Everything I need for a RBA.

[Silense]

Ok sorry for all the threads lately, but I am very interested into getting into rba's. I decided the RSST Genny is the best start for a complete rba noob like myself. The thing I am confused on is ALL the things I will need from start to finish to make my own wicks, oxidizing? If I really need to or not, you can help me there.

My questions are:

Is 500 mesh a good place to start? What are the measurements to make a perfect coil for a genny atty
What size wire should I use?
I watched some videos and saw the guy rolling the wick onto a long little metal stick. Is this normal? Sorry I don't know the name of the thing he rolled it on. Do you remove the metal stick after you wrap the coils?

Also if someone could post some good sites to buy mesh and wire I would greatly appreciate it,

Sorry if it sounds a little confusing, trying to get my mind wrapped around all these terms and lingo.

Thanks again ECF

Silense

 

[CloudZ]

The "metal stick" is a stainless steel mesh wick. You buy it in a sheet and roll it up so it just fits in your wick hole. You probably should oxidize it, I hear some people are not doing it but I think most do. You just take the wick (stick), hold it in some tweezers and torch it until it glows red, then quench in water. 5 or 6 wraps of 30 gauge kanthal wire is probably a good place to start, you can always play with lower resistance setups once you get the hang of it and learn how it all works. You also will have to deal with hotspots and shorting. And yes, 500 SS mesh is a great choice.

I HIGHLY recommend watching several video tutorials on setting these up, because there are a few important little things to keep in mind and seeing it is going to help more than reading about it. Just look around on youtube for genesis atomizer tutorials.

 

[Silense]

I understand what the wick is, just this guy on a video rolled the wick ONTO a long metal stick, wasnt the wick itself, looked like some metal rod. Maybe he just did that to keep the form of the wick. I think I am making all this out to be a lot more complicated then it needs to be.

If anyone can post some good sites to buy wire and mesh i'd appreciate it,

Also do I need some sort of ohm reader to test out my wicks? I do use a pro-vari so I heard they are pretty safe and wont fry any of the circuitry.

 

[CloudZ]

Ah, sorry. I see what you mean now. You can use a straightened paperclip for that, but it is not required. It might make it easier, because getting the flat mesh to start rolling up can be tricky. That is all it is used for though, rolling up the mesh. You pull it out before doing anything else.

 

[Silense]

Ok that makes sense. If I do need some sort of OHM reader, where to get one?

 

[CloudZ]

Definitely pick up a digital multimeter, I'd say they are required for any coil building period. Hardware stores sell them, you might even be able to find a decent one at a big department store like Walmart. Just make sure it will read in 0.1 ohm increments.

For wick and wire, kidneypuncher.com has a great selection and reasonable prices. You can get the stuff a lot cheaper in larger quantities elsewhere, but to get started I would make the purchase as easy as possible. Someone else might be able to recommend a better site than this. I think it is easiest to buy from the site you order the RBA from in the same order, so it all shows up at once.

Also keep in mind that you can start with a silica wick, which I think is a lot easier to work with. Just cut off a piece and wrap wire on it, stick one end in the hole and attach the coil legs to the posts. Just make sure it reaches the bottom of the tank. No oxidizing or hotspot fixing required.

 

[Silense]

Thanks for the info bud, you've been a great help. I might try both wicks out at first and see what works best. I think I am finally graspong a little on what to do and get. Excited to get into RBA's, heard it's the best vape around if done correctly.

 

[CloudZ]

No problem at all.

Once you figure out how to get them working well, you can fine tune them to vape exactly the way you want. More airflow and wicking speed lets you run higher wattage without burning your juice, which translates to more vapor/throat hit/flavor. That is why they are better. Getting it perfect will come with practice.

Is there any reason you are set on the RSST other than it being the easiest genny? There also are rebuildable dripping atomizers, which are even easier yet to set up and work just as well. The only downside is that you don't have much of a juice reservoir so you get like 10-20 drags before dripping again. Just wondering if you've considered this.

 

[Silense]

The only reason I am picking the RSST is because people have told me it's one of the easiest RBAS out there and that it is pretty quality for the low price. I do have a SR Ikenvape dripping atomizer with shield that I test juices out on. Is there a more complex one, like a rebuildable for dripping? If so let me know and I will check it out as well.

 

[Snicks]

I use an RSST myself. i use 450 grade mesh. I use 28 awg kanthal wire.
The RSST is awesome. It's easy to use and works awesome. I'm using it mostly on my K100 and it hits like a champ. These things just put off tons of flavor and tons of vape.

Good luck!

 

[Silense]

Ive watched like 10+ videos on building wicks, oxidizing them, wrapping coils, the whole 9. Now its just getting my hands dirty and seeing how it works. My only concern is exactly how to wrap a wire, the videos its always hard to see. Also working out hotspots seems a little tricky.

