Just Stainless Steel Wick and Filler

[Alžběta Madragana]

a small update on my Modd I posted pix of here: It works 'OK' but still didn't have the vapour production I'm looking for. So I got out my handy copper alligator test clips and played around some more - and found that 7 wraps of 32AWG Kanthal with #400 SS Mesh at 6 Volts is it. Then thought about my Genisis copper connectors and thought is there an easier way to do this other than wrapping the Kanthal around them?
Sure there is.
SO I got the idea to drill a small - very small - hole in them. Then I would put the Kanthal end thru that and do a half wrap around the copper connector.
.... - I can't do that till I get a ride down to the hardware store and pick up some collets for my Dremel - I have the tiny drill bits, but no way to fit them in the Dremel.
Once I get this done, I'll put up a pic or 2 of it...

 

[sachavaca]

lots of good reading

 

[BJ43]

a small update on my Modd I posted pix of here: It works 'OK' but still didn't have the vapour production I'm looking for. So I got out my handy copper alligator test clips and played around some more - and found that 7 wraps of 32AWG Kanthal with #400 SS Mesh at 6 Volts is it. Then thought about my Genisis copper connectors and thought is there an easier way to do this other than wrapping the Kanthal around them?
Sure there is.
SO I got the idea to drill a small - very small - hole in them. Then I would put the Kanthal end thru that and do a half wrap around the copper connector.
.... - I can't do that till I get a ride down to the hardware store and pick up some collets for my Dremel - I have the tiny drill bits, but no way to fit them in the Dremel.
Once I get this done, I'll put up a pic or 2 of it...

TowerHobbies.com | 845 Dubro Mini E/Z Connectors (2)

These make great connectors, if you have a hobby shop close, they are used to connect pushrods on model airplanes.

 

[Alžběta Madragana]

Thanks BJ43. I bookmarked that link and will look closer at it. First glance I see they're made of Aluminum. I'm not sure how good Alum is for electrical conductivity? But I like that design!

 

[Wingapo]

WooHoo! My coil finally gave out so I finally get to try BJ's SS wick-o-doom. Holy beejeebees I'm choking on all the vapor this thing is putting out. It's going to take some tweaking on my part to get the draw I like but this mod means business. If all goes well I won't have to do a thing but juice up the filler once or twice a day until the coil dies or the flavor goes off. No more fiddling with wicks and 701 cartos. Nicely done BJ.

 

[Alžběta Madragana]

WooHoo! My coil finally gave out so I finally get to try BJ's SS wick-o-doom. Holy beejeebees I'm choking on all the vapor this thing is putting out. It's going to take some tweaking on my part to get the draw I like but this mod means business. If all goes well I won't have to do a thing but juice up the filler once or twice a day until the coil dies or the flavor goes off. No more fiddling with wicks and 701 cartos. Nicely done BJ.

I'm envious. Pix, man, please, put up some pics of that thing! And some of vapour production!!!
Link to how to make BJ's SS wick-0-doom? I want to try that out too!!!!
Thanking you in advance, WinG!

 

[emonty]

Way to go Wing! As you are the picture master of doom, please hook us up!!!!

 

[landscaper]

Anyone know where to get some of that Kanthal A-1 32 awg wire? Seems the link provided on Ebay the company is out of stock. I don't need 1000 ft. I tried google and it just leads back to the same stuff over and over again. I did find one supplier but it was for 100ft and it was $25 with shipping, which is too expensive for me. I don't want to spend that much on wire.

Dave

 

[emonty]

Try Resistance heating wire, Kanthal A-1 32 awg 75ft | eBay

or tinypay.me » Search

good luck!

 

[Alžběta Madragana]

Hit up Amazon.com for it - type in the search and someone called 'Sandvik' sells it. Pretty decent price for it. I got a 50 foot roll of Kanthal A-1 32 AWG for about $20,- total. It ships from Florida.

