Fused Clapton Help....your thoughts and help please

[OpenUpShop]

Dear ECF family,

So far every time I have had an issue, someone has had the perfect answer here...from quitting cigarettes to attys. So I came to my favorite place to hopefully get some of your thoughts...

From everyone's help here, I have mastered regular coils and claptons... However, I am having some issues with Fused claptons. I've been trying (countless times) to keep the core wires from overlapping, without much success. I usually use 3 rows of 28 kanthal as the core, and wrap that with 32 gauge nichrome. When I do a regular clapton, it comes out perfect. However, soon as I do a multi-core, they overlap. I have the following setup, pics below..

I have a few swivels attached to a screw on one side of desk. The core wires are connected to a drill on one and end and to the swivels on the other end. I am using a embroidery needle (pictured below). This works amazing for regular claptons and the actual wrapping comes out just perfect on the fused claptons..

However, every time, when I am building fused claptons, the core wires overlap and/or don't stay flat. I've tried using toothless plyers, however, from multiple videos and many here, I was told this setup would keep the cores from overlapping ANd staying flat.

Greatly appreciate any help and your thought..

FYI - last two pics are just of the swivels in case you guys think I am using the wrong kinds. I've tried using both types pictures...one is the ball bearing type...Thank you...
Best Wishes...

IF anyone sees something or has some advice, I would greatly greatly appreciate it, my friends.

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

You will be far better to either make a Cat Track coil -->

or making a alien coil-->

 

[sonicbomb]

Make sure that you pre-straighten the individual core wires first so that they lay flat and parallel.
Use a piece of tape at both ends to keep the strands in place.
Wrap slowly and carefully.

Here is a tutorial videos you may or may not have seen

 

[OpenUpShop]

Thank you so much Sneeky_Eel, the two you posted were on my list of to do's but I figured I had to master fused Claptons first as those seem one step more advanced.

Also wouldn't I still have the same issue with the core wires overlapping on me. The overlapping is basically the only difficulty I have so far, every other aspect I've practiced enough to the point of it becoming second nature... Thank you Sneeky...

 

[OpenUpShop]

Make sure that you pre-straighten the individual core wires first so that they lay flat and parallel.
Use a piece of tape at both ends to keep the strands in place.
Wrap slowly and carefully.

Here is a tutorial videos you may or may not have seen

Thank you sonicbomb, I have tried the taping once but I will try this afternoon again and this time I will tape the ends very carefully.

Only thing is I thought the swivel method was supposed to get past the overlapping issue. In the tutorials the swivels basically keep them from overlapping and they come out perfect. I feel like I'm just missing some aspect.

And I do straighten the cores first always... Thank you so much...

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

Sneeky-eel! lol i like it!

It's kind of hard to fuse up more than two wires, i dont think ive seen any of it it just seems more hassle than its worth, when i make cat tracks i start off with all the wires parallel and depending on the wire being used i can get maybe 4inches before it starts to twist an this is without swivels but if you watch twisted messes cat track vid you see how he holds the part of the wire that has already been wrapped rather than supporting the unwrapped part, this is key to less twist and overlapping, i use this same method with aliens. Watch the whole video and you will see that he also gets twist's and he will show you how to fix it, its easier than me explaining.
Apart from doing the cat track wire the next easiest way to get 3 core wires parallel is to alien them, it might seem easier to just clapton around 3 parallel wires but with each wrap you make you can end up a little tighter and next thing you know you have a triangle of wire, this is the reason why i posted you the vids i have.
Try to watch most of the vids associated with aliens as there are so many dif little tricks you will pick up, you can even alien wire without the need for swivels, it is how i do it

 

[OpenUpShop]

Sneeky-eel! lol i like it!

It's kind of hard to fuse up more than two wires, i dont think ive seen any of it it just seems more hassle than its worth, when i make cat tracks i start off with all the wires parallel and depending on the wire being used i can get maybe 4inches before it starts to twist an this is without swivels but if you watch twisted messes cat track vid you see how he holds the part of the wire that has already been wrapped rather than supporting the unwrapped part, this is key to less twist and overlapping, i use this same method with aliens. Watch the whole video and you will see that he also gets twist's and he will show you how to fix it, its easier than me explaining.
Apart from doing the cat track wire the next easiest way to get 3 core wires parallel is to Alien them, it might seem easier to just clapton around 3 parallel wires but with each wrap you make you can end up a little tighter and next thing you know you have a triangle of wire, this is the reason why i posted you the vids i have.
Try to watch most of the vids associated with aliens as there are so many dif little tricks you will pick up, you can even alien wire without the need for swivels, it is how i do it

Thank you so much Slippy_Eel... I had actually seen this video a month back, but I figured this was way out of my league at the time. I figured I needed to master clapton (which I have now) and also fused claptons (which I obviously haven't yet) before I get to this type of build.

After watching the video again now, I realize what you mean about this type of build. For me I couldn't even care less about the "overlapping" of the core wires or the "triangling" of the wires, its just that the overlapping and triangling created hot spots which I can't seem to get rid of even after pinching them. But with this video, I see that you can just hammer them out and this type of build was what I was trying to get to anyway, the fused clapton was again just a stepping stone for me. Im gonna order the "jeweler's hammer" and some more wire and can't wait to try this..hehe..

Also, thanks for the note about what he said in the video to "support the part of the wires that has already been wrapped" I will try although, I do the "wire through a pen" method when wrapping as I can't always keep my hand perfectly steady. But I will try to mirror the approach from this video.

Thank you so much my friend...hope I can learn to master this...

 

[Skeintastic]

Do a search fore vape3d coil jig. It took me a fee times to get my wraps around the cores to be as tight as when I do it by hand... but I believe this little 3d printed is a game changer for those that want a buitiful fused Clapton with little effort.