Kayfun Lite build strategies (please advise)

[spacenoob]

Greetings!

I recently purchased a kayfun lite with a nemesis mod and I've been toying with different builds. Initially I went with a typical silica wick and a few wraps of kanthal which was fine but wasn't producing "clouds".

More recently I opted to try a micro coil (~1ohm with 8-10 wraps) and a cotton wick. I bought organic cotton balls and cotton yarn (Peaches & Cream).

The yarn works wonders. It's 80% perfect (the best I've had so far). My only problem is I enjoy "chain vaping" and after 3 or 4 hits I have to cover the intake hole and do a few hard draws to suck more liquid into the chamber or I'll get a dry hit (which I'm pretty sure isn't very good to do with cotton).

I would like to fix this problem, but so far nothing works better. My silica wick wont fit in a micro coil (1/16 size) so I thought maybe i should try buying thinner silica. Also, cotton balls don't seem to do very well at all. I followed some video tutorials, peeling a little bit off the cotton ball, rolling it up like a cigarette, feeding it through, etc, but it doesn't wick as quickly as the yarn.

Is there anything else I should try? I'm starting to think I should get a new RBA that allows for dual coils because two wicks are quicker than one, I assume. Also it could be something to do with the yarn covering my intake wells. It's a bit hard to place them correctly. Right now I just loop the yarn once per side with the tails coming out the top - trim those off, add a couple drops, and screw on the chimney. When I run out of juice I'll post some pictures or video of my method.

Edit: I forgot to mention my juice is roughly 50/50.

Let me know if you have any questions and thank you all in advance!
Chris

 

[donnah]

I wrap 28g around a 1/16 drill bit and use a strip of cotton ball. I used to have problems with wicking because I thought the wick tails had to be kept away from the juice channels/inlets or they would be blocked. That is wrong! Those tails need to be right there over the channels/inlets to suck up the juice as you vape it in. Since I started doing this, I've had no problems at all with cotton from a ball, keeping up. My juice is 50/50 also. Don't be afraid to get those tails down onto the entire deck.. as long as you don't tightly pack it in, those inlets won't be blocked and you should get constant wicking.

 

[Jazzi Mike]

Why do you have to build a micro coil at 1/16"? Why not build a micro coil that is large enough to fit a strand of silica through?

 

[spacenoob]

Why do you have to build a micro coil at 1/16"? Why not build a micro coil that is large enough to fit a strand of silica through?

Good question! I don't know. I followed a video tutorial and it seemed to work for them. Also, it's easier to screw down the coil when it's a certain length so the leads dont pull the coil apart. I'm not sure if I could achieve a 1ohm coil at the same width if I wrap it on a bigger drill bit. Certainly worth a try though! Thanks for the input, I'll look into this.

 

[spacenoob]

I wrap 28g around a 1/16 drill bit and use a strip of cotton ball. I used to have problems with wicking because I thought the wick tails had to be kept away from the juice channels/inlets or they would be blocked. That is wrong! Those tails need to be right there over the channels/inlets to suck up the juice as you vape it in. Since I started doing this, I've had no problems at all with cotton from a ball, keeping up. My juice is 50/50 also. Don't be afraid to get those tails down onto the entire deck.. as long as you don't tightly pack it in, those inlets won't be blocked and you should get constant wicking.

I should try different techniques with the cotton balls. I think maybe I'm using too much cotton so the coil doesnt have room to "breathe" but I'm not sure. Is there any specific technique you use when pulling apart the cotton?

 

[tnt56]

Sterile cotton gauze is your answer. I've been using it in my Reomizers for a while now. When they burn up, remove and replace. Right now my Kayfun lite is wrap around ecowool. Never use it before now, but so far really nice vape. 1.2ohms.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Why do you have to build a micro coil at 1/16"? Why not build a micro coil that is large enough to fit a strand of silica through?

Bigger than 1/16" isn't a micro coil. It's a mini
The inside diameter of a micro coil is key to optimal vape.

I know the vape video celebs have erroneously led the unknowing vaper to believe that if your coils are touching its a micro coil but their missing the other half of the equation - micro size
Here's a chart to help understand the ID range for a micro coil

 

[spacenoob]

Sterile cotton gauze is your answer. I've been using it in my Reomizers for a while now. When they burn up, remove and replace. Right now my Kayfun lite is wrap around ecowool. Never use it before now, but so far really nice vape. 1.2ohms.

