Concerning venting in mechanical mods.

[roxynoodle]

Got it. I think. So zero tolerance is basically you hitting the firing button and your battery saying.. "Oh hell no!!!"

End of line.

Basically, just be sensible . Build safely and check your build. Make sure post screws are tight after you rewick. Don't build lower than your batteries' capabilities. Check batteries for torn wrappers/damage. Buy batteries from reputable vendors.

I'll also add, it doesn't hurt to recheck your build on the meter if you drop it or knock it over just in case something got loose or out of place.

 

[XRaptureX]

Here's a video of a few batteries made to vent by hard shorting them in a couple of mods. If you use good batteries, IMR or hybrids like the Samsung 25R, Sony VTC3, VTC4 or VTC5, MNKE and a whole bunch more, that's all that should happen. You need to be careful not to buy counterfeits too, so buy only from known good suppliers.

If you're using ICR Li-ion all bets are off. Those are the ones that burn when they vent causing a lot of gas that can cause enough pressure build up in a mod to make it explode if there isn't enough mod venting.

Having said that I have seen a few (3 or 4) reports of supposedly good batteries going up in flames. They were not documented well enough though to know if the batteries were authentic.

I use a Nemesis clone every day which has small vent holes and I don't worry about it. I bought my batteries from reputable suppliers and that's good enough for me. If I thought the risk was more than extremely small I wouldn't do it. YMMV of course

Awesome! I was hoping that someone would post something like this. I would have missed this message if it wasn't for the alert system on the website. Thank you.

You know I have a lot of friends that don't understand why I have absolutely no problem handling spiders. I've always had a bit of a thing for researching insects. The more you understand something, the less you have to be afraid of it. It's no different with this. Thanks again for everyone taking the time to educate me. You guys rock!

End of line.

 

[IMFire3605]

0.32 at 4.2v is 13.13amps, the Samsung will have no problem with it at all. After about 5 to 10 chain puffs, the mod itself will get warm, not alarmingly warm just warmer than room and body temperature, I generally set my mods aside and let it rest at that point and move to another mod.

 

[Ryedan]

Basically, just be sensible . Build safely and check your build. Make sure post screws are tight after you rewick. Don't build lower than your batteries' capabilities. Check batteries for torn wrappers/damage. Buy batteries from reputable vendors.

I'll also add, it doesn't hurt to recheck your build on the meter if you drop it or knock it over just in case something got loose or out of place.

All good advice Roxy as always . One other thing I started doing a long time back that stuck with me is I don't vape the first time I hit the button after doing something to the mod or the atty. I make sure the wicks are nicely juiced up and hit it for about 3-4 seconds while holding it in front of me. It's my final check that all is well ... just in case there's a full moon and I forgot it's Friday the 13'th

 

[Pushbutton]

Our batteries have a vent built in at the positive end. That vent is designed to pop before the pressure inside the battery casing builds up much. Have a look at the video I posted in post #13 of the batteries being shorted and venting in a mod. It's been a while since I watched all of it, but if I remember correctly one battery swelled slightly and had to be helped out, the rest of them came out easily.

I do agree that slots on tube mods are ideal, just in case a suposedly good battery goes bad or someone uses the wrong battery type. You can't have too much safety and this could easily be done.

I did not mean to say, "don't use mechs" or trying to be overly alarmist. Use good batteries and caution and if something *does* happen and it gets hot, hurl it somewhere safe.

Yes there is a valve and barring failure, it's going to open and prevent the battery itself from bursting. Whether or not it's also going to prevent the casing from swelling, i am not willing to bet my hand or face on. ;-)
When designing something for safety, one should always consider the worst possible scenario.
Youtube videos make for terrible statistics.

 

[XRaptureX]

Youtube videos make for terrible statistics.

That might be true, but in most cases concerning vaping it's all we have to go on. After watching the video the gentleman posted earlier, I have to admit that I feel a lot better. He fired those batteries for far longer than any drag I could possibly take, and when the battery vented it didn't shatter the mod like a frag grenade. A little pop, some hissing, and that was it. It was all pretty anti-climactic considering what I was expecting. Still, I'm going to take all of this good advice to heart and be as safe as possible. I even managed to find a video on the clone that I ordered. I really had no idea who made it. Apparently it's a company called Infinite. Twisted 420 did a review on it, and from what I can tell he still has all his fingers.

End of line.

 

[Pushbutton]

Realistically, with safe chemistry batteries you will most likely get some hissing and fizzling and if the venting in the mod somewhat works that will be it. A mod shattering would be the worst possible outcome and caused by a series or combination of events such as safety vent failing or partially failing, battery swelling, poor venting on a mod or wrong battery to begin with.

