polish on that is beautiful.