Attack of the (Kayfun v4) Clones!

[Fernand]

Humbly arriving in kayfun V4 rba clone seemingly land. Boy, that's a lot
of pages to get caught up on ! Manana ...

I got a $23 Tobeco kayfun V4 clone from eBay, came in 3 days. I vape
95% VG, 5% flavorings & alcohol, no nic. I have had no significant issues
with it after a week of use.

The material seems to be SS, the o-rings are basic, but they fit ok. B16 is
maybe a hair small. The threading is good all around. I'm running it on the
mech of a $25 ebay Nemesis + Omega clone set, also excellent for the $.

Ran a Fluorocarbon monofilament around the Nemesis as a lanyard, having
dropped this 1/2 lb assembly too many times already, thankfully with no doo
doo karma. I think it's gorgeous.



Built a 1.4 ohm A1 Kanthal 28 gauge contact coil ("microcoil") on a 2.7 mm
drill bit, with a 400 mesh wick with cotton barbels, as per:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp0D22_BQx0

Found that with my VG juice I was occasionally outvaping the feed. I pumped
the Liquid Control on occasion to, well, pump it. So I changed the coil to a std
type, by separating wraps with a Swiss Army Knife, and that turned it into a
rainforest. Huge billows of fog, so thick the alligators and anacondas were
swimming with the macaws, none of the animals could tell up from down.
But very little flavor. Bland.

TOO wet a vape, so I reworked the coil again, this time to a halfway sort, like
a "microcoil" but not fused so much, leaving thin gaps I can slip a yellow postit
note into, and this time it's just about perfecto. The vapor is humongous when
I pull, the wicking is fine. The taste is quite good, will still be improved a bit,

I tried vaping after removing the air control screw, but it was already very open,
that wasn't adding anything. Besides, I like the air to be constricted enough to
make a strong directional blast at the coil, so I ended up putting the screw back
in and closing it halfway.

The overall experience is excellent. If you build it well. I'm still ironing out wick
vs. coil issues, I could just go all cotton, but I prefer the hard clarity of stainless
mesh. I'm formerly a user of a 1.5 or 2.0 ohm HH-357 on a V-Mod XL. He (HH)
makes a great atomizer, and the Vmod was ahead of its time. The RBA has now
arrived.

This is only my second RBA, and I'm darned tootin' happy. I wouldn't pay $200 for
any such device, but if I ever did, this clone's as good a candidate as any.

We'll see long term, but so far so good, all the threading is OK. I wouldn't say
"buttery", but my genuine Provari v 1.0 isn't either.

The A3 bottom 510 connector plate has some play when B17 is neither
fully up nor down. Not sure what THAT's about. Anybody know?

 

[nelsonm64]

I'm surprised the 12's were too big for the RoboTech, I've put them in five other clones and they seem to fit perfectly, just wanted to comment on that.

I was surprised also... just couldn't screw the two sections together with a 12mm. the 11mm buna did the trick though... thank god

 

[KTMRider]

Well the 3/32" coil is definitely performing better (and taking even more juice now) but a problem has returned I had when I first got the KF4.. The vape is starting to get too hot to the point I've got blisters on the inside of my lips now. This was happening the first week or so I had it. I literally had a row of white blisters lining my upper lip and the vape burns!! I'm still at 12w as usual, but this just came back today with the new coil. It wasn't this bad last night when I first recoiled it!

What mod are you using? I've been vaping a 2.8mm ID, 1.5Ω at 12w and it's a cool vape. I've been vaping on a VS DNA30, Cloupor DNA30 and Cloupor Mini.

Could it be that the hot juice is popping off the coil and landing on your lip?

 

[snow blind]

What mod are you using? I've been vaping a 2.8mm ID, 1.5Ω at 12w and it's a cool vape. I've been vaping on a VS DNA30, Cloupor DNA30 and Cloupor Mini.

Could it be that the hot juice is popping off the coil and landing on your lip?

I'm going to have to agree with KTM here... that's a very, very cool vape. If that's accurate that would not be giving you blisters... save for juice spit back.

 

[Monotremata]

What mod are you using? I've been vaping a 2.8mm ID, 1.5Ω at 12w and it's a cool vape. I've been vaping on a VS DNA30, Cloupor DNA30 and Cloupor Mini.

Could it be that the hot juice is popping off the coil and landing on your lip?

I don't think its juice, I've felt that before and I don't feel liquid coming up but maybe?? My tank is going way quicker so who knows. I'm using my Vamo v7. Had to take it down to 10-11w today.. I'll charge up the MVP and see how that goes.. I did make a new 2.4mm 1.4 coil this morning..

 

[KTMRider]

I don't think its juice, I've felt that before and I don't feel liquid coming up but maybe?? My tank is going way quicker so who knows. I'm using my Vamo v7. Had to take it down to 10-11w today.. I'll charge up the MVP and see how that goes.. I did make a new 2.4mm 1.4 coil this morning..

How high is the coil from the air hole? If I'm not mistaken, if it's too high, it will crackle and pop more. My coils are usually 1-2mm from the air hole.

Maybe a hot leg causing it to pop juice? Just brainstorming how it would burn your lip. I've never had anything close to that happen and I'm curious of the cause to avoid it.

 

[snow blind]

Closer a coil is to the air hole the warmer or more intense the vape... FWIW.


Edit: You are onto something there with a hot leg... possible loose connection... occasional very minor short etc. A hot leg can seriously mess up your vape when all else seems ok. It can also give a dry-metallic, dry hit sensation when held down for too long.

 

[Light Seeker]

Concur ... Can't think of anything else beside a hot leg for this normally cool vape.

