Bought My First Re-buildable [Questions]

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Pandas

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Mar 28, 2014
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So today, I finally decided to upgrade from my iTaste v3/mini protank 2 to a copper HCigar Nemesis clone/IGO w5.

I also purchased some ekowool, 28g Kanthal wire, and 18650 batteries that run at 3.7V and 3600 mAh.

I just have a few questions starting out though when it comes to building the coils and cleaning...

1. On the inside of the clone, it looks like some of the copper colouring stuff came off or something, is this an issue? I don't really care, but potential safety hazards and whatnot.
2. Should I clean both the atomizer/clone before starting to build it? I don't know if I need to or not, but if I do, should I just disassemble everything and then air dry it for a few hours or would I require some type of alcohol like Everclear?
3. How often should I swap out the ekowool/coils/batteries? I figure that at some point the batteries will need to be replaced and the coils/ekowool should be swapped out.
4. Can ekowool be used the same way as cotton in coil builds? It looks a little bit thicker and not as easy to wrap around as much as cotton. I don't understand how it would work out with a lot of nano/micro coil builds either...any video that explains how ekowool can be used will be really helpful :p

Any and all help will be appreciated, thanks!
 

happydave

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1. yes if the finish is wearing off you should not use it.
2. yes you clean the whole atomizer off under hot running water for few minutes well scrubbing it with your finger tips. DO NOT use soap.
3. the wick should be changed out when i starts to taste nasty or all you get are dry hits
4. building nano coils AKA contact coils with ecowool or silica is really hard. you should just build regular non contact type coils if your using Ecowool or Silica
 

Timbuck55

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Jan 1, 2014
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Hcigar products are pretty spot on from my experience. I would most certainly clean them before using. You can use everclear to do this. I actually used hot water, and then after that used vodka. Swap out the coils or wick when you start getting burnt hits. I typically swap my cotton out every day. Get a good battery charger that shows you how much battery life you have in the battery.. Also, what brand batteries did you get? Also get a device that can read the resistance of your coils that you build. Stick around 1.5-1.8 at first.
 

Pandas

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Mar 28, 2014
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New Jersey
1. yes if the finish is wearing off you should not use it.
2. yes you clean the whole atomizer off under hot running water for few minutes well scrubbing it with your finger tips. DO NOT use soap.
3. the wick should be changed out when i starts to taste nasty or all you get are dry hits
4. building nano coils AKA contact coils with ecowool or silica is really hard. you should just build regular non contact type coils if your using Ecowool or Silica

Ah, damn...I guess I should go back to the store when a few days (or whenever I get the chance) and ask for a replacement or something? I don't have a receipt or anything so I don't know how this would work...I think they labeled the box it came in though.

This is what it looks like more or less for all the parts that have this:

unnamed.jpg

So only a brand new atomizer requires cleaning before even using it, but mods should be fine?
 

Pandas

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Mar 28, 2014
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Hcigar products are pretty spot on from my experience. I would most certainly clean them before using. You can use everclear to do this. I actually used hot water, and then after that used vodka. Swap out the coils or wick when you start getting burnt hits. I typically swap my cotton out every day. Get a good battery charger that shows you how much battery life you have in the battery.. Also, what brand batteries did you get? Also get a device that can read the resistance of your coils that you build. Stick around 1.5-1.8 at first.

Yeah, I didn't buy a battery charger yet, I'm going to get one in the next few days. I believe these are Sonys.

Just wondering, but when it comes to building the coil, what controls the ohms? I never really quite understood that...
 

cruze808

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Mar 28, 2014
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1. and 2. In my opinion you should always clean your new parts before anything. I boil water and a little bit of vinegar put the atties, tubes etc in for about 10mins, air dry and wipe. Watch your plastic and rubber though.
3.Don't know if there is a set time to change coils and wicks but from my minimal experience the coils will get crude on them faster with certain juices and batteries some one said that the 18650 shouldn't go lower than 3.2v.
4.I haven't used ekowool so I don't know
 

dripdaze

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Pandas

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skimmer02

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Alright, hate jump in here, but I have a question I haven't seen addressed elsewhere. How will contact vs non-contact coils affect the resistance of a coil? So specifically, if 8 wraps in contact equals "x" ohm, where will 8 wraps in non-contact land? More resistance and higher ohm? No difference? Logically it seems like it should be higher resistance, but I know someone can answer this for me.
 

Btsmokincat

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Oct 10, 2013
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Alright, hate jump in here, but I have a question I haven't seen addressed elsewhere. How will contact vs non-contact coils affect the resistance of a coil? So specifically, if 8 wraps in contact equals "x" ohm, where will 8 wraps in non-contact land? More resistance and higher ohm? No difference? Logically it seems like it should be higher resistance, but I know someone can answer this for me.

If you are talking about microcoils (wraps all touching) versus spaced out wraps, there is no difference in ohm reading. My preference is microcoils as they heat up faster and more evenly, plus they are easier to wick with sterile cotton (my wick of choice).
 

Btsmokincat

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18650 batteries that run at 3.7V and 3600 mAh.

Unless the mah is a typo, I'm going to guess that the battery you bought is either a protected or unprotected Li-ion. If it is an unprotected Li-ion, DO NOT USE IT IN A MECHANICAL!!!

If it is a protected Li-ion, understand that it probably has only a 2 or 3 amp limit. You will not be able to push this battery at all and will have to keep your Ohms high like 2.0 to 2.5.

The absolute best thing to do is get some IMR Li-MN batteries. These typically have a lower mah rating but a much higher amp limit plus they are safe chemistry. In the case of a short or over discharge it would be the difference between fire and explosion (Li-ion) versus venting hot gas (Li-MN).

Look for some 30 amp batteries like AW IMR, Efest IMR, EH IMR, Sony VTC4's or VTC5's, MNKE IMR's.

101vape.com usually has some good deals with cheap and fast shipping: Batteries & Chargers - 101 Vape

I have some EH IMR batteries from madvapes, they are inexpensive but still work pretty good: EH IMR 18650, 30amp, 1600mAh, Flat Top
 
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