Giving up on rebuilding and here's why..

[Just Want To Quit]

Hey guys, I recently bought a Subox Mini Kit a few months ago and tried to wick the RBA for the first time and I just can't do it. I went through nearly all the cotton that came with the Subox Mini trying to wick that coil on the RBA and EVERY TIME I pull it though it rips apart. I've tried 2 to 4 mm roughly and cutting it down the edges but it doesn't work. I tried peeling off the harder edges but It doesn't work.

When I finally got it to pull through (after using over half of the cotton that came with the kit), I cut off the edges a little bit and pulled it up and screwed on the RBA cap after making sure the cotton was pushed down to the side air holes.

When I started using this thing, I heard popping at first and I was CONSTANTLY GETTING juice IN MY MOUTH!

If there is a learning curve to simply wicking cotton through a friggen coil like this then well... I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I'd rather pay a little more even just to not have to NOT deal with this crap!

I think I'll be sticking with stock made OCC's for my Subox and the CL's for my Ego One. I don't need this headache.

I may try it ONE MORE TIME and ONLY one more time. Once that cotton is used up, I'm done trying. If I can't even twist the end of cotton and wick it through a coil, I have no business trying to wrap a coil and even more so making my own juice.

Thanks for listening to my Rant but I'd rather PAY FOR CONVENIENCE to be honest and by the looks of things, most likely with juice as well.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Have you watched a few tutorial youtube videos specifically on the subtank RBA?
Any good vape shops or a friend that uses one nearby that can walk you through it?

 

[Teelux]

When I first starting building, I messed up more coils and wicks than I care to count.

In addition, the subtank mini isn't the easiest to build and wick; it definitely takes a practice, and many failed builds.

But I have to ask, if you're mangling the coil when wicking, it seems like you might be using too wide/dense of a wick. You should be able to pull the wick through the coil with just a bit of resistance.

My suggestion is to go get yourself a good, cheap RDA (check out Wotofo's drippers) and practice building. It's a lot easier to get past the initial learning curve without having to face the additional challenge of wicking a tank.

 

[David Wolf]

Hey guys, I recently bought a Subox Mini Kit a few months ago and tried to wick the RBA for the first time and I just can't do it. I went through nearly all the cotton that came with the Subox Mini trying to wick that coil on the RBA and EVERY TIME I pull it though it rips apart. I've tried 2 to 4 mm roughly and cutting it down the edges but it doesn't work. I tried peeling off the harder edges but It doesn't work.

When I finally got it to pull through (after using over half of the cotton that came with the kit), I cut off the edges a little bit and pulled it up and screwed on the RBA cap after making sure the cotton was pushed down to the side air holes.

When I started using this thing, I heard popping at first and I was CONSTANTLY GETTING JUICE IN MY MOUTH!

If there is a learning curve to simply wicking cotton through a friggen coil like this then well... I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I'd rather pay a little more even just to not have to NOT deal with this crap!

I think I'll be sticking with stock made OCC's for my Subox and the CL's for my Ego One. I don't need this headache.

I may try it ONE MORE TIME and ONLY one more time. Once that cotton is used up, I'm done trying. If I can't even twist the end of cotton and wick it through a coil, I have no business trying to wrap a coil and even more so making my own juice.

Thanks for listening to my Rant but I'd rather PAY FOR CONVENIENCE to be honest and by the looks of things, most likely with juice as well.

If you're using those small cotton sheets made for vaping, you have to cut the cotton with the grain, not against it, otherwise it will shred easily, just falls apart when you do that. I know. haha

 

[ddirtyvapes]

It sounds like your problem is the cotton, and the cotton that comes with the Subtank is TERRIBLE.

Get yourself some better Koh-Gen-Doh [organic, unbleached, etc.] cotton (easily found on Amazon) and try that before you give up. The difference is night and day. Also, like David Wolf said. Make sure you know which way the grain is going and cut with it rather than against for more stability. That took me longer to figure out than I care to admit.

I won't even use what's left from the Subtank cotton in a pinch.

 

[David Wolf]

It sounds like your problem is the cotton, and the cotton that comes with the Subtank is TERRIBLE.

Get yourself some better Koh-Gen-Doh [organic, unbleached, etc.] cotton (easily found on Amazon) and try that before you give up. The difference is night and day. Also, like David Wolf said. Make sure you know which way the grain is going and cut with it rather than against for more stability. That took me longer to figure out than I care to admit.

I won't even use what's left from the Subtank cotton in a pinch.

Yeah, I never tried the cotton that came with my mini. Ko Gen Doh is good

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Yeah, I never tried the cotton that came with my mini. Ko Gen Doh is good

You're not missing anything, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is the root of the OP's problems. I had all the same issues with popping and spitting and just plain PITA and I was not a brand-new builder. The stuff falls apart no matter which way you cut it, and getting it wet practically flattens it to nothing.

