I built my first coil! (a.k.a How not to build your first coil)

[Avid]

I almost wish I had YouTubed this... It would have named it "Inspector Clouseau Builds A Coil!"

Remember the day you built your first coil? It probably didn't go like this:

First, I couldn't get the top of the atty (Trident). Just couldn't get a good grip to get it off. Whacking it on the table didn't loosen it up. Used rubber gloves, twisting, twisting, twisting... then found out the top doesn't twist off, it lifts off. duh.

Then I unscrewed the tops of the posts. One hits the floor and I hear it bounce around. They're tiny and there's no spares in the box. Crawling around on all fours under the kitchen table armed with a flashlight, I find it 10 minutes later under the potato bin. 30 years ago, this might have looked cute...

I opened the 10' roll of Kanthal the local vape guy gave me. It unfurls (all 10 feet of it!) seemingly instantly and I got a tangled mess of Kanthal all over me. I try to roll it back onto the spool but it gets even more tangled and I have to cut the tangles out. Now I have around 7' of Kanthal. 7' total because it's all in pieces now.

Made a coil! Put it on the meter and it comes out to 5.2 ohms, then 2.? ohms, keeps changing, ohms meter can't figure out what ohms it is. I'm fairly certain this isn't supposed to happen. Throw Coil #1 away. I walk away and pout for a while.

Made another coil! This one comes out at 1.5 ohms and stays there! Yippee!

Takes me at least 10 minutes to get the legs into the post holes of the Trident because they're so tiny I can't see 'em and I'm notnotnot taking those screws off the top again. Ever. Finally, I fire it up and the coil glows but isn't tight together; the outsides are not glowing. I take a tweezer while they're hot to push the coil closer together. Coil sparks and coil leg comes off. Throw Coil #2 away. That'll teach me not to fire the mod while using the tweezers.

Coil #3 came out at 1.2ohm and stayed there, both legs are still attached, and it fires from the middle to the outsides. I must have gotten the wicking right because it worked and now I can drip! l Cleaned up the mess and stabbed myself in the finger with a piece of the tangled coil. Seriously.

So what have I learned?

1. I need magnetic screwdrivers and a mat or towel to build on
2. Kanthal is way springier than you think. And when it's cut, it's sharp
3. No matter how many coiling videos I watch, it's way easier when someone else is doing it
4. I desperately need a jewelers magnifying visor
5. Objects on YouTube are much larger than in real life
6. I have a happenin' case of Potty Mouth

If you're about to make your first coil, see above but don't worry, this probably won't happen to you. If you've made you first with no issues, I applaud you. And if you're 'old hat' at making coils, I hope I amused you

 

[Nytebreed]

I wish there was a ... love button next to like.

I think everyone who coils has stories. This one however was well written and just awesome, brightened my day it did.

 

[PapaSloth]

Then I unscrewed the tops of the posts. One hits the floor and I hear it bounce around. They're tiny and there's no spares in the box. Crawling around on all fours under the kitchen table armed with a flashlight, I find it 10 minutes later under the potato bin. 30 years ago, this might have looked cute...

This has happened to me. I was drilling out the air hole on my Kayfun and I dropped one of the top post screws. Grey screw against a gray textured epoxy floor. Took me waaaay too long to find it.

I opened the 10' roll of Kanthal the local vape guy gave me. It unfurls (all 10 feet of it!) seemingly instantly and I got a tangled mess of Kanthal all over me. I try to roll it back onto the spool but it gets even more tangled and I have to cut the tangles out. Now I have around 7' of Kanthal. 7' total because it's all in pieces now.

I got the 100' roll, so only the first 10' or so unfurled It still ended up being a tangled mess (and still is).

Here's something from my list: overtighted the screw down just a little too much and it started spinning. Stripped it out with no replacements. Fortunately, the other top post screw was just a little bigger/fresher, so I was able to swap them around and they both work now.

Here's another one: I had just a teeny end of the wire poking out from the screw and everything worked fine until I screwed the chimney on and shorted it. It arced and the kanthal welded itself to the chimney. I had to grind it out At least the battery didn't vent, and doesn't seem to have any lasting damage (thank you, Sony VTC5).

 

[nicetucu]

Lmao so so true. I grabbed a coil jig from 101vape that seems to help a bit. You really can use any round object to wrap a coil though.

Surprisingly enough it does get easier in time. I use double or triple twisted 30-32g wire (cause I have a ton of it lol) as well. You save so much money in the end and vape in your sweet spot. Wish I started doing this from the start.

 

[PapaSloth]

I have NOT grabbed a glowing hot coil yet, so I count myself lucky.

 

[NightSky]

I have NOT grabbed a glowing hot coil yet, so I count myself lucky.

Oh god I'm waiting for myself to do something like that, hoping that doesn't happen.

That's the kind of thing that happens when you get too comfortable with building attys all the time, and then boom one wrong move and it hurts

 

[Avid]

I think everyone who coils has stories. This one however was well written and just awesome, brightened my day it did.

Wish You Were Here. (we're both in MA) You may have helped (while being entertained by my utter NOOBness) and I would have about 3 hours of my life back

 

[K31Scout]

Your first coil build would have made a great youtube! I bet you're still cute down there on all fours too.

 

[Avid]

Surprisingly enough it does get easier in time.

Goddess, I hope so!!! lol

 

[Skunkworkx]

Great read LOL

Wife looking at me funny right now LOLing by myself.

