First RBA KFL first build and first dumb move

[volume control]

Okay so this is my first real rba. Ive rebuilt Protank and other similar heads with micro coils and figured its time to take the dive and order a KFL clone from FT. So i get it and i build this first attempt 1.5ohm with 28g



Feeling pretty good about myself, i know its a little rugged but im using an allen key. So everything looks good, it was glowing nice, then wicked and juiced it was throwing fumes. So i put the chimney on, put the tank on, and figure while its open ill fill it up(woops) I filled it from the top, put the top on, went to vape and my hands were wet, it was POURING out the airhole. Well that was dumb!

So i drained it, cleaned everything up, put it together, filled from the filllll holllllleee and WOW. Im at 10W and im lightheaded! Soooo should i reduce my nic now? This thing absolutely blows everything out of the water. I feel like a traitor considering replacing the carto tank as my primary device. I just took another vape..weeeee...this thing is going to make me nic sick!

 

[crxess]

Yes, I took my nic from 12 to 9 cutting back.
Got my first Kayfun and quickly learned I had to back off more.
I DIY so no big deal. Backed down to 6mg/ml - Much better

Ithaka tanks are the same way just more work to set up

 

[volume control]

Yeah a half second pull is more than enough, from someone averaging a 4-5 second pull on an Evic at 10W. I just popped it on the mech with an AW18500 and VS fuse absolute domination. Im at 24mg too so i have a ways to go in regard to dropping levels, and not DIY so im going to need to get some samples

Not sure if anyone knows if there is a glass insert that works with the one from FT? My juice never cracked the vapeonly bcc plastic but the tops of my evods split and fall off after about a month so it apparently does ruin some plastics


Also are these things pocket friendly, tilting and carrying around etc? I have to keep my BCCs on their sides rather than upright or they flood the 510 connection after a while

 

[VaPreis]

You can fill them from the top, but you can't fully screw the cap on with it upright without flooding them. Don't fill it quite full, then start the cap and a couple of threads, then flip it upside down and finish screwing on the cap. This way you don't force liquid into the chamber. If it floods a bit, you can wrap a paper towel or tissue around the air hole, hold it upside down and blow through it to clear it.

You're vaping like a boss now. You'll probably find you need to reduce your nic. I don't vape anything over 6mg. Even at 12mg, I'll start buzzing after puffing on my Aqua for awhile.

 

[volume control]

Good to know. I just picked it up after laying on its side for a bit and it was flooded a little. When i got it i put it together empty and covered the airhole and it didnt appear to be leaking. So i need to figure out why that happened. Whats the common culprit here the fill screw? It has a little oring but its rather cheap feeling, as well as the top and bottom clear orings. The one at the top of the chimney is different and black

 

[VaPreis]

Good to know. I just picked it up after laying on its side for a bit and it was flooded a little. When i got it i put it together empty and covered the airhole and it didnt appear to be leaking. So i need to figure out why that happened. Whats the common culprit here the fill screw? It has a little oring but its rather cheap feeling, as well as the top and bottom clear orings. The one at the top of the chimney is different and black

I couldn't say for certain without seeing it. I set mine up a little differently than you did, but your wicking looks good to me. I know they are known to leak when laid on their side if the liquid level is low enough that one of the juice channels is exposed to the air in the tank. I have an older style KFL from FT which doesn't have an o-ring at all on the fill screw. It does seep a bit, but not enough to concern me.

Clear the flood like I mentioned, and if it continues, it could be a sealing issue in the tank, either from the tank sections themselves or perhaps that top small o-ring which can get out of place sometimes.

EDIT: Thought of one last thing. If you're using the clear tank section, did you install the black o-rings on it?

 

[volume control]

It was freshly filled. I did not put those orings in they came pre-installed. Is it possible i overfilled it? It was laying on its side which is the only way my other BCCs dont end up eventually flooding the 510, but even with them it takes a good few hours. When its upside down right now the level is about half window, and id say i probably got about 10-15 drops out of it when i blew it out


edit: Maybe since im loving this thing i should just shell out and get at least a more reputable clone? The FT ones seem to be hit or miss from the discussions on the website, maybe my channels are a little larger than they should be or otherwise

 

[stylezuk]

The EH Pro Lite Plus is a good buy, very well machined and comes with full macron plastic, does need to use a drip tip adapter but putting a stubby on it looks good, it vapes well but i'm into RDA's so sits full on side waiting for a long journey.

