Firing pins

[Tyrawr]

Hey guys, happy Friday!!


I've run into an issue with what is otherwise my favorite mechanical yet.


I have a couple of king mod (v2, satin brass) clones by infinite. Out of the box, they are amazing. However, it seems that there is an issue with the "solid copper contact pins". I think that they are actually copper plated, and after just a few days use, a black dimple has developed on both mods and both sets of pins. This causes mis-firing problems.


After spending a good deal of time searching and asking around, I've found that there are no replacement parts being produced in the vaping world yet. So I set out to my local hardware and electronics stores. I was unable to find a suitable replacement, but I was able to figure out the size. It seems that the top and small bottom "pins" are m3 (metric 3?) x 4-6mm, so .5mm(m3) by 4-6mm.


The closest looking piece of hardware I could find for these bits are called "hex bolts". I'm wondering if there are any hardware gurus who can help me with the actual "hardware names" of the firing pins. I'm at a loss for what the "female" part might be called. I wouldn't mind knowing how to find spare "insulators" either. Also wondering if anyone knows where to find silver, copper, or brass bits that would make for suitable replacements. I'm interested in figuring out how to have/make? replacement contacts for other mods as well. I'm not terribly concerned with the shape of the pin, be it round, hex, oct, etc. Any thoughts?


Thanks for your help!
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[asdaq]

Sorry to say, but those look quite custom. It's easy enough to see how they were made. But there really is no call for those in the hardware world. The threading will be a standard, as there really is no need to reinvent that and the two parts need to match. You can test the copper with a pocket knife blade in a door that doesn't matter, like the side of the head or just above the threading under the head. If it is copper it should be quite soft. What gets me is it looks like the little one has a raised dimple, that corroded on you and either it is there by design or left over from machining. You could clean it with some rubbing alcohol or fine sandpaper if it's real bad, but I would sand the bump off as it pinpoints the contact and you would be better off with a fully flat surface.

If you really want to replace, a screw and a threaded insert can be had in brass, or maybe a jewelry barrel clasp in silver plated.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[stephenwhat]

Well,Fatdaddys sells what you need.The contacts for the king mod are the same as the chi you.Fatdaddys sells silver plated extended contacts,top cap insulators,and switch magnets for a variety of mech mods.I think that is what your looking for.SHOP - FatDaddyVapes.com - Home of the best vape tweaks and replacement hardware.

 

[Tyrawr]

Sorry to say, but those look quite custom. It's easy enough to see how they were made. But there really is no call for those in the hardware world. The threading will be a standard, as there really is no need to reinvent that and the two parts need to match. You can test the copper with a pocket knife blade in a door that doesn't matter, like the side of the head or just above the threading under the head. If it is copper it should be quite soft. What gets me is it looks like the little one has a raised dimple, that corroded on you and either it is there by design or left over from machining. You could clean it with some rubbing alcohol or fine sandpaper if it's real bad, but I would sand the bump off as it pinpoints the contact and you would be better off with a fully flat surface.

If you really want to replace, a screw and a threaded insert can be had in brass, or maybe a jewelry barrel clasp in silver plated.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Thanks for your post! This seems more and more like the case. The dimple is what gets me too... The whole thing feels better to me than the original king (haven't had a chance to check out an authentic v2/"sleek", but I can't imagine any real difference other than, hopefully, the pins). The dimple is super subtle, but from what I can tell, it exists beforehand on all of the pins. If you don't look carefully, the pins appear smooth, and the polish looks decent enough. But I did notice a tiny little raise when I ran my finger over it. I'm not terribly concerned with getting an exact replacement; I would like to find something less custom. Ideally, I would like to have silver, but brass is fine too, and I am not attached to the shape of these pins. I'll look into your suggestions, and report back.

 

[Tyrawr]

Well,Fatdaddys sells what you need.The contacts for the king mod are the same as the chi you.Fatdaddys sells silver plated extended contacts,top cap insulators,and switch magnets for a variety of mech mods.I think that is what your looking for.SHOP - FatDaddyVapes.com - Home of the best vape tweaks and replacement hardware.

Thanks for the reply. I could have specified, but I didn't want to get too ramble-y. I have already asked them about options, and they said that the v1 won't work at all, and since the v2 magnets don't sell well enough, they don't plan on making v2 replacement contacts. They did say that the chi you pins *may* work, but added that it would probably take some pretty extensive maintenance to get them to fit. They look way to long. At 15$+shipping, I'm keeping it in mind as a last resort, as I was able to get the whole king mod for around 30$. I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm not looking for that, as much as I am trying to figure out how to replace them with something more common.

 

[Tyrawr]

Sorry, I'm not doing a great job explaining myself. Example: I can get the mod to fire substituting my tree of life circular pin (does that one have a name?). I know the size I need, and I'd rather not pay a premium on something that isn't necessary, if I can substitute a superior/alternative/more common part. The closest direct replacement I have found are these : RC4WD Miniature Scale Hex Bolts (M3 x 6mm) (Silver) or these
http://www.rcmart.com/3racing-tsfsm306alor-al7075-flat-head-socket-machine-p-39378.html
but the "hex bolt" style seems pretty uncommon in this size, and I'm not sure that the "bolt" part of that term is exactly what I am looking for.

So I am more asking for creative or more appropriate search terms to find a DIY solution to the king pin problem, as I am dubbing it. Also just curious to see if anyone comes around with an inventive or workable solution.

 

[me5647]

What gets me is it looks like the little one has a raised dimple, that corroded on you and either it is there by design or left over from machining. You could clean it with some rubbing alcohol or fine sandpaper if it's real bad, but I would sand the bump off as it pinpoints the contact and you would be better off with a fully flat surface.

I would say this is the best DIY solution. The "dimple" was left from the lathe tool being slightly off center or worn when they turned the part. Cleaning might work as a short term solution, but the black corrosion will probably come back. Get some semi-fine sandpaper (300-400 grit), place the sandpaper on a nice flat surface, place the side with the dimple flat on the paper, and push the part across it. Just rub until the dimple is gone; you should see a nice even and flat surface after several strokes.

Unless it actually was copper plated, you will sand the plating off. You don't have much to loose since it doesn't work now.