MadVapes Blue Acrylic Tube kit help

[horton]

I hope I am posting this in the proper section. Apologies in advance if not.
I built my Blue Tube mod a while ago, but keep having a persistent problem. The round piece of plastic / pcb that has the positive battery terminal on it keeps coming loose. Plus, I have a heck of a time figuring where to place it in the end cap so the tube will screw shut completely with no gap showing and allowing for the battery to make good contact.
Can some kind soul give me some tips or hints as to how to put this piece in place so it won't come loose and also have it at the proper position so I can screw the tube shut and not have a gap.
I just can't seem to find a way to firmly anchor it. There doesn't seem to be much room to work through the switch hole and put any glue on the backside, and when I try to push it in against the threads I end up with it either crooked or too shallow or deep for the 14500 battery. I'm sure there is an easy way to do this, but I'm probably not seeing the forest from the trees.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I love this mod, but seem to spend most of my time trying to get that piece to stay in place than vaping with it. No offense intended toward MadVapes...... they make a fine kit and are most helpful. I think I need a little "nudge" in the right direction to get this piece to stay in the proper position.
Thanks in advance for any replies...... horton

 

[Sacker]

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...SyImy3&sig=AHIEtbSTvqV8EcHMtZUAR8p8vYXFN1tSRQ

were you using that one?

if you look at the pictures it shows a homemade spacer... plastic bottle cap cut down to size (white spacer on 3rd and 4th page) instructions 7. and 9.

instructions 1. and 2. explains the process to making the spacer and the cap (contact plate)

 

[Skyway]

Do you have any pictures of your progress so far?

 

[AttyPops]

Well, I can try to describe what I did, it may help, IDK since I can't see a picture of yours (yet)....

I had cut/ground a circle the diameter of the tube from a 1 mm thick piece of plastic. That circle fit in the tube snugly, and it butted up against the little ridge on the inside of the tube, just on the battery side of the button hole.

I drilled a hole in the center for the positive battery contact (was a spacer type thing with a threaded center hole) and wired in the positive contact. Could have rigged anything including an old battery contact from a trashed 2xAA box. Doesn't matter as long is you don't short it to the negative threads.

It fit tight enough to "stay", and once the battery side was screwed in, it was held in place with no gaps. I think that the spring terminal in the battery case helps push the batteries up against the positive contact.

Hope this helps.

 

[horton]

I got it..... made a new circle last night slightly larger and bit by bit pushed it into the end cap. (what a pain in the neck) I see where AttyPops mentions the little ridge now. That was a great "landmark" to use. So, now all is well and it is held in place by friction,quite a lot of friction I might add....lol.
I could not figure out the method that showed in the homemade spacer that Sacker mentioned. Couldn't see where to anchor it.... I know, I'm dense...lol. I thought that was the only "weak" point in that whole tutorial, at least for me.
Thanks for your help.... now I'm happily vaping way and don't think I'll have any more problems. Now maybe I'll get the Gold Tube.... what do you think? Just use an 18650 battery.... nothing fancy?

 

[AttyPops]

Glad you got it working! Yeah, the gold one is made for 18650's AFAIK.....

I wish I had gotten the gold one 1st.... I use a 2xAA mod mostly for 3.7v. lol. Don't use the bulky tube as much. I should probably PIF it. But I put enough sweat into it I keep it as a backup.

Good Luck.

P.S. Did I mention I added an LED to mine? I drilled a hole above the button for a small 3mm led. Then, after installing it, someone posted a cool tip. The blue acrylic is semi-transparent. If you put a resistor/led tucked inside the tube (no shorts!) it will glow when the button is activated. lol.

 

[Skyway]

huh, i had no idea about that. I might have to temporarily put an led in my mine to see if works.

 

[horton]

AttyPops -- The LED sounds cool..... I'm sure it does look neat when lit in the dark and you can see the "inner workings" of the device. That's what is so much fun about modding.... so many different ideas to try..... never run out of them. Always something new to experiment with. I have some of the TI4050 boards I'm getting ready to fiddle around with. Looking for my breadboard so I can lay out the circuitry to make sure it's right before putting anything together. Always like to make sure things will work first....lol.
Thanks again to everyone for helping me... I really appreciate it... what a great community of helpful people.......horton

 

[Skyway]

Red doesnt show up very well with the blue. All the other colors seem to work though.

 

[AttyPops]

Red doesnt show up very well with the blue. All the other colors seem to work though.

You da man! I only tried one LED (matched the blue)... but as I said, it had the hole drilled already. I'll bet one of those fast change color cycling LEDs would be cool too.

Glad you put it through the sunkworks trial. Now we know not to use red .

Why temporary? I know some people hate LEDs for some reason, but they are handy for those "I set it down on the button" moments, "is my atty dead, button failing, or the battery cutoff?" times. They draw so little power, and give positive feedback. To each their own.

P.S. that whole testing image is funny coming from a green guy with a blue ring and yellow magic glow.

 

[Skyway]

Well the temporarily thing is just because my Blue is already put together. I will have to take it apart and do some re-wiring. I did not want to go through the process of taking it apart if the colors did not do what I wanted.
I like the fast color changing. I have it in my pump mod inside the box facing the little mister pump and it makes the cap of the pump glow.