Every coil I make burns red hot

[NatureBoy]

I just can't seem to get this right. I'm using kanthal, .2 I believe, and I've tried wick and mesh... I wind the coils very close but not touching, keep the positive end as close to the terminal as possible without touching, and wrap the coil tight.. despite all this, they keep glowing red.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have the wrong kanthal maybe?

I haven't been able to enjoy my orion since I got it cuz I can't get the freakin coil to work properly.

 

[otrpu]

As far as I know, that's exactly what a good coil is supposed to do. Mine do that for their life, then the wire fatigues and fails. Some last 2 minutes, most last several days, even weeks, and longer. JMHO

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[asdaq]

It sounds like you need more wraps in the coil to add more resistance, otherwise, properly oxidized mesh and keeping it wet. How long before it glows red? some pics would help too.

 

[BJ43]

If the whole coil gets red hot it is fine. If that vapes to hot for you, reduce the voltage or add more wraps for resistance. The problem is when only part of the coil gets red hot, that means you have a short and have to continue oxidizing and fiddling to make sure you are not contacting the poles. Normally the dry red hot coils while not be red hot when they are wet with juice.

 

[kcofohio]

I'm not experienced with kanthal or ss mesh. But my questions would be, what ohms are you using vs. volts? And are your coil wraps so tight that the liquid can't flow through the wick?
Check to see if the juice is collecting around the coil wraps from one end to the other.

 

[JacobDaniel]

i don't use that wire but yes I vote keep it wet and add more wraps.
I am at 6v, if I use 4 or 5 wraps it is vary harsh [2ohm], 6 wraps is my sweet spot [3.xohm].

 

[NatureBoy]

It's wicking properly, every once in a while I can get a coil to burn properly before the top coil starts to glow, or sometimes the whole coil.

I'm using 3.7 @ 2.6 ohms.

The wire isn't supposed to glow. I'm not sure how your sense of smell and taste is, but when the wire glows it changes the smell and taste of the vapor. That doesn't mean it's burnin the juice either, because I've experimented with a dry wire just to see if I could still smell anything, and I could. I have no idea what that means though.

I'll build another mesh and coil when I get home after the weekend and post pics, see if you guys can spot any errors cuz I can't see any.. but I can't see all that well too closely.

It could very well be the mesh shorting somewhere I can't see.

 

[addisdaddy07]

I just can't seem to get this right. I'm using kanthal, .2 I believe, and I've tried wick and mesh... I wind the coils very close but not touching, keep the positive end as close to the terminal as possible without touching, and wrap the coil tight.. despite all this, they keep glowing red.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have the wrong kanthal maybe?

I haven't been able to enjoy my Orion since I got it cuz I can't get the freakin coil to work properly.

This could be your problem, if by "not touching' you mean not touching the wick. Your coil shouldn't glow if it is touching the wick... As long as the coils are tight to the wick, you should be good. Also, invest in a multimeter(cheap ones work fine) and see what resistance you have after the coil is done. Too low=glowing wick.

 

[asdaq]

I'm pretty sure it's "not touching each other". I can't imagine not touching the wick but wrapping tight. Looking forward to seeing some pics to help clarify the situation.

 

[NatureBoy]

Yeah, I was referring to the coils' proximity to each other, the whole coil itself is tight to the mesh. The top one is the hardest to keep tight yet reach the positive terminal at the same time... there always seems to be a tiny gap, but I did manage to get it tight once and it still glowed.

I have multimeters, and I did post above that the coil was 2.6 ohms.

Anyway, I'll try again and post pics Sunday night.

 

[BJ43]

I really don't understand your problem, if the whole coil glows red it is a good thing. The problem is if only part glows red. If the whole coil glows you have a working coil with no short. You control the intensity of the glow with volts, number of wraps and wetness.

 

[BuzzKilla]

does it glow red when the wick is wet?... maybe the wick isn't doing its job properly?

if it is dry, it is supposed to glow red.

from reading what has been written so far, i don't see a problem...

 

[NatureBoy]

Haven't had a chance to make a new one yet, but it seems like I was having two separate issues... when just the top would glow, it meant I had a short somewhere. If the whole coil was glowing, it meant the wick wasn't wicking properly.

Either way, I think it means I need to make a new wick.. I don't think my coils are the problem.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[BuzzKilla]

is it a steel mesh wick? if so, you are shorting it out.

if not, check to see if it is shorting out on anything.. posts/base.

