I saved some of my batteries- first rewrap attempt in years.

[conanthewarrior]

Hi everyone, in the battery collection I had 3 perfectly good Molicel P26A's that over time the wraps had became damaged, and where I didn't have any spare wraps I just ended up putting them on the side and using my others with OK wraps.

The other day I realised how cheap wraps were, I got 10 different styled ones off of Ebay for just 94 pence that turned up today- they are a mixture of designs, some are PUBG themed which is not my thing but when it comes to safety who cares what it says on the wrap?

I removed the old wraps from the batteries, making a small slit at the negative end then just tore the wrapper up to the positive, making sure to save the insulating ring.

I was lucky with these wraps as they seem to be cut to the perfect length, a few MM overhang on both positive and negative end, and positioned the battery as dead centre as I could in the wrap.

I got my Mum's hairdryer out, and put it on its highest heat setting, and started at the positive end to get the insulator ring held in place first. The wrap started to shrink within a second, nicely covering the positive, then I ran the hairdryer over the middle of the battery, turning it as I went, then finally the negative end, which also shrank in place well.

So for under a quid I managed to save 3 of my batteries, they also probably have less use where I was not using them due to the damaged wraps so aren't as old as my other batteries, at least according to the date I wrote on them when I bought them.

I also have 7 spare wraps which are handy for now, just incase I nick or tear another one of my batteries.

Here is a picture of my first attempt at re wrapping a battery in years, if I can do it I assure you that anyone else can, and when it only costs literal pennies for each wrap there is no excuse for using a battery with a damaged wrap.

When I next get payed I am going to order more, so I have lots of spares as I will also be ordering some new batteries, but it is lovely to be able to bring some life back to my current batteries and bring them back into safe rotation when I use them.

 

[Falconeer]

Well done you - that's a thing I've never tried, even though some time ago a Spanish made mech tube with a magnetic switch wrote of three of my batteries and caused a hard short. I just ditched the mech.

 

[conanthewarrior]

Well done you - that's a thing I've never tried, even though some time ago a Spanish made mech tube with a magnetic switch wrote of three of my batteries and caused a hard short. I just ditched the mech.

Honestly it is super easy, instead of tossing the battery try and give it a rewrap, you are going to toss it anyway.
I have quite a few mechs, I have only caused a hard short once when I accidentally put a set of batteries in series in my dual parallel abaddon, as soon as I clicked shut the door in place the mod started to heat up- I couldn't get the door off and luckily my window was open, so I threw it in the garden.

I had been using a noisy cricket series mech for the week before, which is why I accidentally put the batteries into the mod in series.

I went to the mod about an hour later once it had cooled down, and the battery wraps had completely melted off and the batteries must have vented so they were obviously thrown away, but the mod was fine.

I am currently using one of the rewrapped batteries in my Kindred V2, and where the battery hadn't been used in about 2 years it has a lot less cycles than the others I am using, and due to this it is hitting noticeably harder than my older batteries with a 0.25 Ohm build.

The batteries are good for 25A CDR, so me pulling 16.8A is thankfully well within the safe limit of my batteries.

 

[DavidOck]

Honestly it is super easy, instead of tossing the battery try and give it a rewrap, you are going to toss it anyway.

Indeed it is, easy! While I do have several mechs in my vapocalypse box, I prefer to stick to regulated mods. But even with those, nicks and cuts on the wrap are a concern. I've rewrapped several over the years, just for peace of mind.

And a really good description of the process, Conan! Well done, and helpful for those who've not done any yet!

 

[conanthewarrior]

Indeed it is, easy! While I do have several mechs in my vapocalypse box, I prefer to stick to regulated mods. But even with those, nicks and cuts on the wrap are a concern. I've rewrapped several over the years, just for peace of mind.

And a really good description of the process, Conan! Well done, and helpful for those who've not done any yet!

