RDA Couple of Safety Questions re: building with nickel

[ddirtyvapes]

I'm a very long-time vaper, relatively experienced builder, and am fairly comfortable with the newfangled TC devices, at least using stock coils. However, I have not built my own TC coils until tonight.

I went simple: .15ohm ni200, 2.4mm, single coil, 28g wire. I did what little dry firing I could just to make sure it was heating right, wicked, and filled 'er up.

Everything seems just fine and it's working well. It is reading the resistance I expected it to read, is giving off good vapor and flavor, and not jumping around.

I mostly just wanted to check with those who are more seasoned nickel builders about anything I might need to keep an eye on to make sure things are running OK, other than the obvious. Should a good, regulated (obviously TC-capable) device keep me fairly well-protected as long as everything appears to be working right? Is there anything I need to be watching for besides the normal stuff regarding battery and temp control safety?

Lastly, any general tips for building with nickel you wish you knew when you were starting off?

Thanks everyone.

 

[sig-cmt]

I do not know anyone who builds with nickel these days. Most local shops are turning to stainless steel with some going the route of titanium due in large to TEMCo offering annealed grade 1 now. Most of my crew (including myself) left nickel wire many, many moons ago in favor of 316L and Ti.

 

[Nikea Tiber]

Ni200 is dying for good reason. It is fickle electrically, the low resistance means you have to stick with single coil or use fragile wire, you can't build contact coils with it, so you have to build on machine screws if you want any sort of consistency with your coils. To top it all off, ni200 is the least biocompatible metal to use as a resistance wire, whether that worries you or not.
"Switch to stainless steel" is a ....ty tip, but once you use up the rest of your wire, don't waste your money on it again.
It sounds like your build is working fine, I didn't have any problems with ni200 single coils, but duals were always too flaky for my mods to fire well.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Yeah, no worries guys, this is free wire someone was unloading Just didn't want to waste it. I also don't mind single coil at all. Sounds like all is working fine though.

Really just testing using a TC coil in my RDA for a change, but I do have enough nickel to keep using it on it off for a while so wanted to make sure I can.

Ti or SS is definitely my preferred TC material, any recommendations where to pick up some Ti wire? Also, @sig-cmt is 316L all you use with stainless? Lastly, can you bounce back and forth between power and TC with the same stainless coil providing the resistance is OK? I don't really see why you would, but just asking.

 

[sig-cmt]

...any recommendations where to pick up some Ti wire?

Direct from TEMCo and/or Rio Grande. Both offer titanium wire produced in the USA.

...is 316L all you use with stainless?

Yes. I use products actually used as surgical wire (e.g. suture wire). SouthPointe offers 316L manufactured and drawn (Babcock) in Germany. Delco Wire Winding offers 316L manufactured and drawn (Babcock) in the USA.

...can you bounce back and forth between power and TC with the same stainless coil

Yes. Absolutely.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

You know I looked at TEMCo (where I get kanthal) and just didn't see it. Thanks for the link etc.

Do you get the SS wire from TEMCo or like a medical supply shop for surgical grade? I did look at TEMCo with no luck but seeing as I missed the TI wire, wouldn't be surprised if I missed SS too. Sorry you answered this. Case in point.