Coil Head Baby Steps

[DingerCPA]

O.k. After 3 months of vaping, I finally got the "intestinal fortitude" to dry burn some of my Kanger heads (EVOD/Mini PT2 tanks). Much easier than expected, and I feel like I was quite successful (5/7 coils). Question for the group - do I "need" the flavor wick(s)? There were a couple that were pretty singed, and I don't see anything that would help. If I need them, what's the recommended material?

I know, I know, I know.... Rebuild my own coils with cotton, wool, hemp, whatever - I'm still taking a lot of baby steps out here.

Thanks

 

[Alter]

Just buy a few meters of 1 and/or 2mm silica with your next juice order or take some of the old top coil attys you don't use anymore and cut the wicking off them.
If you intent to someday rebuild your own coils, especially with hemp or cotton you don't need a flavor wick unless your getting juice splatter up the mouthpiece in which is more with microcoils than regular coils. I also flipped the stem cap upside down cause IMO that stemcap restricts juice flow into your coil and I've had no leaking, gurgling or any wicking issues at all with any of my protank builds.

 

[DavidOck]

Need for flavor wick can depend on your juice and your vaping style. Thin juices may need it to not leak. Thick juices may be fine without.

Most of my flavors are fairly thin (80/20 PG/VG), and while I make new coils with 2 mm silica, I use 100% cotton yarn for flavor wicks. Yeah, the originals usually fall apart for me, and are generally not re-useable

 

[Thundernoggin]

I do it like this and it's very easy. Just make sure the cotton isn't too dense and pulling the coil around with it. No flavor wicks for me.
Stop throwing away your protank coils ITCVapes

 

[DingerCPA]

I do it like this and it's very easy. Just make sure the cotton isn't too dense and pulling the coil around with it. No flavor wicks for me.
Stop throwing away your protank coils ITCVapes

AWESOME!!!! Thank you

 

[DingerCPA]

Note to self: REMEMBER TO DROP A BIT OF JUICE ON COIL BEFORE FILLING TANK

 

[Thundernoggin]

Note to self: REMEMBER TO DROP A BIT OF JUICE ON COIL BEFORE FILLING TANK

Also remember to get enough on the ends. Last night I did one that airlocked and it was because I didn't get the ends of the wick wet enough.

 

[DingerCPA]

O.k. Status update....

Scored a bag of cotton balls when I buzzed out to run errands at lunch. Re-wicked two of my heads (both ~2.5Ω coils) Maybe I'm hallucinating, but I *think* they're vaping more smoothly now. Taste better (I didn't bother boiling anything) and I think I'm getting more vapor.

Maybe it's y'all's power of persuasion? But, INSANELY easy to rewick. Hell, if I can do it, anyone can!

Thanks everyone

 

[Alter]

Welcome to the other side Dinger.
Now get yourself a magnifying lamp from staples for bout 40 bucks, some 32 kanthal, small drillbits or allen keys. If you think rewicking is "INSANELY easy to rewick" then recoiling a protank head is just as insanely easy if not easier and you'll improve your vape experience even more. I've been rebuilding my protanks for over 6 months now and could never use a stock head ever again. About 1/2 a Qtip swab stretched out to about 2 inches twisted lightly is a good gauge of how much cotton to use in a protank head with just a regular coil.

 

[DingerCPA]

Welcome to the other side Dinger.
Now get yourself a magnifying lamp from staples for bout 40 bucks, some 32 kanthal, small drillbits or allen keys. If you think rewicking is "INSANELY easy to rewick" then recoiling a protank head is just as insanely easy if not easier and you'll improve your vape experience even more. I've been rebuilding my protanks for over 6 months now and could never use a stock head ever again. About 1/2 a Qtip swab stretched out to about 2 inches twisted lightly is a good gauge of how much cotton to use in a protank head with just a regular coil.

Alter, I have crossed over to the "other side" full-bore! I wanted 30ga kanthal, but my B&M had 28 or 32. I goofed and grabbed 28. Tried 2 coils, they looked beautiful, but only 1.2-1.4 ohms. I couldn't even get them to fire once I wicked them.... Went back and picked up 32ga last evening. Coiled 3 heads last evening (while sitting in bed watching TV no less). 2.3-2.7 ohms - wicked with cotton. Not bad, IMHO. Just trying to dial in on the right number of wraps. I've only had one coil for which I didn't get quite enough cotton - threw a couple flavor wicks from an old head, and no leaking/gurgling.... I'm still amazed at the smoothness of the vape now. Feels "silkier" - idk, maybe it's my imagination. I'm digging this.

Since I'm not intending on (nor do I have the mod to) sub-ohm, I should be ok with my MVP's ohmmeter, wouldn't you think?

Thx

 

[DavidOck]

Yes, the MVP2 meter is fine.

Sounds like you have your wraps about right, that's the "sweet spot" to let you get the most out of your battery, room to go up or down depending on the flavor.

Trying to get enough Ω in a PT type head with 28 is quite a challenge. I usually run with 30, it's a bit easier to work with than 32.

 

[Alter]

I started out with 32 gauge kanthal and running around 2.0 -2.2 ohm for a long time in my protank builds. I found 32 distorts real easily after a couple rewickings so dryburning and scraping the crusties off I would end up bending some wraps thus throwing out that build. With the 30 gauge 6 wrap coils I was getting @ 1.5 -1.8 ohms, more sturdier wire and much less chance of bending wraps while cleaning. You have to be careful while dryburning the naked coils clean since its easy to burn the rubber insulator from too much heat. I get the coil hot a couple times and scrape the chunkies off with pointy tweezers and rewash the head to clean the scrapings out.
A kanger airflow adapter will make your protank builds perform even better so IMO its a good investment rather than using the stock base. I drilled mine out to 1/16 and can control the airflow better and once you get good at building your regular vaping coils, you will dabble in lower ohm builds and be able to use them in your protanks with the adapter and not burn the juice onto the coil from lack of airflow past the hot coil.