Kraken HELP!

[skineedog]

I recently purchased my first genesis style atomizer, an Original Kraken V1, and its got me beat!

So far this is what I have tried and the wick just isn't wicking very well at all:

Kanthal A1 micro w/ 7/8 wraps. Both single and dual coil setup
ReadXWick
Cotton
SS mesh [HASHTAG]#300[/HASHTAG] with the coil portion wrapped in cotton and without
80vg & 60vg juices

Is there a definitive guide for this particular system somewhere that will basically hold my hand through the setup? Down to what VG/PG will & won't work? I paid a decent amount for this system and love the look & feel of it. I was very excited to have a genny & looked forward to using it but MAN! I have spent more hours than I care to admit trying to get this thing working with no real results.

The best I've managed is with the mesh, dual coils, & 60vg juice. The wicks actually wick but very slowly. Please help save my sanity!

A related question: How can I be certain this is an original and not a clone. In hindsight the vape shop I purchased it from seemed a little sketchy... The atty had obviously been hanging around the shop for awhile. The box was pretty banged up and didn't include any tools, extra set screw, SS rope wick, or the sticker that I believe comes with a new device. It doesn't (didn't) appear to be used but I'd like to know for certain whether it's a clone or not.

Many thanks!

 

[entropy1049]

An excellent and indispensable resource for a new genny user is this tutorial from eHuman. It's targeted at the AGA-T, but it applies to genesis attys in general. The OP also wrote some other fantastic tutorials, check them out.

https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/f...pportunities-to-hone-your-skills-part-1.3727/

https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/f...pportunities-to-hone-your-skills-part-2.3728/

 

[skineedog]

Thank you! That's the best, most comprehensive write up I've seen yet! Bout to give it (another) shot!

UPDATE: With the help of the aforementioned posts, I was able to get my Kraken cracking'! Sorta... It's wicking juice quite well but only the thinner juice. I'd like to get it to the point that it wicks any juice. The problem is likely the size mesh I'm using so, I plan to try a few different sizes. Also, the flavor isn't as great as I thought it would be. That said, the juice I'm using is one I hated in my sub tanks and I actually like it in the Kraken.

I don't think I'd have gotten it to where it is without this post. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

 

[WattWick]

If your Kraken has a brushed finish, it's probably an original. I've only seen polished clones. Also the fill hole in the deck on all the clones I've seen is same size as the wick holes. If it's smaller, it's likely an original.

I won't claim to know all the clones out there tho, but these differences has been consistent between the ones I've seen.

Congrats on your first gennie, and welcome to the real party

Not sure how to fix your wicking issues. I tend to use fairly flowy liquids. Roughly 10% water. VG content varies, but usually no more than 65%. Now when the weather is cold I stick to around 50%.

 

[entropy1049]

Thank you! That's the best, most comprehensive write up I've seen yet! Bout to give it (another) shot!

UPDATE: With the help of the aforementioned posts, I was able to get my Kraken cracking'! Sorta... It's wicking juice quite well but only the thinner juice. I'd like to get it to the point that it wicks any juice. The problem is likely the size mesh I'm using so, I plan to try a few different sizes. Also, the flavor isn't as great as I thought it would be. That said, the juice I'm using is one I hated in my sub tanks and I actually like it in the Kraken.

I don't think I'd have gotten it to where it is without this post. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

It made the difference for me when eHuman first posted it. Should be a sticky!

 

[skineedog]

eHuman eluded to help with resolving wicking issues, coil post issues, & resolving metal tastes yet I didn't see/read that in his post(s). Is there another post somewhere that helps with resolving these issues? I'd love some help with choosing the appropriate SS mesh sizes, resolving metal taste, and sorta slow wicking. Is the Kraken only capable of vaping thin juices?

 

[WattWick]

This is sort of a double whammy. If you have poor wicking, you will suffer symptoms like metallic flavor. However, any off flavors can also be signs of other problems. Both wicking and other issues has to be sorted for it to work right. Fixing just one won't do you much good. Soooo...

Wicking. Have you tried a straw wick? I personally don't favor the straw wicks (for other reasons than wicking), but they may be better for more viscous liquids. Just roll the wick with less mesh and do the opposite of what eHumans guide tells you. Don't go for a wick rolled as tightly as possible. Roll it loosely and leave a hollow center. Hence the name "straw wick". Take a look at this thread for several takes on mesh wicks. (And some cotton/rayon blasphemy )

While eHumans guide is made of excellence and taught me how to set up gennies - there are a couple things people have been doing differently since then. The straw wick is one. Another is torching the wick to "oxidize" it. Some still do that. Some don't. Important part is making it work, not how you do so. I personally don't torch my wicks. I soak them in e-liquids and set them on fire a couple/few times. I find that excessive torching may hinder wicking (clogs up?) and/or give off flavors for the first couple tank-fulls. I also run a little pure PG through my setups before filling them with my flavor of choice. Seems to me this helps clean up any remnants from setup/torching/burning that may cause off-flavors or hinder wicking.

