Building coils as a form of art

[EIHYPI]

Is it just me that tries to build my coils every single time so that it's picture perfect? I get a certain satisfaction when a nice dual coil is build that each coil is exactly the same on the rda and looking really nice that I can want to take a picture of it. I don't think of it as an obsession or ocd form rather something more of an art and an art looks best when near perfect. I take pride in the art of coil building/setting. I don't mean that I actually build the clapton coils and other crazy coils myself but it's more about how the finish product looks when it's done and set in my atti.

I hear many people say that if it vapes then vape it but I'm not like that. I was wondering if anyone can relate.

 

[stols001]

I'd love to be at the stage where I looked at my coils as a form of art. Perhaps, if I videoed myself MAKING them, they could be ah, performance art of a sort. I do try to build my coils as nicely as I can, but honestly, I'm just happy when the work. If I were to OCD out on my coils, I am afraid that I'd be unlikely to have ever gotten any RTAs up and running. I'm just happy I can DO IT, but I will say when I make a particularly "passable" coil, I am pleased with myself.

I see wicking as more of an art, as you really have to get that right to get good results. A slightly wonky coil, I can deal with, leaks I cannot.

However, I would say there is nothing wrong with taking that approach, and a great deal about it that is RIGHT. Coils that glow evenly, are nicely wrapped, and etc. do tend to vape better in my experience (that is based on my experiences using coils that come with the tank, not the coils I make, LOL, although when my coils DO work well I am very pleased.)

Anna

 

[EIHYPI]

Maybe I'm just going through a normal stage in coil building or I have too much free time on my hands. I'm sure that as time goes by it won't take me as long to build a nice coil setup faster and I may not care as much if it's a perfect build because I'll be busier with other things. Who knows. But I'll always see an art in it.

 

[stols001]

I think coilbuilding IS an art, just one I'm not very good at as of yet, but things are improving. I imagine everyone builds coils to the best of their ability (which may be supremely fantastic) especially as they try exotic builds (which will probably never be me, honestly) and different decks, and etc. There's absolutely nothing wrong with approaching it that way, it's probably going to lead to better outcomes than say, grabbing a screw with sort of the right diameter and then placing in on one's mod to test fire.... I'm not saying anyone does that, although I did appreciate the feedback from veterans early on that my coils didn't have to be perfect, they just had to WORK. That was helpful feedback as I approached this task. Thank GOODNESS that DIY juice was an easier "art" which I certainly view it as, and I'm not going to say my juices would win any DIY awards or anything, but *I* am pleased with the results, which is what matters.

Of course, too much of any good thing can be too much.... My kiddo (shockingly) morphed into a very tidy, organized adult (he did not display ANY such tendencies as a child) and while I am amazed and thrilled, his experiences with some of his roommates did cause me to point out that he needed to find a chick as OCD AS HIM for a happy cohabitation experience down the line. LOL. He noted this advice, nodded, and also stated he felt a bit "OCD" about cleaning, and needed to tone it down some.

Anna

Anna

 

[jfcooley]

7 Loop Flat Vertabraid

Pretty as a picture...

 

[papergoblin]

Maybe I'm just going through a normal stage in coil building or I have too much free time on my hands. I'm sure that as time goes by it won't take me as long to build a nice coil setup faster and I may not care as much if it's a perfect build because I'll be busier with other things. Who knows. But I'll always see an art in it.

It still takes me a long time to build my coils. I do strive for perfection every time and will throw a perfectly good coil if it doesn't look the way I want it to. Does it affect the vape, looking different from the opposite coil on my RDA, doubt it, but I want what I want.

There's nothing wrong with taking pride in doing a good job, as a matter of fact if more people were to use that mentality, we'd all be a lot better off. It doesn't matter if the coil is ugly or pretty, as long as it's right and works but mostly, as long as you've done the best you can.

Most of the people I've met in shops are buying more mods and toppers because the one or ones they have are supposedly no good. It is usually their builds though, they don't take the time to practice making a good coil or placing the coil in different locations. They are blow away by the fact that lowering or raising a coil can change so much, or moving a coil closer or farther away from the air holes.

I've always been amazed that people will spend $200 on a rig, then get cheap on wire and wick. They try to save every inch of wire and wick, then make their lives miserable trying to manipulate that little bit of material. Nothing wrong with not wanting to waste but sometimes you can shoot yourself in the foot trying to be cheap.

