Are you done stocking up?

[Rossum]

If you try the KGD and like it...get in touch with me. I bought several packs, with 10 pads per pack...and then switched to Rayon immediately after I tried it for the first time.

Yep! Five years ago, when KGD was first discovered by vapers, my wife got me a bunch of it; at least a half dozen boxes total. Then I found Jeremy's original rayon thread. I'm not sure I actually finished an entire pad of KGD.

 

[Rossum]

I find the flavor is so much better with very low nic. With anything above 6mg, the nic becomes one of the flavorings. And nic itself isn't a flavor I care for much.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I vape a lot of unflavored juice. I don't use it exclusively, but it is my "ADV".

 

[DaveP]

If you try the KGD and like it...get in touch with me. I bought several packs, with 10 pads per pack...and then switched to Rayon immediately after I tried it for the first time.

I agree. I still have sealed packs of KGD in my vape cabinet that I haven't touched in years after switching to Rayon. Even when the coil begins to crust over the Rayon wick is usually clean, with a hint of gray from contact with the coil. Of course, part of that is because I vape unflavored most of the day, with just occasional flavor vaping.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

Yeah, but when you get it right, it lasts practically forever, so over a long period of time, it's actually less work because you're re-wicking so infrequently.

I guess for some people, this may be true. Doesn't really apply for me. I rebuild when the coil gets crusty - the wick is never the weak link in the chain. Rayon, cotton bacon, Muji, or KGD, the wick is always fine when it comes time for me to replace the coil.

Even though I don't prefer rayon for the way I vape, I believe it's a more efficient wicking material, and it can withstand higher temps, so for chain vapers or high wattage folks, it may be a better choice. And the "sharper" flavor- it could be that rayon is simply more accurate, and maybe the cotton softens the flavor of my NETs.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

This is so nice of you! God, people here are great.

I have been using nothing so far--never wicked a coil in my life. KGD is those little pads, right? They seem the most fool-proof to me, but then I know nothing.

On the way.

And yes, the KGD is the pads, orginally for cosmetics. Some people peel the outer layer, believing that it's more "crusty" and doesn't wick as well. I've done it both ways, and don't find a big difference. But I precut one length of it for you, and peeled back the outer layer. The precut is very slightly wider than I normally use for a 2mm ID coil, so it should be fine with 2 or 2.5. And yes, I believe KGD is the easiest. For me, it's so much easier to consistently cut the same amount of material, instead of eyeballing & splitting away portions of rayon or bacon. Even taking a length of rayon and halfing it again and again doesn't get me exactly the amount I like.

I don't know what you vape, but found my sweet spot for mtl is the 2mm id coil, spaced, 316L 28ga. 26ga took too long to ramp up for me, and didn't give enough flavor. 30ga didn't improve it, and makes a flimsy coil. I'd originally started using 2.5mm coils, but on a recommendation tried 2.0, and it works best for me- on Kayfuns, Doggiestyle, and True MTL.

Good luck, and be patient! Building is easy, but of course there is a short learning curve, and nothing but practice gets you there. You'll love the freedom of not being locked in to buying anyone's specific coils any more.

 

[Zazie]

Thank you so much, @Brewdawg1181. This is exciting!

 

[MikeADore]

Anyone know of a good deal on decent 18650 batteries? Flat top.

 

[Rossum]

Anyone know of a good deal on decent 18650 batteries? Flat top.

How hard do you use your batteries? Because the first question one should ask is what kind of batteries are most suitable to your vaping style.

 

[MikeADore]

How hard do you use your batteries? Because the first question one should ask is what kind of batteries are most suitable to your vaping style.

Died in the wool tootler. About 8 or so ml per day vaped at 10w or less.

 

[Rossum]

Died in the wool tootler. About 8 or so ml per day vaped at 10w or less.

Then you probably want Samsung 30Q, LG HG2, or Sony VTC6 cells. These all have a capacity of 3000 mAh and a CDR between 15 and 20A.

Check out these trusted vendors and see who has the best deal on the quantity you're looking for:
illumn.com
imrbatteries.com
liionwholesale.com
orbtronic.com
rtdvapor.com

 

[MikeADore]

Thanks. Those are the types of batteries I'm using now (Samsung and LG2). I just couldn't remember the names of any of the vendors and was hoping to come across a sale somewhere. I'll check those out and go with the best price. Appreciate your help.

ETA: After seeing the names, I remember ordering from Illumn and lionwholesale before.