 

[VaPreis]

It was freshly filled. I did not put those orings in they came pre-installed. Is it possible i overfilled it? It was laying on its side which is the only way my other BCCs dont end up eventually flooding the 510, but even with them it takes a good few hours. When its upside down right now the level is about half window, and id say i probably got about 10-15 drops out of it when i blew it out


edit: Maybe since im loving this thing i should just shell out and get at least a more reputable clone? The FT ones seem to be hit or miss from the discussions on the website, maybe my channels are a little larger than they should be or otherwise

My KFL is the Tobeco version from Fasttech. What you describe isn't overfilled, but perhaps low enough to flood when laid on it's side. And if that's the case, no clone version of the KFL or even the real deal would be any better. It's just the nature of the design.

 

[volume control]

Ok im going to leave it upright for a bit and see what happens. If i hole it upside down and suck when i lift my finger off the airhole i get a big pffff meaning its holding vacuum at least pretty well. Not a gigantic deal since i can keep it upright in my bag or pocket pretty easily

 

[crxess]

All you need is a decent bubble in it to keep the negative balance. I needle fill and if over filled, I pull a little back to maintain the bubble.
I carry 2 to work in separate cases laying in my lunch box. never have leaking issues. My wick is different though.

 

[volume control]

Got a pic of your wick anywhere? Ive seen some posts saying that they use a lot more wick and keep it upright, put the first part of chimney on and push it down so it does cover the channels (basically fills both sides of the chimney compeltely) and it prevents leaking and works fine. Is that how you do it?

Also upright for about a half hour and its perfect still, so only laying on side is an issue. Ill either rewick or just use my carto tank at work until i rewick its not a big deal. I dont tend to need nuclear vapes until later in the day and my throats getting immune to the TH


Edit: NVM, it does very very slightly flood upright, im going to just tear it down once i vape most of it off, hit up home depot and replace all these orings just in case there is a teeny airleak thats hard to detect. Then rewick with more poof so those channels are just wide open unless someone has input otherwise. Thanks for the tips etc guys

 

[VaPreis]

I build large coils for mine at 2.2-2.3mm and then mount them so the ends of the coil directly face the wells. This keeps your wick from having "elbows" in it. I wet the cotton with liquid then install the chimney bottom and then lightly press the cotton into the wells....covering the juice channels.

Here's a pick of my coil wicked, and I would actually trim just a bit of that cotton off yet before installing it.



I've never had it leak set up this way.

EDIT: This is actually a picture of my Rocket V2....same idea.

 

[volume control]

Awesome, thank you so much and beautiful coil as well. I used about identical in cotton so i may just try to fluff it out with a pin when its low enough to take off the chimney cap. You wrap that on a 1/16 or bigger?

And oddly enough not flooding now at all upright. Yay. Maybe im just having bad beginners luck

 

[VaPreis]

That coil is wrapped at 2.2mm, which by no coincidence, is the diameter of a coat hanger.

I've tried coils at 1/16th inch, and my preference is for the larger coils with larger wicks. That pic is 26ga wire for use on a mech that came out to .9Ω I use 28ga in the one I use on my SVD to keep the resistance up.

It never floods, and it never dry hits using 50/50 blend liquids.

 

[crxess]

I do a cotton wick, similar to above but not as full. 1/3rd width of a unrolled cotton ball.
I roll a second 1/3rd wide piece and it is laid in around the inside of the chimney and tucked down against the wick/channel top.
This acts as a reserve reservoir and keeps it from leaking when horizontal. At least for me.

 

[volume control]

Thats a BIG coil! It looked like the chimney on this was pretty roomy maybe ill bump it up


Crx also thats a great idea, I love how the carto tanks taste and they are nothin but filler soaked in juice. I can certainly stuff some in there now once its down a bit to cover the top and fill the sides some more. Certainly worth a try.


Being able to experiment with this as opposed to rebuilding kanger heads and one way or nothing is a pleasure

 

[VaPreis]

I do a cotton wick, similar to above but not as full. 1/3rd width of a unrolled cotton ball.
I roll a second 1/3rd wide piece and it is laid in around the inside of the chimney and tucked down against the wick/channel top.
This acts as a reserve reservoir and keeps it from leaking when horizontal. At least for me.

That pic is quite a bit less than 1/3 of a cotton a ball. It probably looks like a lot more than it is because I don't like the cotton rolled tightly, just enough to form it enough to pull it through the coil. I "fluff" it before juicing it, then push the tails upward before installing the chimney. Once the chimney is down, I ever so gently press the cotton down into the wells with one of my wide selection of small blue screwdrivers.

I'm going to start selling small blue screwdrivers on ebay someday. Share the wealth, so to speak.