I have no idea what I'm doing, starting from scratch

[NT3N531]

I am a drunk that has been sober for 6+ month so vaping has become my new hobby
So many questions:
1) I'm going to start off with a limitless xl using an alien with LG HB6 cells. Is it a good place to start? I like both the .15 & .4 ohm on the baby beast
2) What gauge should I start to learn on and what is a good "Coil building kit" with all the bells and whistles(cheapest and expensive) or do I need? Will take all advice
3) Good Vendors for supplies?
4) What kind of material should I use for the coils and the wick?
5) How many wraps to start off with
6) Should I start off with pre-mades so I get the hang of it?
7)
That # 7 is out there cause I know I have more questions but not at the moment if you think of something I didn't cover please bring to my attention.

 

[Rickb119]

I just want to say congrats on the 6 months! I've been doing the one day at a time thing for almost 21 years.

 

[NT3N531]

Nice I tried it many a time but want it now

 

[sonicbomb]

Start off by reading these:

(14) Ohm's Law Explained for Vapers | E-Cigarette Forum
Mooch's Recommended Batteries | E-Cigarette Forum

Use this to model your builds and to check the amp draw on your batteries.
Steam Engine main page

4. Start off with Kanthal and cotton
5. See top
6. Might be a good idea

 

[NT3N531]

Thanks a lot. I used the steam engine but they don't have the alien on there. It should be able to push the limitless

 

[Maestro]

You really don't need a coil building kit. You probably already have everything you need around the house. That being said, I bought the coil master kit mainly so I'd have everything I need in an organized kit that I can take with me on vacations and stuff. But a screwdriver, nail clippers and tweezers and a 2.5mm drill bit (or a screwdriver or something around that size) would be all you really need.

 

[NT3N531]

Thanks

 

[NT3N531]

Sorry I didn't say more I was getting ready to get to sleep and my brain ain't working Thanks though

 

[Btsmokincat]

I am a drunk that has been sober for 6+ month so vaping has become my new hobby
So many questions:
1) I'm going to start off with a limitless xl using an alien with LG HB6 cells. Is it a good place to start? I like both the .15 & .4 ohm on the baby beast
2) What gauge should I start to learn on and what is a good "Coil building kit" with all the bells and whistles(cheapest and expensive) or do I need? Will take all advice
3) Good Vendors for supplies?
4) What kind of material should I use for the coils and the wick?
5) How many wraps to start off with
6) Should I start off with pre-mades so I get the hang of it?
7)
That # 7 is out there cause I know I have more questions but not at the moment if you think of something I didn't cover please bring to my attention.

Congrats on the 6 months!

1. I've never used a limitless xl but I would suggest an OBS Engine. I've been using one for about a week and it's awesome! It has a big easy to build deck, easy to wick (fluffy cotton through the holes almost touching the bottom) and leakproof. The flavor is great and it would make a perfect first RTA for anyone.

2. If you plan on making just simple coils I would get some 24 and 26 gauge kanthal or 26 and 28 gauge stainless steel if you plan on using temp control. I've pieced together my build box over the last three years so I don't have any suggestions for a build kit, sorry.

3. Lightningvapes.com or temco for wire. I like vapenw.com, Myvaporstore.com, eciggity.com, ecig.com, vaporbeast.com, vapordna.com... there are tons of good ones...

4. I like kanthal for regular wattage builds, I use kanthal more than any other type. I would suggest Stainless steel for temp control, it can be used in wattage mode too so it's versatile. I like Japanese cotton for wick, I got a big pack of it for less than $10 on ebay last year and I still have more than half left.

5. Google "steam engine", it's an awesome vapers app with tons of info. It has a coil calculator that you can put in some details and what ohms you want and it will tell you how many wraps. I also use "vapers toolbox" on my android phone.

6. My only concern with premades is make sure of the size you're getting especially if you plan on using them in a RTA. Even big 25mm RTA'S don't have the deck space of most 22mm RDA'S.

