General question about "hot legs"

[Spazmelda]

I decided to start a new thread to ask this. I've decided to try rebuilding and a couple of people suggested starting with the protank. I watched some videos and read a bunch of things. Ordered some stuff and gave it a try. I've made about 4-5 coils with varied success. I got got 32 gauge kanthal today, was using 34 before that.

In all of the videos they just rebuild with resistance wire, no nr. My question is why do you not need nr wire in it? Why doesn't the wire running down the inside burn the rubber plug? This is probably just something that is really simply explained if you understand how resistance works, but I tried reading about resistors, in general, and couldn't really figure out why it doesn't burn or glow in the non-coiled part.

Also, I've gotten a burnt taste a few times, and I can't figure out if it is because of burning rubber, gross wick, or some other problem. When I take the rubber plugs out I do have one that's got scorched lines in the part of the rubber that is closest to the coil. I don't think those were there before I started dinking around with them. From the factory coils I took apart, it looks like there is nr-r-nr, soldered together. But none of the tutorials I've watched have used that.

So, I know that it's normally not supposed to burn the rubber even with only r wires, but I don't know why it doesn't. I know that at least once I have done something that has caused the rubber to get scorched, but I don't know exactly what I did and how to prevent it. Also, once that rubber stopper is scorched will it always produce bad taste?

tia!

 

[REOfanatic]

hey spaz me again lol.

Anyways, the hot legs in something like a protank only occur when there is a short, usually due to the leads or legs actually touching. i have burnt out many of protank rubber seals in the process. one trick is to pull the leads all the way to their side of the coils and hold the negative lead while you put the seal back in and always tug on them a little bit to make sure they do not touch. you could always use NR wire but its an unnecessary burden. basilrays video helped me the most maybe rewatch it a few times trust me it gets easier and protank attys are a little bit smaller than most others so rbas will get a lot easier hope it helps!

 

[Spazmelda]

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I haven't made one with the legs touching. I did it the way you described, pulling them to opposite sides and using some force to hold them straight while replacing the plug and pin. Would a short like that cause a weird ohm reading also? All of the ohm readings I've gotten were about what I'd expect based on the tightness of the coils, gauge of wire, number of wraps, etc...

I guess my main question right now is more just curiosity. Why don't the 'legs' get hot (normally)? They have resistance, they should be slowing the flow of electrons down right? Why don't they get hot and burn the rubber? Why do they only glow on the coiled part?

 

[REOfanatic]

they way coils work is that the leads are were the power is coming from. so the positive side and the negative side meet in the middle causing heat to be made. thats why the middle of the coil should in theory glow first followed shortly by the outer coils. the legs could get hot if you kept the power going but not in the timespan of a drag on an ecig i could be wrong but i think thats somewhat right. when shorts occur thats when the two powers meet in an unexpected spot (the rubber seal) and usually sparks ensue due to the uncontrolled environment like all metal touching it causing it to ground out and heat up and potentially pop a wire. hope that helps

 

[REOfanatic]

as for the ohm reading. if it jumps randomly without you touching the coil its a short. it should be somewhat consisent if it jumps from .75 to .76 its just on the edge of like .755 if you're using an ohm reader or meter. if its like a vamo and it skips thats definetly a short

 

[Spazmelda]

Hm, I thought the electrons only went in one direction. Lol. It's been a long time since physics.

Btw, I really appreciate all your help on this thread and the previous one. The coil I made earlier today with the 32 gauge wire is tasting very nice. I thought it was not so great at first, but then I removed one strand of the 2 mm silica that I had been using as a flavor wick, and it's much better. I think I was choking it off too much. Hopefully I will get better at this. I still haven't messed with the aga yet. I will need more kid free time to think about that first.

I wish there was a source for the little rubber stopper things. It would be nice to have some extras on hand for when they get too destroyed to use anymore.

 

[holcombgl]

for the aga kidney punchers sells the positive post insulators in packs of 10. That's the only way they come.

AGA Series Positive Post Insulators - 10 pack - Kidney Puncher

 

[bnrkwest]

Everytime I see a thread about hot legs I always want say: "Yes, you called?????? and to post this: I know my bad! LOL it is late so needed a laugh! bnrk

 

[REOfanatic]

no problem spaz . as for the aga it will be alot easier for coil building alot more room just rememeber to hold it like the pros! haha. im glad rebuilding is going smoothly and remember its a learning exp. i went from the protank to mini novas to rebuilding RDAs and it took a while but you will get the hang. btw with protanks you should try micro coils it works great and you fit almost 10 wraps in a protank base!

 

[Spazmelda]

no problem spaz . as for the aga it will be alot easier for coil building alot more room just rememeber to hold it like the pros! haha. im glad rebuilding is going smoothly and remember its a learning exp. i went from the protank to mini novas to rebuilding RDAs and it took a while but you will get the hang. btw with protanks you should try micro coils it works great and you fit almost 10 wraps in a protank base!

