Cobra RBA question

[blake28]

Ok, I've been looking all over this forum for this and I just can't seem to find the answer .

Ok, so I've been vaping for almost 3 years now, but only recently have gotten into the RBA scene. I'm still probably considered an RBA newb, as I have only been using them for a month or so.

I seem to be having a lot of success using 30 awg A - 1 kanthal, but honestly I still would like a hotter Vape. On my cobra I am using a 4/5 wrap on a 40×40 piece of either 400 or 500 ss mesh, torched and juice burned. This for me is a good Vape, but I'm looking to go to that next level.

So I got some 28 awg kanthal and I've wrapped it on another 40×40 400 oxidized mesh wick with both a 4/5 & 3/4 wrap on separate instances. Now my coils do glow evenly, but I get the harshest Vape and my coils just burn right through the juice so quickly that they are always glowing.

So I'm wondering if the problem is just the fact that since I have to have use such a thin wick, due to hole size if I don't have a thick enough wick to keep enough juice flowing to feed the coils. So is anyone able to use 28 awg kanthal on there cobra w/out boring out the wick hole? If so, what setup are u using and what size wick r u using?

Oh, I'm trying to get this working on my silver bullet at low ohms, between . 7-.9 ohms. I do have a few Provari's and a Zap, but I'm having pretty good success using those setups, I just can't seem to get the "extreme vaping setup" on my mech.

I don't have any pics right now, I'm at work and I have my cobra broke down and ready to be built when I get home from work. So any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I really am wanting to get a setup working with 28gage.im really hoping that I can get it working with the stock holes.

Thanks so much for any help that can be given.
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[Blix]

All I use on my Cobra is 4 wraps of 28 A-1 and 500 mesh, with awesome results. Comes out at 0.7-0.8 ohms usually.
I use around 4x4(and sometime 4x3) of mesh as well, but I don't oxidise/torch or juice burn. I roll the wick solid by hand, and make the coil on the supplied wrench, install the could, slip the wick in, and pulse my mod until the coils glows evenly, works every time for me, and done rather quickly!

 

[EDO]

Ditto....no problems with SLR coils and the Cobra.....but I use 80PG/20VG juices. You might have to roll your wicks differently, get thinner juice, or tilt the device more.

 

[CountSmackula]

I use a solid wick of #500 [flat bottom - no angle cut] - 45mm x 70mm (I end up trimming off a mm or 2 when I finish up). Wicks anything from 100% PG to 100% VG

 

[aPandaz]

I was having a problem with my Cobra as well. When I went to my local shop I was talking to one of the guys who had a Cobra as well. He told me to try a thicker straw wick, mine was thin, and make it shorter. I made one that only goes about a 1/4 of the way in the tank. I haven't had any problems so far and I'm half way through the tank. The guy told me that with a shorter wick the juice doesn't have to travel as far and should wick better. I'm noticing I don't have to tilt as much as I did before.

 

[blake28]

Thank you so much for all of your answers!!! Think that settles it, cuz up until this point I have been wrapping my coils by hand with the wick already in the wick hole and with the 32 and 30 I have had great results. But with this 28 gage, it is a bit more difficult to wrap and I think I'm getting it a bit to tight as well.

So I will try doing the drill bit or petark method & c how it goes. I will also try a solid wick and c if that helps a bit.

I am interested in also trying a shorter wick and c how that goes. So thanks so much, I have a few things to try now! I hope to get this cobra rocking with the 28 awg, as I believe I'll be in Vape heaven once I do!

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[blake28]

I was having a problem with my Cobra as well. When I went to my local shop I was talking to one of the guys who had a Cobra as well. He told me to try a thicker straw wick, mine was thin, and make it shorter. I made one that only goes about a 1/4 of the way in the tank. I haven't had any problems so far and I'm half way through the tank. The guy told me that with a shorter wick the juice doesn't have to travel as far and should wick better. I'm noticing I don't have to tilt as much as I did before.

I'm interested in how thick exactly is your wick? Mine are pretty thin too as they pretty much have to be due to the small hole and with the inside of the hole not being smooth,due to the spiraling from the screw. I have a hard time fitting a wick any wider than 45mm in the hole.

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[blake28]

I use a solid wick of #500 [flat bottom - no angle cut] - 45mm x 70mm (I end up trimming off a mm or 2 when I finish up). Wicks anything from 100% PG to 100% VG

Did u bore ur hole out at all?? 75mm, wow, that's pretty good to stick in that Lil bitty hole! I tried to roll a 45×60 and I had to end up cutting it down a bit to get it in the hole. I think it would be a bit easier to if the inside of the hole was Smooth, but what can ya do... Thanks

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[CountSmackula]

Did u bore ur hole out at all?? 75mm, wow, that's pretty good to stick in that Lil bitty hole! I tried to roll a 45×60 and I had to end up cutting it down a bit to get it in the hole. I think it would be a bit easier to if the inside of the hole was Smooth, but what can ya do... Thanks

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Nope. Standard size hole. You just gotta roll & roll to get it to fit. (Remember to only roll one direction... and I finish off the wick by rolling it "the last little bit" on my unfinished cypress desktop.)