I have at last count 14 mechs in the collection, but only use one daily and that is the COV Kindred V2 which is the newest in the collection- everything about it just works nicely, a nice magnetic firing button that is easy to adjust the throw of, silver plated copper contacts at both the firing pin and 510 end, a standard 510 connection vs a hybrid which I prefer, and also a reverse threaded locking ring at the fire button end to stop it firing in my pocket for example.

I am a regulated guy myself though most of the time, but as you say even with regulated mods you still need to be careful when it comes to battery safety.

Thank you! I thought I would post it here as it really is so simple to do, and hope that my description helps someone if they have never rewrapped a battery before.

 

[Territoo]

Have you check Amazon for wraps? They aren't fancy but you get a lot of different colors and it's a lot cheaper. I think I paid less than $10, but that was a couple of years ago and I still have most of them.

https://www.amazon.com/OCR-Shrink-Tubing-Battery-29-5mm12/dp/B072LQQMDQ/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2YZ1M7RC5V184&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p5zmsUr7kfSBnJnAfFqYYULj3jxCzepu77lDNpdD1d5_Df5DYqSQVUmkcGCksZnQpfxT2KJq_cKgnDbbqNNV3Vjz6hGCkLxsF8H2m9Qk9ogMTpLeUoslgfrkDfrrk3wG2ITZyyJp3V3VCbddmiMO2bcdZ5Y31rnJA8-Kq6dcUaY6FMZNa6FooqKDks8jIk07s76G8H09p59wpFczQQN7KIuo9EX7H-zvs4YOUlK00JM.AnuGE5Jq9fh0ZYlLENmPnLyVTmvGhfU0oa83jj5vIK4&dib_tag=se&keywords=battery%2Bwrap&qid=1743785816&sprefix=Battery%2Bwr%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-18&th=1

I also picked up some self adhesive insulator rings off of Amazon because I was always losing the ring and the adhesive makes keeping it in place a lot easier whilst applying the wrap.

 

[conanthewarrior]

Have you check Amazon for wraps? They aren't fancy but you get a lot of different colors and it's a lot cheaper. I think I paid less than $10, but that was a couple of years ago and I still have most of them.

https://www.amazon.com/OCR-Shrink-Tubing-Battery-29-5mm12/dp/B072LQQMDQ/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2YZ1M7RC5V184&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p5zmsUr7kfSBnJnAfFqYYULj3jxCzepu77lDNpdD1d5_Df5DYqSQVUmkcGCksZnQpfxT2KJq_cKgnDbbqNNV3Vjz6hGCkLxsF8H2m9Qk9ogMTpLeUoslgfrkDfrrk3wG2ITZyyJp3V3VCbddmiMO2bcdZ5Y31rnJA8-Kq6dcUaY6FMZNa6FooqKDks8jIk07s76G8H09p59wpFczQQN7KIuo9EX7H-zvs4YOUlK00JM.AnuGE5Jq9fh0ZYlLENmPnLyVTmvGhfU0oa83jj5vIK4&dib_tag=se&keywords=battery%2Bwrap&qid=1743785816&sprefix=Battery%2Bwr%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-18&th=1

I also picked up some self adhesive insulator rings off of Amazon because I was always losing the ring and the adhesive makes keeping it in place a lot easier whilst applying the wrap.

Thank you for the recommendation, I used Ebay and only ordered 10 to start with as a test, and they are quite patterned, with black and white skull and crossbones wraps, some sort of green monster on a white wrap from a cartoon, PUBG wraps, and for some strange reason two wraps with a picture of Marylin Monroe on them lol.

I can get packs of 25 wraps for £1.49 from Fogstar, but looking at that link ordering those might be better value for money, I found the same deal in the UK for 300 wraps here for £8.49! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aussel-29-...926&sprefix=18650+battery+wraps,aps,79&sr=8-7

That works out to just 2.83 pence a wrap if I have done my maths right!

I also actually prefer the plain colours to the cartoon style or art style wraps, as it is easier to write on the age of the battery in sharpie- I always write the day, month and year on a new battery when I receive it.

