I received all of the stuff I ordered to attempt rebuilding coils for my KangerTech Pro tank II. I had ordered tweezers, Kanthal wire at 30 Guage, 2 mm Silica wick, and a magnifying lamp on a swing arm. I already had a multi-meter to check the resistance, needle-nose pliers, and a couple of hat pins. As an overview, can I really save money if my yield is 20%? I learned a lot and burned up a great deal of time on a rainy afternoon. However, I had a blast learning. First, I had watched three videos multiple times. Those videos and more can be found within the forum. Maybe I was overconfident.
My first was a true disaster. I had a tremendous amount of issues and the first one did not even make it to the fully assembled stage. I used the wick with a pin stuck through the middle. Or at least close to the middle. OK, I admit it, I snaked back and forth from sticking out one side to sticking out the other. I then measure a length that would give me about 2.5 ohms plus extra to cut off. I clumsily wrapped wire around the the combined wick and pin. I got 6 wraps then worked on getting the coils closer together until I broke one side of the wire at the end of the coil.
My second was a disaster but maybe a bit closer. I made it through wrapping but the wick kept coming uncoiled. After I pushed my metal coil back together, I pulled a bit on the wick. Of course it broke. About this time my wife asked if I was getting frustrated. I told her I was having too much fun to worry about that.
My third was closer. I used scotch tape to help keep the wick together after putting it on the pin. A little tape around the pin head and a little tape after the pin tip. I wrapped the wire around then again the wick came apart just as I was installing the coil in its housing.
My fourth I decided to try the drill bit method where I use a 1/16th drill bit and wrap around it. I made a beautiful coil but it was so small, I had no chance of getting wick through it. So my wife got the cotton pads she uses to clean her face. I rolled my own cotton and got it to go through. I put everything back together and it worked! I put it on my multi-meter and found it was 1.3 ohms. OK, so I was shooting for 2.6 and got half that. Still it worked!
I messed up my fourth and fifth trying to build one for my wife. They both came out about 2.8 ohms and apparently my Vision Spinners won't put out enough power to make those work.
Finally my sixth worked and I took a couple of loops off. I had switched to a jewelers screw driver for wrapping bigger diameter coils. Six loops did the trick to get 2.0 ohms. Cotton is my new wicking material. Lessons learned.
1. The rubber gasket/cap that acts as a seal for the bottom of the clearomizer is easy to lose. I lost two today and don't know where.
2. The rubber grommet at the bottom of the coil that goes between the positive post and the body ground is easier to tear up than I thought. I tore one up today. It was a problem with ripping the bottom ring when trying to get it out. I figured out that it was better to remove the metal positive pole at the bottom of the coil unit. Then, straighten the positive end of the coil wire, then pinch the entire exposed rubber together with my needle nose. That always seemed to take the grommet out in one piece.
3. I found the wick hard to work with. It would either unwrap itself or tear too easily. It was very difficult to get a pin down the center of the wick. Finally, my metal coils were better looking and more consistent without the wick but with using the drill bit or jewelers screwdriver.
4. I think if I had the purchase for the wick to do over, I might have just gone with cotton. At the very least I would have gone with 3 mm to make it easier to get a pin centered in it.
My first was a true disaster. I had a tremendous amount of issues and the first one did not even make it to the fully assembled stage. I used the wick with a pin stuck through the middle. Or at least close to the middle. OK, I admit it, I snaked back and forth from sticking out one side to sticking out the other. I then measure a length that would give me about 2.5 ohms plus extra to cut off. I clumsily wrapped wire around the the combined wick and pin. I got 6 wraps then worked on getting the coils closer together until I broke one side of the wire at the end of the coil.
My second was a disaster but maybe a bit closer. I made it through wrapping but the wick kept coming uncoiled. After I pushed my metal coil back together, I pulled a bit on the wick. Of course it broke. About this time my wife asked if I was getting frustrated. I told her I was having too much fun to worry about that.
My third was closer. I used scotch tape to help keep the wick together after putting it on the pin. A little tape around the pin head and a little tape after the pin tip. I wrapped the wire around then again the wick came apart just as I was installing the coil in its housing.
My fourth I decided to try the drill bit method where I use a 1/16th drill bit and wrap around it. I made a beautiful coil but it was so small, I had no chance of getting wick through it. So my wife got the cotton pads she uses to clean her face. I rolled my own cotton and got it to go through. I put everything back together and it worked! I put it on my multi-meter and found it was 1.3 ohms. OK, so I was shooting for 2.6 and got half that. Still it worked!
I messed up my fourth and fifth trying to build one for my wife. They both came out about 2.8 ohms and apparently my Vision Spinners won't put out enough power to make those work.
Finally my sixth worked and I took a couple of loops off. I had switched to a jewelers screw driver for wrapping bigger diameter coils. Six loops did the trick to get 2.0 ohms. Cotton is my new wicking material. Lessons learned.
1. The rubber gasket/cap that acts as a seal for the bottom of the clearomizer is easy to lose. I lost two today and don't know where.
2. The rubber grommet at the bottom of the coil that goes between the positive post and the body ground is easier to tear up than I thought. I tore one up today. It was a problem with ripping the bottom ring when trying to get it out. I figured out that it was better to remove the metal positive pole at the bottom of the coil unit. Then, straighten the positive end of the coil wire, then pinch the entire exposed rubber together with my needle nose. That always seemed to take the grommet out in one piece.
3. I found the wick hard to work with. It would either unwrap itself or tear too easily. It was very difficult to get a pin down the center of the wick. Finally, my metal coils were better looking and more consistent without the wick but with using the drill bit or jewelers screwdriver.
4. I think if I had the purchase for the wick to do over, I might have just gone with cotton. At the very least I would have gone with 3 mm to make it easier to get a pin centered in it.
Sounds like my first endeavors. My coils still aren't the prettiest, but are working. Now using a 1/16th Allen wrench. It's got a handle! 
