Packing Kanger Subtank Mini RBA? (SIDE holes)

[Thumbscrew]

Having a real hard time getting the right about of wick in here (the coils are easy-peasy at least.) While there's some videos out there, they all seem to have what I'm assuming is an older style tank with juice channels on the bottom. Mine (recently purchased) has a hole on either side of the sleeve that covers the atomizer instead.

Any threads/tuts out there for my particular model? Been doing about 4mm wide, threading it through the coil, putting the sleeve on with the cotton up top and cutting it near the top of the sleeve before loosely packing it in to the sides. This works pretty well for wicking, but after a little time passes the cotton loses some fluff, and the juice will slowly seep in through the side holes and leak into the bottom chamber (it still works, but wastes juice leaking out of the air holes, albeit slowly.)

If I put much more wick in there, semi dry hits because it's too packed spoils the fun.

Hoping there's a trick I'm missing (extra cotton in addition to the main wick?) I know practice makes perfect, but a better starting point might help.

Using 26 gauge kanthal, usually with 2mm micro wraps at .5ohms like the stock replacements, but I've tried going a little larger/extra loops to get that closer to 1 in case it would allow me a little more wicking time (nope!) Using 'max vg' juice at the moment, maybe a thinner mix would allow for more wick packing and better flow?

Any thoughts/links much appreciated!

 

[edyle]

I'm still fiddling around trying to find the best way myself;
right now i put back the older head with the channels in mine, but on the newer heads (and i got a whole 10pack of those), the next thing i am going to try is running the wick straight through both coil and barrel together; should be straightforward.
I guess come to think of it, that's one reason they bothered to make it so you no longer screwed the barrel onto a threaded deck but instead there is a separate screw hole to screw on the barrel in such a way that the two wicking hole line up a certain direction relative to the coil.


-- oh --- and people say to use the 'pancake' wick technique, but that's just too delicate micosurgery for me.

 

[jandrew]

I do it like you without any issues -- I snip the wicks about 1mm above the sleeve, fluff them a bit, then gently tuck down to just cover the holes. I was sure it would flood and leak the first time, but it didn't and I've been doing it the same way for three months now with no issues.

 

[Thumbscrew]

Thanks for the reply - are you using max vg? And if I may ask in case it matters, what kind of wick are you using? (I'm trying 'cotton bacon' right now, but had the same problem with the stock cotton that came with the tank.) Oh - and regular micro coils? (sorry, the more I know...)

 

[Thumbscrew]

Oh snap, missed your reply edyle, but thanks too! Can I assume you're in the same slow leak/dry hit boat then? I just might try running it through the holes here, but I'm thinking it might 'clog it up' more than help with the wicking...

 

[edyle]

Oh snap, missed your reply edyle, but thanks too! Can I assume you're in the same slow leak/dry hit boat then? I just might try running it through the holes here, but I'm thinking it might 'clog it up' more than help with the wicking...

Well when I got my subtank plus, first it tryed the square head;
then I put in the rba head which was the one with the juice channels, and BINGO, i was a happy vaper.

then i ordered a 10pack of rba heads, but those were the new heads with the big holes.
these new heads leak just like the square heads; they both have big holes and I dont vape high wattage.

At this point I'm willing to try a tight wick 5 watt on those heads.

 

[Thumbscrew]

While I bought it for the RBA (sick of running out of atomizers), I had the same problem something fierce with the stock atomizers it came with - leaked like crazy. I'm doing pretty low watts too - but it seems irrelevant to me - I don't hit the thing every 5 minutes throughout the whole day if that's what needed to stop seepage.

Just watched an awful youtube video on the pancake thing (hadn't heard of it) - I have to imagine that'd leak like absolute crazy though (pulling the wick away from the holes certainly did, and this has way more space.)

I'm wondering if some extra wicking material around the bottom might help before packing the actual wick in.... I'll give that a crack later today when my base dries out from yet another rinse

 

[Thumbscrew]

Oh and while I know it's a different setup, out of curiosity do you leave space around the channels on the older style, or get the wick right in there? I don't know what I'm talking about, but sometimes I think it might help that the juice needs to flow up rather than through the side in avoiding the leakage with gravity and all.

 

[sig-cmt]

...do you leave space around the channels on the older style, or get the wick right in there?

Flush with the deck, the dry wick resting just on top of the juice channels before being capped. This is with rayon (the only wick material I have ever used with the Subtank RBA).

 

[tedigram]

There definitely shouldn't be any leaking with the STM, as long as you're wicking it properly and making sure those juice holes (on your v2 RBA, as opposed to the old juice slots) are fully covered. Even the lightest layer of cotton is enough, but it's got to be covering the hole, no little channels that juice can sneak through. I've had no problems with leaking using all sorts of juice, from max VG to 20/80, 80/20, you name it.