On another note, finally got my orings in and replaced all on my leaky tobeco. Amazing, no more leaks, don't have to hold my mod with a paper towel anymore. Many thanks to all in this thread.... Without this great advice, would have thrown out this head several weeks ago and written it off as total junk.

 

[Elyptic]

I don't think its juice, I've felt that before and I don't feel liquid coming up but maybe?? My tank is going way quicker so who knows. I'm using my Vamo v7. Had to take it down to 10-11w today.. I'll charge up the MVP and see how that goes.. I did make a new 2.4mm 1.4 coil this morning..

What are the specs of your coil? What gauge wire and how many wraps?

I'm vaping around 15W on a 1.4 ohm coil and it's warm, but nowhere near hot. I've cranked it up to 20W just to see, and while it's a very warm vape, nowhere near burning. The tank does get really warm though if I do that for too long. This is all with a 28ga Kanthal coil.

I know that on my Kayfun Lite+, I usually use 30ga Kanthal. It seems to produce a much hotter vape much more quickly. So wire gauge does effect the temperature, or at least how fast it gets up to temp.

 

[crss]

.6 ohm coil, twisted 28g. running at 22w on a hana. The vape is warm, but if i started getting blisters on my lips, my wife will kill me!

 

[Monotremata]

What are the specs of your coil? What gauge wire and how many wraps?

I'm vaping around 15W on a 1.4 ohm coil and it's warm, but nowhere near hot. I've cranked it up to 20W just to see, and while it's a very warm vape, nowhere near burning. The tank does get really warm though if I do that for too long. This is all with a 28ga Kanthal coil.

I know that on my Kayfun Lite+, I usually use 30ga Kanthal. It seems to produce a much hotter vape much more quickly. So wire gauge does effect the temperature, or at least how fast it gets up to temp.

29ga 7/6 wraps, its 1.4 ohms.. My coil is right around 1 mm above the hole. I have been noticing a lot of crackling and popping earlier so maybe it is the juice.. Its not constant though.. Earlier I took probably 10 hits with no popping, but on the way home just now it was like every other vape was popping and then a smooth one then back to popping again..

Could it be a wicking issue???

 

[Elyptic]

29ga 7/6 wraps, its 1.4 ohms.. My coil is right around 1 mm above the hole. I have been noticing a lot of crackling and popping earlier so maybe it is the juice.. Its not constant though.. Earlier I took probably 10 hits with no popping, but on the way home just now it was like every other vape was popping and then a smooth one then back to popping again..

Could it be a wicking issue???

Sounds like wicking to me. I've noticed that when the coil is getting a bit dry, I get more crackling and popping. If my wicking is working properly, I get nice smooth hits.

 

[Monotremata]

Im thinking so.. Every few vapes there is a lot of vapor spilling out of the airholes.. I don't get it though, used the same cotton as usual, maybe I need more since the coils 1/64" bigger?

 

[KTMRider]

Im thinking so.. Every few vapes there is a lot of vapor spilling out of the airholes.. I don't get it though, used the same cotton as usual, maybe I need more since the coils 1/64" bigger?

Yes, you need to use more.

 

[Monotremata]

Yes, you need to use more.

Gotcha! I broke out #1, still has a 5/64" 1.4 ohm coil in it and no burning lips so yeah.. Guess I'll cut a length of yarn and unravel it so I can add six or seven threads compared to the four its made up of... I did notice earlier there's still some room to fill in that coil even with the wick juiced and swollen...

 

[snow blind]

Gotcha! I broke out #1, still has a 5/64" 1.4 ohm coil in it and no burning lips so yeah.. Guess I'll cut a length of yarn and unravel it so I can add six or seven threads compared to the four its made up of... I did notice earlier there's still some room to fill in that coil even with the wick juiced and swollen...

Get yourself some Japanese cotton pads.... They make consistent wicking much easier!

 

[Monotremata]

Eh I've got cotton yarn to last the rest of my life already..

Wicking was it, or rather a lack of. Cut off a piece and then cut it in half. Pulled two strands out of one and twisted it with the other half, problem solved so far!! Doubling it was too thick but 6 strands seems to be perfect..

 

[Mtek]

Bored with nothing to do, so I'm working on the RT clone I have.

Compared to my auth, the machining is obvious and edges are sharp on the JC ring. I took a dremel with a barrel shaped buffing attachment and jeweler's rouge to it, made it more concave and softer like the real one. I also drilled the air holes out slightly as they are smaller, of course buffed the SM logo off too. The deck juice holes are visually smaller, going to need to drill them out next as well as the machine marks on the deck too.

Factory orings and white gaskets slipped and pressed into place. P3 base on too. Weird thing, I ruined a tinted factory SM plastic tank with the threads, but the Oem clear one that came with the auth went on no issues (using a black tank on that one now).

 

[Fernand]

Sorry, but can someone refer me to a list of the sizes and a good source for spare o-rings for a Tobeco Kayfun V4?

Gotta say, as I waste money on other devices, that my initial pretty ignorant pick of a Tobeco Kayfun V4 clone with a mechanical Nemesis tube clone sure worked out.

This is the best vaping I've had in years. The engineering and the 41 parts in the Kayfun V4 are there for good reason. As I look at the other tank RBAs, it seems pretty likely that for a flavor freak this is head and shoulders above the others.

It irks me that some operators in China are profiting from SvoeMesto's effort ... though not quite enough to pay $200 for one.

 

[doofy666]

Here's the sizes:

http://www.chitown-angler.com/pichosting/albums/userpics/10006/K4.pdf