Beginners First Toolkit (General Purposes) - Requirements are:

[meli.]

Having read many many threads, spread through out all the forums, many conflicting theories and experiences, my mind is boggled! Keeping no specific A/PV, RTA, or any other 'mizer, wicks or coils in mind. Please help me build my first toolkit.

So far I have:
3 x 510 connectors,
Kanthal A 32awg,
SS 400/25, 325/36 Super Fine Filtration Mesh and 200/28(as freebie)
Cooks Gas Torch + butane lighter + helping hands + small vice.
A Dremel
Multimeter
Sterile Cotton Roll BP. + Mercerized embroidery cotton + Braided Candle Wick

Please advise on the following:

No-resistance wire:
Silver: 99.9% soft, Argentium, Sterling.
Which is the safest to use within atty's bearing in mind it may come into contact with juice. Should this be a consideration or not?

Nickel: Any comments? Haven't read anything startling about it, but as it's used in coils (NiChrome) must ask; is it better than silver, will it solder?

Micro Drill Set:
Shank Drills, High Speed Steel ground drill bits.
Sizes 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2mm.
Yes/ No -something different or more specific?

Soldering irons:
Electric: have read 30w will do the job, yet others say use 50w, others swear only by 60w.
Butane/Gas: are they better than electric? eg:http://www.dremel-direct.com/acatalog/Multitip.gif

Which sort is best to use for soldering onto Stainless Steel?
Best size/ type of tips?

Solder and Flux:
For coils kanthal on silver:
Type of flux which is safe to use:
Plumbers waterbased flux or alcohol based (free of VOC) liquid flux also available in pens?

Solder:
What should I be looking for, Lead Free (comes without saying), silver solder, solder with rosin core - if solder with rosin core, do I still need to buy flux?
Is a desolder pump a requirement?

I know there's stack more stuff missing, all help and suggestions gladly appreciated

 

[MickeyRat]

You aren't real clear what you plan to do with this toolkit. Are you planning on building mods? Building a rebuildable from scratch? Using a rebuildable? What? That's a real hodge-podge of stuff that doesn't really all fit together. It's not clear at all clear what you're wanting to do. If you just plan on buying atomizers and cartos, you don't need any of it. You do need a multimeter and that's not in the list.

I'm not sure about ni-chrome but, I've read that it requires special equipment to solder Kanthal. I just use a Western Union splice.

You might find a plain propane torch cheaper than a cook's torch and it's hotter. A gas stove will do the job too for oxidizing wicks.

For NR wire, I don't use or recommend using sterling silver. I have used .999 fine silver. I've also used nickel. Note: nickel is not ni-chrome! They both work fine. Nickel is stiffer but, more durable. Silver is a little easier to work with but, it can break off fairly easy, if you bend it too much.

Without having much clue what you have in mind, I can only guess about why you think you need to solder stainless steel. I can tell you that it can be tricky.

 

[meli.]

Rephrasing:

General Purpose ToolKit: My intention is to re-wick, re-coil, make minor repairs at present time to: Stardusts, ViVi Nova, Smoktech Genesis Style Tank, CE2's, if my PV requires maintenance I would like to be able to repair it too, therefore what I don't want to do is purchase a whole variety of no-res wires/ solder/ flux/ etc. if a one or two specific types will do, health and safety aspects being of the greatest importance and saving me money in the process.

I really like the idea of creating a coil that looks like this, it's aesthetically pleasing, and it's for a vivi nova, I don't think it's unheard of to solder coils.

Hence the question with regard to types of silver or perhaps the sole use of nickel.
Your note concerning Nickel - as Nichrome is an alloy of Nickel and Chromium, one would hasten to assume nickel would be safe as a no-res wire which may come into contact with juice. Thus, one would assume nickel would make the most sense to use, but only if one can solder it? If I knew the answer, I wouldn't ask.
Is the silver/ nickel thing just a case of personal choice or is there more to it?
Thank you for the link to splicing wires.

Lastly, soldering irons, is there any real difference between an electrically powered soldering iron or gas powered, when working on atty's (of all varieties) and possible PV repairs?

I trust I have simplified and clarified purpose for question.
Thank you all for taking the time and effort in reading it.

 

[tj99959]

Finally have mine reduced to a manageable size

 

[Davenkay]

WOWi With that tool kit you could open a full service repair shop! seriously, thanks for posting this thread, because I have been toying with the idea of dabbling into repairs and mods myself. Will keep an eye on it and build from the suggestions.

 

[zoiDman]

...

I know there's stack more stuff missing, all help and suggestions gladly appreciated

Nice Kit.

