CHI YOU $27 clone from Fasttech, more on that battery warning

[dwcraig1]

I'm using the Sony's now, the MNKE's work also. I almost took too much off the batteries negative screw head for it to make contact with the MKNE battery, as I said almost, they work fines also but it fire right before the end of the button's travel. My Sony's pretty much belong to this mod now as they fire at about center of the buttons travel. I still don't like the idea of the battery sitting against the metal cap just waiting to surprise me someday, at least it's not a short.

 

[savagemann]

would this alleviate the sony extended neg problem? i dont think so, but just wondering your thoughts. i assume this is the fix for the pannys, which ive seen work well.

Can't say for sure about the sonys extended neg as I don't own any.
But I'd assume you could easily make a thin shim then shrink wrap it in place.
I have some fiber paper spacers that would work great that I use for flashlight building.
They are for protecting the LED contacts from the reflector.
Put one in place then shrink wrap.


Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ohh EPiC FAiL]

i am using mine with the sony 30a batteries. it did autofire on me once while i was at the hardware store getting a mylar washer for it. i went to get the washer just to eliminate the battery wobble but when it auto fired i knew it was definitely a good idea. it had the perfect ID for the firing pin to go through, but i had to trim the OD down a little bit and it works great now and no battery wobble.

 

[tot31]

My remedy...just a $0.30 an o ring rubber..

 

[dwcraig1]

Mine is yet a work in progress, here's where I'm at now but it's time to go to work. The piece is part of the inside cap of a 5ml juice bottle with child proof cap. Some metal will have to come off here but not much as I would like as it will reduce the number of threads as well.

Gonna have to square that area under the lip on the plastic also, that might just be the hardest part.

 

[dwcraig1]

So if anyone reading this thread starts thinking " oh I don't want these problems, I'll pass on the clone and get the original. Sorry folks but what we have here is all the "bugs" of the original were replicated on the clone.

 

[tot31]

the clone is a 1:1 copy of the original and it inherits the ptoblem....

 

[dwcraig1]

Mine is yet a work in progress, here's where I'm at now but it's time to go to work. The piece is part of the inside cap of a 5ml juice bottle with child proof cap. Some metal will have to come off here but not much as I would like as it will reduce the number of threads as well.

Gonna have to square that area under the lip on the plastic also, that might just be the hardest part.

So here is the finished insulator.

At work I added a small washer to the firing button, this washer is the same OD as the part of the button where it passes in and out of the cap, this gave me 0.5 mm more travel on the button, that my not sound like much but considering this mod's button only has about a 1.5 mm throw so it's a huge improvement. This washer must be of perfect size as it will pass in and out through the center hole in the bottom cap(picture below).
With this bottom cap set up it now accommodates Panasonic CGR18650CH battery as well as the sony 30 amp 18650 and that is with the stock battery adjustment screw in the upper cap.
If I hadn't sanded the negative contact screw down some the MNKE 18650's would also work fine. One small washer and one piece of a juice cap is all thats needed parts wise.

Note that the washer I added to the button essentially makes the shaft of the button longer, not to be confused with simply putting a washer under the screw head, that would just raise the screw but shorten the throw.

 

[JMarca]

That looks like a perfect fit, props to you on that the only problem you might have there is you might have to loosen the center screw so the throw can get slightly above it to make contact. The problem I have with the mod is if I unscrew the center pin over time when the bottom spins the screw accidentally gets loose, I might have to try some loctite or something.

Quick question how did you end up making the cut off the bottle cap? Did you use a razor or a hobby knife?

 

[dwcraig1]

That looks like a perfect fit, props to you on that the only problem you might have there is you might have to loosen the center screw so the throw can get slightly above it to make contact. The problem I have with the mod is if I unscrew the center pin over time when the bottom spins the screw accidentally gets loose, I might have to try some loctite or something.

Quick question how did you end up making the cut off the bottle cap? Did you use a razor or a hobby knife?

I used a typical razor knife to cut it from the inside part of the cap and used a drum sanding attachment on a dremel (mounted the plastic on it instead of the drum) and held a jeweler's file to it to finish it.
It's the first time I used my $10 harbor freight Dremel clone like a lathe, it worked really good.
Note: I increased the throw by 0.5 mm by adding a washer to the shaft of the button.
The brass screw must be kept tight with the button.

 

[WattWick]

So if anyone reading this thread starts thinking " oh I don't want these problems, I'll pass on the clone and get the original. Sorry folks but what we have here is all the "bugs" of the original were replicated on the clone.

Always funny how a $220 design flaw is considered "one of the best mods ever" but a $27 copy of that design is just considered flawed

Lots of post purchase rationalization going on in the vaping world.

 

[dwcraig1]

Here is the finished bottom cap, the insulator is held in place with a bit of contact cement and I built the contact screw head back up with silver bearing solder. I replaced the original positive contact screw also. I'm now able to use all 18650 batteries in the 65 mm length even the Panasonics with the bare bottoms (don't have any though)

 

[crxess]

Well Done!

 

[Lavaca5]

You could always rewrap your batteries.....................
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1323901
I've done this to several of my cells.
FT has 18650 wrap in several colors.

Here's a dumb question: Do you have to use a heat gun to shrink it, or would, say, a blow drier on the hottest setting work?

 

[Falconi]

Here's a dumb question: Do you have to use a heat gun to shrink it, or would, say, a blow drier on the hottest setting work?

A blow drier will work

 

[savagemann]

Blow dryer should work fine.

 

[crxess]

even a bic lighter passed quickly around the shrink works well.

 

[Steven_]

Couldnt you just use some electric tape and cut out the center????

 

[Lavaca5]

Good to know. I just bought a Chi-You clone and had logged on to ask what the best battery would be. This thread answered that question and then some. I'm pretty sure any additional "fix" I might attempt will look a lot more like the o-ring solution a few posts up than dwcraig1's resourceful work-around, although I must say I'm becoming fairly adept with a Dremel since I started vaping. The Dremel is sort of like the vaper's duct tape, I think - almost anything can be made to work if you use one on it

 

[dw'struth]

A blow dryer will shrink the vinyl very neatly and easily. I find this the easiest solution to the problem. Worked great for me. I used the Pannies with my CYC's until my MNKE's got here.