7. Good luck, practice, don't give up!





Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

 

[DaveP]

Seeing is the quickest way to understanding. Here's a video on how to build the Limitless.

 

[Eskie]

I am a drunk that has been sober for 6+ month so vaping has become my new hobby
So many questions:
1) I'm going to start off with a limitless xl using an alien with LG HB6 cells. Is it a good place to start? I like both the .15 & .4 ohm on the baby beast
2) What gauge should I start to learn on and what is a good "Coil building kit" with all the bells and whistles(cheapest and expensive) or do I need? Will take all advice
3) Good Vendors for supplies?
4) What kind of material should I use for the coils and the wick?
5) How many wraps to start off with
6) Should I start off with pre-mades so I get the hang of it?
7)
That # 7 is out there cause I know I have more questions but not at the moment if you think of something I didn't cover please bring to my attention.

Congrats on your 6 months, and your choice of a new hobby. I'll try to help as best I can in order.
1. The Alien is a great mod. It is a regulated mod, so while issues of remaining within the capability of your battery are still important, you can view your batteries a bit differently than for a mech, or unregulated mod. LG makes a great battery. The one you list tests out by Mooch at 30A 1500 mA. In a dual battery mod like the Alien, I'm not sure you need to worry about a 30A battery, and might be better off with a 20A battery (unless you're really planning on pushing it to 200W like the Alien "can" do, in which case you're better off with a 3 battery mod) with a higher mA rating for longer battery life. I'd also suggest getting an external charger for those batteries, two paired sets of 2 so you can always swap in a fresh set while the other charges, and keep them married.

I don't have a Limitless XL, but I do have other iJoy/Limitless tanks, and think they can perform well.

2. If you're going straight into building and wicking your own coils, I'd suggest you use SS, 316L being the most common you'll see. It is easy to work with, and can be used in both power/wattage mode, as well as temp control. The Alien can do a respectable job at temp control, so you might as well take advantage of it when you're ready. SS means no extra or duplicate stocks with both Kanthal and SS. I would suggest for simple coils just getting 28G and 26G to start out. As already pointed out, you don't need a premium coil building kit, but if you want to cover your bases, then Coil Master makes some nice kits. Wire, coil building stuff can all be bought on amazon at competitive pricing.

3. Lots of solid places already listed. I've used just about all, and would have no problems ordering from any of those vendors already listed for you.

4. As mentioned, SS is a good dual use metal wire. Wicking is personal preference, I like cotton, some folks like rayon. Both will work, you just have to read up on how to work with them as they are a bit different.

5. The number of wraps is determined by the wire gauge and the resistance you want the coil to come in at. Steam Engine will calculate all that for you so long as you know the wire type, gauge, inner diameter you plan to use, and what your target resistance is (0.2 ohm to 2.0 ohm).

6. Not sure what you mean by premades. Factory coils? There are factory coils for the Limitless XL which is why I ask. If you mean the wire coil itself you're going to put on the deck, honestly wrapping a wire is about the easiest aspect to this, especially for a simple single strand coil to start. Might as well just jump in on that now. Learning how to best wick the coil is far harder than turning the wire around the bit.

7. Whenever you're ready.

 

[ShowerHead]

2- SS 316L or 430. Why? If you decide to use temperature control, these two wires work well. If you decide to just use power mode, these two wires work well.

3- I agree with the previous posts, but would also suggest Vapecrawler

4- I use Japanese cotton. You can get quite a lot for little money via Amazon.

5- For both my single coil and dual coil tanks, I use a 6/7 wrap of 27 or 28 gauge SS. 3.5 mm diameter. Spaced, not contact. I do the spacing with a proper size machine screw. I have tried other ways, but this always works and the spacing is good too.

6- When I had a tank that had an RBA and the 'prebuilt' base, I always kept a box of factory coils around. I actually used one once while troubleshooting something.

7- I'd get something to build coils on, like a Coil Master 521. Or, you can get any little box and mount a 510 connector to it. The 521 is better for me because it reads resistance and can fire the coil if needed. For a tank, I'd suggest the Aromamizer Supreme or the OBS Engine, both are easy to coil/wick/use. I love the Supreme.

