DIY Billet Bridge for Carto Tanks

[Krisma]

Back Story

I have been using the aspire BVC coil heads combined with the billet bridge in a billet box and am so impressed with the coil head that I wanted to make the coils work in all my carto tanks (which I love and have a large collection) I also wanted to be able to do it without huge modification using easily obtainable parts or from things the average carto tank user would have lying around.

The first problem was how to connect the coil head to a 510 connection. This just about did my head in. I tried numerous ways of making and attaching a collar similar to the real billet bridge but the coil head would sit too low in the tank and the liquid intake holes where blocked by the bottom carto tank cap. So I grabbed various extensions, drilled them out and tried to attach. Nothing quite worked the pin was either too long or too short. Then I discovered the pin from an old atomizer was the perfect size for the aspire coil and could be easily exchanged without any modification. I then accidentally put the pin back in the extension upsidedown. Once these pins were switched the coil head screws into a regular 510/510 adapter/extension. The coil head plus adapter now sits at the right height in the carto tank and the eliquid intake holes are clear and able to feed the coil head properly. The tiny orings on the coil head work to create a good seal between the coil head and extension so flooding is not an issue.

Note: the pin now delivers air flow so it is important to use a pin and extension with a centre hole. The 510/510 extension also has air holes in the stem that can be opened or blocked if you need to (drilling or toothpick required)

At this point the normal tube part of a billet bridge can be used to cap the coil.

I wanted to make my own billet bridge at whatever length suited the tank I wanted to use. So I removed the insides of various carto and atomizer tubes. As I only wanted the tube I used the handle of a wooden spoon to push out. (Actually more force was needed so a meat mallet was used) apologies but kitchen implements were handy

The white carto plug that are in the top of boge cartos is then used to funnel the air from the coil head up the empty carto tube and creates the seal between the coil head and the tube. I felt the airflow was a bit restricted so I made the centre hole a bit bigger. Voila it worked. A DIY billet bridge for carto tanks. This white plug being softish absorbs some of the sideways movement of the tube.

Part Required

New Aspire BVC coil head your choice of resistance
Old or new atomizer needed for the pins (can also use DIY atomizer parts from HC)
Empty carto or atomizer unpunched tube of your choice
White carto plug
510/510 extension short/long. Dependant on your choice of tank. I have used short.
Extra tight top cap inner o-rings.

Tools Required

Leatherwork Hole punch (to enlarge centre hole in carto plug)
Paperclip or pin
Tweezers

Preparation

Using tweezers remove the pin from a new or used atomizer. (I used old 510-t)
Prepare the carto/atomizer tubes by removing innards.
Using a pin or paperclip. Carefully remove pin from aspire coil head. Do not twist as you may damage the coil tail.
If necessary enlarge the centre hole in the white carto plug. (I used a leather hole punch)
If necessary replace the orings in your selected tank.


Making The Bridge

Press fit the atomizer pin into the aspire coil head
Screw the coil head to the extension (firm but not tight. Too tight and you can damage the tiny orings on the coil head)
Press fit the carto plug to the end of your selected empty carto tube

You have your DIY billet bridge

General Usage Notes

The connection between the tube and coil head is fragile so this is not a setup that can be thrown around.

A sturdy tank must be used. Tanks that have sideways play in them through the tube (poly) will break the vacuum connection between tube and coil head.

The billet bridge works in a billet box because it is held securely ontop of the coil head by the locking brass screw. You don't have this on a regular carto tan so you just rely on orings to keep the tube in place. Orings on the inside of the top cap must be sticky and tight else the tube will just pull out of the top of your tank, breaking the vacuum, flooding your coil and dumping your Eliquid.

I have quite a lot of tanks with fill holes that lend themselves to this system but if you don't, your tank can be bottom filled buy carefully removing the coil head/ext piece and filling with a needle bottle. However, this does put additional wear and tear on the lower cap inner orings.

