Noob tries a Protank 2 micro coil rebuild

[Dfinch]

I decided to attempt the ever popular micro coil/cotton rebuild on my new Protank 2. I'll start by saying, considering all the negative press about increasing unreliability as manufacturers try to keep up with demand, mine worked perfectly right out of the box. Granted, I only went through one tank full with it. Since it came with two atomizers, I couldn't help but mess around with the extra.

I picked up some 30g kanthal at my local shop ($5 for 2ft. Not going to do that again but this was an experiment) and some organic cotton balls. Watched a lot of Youtube and read everything I could find to look at different techniques.

I heated up the wire with a lighter, wrapped it around the shank of a jewelers screwdriver that appeared to be about the same diameter as a 1/16" drill bit (which is what I used to measure against). Held the coil together with needle nose pliers and torched it with a micro torch. It appeared to set into shape perfectly. I put it back on the shank and set it in the atomizer head with the wires threaded through. Centered it, set the rubber gasket with one outside and one inside. Set the center pin, clipped the tails.

I Pulled a long patch of cotton off a cotton ball and slowly worked, packed, and slightly rolled it to thin it out. Threaded it through the coil and clipped off the ends in line with the base.

My VTR showed 2.1ohm. I primed the wick with liquid, loaded a tank, let it sit for about 15 minutes, held my breath, and took my first draw.

Success! I'm very happy with the results and I know I'll be able to do it much faster next time.

My next challenge is a top coil. It seems most people use 32g and many use cotton yarn for wicking. I'm wondering if I can get enough resistance out of 30g with that type of design and still make it fit with a "normal" (like a 4-10 screw separated coil) design...or if I can do it with a micro coil type wind and thread cotton yarn into it.

 

[Dakota Jim]

I use a 3/48 machine screw with 32 kanthal - take it off the screw - heat it red with a mini torch and squeeze it with pliers - works great and is easy to thread wicking through

Kanthal A1 Wire 32 Gauge 100 ft 0 25oz Resistance Resistor AWG A 1 | eBay

Kanthal A1 Wire 30 Gauge 100 ft 0 39oz Resistance Resistor AWG A 1 | eBay

please note the HUGE price different between the 32 ($4.68) and the 30 ($22.60) - I think it is from the huge demand over the last 6 months for the 30 ga (it seems like every post I look at where someone is asking what size wire to get everybody jumps on the 30 ga band wagon)

 

[happydave]

here ya go $5.50 for 100' of 30 gauge kanthal Kanthal A1 Resistance Wire - Lightning Vapes

 

[zoidberg29]

here ya go $5.50 for 100' of 30 gauge kanthal Kanthal A1 Resistance Wire - Lightning Vapes

I bought 100' of 28g from this site. 30g is even cheaper than 28g. I think I'll have to pick up a spool. Thanks Happydave

Dfinch how many wraps did you do? I can't get a rebuilt protank head to work. No shorts but my last one popped on a 3 second test fire

 

[ZeroOhms]

I decided to attempt the ever popular micro coil/cotton rebuild on my new Protank 2. I'll start by saying, considering all the negative press about increasing unreliability as manufacturers try to keep up with demand, mine worked perfectly right out of the box. Granted, I only went through one tank full with it. Since it came with two atomizers, I couldn't help but mess around with the extra.

I picked up some 30g kanthal at my local shop ($5 for 2ft. Not going to do that again but this was an experiment) and some organic cotton balls. Watched a lot of Youtube and read everything I could find to look at different techniques.

I heated up the wire with a lighter, wrapped it around the shank of a jewelers screwdriver that appeared to be about the same diameter as a 1/16" drill bit (which is what I used to measure against). Held the coil together with needle nose pliers and torched it with a micro torch. It appeared to set into shape perfectly. I put it back on the shank and set it in the atomizer head with the wires threaded through. Centered it, set the rubber gasket with one outside and one inside. Set the center pin, clipped the tails.

I Pulled a long patch of cotton off a cotton ball and slowly worked, packed, and slightly rolled it to thin it out. Threaded it through the coil and clipped off the ends in line with the base.

My VTR showed 2.1ohm. I primed the wick with liquid, loaded a tank, let it sit for about 15 minutes, held my breath, and took my first draw.

Success! I'm very happy with the results and I know I'll be able to do it much faster next time.

My next challenge is a top coil. It seems most people use 32g and many use cotton yarn for wicking. I'm wondering if I can get enough resistance out of 30g with that type of design and still make it fit with a "normal" (like a 4-10 screw separated coil) design...or if I can do it with a micro coil type wind and thread cotton yarn into it.

