Myth Busters: Stainless Steel Conductivity

[forcedfuel50]

There seems to be some questions and mis-information floating around on the conductivity of stainless steel and suitability for use in mod's.

First, yes, stainless steel is not as conductive as many metals, but the part many have left out of the equation in their haste to quote (yet not understand) metal resistiance charts, is it's conductivity is dependent upon length the current has to travel. It is NOT A FIXED resistor as the resitance goes up with the length the electricity has to travel through said material. Shorter distances equals less total resistance!

In our PV's, the distance the electricity has to travel (very short) and the gauge of material it is flowing through (large), makes stainless steel an excellent candidate for use in PV's. Futher more, it is more corrosion and scratch resistant (less polishing) has much greater tensile and hardness ratings compared to aluminum (superior thread strippage resistance) and, since one can run a much thinner wall thickness when using stainless without sacrificing strength, it can often times weigh the same or less then some comparable aluminum mods.

Other ways i address this conductive issue in the new Precise line so it is not an issue:

First, the positive current in the Precise line of mods does NOT flow through the stainless steel. The center post on the Precise is made of Brass, not stainless steel, and directly connects the battery to the atomizer, thus no significant electrical loss.

Second, the negative current is conducted through the body, but the body size, gauge and electrical path distance is sufficient/short enough to carry the low voltage and amperage that PV's produce.

Third, on the battery to switch contact, both the new Precise 16340 and Precise 18650 have a custom machined 4 prong brass contact post.

Demonstration video of Aluminum/Brass Vs. Stainless Steel Conductivity and why either is equally suitable in PV applications though i believe the nod goes to stainless for it's superior scratch and corrosion resistance as well as a much greater resistance to thread strippage:

YouTube - Stainless Vs Aluminum Loaded Test

 

[Richie G]

Deja vu, again. =)

I seem to recall this discussion a few months back in a general thread that became so monotonous that it ended up being locked. The result was the same as David's video showed here -- insignificant difference in conductivity. Go figure, eh? What was proven a few months ago hasn't changed. LOL

Nice demonstration vid, David. You're still not ready for an HBO special yet. Sorry. =(

The pretty young lady that did the original demos for Super T Manufacturing -- Now, there's a video talent! I miss her!

 

[Trox.Shawn]

I don't know all this electrical stuff, but what I do know is I have a precise along with a few mods made of aluminum. They all seem the same to me.

 

[forcedfuel50]

Cliff notes video minus my fingers...(thanks Richie G.).

YouTube - Cliff notes version

 

[BrockJ]

was there some thought that maybe your skin was causing a greater conductivity on the first test?

I too have SS and aluminum units and theirs no noticeable difference in any of them as far as voltage flow. Just design, craftsmanship and preference. Plenty of difference in those categories. *cough*

 

[forcedfuel50]

was there some thought that maybe your skin was causing a greater conductivity on the first test?

I too have SS and aluminum units and theirs no noticeable difference in any of them as far as voltage flow. Just design, craftsmanship and preference. Plenty of difference in those categories. *cough*

Yes, thats why i thought it best to redo it. As it turned out, there was no difference, but it was still a good idea to re-test, if nothing else, just for repeatability

 

[JollyRogers]

Told you I would be stalking your forum and webpage for P18 statuses.

Copper is the standard by which metals are measured for their electrical conductivity. From http://www.kp44.org/ftp/ElectricalConductivityOfMaterials.php Copper 100% Aluminum 61% Steel 3 to 15%. However, what it comes down to is the application in which the material is to be used, and as Dave shows here, conductivity is a non issue for a stainless steel PV and the benefits outway the cons. Weight, strength, durability etc. In fact I own an aluminum mod that has problems because it uses aluminum for the connector to the atomizer, now that was a bad idea. I have a brass mod that is great, but it is a little on the heavy side, and I have a couple of SS mods that are light and durable.

Thanks for debunking the SS vs. Aluminum vs Brass myth IRT a PV and conductivity.

 

[LadyMaMa]

Thanks for the video and commentary, David. Not HBO worthy, but maybe Mythbusters. Unfortunately, mis-information is perpetual and perpetuated. It's likely that you'll have to re-post your video again in another month. *Sigh*

Hi Richie! Hello Brock!...and welcome back Rhino! I know that some of you are Dads, so big hugs for all of you!

Susan

 

[BrockJ]

So nice to have you back Mom...

Did you test and approve the new Precise units?

Of all the units produced to date, which is your favorite "Go To" machine? (It better be a Super-T) 8-o

 

[redrhino]

Great Video Dave..... Hopefully this video will put this whole Conductivity issue to rest once and for all......And Its Great to be back LadyMaMa thank you....

 

[forcedfuel50]

Great Video Dave..... Hopefully this video will put this whole Conductivity issue to rest once and for all......And Its Great to be back LadyMaMa thank you....

I hope this puts it to rest. The only real negative aspect of Stainless steel is it's weight. It's superior in strength and corrosion resistance and is especially resistant to thread strippage and scratch resistance. Even the weight is somewhat offset by the fact we can run a much thinner wall then aluminum without sacrificing strength.

The only other negative from a manufacturers standpoint is Stainless steel costs more, not just in material costs, but in production costs as it is harder to machine and takes a lot longer to machine as one has to slow down the feed rates significantly. But i think the added benefits more then outweigh the extra costs.

David

 

[Switched]

I hope this puts it to rest. The only real negative aspect of Stainless steel is it's weight. It's superior in strength and corrosion resistance and is especially resistant to thread strippage and scratch resistance. Even the weight is somewhat offset by the fact we can run a much thinner wall then aluminum without sacrificing strength.