 

[stylemessiah]

Dont worry youre not the first to cut it cross the grain

As for the popping/spitting/juice in our mouth its a subtank mini, what do you expect

And for the second day in a row, literally, im posting this...why dont people search youtube grrr



Its dead easy to build if you look up a howto on youtube. It was my first tank.

 

[ashtrayogdc]

I use a subtank mini daily with an rba and don't get popping and spitting at all.

 

[suprtrkr]

Well, you gave yourself a very hard task. That RBA deck is tiny and it's tough to build. Get a $15 clone dripper and practice a bit. Cutting with the grain is important with the pads. Or get some rayon-- that's what I use-- because the fibers run the entire length of the rope, being extruded and not grown.

 

[ashtrayogdc]

twisted 28 with 3mm id 5 wraps comes to .7 ohms vape it at 22 watts and it performs amazingly well for such low wattage.

it's still one of my favorites and I've been using it for months now. still have the same build I initially put in it and it works great.

 

[ashtrayogdc]

suprtrkr is right in that aspect. Before I even got rta's and subtanks I was rebuilding evod/protank coils. Once I started on the RBA on the subtank it was a freaking breeze compared to what I was used to.

I still rebuild protank coils btw. Mini protank is also a daily vape of mine. Performs great for tootle chucking with the right modifications.

 

[eddiea]

Hey guys, I recently bought a Subox Mini Kit a few months ago and tried to wick the RBA for the first time and I just can't do it. I went through nearly all the cotton that came with the Subox Mini trying to wick that coil on the RBA and EVERY TIME I pull it though it rips apart. I've tried 2 to 4 mm roughly and cutting it down the edges but it doesn't work. I tried peeling off the harder edges but It doesn't work.

When I finally got it to pull through (after using over half of the cotton that came with the kit), I cut off the edges a little bit and pulled it up and screwed on the RBA cap after making sure the cotton was pushed down to the side air holes.

When I started using this thing, I heard popping at first and I was CONSTANTLY GETTING JUICE IN MY MOUTH!

If there is a learning curve to simply wicking cotton through a friggen coil like this then well... I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I'd rather pay a little more even just to not have to NOT deal with this crap!

I think I'll be sticking with stock made OCC's for my Subox and the CL's for my Ego One. I don't need this headache.

I may try it ONE MORE TIME and ONLY one more time. Once that cotton is used up, I'm done trying. If I can't even twist the end of cotton and wick it through a coil, I have no business trying to wrap a coil and even more so making my own juice.

Thanks for listening to my Rant but I'd rather PAY FOR CONVENIENCE to be honest and by the looks of things, most likely with juice as well.

I think many people share your frustrations. You said you can't afford it but cotton is cheap and you'll find yourself spending more on prebuilt coils. You can get a ton of Japanese cotton or other wicking material for just a few dollars - much less than a pack of prebuilt coils. Don't be discouraged...maybe try again after you figure out what you can do to improve your wicking method. You know practice makes perfect...but if for whatever reason it still doesn't work you then don't sweat it and just continue buying prebuilt coils. Rebuilding isn't for everyone...just fuggetaboutit and enjoy the vape.

 

[Just Want To Quit]

Thanks for all the replies. I watched RipTrippers and a few other youtube guys.

I heard that the Subtank Mini RBA Plus was one of the easiest decks to rebuild on. I know that's contrary to what many of you are saying but I've still seen some youtubers say it as well..

I'm looking at the cotton right now and I have no idea what "with the grain" means here. I know what it means in the context of shaving or petting an animal.. but I'm not seeing it here. The videos that I did watch all used the same cotton that came with the kit and yes one of them mentioned something about not cutting against the grain of the cotton but because he didn't get into detail of what he said I didn't bother looking into it as none of the others even mentioned this.

I should have took a picture of the build because after I took out the RBA and removed the top cap.. The cotton was almost covering the coil and it sure didn't look like that after I primed it and screwed it back together the first time.

As I stand right now, I pulled out the wick and rinsed the entire RBA under hot water, shook it out and wrapped it in a napkin and plastic bag to dry. I keep hearing conflicting things about rinsing the coils out with tap water. Some say it's bad for the coil, some say it doesn't matter. I don't know who to believe.

To make matters worse I had trouble getting the threads of the OCC to catch the chimney and I hope I didn't strip them. At least I can say I'm not getting juice in the back of my throat that was the equivilent to post nasal drip!

Again sorry for the rant but can you blame me. I can't even wick a coil apparently. I'll check out the posted video and will follow up with the replies tomorrow. Either way, I just opened up a brand new 0.5 Ohm OCC so I'm content for the moment.

