Attack of the (Kayfun v4) Clones!

[350ZMO]

^^^^ be careful to get your holes more towards the inside than the outside lest you be getting into the o-ring groove perhaps
I'm attempting to measure that now.

Yeah but at least the o-ring will seal it lol. Mine didn't penetrate but I wouldn't go larger without an end mill so it could be offset over towards the center. And I'm not sure that will help much given the small gap between the bottom of that flange and the top of the next one. In fact I can't even get a 1.6mm in that gap. So that might suggest the next step if there was one would be to mill groves in that gap to 1.6mm. Primarily on that next flange.

Now that I've cut the tails off the wick and just have it touching it seems to be feeding better without leaking so I'm going to stop here and be happy with that. While I have the drill out I'll go ahead and do some drilling on other attys I've been meaning to do.

Cheers

 

[Light Seeker]

Quick update ... Went from a 2mm coil with 9 wraps of 28 gauge to 3mm with 7 wraps.

WOW! A whole new, & better, vape! [emoji1]

 

[Monotremata]

Quick update ... Went from a 2mm coil with 9 wraps of 28 gauge to 3mm with 7 wraps.

WOW! A whole new, & better, vape! [emoji1]

I did the same. Went from 2mm to about 2.5mm with more wicking and it made the v4s rock even harder. My diy juice is jumping now! I'd try 3mm but I can't fit the drill bit in the tiny pin vise I have, gotta get a new one soon..

 

[Fernand]

I'm using Japanese cotton and 95% VG (the rest is flavoring etc). Tobeco V4.
1.4 ohms, 28 gauge, 8 to 16 watts. At 16 watts I'm going through a tankfull in,
what, half an hour? But there's never been a need to drill the liquid holes.

Been trying different builds today, in fact spent most of the day doing nothing
but. And I'm struck by how different each build is.

For cotton the most critical thing has been getting the fibers to hit the juice holes
straight-on, i.e. as if prolonging the juice tunnels, as if fiber optics.
Seems to create a capillary system that feeds like a .....

I had the same type wick with the fibers just laying down in the well, and I was
getting ocasional dry hits at 16 watts - not a one when the fibers "plug in".

I've had Stainless steel mesh wicks that sizzled and ran dry, and others
that vaped perfectly.

There are lot of parts here, o-rings, precisely machined steel. Lots of things
to go right and go wrong. The whole wick and coil system interacts with
all that, and is a HUGE source of variability.

Not to discourage good healthy fun with power tools, but IMHO before
people jump in and start cutting and drilling their V4s, maybe all these
variables need to be fully explored first?

 

[Marc411]

I'm using Japanese cotton and 95% VG (the rest is flavoring etc). Tobeco V4.
1.4 ohms, 28 gauge, 8 to 16 watts. At 16 watts I'm going through a tankfull in,
what, half an hour? But there's never been a need to drill the liquid holes.

Been trying different builds today, in fact spent most of the day doing nothing
but. And I'm struck by how different each build is.

For cotton the most critical thing has been getting the fibers to hit the juice holes
straight-on, i.e. as if prolonging the juice tunnels, as if fiber optics.
Seems to create a capillary system that feeds like a .....

I had the same type wick with the fibers just laying down in the well, and I was
getting ocasional dry hits at 16 watts - not a one when the fibers "plug in".

I've had Stainless steel mesh wicks that sizzled and ran dry, and others
that vaped perfectly.

There are lot of parts here, o-rings, precisely machined steel. Lots of things
to go right and go wrong. The whole wick and coil system interacts with
all that, and is a HUGE source of variability.

Not to discourage good healthy fun with power tools, but IMHO before
people jump in and start cutting and drilling their V4s, maybe all these
variables need to be fully explored first?

Excellent post, my experience has been the same. I use Open Source high VG liquids and build the same as a 50/50 liquid and have yet to get a dry hit. The cotton is placed just off (or feathering) the deck over the juice holes and the wicking has been outstanding. Other than some parts exchanged (4 & 7) and better O-rings all three of the suppliers tanks I have produce a consistent quality vapor.

 

[snow blind]

Excellent post, my experience has been the same. I use Open Source high VG liquids and build the same as a 50/50 liquid and have yet to get a dry hit. The cotton is placed just off (or feathering) the deck over the juice holes and the wicking has been outstanding. Other than some parts exchanged (4 & 7) and better O-rings all three of the suppliers tanks I have produce a consistent quality vapor.

I don't even allow my wick ends to touch the juice well bottom... A mil above and it wicks best for me. Keeps a little reserve juice pool at the bottom of each wick.

 

[ThunderDan]

I finally gave rayon a go in one of my kf4 clones. Seems to be doing well. Not sure if I used enough, never really use rayon, but it looks OK to me after two tanks.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Light Seeker]

I finally gave rayon a go in one of my kf4 clones. Seems to be doing well. Not sure if I used enough, never really use rayon, but it looks OK to me after two tanks.

Looks about the same as mine. How u like it?

 

[Elyptic]

Looks about the same as mine. How u like it?