 

[emonty]

great find, always good to have some extra, thxs for the link!

 

[Chingas]

Tried my first Bonut today and it is such an improvement over regular dripping that I have to keep an eye on this thread now too.

 

[zogu]

Does anyone knows what is the mash count for standard mash around atomizer and on the bridge? I want to buy mash with mash count 400 from first link on first page of this thread, is this ok?
Thanks.

 

[BJ43]

Does anyone knows what is the mash count for standard mash around atomizer and on the bridge? I want to buy mash with mash count 400 from first link on first page of this thread, is this ok?
Thanks.

I don't think it is a mesh, a nickel wool. I had a place that sold it. Will look for it and post. The #400 or #325 stainless steel works great.

 

[BJ43]

I have been using only stainless steel wicks on all my rebuildables for a long time. For now there is nothing better IMO. I do feel that newbees should know that they are finicky and take patience. There is a learning curve with rolling the wick, wrapping the coil, oxidizing, and installing on the atty. There are as many ways to do each step as there are people out there doing it and I am not going to go into the plus and cons of the different tricks. What I want to say is that even a perfect setup can have problems in its cycle of use and it is best that we know this. Occasionally a perfect coil will go from a normal ohm reading to a much lower, what we normally consider a short. I burnt one of my VV mods because of this. At 6v with a 3 ohm it shorted to less than 1 ohm and my regulator went. I don't know exactly why a coil shorts after hours or days of normal use but I decided to watch my Line under a microscope while it was putting out vaper. To my surprise there was a considerable amount of expansion in the wick and coil when it heats up, both from the heat and probably some from internal vapor pressure. If your wick is too close to a pole it can expand and short. Fiddling with the wick and coil almost always created a short even using a toothpick, many of these mini shorts eliminate themselves with the burning of juice between the coil and the wick. My conclusion after observing the wick and coil under high magnification over several days is that the expanding and contracting of the wick and coil can in some instances break the oxidation between the coil and the wick and cause a short. Look at your coils when they are heating up, if only one or two wraps are getting hot you have a problem. While vaping if you sense a difference, check your coil. If you have a mod with a meter check the voltage reduction when you hit, it will drop substantially if you have a short and reduced the ohms. I am not writing this to scare anyone away from using SS, I would never go back to silica or fiberglass, that is as bad as asbestos. Just be patient and do it right but knowing that it has its quirks. Happy vaping to all!!!!

 

[evosil98]

Thanks for the wealth of knowledge in this tread. I do have a question. Im going to build my own Stainless steel wick atomizers and worried about any sort of short circuit.

I just purchased a Vmod XL bottomfeeder. It has a mechanical circuit and no circuit protector. I cant decide what battery to get. It's between the AW IMR 18650 or the AW protected 18650.

I've read all the post and info about batteries and AW IMR always seem to be the best and safest. I want to get the AW IMR but worried about that it has no protection incase of a short circuit. Should I just get the Protected AW?

What are your opinions?

Thanks

 

[BJ43]

Thanks for the wealth of knowledge in this tread. I do have a question. Im going to build my own Stainless steel wick atomizers and worried about any sort of short circuit.

I just purchased a Vmod XL bottomfeeder. It has a mechanical circuit and no circuit protector. I cant decide what battery to get. It's between the AW IMR 18650 or the AW protected 18650.

I've read all the post and info about batteries and AW IMR always seem to be the best and safest. I want to get the AW IMR but worried about that it has no protection incase of a short circuit. Should I just get the Protected AW?

What are your opinions?

Thanks

I always recommend protected. These batteries are inches from your face and even tho accidents are rare they do happen.

 

[wyojoe]

What mess size do you folks think is the best for wicking and making the wicks?

 

[BJ43]

What mess size do you folks think is the best for wicking and making the wicks?

ss 400 mesh

 

[wyojoe]

ss 400 mesh

Thanks, I will buy some and try it out.