Practice makes better. Perfect practice makes perfect. I'm not perfect, but I'm very happy with my coils and juice. You will be too.

 

[whiteowl84]

All you need is wire and something to wrap it around.
I use a Coil Master v4 because I can't fit my wire in any other jig but any of them will do what you need.
I recommend a coil jig because unless you're using a vice, it can be hard to get 2 identical coils. You need something to hold one end of the wire so you can apply constant tension as you wrap. Having identical coils is very important.

For wire Temco Industrial ships free and fast and it's cheaper than Lightning Vapes.

I'd recommend Kanthal for one simple reason...hotspots. It's very forgiving.
If you don't pulse the coil till they heat evenly the vape will suck.
I get them red, let off the power and squeeze them with pliers while blowing on them. Then after doing both it's a process of firing, scraping and squeezing till they glow from the center and at the same rate on either side.
It's not that hard with round wire.

Since you're using a regulated mod, getting an ohm reader doesn't do much good. I've never even seen one.
All that really matters is can you fire it? If it's too low, the mod will tell you.

If you vape in the 50w area, I'd get some 28g and 26g. If you're close to 100w get 24g and 22g.

For wicking I'd get some organic cotton sheet things and some native wicks platinum or cotton bacon.
Practice with the pads then use the good stuff when you got it.
Also only fill your tank a little at a time till you know it wicks fast enough and retains liquid.

Use steam-engine.org to determine how many wraps you use. Or don't...just build 2 identical coils that look right to youand try. Bigger wire = more flavor at the cost of wattage. Same goes for the ammount of wraps.

It really is as simple as wrapping wire around a rod. Wicking is the hard part at first.
No idea what the deck looks like in the XL but odds are you'll need to fluff the wicks and cut them just long enough to cover the juice channels. Then just sit them there. The tighter you stuff cotton the slower it will wick so don't stuff them in there.

I like 316l too but only for TC. If you vape as hard as I do, 316l or any stainless I've used will crust over 3x faster than Kanthal or Nichrome. I don't rewick till the crust is so bad I can taste it and the ramp up is too slow which is usually 3 days to a week. With 316l wraps I had to do it daily. Now I just use stainless cores and A1/n80 for a wrap.

 

[NT3N531]

Congrats on the 6 months!

1. I've never used a limitless xl but I would suggest an OBS Engine. I've been using one for about a week and it's awesome! It has a big easy to build deck, easy to wick (fluffy cotton through the holes almost touching the bottom) and leakproof. The flavor is great and it would make a perfect first RTA for anyone.

2. If you plan on making just simple coils I would get some 24 and 26 gauge kanthal or 26 and 28 gauge stainless steel if you plan on using temp control. I've pieced together my build box over the last three years so I don't have any suggestions for a build kit, sorry.

3. Lightningvapes.com or temco for wire. I like vapenw.com, Myvaporstore.com, eciggity.com, ecig.com, vaporbeast.com, vapordna.com... there are tons of good ones...

4. I like kanthal for regular wattage builds, I use kanthal more than any other type. I would suggest Stainless steel for temp control, it can be used in wattage mode too so it's versatile. I like Japanese cotton for wick, I got a big pack of it for less than $10 on ebay last year and I still have more than half left.

5. Google "steam engine", it's an awesome vapers app with tons of info. It has a coil calculator that you can put in some details and what ohms you want and it will tell you how many wraps. I also use "vapers toolbox" on my android phone.

6. My only concern with premades is make sure of the size you're getting especially if you plan on using them in a RTA. Even big 25mm RTA'S don't have the deck space of most 22mm RDA'S.