 

[Jaseruckus]

I was having the same issues also with my Cobra. I now can get some what good wicking. I can't say I don't need to tilt, but I can tilt with a sub-LR (0.6-0.7 ohm 3/4 wrap) at 2-3 o'clock without the wick drying out. What I do now is use 400 ss mesh 40mm x 45mm and 28g kanthal. I use the Petar K/Pulsing method with mostly an unoxidized wick. I first burn the ss mesh with a lighter, just enough to burn off any contaminates. Then roll it as tight as I can. I then do the drill bit method but with the tool that came with the cobra. I first wrap it as tight as I can then use pliers to tighten it more. Put it in the tank and fasten it in to the negative and positive using pliers again to make sure there are absolutely no slack. You will then basically have to force twist the tool out. I then pulse the mod to strengthen the coils. I then see if the wick will snuggly slide into the coil and usually have to force twist it in also without moving any of the coils. Then I pulse it until I get the coils to glow evenly. Using a partially drained battery, pulsing quickly until I get to the 3rd coil where I then do longer pulses until the final one glows. I then test it out with drops of juice.

Ever since I've been using this method, I have not had any hotspot issues and the wicking is great. I'm pretty sure if I used higher ohms, I would be able to fire it without tilting too much, but since I use sub-low ohms, I find tilting necessary due to it burning the juice so fast.

 

[blake28]

I was having the same issues also with my Cobra. I now can get some what good wicking. I can't say I don't need to tilt, but I can tilt with a sub-LR (0.6-0.7 ohm 3/4 wrap) at 2-3 o'clock without the wick drying out. What I do now is use 400 ss mesh 40mm x 45mm and 28g kanthal. I use the Petar K/Pulsing method with mostly an unoxidized wick. I first burn the ss mesh with a lighter, just enough to burn off any contaminates. Then roll it as tight as I can. I then do the drill bit method but with the tool that came with the cobra. I first wrap it as tight as I can then use pliers to tighten it more. Put it in the tank and fasten it in to the negative and positive using pliers again to make sure there are absolutely no slack. You will then basically have to force twist the tool out. I then pulse the mod to strengthen the coils. I then see if the wick will snuggly slide into the coil and usually have to force twist it in also without moving any of the coils. Then I pulse it until I get the coils to glow evenly. Using a partially drained battery, pulsing quickly until I get to the 3rd coil where I then do longer pulses until the final one glows. I then test it out with drops of juice.

Ever since I've been using this method, I have not had any hotspot issues and the wicking is great. I'm pretty sure if I used higher ohms, I would be able to fire it without tilting too much, but since I use sub-low ohms, I find tilting necessary due to it burning the juice so fast. View attachment 198925View attachment 198926

Thanks for your help!! I was able to use the drill bit method last night to get a pretty good wrap going. I guess I must have been getting the 28 gage too tight when fee handing

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[blake28]

Thanks for the help! I was able to get a pretty good working wrap with the 28 gage using the supplied hex wrench last night. I must have been getting that 28 gage too tight when wrapping free hand. I will still fiddle around a bit and c what I can come up with, but I definitely am seeing improvement with this method. I wrapped the coil free hand on the wrench in the tank already, but I want to try wrapping it outside and then being able to tighten it up before I stick it in the tank. I do have to tilt a good bit still, but the wick is wicking, I think the wick just cant keep up with how hot those coils get. This coil is sitting at . 6 ohms. So on a almost full aw imr 650, that is putting out some serious wattage

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[blake28]

Ok, so I must say, things are a bit better, but in definitely still having some issues with my setup. I'm having to tilt alot with this setup. Like every pull I take basically. Honestly these coils just vaporize the fluid in the wick so fast that the wick just isn't keeping up. Or at least this is what I think is going on. Now if I tilt and keep it tilt while vaping, then it performing nicely.

I do however, want to be able to not have to do a severe tilt at all times to Vape on this bad boy, so is anyone sees a problem with my setup, please do tell!!!

Also, if some one could explain how to make a solid wick. Every time I've tried, I keep getting at least a small hole on the middle still.

As always, thank you for everyone's help so far, I really have appreciated all of the insight!

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[CountSmackula]

When I roll a solid wick, I lightly torch the mesh beforehand, then I use a metal ruler to 'strip' the mesh to start the curl. (Like you'd do for curling a ribbon w/ scissors.) Then I fold a mm of the outside edge into the center to keep frayed edges away from the coils. I start rolling what's to become the center of the wick. And I roll, & I roll, & I roll until it's tight. then I concentrate on rolling the rest of the wick. Once done I lightly torch again to help it keep its shape. That way, if I need to tighten up the wick any more by rolling on the desktop, its already taken a 'set' at the previous size & it won't loosen up beyond that point.

HTH!