I will think about the self adhesive rings as well, I will check amazon but know that Fogstar batteries sell them for £1.85 for 50 self adhesive stickers, but I imagine I could get a lot more on Amazon if I can just think of the correct search term.

 

[Territoo]

Just search 18650 insulator ring on Amazon. You will get lots of options, including self adhesive.

 

[conanthewarrior]

Just search 18650 insulator ring on Amazon. You will get lots of options, including self adhesive.

Thank you, found plenty of results, some are deals with both the insulator rings and the 18650 wraps, I will work out what is best value for money.

 

[englishmick]

Thank you, found plenty of results, some are deals with both the insulator rings and the 18650 wraps, I will work out what is best value for money.

I never even thought about value for money with wraps. Reckon I used about a dozen of them over 10 years of vaping. Always used the sticky rings.

 

[englishmick]

I have at last count 14 mechs in the collection, but only use one daily and that is the COV Kindred V2 which is the newest in the collection- everything about it just works nicely, a nice magnetic firing button that is easy to adjust the throw of, silver plated copper contacts at both the firing pin and 510 end, a standard 510 connection vs a hybrid which I prefer, and also a reverse threaded locking ring at the fire button end to stop it firing in my pocket for example.

I am a regulated guy myself though most of the time, but as you say even with regulated mods you still need to be careful when it comes to battery safety.

Thank you! I thought I would post it here as it really is so simple to do, and hope that my description helps someone if they have never rewrapped a battery before.

The only mechs I have are Silver Bullets. Got one originally during the first wave of regulation panic. I chose SB because it had a side button and I can't stand bottom buttons. I just fire one up once in a while to stay familiar. I do have various fuses and so forth for them.

 

[DavidOck]

I can't stand bottom buttons.

Likewise! All my stash / vapocalypse mechs are side button models, and all also "telescoping" so I have room for either a fuse or Kick module

 

[Fidola13]

Hi everyone, in the battery collection I had 3 perfectly good Molicel P26A's that over time the wraps had became damaged, and where I didn't have any spare wraps I just ended up putting them on the side and using my others with OK wraps.

The other day I realised how cheap wraps were, I got 10 different styled ones off of Ebay for just 94 pence that turned up today- they are a mixture of designs, some are PUBG themed which is not my thing but when it comes to safety who cares what it says on the wrap?

I removed the old wraps from the batteries, making a small slit at the negative end then just tore the wrapper up to the positive, making sure to save the insulating ring.

I was lucky with these wraps as they seem to be cut to the perfect length, a few MM overhang on both positive and negative end, and positioned the battery as dead centre as I could in the wrap.

I got my Mum's hairdryer out, and put it on its highest heat setting, and started at the positive end to get the insulator ring held in place first. The wrap started to shrink within a second, nicely covering the positive, then I ran the hairdryer over the middle of the battery, turning it as I went, then finally the negative end, which also shrank in place well.

So for under a quid I managed to save 3 of my batteries, they also probably have less use where I was not using them due to the damaged wraps so aren't as old as my other batteries, at least according to the date I wrote on them when I bought them.

I also have 7 spare wraps which are handy for now, just incase I nick or tear another one of my batteries.

Here is a picture of my first attempt at re wrapping a battery in years, if I can do it I assure you that anyone else can, and when it only costs literal pennies for each wrap there is no excuse for using a battery with a damaged wrap.

When I next get payed I am going to order more, so I have lots of spares as I will also be ordering some new batteries, but it is lovely to be able to bring some life back to my current batteries and bring them back into safe rotation when I use them.

Good for you. I’ve managed in abt the 8 years of vaping not to rewrap any batteries. I put them in a battery case with electrical tape on the ends waiting for the day that I just Do It.

To be perfectly honest I’m nervous about doing it which is probably silly but it’s the truth! I have the new wraps and a heat gun or hair dryer so I’m good to go but I keep putting it off.

My housemate Rob who’s good at electrical stuff said he would do it but that could be ten years from now lol!