 

[nicetucu]

Ha ha grabbed a COIL JIG. Much different lol.

 

[Traijan]

4. I desperately need a jewelers magnifying visor

I have one of those desk magnifying glasses with the led lights in it to help me do my coiling. It's got something like 84 led light bulbs surrounding the 10x magnifying lens and is on a nice swing arm that let's me put it in just about any position I need it to be in. That coupled with my magnifying glasses (which make things even bigger when looking through the desk magnifyer) is the only way I can do a new coil.

It has tremendously helped me to do things like building a coil as things look pretty gigantic when viewed through the lens and the amount of light it puts out is amazing, it lights up the whole room if I shine it towards the ceiling. I could never build a coil just using my magnifying reading glasses alone.

I built my first coil for an RSST the other day (been building mc's for past couple months though) but for some reason it refused to work. Took it into the local B&M and after about 5 or so minutes the guy asked if I minded if he just rebuilt the coil instead of trying to figure out why it wouldn't work right so I told him whatever is easier, go for it.

When he was done he said something to the effect of "It's not as *pretty* as your coil, but it should work" To which I replied that I'd never consider my coil handiwork to be remotely pretty but he seemed to suggest that the way that I had nice neat coil windings were awesome looking. I can only think that it was dumb luck that my coil may have turned out to be *pretty* looking by anybody else.

 

[Marc411]

LMAO.....

Real tough day at work and I just laughed my azz off!

Damn I needed that, great post!

 

[Dusty_D]

What a hilarious hilarious post. Thank you!!

Once you get to coil number 50 or so, you'll be able to do it in the dark with one hand tied behind your back.

Disclaimer: YMMV!!

 

[iamthevoice]

A small coil building jig might be helpful... Thanks for the giggles! If it makes you feel any better, I karma just got me as I was reading this, I hit empty on my Aerotank... Love those big, dry hits! Still coughing as I type!

 

[B2L]

I almost wish I had YouTubed this... It would have named it "Inspector Clouseau Builds A Coil!"

Remember the day you built your first coil? It probably didn't go like this:

First, I couldn't get the top of the atty (Trident). Just couldn't get a good grip to get it off. Whacking it on the table didn't loosen it up. Used rubber gloves, twisting, twisting, twisting... then found out the top doesn't twist off, it lifts off. duh.

Then I unscrewed the tops of the posts. One hits the floor and I hear it bounce around. They're tiny and there's no spares in the box. Crawling around on all fours under the kitchen table armed with a flashlight, I find it 10 minutes later under the potato bin. 30 years ago, this might have looked cute...

I opened the 10' roll of Kanthal the local vape guy gave me. It unfurls (all 10 feet of it!) seemingly instantly and I got a tangled mess of Kanthal all over me. I try to roll it back onto the spool but it gets even more tangled and I have to cut the tangles out. Now I have around 7' of Kanthal. 7' total because it's all in pieces now.

Made a coil! Put it on the meter and it comes out to 5.2 ohms, then 2.? ohms, keeps changing, ohms meter can't figure out what ohms it is. I'm fairly certain this isn't supposed to happen. Throw Coil #1 away. I walk away and pout for a while.

Made another coil! This one comes out at 1.5 ohms and stays there! Yippee!

Takes me at least 10 minutes to get the legs into the post holes of the Trident because they're so tiny I can't see 'em and I'm notnotnot taking those screws off the top again. Ever. Finally, I fire it up and the coil glows but isn't tight together; the outsides are not glowing. I take a tweezer while they're hot to push the coil closer together. Coil sparks and coil leg comes off. Throw Coil #2 away. That'll teach me not to fire the mod while using the tweezers.

Coil #3 came out at 1.2ohm and stayed there, both legs are still attached, and it fires from the middle to the outsides. I must have gotten the wicking right because it worked and now I can drip! l Cleaned up the mess and stabbed myself in the finger with a piece of the tangled coil. Seriously.

So what have I learned?

1. I need magnetic screwdrivers and a mat or towel to build on
2. Kanthal is way springier than you think. And when it's cut, it's sharp
3. No matter how many coiling videos I watch, it's way easier when someone else is doing it
4. I desperately need a jewelers magnifying visor
5. Objects on YouTube are much larger than in real life
6. I have a happenin' case of Potty Mouth

If you're about to make your first coil, see above but don't worry, this probably won't happen to you. If you've made you first with no issues, I applaud you. And if you're 'old hat' at making coils, I hope I amused you

I want to nominate this for best post ever

Seriously, anyone who's built coils for any length of time has done most, if not all of this... just not all at the same time

I hope the end result was worth the blood, sweat and tears and now you have a great story to tell to help noobs through it all. Thanks for making my day

 

[crxess]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

Been in agony for over 5 months with a Pinched nerve and 2 torn ligaments in my right shoulder. Today was one of the worst..... Up until I sat down to start reading ECF.

Your post got me laughing so hard I had tears. I'm sure we have all shared one or more of your trials. ( Me, Most of them)

Glad you stuck with it and WON!!!

Vape safe and enjoy!

 

[classwife]

That was most enjoyable...at your expense of course...


Thank you - great read !

 

[ace077]

I get blood on half my coils, they really are out
to get you. You do learn lots of little tricks with practice though, keep at it for sure


Sent from my Fuego

 

[daleron]

Love your story!!

Someday I'll tell about my first cotton wick