is 36ga too small?

[bzmotoninja83]

hey there,

im using a CHobra. my wick is 325 SS mesh rolled tight with little to no Chimney hole in the miffle, it slips easy in and out of the wick hole on the chobra. the wire is 36ga Kanthal that i bought in the classies a long while ago. First shot netted me a 5.6 ohm 5/6 wrap. scrapped it and re-wrapped a 3/4..... still high ohms at 3.7 ohms. tastes fine at 4v but, i thought the resistance was supposed to be a little lower. am i supposed to use a wire thats a little igger to get a few more wraps and still have the low ohms like 2.0 or lower?

thanks all

 

[meatsneakers]

36ga is too small for big wicks - it works fine for a traditional atty with a tiny wick but not for the Chobra. Most people use anything from 28 - 34ga, I'd say 32ga or 30ga is a good middle ground. A 5/6 wrap on an AGA gets me exactly 2ohms with 30ga.

If you don't have any other gauges, you can cut a 1 or 2 foot section of wire, fold it in half, then put the loose ends in a drill. Run the drill until the wire is half it's original length - you now have roughly half the resistance per given distance, ie that 5.6 coil will be 2.8 ohms with the same coil size. I did this when all I had was 34ga Kanthal and it works well.

 

[bzmotoninja83]

So then in theory, I could attin less if I wrap it twice? Like fold and fold and then twist? I'm gonna but some more soon. Might just list this in the classies for someone that rebuilds novas and such. Thanks for the advice too.
Sent from my {920} using Board Express

 

[Gabe1291]

Using the twisted wire method will drop the resistance on it. I use it to get the ultra low res coils I use on my PT. Same amount of wraps, half the resistance, but if you are ordering more wire soon, then just get some that will suit your needs a bit better.

 

[slimest]

There is one more method: roll wicks with smaller diameter. My usual wicks made from 350-400mesh are only 1.5 - 1.6mm OD, no more. Made from mesh 14mm width, no more. You even can make it less diameter, only leave a gap inside. In this case you get less resistance with the same number of turns.
Of course 325mesh is a little coarse for such a thin wicks, anyway I think you could manage to make a really thin wick. It will work perfect.