From my experience leakage through the air holes when you're wicking properly is usually tied to the little o-ring that sits on the bottom of the RBA deck (above the post on the underside that you screw into the base). Check that o-ring for damage, and make sure you're tightening the RBA into the airflow base good and tight.

The rule of thumb for the STM is: the RBA deck wants to be tightened real tight, everything else wants to be tightened fairly lightly, since the bigger o-rings can deform under the pressure and cause new leaks from the glass.

The only other possibility is that you're not tightening the little screw that secures the RBA chimney enough. If you leave that too loose the chimney can shift and let juice in that way.

 

[Nick N]

I have been using the pancake wick method myself with 28 gauge 3mm coil and rayon. My juice is like 65vg/35pg and it does not leak. Covering the holes is what was causing my dry hits. 25-30 watts.

 

[skullblade789]

I actually like the RBA plus for the Kanger Sub mini. I usually wick my coil first. Then fluff as much as possible. Then slide the sleeve on by folding the cotton up and securing the sleeve screw. Then I cut about 1.5 to 2mm above the sleeve. Then I fluff again with a dental pick, making sure not to touch the cotton with fingers. Then tuck the cotton in the sides, making sure the holes are packed with the cotton. Then saturate the wick with juice. I also make sure the coil is saturated too. Then I finish putting the tank on with juice filled. I let the setup sit at least 20 minutes to let the juice fill the RBA. My first pull is heaven. I notice though that I am getting a big gunk buildup, but that is do to my contact coil. I am now going for a spaced coil on my next build. I am also trying to find 100% rayon and that is hard to find around here. Just the things I have been doing with my new setup and the flavor and vapor have been really to my liking so far. I now need those for my other tanks to get the more intense flavor.

 

[Jac.Solar]

Hey. I'm new to building coils and wicks, and vaping in general I suppose, and I've been trying to make one for this new subtank RBA. I think I've tried 2 or 3 times, and I keep getting this weird, nasty taste -- not sure how to explain it. (Twice with the old one.)

I use niChrome 80 24 awg, with 2.5mm dimension coils at 5 wraps, and I've tried both Native Wicks and Koh Gen Do cotton.

One time (I believe.) I used too little wick, one time too much. I've tried coils with no space (Wire right next to each other in the wraps.), and coils with some space between the wraps. I prime the coils (Pulsing the coil.) before inserting the cotton -- and it seems to work well. It seems to heat up evenly from the center of the coil, but the outermost wraps on both sides seem to get less power/are less colorful. I also douse the cotton with juice before firing it up.

I tried to burn the wire and cotton (With juice.) seperately with a lighter to figure out where it comes from, and I think it comes from the cotton.

I used to manually (With my hands.) wrap the wire, and I've made some new 3mm coils with a kit but haven't tried them yet. (Been using "disposable" atomizers.)

So, I was just wondering if anyone could chime in with some tips? I'm guessing that it's caused by hotspots?

Also, I was wondering if it's possible to measure the amount of cotton I'd approximately need for a 2.5mm or 3mm coil wrap? Ie, if you gently roll the Native Wick cotton straight out of the box, and wrap some thin rope around it twice, gently tighten it, mark it (Like you'd measure your finger.), and measure the distance, you'd get approximately 1.5 centimeters

 

[Gillistration]

I have been using my subtank mini with the occ vertical coils for a few months now. I was only getting 2-3 days out them before the wick was toast. It was enough motivation to start attempting to build on the RBA deck. I am still using the supplies that come with the STM and have had varying degrees of success. My first couple of tries, I used way too much cotton. I found it too hard to pull, and that nasty cotton taste was overpowering. When I took the cap off of the RBA, I could see that it was too bunched up around the air holes. My last two attempts have been the most successful so far, but I feel like the cotton isn't saturating enough after the first couple of puffs. I find that if I fire above 18w on the RBA I will get dry hits galor, on the occ coils I was firing at 20-25w with no problem. Is this an issue with the cotton/wire that kanger provides?

I'm currently shopping around for some kanthol and cotton but I'm not sure what to get.

 

[Gillistration]

FYI - I rewicked the coil with even less cotton and it seems to work beautifully now. It's clearly very particular with how much cotton you use.

 

[HuStLaZ]

I've been cutting the cotton same as you guys (just above the sleeve onces its on), but then i try and poke the cotton out of the side holes, so that the cotton is sticking out say 1-2mm. Then i fluff those bits of cotton. That way the side holes are covered with cotton, so no leaks happen. Plus its fluffy and absorbs the juice well, so I never get dry hits.