Don't skip the ohm check, save your spring!

[ancient puffer]

Either the top cap of the atty, OR a metal driptip can cause a short, so it's a good idea to test your build after it's all put together. If you build on one of the box style ohm checkers, it's just a matter of putting on the top cap and take a reading. If you don't build on those, you can use a multimeter after it's all put back together by putting one lead on the 510 connection of the atty (the very center of the connector on the bottom), and one lead on the threaded screw-in part.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

^^^ yes, this. I had an SS drip tip almost get me when I cavalierly swapped dt's. Luckily, I could feel the thunk of it hitting the center post and danger was avoided, but the moral of the story is test, test, and retest.

 

[AngiBe]

Excellent and timely post, Karen.

With the newer atties coming into vogue (e.g. Chalice III), we seem to have seen a rise in spring drops, many of which can be attributed to cap shorts as you describe.

Thanks for posting.

Guilty as charged here. Except it wasn't the cut part of my wire, it was the part that was wrapped around the post/under the screw was off a pinch. My ohms with cap off hit exactly where I wanted it, .06. But didn't know the top cap has a rim around the inside of it and when I put it on, the wire wrapped around the post hit that little rim.

Collapsed spring in the REO (which thank GOD the safety feature was there!) and have to have my Chalice looked at now since the screw cap and top of post got charred

So following the advise of checking ohms without AND with the cap, a clue there's a short...the ohms will be completely different when checked both ways, correct?

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Yes, when you have a short the ohms will be much lower. Electricity takes the path of least resistance. So instead of traveling through your coil to get from positive to negative it travels through the much shorter wire from post to cap.

Shorter wire = much lower resistance, lower ohms. Lower resistance pulls much higher amps from the battery. Higher amps generated heat in the wire and the spring, Heat causes the spring to dropped or sag.

 

[super_X_drifter]

I have been blessed by the spring gods. As evidenced in my video, I can barely make a REO short when trying to do so. I am one lucky SOB and have used up all your (yes YOU) luck so do like Karen says and check your builds.

Only I am so lucky. Trust me. It's luck cause it sure ain't skill

 

[caup]

I have been blessed by the spring gods. As evidenced in my video, I can barely make a REO short when trying to do so. I am one lucky SOB and have used up all your (yes YOU) luck so do like Karen says and check your builds.

Only I am so lucky. Trust me. It's luck cause it sure ain't skill

Same here, never dropped a spring in +3 years, and I really don't know why it turned out this way.
Does anyone know, why my shorts don't drop springs ?
Contrary to my knowledge, it seems that not all shorts are equal.

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Do any of you do a spring bypass and solder a 22ga piece of wire or a strip of solder braid on the inside of the spring...if the current flows thru the wire/braid and not thru the spring it won't collapse due to heating up the spring

Just a FYI, a tip I picked up on a flashlight forum where we run high power flashlights

 

[caup]

Do any of you do a spring bypass and solder a 22ga piece of wire or a strip of solder braid on the inside of the spring...if the current flows thru the wire/braid and not thru the spring it won't collapse due to heating up the spring

Just a FYI, a tip I picked up on a flashlight forum where we run high power flashlights

The spring drop protects your battery from ultra-high drains due to electrical Shorts and thus reduces the risk of thermal runaway.
A spring bypass will boycott this protection and increase the danger of thermal runaway.
I don't like batteries exploding in front of my face or setting my pants on fire.

 

[supertrunker]

Do any of you do a spring bypass and solder a 22ga piece of wire or a strip of solder braid on the inside of the spring...if the current flows thru the wire/braid and not thru the spring it won't collapse due to heating up the spring

Just a FYI, a tip I picked up on a flashlight forum where we run high power flashlights

I've seen a few similar ideas, but if i go really low Ω, i use a fuse - because i want some kind of known protection in the event of a short from, say a faulty atty. At least with a fuse, i can check the data sheet to see when it ought to blow, which is not something i can do with a spring.

After all - where do i buy a 15A spring?

T