After having seen people like the "towel vaper" (some will know who i am referring to ), i am convinced that safety on mechmods cannot be stressed enough.

 

[Bunnykiller]

build your coils properly and within the specs of the battery and you wont have to worry about venting

 

[ElevenEleven]

So one last question and I'm going to put this to bed.

.32 ohm coil running on a Stingray clone with a brand new Samsung 25r battery... Am I sweating this too much?

End of line.

I build to .28 ohms with the same battery and mech and have for a long time. You're good.

A tip: Lock your mech every time before you set it down or pocket it. You'll make a habit of it over time.

 

[edyle]

So I got my shiny new Stingray clones in the mail here recently and I've noticed something that's giving me pause. Although both versions have those nifty little notches cut into the threads at the bottom, when I blow into the tube I'm getting almost no air out of those holes in the switch. I mean I'm getting something but it's very restricted. Now on the one hand I know the pressure from my lungs is nothing compared to the pressure of the gas from a vented battery, but on the other hand it still makes me a little skeptical. Am I being ridiculous? Are those small channels of air sufficient? I wanted to get some other people's opinions on this before I decide to use these bad boys. Thoughts?

End of line.

No you are not being ridiculous.
Might as well drill a few holes in the tube yourself.

 

[XRaptureX]

I build to .28 ohms with the same battery and mech and have for a long time. You're good.

A tip: Lock your mech every time before you set it down or pocket it. You'll make a habit of it over time.

Good to know. I really can't see myself going any lower than that anyway. I have in the past and I really haven't noticed a huge difference in my vape. What I have noticed is me going through about three times as much juice. Lol.


End of line.

 

[tj99959]

Just remember that YOU are the only safety features a mechanical mod has.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Just remember that YOU are the only safety features a mechanical mod has.

I have a better idea

 

[HauntedMyst]

I always use mods without vent holes but my situation is different than most. Back in 2011, I was doing some wet work in Libya. Unfortunately, a fire fight broke out right before I was able to take down our hard target and had to spend my ammo stock on coverage for the outlying team. When the target got closer, I did some quick thinking and took my mech mod out, jammed a piece of spent brass casing into the mod with a .2ohm coil on it, sending it into thermal overload and tossed it near the target. It exploded, wounding and taking down the target. The UN report got the account wrong, but that's ok. Job done and I had a back up mod. It just makes sense to have a back up mod.

"However, a UN report released in March 2012 revealed a different account of Gaddafi's capture. Gaddafi was wounded by grenade fragmentation, from a grenade thrown by one of his own men, that bounced off a wall and fell in front of Gaddafi, that shredded his flak jacket. He sat on the floor dazed and in shock, bleeding from a wound in the left temple. Then one of his group waved a white turban in surrender"

Vaping: making lives healthier and taking down obnoxious dictators since 2004

 

[sonicbomb]

I have a Stingray X clone, and the vent capability of it was almost zero. I drilled a number of 2mm holes around the bottom and the top of the tube. Hasn't done much for the aesthetics but couldn't care less.
If a battery vents violently and there is nowhere for the gas to easily escape, then you have a pipe bomb, plain sand simple.

 

[XRaptureX]

I have a better idea
View attachment 499805

Survival of the fittest, I like it. Time to thin the herd. Lol.

 

[bwh79]

I place my battery top where the venting ports are, in my Nemesis clones, Stingray clone, Cartel, and Dreadnaught, that means upside down

The problem with that is what if your battery wrap becomes damaged? If the wrap is damaged and the metal comes in contact with the inside of your mod, then the whole body of the mod becomes a negative terminal. This can be either "bad," or "really, really bad," depending on the situation:

Normally, the positive end of your battery contacts the 510 pin, and the negative doesn't contact anything when the switch is open. When the switch is engaged, it contacts the negative pole, electricity flows through the mod body, the atomizer, the resistance wire, and eventually back down to the 510 pin and the positive pole, and completes the circuit. If your battery wrap is damaged and the battery body contacts the mod body, it will close the circuit and your mod will auto-fire without pressing the switch. This is not good, but it's not the worst thing that could happen.

The worst thing that could happen is if you have the battery in upside down, so that the negative end contacts the 510 pin. Now, if your battery wrap has a hole and the battery body touches the mod...nothing happens, because both the mod body and the 510 are in electrical contact with only the negative end of the battery. However, as soon as you throw that switch, it contacts the positive pole of the battery, and sends it through the mod body. Now, you have both the positive and negative ends of the battery in electrical contact with the body, and you have a hard short. Bad times will be had by all. Venting or no, this is probably not a situation in which you would like to find yourself. Just put the battery in the right way, and it won't be an issue.

