Printed Mechanical Bottom Feeder Mod

[gdeal]

So while the beta testers and I were hashing through improvements to the Printed dna Bottom Feeder, I put together a printed mechanical bottom feeder and doubled the fun for the guys in the group. The objective was to get the form factor into the smallest space possible, use an 18650 battery, and have a 6ml or 9ml juice bottle. I also wanted to keep the complexity to a minimum as well as the cost for hardware to put one together. The parts are readily sourced (although some with pesky MOQ’s).

Fully assembled without a battery or juice in the bottle, it weighs in at 43g or 1.5oz. And it only has 5 printed parts. Its still in late stage beta, but its working really well so far.

Dimensions of the body (w/o button) are: 3.25” (83mm) x 1.73” (44mm) x .95” (24mm).

This is the most developed version:

Next to the V3.1:

Without the body and ring:

Skeleton of the parts:

Compared to a Reo for size:

Vdrop is fairly good. Before any tweaking, with a 1.1 ohm coil I measured a .17 drop on a semi fresh LG HE2, Subohm was respectable as well in the mid .20’s to .32. The device is remarkably light, completely pocketable and a perfect all day steath vape.

Much credit to the beta group: Alexander Mundy, BobC, Kataphratos, T1lVl, 4Nic8, Rossum, Jakematic, ValHeli and B2L

 

[BobC]

As a member of the original beta team, this is definitely a black day on ECF. The entire project was funded by George and the beta team, the parts were publicly posted for anyone to buy generically, and build at will.
If that's a business plan, it had to be one of the worst profit plans in history.

I for one don't get it, sad, very sad

I sense the winds of change blowing

 

[muzichead]

Handcheck..... This is a killer combo....

 

[RSZ1]

Still have to put the magnets in. Debating to leave the ring between the top cap and body on or off.

I can't believe how TINY thing is. I thought the REO grand was tiny. And it's soooo light.

Went together nice. For my first time only had to take a couple things apart and put them back together the right way. I forgot the nut on top of the screw for the button. Had to take the 510 back out in order to put take apart the top cap and put the nut on.

It hits hard. I unscrewed my vector off my REO Grand and right onto the Peko. I can tell the difference.

For all my beaching and moaning about the cost, I would do it again!

Thanks to Gdeal, if you see this, thank you! This is an awesome little squonker! The thought that went into this is very impressive.

Thanks to Livewire Mods for making it simple to order all the parts in one spot.
Thanks to everybody else who posted their tips and tricks throughout this thread.

 

[pwheeler]

Update on using the tape. I just dropped one of my Pekos from my chest pocket and it landed square on the bottom onto my hardwood floor. I popped it apart and the tape roll held up and the battery is still firm. That really does work like a charm.

Sent from my HTC Desire Eye using Tapatalk

 

[Alexander Mundy]

I see battery contact damage as something that the design can't account for unless only a very specific battery were called out for. Let me explain my reasoning. I am in construction and work 60 to over 80 hours a week. <yes over 80 sometimes. I have 2 Pekos (Peki?) that are my at work ADV devices, one being my original beta unit which is my favorite although the finish looks like hell after all the abuse and the other is my backup. I even managed to snap off an RM2 with the thread part still in the 510 of the beta and have not had a contact failure. Here is what I see is the difference. The beta has the original battery tab, but it is smashed darn near flush with the Nylon bottom of the internals.

This is because the beta units were a hair shorter and the current ones were made a little taller to allow for more battery selection. I use HE2 flat top batteries so the tab has very little room to move any more than it is already and I have never had to bend it back up which will induce work hardening at the bend each time it is permanently bent either way.

A very small bend like when I drop mine does not induce a permanent change in the metal so it will not cause work hardening. If you are experiencing contact failure due to having to re-bend the contact I would suggest limiting the travel of the contact to a minimum by using flat top batteries and mod something to limit the travel of the battery downward. Perhaps modded Nylon washer(s) from the hardware store glued to the bottom around the contact.

Edit: Noticed the comment about the tab being a "safety device" posted while I was composing this post. It is not designed as such.

 

[Rossum]

I see battery contact damage as something that the design can't account for unless only a very specific battery were called out for. Let me explain my reasoning. I am in construction and work 60 to over 80 hours a week. <yes over 80 sometimes. I have 2 Pekos (Peki?) that are my at work ADV devices, one being my original beta unit which is my favorite although the finish looks like hell after all the abuse and the other is my backup. I even managed to snap off an RM2 with the thread part still in the 510 of the beta and have not had a contact failure. Here is what I see is the difference. The beta has the original battery tab, but it is smashed darn near flush with the Nylon bottom of the internals.

