Have a Vaporflask DNA 40 on the way: Titanium coils?

[brickfollett]

Finally took the dive into the DNA40 rage, and made a nice choice for a piece of gear, ordered a Vaporflask DNA40 in SS from Vaperev. I have a bunch of nickel wire already because I initially ordered a vaporshark Rdna40, but cancelled it due to delays. I've been reading that nickel wire is quite a pain to deal with, and I prefer to use rayon myself, and I've also heard that Rayon is a pain when paired with nickel because of the fragility of nickel wire.

So I've read some decent stuff about titanium wire, and ordered a 50 foot spool from ebay per another thread here, from the recommended seller who is touted to be reputable. I know that I'll have to significantly lower the temp setting on the DNA40 to make it work properly, and I've read that spaced coils work better. The wire is equivalent to 24 gauge (0.5mm) so it's dang thick stuff. I know that GG is using pre assembled titanium wires after much research, so it seems like a good choice, and doesn't have to be used on a temperature controlled device from what I gather.

Do I pretty much know everything I need to know about it? I'll primarily be building on my Kayfun 4 (may be impossible to use the 24 gauge titanium with those little screws) and a fogger v6, which does extremely well with my 0.5 ohm kanthal build right now. I'll probably pick up a Goblin soon too, but I'm kind of waiting for a larger tank model to come out. Shame to use cheapy tanks on a 300 dollar setup, but that Fogger V6 has treated me better than the Erlkonigin, Squape Reloaded, Taifun GT2, Flash E Vapor V3 and even my Kayfun 4. I also really like my Subtank and I'm pretty sure they're releasing temp controlled coils for that too.

Who has used Titanium coils, what do you have to say about it, and do you prefer it over nickel builds?

Thanks guys!

 

[Asbestos4004]

I'm not having any trouble with .28 ga nickel. Its just a matter of adapting a little. I do want to try titanium but haven't yet. I know what you mean about cheap tanks. It seems like a sin, but I have a subtank mini on my flask with a nickel build in the RDA section. Better than any kayfun. 10 wraps spaced with Japanese cotton. Its fantastic. The lemo is great with the same build. I like rayon in my tanks but its worth going with cotton for these setups. I like the vaporshark rDNA 40 a little more than the flask, but they're both fantastic. The nickel builds seem to have better flavor than kanthal does in the same tanks. Don't rule out the nickel, its really not hard to deal with.

 

[BoomerFZ1]

Titanium is extremely forgiving...it's kind of like Kanthal without any springiness at all. Just takes the shape you want. Very easy to work with. NI200 isn't really hard to work with but it's unforgiving. If you pinch too hard or pull to hard the wrong way, it gets jacked. Which makes it tough to re-wick cause pulling a juice-soaked wick out will most likely destroy the coil. It's like if Kanthal and silly putty made nasty. But if you work slowly and deliberately, you'll be pleased with the results. You can get really pretty, well molded builds with NI200. I prefer Titanium but I'm a fat-fingered, ham-fisted fool.

 

[brickfollett]

I already have 28, 30 and 32 gauge nickel, and .5mm titanium on the way. So since you use titanium, what temp settings are you running, and what watts are you pushing your tanks to?

 

[dr g]

Don't overthink it. Just use nickel like it was designed for.

 

[Rossum]

Who has used Titanium coils, what do you have to say about it, and do you prefer it over nickel builds?

I have (and do) but I run bottom-fed RDAs, not tanks. I like it a lot. It avoids all the problems with nickel, which is too dang soft, and too low in resistance.

24 gauge is pretty beefy, stiff stuff. My personal preference is 3x twisted 30 gauge. It would be nice if there was some 26 and 28 gauge available, but I haven't found any in the US. For reliable temperature limiting, you need commercially pure titanium, not the alloy that Greeks sell. Start with temperature settings in the low 300F range and work up. I find 330-350F to work well.

 

[brickfollett]

I have (and do) but I run bottom-fed RDAs, not tanks. I like it a lot. It avoids all the problems with nickel, which is too dang soft, and too low in resistance.

24 gauge is pretty beefy, stiff stuff. My personal preference is 3x twisted 30 gauge. It would be nice if there was some 26 and 28 gauge available, but I haven't found any in the US. For reliable temperature limiting, you need commercially pure titanium, not the alloy that Greeks sell. Start with temperature settings in the low 300F range and work up. I find 330-350F to work well.

So what grade titanium are you using? I have the grade 1 stuff on the way, which is supposedly the most pure. I don't think grade one comes in any other options than .5mm (24 gauge) and 1mm (huge)

 

[Rossum]

What I have is supposedly Grade 1 (both the 24 and 30 gauge).

I use this 30 gauge from Rio Grande (a jewelry supply house):
Titanium Laser-Weight Round Wire, 30-Ga., Soft

 

[brickfollett]

What I have is supposedly Grade 1 (both the 24 and 30 gauge).

I use this 30 gauge from Rio Grande (a jewelry supply house):
Titanium Laser-Weight Round Wire, 30-Ga., Soft

29 bucks is pretty expensive, but 200 feet is alot. Too bad you can't order just 100, thats the typical quantity I buy wire in. Have spools of 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32 gauge kanthal and 28, 30 and 32 gauge nickel. All 100 foot spools. I'm pretty sure the titanium 24 gauge spool I ordered is 50 feet. Man if all my spools were brand new, I'd have 900 feet of wire! betcha I could build a pretty exotic coil with all that stuff in one go lol. Hook it up to the power lines and let it rip haha

 

[slipr]

I already have 28, 30 and 32 gauge nickel, and .5mm titanium on the way. So since you use titanium, what temp settings are you running, and what watts are you pushing your tanks to?

of these three gauges, brickfollet, which do you find most flavorful, which easiest to work with??
tnx

 

[brickfollett]

of these three gauges, brickfollet, which do you find most flavorful, which easiest to work with??
tnx

The only success I've had so far has been with 2x twisted 30 gauge. Did a 9 or 10 wrap spaced build on my kayfun 4 and it's fantastic. Still trying to decide whether or not nickel irritates my throat though, I didn't glow the coil before wicking it so I haven't done anything wrong with it thus far. I want to try triple twisted 32 gauge next. It's not that hard to work with, you just have to roll your cotton to the point where it just feels like a solid little cylinder (pretend your making a tiny baseball bat out of cotton) and thread that through the delicate nickel coil and it'll expand on its own. Haven't messed with rayon yet though. I'll report my experience with titanium soon