What gauge and type of wire are you using for those? I've been occasionally skimming through that huge thread. Reading bits and pieces.

for the aga kidney punchers sells the positive post insulators in packs of 10. That's the only way they come.

AGA Series Positive Post Insulators - 10 pack - Kidney Puncher

Do those fit the protank? I found some thread, somewhere, that said they definitely don't fit the protank heads. Then, I think on a different thread someone said they do fit, but you have to trim them down. I was confused.

 

[REOfanatic]

i like the thicker wire usually 28awg it works for sub ohm and nice micro coils !

 

[minimalsaint]

People actually suggest protank heads for a first rebuildable? Yeow- that would be enough to make me crazy and forget the idea of building coils altogether.

 

[Spazmelda]

I actually thought it was pretty easy!

 

[REOfanatic]

the pro tank teaches a good lesson of how to use a multimeter thats for sure haha but also its pretty inexpensive and can be easy to use as a BCC so newbs dont have to hold it like the pros all the time. i remember my first genny 4 out of 5 drags would be holding wrong

 

[Spazmelda]

I haven't gotten around to fiddling with the aga yet. I may prefer to stick with the protanks. I'm not a fan of tipping and having to hold something a certain way. Unless I get some solid kid free time, I may not get around to messing with those till they go back to school. I can crank out the protank coils in a few minutes though, so I can do those here and there when the kids are occupied with something else (Spongebob or Chowder).

 

[300fury]

Just for the hell of it I rebuilt a pro tank head got a really bad taste. I have igos, drunker tanks phoenix and vision eternity . Also octopus rda. Why am I getting a burnt taste, 34 g wire 3 wraps 2.3 ohms . Took it apart and the rubber was not scorched at all .....ideas??? Thanks

 

[ElectricalSocket]

Just for the hell of it I rebuilt a pro tank head got a really bad taste. I have igos, drunker tanks phoenix and vision eternity . Also octopus rda. Why am I getting a burnt taste, 34 g wire 3 wraps 2.3 ohms . Took it apart and the rubber was not scorched at all .....ideas??? Thanks

I would say it's the glue. Depends on a few variables though. Did you recently get the protank or when it first came out? Have you been using it with no odd taste for a while? I got a few when they first came out. Either the heat, the juice, or both compromised the glue on the first however many protanks. If you can't find any other reason why there would be an off taste, that's what it is. Look right below the metal base threading on the inside, and see if you can see spots of yellow where the glue is either burning or soaking up juice. The glue should be clear and you can see little micro bubbles in the adhesive.

 

[pizza2me]

Do those fit the protank? I found some thread, somewhere, that said they definitely don't fit the protank heads. Then, I think on a different thread someone said they do fit, but you have to trim them down. I was confused.

They definitely do. I'm using a couple of them.

People actually suggest protank heads for a first rebuildable? Yeow- that would be enough to make me crazy and forget the idea of building coils altogether.

This was my first thought! I started with RSST and when I got that down I went to try protanks and dayum that's a small space to work in. I use mesh wicks so my wife won't burn them. But, if you have a hotspot or short, especially on the bottom. Ack!!!!

I actually thought it was pretty easy!

Yup. It does get easy. But, IMO, a regular RBA is an easier starter. And I never have to worry about holding it right or tilting unless the tank's almost empty. BUT... I use 500 mesh and at least 80% pg. I've never had trouble with wicking.


Stick with it spaz!!! I was one of the biggest skeptics. Wouldn't give up my carto tanks. But now all I use is RSSTs and my wife uses them and sometimes protanks.

 

[Randy C]

Let me share what I've learned....First off, a "hot leg" refers only to a leg that glows red. I'm not going to get into the causes of hot legs at this point. Let's focus on the basics....this should help.

Silicone grommets (in RBA's requiring them) will burn even of you don't have a hot leg. Resistance wire legs don't often glow red, however the resistance in the legs cause them to get extremely hot. Legs made of resistance wire will get hot enough to scorch silicon grommets; creating a foul taste (can't be very heathy for you either). Most folks make legs of non-resistance wire when they're required to pass thru silicon grommets. Non-resistance wire allows the electricity to pass thru it with relative ease. The lack of resistance produces very little heat; therefore silicone grommets won't scorch or burn.

I hope this helps...

 

[Spazmelda]

They definitely do. I'm using a couple of them.

Can you tell me how you are using them? I got some and tried and they don't work for me (on the protank heads). First, they are a little large and hard to shove in the hole. I can get them in, but then something about them cuts off the air flow when I screw the head onto the battery. Air flow is fine through the head before I screw it into the base, and it's fine when I screw it onto the protank base, but when I put it on the battery there is no air flow at all. Are they too tall? Do I need to trim them off somewhere? I can't figure out how exactly they are cutting off the airflow.