 

[CloudZ]

The only reason I am picking the RSST is because people have told me it's one of the easiest RBAS out there and that it is pretty quality for the low price. I do have a SR Ikenvape dripping atomizer with shield that I test juices out on. Is there a more complex one, like a rebuildable for dripping? If so let me know and I will check it out as well.

There are a lot of rebuildable drippers out there, probably more of them than tank rbas. Check out the igo-l .

\*_* Posted from my humanoid robot phone *_*/

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

Dripper: IGO-L, IGO-S, IGO-W, Nimbus clone, Smoktek Octopus, A7....

All you need for rebuilding:

- 500 grade mesh. A 12x12 sheet is a good investment.
- 30awg kanthal.
- multimeter, or at least a device that reads resistance and has short protection like a VAMO.
- scissors, wire cutter (i use nail clipper cause im cheap), screwdriver, a Bic lighter or a torch if you feel like investing. Tweezers and pliers are good to have around.
- i assume you dont have a mechanical device yet. It is not a must, but it makes your life much, much easier if you are getting into RBAs. A nice KTS Storm can be picked up at fasttech.com for $22. Pick up some Panasonic Hybrid batteries ($5 a pop, same site) if you do as well.
- some silica or cotton in case you get too frustrated with mesh.

A most importantly, sufficient knowledge of Ohms laws and just general elementary physics.

 

[fogcreature]

I bought my mesh from steam monkey, he also sells the rsst and is a member here I believe. I bought some nikrothal from madvapes, it seems to work well. After tons of searching I settled on a griffin DID clone, if it lasts and performs the way I want it to I'll shell out the dough for a real DID

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

I bought my mesh from steam monkey, he also sells the rsst and is a member here I believe. I bought some nikrothal from madvapes, it seems to work well. After tons of searching I settled on a griffin DID clone, if it lasts and performs the way I want it to I'll shell out the dough for a real DID

Chances are real and clone perform the same way my friend. Good choice with the Griffin - what is it like $8? Cant beat the price, and it works awesome.

 

[Silense]

Why is a Mech mod so much better for RBA's? A genny will still work well on my pro-vari I assume? And yes I am investing in the genny and all the stuff, I will get good at rebuilding then definetely plan to get a Precise +. Been wanting one for ages.

 

[CloudZ]

Why is a Mech mod so much better for RBA's? A genny will still work well on my pro-vari I assume? And yes I am investing in the genny and all the stuff, I will get good at rebuilding then definetely plan to get a Precise +. Been wanting one for ages.

The Provari is limited to 15 watts and 3.5 amps. Most say the resistance limit is 1.2 ohms, but some people have gotten lower than that (but not much lower, maybe 0.9 ohms). Needless to say, you'd want to build coils that are 1.2 ohms or higher to avoid a potential error. So at this resistance, 4.2 volts puts you just under the 15 watt limit and right on the 3.5 amp limit. If your juice is wicking well enough, this will be a very good vape.

Unregulated mods, including mechanicals, are only limited by the battery and there is no electronic protection. So you can run lower resistance and higher power (watts) for a hotter vape (which may mean more vapor/throat hit/flavor). They also are very simple, only one button and no settings to fiddle with... whatever the battery gives you is what you get. Mechanicals have no wiring, so they tend to be more durable than most other mods. But you don't really have to worry about durability with a Provari since they are so well made and readily repaired by the manufacturer. That said, unregulated mods are more dangerous because they will let you overload your battery if you aren't careful.

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

With a mech and a good high drain battery you get more power. But the reason why i suggested a mech was because with it you can use the pulse method to oxidize your coil and thus dont have to torch it. Plus it gives you the flexibility to make pretty much any kind of coil you want as opposed to being limited by the low amp switch of say a Provari.

The Provari will work fine, just need to build your coil above 1.2 ohm or so, or else you get the short error (E01 i think)

 

[Silense]

Ok I understand, makes sense. My question is will 500 mesh, 30 Kangal A! let me get above 1.2 ohms? Im guessing yes. What would be the safest route for me. Btw you guys have been so helpful, I learn so much here. ECF rocks and you guys do as well =)

 

[CloudZ]

Start off with 6/5 wrap of the 30 gauge. That's where you see 6 coils on one side of the wick and 5 on the other. It will probably be around 1.5-2.0 ohms, but its impossible to know for sure without knowing the wick diameter. Then you can try fewer or more next time you rebuild it. You can rinse, dry, and reuse your oxidized wick if it doesn't have any tears or fraying. I use 30 gauge for 1-1.3 ohm coils exclusively right now.

The "500" in the 500 mesh is just the number of holes (per inch, I think). A coarser mesh may help a thicker juice to wick faster. I think anything 50/50 or higher PG is fine with 500 mesh.