This is because the beta units were a hair shorter and the current ones were made a little taller to allow for more battery selection. I use HE2 flat top batteries so the tab has very little room to move any more than it is already and I have never had to bend it back up which will induce work hardening at the bend each time it is permanently bent either way.

A very small bend like when I drop mine does not induce a permanent change in the metal so it will not cause work hardening. If you are experiencing contact failure due to having to re-bend the contact I would suggest limiting the travel of the contact to a minimum by using flat top batteries and mod something to limit the travel of the battery downward. Perhaps modded Nylon washer(s) from the hardware store glued to the bottom around the contact.

Edit: Noticed the comment about the tab being a "safety device" posted while I was composing this post. It is not designed as such.

The PeKo I use the most is also my original (v1.0) beta. Like yours, it has virtually no space for the positive tab to flex. However, I've done some unintentional drop tests on my gDNA and the first such test bent the tab (a different tab) quite a bit, to the point where the battery rattled and the mod wouldn't fire. That convinced me that a tab with enough room under it to exceed it's elastic limit should have a buffer to prevent exceeding that limit. Here's my quick & dirty buffer:

Yep, some rolled up masking tape, sticky side out, because you can tailor its thickness to get exactly what you want/need.

Drop tests conducted (unintentionally) after the installation of this buffer have proven its effectiveness.

 

[mackman]

George and DJ have given more of themselves (and to all vapers) here on the ECF than many others I can think of. By them not being able to pass along their knowledge and innovations whose loss is it?

 

[pwheeler]

A very sad time for bottom feeders. George has been one of the most helpful people on ECF. I certainly hope that he'll be able to return.

 

[RSZ1]

Looking much better today. First coat of acrylic black glitter paint.

 

[RSZ1]

That's what my face looks like.

 

[inswva]

Thanks to the generosity of @artv61, I now have a button for my 18650 Peko and can finally assemble it.

And, I just bought this 26650 Peko a few minutes ago which was finished by Dready's Mod Spa. Good to be back in the Peko game... I've missed my two previous Pekos quite a bit.

 

[B2L]

Not sure how it is possible to damage what you guys call the 'Leaf Spring' or negative 510 connector, unless you are running at .1 or consistently shorting your 510.

I own a few 'originals' used daily, and none of them show even a hint of wear on this connector

Oh, that's easy. The PeKo is kinda like a cat, it always lands on its feet, I guess in this case it's ..... Each time it hits the ground like that, the battery flattens the leaf spring causing a crease which gets worse each time. Soooo... All you gotta do is drop it, multiple times

Don't ask me how I know

 

[inswva]

So much bottle win.

 

[cbass50]

here is my first peko and my first bottom feed mod absolutely loving this thing! was disappointed with the grey from sculpeto but other than that absolutely in love with this thing now!

 

[rudy4653]

Finished up my paint job and assembly last night.
For a first time paint job I'm happy with it.

 

[B2L]

Guys, need some advice. I painted 2 pekos and a couple more GDNAs and I've come to the conclusion that I suck at painting. So now I'm thinking my next peko is probably going to be just a simple colored shell from Sculpteo. What's the best way of keeping this protected? I've read something about polyurethane but I also read that these should be brushed on? Is there anything I can use that I can spray on?

Thanks

I pretty much came to the same conclusion. You can use any clear coat from matte to glossy depending on the look/feel your going for. I've tried several and found them to all be pretty equal.

Some other options would be to send it off for a paint job. Drunk_J and Dready Mark are both known for their finishes, I'm not sure if they are doing send ins but you could contact them and see.

My last one I sent to Darren at OCD Mods for a Cerakote finish which I am very happy with. After several weeks now of pocket carry it still looks just like the day I got it, it seems as if it's going to hold up for a long time. The pic doesn't really do it justice.

 

[RickCain]

Yeah this is pretty amazing given that nothing but assistance was given in these threads. Makes me wonder what was accomplished by this decision other than a loss of valued contributors - maybe another vendor who pays more to sell here got pissy and threw a fit.

Hope they find a new home where they can be appreciated.

 

[airedale2]

want to drop by and say hello, and give Justin at Live Wire Mods a Big Thank You, for setting me up on these two GdnaV4.3 kits that I just finished putting together, first one had a little trouble, couple of e mails to Justin, problem solved. second one went together without a hitch, these devices are really thought out, I also have the 18650 Peko+, which I really like also, I can see adding more to my Peko collection. I think now the really hard part is to figure out what color or colors to use next time around.

 

[Moxienator]

New Peko Pluses in the works, using the FDV 16ga flexible wires, and further custom parts...

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.