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

[Rat2chat2]

Fantastic story. Thank you so much for posting it and helping others (like me). This is what makes ecf such a wonderful place..........the people.

 

[Miguel Miranda]

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

Oh boy I really understand you

 

[jhelliwell]

Hahaha! The funny thing is, ALL of those things have happened to me in the past. Seriously funny stuff

 

[Goodyaz]

Truthfully I have not had these problems. But, I did get a kick out of it. I had multiple people show me how to make the coils face to face. I hope not to grab at the coil while hot as others have stated.

 

[dbrandt01]

Bwahah I struggled through my night course at college and came home to read this. I've done all, PLUS tightening the screws too tight where it snaps the coil leg off. Oh and can't forget the dreaded kissing of a coil because you forget to put the top cap on and in a rush for a vape haha. I can't even tell you how many times I pierced my fingers with a kanthal.

 

[ddkl7780]

Fired a coil on my finger once forgot to lock nemi. Lol

 

[havinfun1]

Absolutely terrific story. We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you!! Would have loved to seen the video.

 

[ShariR]

Yours is one of the best first build posts I have read since I have been on ECF. I am so happy that you got a good coil built. Yay!!!

I learned quickly that the following is a necessity:
1. Strong reading glasses.
2. A tray that I line with paper towels to help prevent runaway screws, etc.
3. Find something to hold your kanthal on the roll, like a piece of foam, to keep it from springing off the roll.
4. Little screwdrivers and scissors to cut the wire.
5. An ohm meter so I can mount the base for a sturdy place to build on and check the ohms of my coil.
6. A coil jig. I use the Artistic Wire Gizmo to wind my coils.
7. Torch your kanthal before you start winding your coil. It makes it less springy and easier to work with.
8. Check your coil resistance on the ohm meter and your device (mine is Provari or MVP2)
9. Wrap the legs in clockwise direction on the screws.
10. Lots of patience.

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

 

[ShariR]

Can you give me a link to where you got the desk magnifier with the led lights? Thank you. It is just what this old lady needs.

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.

 

[Spencer87]

When I built my first coil it went really well...

the coils after that, not so good. Guess I got lucky with the first one.

 

[ShariR]

When I built my first coil it went really well...

the coils after that, not so good. Guess I got lucky with the first one.

I have days when I can wind and mount a coil in 5 minutes. Then there are the days it takes me an hour.

 

[danca90]

Kanthal is super sharp. I gave myself a little tattoo on my leg with some, just for fun. I used cheaper ink, so it will fade in about a year. Might go through it with some tattoo ink, just for fun.
My first attempt was on an evod, didn't get it. Now, being the man I am, if I need a coil on an evod, my wife builds it. I do drippers, and kayfuns, she does the small stuff.

 

[JHDublin]

Good laugh, thanks for sharing

Have only just started making coils myself and have been doing quite ok except I can't get them to produce as good vape as my Nautilus with BVC coils.
Haven't tried on the Fogger V4 dual coild yet only on my Squape single coil, it's nearly there but I do get some juice spits and a bit of cotton/dry taste, it seem to work best with long and direct lung drags.

Don't give up, I know I wont

 

[Avid]

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!

I've had a pinched nerve in the past and I know that particular agony you speak of. Hope you feel better really soon, and I am *very* happy my post gave you a moment's respite from that particular misery. I was hesitant about writing it - now I'm so glad I did

 

[Avid]

Yours is one of the best first build posts I have read since I have been on ECF.

awww... thank you!

I learned quickly that the following is a necessity:
6. A coil jig. I use the Artistic Wire Gizmo to wind my coils.

I'll have to look into those. A couple people have mentioned a coil jig, but I'm not sure what they are. Seems I need one, though

 

[Asbestos4004]

Awesome post! Thank you for sharing that.....truly hilarious!

 

[Avid]

Fired a coil on my finger once forgot to lock nemi. Lol

ouch!

 

[Equilibrium]

LOL... thanks for the laugh!!

Here's a great little gadget for your spool of kanthal. It's a bobbin holder. It clamps onto the spool and then you thread the wire through the tube. You can hold onto the whole thing (spool and holder) while you're winding your coil and when you're done just cut the wire about 1/4" from the end and bend it over and your spool won't unwind. It's a little gadget I had from tying trout flies and it also works great for kanthal.


You can pick them up real cheep... http://www.flyshack.com/DisplayItem.aspx?ItemID=23548

 

[NOVA jon]

Oy! Always an adventure! Just getting started with RTA's and I can see I still need things to complete my list of things I must have to be a successful builder!

BTW, I can see all of those things happening to me on my first build, can't wait!!

 

[gigafive]

I almost wish I had YouTubed this...
...
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

A very, very... very important point - everything is bigger on YouTube