Protank coil rebuild help needed.

[Snickerfritz]

Okay, so I've watched some Youtube videos about it and I've decided to go ahead and try to rebuild my Protank coils. I'm using 400 stainless steel mesh, 32 gauge kanthol, and 1 mm silica wick. I've actually done it, three times. The first coil I built is working like a champ, reading 2 ohms. But the two consecutive times I tried it, I'm apparently getting too low resistance. My Vamo just reads lo ohms and won't fire. So, I guess my question is, what did I do wrong on those second two tries, and why is my resistance too low on these, and what can I do differently to solve the problem?

 

[txredxj]

your mesh isnt oxidized and the coil is shorting out on it. you have to oxidise the crap out of them to get them to work in the protank. i burn vg on mine couple times just to make sure. also helps if you have a mechanical to fire it to work out hotspots. i have been using my ego but it gets hot fast so its slow going.

 

[Snickerfritz]

Thanks, I wondered if that might be the problem. It was the only thing I could think of, but didn't want to try again until I had a better idea of what to do differently. I don't have a torch lighter at the moment, unfortunately. Can I just oxidize on a gas oven?

 

[txredxj]

yes you can.
how i make a coil: clean the mesh with soapy water and rinse well. burn the mesh to get any crap off it. roll the wick and then oxidize it. drip some vg on it and burn it 4 times. the vg will catch fire and just let it burn out. assemble your head. leave the tank and stove pipe off and fire the coil to check it. should glow even but you will probably have a hot leg at first. get a needle or small pointy thing to move the coil a bit. moving the coil works to get hot spots out. be very careful not to get it too hot and burn the rubber seal in the bottom.

 

[Snickerfritz]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Butters78]

I oxidize using the pulse method with the heads it works great.

 

[heateris]

you could get some ekowool to sheath the SS. i still oxidize the SS a little with a lighter. works great in the ProTank.

 

[txredxj]

forgot to mention to fold the edge of the mesh so you dont have a frayed edge on the outside. just be careful with pulsing. i burned a rubber on a ribbon kanthol mesh i did and it tasted like burnt rubber till i changed the head and cleaned the tank really good. didnt find out what happened till i tried to make another head and found the rubber melted.

 

[Butters78]

Oh and for the pulsing you need a mechanical and a picture of John Stamos.

 

[txredxj]

i prefer Betty White. Gets me hotter than John Stamos ever did.

 

[Snickerfritz]

Got the wicks in all three of my Protank coils replaced and working fine now. Thanks again. Now onto my T3 coils...later.