1st attempt at micro coils.. failed help!

[ibumbleborg]

so today i tried to build my 1st dual micro coils with 30GA Kanthal A1 wire i did 10 wraps on a 1/16 drill bit
i tried single coil first but the ohms came out too high about 4.4ohm so i did a second one an ended i about 2.1-2.2 ohm wich is way too high and i dont know why.. its kind of hard to work around this wire but its the only one i have atm i did my best job to pull the coils togheter any tips or help on why it came that high would be appreciated

pic link: http ://i57.tinypic.com/kbwt55.jpg

 

[AndriaD]

Yeah, 10 wraps is just too many, with 30ga. I use 6 wraps of 30ga on a 3/32 usually, or sometimes on a 7/64, which is coming to be my favorite size. With that build, right now I have a 1.7 ohm coil, and it works great. If you want to use that many wraps, you'd probably want to use 28ga instead.

Also, a great link for calculating your number of wraps at any given wire size or diameter -- Coil wrapping | Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

Andria

 

[Despraci]

Actually, 2.1 - 2.2 for a 1/16 drill bit is about right. With a 3/32 drill bit and 30g (7 wraps) I think I was getting about 1.8. Try 8 wraps on a 1/16 and that should get you somewhere around 1.6 - 1.8 I believe. Also, get some 28g to help lower your resistance, but in the meantime you can get the 30g to work, just keep playing with the number of wraps and size till you find what you like. Personally I usually stick with a 9 wrap 28g micro that comes out to be 1.2 ohms for single coil use.

 

[derogg]

Use less wraps. maybe 7/8. I wrap it snug around the bit trying to get the wire as close together as possible and not overlapping. I then torch it and squeeze them togther with tweezers. Keep at it. Also look on you tube at how others do it if you haven't already.
- Dirk

 

[ibumbleborg]

it was 4.4 single coil not 2.1-2.2 and i think thats not what it supposed to be at.. was 2.2 at dual coil tho dont know if u reffered to dual or single

 

[ibumbleborg]

TY! that link is really helpful

 

[ibumbleborg]

Use less wraps. maybe 7/8. I wrap it snug around the bit trying to get the wire as close together as possible and not overlapping. I then torch it and squeeze them togther with tweezers. Keep at it. Also look on you tube at how others do it if you haven't already.
- Dirk

i dont have a torch i tried with a normal lighter and i couldnt really pull them togheter, then i tried dry firing on a mech and quickly using the tweezers and it worked a bit better..

 

[Ryedan]

so today i tried to build my 1st dual micro coils with 30GA Kanthal A1 wire i did 10 wraps on a 1/16 drill bit
i tried single coil first but the ohms came out too high about 4.4ohm so i did a second one an ended i about 2.1-2.2 ohm wich is way too high and i dont know why.. its kind of hard to work around this wire but its the only one i have atm i did my best job to pull the coils togheter any tips or help on why it came that high would be appreciated

Good looking coils!

10 wraps on a 1/16" drill will be around 2 ohms. It can sometimes be tricky to measure resistance. You have to be careful to get good contact with the meter probes on the RDA posts. I spin the probes a bit when I first make contact with the posts until the number stops going down. Firm pressure helps too.

The calculators Andria linked to are great. Set the ohms you want and see how many coils you should make. Suggest you use 0.1" for leg length.

 

[Ryedan]

it was 4.4 single coil not 2.1-2.2 and i think thats not what it supposed to be at.. was 2.2 at dual coil tho dont know if u reffered to dual or single

One more thought. What does your meter read when you touch the probes together?

 

[ibumbleborg]

One more thought. What does your meter read when you touch the probes together?

it has a 0.9 ohm internal .. thats my problem it supposed to be around 2.0 ohm but it came out double and i cant figure out why

 

[Ryedan]

it has a 0.9 ohm internal .. thats my problem it supposed to be around 2.0 ohm but it came out double and i cant figure out why

0.9 ohm of internal resistance? So you are subtracting that from the reading you take?

 

[ibumbleborg]

0.9 ohm of internal resistance? So you are subtracting that from the reading you take?

yes i am :/

 

[ibumbleborg]

nvm im so stupid i was using a wrong drill bit.. im going to try with a 2mm screwdriver and do it again

 

[tayone415]

If you have an android device go download the vaper's toolbox, if you're just starting off it can help a lot taking out some of the guess work.

 

[seek2]

Those coils aren't bad at all. Better looking than my 1st attempt.

As for resistance. You will figure that out. I would try to work with 26G personally. 28G is ok too, but they deform easier. I build with 24G now. But dump the 30G. Its too thin. But you can get it to work if needed.

Anyways, the trick to getting a good coil. You will need 2 things. Both very cheap.

1) Pen Torch (~$10)
2) Helper hands ($7 on amazon)

SE MZ101B Helping Hands with Magnifying Glass - Educational And Hobby Magnifiers - Amazon.com

I am sure you can probably find something to replace the helping hands if you want. But I personally love mine.

But wrap the coil as tight and close together as possible by hand. Pulls those ends TIGHT.

Then stick the coil in the alligator clip, torch it until it is glowing red, then take tweezers, or needle nose pliers and squeeze them together. You will get the hand of it and see that more wraps on thinner kanthal will deform easier when squeezing. But just practice.

After I torch mine, I toss it back on the drill and pull the ends again so they are tight.

But you will definitely need a torch and need to squeeze to get the coil super super close and tight.

As for coil size, you will have to experiment. I found a 7/64 drill bit the perfect size for my builds.