 

[NatureBoy]

is it a steel mesh wick? if so, you are shorting it out.

if not, check to see if it is shorting out on anything.. posts/base.

Yeah, it's a steel mesh.

I made one out of regular wick and the coil glowed evenly, so I guess that wick just wasn't getting enough juice... it smelled like burning wick.

 

[BuzzKilla]

i always put a drop or two on the coil itself, it takes a while for the wick to do its job. (capillary action, and all that good stuff)

before i make anything, i take my torch to the silica that i am about to use.
the silica glows red, than cools to a perfect white.
this is just to ensure that the wick is completely clean.
Depending on where you get it from, it may have some oily residue (possibly due to manufacturing) and this method gets rid of all that for me.

i havent tried the SS mesh wick (dont feel a need to), but there are some good tutorials on how to oxidize it properly in these forums to keep it from shorting.
Maybe it wasnt oxidized completely causing a short?

 

[addisdaddy07]

It seems I was mistaken in my earlier post, with a ss wick, glowing seems to be the norm. with my silica, no glowing at all. as long as the wick glows evenly with the ss, it's ok.

 

[BJ43]

i always put a drop or two on the coil itself, it takes a while for the wick to do its job. (capillary action, and all that good stuff)

before i make anything, i take my torch to the silica that i am about to use.
the silica glows red, than cools to a perfect white.
this is just to ensure that the wick is completely clean.
Depending on where you get it from, it may have some oily residue (possibly due to manufacturing) and this method gets rid of all that for me.

i havent tried the SS mesh wick (dont feel a need to), but there are some good tutorials on how to oxidize it properly in these forums to keep it from shorting.
Maybe it wasnt oxidized completely causing a short?

I am trying to never use silica or fiberglass, I quote: "Although fiberglass was thought to be a "safe" substitute for asbestos, researchers later found that it too was associated with the risk of lung cancer and lung disease. Fiberglass is one of a group of products known as man-made mineral fibers or man-made vitreous fibers. Hamsters forced to breathe fine-diameter fiberglass in a Swiss laboratory developed fibrotic lung conditions, tiny tumor-like growths, abnormal mesothelial cells and damaged cell nuclei only six months into a two-year study. One test animal exposed to fiberglass developed mesothelioma.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/atomizer-mods/232081-just-stainless-steel-wick-filler.html

 

[BuzzKilla]

I am trying to never use silica or fiberglass, I quote: "Although fiberglass was thought to be a "safe" substitute for asbestos, researchers later found that it too was associated with the risk of lung cancer and lung disease. Fiberglass is one of a group of products known as man-made mineral fibers or man-made vitreous fibers. Hamsters forced to breathe fine-diameter fiberglass in a Swiss laboratory developed fibrotic lung conditions, tiny tumor-like growths, abnormal mesothelial cells and damaged cell nuclei only six months into a two-year study. One test animal exposed to fiberglass developed mesothelioma.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/atomizer-mods/232081-just-stainless-steel-wick-filler.html

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I'm not going to disagree with you on the fact that inhaling fiberglass is bad for you.... BUT, in the example above, fiberglass was dry and then agitated to release fine particles into the air. those particles then get inhaled to the lungs, acting like little glass shards and cutting up the inside tissue causing damage and cancerous growth.

This has been known for YEARS in the construction industry, that is why it is mandatory to use gloves and respirators when working with fiberglass insulation (in my area anyways).

In my opinion, and i stress my opinion, we are not using this product in that way. by keeping the silica rope moist, and the fact that we are not moving it while in use, we are very far from the dangers of inhalation of these particles.
That is why i am not in any way phased by the research example used above.

I may be wrong, but i feel comfortable in my understanding of how things work, and don't see the use of silica rope as a danger to my immediate health. In the use of an atomizer/cartomizer.

I on the other hand do not feel comfortable inhaling oxidized stainless steel... i prefer not to have RUST particles floating around in my lungs... if you want to use the same argument used against silica rope.
I know through personal experience that my lungs don't like rust.

 

[BJ43]

To each his own. By the way oxidizing SS is a misnomer it is not rust, it is actually a layer of minerals that form from the tap water that is non conductive. I respect your opinion but I have watched under a microscope as the air is drawn off the coil on a wet fiberglass or silica wick the micro particles being drawn off.