 

[Jaseruckus]

If your tilting at 2-3 o'clock and it's wicking good, you shouldn't worry too much. Extreme tilting is when you have to tilt the drip tip at 4 o'clock or more just to get liquid to saturate the wick. Also since it's a new wick, it has to break-in, so you have to only fill the tank 3/4 to help the wick.

One thing that I heard about that might help even more is to use 500 ss mesh. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but people say it works great with sub-low ohms. Riptrippers had a video on youtube where he made a dual wick. The outer wick's center hole was big enough to insert a small solid wick. That too is said to do wonders with wicking.

I'd say give your wick some time to break-in to see if you need to try the other methods.

 

[blake28]

When I roll a solid wick, I lightly torch the mesh beforehand, then I use a metal ruler to 'strip' the mesh to start the curl. (Like you'd do for curling a ribbon w/ scissors.) Then I fold a mm of the outside edge into the center to keep frayed edges away from the coils. I start rolling what's to become the center of the wick. And I roll, & I roll, & I roll until it's tight. then I concentrate on rolling the rest of the wick. Once done I lightly torch again to help it keep its shape. That way, if I need to tighten up the wick any more by rolling on the desktop, its already taken a 'set' at the previous size & it won't loosen up beyond that point.

HTH!

Ok, that sounds a lot like how I am currently rolling my mesh., except for finishing it up on a desk for that extra tightness! I will give that a go.

I fold a mm on he top half of the mesh for frayes as well & I don't use a paper clip or the like to start my roll, I just get it going in my hand, but in the end, I still get a bit of a straw in my wick. Now, can this be closed up by rolling the crap out of it on a desk at the end? Or does it need already need to have a solid core before I finish it on a desk? If so, then what is the process to keep the center solid? What size mesh are u using in your cobra?

Thank you for ur help!

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[CountSmackula]

I try to get the center as tight as possible before I roll up the rest of the wick. You may want to roll up the center on a hard surface to achieve the same result. I use the desk because the synovitus in 3 of my fingers keep me from applying even pressure.

I use #500 on everything but my Chids. They get the leftover #400.

 

[blake28]

I try to get the center as tight as possible before I roll up the rest of the wick. You may want to roll up the center on a hard surface to achieve the same result. I use the desk because the synovitus in 3 of my fingers keep me from applying even pressure.

I use #500 on everything but my Chids. They get the leftover #400.

Thanks for your advice, I will try rolling on a hard surface tonight and c if I can get me a solid!

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[Jaseruckus]

Just remember if you do the pulse method, you have to check the wick and make sure none of the coils burned into the mesh. That will cause hotspots. Also don't be fooled by the even glow from pulsing. It may glow even one minute, then have hotspots the next. Just adjust the coils like usual if your constantly getting dry hits. The wick is for the most part unoxidized, so it's very easy to cause hotspots.

I love/hate the cobra. When it's set up good, the tight draw, flavor, and flavor are fantastic. But for me it's one of those genny's that can be frustrating to set-up at sub-LR ohms. Maybe it's due to the relatively small wick hole. It's still my favorite atty.

 

[blake28]

Just remember if you do the pulse method, you have to check the wick and make sure none of the coils burned into the mesh. That will cause hotspots. Also don't be fooled by the even glow from pulsing. It may glow even one minute, then have hotspots the next. Just adjust the coils like usual if your constantly getting dry hits. The wick is for the most part unoxidized, so it's very easy to cause hotspots.

I love/hate the cobra. When it's set up good, the tight draw, flavor, and flavor are fantastic. But for me it's one of those genny's that can be frustrating to set-up at sub-LR ohms. Maybe it's due to the relatively small wick hole. It's still my favorite atty.

Yeah!! I'm with u the love/hate relationship with this Genny!! I do love the cobra as far as it definitely has the best flavor of any of my gennies, and I do like the tight draw on it as well, it just fits the cobra so well. I do think the size of the wick hole is the problem as far as trying to get sub 1ohm coils setup though. I just don't think I can get a thick enough wick in there to actually enjoy a consistent Vape at. 6-.8 ohms. I mean, if I literally tilt at a 80° angle, I can get a consistent Vape w/out hot spots, but as far as just being able to hold it level and Vape, I can only get one good pull before it goes dry on me. I feel the wick just cant wick fast enough for a fully charged aw imr 18650,due to it putting off close to 4.1 volts and I think it's just too hot for a thin wick. I don't know, but I'm still frustrated with it!!! lol!!!

Now, with 30awg kanthal, I get a wonderful solid Vape out of with absolutely no hot spots whatsoever . But, I c where all of these people are hitting absolute gold with there cobras with 28 gage and I must admit, I would love to hit that myself. Honestly, I just can't bring myself to open the holes anymore either, due to not wanting to change anything about the Atty, as I just want to keep it stock as it was made.

So, I am going to continue to try and tinker with it and c if I can get something to work on it using 28 awg. I have ordered some 325 mesh, so I'm hoping that maybe it will wick a bit better at low ohms then the 400 & 500 meshes.

Don't know, but I'll c soon!! As always, if someone has some tips, ease share them.

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