For my prototype I have used a x6 tank. This tank has both fill hole and the added screw in the base to lock the coil head/ext in place, which gives me a bit of added stability and allows easy removal of the tank.

Finally I have been vaping this setup for the past 4 days. Refilled the tank 5 times. The vapor is excellent and the taste is exactly the same as using the coil head with billet bridge inside the billet box.

Improvements

Huge thanks to another aussievaper GTadmin who made a delrin collar equivalent of the white carto plug for use in this setup. This collar give extra stability to the connection of the tube to the coil head/ext piece.


Note

This can also be used as a DIY Billet Bridge for your Billet Box. The carto tube will need to be cut to correct length and the edges smoothed. The modification is extremely stable when used in the bb and the downward pressure of the screw holds everything in place.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment or suggest improvements. This also links very nicely with GTadmins work on recoiling the aspire coils heads.

 

[Krisma]

Pictorial DIY Billet Bridge for Carto Tanks



Part required

Preparation - remove pins from coil and atomizer

Insert atomizer pin into coil head

Reverse pin in the 510/510 extension

Screw together and test

Billet bridge can be used as normal

DIY Bridge Select tube length of choice and insert white carto plu

Insert into tank and test.

Lastly setup showing alternate little black connecter made by GT. Above photo show connector in front of the voltage reader.

 

[carlph]

Thats an impressive diy projekt cool

 

[Katdarling]

FANTASTIC work, Krisma. Wish you were here to show me in person.

 

[Vapian]

Not to take over a thread as it relates to carto tanks, but here's a tweak on the mod that will make it work with the Billet Box:

Take a 510 extender and grind / file / mill down the top (if it has air slots instead of being flat) and the bottom (where the threads are) until you're left with a 510-threaded ring, as depicted on the left:

Highly recommend chamfering at least the outer edges so they aren't sharp!
This will thread onto the base of the BVC head like so:

Now, gut a standard (not punched or slotted) cartomizer.
You'll need to cut / file / grind / mill the 510 threads off, being careful to leave the extra bit of material at the end of the carto body that will now stick out like a little nub.
CAREFULLY file / grind / mill that little nub just until it fits inside the top of the BVC coil. Just take of a little at a time until it fits with no gap, or as little a gap as possible.
When done, make the bottom of the carto body surrounding that nub as smooth as you can, and chamfer the outer edges so it will insert into the tank more easily.

The last step is to cut off part of the top of the carto body to shorten it to the point where it will fit inside the Billet Box Tank, but only stick out about 1.5mm.
Better to go too long than too short, so If you don't get that right the first time you can take off a little until it fits.
Don't forget to sand or file the top of the carto body to smooth and soften the edges so it doesn't cut you or the o-ring on the Billet Box brass ring.

When done, they should press-fit together like so:

NOTE that they will probably not STICK together like this; it's a pressure-fit thing.
When inserted into a Billet Box tank, it should look something like this:

If you got the modified carto body too long, the brass ring won't tighten down all the way.
If you got it too short, you will likely experience significant leaking.
If you got it just right, the brass ring will tighten down enough to be flush with the top of the Billet Box and provide enough pressure between the modified carto body and the BVC coil to prevent leaking.

Currently my first DIY Billet Bridge for the Billet Box is working like a champ!

The only real caveat I can think of is that you probably don't want to remove the tank to fill it if at all possible, as there is even less purchase / contact between the BVC head and the upper pipe than with the real-deal Billet Bridge.

If you do have to remove the tank, just be careful and if possible do so when the tank is mostly empty and you shouldn't have to go through too many paper towels.

Happy modding!

 

[Krisma]

Thank you. That is such a neat idea

I should have left the carto tank bit off the title but that was my reason for doing it. You are enhancing the thread...

 

[Katdarling]

Vapian, that's absolutely wonderful work. If I had drill thingies and if I knew what the verb chamfer meant, welp, I'd be right on this!


Krisma, you can PM a moderator to ask for your thread title to be changed. They might just do that for you (if you truly want it changed).