 

[Rule62]

I build very simple coils; single wire, or parallel is about as fancy as I get. I use strictly single 18650 squonkers; and from my experience, more exotic coils just aren’t worth the effort in those types of mods. I know how to make Clapton wire, and have experimented with it. But I’ve found no payoff for the effort. I do obsess about making my simple coils as perfect as I can; but strictly for performance. I’m not a ‘cap puller’. The only time the caps come off is when I’m rewicking. Otherwise, I never see the coil. I can appreciate the skill that goes into making exotics; and it is definitely an art form. It’s just not an art that I’m into. For me, the art is in setting up a finely tuned vape, from the DIY juice, to the mod, to the coil resistance, to the atty I choose, to the air flow, to the wicking, to the drip tip, etc. it’s when everything works together. It’s an all encompassing thing. But I know it when I get it.

 

[AzPlumber]

One of the traits of OCD is denial

 

[Belhade]

I am the Jackson Pollack of coil building. Throw a bunch of sh*t down and use whatever sticks. Taa-daa!

 

[HauntedMyst]

But is it art or craft? Are you building it as an expression or for distinct purpose? As the pic above shows, it's shows remarkable craftsmanship but it isn't art, it's designed for maximum flavor.

 

[ScottP]

If you want to see coils as art watch this. All of these builders build true coil art.

 

[ScottP]

Personally I have only tried simple Claptons but the performance while slightly better flavor wise, it wasn't worth the extra time investment and it took too long to cool down IMO. So I just stick to single coil simple round SS316L 26ga coil builds. Easy to build, easy to get right, fast ramp up and down, doesn't take a lot of power, simple, and effective.

 

[EIHYPI]

But is it art or craft? Are you building it as an expression or for distinct purpose? As the pic above shows, it's shows remarkable craftsmanship but it isn't art, it's designed for maximum flavor.

I think that there is art in any coil building, no matter what it's designed for. It can be a mtl setup all the way to a complex build designed for flavor or huge clouds. I enjoy seeing my end result and know that I designed it the way I like it to be and the way I envisioned it to be. Even if my coil ends up looking similar someone elses, it doesn't matter. Two paintings can look identical but they are both different and unique. I don't know, I see art in craftsmanship. I don't mind if someone else has a different opinion. Everything is how you perceive it.

 

[ScottP]

I think you may be confusing skill for art. To me art should be unique, one of a kind creations, designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. See the vid I posted above for several examples. What we do is use skill to make generic, cookie cutter coils designed to operate the way we prefer. JMHO.

 

[choochoogranny]

I am the Jackson Pollack of coil building. Throw a bunch of sh*t down and use whatever sticks. Taa-daa!

BINGO! The very description of my coil building.

 

[Eskie]

Oh I think building coils is definitely an art form. However I found that the more complicated the coil the worse it actually performed in real life. I still enjoy those Instagram photos anyway, but for viewing, not vaping. My coil of choice is usually a plain Clapton or a rare fused Clapton if I have a tank with a giant chamber and deck.

 

[HauntedMyst]

If you want to see coils as art watch this. All of these builders build true coil art.

Holy Moses! Those are amazing! I didn't think it was an art form before seeing these. I can't even see that small and can't figure out how they do it.

 

[SteveS45]

Is it just me that tries to build my coils every single time so that it's picture perfect? I get a certain satisfaction when a nice dual coil is build that each coil is exactly the same on the rda and looking really nice that I can want to take a picture of it. I don't think of it as an obsession or ocd form rather something more of an art and an art looks best when near perfect. I take pride in the art of coil building/setting. I don't mean that I actually build the clapton coils and other crazy coils myself but it's more about how the finish product looks when it's done and set in my atti.

I hear many people say that if it vapes then vape it but I'm not like that. I was wondering if anyone can relate.

I think it just boils down to if you want something done right you must do it yourself. Could be a little .... but what the heck! I am the same way in everything I do so I can relate big time.

 

[kbeam418]

Is it just me that tries to build my coils every single time so that it's picture perfect? I get a certain satisfaction when a nice dual coil is build that each coil is exactly the same on the rda and looking really nice that I can want to take a picture of it. I don't think of it as an obsession or ocd form rather something more of an art and an art looks best when near perfect. I take pride in the art of coil building/setting. I don't mean that I actually build the clapton coils and other crazy coils myself but it's more about how the finish product looks when it's done and set in my atti.

I hear many people say that if it vapes then vape it but I'm not like that. I was wondering if anyone can relate.

It is art, the reason why I don't use them is simply because the efficiency (efficiency being power vs vapor production) of claptons is god awful. The few claptons I've used take a lot power (100+ watts in the velocity) versus two 9 wraps of ss304 at 50 watts.

 

[ScottP]

Holy Moses! Those are amazing! I didn't think it was an art form before seeing these. I can't even see that small and can't figure out how they do it.

Yeah they are beautiful, unique and completely amazing. No idea how they would vape or how much power would be needed to run something with that much mass. Nevertheless they are fun to look at. That is art.