First Mech Mod, A Few Questions

[chinacatsunflower-]

I recently got my hands on a copper Able clone, I really like it. Looks beautiful and pretty solid, but there are a few things I am concerned with and I have a few questions:

1. The ventilation looks subpar from being "hidden" inside. It seems that the only ventilation it has is from the holes of the bottom of the tube, which allow air to escape through the crevices of the switch. Which means it will not vent while firing, nor while locked. I am contemplating taking it to a machinist to have two vent holes drilled but is this imperatively necessary (I've read that it could be but not a firm consensus) and if so where should I have them drilled and how big?

2. Delrin insulators for both the positive and negative end of battery in the tube to prevent shorts of the mod on the accidental occasion if I were to press the switch whilst the atty is off and a battery was in place (Do not worry, I plan on never having a battery inside, unless the atty is attached first off). Where could I get them, how do I place them (I imagine without a battery in place they would fall from the top unless stuck with something?), and are they as well imperative before use?

3. Which should I place in first, or does it matter? The atty / cap or battery? I am asking this because the only way to insert a battery is dropping it from the top, or unscrewing the switch and putting one in.

4. With the 18650's negative side, should I be worried with it constantly touching the metal at the bottom of the mod that pushes it up to make the connection? (This one might be a bit silly, but I'm asking for 100% clarification)

5. I have a Mason 24mm rda, and a Battle Deck clone. Both have protruding center pins, but I read that they should be 1mm or more? I can't get a 100% accurate measurement but they seem to be under 1mm. About 0.5-0.6 or so (I'm using a ruler). Is this true, or should they be good?

I have done about 15+ hours of sole reading about mechs, along with the literal days I have spent reading about everything else. I am quite confident in my ability to operate this device safely, but I am going to refrain from a while to dock some more hours into it in case there is something I am not yet aware of.

I plan on not building lower than 0.7 for my first few builds, and go no lower than 0.4. Simply for safety reasons, and I personally feel there is no need to go any lower.

If there is anything you care to mention, tips, in depth links you wish to share that I can spend (the bigger the better) a while reading over, etc, I would much appreciate any of it.

Thank you all in advance and here are some pictures of what I have mentioned in this post. The first pin is the Mason, and second is the Battle Deck clone.

Pardon the dirtiness of the mod, I literally just received it and have yet to clean it.

 

[gpjoe]

Looking at your pictures it looks like the atty pin is protruding far enough to be safe.

I assemble my Able clone in this order:

Loosen top cap. Install atomizer on top cap. Remove switch. Install battery. Replace switch. Tighten top cap to remove battery rattle (not too tight - just snug).

And that's it.

If used properly, I wouldn't (don't) worry too much about venting. It sounds like you are considering adding delrin parts to prevent the battery from shorting inside the mod? I would advise against using the mod in a way that was not intended - these mods are perfectly safe if used correctly.

More important that you expend your energy (if you already haven't) looking into battery safety, Ohm's Law, using an ohm meter, and understanding battery limitations and how to avoid dangerous conditions.

 

[Baditude]

1. The ventilation looks subpar from being "hidden" inside. It seems that the only ventilation it has is from the holes of the bottom of the tube, which allow air to escape through the crevices of the switch. Which means it will not vent while firing, nor while locked. I am contemplating taking it to a machinist to have two vent holes drilled but is this imperatively necessary (I've read that it could be but not a firm consensus) and if so where should I have them drilled and how big?

Everyone is free to decide how much safety is safe enough for them. Having had a battery explode in my first mech mod a few years ago makes me especially antsy about adequate ventilation in a mech.

In my opinion, the vast majority of mech mods on the market have inadequate ventilation. Just because they have large vent holes near the bottom of the mod or in the fire button does not mean the ventilation is adequate.

If you look at pictures of mech mods which have exploded, most have blown their tops off. There's probably a rational reason why this is so.

Batteries are designed to vent from their top (positive pole), so that is where the hot gas will accumulate first when a battery vents. Should the battery itself physically block the gas pathway to the ventilation hole(s), then the gas has no where to escape and the metal tube then becomes a pipe bomb. A battery or mod explosion has the explosive force of 1/4 stick of dynamite, or of an M80 firecracker.

