Losing the will to coil - advice needed

[scrappydoo]

Just started my first build. Kayfun Lite Plus and 30 gauge Kanthal. About 9 wraps with a 2mm internal diameter. Made five or six coils but nothing usable. Main problem is crooked coils or legs snapping off when I try to attach them to post. Really annoying. Using a mandrel, needle-nose pliers and a blow torch.

Is there anything I can do to make my life easier? Not interested in sub-ohm coils. I have 28/30/32 gauge wire. Not sure if it's just me or whether this is part of the normal learning curve. Do I just keep at it? Slightly frustrated. Any advice/suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[thebanik]

No idea what to suggest, my first builds went smooth, though not exactly what I wanted but they still worked......Oh and use 28g wire since they are a bit thicker they would be a bit easier to work with.....

 

[antony73]

Some people are good with their hands and some aren't, (I'm not!), this may have something to do with it.

I haven't yet gone down this path, but would love to venture with it in the future. My worry is that I may just mess it all up. I can only guess that some people are able to get it right straight off, others need a few weeks to master it.

 

[scrappydoo]

Thanks for the input. I'll try some 28g wire. If that doesn't work, I'll just accept my dexterity is lacking, and repeat until I can do it.

 

[davidperry1987]

I use 30ga about 8-10 wraps. Works great


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rev. Stabard]

search here for super_x_drifter. He's a member who has posted vids on youtube on how to build coils. It's really not that hard once you get the hang of it. My first one didn't work. Everyone after has. He uses micro coils, as do I, to great success. I also use cotton for my wick. Never tried loose wraps with silica. Might like it but cotton does me well.

Anyway, good luck, search for those vids and you'll be on your way in no time!

 

[k2zs]

It sounds like you may be tightening down the screws too much, is that where the coil fails? Lighter gauge wire is delicate and the screw is probably "cutting" the wire.

 

[edyle]

Just started my first build. Kayfun Lite Plus and 30 gauge Kanthal. About 9 wraps with a 2mm internal diameter. Made five or six coils but nothing usable. Main problem is crooked coils or legs snapping off when I try to attach them to post. Really annoying. Using a mandrel, needle-nose pliers and a blow torch.

Is there anything I can do to make my life easier? Not interested in sub-ohm coils. I have 28/30/32 gauge wire. Not sure if it's just me or whether this is part of the normal learning curve. Do I just keep at it? Slightly frustrated. Any advice/suggestions would be most welcome.

Maybe don't use the pliers?
Just use fingers or tweezers?

 

[Dampmaskin]

Drop the blow torch. You can use electricity to oxidize the coil once it's mounted. Once oxidized the wire becomes brittle.

Keep the mandrel in the coil while mounting it. Helps keep its shape.

 

[Downtownjeffbrown]

+1 for 28g wire :thumbup:

>^.^< Sent From Meow G2

 

[Choc_Addic]

I use 30g wire and works every time. May be you need a "helping hands" ?

Cheers

 

[scrappydoo]

Again, thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I am going to watch the videos, then try again without the torch and keep it on the mandrel. For those using pliers, are yours smooth or serrated?

 

[scrappydoo]

It sounds like you may be tightening down the screws too much, is that where the coil fails? Lighter gauge wire is delicate and the screw is probably "cutting" the wire.

Might well be. To be honest, I think my eyes might be to blame. Time to make use of the 10,000 lux SAD lamp that is gathering dust in a cupboard. Lol.

 

[Choc_Addic]

I guess my earlier post didn't make it?

Get this from HF and it's the best tool ever. And I don't need to use pliers. Just a small tweezers.

 

[lownote2]

All the above advice is really good. And this is coming from a guy (me) who just started building coils yesterday I had similar experience. Actually my first coil turned out pretty good, the second one was functional but not pretty. The guy I bought my mod from threw in a bit of different gauge wires. I had the weekend off and tinkered around yesterday. Practice practice practice.

Seriously, really good advice above, leave your mandrel in. And my eyesight up close is terrible too. (bifocals) Small wire and small holes, fun when you're eyes don't like up close things lol. Actually my biggest challenge was trying to get cotton through a smaller diameter coil I made.

It's a learning curve and I have a lot to master yet. Coils don't seem to be terrible if you keep with it. My challenge is figuring out the resistance I like. Finally last night around 5 I built a .7ohm coil on my dual coil rda. Even though its a dual coil I'm only using one coil. One of the juices I didn't mind, but didn't love and was not going to buy again has now become my favorite juice!!

I'm probably going to invest in one of these. Called a helping hands from harbor freight for only $2.99. Magnifying glass and 2 alligator clips. Mainly for the magnifying glass lol. I was really wishing I had one of those yesterday.

http://www.harborfreight.com/helping-hands-60501.html

 

[lownote2]

HaHa..... as soon as I posted the link for the helping hands looks like Choc beat me to it.

 

[mohitgarg]

Try to be gentler as mentioned, use tweezers instead of pliers, use thicker gauge wire to start off.

 

[JeremyR]

Sounds like you torched it too much and were rough on the leg bends. Only heat just till it glows no more. Be a little more gentle. But wrap the coils with some tension laying them side by side.

 

[BTerry]

don't worry about trying to make perfect micro coils or whatever coils, as long as you don't have hotspots it'll work and you'll get better w practice

 

[Necrotic]

I use pliers with no problem. Mine are serrated but hold very well. Before you start just drag your torch along the length of wire to make it less springy. After you make the coil push the coils until touching then hold them gently in the pliers and torch until the coils became red hot, let cool a second, repeat 2-3 times.