Interesting. I have noticed with cotton I have to change them quite often. Can I find sterile cotton gauze anywhere locally? (target, wal-mart, cvs, etc?)

 

[tnt56]

I got mine from CVS. Most places like that or walgreens will carry it.

 

[evgeny131]

take a nail approx same diameter as your ekowool....wrap 10 turns of coil, each ring right next to the other....no spaces between rings,
wet the ekowool tail and slide through....mount on your kfl.. either before or after you clip the ekowool and slide it through (nail clippers work better than scissors for me)...if mounted before you can pulse the coil and easily make adjustments....just as easy with the ekowool inside....pour some juice....pulse again.....good luck...

 

[JD1]

........The yarn works wonders. It's 80% perfect (the best I've had so far). My only problem is I enjoy "chain vaping" and after 3 or 4 hits I have to cover the intake hole and do a few hard draws to suck more liquid into the chamber or I'll get a dry hit (which I'm pretty sure isn't very good to do with cotton). ....................

Have you given any thought to just leaving it like than and making it a habit of covering the air hole and giving a sharp little pull to saturate the wick. The rewards are that you're always vaping from a fully saturated wick, just like dripping or sqonking, but easier to do.

The differences are slight and maybe not worth it to most people, so if you still want to solve it, pay attention to the post from Donna and poke around in the kfl thread some. Keep in mind that the distance from the inner wall of the chimney to the outer wall of the innards is very small and a fat wick is going to get squeezed in there.

A couple more tips. (These are true for my clone and I think the kfl as well). Don't fill it full or at least be prepared to use the cover the air hole trick until it starts to work on it's own. When it gets low on juice it may or may not run into problems again.

As far as using the cotton, go to the 'micro coils' thread and follow the links in the first post of that thread for some really good pictures. The device is different but you can still get some good ideas.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[Tintreach]

I've been playing with nano/micro coils lately. Today I did a vertical coil in my Kayfun. I think it was about 9 wraps of 30g on a 18g needle. .8 ohms. I packed, not tightly, cotton ball in the chamber up to the top of the coil which is directly in line with the air hole.

Anyways it's pretty much like a carto build and working great. Having a little juice leaking down the hole and out the intake from time to time but will teak it in a few days.

 

[Actually]

I would like to fix this problem, but so far nothing works better. My silica wick wont fit in a micro coil (1/16 size) so I thought maybe i should try buying thinner silica. Also, cotton balls don't seem to do very well at all. I followed some video tutorials, peeling a little bit off the cotton ball, rolling it up like a cigarette, feeding it through, etc, but it doesn't wick as quickly as the yarn.

I'm not sure what size wick you have, but you can easily fit 2 mm silica into a 1/16th coil. Perhaps you have something thicker than 2 mm, but if not, then you might want to give it another shot. It's really easy, and only takes like ten seconds.

I'm not sure if you've ever threaded a sewing needle, but you'll need to use the same technique. I give the wick a few twists first, too, to tighten it up prior to threading it.

If you're not familiar with the technique, it's basically where you pinch the wick with your index finger and thumb, and roll the tips of your finger and thumb, to make the wick poke in and out. Just press the coil against the gap (where your finger and thumb meet), then roll your finger and thumb to make the wick poke out. As it comes out, it'll go through the coil.

 

[tnt56]

Ok for those that use a micro coil and cotton wick!!!
How often and how do you change the cotton wick.
My KFL still taste great but started thinking about the wick.
(I really need to stop thinking.)

 

[tnt56]

Still no suggestions on changing the cotton wick with a micro coil? Really. Any advice?

 

[Paul.K]

I try to change out the cotton wick about once a week. I just took my kfl apart to change the wick and it's still clean and usable but still like to do it weekly. Try this thread tho.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/rebuildable-atomizer-systems/436118-kayfun-lite-531.html

 

[tnt56]

I try to change out the cotton wick about once a week. I just took my kfl apart to change the wick and it's still clean and usable but still like to do it weekly. Try this thread tho.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/rebuildable-atomizer-systems/436118-kayfun-lite-531.html

Thanks. I'm gonna check that out.