 

[MikeADore]

For anyone looking for batteries, I checked the five stores @Rossum recommended for the three batteries he listed (Samsung 30q...LG HG2...Sony VTC6). Here's what I found as far as price (did not check shipping for each vendor. I'm assuming they're close in price there)

Illumn
Samsung 30q $4.99
HG2 $5.50
Sony VTC6 $7.50

Liionwholesale
Samsung 30q out of stock
HG2 out of stock
Sony VTC6 $5.79

IMR
Samsung 30q $4.99
HG2 $5.99
Sony VTC6 $6.99

Orbtronic
Samsung 30q $5.99
HG2 $5.99
Sony VTC6 $7.99

RTDvapor
Samsung 30q $6.50
HG2 $6.75
Sony VTC6 $7.25

 

[Mowgli]

Mike, my vaping style is very different - 60W or 75W on dual 18650 mods
The last batch I got was from Illumn with free shipping over $50
*****************************************************
Free Shipping - Super Saver Shipping (5-7 Days)

Item Sku Qty Subtotal
18650 Sony US18650VTC5A 2600mAh High Discharge Flat Top
SONY VTC5A 10 $55.00
Subtotal $55.00
Shipping & Handling $0.00
Grand Total $55.00
*****************************************************
Quantities make a huge difference in shipping price sometimes
Some places use tiers for shipping price ranges such as:
1-5 shipping is $3
6-10 shipping is $8
and so on.
I experiment to get the most I can at the shipping tier that I want...
Unless there's free shipping over an acceptable amount
Free shipping is my favorite price

BTW - most battery stores give a free battery case with each pair you buy

 

[Zazie]

On the way.

And yes, the KGD is the pads, orginally for cosmetics. Some people peel the outer layer, believing that it's more "crusty" and doesn't wick as well. I've done it both ways, and don't find a big difference. But I precut one length of it for you, and peeled back the outer layer. The precut is very slightly wider than I normally use for a 2mm ID coil, so it should be fine with 2 or 2.5. And yes, I believe KGD is the easiest. For me, it's so much easier to consistently cut the same amount of material, instead of eyeballing & splitting away portions of rayon or bacon. Even taking a length of rayon and halfing it again and again doesn't get me exactly the amount I like.

I don't know what you vape, but found my sweet spot for mtl is the 2mm id coil, spaced, 316L 28ga. 26ga took too long to ramp up for me, and didn't give enough flavor. 30ga didn't improve it, and makes a flimsy coil. I'd originally started using 2.5mm coils, but on a recommendation tried 2.0, and it works best for me- on Kayfuns, Doggiestyle, and True MTL.

Good luck, and be patient! Building is easy, but of course there is a short learning curve, and nothing but practice gets you there. You'll love the freedom of not being locked in to buying anyone's specific coils any more.

Do you use round wire? Or something else?

 

[Brewdawg1181]

Do you use round wire? Or something else?

Yep. Just plain round wire. And make/space it pretty much like PBusardo does, with a coilmaster tool. Thought about trying a clapton or something, but have so much of this (from FT) on hand already, so I never ordered any.

 

[Zazie]

Yep. Just plain round wire. And make/space it pretty much like PBusardo does, with a coilmaster tool. Thought about trying a clapton or something, but have so much of this (from FT) on hand already, so I never ordered any.
View attachment 813855

I was planning to watch PBusardo's video about the Berserker RDA later today, and I have a Coilmaster kit and round wire in my shopping cart on FastTech. I am drawn to Clapton wire, though. A little roughness/variation in the texture of the wire seems like a good thing, to me. I still need to study more, though. I don't understand yet how wire affects resistance. Been playing with the Steam Engine calculator to get a feel of it.

The Berserker RDA is really tiny, so it can only accommodate a small coil. The pre-wrapped one I installed has only five wraps.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

I was planning to watch PBusardo's video about the Berserker RDA later today, and I have a Coilmaster kit and round wire in my shopping cart on FastTech. I am drawn to Clapton wire, though. A little roughness/variation in the texture of the wire seems like a good thing, to me. I still need to study more, though. I don't understand yet how wire affects resistance. Been playing with the Steam Engine calculator to get a feel of it.

The Berserker RDA is really tiny, so it can only accommodate a small coil. The pre-wrapped one I installed has only five wraps.

Yeah, the extra surface area should theoretically improve production. But I'm just a little ol' mtler, tootling along at 8-10W, and pretty happy with that. Some say they're amazed at performance of fancier coils, others say it's not a big difference. I'm not sure if the irregular surface would contribute to gunking or not, but that's probably not a big difference, either. Worth a try if you're interested.

Unless you're using a mech, I wouldn't worry too much about resistance. But basically, more/thicker wire has lower resistance, and will require more power to heat up, draining your battery quicker. In oversimplified terms, its the resistance that causes the heat.

 

[Zazie]

I'm in the MTL camp myself, though I go as high as 16W. And I was wondering whether the more complicated wires would gunk up faster. I bet round is fine for me (although I long to try to make a wickless coil someday, which, according to the videos I've watched would require Clapton, at least).

Do you recommend UD wire over other manufacturers'?

 

[Brewdawg1181]

I'm in the MTL camp myself, though I go as high as 16W. And I was wondering whether the more complicated wires would gunk up faster. I bet round is fine for me (although I long to try to make a wickless coil someday, which, according to the videos I've watched would require Clapton, at least).

Do you recommend UD wire over other manufacturers'?

I'm not knowledgeable enough to have a brand preference!
Nah, I just bought it because it was available & cheap at FT. There might be minor difference in wire quality, but I doubt I could tell a difference for this application. But I do remember seeing someone, somewhere (maybe a reviewer?) say that UD was good quality...after I'd already bought it.

 

[hittman]

I’ve used different types of wire from UD and have no complaints. I’ve used a few other brands too and haven’t noticed much of a difference.

My cutters that came with my coil master kit aren’t cutting braided wire very good and I’m wondering what to replace them with.