Thanks guys.

Edit: And yes, that is the Youtube Video that I followed. Lets just say mine didn't look as nice as his. Remember my job was just to WICK this thing!

 

[stylemessiah]

Thanks for all the replies. I watched RipTrippers and a few other youtube guys.

I heard that the Subtank Mini RBA Plus was one of the easiest decks to rebuild on. I know that's contrary to what many of you are saying but I've still seen some youtubers say it as well..

I'm looking at the cotton right now and I have no idea what "with the grain" means here. I know what it means in the context of shaving or petting an animal.. but I'm not seeing it here. The videos that I did watch all used the same cotton that came with the kit and yes one of them mentioned something about not cutting against the grain of the cotton but because he didn't get into detail of what he said I didn't bother looking into it as none of the others even mentioned this.

I should have took a picture of the build because after I took out the RBA and removed the top cap.. The cotton was almost covering the coil and it sure didn't look like that after I primed it and screwed it back together the first time.

As I stand right now, I pulled out the wick and rinsed the entire RBA under hot water, shook it out and wrapped it in a napkin and plastic bag to dry. I keep hearing conflicting things about rinsing the coils out with tap water. Some say it's bad for the coil, some say it doesn't matter. I don't know who to believe.

To make matters worse I had trouble getting the threads of the OCC to catch the chimney and I hope I didn't strip them. At least I can say I'm not getting juice in the back of my throat that was the equivilent to post nasal drip!

Again sorry for the rant but can you blame me. I can't even wick a coil apparently. I'll check out the posted video and will follow up with the replies tomorrow. Either way, I just opened up a brand new 0.5 Ohm OCC so I'm content for the moment.

Thanks guys.

Edit: And yes, that is the Youtube Video that I followed. Lets just say mine didn't look as nice as his. Remember my job was just to WICK this thing!

It can be frustrating the first half dozen times (or more), until it all clicks into place for you. Its sometimes hard to remember what it was like in the beginning for some of us. Lol, you can get to the point where you can knock a rebuild out in a tv ad break, but it does take practice to get there.

Heres how i figured out the cotton grain, if it pulls apart easily, you need to turn it 90 degrees. Or, alternately, hold the cotton pad up to the light. You should see the grain that way. As mentioned the stuff they give you is crap and from memory still falls apart even the right way around, just less easily. As suggested gets some organic japanese cotton or even cellucotton, one or both available at better chemists/drug stores. It will be an improvement over the included stuff and will lessen your frustration. Once i swore and made my way through the kanger cotton and got some proper cotton i was off. Lol, in the bottom of every tank box of every tank ive bought, you'll still find the packaged cotton there...its because of the kanger stuff, i cant bring myself to roll the dice with the packaged stuff

And the other thing is, dont get caught up in cutting off an exact Xmm strip, what you want to achieve is to get the cotton snug in the coil, so you want it to fill the coil as much as possible, this will take practice too, to get the right width so that when you pull it through its snug but doesnt overly pull at the coil as it passes through.

You will go through some cotton, heck i still do, especially as even after cutting off the same width strip as i do like the one before it, not every strip of cotton will have the same density....so i still throw the odd strip out.

Dont let it get on top of you, you will get it

 

[Teelux]

Don't stress it, man - I'm telling you, the subtank rba isn't easy to wick. For me, it's always a delicate balance between getting too much juice in the chamber from too little cotton, leading to spray, and too much cotton, which gives you dry hits.

I can't see the cotton you're working with, but typically, the fibers go in one general direction; and, juice is pulled in that direction. Ideally, you want to cut the cotton with the grain, so the juice naturally wicks into the coil.

In terms of tap water being safe on atties, what I can tell you is that in the nearly 2 years that I've been vaping, I've never ran into any problems. I rise, pat dry; then, dry burn away any excess moisture that likes to hang around inside.

As was mentioned above, go get yourself some better wicking material. Rayon works well, but personally, I'm partial to Japanese organic cotton that is sold in pads. I use Shiseido cotton pads as they're cheaper and available at drug stores around here.

 

[KineticMind]

Convenience. It is important. For me, the convenience of building a coil or coils whenever I am in need of one far surpasses the inconvenience of buying pre-made coils. But, yeah, to a new coil builder, I can understand why you might feel the way you do.

My first foray into building was the heads of Protanks. What a royal pain that was for a beginner. Still, over time, I became very good at it, and positioned myself well when the time came to actually put builds together for RDA's and RTA's. Now I can't imagine paying for a coil that I didn't wrap myself. Again, convenience is important. Do what works for you, but don't write something off completely because of a few failed first attempts.

 

[NealBJr]

Thanks for all the replies. I watched RipTrippers and a few other youtube guys.

