Coiling building tool kit

[Reloader45ACP]

I've been seeing a few coiling jigs and tool kits aimed at coil builders. Most if not all these kits looks like complete junk and it wouldn't surprise me if they're stuff with tools you would never use. So my question(s) are/is...

• What tools do you feel are are must haves and what are nice to have?
• Do you trust $20 ohm readers for 0.3 sub-ohm builds?
• Do coil jigs make building more consistent and faster?
• Do you have a favorite wire cutter?

 

[nyiddle]

1. Scissors, wire cutters, something to wrap around (screwdrivers/drill bits work), screwdriver (flat-head and Philips), tweezers, pliers/something to grip.

2. Nope. Not one bit. Those cheap ohm readers rarely last, and from what I know, sub-ohm is a hard thing to read unless you're using something super accurate like a Fluke.

3. My friend has a coil jig, and it definitely seems like it helps the process. It's nothing that couldn't be done manually, but it just makes everything a bit more convenient. (It essentially looks like this one.)

4. Nah, I have a slew of wire cutters and pliers and stuff, and occasionally one will give me some grief and I'll swap it out for another.

 

[djsvapour]

I bought a jig. It got used ONCE. I went straight back to wrapping coils around a drill bit.

All you really need is what nyiddle says.

 

[CoinLaundry]

Clean all of the tools you're going to use. I hadn't washed anything, lost my little needle-nose, grabbed my "real" pair out of a drawer, got some kind of lead and petroleum distillate and xyz oxide cocktail on my newly-wound coils, didn't notice, didn't clean that, warmed it up to get everything nice, immediately threw everything out when all of that got warmed up.

for coils:
-wire cutters
-small needle-nose pliers
-precision screwdriver set (sounds expensive; isn't)
get the ones with the skinny metal handle
-tweezers

for wick:
-scissors
-wicking material
-scrap of kanthal from the coils you just made to push the wick around

Get everything from the $1 store and clean it unless you already have something nice. Everyone thinks they know what's better while it's subjective, but those Japanese cotton squares ARE DEFINITELY THE BEST IT'S SCIENCE.

 

[gandymarsh]

My tools

Precision Screwdrivers
Tweezers
Fingernail/Toenail clippers
Refillable Torch Lighter
Cat's Claw Scissors (works great for trimming wick)

 

[Susan~S]

I'd put these two in the "nice to have" group: Small butane torch and Magnetic Mat.

 

[nyiddle]

I'd put these two in the "nice to have" group: Small butane torch and Magnetic Mat.

That actually reminds me.. I have a magnetic dish somewhere in my garage that I've been meaning to find..

The amount of hassle that the littlest things can save is incredible.

 

[Kaezziel]

I was recently turned on to a really good 510 ohm reader... they even did comparison tests against a 4-wire milli-ohm meter.
This one actually reads to the 0.XXX and would be suitable for low sub-ohm builds.
USA Made 510 Reader

 

[Reloader45ACP]

Great feedback everyone! Although, I noticed no one mentioned a multimeter in their list. Are you testing every coil you make or are you just relying on information from an online calculator or something else (e.g. a variable voltage mod with a built in ohms reader, desktop ohms reader, etc) ?

Thanks again, I'm learning so much from you guys (and ladies).

 

[Alien Traveler]

I was recently turned on to a really good 510 ohm reader... they even did comparison tests against a 4-wire milli-ohm meter.
This one actually reads to the 0.XXX and would be suitable for low sub-ohm builds.
USA Made 510 Reader

Don't they use the same Chinese chip?

 

[AaronY]

Don't they use the same Chinese chip?

Not sure if china chips can go down to 3 digits. I am looking for a high quality 510 connection on a ohm reader. Not sure if that exists. @nyiddle does Fluke make a 510 ohm reader?

 

[Kaezziel]

Don't they use the same Chinese chip?

I honestly do not know the answer to that... sorry.

Not sure if china chips can go down to 3 digits. I am looking for a high quality 510 connection on a ohm reader. Not sure if that exists. @nyiddle does Fluke make a 510 ohm reader?

No, Fluke does not make a 510 reader

 

[Susan~S]

Great feedback everyone! Although, I noticed no one mentioned a multimeter in their list. Are you testing every coil you make or are you just relying on information from an online calculator or something else (e.g. a variable voltage mod with a built in ohms reader, desktop ohms reader, etc) ?

I'd bet money that everyone who has posted so far checks their builds before firing them on a mod. Most of us probably own both an ohm reader and a DMM. It's so second nature that we don't even think about it as part of a "rebuilding kit".

Oops!

 

[gandymarsh]

Yeah, I don't have a dedicated ohm meter. I use my MVP or iStick. I do have a DMM but it's more of a hassle to use. I don't sub ohm.

 

[CoinLaundry]

Great feedback everyone! Although, I noticed no one mentioned a multimeter in their list. Are you testing every coil you make or are you just relying on information from an online calculator or something else (e.g. a variable voltage mod with a built in ohms reader, desktop ohms reader, etc) ?

Thanks again, I'm learning so much from you guys (and ladies).

Yes, a multimeter! For my first 40ish builds (I've been dripping for a month (I have issues)) the multimeter was always there, but now I'm overly comfortable and will wind up not-checking everything until something goes terribly awry. ...thanks for the reminder.

 

[DingerCPA]

Nail clippers, tweezers, beard trimming scissors, drill bit. Kanthal and cotton or rayon.

I originally used my MVP/VV3 to check my builds, and still do for the most part (not into sub-ohmming as none of my rigs will fire anything much below 1Ω anyway.) I did pick up an inexpensive ohmmeter mostly to hold my KF decks while I'm building - don't have enough hands

I also picked up a "decent" DMM to check my batteries.

Nothing fancy, but I don't do fancy builds....

Vape on!

 

[RainbowBabz]

I sort of can't wait until I'm able to get a building kit setup.
Which is kinda funny since I never wanted to build until my vape store stopped carrying the heads I like.

 

[emmo26]

here here.....


1

 

[nyiddle]

@nyiddle does Fluke make a 510 ohm reader?

Nah, they make DMM's (reputably very good ones) as you've probably already figured out now.

 

[wshanncap]

I use a 3/32 or 1/8 drill for wrapping. I use a 19.99 multimeter for all my work. It's my only meter, (other than the built in resistance readout in my V6 that I don't 100% trust). And nail clippers has always worked for me.