Sara

 

[conanthewarrior]

Likewise! All my stash / vapocalypse mechs are side button models, and all also "telescoping" so I have room for either a fuse or Kick module

The kick, that brings back memories! I had a kick model, I think it might have been V2, for my Nemesis which was my first ever mech mod.
I have never used a fuse though, I used the kick for while I was learning to use a mech safely, and 90% of the time I will be regulated but if not I like to use a full mech, apart from my noisy Cricket V2's which I can use in series or parallel and it has PWM with some protections.
What tube mechs with a side button can you recommend, as I have never came across one?

The only mechs I have are Silver Bullets. Got one originally during the first wave of regulation panic. I chose SB because it had a side button and I can't stand bottom buttons. I just fire one up once in a while to stay familiar. I do have various fuses and so forth for them.

I'm not familiar with the SB, I will have to check it out as a side button sounds interesting on a tube mech.
I am only familiar with side buttons on my series and dual parallel mechs, the rest are all bottom firing.

Good for you. I’ve managed in abt the 8 years of vaping not to rewrap any batteries. I put them in a battery case with electrical tape on the ends waiting for the day that I just Do It.

To be perfectly honest I’m nervous about doing it which is probably silly but it’s the truth! I have the new wraps and a heat gun or hair dryer so I’m good to go but I keep putting it off.

My housemate Rob who’s good at electrical stuff said he would do it but that could be ten years from now lol!

Sara

Since 2015 when I started vaping I imagine I have gone through about 50 or so batteries, at one point I had 18 in rotation at once for different mods, singles, married, and triple married.

I would say out of all of these I have probably only had to rewrap 10, it tends to be certain mods that are more brutal on the wraps, although a couple have got a nick right in the middle of the wrap, no idea how that happens but until I rewrap I have often used a piece of electrical tape until I made a permanent repair.

I would recommend not being nervous, the wrap shrinks into place well before you have a chance to get the battery hot- you have to be careful of your fingers even with a hairdryer on its highest setting but it is easy to just roll the battery around on the duvet like I did when I rewrapped them, saving your fingers from the heat.
I would say try using the hairdryer first on its highest setting instead of the heatgun, this may make you feel a little safer, and once you have done it you will think "Why was I worried about doing that?".

Haha, exactly, you might as well do it yourself Sara, just cut the wrap at the negative end with something like a Stanley knife (boxcutter in the USA) so you can start to peel a layer away, and once it is peeling the rest will easily peel off.

Just be careful not to lose the insulator, I am sure you will not if you are careful, and it will save those batteries wrapped in electrical tape on both ends from their life in the box and give you some more batteries to use

 

[DavidOck]

To be perfectly honest I’m nervous about doing it which is probably silly but it’s the truth!

Go for it, it really is simple to do. Just follow Conan's excellent description above, and yeah, don't lose the insulator!

What tube mechs with a side button can you recommend, as I have never came across one?

Dang, they were few and far between back in the day, most were bottom button, spring or magnet. Just did a quick google search and found some.... not sure of any of their shipping options.

Mechanical

Non-Regulated Mechanical Tube and Box Mods. Advanced Devices for Advanced Users ONLY.

www.alldayvapes.ca

In Canada, and they have a few scattered on the pages.
Generally well made, 69 Mod V2 Clone

And while I usually don't recommend Smok as a brand, how can they screw up a mech?

Smok Natural Telescope

The newest version of the Smok Natural boasts a Telescopic feature, allowing for the use of 18350, 18500, and 18650 batteries without the need for an additional tube. This feature streamlines the user experience and eliminates the inconvenience of carrying extra equipment.

www.alldayvapes.ca

2FDeal, China, has some, can't vouch for the brands...

https://www.2fdeal.com/vazzling-kongestus-style-18650-20700-21700-26650-mechanical-mod-limited-edition-silver_p11321.html

and

https://www.2fdeal.com/vapor-g-mini-v25-18350-18500-18650-mechanical-mod-23mm-w-logo-silver_p29488.html

 

[conanthewarrior]

Go for it, it really is simple to do. Just follow Conan's excellent description above, and yeah, don't lose the insulator!