I heard that the Subtank Mini RBA Plus was one of the easiest decks to rebuild on. I know that's contrary to what many of you are saying but I've still seen some youtubers say it as well..

I'm looking at the cotton right now and I have no idea what "with the grain" means here. I know what it means in the context of shaving or petting an animal.. but I'm not seeing it here. The videos that I did watch all used the same cotton that came with the kit and yes one of them mentioned something about not cutting against the grain of the cotton but because he didn't get into detail of what he said I didn't bother looking into it as none of the others even mentioned this.

I should have took a picture of the build because after I took out the RBA and removed the top cap.. The cotton was almost covering the coil and it sure didn't look like that after I primed it and screwed it back together the first time.

As I stand right now, I pulled out the wick and rinsed the entire RBA under hot water, shook it out and wrapped it in a napkin and plastic bag to dry. I keep hearing conflicting things about rinsing the coils out with tap water. Some say it's bad for the coil, some say it doesn't matter. I don't know who to believe.

To make matters worse I had trouble getting the threads of the OCC to catch the chimney and I hope I didn't strip them. At least I can say I'm not getting juice in the back of my throat that was the equivilent to post nasal drip!

Again sorry for the rant but can you blame me. I can't even wick a coil apparently. I'll check out the posted video and will follow up with the replies tomorrow. Either way, I just opened up a brand new 0.5 Ohm OCC so I'm content for the moment.

Thanks guys.

Edit: And yes, that is the Youtube Video that I followed. Lets just say mine didn't look as nice as his. Remember my job was just to WICK this thing!

I own several rebuildable atomizers, and three subtank mini's with RBA decks. I find the Subtanks aren't the easiest due to their size. I have been doing RBA's for a while, and I still say they're not the easiest to start with. But at least the subtank does give you the option to just go stock coils. to be totally honest, I would rebuild the stock coils over the RBA base for the subtanks.

As far as the cotton, I think the others hit the nail on the head. With cotton pads, the fibers are usually long, and are all oriented in one direction. Similar to a piece of wood, the "grain" is one direction. If you cut at a 90 degree angle, it's cutting all those long strands into short ones, and will easily fall apart if you pull on them. I think you're cutting the pad 90 degrees of the direction you SHOULD be cutting.

The good thing is, cotton is cheap.. dirt cheap. And you use so little of it. I have spent $10 for a 10 pack of cotton... I am still using that SAME cotton. a year later. And I think I overpaid when I bought it.

one suggestion I would have, is to stick with buying coil heads for now, and get yourself a basic dripper. I normally don't suggest a new person going to dripping, but the added space of a dripper allows for easier ways to manipulate the cotton/wire. If I had to buy within the US, the UD Igo W is a basic dripper with a fairly easy deck to work with. It's not the best drippers, but it's an excellent dripper to get started and to practice building. I also recommend getting some wick and wire. If you have a local vape shop, many times they'll have both the cotton, wire, and will probably show you how to rebuild.

In the long run, rebuilding gives better flavor and vapor... not to mention it's cheaper. It can get frustrating at first, but just remember that most of the rebuilding videos are done by people who have already soldiered through the learning phase that your'e in now and are quite skilled. I remember one time I did an RBA... I ended up testing it's aerodynamics as I threw it through the air in frustration.... of course I found it the next day, but it does have a learning curve... keep with it, it's worth it.

 

[NealBJr]

Convenience. It is important. For me, the convenience of building a coil or coils whenever I am in need of one far surpasses the inconvenience of buying pre-made coils. But, yeah, to a new coil builder, I can understand why you might feel the way you do.

My first foray into building was the heads of Protanks. What a royal pain that was for a beginner. Still, over time, I became very good at it, and positioned myself well when the time came to actually put builds together for RDA's and RDA's. Now I can't imagine paying for a coil that I didn't wrap myself. Again, convenience is important. Do what works for you, but don't write something off completely because of a few failed first attempts.

Lol, that was my first rebuild experience too. I had a trick though that made it easier... I would stick a small pin through the silica, then wrap 32 gauge wire around the silica as close together as I could while the pin was still in there.. when I had my coil, I inserted the silica (again, still with the pin), pulled the leads tight, then once everything was straight, I took out the pin and trimmed the silica... I had a good system going.

this may sound odd, but I still use a protank II from time to time... I am still using the two coil heads that came with it too.

 

[bwh79]

I never could get the hang of those cotton pads, but I'll tell ya, rayon is the shiz.

(Note: I've not yet wicked my STM but I've done it a few times on my KFL+ which is very similar to the STM RBA. Not too many times, though because, like I said, rayon is the shiz, and especially since I primarily vape unflavored in my tanks, a wick lasts me for-freaking-ever. I think the last time I did was about a month or two ago, and it's just now starting to taste like it might need a new one soon.)