Issue with RM2 coils - would appreciate advice

[Sloth Tonight]

So, I have ONE issue and ONE issue alone with my REOs, and though it's not a big deal, it can be a little frustrating and unnerving more than that. When i'm mounting my coils, it is hard to get the ohms just right. EG - say I have a 1ohm coil. The screws have to be JUST RIGHT or it will wander all over the place. I get them tight, but then keep screwing them tighter and/or unscrew a bit then re-tighten until it lands. Then I'm always nervous it may slip while firing so I usually take a few hits and test it again to make sure it's good to go.

Anyone else have this trouble with the screws and coil?

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Getting close is the best you can do. I would use a file to smooth and slightly round the bottom of the screws. I always tighten them down all the way and whatever ohm that is where it stays. I shoot for a 1.1 ohm coil and typically get my coils between 1.0 and 1.2 but mostly right on 1.1

 

[glasseye]

Are you torching your wire before wrapping the coil? It anneals it and makes it a bit more pliable so the screws catch better.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

Are you torching your wire before wrapping the coil? It anneals it and makes it a bit more pliable so the screws catch better.

yeah., I torch it pretty good a couple of times - once before wrapping, once after while squeezing with tweezers. could it also be I need a better screwdriver? I use the one that came with my god-forsaken KFL+ clone that is now collecting dust

 

[Sloth Tonight]

Getting close is the best you can do. I would use a file to smooth and slightly round the bottom of the screws. I always tighten them down all the way and whatever ohm that is where it stays. I shoot for a 1.1 ohm coil and typically get my coils between 1.0 and 1.2 but mostly right on 1.1

I do need to try this too. would a fingernail clipper file do the trick?

 

[ckquatt]

What FB said. My ohm reader sometime fluxes between .1-.2 sometimes. It's all good. I usually run 1.5 to 1.3 on my REO so if it happens (rarely) I don' worry to much about it. Now if it's going .5 to .9 out of the way then you may need to look for something to fix.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

What FB said. My ohm reader sometime fluxes between .1-.2 sometimes. It's all good. I usually run 1.5 to 1.3 on my REO so if it happens (rarely) I don' worry to much about it. Now if it's going .5 to .9 out of the way then you may need to look for something to fix.

yeah when mine goes wonky it hops from 1.1 (which is my current coil) to like 4.2, 2.7, 1.8, etc

 

[ckquatt]

Oh!!! Yeah I would say that needs looking into! LOL!!

Sent from my Atari 2600 using Tapatalk

 

[Filthy-Beast]

If it's jumping that much, you've got a loose connection. I install the coil and tighten, then do a few heatings to get the coil glowing and tighten again. I'm not sure if the nail file will do much before it gets worn down, but worth a try. sand paper or a dremel can also be used.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

so maybe I'm not pulling the coil in tight enough? I do try to tighten it where it's gonna land--close to the airhole. should I pull it in tighter, screw down, then pull it out to where i want it instead?

 

[Filthy-Beast]

The pulling will only effect the shape and placement of the coil. I always install coils with the mandrel still inside and then pull a bit to tighten the outside wraps. Ohms is determined by the total length from screw to screw connection point. Big jumps in ohms like you describe are a loose or very poor connection. If a slight bit of tightening of the screws doesn't stop it we need to dig a little deeper looking for the loose connection.

 

[glasseye]

I was thinking that too FB. Are your posts loose? There are pictures of a total RM2 rebuild around here someplace. I can't find it.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

thanks FB...I will try pulling tighter next time. I may even just loosen the screws next re-wicking and pull them a bit tighter. The GREAT thing is - it works fine once I get it stable, it just takes a couple minutes of fiddling with the screws to make it stable. I wanna figure it out, but it's not the PITA tanks are to me, where my problem is a problem until I figure it out

Right now amidst the issue I am vaping perfectly contented at 1.1 ohms

But when I go through this everytime I re-wick it's kinda annoying. I do always try to re-tighten the screws when I re-wick, which probably jinxes myself LOL. but, one time I didn't re-tighten only to discover a screw had come a tad bit loose while re-wicking, and my mod stopped firing after a couple hits. took off the cap, tightened the screw, good to go. Been re-tightening after re-wicking ever since just to be safe

 

[Sloth Tonight]

I was thinking that too FB. Are your posts loose? There are pictures of a total RM2 rebuild around here someplace. I can't find it.

hi glass eye, not sure how to tell if my posts are loose or not - unless you just mean the screws? they seem to be tight as can be when this happens, and my screw driver won't really get them tighter, but the act of trying seems to fix it.

I'm really wondering if the KFL+ screwdriver is ideal for this or not. what do you guys use to fasten them down?

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Also bigger wires, lower gauge numbers, get loose screws easier

 

[Sloth Tonight]

I should've mentioned what I'm using...using 28ga kanthal A-1 around a 1/16 drill bit for each of my coils, usually 8 wraps (9 on this one, hence 1.1 ohm, kinda wish I had done 8 instead but it's plenty yummy)

 

[Filthy-Beast]

I just use a cheap little precision screw driver, costs less than $10 bucks for a set, I'm not familiar with the screw driver you have. If the post are loose they would turn in the ceramic base while you were tightening the screws.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

I should've mentioned what I'm using...using 28ga kanthal A-1 around a 1/16 drill bit for each of my coils, usually 8 wraps (9 on this one, hence 1.1 ohm, kinda wish I had done 8 instead but it's plenty yummy)

Then that's not it, it really shows with 26ga and lower.

 

[Sloth Tonight]

gotcha - well, I think my posts are fine because i've never seen them turning. I may get a precision screwdriver and try that. I also might be OVER tightening. cause it gets towhere it wont turn and "clicks" the screwdriver off the top of the screw, if that makes sense.

thanks for all the tidbits guys. I'll tinker around next time I re-wick. I love that replacing a coil takes like 5 mins if I decide to do it all over again

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Make sure you don't have a short screw, with no wire installed they should go past the hole when tightened.