The only other negative from a manufacturers standpoint is Stainless steel costs more, not just in material costs, but in production costs as it is harder to machine and takes a lot longer to machine as one has to slow down the feed rates significantly. But i think the added manufacturing costs more then outweigh the benefits.

David

I believe you meant to say:

I believe the benefits outweigh the higher manufacturing costs.

Wrt the rest yup!

 

[redrhino]

Yes Dave i defiantly agree with you on the stainless steel thing....Stainless steel is defiantly the way to go for durability, longevity, corrosion,scratch resistance etc etc the list goes on...I for one am glad you went with an all stainless steel PV...Now i do understand about the cost and time...Stainless steel is defiantly more expansive then aluminum and more time consuming to manufacture....Dave i really don't think you will have a problem charging a little more for the PV Units because of all the work that goes in to them....Because lets face it,Super T is a business, and as a Business you need to turn a profit to stay afloat...Remember one thing Dave, everyone wants to drive a Ferrari but not everyone can afford one...I for one would buy your PV's even if you priced them at a $200.00 range and above.Simply because i want the best made PV on the market.There is no Mod out there as of today that i know that can even come close to your Super Six for it's durability,reliability,functionality and of course the look and feel...Now don't get me wrong the precise will probably exceed all of the SS benefits and beyond.. You have to remember one thing Dave, Super T Manufacturing is in the league of it's own when it comes to PV's. I for one don't really care for all those touch switch mods variable voltage switch mods,to me its just a selling ploy...I'm a type of person who wants a PV that works 100% of the time...And all those new Mods that everyone is coming out with are destine to fail sooner or later...Because of too many inner workings and switches and Volt variations and the list goes on....All i want is, push the button and it works...And that is My experience with the Super T Products They Just work Flawlessly...But whatever direction Super T decides to go in the future, i can assure you Dave as long as you Continue to build your PV's the same way as you have up until this point, you will always have buyers for your Ferrari Mods no matter what the Cost/Price is...

 

[LadyMaMa]

So nice to have you back Mom...

Did you test and approve the new Precise units?

Of all the units produced to date, which is your favorite "Go To" machine? (It better be a Super-T) 8-o

Thanks, Brock. No, I haven't tested the Precise units. I did vape on the 10440 Precise, but only briefly. I weighed-in on the aesthetics of that unit, as well as the build quality of the Precise when compared to a competitor's similar mini-unit, but not much more than that.

The last T-product I seriously looked at was David's 4-in-1 adapter months ago. It's an impressively clever design, but when I've asked about production dates, David's been reluctant to commit. I understand others' interest in the 4-in-1. I rarely switch attys, so its utility for me, personally, is negligible.

My go-to unit is the Super-6 at 3.7. I occasionally answer the "call of the wild" and break out my old, 5V, V.1 Prodigy when I'm having my morning coffee. I love the size, quality and balance of the S6, but I'm still lamenting the loss of my proto Super T-1.

Susan

 

[Richie G]

Hi Richie! Hello Brock!...and welcome back Rhino! I know that some of you are Dads, so big hugs for all of you!

Thank you, ma'am. =)

I noticed later in this thread where you beta tested the 4 in 1 adapter? You know what we say around here, right? Pics or it didn't happen. For the star of Super T Videos Inc, that shouldn't pose much of a problem to rectify.

Oh, David -- I believe the phrase is--

Lights, Camera, Action...

 

[LadyMaMa]

Not an unreasonable request, but since the unit, David, and his video camera are 160 miles away, that's impossible at the moment. The much bigger problem is that I have no desire to participate in another video again...or ever.

David will have to step in or step up. His hands are more photogenic than mine, anyway.

Susan

 

[BrockJ]

I'm really sorry to hear you lost your T1.
If I ever decide to pass mine along, I'll be sure to send it your way.

As much as I like the Super6 and Precise 10440, it's one of my favorites as well.

I try not to leave the house with it too much due to its rarity...

I have very high hopes / expectations for the 16340 Precise which I'm quite sure will be met.

 

[martha1014]

A couple of days ago I was discussing the reason the SS never needed polishing and the aluminum mods would tarnish easier.

I was told that aluminum was a better conductive of electricity. I guess they were wrong. As far as the weight of the SS Super 6 it weighs less than most mod on the market.

 

[Cisco]

That is a great Video David, but I think that test is useless without a load applied. You should do the same test under load, when there is actual current running through the body to see if the results are the same, because you know that we all use our e-cigs with the atomizers attached. Also with that budget meter you not getting a true reading past one decimal point, .1 reading could be anywhere from .05+ to 1.5- and the meter bouncing off .2 ohm could be from 1.5+ to 2.5-

I mean if you gonna split hairs , lets split them down the middle...

Cisco...

 

[forcedfuel50]

.01 Resolution on the voltage is more then adequate to show any significant drop in voltage for a PV, though i do have a friend who was kind enough to send me a Fluke and i will gladly re-test when it arrives.

I again want to stress my argument is not that stainless steel is the best conductor among various metals, only that it is more then sufficient for our pv's that carry low loads over very short distances. In other words, regardless if you use brass, stainless, aluminum, etc. in a PV body, you will have no significant losses in voltage and amperage reaching the atomizer and thus all will vape equally.

I will test with an atomizer attached too, though the atomizer is the added resistance, and the bodies resistance will remain a constant as previously tested. We then know the result will be the same, only with a proportionately lower, but near equal, loaded voltage.