Nice! How about some pics?
either here or show it off in the gallery http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/513093-coil-gallery.html

 

[Dfinch]

Thanks for the wire source. I'll need to order some soon and will probably get multiple gauges.

I used 10 wraps knowing it would put me in an acceptable range. I'll use 8 or 9 on the next one and see what it gives me.

The cotton ball wick is performing really well. No flavor wick used, no gurgling, no dry hits.

I should have taken pics but since it my first I had no idea if it was even going to work.

 

[zoidberg29]

Thanks for the wire source. I'll need to order some soon and will probably get multiple gauges.

I used 10 wraps knowing it would put me in an acceptable range. I'll use 8 or 9 on the next one and see what it gives me.

The cotton ball wick is performing really well. No flavor wick used, no gurgling, no dry hits.

I should have taken pics but since it my first I had no idea if it was even going to work.

Thanks for the info. I tried 9 wraps iirc of 28 gauge. I think it was too much and may have touched the side causing the coil to pop. Might try again later today with less. Will post pics if it works

 

[dasein_geist]

TEMCo also has a website TEMCo Industrial Power Supply if you would prefer not to order through eBay. As far as I can tell, the prices are the same.

 

[Indian Ocean Steamcloud]

I just tried the same thing but with 2mm silica laid on a sewing needle...what pain in the backside!!!!.
Got it to work but I won't bother doing it again it's far too fiddly and sad to say my eyes are not as good as they were when I was young.
I'll be paying the $1 and just screw in a new one from here on.

 

[MacTechVpr]

I just tried the same thing but with 2mm silica laid on a sewing needle...what pain in the backside!!!!.
Got it to work but I won't bother doing it again it's far too fiddly and sad to say my eyes are not as good as they were when I was young.
I'll be paying the $1 and just screw in a new one from here on.

You're absolutely right! Same thing I found a few days in myself trying to do coils for the Vivi Nova. Whether hand-over-hand, wound on a bit or screw. It's very hard to get 2mm silica threaded into a diameter that doesn't leave loose contact with the wick. These sections of the coil will overheat (as dry metal) producing bad metallic taste, gunking of the coil and wick, flooding, hot vapor, no vapor, failure of the coil…and having to buy more of them! How exciting for all of us.

Then there's locating the wick. Lot's of advice on the forum there. Like using needles or no guide at all to localize the wick. That is fiddly and harder to do right than playing ball left handed with your cap on backward and the sun in your eyes.

Let's not forget the videos you all can watch that include bits and pieces of these same futzy, fuzzy approaches in wonderful HD...that will likewise leave a wet leaking device on your lap because, like me, they were just learning the fundamentals of vaping, not what's electrically required for the device to work according to its design. So expect more of the same as above.

Or, you can build a proper electrical coil with simple methods, locate it exactly, prevent shorting and inadequate vaporization which is the early death knell for your wick…and a trip to your B&M or impatient rants with your mailman. Money out of your pocket. The mantra of a thousand chanting voices…how many winds?

Those are your choices.

You may find merciful relief here…

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/463771-protank-cotton-rebuild-way-i-do.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/clearomizers/486794-protank-microcoil-discussion.html

In the meantime, I hope this specific post helps…

Blow out the wick ends! http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-cotton-rebuild-way-i-do-17.html#post11788139

Good luck!

 

[Mark Denison]

i too built my first coil on a pro tank head. it worked great following rip's video. now i build em 10 at a time

 

[MacTechVpr]

i too built my first coil on a pro tank head. it worked great following rip's video. now i build em 10 at a time

Mark, you are eons ahead of the pack. My first week in I was chocking on decomposing saturated wicks hanging from a Vivi Nova head because the coil had already shorted, gunked up and bit me, dysfunctional.

Take a quantum leap again and build a proper electrical contact coil as I describe in my last post. Check out the two threads and Metalhed's basics on localization of the coil. My remarks on termination. Once you do the very first one, drop it into a KPT assembly and see it go full microcoil first time just like that, you'll be convinced. You didn't spend another 20 mins prepping it and preening it. There won't be any missing teeth in those turns. Pure micro, pure nitro. Of course, you should pulse it and compress it a few times, on the battery, to set the cohesion as permanently as possible. But if you wind it into a state of adhesion, don't induce any inter-turn separations installing it (you'll need to follow metalhed's instructions), it will. You will have all the time later to perfect your muscle memory and tighten up the installation resistance with your later builds. Play then to your hearts content torching and squeezin' if it makes ya happy. It's all good.

I get the feelin' once you've got that mechanical winding off the coil part down a couple'a three tries, you're gonna be just fine and dandy with the goin' right in. The helix is the thing!