The above mech has very little, if any, space to allow gas to escape around the battery to the vent hole that is located in the fire button. So even though there is a large vent hole, I believe this mod has inadequate ventilation should a battery vent.

There are those who will argue that you don't need vent holes if you use great batteries and practice safe battery practices. I personally believe that is a rather calvalier attitude to take when a couple of strategically placed vent holes could save you from experiencing a hole in the roof of your mouth or second degree burns to your mouth and face. Vent holes are your last line of defense against a venting battery. We are human beings who sometimes get distracted that can allow us do inadvertant things that we normally wouldn't do.

So if you decide to visit your machinist friend with a drill press, where should he drill the holes? How many, how big? There are no recognized standards to go by, so use some common sense. Where does the battery's top lay when the mod is assembled? This is the location where the holes should be drilled. 2mm holes should be plenty large enough to allow gas to escape. Two holes should be adequate, three might be better.

You seem quite aware that what you have is a direct-to-battery mod, or faux hybrid. These devices require that the juice attachment have an extended center pin. This wouldn't be my choice for a first mechanical mod, but that's my


A Beginner's Guide to Your First Mechanical Mod

• Covers the differences between a mechanical vs. regulated mod, essential safety accessories, optional safety accessories to add layers of safety to your mech, routine maintanance, use of proper batteries, proper ventilation, low resistance vaping, and faux hybrid mods.

 

[chinacatsunflower-]

Looking at your pictures it looks like the atty pin is protruding far enough to be safe.

I assemble my Able clone in this order:

Loosen top cap. Install atomizer on top cap. Remove switch. Install battery. Replace switch. Tighten top cap to remove battery rattle (not too tight - just snug).

And that's it.

If used properly, I wouldn't (don't) worry too much about venting. It sounds like you are considering adding delrin parts to prevent the battery from shorting inside the mod? I would advise against using the mod in a way that was not intended - these mods are perfectly safe if used correctly.

More important that you expend your energy (if you already haven't) looking into battery safety, Ohm's Law, using an ohm meter, and understanding battery limitations and how to avoid dangerous conditions.

Thanks for that break down of assembling the mod, that is the way I assumed you did it but I simply was looking for clarification. I was thinking on the delrin just for that extra safety aspect, because hey we're all humans and mistakes can happen, even though that is why I've been reading so extensively to make sure I am aware of all the variables. I've spent most of my time reading on Ohm's law, battery safety (all of the ECF library materials, and other forums, and the like), and I know how to stay within the safety specifications of my VTC4's and when to charge them, etc.

I don't plan on using this device but to see how I like the experience of a mech, and when I'm at home. It's not going to be an on-the-go thing, nor will I be building below 0.45

Everyone is free to decide how much safety is safe enough for them. Having had a battery explode in my first mech mod a few years ago makes me especially antsy about adequate ventilation in a mech.

In my opinion, the vast majority of mech mods on the market have inadequate ventilation. Just because they have large vent holes near the bottom of the mod or in the fire button does not mean the ventilation is adequate.

If you look at pictures of mech mods which have exploded, most have blown their tops off. There's probably a rational reason why this is so.

Batteries are designed to vent from their top (positive pole), so that is where the hot gas will accumulate first when a battery vents. Should the battery itself physically block the gas pathway to the ventilation hole(s), then the gas has no where to escape and the metal tube then becomes a pipe bomb. A battery or mod explosion has the explosive force of 1/4 stick of dynamite, or of an M80 firecracker.

The above mech has very little, if any, space to allow gas to escape around the battery to the vent hole that is located in the fire button. So even though there is a large vent hole, I believe this mod has inadequate ventilation should a battery vent.

There are those who will argue that you don't need vent holes if you use great batteries and practice safe battery practices. I personally believe that is a rather calvalier attitude to take when a couple of strategically placed vent holes could save you from experiencing a hole in the roof of your mouth or second degree burns to your mouth and face. Vent holes are your last line of defense against a venting battery. We are human beings who sometimes get distracted that can allow us do inadvertant things that we normally wouldn't do.