Still have metallic flavor once (if?) wicking is sorted? Most likely hotspots or poor contact between coil and wick. Once I've wrapped a coil, I hold it up in front of my computer monitor. A bright white background helps spotting those tiny gaps between wick and coil. You can also sense them by moving the wraps around a little. No resistance and some springiness? You got yourself a loose wrap. Which is no good. The wraps should be movable, but not loose. Wraps hard to move around? They're too tight and is likely to cause hotspots that can be hard (or impossible) to sort out. Even if you do get them sorted, they may come back to haunt you.

A slightly scratchy sensation from a movable wrap tells me I'm on the right track. Once you get a feel for it, you'll know how much trouble a coil will be - simply by trying to move the wraps around a little. Again: Too tight or too loose? No go. You'll also get a feel for what is fixable and what should be discarded. A loose wrap or two can be sorted if you got the space to stretch the coil a little. A too tight wrap can be sorted if you can distribute the tension to other wraps. It's also OK to scrap the coil and start over. Just don't let anyone know about it

I'm confusing myself at this point. Hope some of it makes some sense, and that you get it sorted out.

 

[entropy1049]

This is sort of a double whammy. If you have poor wicking, you will suffer symptoms like metallic flavor. However, any off flavors can also be signs of other problems. Both wicking and other issues has to be sorted for it to work right. Fixing just one won't do you much good. Soooo...

Wicking. Have you tried a straw wick? I personally don't favor the straw wicks (for other reasons than wicking), but they may be better for more viscous liquids. Just roll the wick with less mesh and do the opposite of what eHumans guide tells you. Don't go for a wick rolled as tightly as possible. Roll it loosely and leave a hollow center. Hence the name "straw wick". Take a look at this thread for several takes on mesh wicks. (And some cotton/rayon blasphemy )

While eHumans guide is made of excellence and taught me how to set up gennies - there are a couple things people have been doing differently since then. The straw wick is one. Another is torching the wick to "oxidize" it. Some still do that. Some don't. Important part is making it work, not how you do so. I personally don't torch my wicks. I soak them in e-liquids and set them on fire a couple/few times. I find that excessive torching may hinder wicking (clogs up?) and/or give off flavors for the first couple tank-fulls. I also run a little pure PG through my setups before filling them with my flavor of choice. Seems to me this helps clean up any remnants from setup/torching/burning that may cause off-flavors or hinder wicking.

Still have metallic flavor once (if?) wicking is sorted? Most likely hotspots or poor contact between coil and wick. Once I've wrapped a coil, I hold it up in front of my computer monitor. A bright white background helps spotting those tiny gaps between wick and coil. You can also sense them by moving the wraps around a little. No resistance and some springiness? You got yourself a loose wrap. Which is no good. The wraps should be movable, but not loose. Wraps hard to move around? They're too tight and is likely to cause hotspots that can be hard (or impossible) to sort out. Even if you do get them sorted, they may come back to haunt you.

A slightly scratchy sensation from a movable wrap tells me I'm on the right track. Once you get a feel for it, you'll know how much trouble a coil will be - simply by trying to move the wraps around a little. Again: Too tight or too loose? No go. You'll also get a feel for what is fixable and what should be discarded. A loose wrap or two can be sorted if you got the space to stretch the coil a little. A too tight wrap can be sorted if you can distribute the tension to other wraps. It's also OK to scrap the coil and start over. Just don't let anyone know about it

I'm confusing myself at this point. Hope some of it makes some sense, and that you get it sorted out.

+1 on the straw wick. I've had better luck with it than a solid core wick myself. I've also gotten used to pulsing my wick vice a complete pre-burn.

eHuman eluded to help with resolving wicking issues, coil post issues, & resolving metal tastes yet I didn't see/read that in his post(s). Is there another post somewhere that helps with resolving these issues? I'd love some help with choosing the appropriate SS mesh sizes, resolving metal taste, and sorta slow wicking. Is the Kraken only capable of vaping thin juices?

As with most things, learning how to build a solid genny is like fishing with a net. Toss it out there and take away the good stuff, don't worry about what doesn't work for you. Be flexible and experiment, this is the fun of gennies, perfecting your build! While the esoterica from genny to genny may be different, the fundamentals remain the same.

Try the straw wick. Trim the bottom of the straw at a 45 degree angle (like an injection needle). Also be prepared to cheat the first day or so and resort to the "Genny Tilt". Be sure you have a carbureted vent hole in the atty's top deck so your liquid doesn't vacuum lock in the tank. Once the wick is broken in, capillary action should remove this necessity. Finer mesh for thin juices, more coarse for thick. 100% VG is very do-able in a genny with a fairly large diameter wick hole.

Assuming you're referring to hot legs when you mention coil post issues, remember, hot legs are the result of shorts between the coil and the wick. Pulse more, tweak coil turns, ensure ALL hot spots are eliminated. Once the coil is completely insulated from the wick, the hot legs WILL go away. If you're tasting metal, your set up is not wicking at full efficiency. If it's wicking slowly, ensure the vent hole in the top of the atty is clear and prime the wick by tilting. After a day or so, the build should settle in and the problems should resolve themselves as the wick and coil come to an equilibrium between coil conductance and wick insulation.

 

[papergoblin]

I'm running my clone with dual 2mm 12wrap, 26ga coils and cotton wick. It works better with 28 but ran out.