Dang, they were few and far between back in the day, most were bottom button, spring or magnet. Just did a quick google search and found some.... not sure of any of their shipping options.

Mechanical

Non-Regulated Mechanical Tube and Box Mods. Advanced Devices for Advanced Users ONLY.

www.alldayvapes.ca

In Canada, and they have a few scattered on the pages.
Generally well made, 69 Mod V2 Clone

And while I usually don't recommend Smok as a brand, how can they screw up a mech?

Smok Natural Telescope

The newest version of the Smok Natural boasts a Telescopic feature, allowing for the use of 18350, 18500, and 18650 batteries without the need for an additional tube. This feature streamlines the user experience and eliminates the inconvenience of carrying extra equipment.

www.alldayvapes.ca

2FDeal, China, has some, can't vouch for the brands...

https://www.2fdeal.com/vazzling-kongestus-style-18650-20700-21700-26650-mechanical-mod-limited-edition-silver_p11321.html

and

https://www.2fdeal.com/vapor-g-mini-v25-18350-18500-18650-mechanical-mod-23mm-w-logo-silver_p29488.html

Thank you so much!

I really like the 69 mod V2 clone by Hcigar which is $49.99, and there is only one left, if it is still there next Saturday I will probably order it.

If not I will go for the last one you recommended from 2fdeal, as that is my second favourite, followed by the SMOK.

I know SMOK doesn't have the best reputation, but when my Xcube 2 died after 6 months of use, they actually replaced it, and even shipped back the broken one for some reason. I have had quite a few other SMOK mods like the H-Priv, which is missing from the collection- it was black and red and I got it when I was doing reviews over at POTV's from Gearbest.
I really liked that Mod, so have no idea why it isn't in the collection, possibly I gave it away to a friend trying to quit smoking but I don't remember doing so.

Thank you for the recommendations!

 

[DavidOck]

Yeah, for many years Smok had really bad QC on their regulated mods, although I've heard they did finally turn that around. But a mech, no electronics, would be hard to mess up!

Hope the Hcigar is still there when you pull the trigger!

 

[Izan]

What tube mechs with a side button can you recommend, as I have never came across one?

GGTS V3

As the title says……. Simply Golden Greek Made of highly durable stainless steel or beautiful brass, the Golden Greek GGTS V3 is among the epitome of beauty. With heavy-duty components…

gg-goldengreek.com

Cheers
I

 

[DavidOck]

Nice, but a bit spendy, and it's a hybrid, so users beware of the topper's connection! If the center pin does NOT stick out, don't use it!!

 

[conanthewarrior]

GGTS V3

As the title says……. Simply Golden Greek Made of highly durable stainless steel or beautiful brass, the Golden Greek GGTS V3 is among the epitome of beauty. With heavy-duty components…

gg-goldengreek.com

View attachment 1026507

Cheers
I

That is beautiful, but to be honest it is too expensive for me- also it is a Hybrid, my favourite mechs which are the COV Kindred V2 and the BJ Broadside use a standard 510.

I do have good mechs that are Hybrid, such as the SCNDRL, Vindicator 21 and Avyd Lyfe AV able (Which are clones, I refused to pay over £40 for a tube mech back in the day when I could get a really good clone from Fast tech for about £30. The most I have spent is £45 on an authentic which was as a birthday present, which was the Wotofo Phantom mech mod along with the authentic Wotofo Lush RDA to go with it in white, with the RDA in white and red splatter.

The Lush should have been called the flush, as the positive 510 pin was flush/almost inside of the negative threading on the RDA, but luckily I realised it was reverse threaded and I could adjust it out enough so it was safe to use on a mech.

I ran the Phantom with the standard 510 connection instead of the Hybrid that it also came with, and even then I was very wary of using the Lush with the standard 510 until someone told me it was reverse threaded and I could adjust it, I believe I uploaded a photo at POTV's where someone told me.