7. Good luck, practice, don't give up!





Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

Thanks man I appreciate all I have copied and pasted to word so I have it until I don't need it any longer

Congrats on your 6 months, and your choice of a new hobby. I'll try to help as best I can in order.
1. The Alien is a great mod. It is a regulated mod, so while issues of remaining within the capability of your battery are still important, you can view your batteries a bit differently than for a mech, or unregulated mod. LG makes a great battery. The one you list tests out by Mooch at 30A 1500 mA. In a dual battery mod like the Alien, I'm not sure you need to worry about a 30A battery, and might be better off with a 20A battery (unless you're really planning on pushing it to 200W like the Alien "can" do, in which case you're better off with a 3 battery mod) with a higher mA rating for longer battery life. I'd also suggest getting an external charger for those batteries, two paired sets of 2 so you can always swap in a fresh set while the other charges, and keep them married.

I don't have a Limitless XL, but I do have other iJoy/Limitless tanks, and think they can perform well.

2. If you're going straight into building and wicking your own coils, I'd suggest you use SS, 316L being the most common you'll see. It is easy to work with, and can be used in both power/wattage mode, as well as temp control. The Alien can do a respectable job at temp control, so you might as well take advantage of it when you're ready. SS means no extra or duplicate stocks with both Kanthal and SS. I would suggest for simple coils just getting 28G and 26G to start out. As already pointed out, you don't need a premium coil building kit, but if you want to cover your bases, then Coil Master makes some nice kits. Wire, coil building stuff can all be bought on amazon at competitive pricing.

3. Lots of solid places already listed. I've used just about all, and would have no problems ordering from any of those vendors already listed for you.

4. As mentioned, SS is a good dual use metal wire. Wicking is personal preference, I like cotton, some folks like rayon. Both will work, you just have to read up on how to work with them as they are a bit different.

5. The number of wraps is determined by the wire gauge and the resistance you want the coil to come in at. Steam Engine will calculate all that for you so long as you know the wire type, gauge, inner diameter you plan to use, and what your target resistance is (0.2 ohm to 2.0 ohm).

6. Not sure what you mean by premades. Factory coils? There are factory coils for the Limitless XL which is why I ask. If you mean the wire coil itself you're going to put on the deck, honestly wrapping a wire is about the easiest aspect to this, especially for a simple single strand coil to start. Might as well just jump in on that now. Learning how to best wick the coil is far harder than turning the wire around the bit.

7. Whenever you're ready.

 

[Beeker25]

Spaced, not contact. I do the spacing with a proper size machine screw. I have tried other ways, but this always works and the spacing is good too.

Cool....hadn't figured on that one. Next time I'm at home depot I'll look for one. Or might have one in the garage already. Also I notice with 26 gauge and beyond you can space by winding around a jig or whatever with plenty of space in between. Then squeeze. I know with SS316L (that what I'm space building now these days) the wire is very pliable and you can get uniform spacing just by squeezing and then you can eyeball the post distance and get the right coil length.

 

[ShowerHead]

Also I notice with 26 gauge and beyond you can space by winding around a jig or whatever with plenty of space in between. Then squeeze. I know with SS316L (that what I'm space building now these days) the wire is very pliable and you can get uniform spacing just by squeezing and then you can eyeball the post distance and get the right coil length.

So I'm told. When I do it, I get a mess instead of an evenly spaced coil. Thus the machine screw.

 

[sos2001]

I am a drunk that has been sober for 6+ month so vaping has become my new hobby
So many questions:
1) I'm going to start off with a limitless xl using an alien with LG HB6 cells. Is it a good place to start? I like both the .15 & .4 ohm on the baby beast
2) What gauge should I start to learn on and what is a good "Coil building kit" with all the bells and whistles(cheapest and expensive) or do I need? Will take all advice
3) Good Vendors for supplies?
4) What kind of material should I use for the coils and the wick?
5) How many wraps to start off with
6) Should I start off with pre-mades so I get the hang of it?
7)
That # 7 is out there cause I know I have more questions but not at the moment if you think of something I didn't cover please bring to my attention.

Congratulations on six months...just picked up blue chip #7..it can be done!!!!

When I got started, I lived on youtube...and here and absorbed all the info I could. I managed to nail my first build on a Kayfun plus v2 and never looked back.