Fix for the Kanger Subtank RBA dry hit problem

[WilsonPhillips]

I see this fix a lot but don't have a dremel handy.. How else can I make the juice wells bigger if I don't have the dremel? I have a drill but not any drill bits small enough

I did this with my drill. I did not buy the Dremel tool, did buy the Dremel bits and chucked them up in my drill. You can get by with just the mandrel and the cut-off wheels. I also bought the Tungsten Carbide Cutter and used it, but the cut-off wheels will suffice.

A good tip is to have someone or something to hold the drill steady. Brace your hands and tools before you put the rba to the cut-off wheel. The steadier you can keep everything, the better it will turn out. You do not want to mess up the tiny little threads at all. If you do, the whole thing is toast.

I ordered a couple more rba units from Replacement Kangertech Subtank Mini RBA Deck and I plan to test another theory. I believe that we could probably get by with no enlargement of the juice channels, but just adding the separate air channel, so the wicking doesn't block the air flow.

By the way, I did have to go back and enlarge the air channel a bit more. Even with the ends of the wick protruding into the tank, it will not wick fast enough without good airflow. A small air channel, like the one in my photos just wasn't enough. The thickness of the juice restricted the air. Doubling the size made a huge difference.

 

[WilsonPhillips]

As a follow up, I did receive the Replacement Kangertech Subtank Mini RBA Deck and tested out my theory of simply adding the air channel and not enlarging the size of the juice channels. It still can't wick well enough for long, deep hits. Even with the dedicated air channel, it still needs large juice channels to wick enough juice for big hitters or chain vaping.

After a week and a half of vaping on the Mini and the Plus, I can say that the flavor is there. When you can get enough juice, you can't help but have flavor. I am still carrying it in my pocket and have not had a single drop leak out.

Coil building: I find that keeping the coil short, no more than 4 wraps helps to keep the middle of the coil from running too dry on long hits. I also try to spread the coils out a good bit. Here is the largest coil that I feel you can really fit in between the posts.

Mini
24g Kanthal
4 wraps on a 3.8mm screwdriver or a 9/64 drill bit (This allows for a larger wick to drop through the juice channels) (Don't try to wick the coil too tight)
comes out at about 4 ohms
Start at about 18 watts and go from there

Coil wrapping | Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

 

[RandyF]

I use 2 STm's on a daily basis and never have dry hits, as long as I wick them correctly. I build my coils with 28g 6 or 7 wraps around a 6-32 machine screw (spaced), they ohm out at around 1.1 to 1.4. I vape them at 22 watts using the double hole airflow, I have the single slot STm's. I don't do anything fancy with the wicking, just trim it right above the sleeve then push it down to the base, juice it, then clear a path the juice channels on the bottom. Great flavor, good vapor and never leaks.

I have rushed in the past and not cleared the juice channels properly, or for whatever reason the wicking adjusted itself and covered them, both of which led to dry hits. I can say for sure though, when you find that balance between the coil, wicking, airflow and power, the STm RBA works fantastic as it stands.

 

[WilsonPhillips]

I tried multiple wick methods and could not come up with a way to get rid of dry hits. I use mine with the airflow wide open and long deep hits. It would tend to dry hit at the end of the hit which, for me, ruins the whole hit.

 

[WilsonPhillips]

You're just the person i've been looking for. I read about your modifications and now can't find it. I'm working on modifying a Original Subtank the big one. I wondered what size bit you used to open the airway chimney? I love the Herakles so if I mess this Subtank up it's not a big deal plus I got a Starre on its way. But I want to fiddle lol

Jason, here is the link to my photos and explanation of the modifications to the Subtank RBA. Kangertech Subtank RBA Juice Channel Enlargment Please note that I received a couple of spare RBA modules yesterday and modified them as well. I did it a bit differently and have not had a chance to post any of the photos.

Instead of using the carbide cutter, I used the cut-off wheels exclusively. To enlarge the juice channels remove the o-ring from under the base first so you do not damage it. Take 5 of the cut-off wheels and stack them together on the spindle. That is the width I cut the channels. Every few minutes, I would swap the order of the cut-off wheels on the spindle, so that they would all wear evenly. Where the photos shown have round channels, my new ones are rectangular. In fact, I have already redone the old ones as well. Hopefully, I will get a chance to change out the photos in that collection some time this weekend.

The dedicated air channel is the width of 2 stacked cut-off wheels. I also moved it a little to one side, so it comes in at the corner of where the flat part of the base meets the riser for the screw posts. Just make sure you have no wick blocking it.

I am using a 26g kanthal coil with 4 wraps around a 3.8mm screwdriver. That gives me a large coil, so I can use a large wick. Then the wick is pulled down through the juice channels and then screw the cylinder onto the base. Cut the wick ends off flush with the outside of the base. Juice it up and you are good to go.

 

[Ohm Gnome]

I already had opened up the juice channels before I saw your post. The airflow was what I really need modified at this point. With the original Subtank I find it hard to lung hit. Of course the Plus and Mini have better airflow but still less than it's competitors. But I love the tank and know it can become something great with the right modifications

 

[WilsonPhillips]

Jason, as good as the Starre is, I am still choosing the Subtanks with this mod. Once you get enough juice to keep the coil wet enough to crackle when you hit it, the flavor really comes out.

 

[Ohm Gnome]

People think I'm crazy for it but I traded my Atlantis 2 for another Subtank. Just because something is newer doesn't always mean it's better. But that said, I really love my Herakles

 

[WilsonPhillips]

I did take a new series of photos and post them. I could not edit the original post with the new link, but I did put a link to it as a caption for the remaining photo in the first series.

Kangertech Subtank RBA modification redux

 

[Ohm Gnome]

I decided to follow you so I can learn from you. I really like what you did with that Subtank. I have all the tools I just needed your blueprints lol

 

[WilsonPhillips]

I decided to follow you so I can learn from you. I really like what you did with that Subtank. I have all the tools I just needed your blueprints lol

Well, I am honored. I am new at this vaping stuff, but I grew up in a steel fabrication shop way back in the 60s. I have been tinkering with things all my life.

I had heard of others enlarging the juice channels, but no one had taken it as far as hanging the wick out the bottom of the channels or putting in an air-flow channel. I was playing around with it and when the idea hit me, I knew it would work. I said to myself, "Why didn't I think of that sooner?" Then, it was just a matter of getting the juice channels large enough that they would not choke the wick.

If you decide to go with a smaller diameter coil than the 3.8mm that I used, say 3mm, then I would only cut the channels with about 4 wheels instead of 5.

 

[Ohm Gnome]

Well, I am honored. I am new at this vaping stuff, but I grew up in a steel fabrication shop way back in the 60s. I have been tinkering with things all my life.

I had heard of others enlarging the juice channels, but no one had taken it as far as hanging the wick out the bottom of the channels or putting in an air-flow channel. I was playing around with it and when the idea hit me, I knew it would work. I said to myself, "Why didn't I think of that sooner?" Then, it was just a matter of getting the juice channels large enough that they would not choke the wick.

If you decide to go with a smaller diameter coil than the 3.8mm that I used, say 3mm, then I would only cut the channels with about 4 wheels instead of 5.

I believe I rather go with the larger diameter like you did because building coils is easy but wicking them is another story. I'm about to be 38 and I've never worked in a machine shop but I picked up some stuff from my dad. He could do about anything he put his mind to. Sounds like you're that way too