So if you decide to visit your machinist friend with a drill press, where should he drill the holes? How many, how big? There are no recognized standards to go by, so use some common sense. Where does the battery's top lay when the mod is assembled? This is the location where the holes should be drilled. 2mm holes should be plenty large enough to allow gas to escape. Two holes should be adequate, three might be better.

You seem quite aware that what you have is a direct-to-battery mod, or faux hybrid. These devices require that the juice attachment have an extended center pin. This wouldn't be my choice for a first mechanical mod, but that's my


A Beginner's Guide to Your First Mechanical Mod

• Covers the differences between a mechanical vs. regulated mod, essential safety accessories, optional safety accessories to add layers of safety to your mech, routine maintanance, use of proper batteries, proper ventilation, low resistance vaping, and faux hybrid mods.

From all of my reading, I've read all of your posts you've made, including the beginner's guide more than a few times. One of the main reasons I was asking about the ventilation is due to a post on it here in ECF (which I believe was yours), and after checking the ventilation myself, I was concerned that it may not be adequate. As you can see in the picture, there are venting holes but they're hidden inside the tube itself, and let air pass through the crevices of the switch. There is no hole in the switch, or anything on the tube itself, which as you said here, leads to poor ventilation due to these cells venting from the positive end that's always going to be pointing at your face. After that, the gas has to make its way down through the sides of the battery and then out of the switch's crevices.

It seems to me, from my research.. that faux hybrids are more dangerous but quite safe if you know the knowledge and respect the mech as to say. Always use an atty with a protruding pin, check your battery every time before you put it in for any damage to the wrap, check the battery's positive end to make sure it's not dented, and recharge the battery at 3.6v or when you notice a drop in vapor production. If it's not going to be in use, take the battery out and put it in a case until further use, and never put your battery in useless the atty is attached, so that you do not short it on the mod body itself. If there's anything else I may have missed here from off the top of my head, please mention it.

Another question for clarification, the mod won't fire under normal circumstances unless both the negative and positive end of the battery make contact and which closes the ground circuit therefore creating a circle of electricity which heats the coil? (As I understand it, the reason the protruding pin is necessary is if the battery were to touch the 510 threading, this would send electricity to the outside metal of the atty as well, therefore not making a "circle" of electricity and taking a short cut through something with extremely low resistance) So if the battery's negative side is touching the bottom of the mod but not the atty's pin, it won't fire, and vice versa?

 

[Bad Ninja]

The Abel is a solid mod ( I use one every day) but its not a beginner mod.
This isnt a good mod to start with because it has no room at all for user error.

DO NOT modify your mod. You are asking for trouble. Drilling holes and adding bits is a bad idea.

If you feel unsafe or unsure, get another mod.

 

[chinacatsunflower-]

The Abel is a solid mod ( I use one every day) but its not a beginner mod.
This isnt a good mod to start with because it has no room at all for user error.

DO NOT modify your mod. You are asking for trouble. Drilling holes and adding bits is a bad idea.

If you feel unsafe or unsure, get another mod.

Thank you for the warning, but I am aware that a faux hybrid is as dangerous as it gets with a tube. I understand there's no room for user error, which is why I have been researching extensively on the subject to come to the conclusion of whether I should get another tube or not. I still however plan on using my Able clone a couple times to see how it is, when I am able... (hehe, get it?)

I don't feel unsafe, I am confident in my ability to handle it, however while I know most of the main points I had follow up questions which is why I came to the forums. Maybe learn a little extra too.

What tubes would you recommend for a beginner though? It would be nice to have a non-hybrid as well.

 

[Bad Ninja]

King knurled or king v2 clone are my go-to recommendations for vapers wanting to get into mechs.

 

[chinacatsunflower-]

King knurled or king v2 clone are my go-to recommendations for vapers wanting to get into mechs.

They both look pretty good, which would you say is the better and from where exactly should I buy one?

Really appreciate the input by the way, thank you.