 

[ibumbleborg]

Those coils aren't bad at all. Better looking than my 1st attempt.

As for resistance. You will figure that out. I would try to work with 26G personally. 28G is ok too, but they deform easier. I build with 24G now. But dump the 30G. Its too thin. But you can get it to work if needed.

Anyways, the trick to getting a good coil. You will need 2 things. Both very cheap.

1) Pen Torch (~$10)
2) Helper hands ($7 on amazon)

SE MZ101B Helping Hands with Magnifying Glass - Educational And Hobby Magnifiers - Amazon.com

I am sure you can probably find something to replace the helping hands if you want. But I personally love mine.

But wrap the coil as tight and close together as possible by hand. Pulls those ends TIGHT.

Then stick the coil in the alligator clip, torch it until it is glowing red, then take tweezers, or needle nose pliers and squeeze them together. You will get the hand of it and see that more wraps on thinner kanthal will deform easier when squeezing. But just practice.

After I torch mine, I toss it back on the drill and pull the ends again so they are tight.

But you will definitely need a torch and need to squeeze to get the coil super super close and tight.

As for coil size, you will have to experiment. I found a 7/64 drill bit the perfect size for my builds.

i did my 2nd build in it with a 2mm screwdriver and 9 wraps each came about to 1.1-1.2ohm but its giving me a wonky taste and the base and top cap get hot too fast if i take 2-3 vapes (dont know if this is normal in micro coils) but on my regular dual coils (0.6-0.7ohm) i could do 5-6 vapes and it didnt get that hot

http ://i60.tinypic.com/dm5ops.jpg

 

[seek2]

Heat is going to be normal with a dual coil setup. Some heat. Especially when sub ohming. But have a feeling your heat issues are due to air flow issues. Get rid of that cotton pad in the middle. Its just blocking air.

I would try a bigger coil for starters. With 2mm you will have wicking issues. Especially with horizontal. That cotton is too thick. What helped me learn how to wick (wicking is just as important if not more important than making the coil), is when you wick it. Put a few drops of juice outside of the coil on the cotton. Come back in 5 minutes, and it should have gone through the coil and out the other side.

If you do want to use 2mm, the cotton should be waaaaay skinnier.

Couple of other things. Airflow - get rid of that cotton in the middle. Its just blocking air flow (as mentioned). Also, make sure your coils are high enough to line up with the air holes in the rda. When you look inside the dripper air hole, you should see the coil. The closer the coil is to the air hole the better the taste, cooler the vapor, etc.

Also, that is why I like 7/64 now (2.7mm). You can fit a fat enough cotton in there where it can hold a ton of juice and be wicked a ready and all soaked up and inside the coil when you fire. I used to use 2.4mm coils, then 3mm. And now settled on 2.7.

Check this out. Look how its wicked. That is 24G though 6 wraps. I hit that setup in dual coil (~.25 ohms) at times and its insane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoKkTACZ55g

 

[seek2]

To add on the location of coils relative to air holes. It varies between rda. Just imagine the path the air takes. From the hole to the mouth piece. You want the coil in that path. Sometimes slightly higher is better. Like when you look at the air hole you just see the bottom of the coil. Sometimes the coil dead center will be fine. Depends on rda and your preferences. You will have to play with it, and eventually you will find the best way to build your rda

 

[ibumbleborg]

Heat is going to be normal with a dual coil setup. Some heat. Especially when sub ohming. But have a feeling your heat issues are due to air flow issues. Get rid of that cotton pad in the middle. Its just blocking air.

I would try a bigger coil for starters. With 2mm you will have wicking issues. Especially with horizontal. That cotton is too thick. What helped me learn how to wick (wicking is just as important if not more important than making the coil), is when you wick it. Put a few drops of juice outside of the coil on the cotton. Come back in 5 minutes, and it should have gone through the coil and out the other side.

If you do want to use 2mm, the cotton should be waaaaay skinnier.

Couple of other things. Airflow - get rid of that cotton in the middle. Its just blocking air flow (as mentioned). Also, make sure your coils are high enough to line up with the air holes in the rda. When you look inside the dripper air hole, you should see the coil. The closer the coil is to the air hole the better the taste, cooler the vapor, etc.

Also, that is why I like 7/64 now (2.7mm). You can fit a fat enough cotton in there where it can hold a ton of juice and be wicked a ready and all soaked up and inside the coil when you fire. I used to use 2.4mm coils, then 3mm. And now settled on 2.7.

Check this out. Look how its wicked. That is 24G though 6 wraps. I hit that setup in dual coil (~.25 ohms) at times and its insane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoKkTACZ55g

i changed the wick to a thinner and smaller one it does feel better but im getting half vapor than i was with my normal dual coil setup using same airholes same juice same everything. Ill try with a bigger 2.4-2.7mm screwdriver and try to aim between 0.6-0.8ohm and see if i get the same vapor or more than my old setup

http ://i61.tinypic.com/3323wir.jpg

 

[seek2]

Yeah, you just have to keep playing with it. I remember when I started building, it took about a week of constant builds before I was able to get something I was happy with. You have to find the exact thickness of cotton needed and once you get it, you will be able to grab that amount of cotton in 10 seconds. But there has been times where I have re wicked 15 times in a row. So you are not failing at anything, just learning.

One more tip I will pass on is to wash your hands before you roll your wick. All the grease and nasty stuff on your hands gets into the cotton as your roll it and affects the flavor. At least to to me.

Good luck!