DIY Atty

[AttyPops]

There's so much info to sort through on this site.......

Can someone point me at threads for a DIY atty that uses a pipe/needle as an atty with the heating element on the OUTSIDE of the pipe/needle. Heat the pipe, as juice goes through it it gets atomized. No clogged nichrome. Anyone tried it? Worked?

 

[Nobodyatall]

You are describing something similar to the LGB smoke unit used in model railroading. It's an interesting concept to be sure. I've been studying the methods they use, but not sure if any of it is of practical use. Here's a link so you can have a look and see what you think.

Smoke Tips

 

[AttyPops]

Thanks for the link Nobodyatall. However, the LGB has a heating element inside with the juice, my concept is very different. Maybe I need a pic. Let me try.....


The idea is to keep the heating element "dry" and not "gunked" while allowing the tube to be easily flushed clean. Don't know if it would heat fast enough. Thin walled tube, maybe with insulation outside of wire to keep the contraption warm.

I know people use feed tubes for juice feed boxes. What happens if you heat the tube?

 

[Krythis]

I've seen the 'non-contact' idea discussed before regarding ceramic coatings etc. The main concern I've seen raised is the wattage required to heat the element through the 'insulator' and that you wouldn't have the instant heat we get when allowing the fluid to be in direct contact with the coil.

 

[Nobodyatall]

I've seen the 'non-contact' idea discussed before regarding ceramic coatings etc. The main concern I've seen raised is the wattage required to heat the element through the 'insulator' and that you wouldn't have the instant heat we get when allowing the fluid to be in direct contact with the coil.

Yes, that's the exact problem I am struggling with. Finding something that will heat quickly and be more robust than nichrome wire. There's not much out there to work with.

@Attypop: If you look into it further, I believe the LGB does have a hollow tube, contrary to the overly basic diagram. At least that is what I gathered reading end user comments. There are some other designs they use which have interesting components. But the components aren't available on the open market (so far as I can tell), just complete units, and I'm not going to buy one to tear it apart for a single item. Researching their designs has been a dead end for me. Perhaps you will see something I didn't.

 

[extolrox]

YouTube - P1010853.MOV

Here is a youtube post of a relatively working mod of what you are talking about.

 

[AttyPops]

YouTube - P1010853.MOV

Here is a youtube post of a relatively working mod of what you are talking about.

Thanks, but ARG! It doesn't show the construction, so I can't tell. Looks like a "it could be anything" gadget covered in play-doh. No notes either. Also, I can't tell if the juice contacts the coil or not. Whoever made the video didn't put enough info in it to explain anything so I'm not sure why he even bothered. I wish he would have at least taken it apart at the end, or added notes or even text/voice in the video. As it stands, your claim of "a relatively working mod of what was talking about" is totally unclear. I think his coil contacted the juice and just had a tube for exhaust. But, who can tell?

Thanks for trying. Maybe if he adds info..........

 

[Nobodyatall]

Oh look, a 120V passthru! lol You can be the first kid on your block! Amaze your friends! Die of electrocution! (He couldn't have been using 120V unless he was completely mad.)

But seriously, did you notice the warmup time? What he did is easy enough but not practical. Every resistive element I have looked at, short of nichrome, has too much thermal mass. That seems to be the stumbling block if you don't want to use nichrome.... and I'd prefer not to. It may be the only solution after all.

If you are wondering what he did, I'd bet he is just using a power resistor with a wick or something similar. The warmup time looks about right. It will work just fine if you don't mind a longish wait.

 

[AttyPops]

Lol @ Nobodyatall ... 120 v passthru. lolz.

Seriously, yes, I did notice. And it was what I (and you, and Krythis, and others) suspect... thermal mass. You're right... need very small mass (hence needle), even then... Bah, direct contact seems the most efficient.

Speaking of avoiding nichrome, I've seen others using a flat surface (pre-heated probably)... same wattage problems. Of course, a DESKTOP model could be different than a portable model. 120 v.... lol....ohhhhhhhhh... Hmmmmm.......wait a second...... 120 v..... yes! rectified and toned down to the proper amps.....

Where's my DMM??????.... Or... I could use a 9v wall wort...... dc jack.... better..... ok, most have lousy amps.... ok will find a better one.....

but the question remains.... atty design? I think a desktop vape machine would have:

1) juice reservoir
2) maybe a slightly pre-heated atty
3) flow sensor (not mic, flow). Activates "full heat" mode.
4) mister to disperse juice on atty
5) atty

Old juice would get "dry" on a pre-heat.... hmmmm.... what about capillary action filling a tiny juice reservoir? Then nichrome would heat just the right amount of juice. Capillary action would keep it filled.... no wick. Juice would have to be a certain consistency.

I'm getting nowhere fast. Time to end this thread for now.. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INPUT.

 

[Poppa D]

What about a syringe needle wrapped in thin Teflon? Using a top feeding bottle design with a veturi base air flow design?
Maybe a vented liquid resevoir at or around the base directed to a syringe needle/atty design into a liquid trap like a cartomizer.

 

[Nobodyatall]

I'm getting nowhere fast. Time to end this thread for now.. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INPUT.

What? Getting nowhere? I didn't think so, but if you wanna quit so soon, then so be it. Personally I feel the idea has merit and if it were easy to do then someone would have done so already. Thermal mass is an issue with everything I have tested so far, but I'm not done yet.

I'm not too sure how many people realize it, but the attys provided by the manufacturers are an incredibly bad design which is intended to fail quickly! Seriously, look up the specs on nichrome wire and see what temp the amperage of a typical e-cig battery will produce. In every case it has the potential to vaporize the wire!

I'm with you that there has got to be a better way. But, if you stop and think about it, a LOT of people won't like it if a solution is found because it could lower their sales. There's a lot of money to be made in supplying those unreliable attys made in chinese factories by teenage girls who should be in school.

 

[AttyPops]

Agreed. I haven't quit trying/planning; just thought I'd close down the thread. Still thinking. Stay tuned... as they say. Thanks for the input.

 

[cracker75]

Could a capacitor be used to provide a "current reservoir" for initial "pre-heat surge" to bring the thermal mass up to temp? then the battery would only need to provide a stabilizing voltage.

 

[tdh]

Could a capacitor be used to provide a "current reservoir" for initial "pre-heat surge" to bring the thermal mass up to temp? then the battery would only need to provide a stabilizing voltage.

The short answer is that capacitors can't hold nearly enough energy. Capacitors large enough to shave several seconds off of the heat up time are used car audio and some other applications, but they are very expensive and certainly won't fit in your pocket.

 

[Gummy Bear]

near the end of the http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modders-forum/132663-all-my-mods-part1.html#post2083801 thread Raidy has one that works with magnetic resonance. that sounds like it is the closest to what you want. instead of a heating coil it has a magnetic coil around a stainless steel mesh tube that wicks the juice from a 5ml tank.