Not sure if you have some of these or not? But if you don't, they come in Very Handy for Holding Things

Stainless Steel Cross Lock Tweezers.

I like this Offset Style because it gets the Work Piece off my Desk Slightly

 

[MickeyRat]

I'll answer some of your questions. You can definitely solder silver, I'm pretty sure you can solder nickel. However, when it comes to what you want to solder to, that's the rub. I think you'll have a hard time soldering Kanthal or ni-chrome. As for stainless steel, maybe someone's done it with an iron but, I've only heard of it being done with a torch and that was for piping.

I'm not really into the aesthetics of coils. They get all black an crusty in a few days. Doesn't seem to be much point in making them pretty.

As for which is better between nickel and silver, it's mostly personal preference. They both work fine and they have different advantages and disadvantages. Silver is really ductile and that would seem to make it better but, bend it too much and it breaks off. You'd think you'd want it in really fiddly situations but, I find the opposite. That's where you'll have a coil ready to go and you'll be working it into place and bend that silver leg once too often. The nickel is harder to bend but, I've never managed to accidentally break it off.

It's not on your list but a multimeter is a must. Other things that come to mind 22ga stranded wire, an assorment of needle nosed pliers and twezers, shrink tubing, solder wick, and more patience than I have for working in tight places will be really helpful. I haven't used flux yet but, I just bought some. It's supposed to help with soldering on small components. I've only used an electric soldering iron.

Personally, I think you need to get the tools as you need them rather than try to get everything up front. Your choice though.

 

[meli.]

Finally have mine reduced to a manageable size

I knew I had something wrong, this is what I've got

 

[meli.]

Nice Kit.

Not sure if you have some of these or not? But if you don't, they come in Very Handy for Holding Things

Stainless Steel Cross Lock Tweezers.

I have these tweezers too they are especially useful in the application of false eyelashes too

 

[meli.]

Aesthetics or not, I want to create lovely, neat coils because I just like them a lot! What I don't want to do is poison myself in the process by using the wrong compounds.

22ga Stranded Wire - Do you mean any wire, copper, plated copper, nickel etc.?
What would you use it for?

Solder Wick - do you mean desoldering braid? Isn't it made of copper? Would that be safe to use on coils, and would one still require Flux bearing in mind it may come into contact with juice?

Flux - what type of flux? some have said water-based plumbers flux, others say no it's too acidic. Others say no clean alcohol based flux. Which is better? Safest to use? and multipurpose?

Shrink Tubing - any particular type? And would this only be used in mod repairs?

... and more patience than I have...

Patience? Nice! Show me a man who vapes, and within him you will find an excess of both patience and sufferance!

PS:

So far I have:
3 x 510 connectors,
Kanthal A 32awg,
SS 400/25, 325/36 Super Fine Filtration Mesh and 200/28(as freebie)
Cooks Gas Torch + butane lighter + helping hands + small vice.
A Dremel
Multimeter
Sterile Cotton Roll BP. + Mercerized embroidery cotton + Braided Candle Wick

 

[zoiDman]

I have these tweezers too they are especially useful in the application of false eyelashes too

I use them for All Kinds of things also.

With the Possible Exception of puttin on False Eyelashes.

 

[nanovapr]

Sounds like good gear for a TV repair shop...

 

[MickeyRat]

22ga Stranded Wire - Do you mean any wire, copper, plated copper, nickel etc.?
What would you use it for?

Solder Wick - do you mean desoldering braid? Isn't it made of copper? Would that be safe to use on coils, and would one still require Flux bearing in mind it may come into contact with juice?

Flux - what type of flux? some have said water-based plumbers flux, others say no it's too acidic. Others say no clean alcohol based flux. Which is better? Safest to use? and multipurpose?

You said you wanted to do repairs which means you are going to want to work on components away from the juice. There, you need 22ga copper wire and shrink tubing. Never heard of different types of tubing. Just different diameters. The smallest you can find and maybe a little of the next size up.

Desoldering braid has been called solder wick for as long as I can remember. You put it on what you want to desolder and heat it up. The solder melts and wicks into it. Then you throw the wick away. It's never going to get in contact with anything. It doesn't matter what it's made of.

The only place you would ever solder in contact with the juice is on the resistance wire. If you manage to make a good solder joint on a resistance wire with home equipment, you will be the first I've read about. I have no advice for you there. I never bothered to try. All I've read about were failures. You seem to think it's a must. Good luck with that.

I don't know a lot about flux. I just went down to Radio Shack and bought some. I haven't even used it yet. Probably not the best but, it's better than what I had.