I use a Panzer (clone) mech mod. It has four vent holes near the bottom of the 18350 tube. Since the tube is vertically symmetrical except for those holes, all I did was flip it around so they were near the top of the mod, instead of near the bottom. I know this won't work with all mods, but it works well enough for me.

 

[WharfRat1976]

If you are depending on your vent holes for protection, you are doing it wrong.

 

[IMFire3605]

The problem with that is what if your battery wrap becomes damaged? If the wrap is damaged and the metal comes in contact with the inside of your mod, then the whole body of the mod becomes a negative terminal. This can be either "bad," or "really, really bad," depending on the situation:

Normally, the positive end of your battery contacts the 510 pin, and the negative doesn't contact anything when the switch is open. When the switch is engaged, it contacts the negative pole, electricity flows through the mod body, the atomizer, the resistance wire, and eventually back down to the 510 pin and the positive pole, and completes the circuit. If your battery wrap is damaged and the battery body contacts the mod body, it will close the circuit and your mod will auto-fire without pressing the switch. This is not good, but it's not the worst thing that could happen.

The worst thing that could happen is if you have the battery in upside down, so that the negative end contacts the 510 pin. Now, if your battery wrap has a hole and the battery body touches the mod...nothing happens, because both the mod body and the 510 are in electrical contact with only the negative end of the battery. However, as soon as you throw that switch, it contacts the positive pole of the battery, and sends it through the mod body. Now, you have both the positive and negative ends of the battery in electrical contact with the body, and you have a hard short. Bad times will be had by all. Venting or no, this is probably not a situation in which you would like to find yourself. Just put the battery in the right way, and it won't be an issue.

I use a Panzer (clone) mech mod. It has four vent holes near the bottom of the 18350 tube. Since the tube is vertically symmetrical except for those holes, all I did was flip it around so they were near the top of the mod, instead of near the bottom. I know this won't work with all mods, but it works well enough for me.

If the wrap is damaged and the positive contacting the 510 pin, the same path you describe is still going to happen in the reverse regardless, there is no electronic circuitry needing electron flow in a certain way, a mech is just like a tube flashlight, the electricity can flow either way with a mech. With the 510 in contact with the positive of the battery with a damaged wrap, moment that exposed body touches the mod wall with or without the switch engaged is still going to hard short. In my AR Mech and Pisces mods I place the batteries positive to the 510 connector, just my bottom venting mods I place the positive in upside down. As I said it is just me and my own choice to do it, if someone doesn't want to do it that way I am not going to stop them. But in a hard short you describe, in that instance there is no safe position for the battery to be in, with the positive facing down though, only time the positive makes contact is with the switch pin engaged, this makes the switch the circuit breaker, especially with a spring, that collapses, more likely the circuit will be opened instead of closed.

If the battery vents in this instance the vent on the battery is facing the vent of the mod if the mod vent is down through the switch like in the Stingray and Nemesis design, less restriction for the venting happening and decreases obstacles for the venting in the case of a battery swelling due to internal pressure.

 

[bwh79]

If the wrap is damaged and the positive contacting the 510 pin, the same path you describe is still going to happen in the reverse regardless, there is no electronic circuitry needing electron flow in a certain way, a mech is just like a tube flashlight, the electricity can flow either way with a mech. With the 510 in contact with the positive of the battery with a damaged wrap, moment that exposed body touches the mod wall with or without the switch engaged is still going to hard short.

Err...no? It's going to auto-fire, but it's not going to short. With the battery positive contacting the 510 pin, and negative (metal body of the battery) contacting the mod wall, then the only possible path for electricity to flow from positive to negative is through the atomizer and the resistance wire, just like if you had engaged the switch. See, with the battery upright, and the switch engaged, the whole mod body becomes a negative terminal. Having the battery negative come in contact with the body is the same, regardless of whether it's because you engaged the switch or because the battery body contacts the mod wall from inside.

On the other hand, if the battery is upside-down, and the switch is engaged, then the mod body becomes a positive terminal. If the negative metal body of the battery comes in contact with this positive terminal, that is when the short occurs.

...unless I am missing something really important here, in which case I am more than willing, I am eager to be educated. Where is the short? Please, describe to me the path which allows electricity to flow from the positive to the negative, without first going through the resistance wire.