How do you guys keep the wicks / coils so clean after two tanks? My coil has a good coating of gunk on it and my wick is usually a very dark brown after only one tank... I can stretch it to two, but I pretty much have to re-wick / dry burn after every tank...

 

[Light Seeker]

How do you guys keep the wicks / coils so clean after two tanks? My coil has a good coating of gunk on it and my wick is usually a very dark brown after only one tank... I can stretch it to two, but I pretty much have to re-wick / dry burn after every tank...

I've found rayon keeps a lot cleaner than cotton. All depends on the juice - sweeter, non citrus juices gunk up much faster than others. When I change wicks, i rinse the coil under tap water, dry burn, & blow the ash off to clean the coil. I'm changing wicks about every 3 tanks - but thats only because I broke both the glass & plastic tanks (waiting on vapemail), & using the metal one .... I can't tell when its running dry until I get a dry hit, usually scorching a little of my wick giving it a slight burnt taste.

Can't really say how long a coil will last me - I've been playing around with different size & ohm coil builds, constantly experimenting

 

[ricks]

I've been using Rayon for a few days now and it was not giving me a lot of flavor. I tried different sizes too. Just rebuilt my 2 with silica to see if it brings my flavors back.

 

[ThunderDan]

Looks about the same as mine. How u like it?

Not quite sure yet, it does seem to be wicking well. I'm not sure about flavor, seems good but slightly different compared to the Japanese cotton I'm accustomed to. I'm going to keep experimenting with it.

I've been using Rayon for a few days now and it was not giving me a lot of flavor. I tried different sizes too. Just rebuilt my 2 with silica to see if it brings my flavors back.

I think I may build an identical coil in my other kf4 clone and wick with cotton to do a direct comparison.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[dwcraig1]

I've been using Rayon for a few days now and it was not giving me a lot of flavor. I tried different sizes too. Just rebuilt my 2 with silica to see if it brings my flavors back.

Prior to the K4's I usually wrapped hand wrapped silica coils for most of my tanks but with the K4 all have been micro style with rayon. How are you wrapping the rayon?

 

[ricks]

Prior to the K4's I usually wrapped hand wrapped silica coils for most of my tanks but with the K4 all have been micro style with rayon. How are you wrapping the rayon?

5 - 7 wraps evenly spaced with 28 and 30g Kanthal from 2-3mm. The same lack of flavor with all sizes. Silica has worked great on my K4's, just wanted to try Rayon.

 

[mudram99]

I've been using Rayon for a few days now and it was not giving me a lot of flavor. I tried different sizes too. Just rebuilt my 2 with silica to see if it brings my flavors back.

Sorry to hear that brother. Your the first. You did do a little research on the rayon thread back when I sent you that link didn't you? It is different than cotton and if you just o the same thing you did with cotton, you won't be happy. Like all good things it takes a little learnin!

 

[dwcraig1]

5 - 7 wraps evenly spaced with 28 and 30g Kanthal from 2-3mm. The same lack of flavor with all sizes. Silica has worked great on my K4's, just wanted to try Rayon.

I was wanting to know if you were wrapping the wire on a shaft and feeding the wick into it or wrapping the wire around the rayon in the traditional manner.

 

[bsidb]

......

 

[ricks]

I was wanting to know if you were wrapping the wire on a shaft and feeding the wick into it or wrapping the wire around the rayon in the traditional manner.

I wrap my coils around drill bits, nails, screw drivers, whatever size I want to try up to 3mm in size. This was for Rayon and cotton only. With my Silica, I wrap the wire around it.

 

[dwcraig1]

I wrap my coils around drill bits, nails, screw drivers, whatever size I want to try up to 3mm in size. This was for Rayon and cotton only. With my Silica, I wrap the wire around it.

That's how I do it also though I have done a few micros with silica but it's a real PIA to feed it through, I wrap foil around the ends of the silica.
I just tried out a 2.5 mm with rayon, I had too much wick in the wells with the right amount inside the coil. I'm putting it back to 2 mm now. I did go back in and thin them out but still wasn't satisfied with it.
Back to my usual great vape with 2 mm.

 

[capthook]

Thanks for the previous 266 pages.
Makes the decision easy:
Tobeco Kayfun V4 SS
Kayfun V4 by Tobeco - RBA - Rebuildable
$19.99

1st RBA for me.
I find the flavor of stock coils lacking for me after just a few days = $$$
So past ready to move on.
Pennies for a frequent wick change -> basically equals free after a month.

The V4 added top fill made me pull the trigger.
Needing a screwdriver to bottom fill was unappealing to me.

I like a long, slow, MTL vape with a cooler/tight/flavorful draw at low wattage.
Seems the Kayfun is the perfect choice.
Considered the Subtank mini also.

Considering the above, I feel the following build to be good for me:

28ga, 2.4mm ID, 10/9 wraps, 1.8 ohms, OJC wick. Sub 10 watts would be nice.
(edit: on an IStick 30W)

Sound about right? Recs?

Should be here in a few days!!!