Good luck.

 

[Eponator]

I get the feelin' once you've got that mechanical winding off the coil part down a couple'a three tries, you're gonna be just fine and dandy with the goin' right in. The helix is the thing!

Good luck.

Congrats on your first successful micro coil build. I think MacTechVpr said it best: "The helix is the thing!" Once you have that down, the rest should come pretty easily. How are you liking the vapor output / flavor compared to the stock coils?

 

[Mark Denison]

Mark, you are eons ahead of the pack. My first week in I was chocking on decomposing saturated wicks hanging from a Vivi Nova head because the coil had already shorted, gunked up and bit me, dysfunctional.

Why thank you sir. i started vaping and quit smoking the day before thanksgiving 2013. this stuff just comes naturally to me i guess. first coil build was a success and i was off to the races. Definitely not cheaper than ciggs, lol but i think it will even out eventually. if i can just stop buying all the cool stuff.

 

[MacTechVpr]

I casually thought to spare my lungs and circulatory system after eight attempts and found to my amazement how efficient the facsimile's had become. Two days later I hadn't touched an analog. Six months later I'm running a self-funded semi-scientific study of the phenomenon. Expensive is you buy a half dozen of every device to test before you buy the original, and then several. If not for the study I'd say save some $$$ and get the real deal straight up. Can't go wrong with most (my current fav below). As for me I had to find a way to pay back the experiential effort and investment of the community that preceded me in a new technology, and I'm trying my best. A very simple mission statement: Develop techniques and approaches to facilitate and promote as transparent and efficient a transition to vaping as possible for market resources and new end users.

So you're welcome. I wish you great success.

Good luck.

 

[mechman711]

Anybody use ribbon for pt coils. I had some given to me it .5x.1 kanthal and also 32g. I have made a few with the 32 but can't get the ohms down where I want them. Built one with 7 wraps of the flat and its great. Good flavor and decent vapor. But anything is an improvement over stock.

 

[ZeroOhms]

I casually thought to spare my lungs and circulatory system after eight attempts and found to my amazement how efficient the facsimile's had become. Two days later I hadn't touched an analog. Six months later I'm running a self-funded semi-scientific study of the phenomenon. Expensive is you buy a half dozen of every device to test before you buy the original, and then several. If not for the study I'd say save some $$$ and get the real deal straight up. Can't go wrong with most (my current fav below). As for me I had to find a way to pay back the experiential effort and investment of the community that preceded me in a new technology, and I'm trying my best. A very simple mission statement: Develop techniques and approaches to facilitate and promote as transparent and efficient a transition to vaping as possible for market resources and new end users.

So you're welcome. I wish you great success.

Good luck.

Nice! Make and model of mech/atty?

BTW, looking at how fast the vaping market is growing, manufactures will continue to "spit out" new stuff at faster rate. Only few weeks into New Year and already seeing new wave of clearo tanks coming in. Looks like Airflow control on bottom coil clearo will hit the market hard very soon. Kanger charging the way with new aerotank.
What I am trying to say is, your research budget might need a bump this year.
Good luck with your research!

 

[MacTechVpr]

Anybody use ribbon for pt coils. I had some given to me it .5x.1 kanthal and also 32g. I have made a few with the 32 but can't get the ohms down where I want them. Built one with 7 wraps of the flat and its great. Good flavor and decent vapor. But anything is an improvement over stock.

What you said. But before they can get here…

They need to get here…

Hopefully learn to wind a simple but correct electrical coil and how to locate it so that it doesn't short and flood all day. I provide the links to help with this earlier at Post #10: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...rotank-2-micro-coil-rebuild.html#post11853478

This'll get 'em to a smiley-face faster than the dozen clearo's or soggy noodle-wick winds they'll see on youtube before figuring out they all have the same problems.

Good luck, hope you check it out.

 

[ZeroOhms]

What you said. But before they can get here…

They need to get here…

Hopefully learn to wind a simple but correct electrical coil and how to locate it so that it doesn't short and flood all day. I provide the links to help with this earlier at Post #10: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...rotank-2-micro-coil-rebuild.html#post11853478

This'll get 'em to a smiley-face faster than the dozen clearo's or soggy noodle-wick winds they'll see on youtube before figuring out they all have the same problems.

Good luck, hope you check it out.

Pretty! And nice coil wrapping technique.

 

[mechman711]

Well just wrapped a new one with ribbon it came out at 1.3ohm and I just put a lot of cotton and I haven't had a prob with shorts or flooding. And the no flavor wick really helps with vapor and it taste better. And what's the best thread to start with for rba and mech.