Thanks for the acks Mac, but hey it's you guys that started me OCDing on this stuff.I've mentioned in previous posts that despite best efforts pigments do buildup in ceramic braid where contacting the coil. That's where pigments are also bonding to the coil surface as a roughened gunky buildup. It also ingrains like a rocky lattice in the outermost braids of Nextel. I believe it significantly reduces the efficiency of vaporization eventually throttling the wick. Shorts cause acceleration of the buildup, any inefficiency of contact within the coil like barely seen inconsistencies in turn-to-turn contact as with a conventional formed microcoil. Any such imperfection promotes the buildup of pigments on coil and braid. This includes Eko and silica as well.
That cig is why I so devotedly extol the benefits of proper electrical winds here. You want the best vape, longest most satisfying build performance — build it right, build it tight. Out with overly compressed flimsy grommets producing hangers and intermittent shorts. Pigment gunking is the enemy of a consistent vape.
That said, your suggestion on filling out the slot area and doing away with the flavor wick is great. Better exit airflow in my estimation. That in part is why I loved 5/64 on the KPT. I could put an oversize Eko wick in that fluffed up to the slot and forego the flavor wick. Pretty good result. Just not as good as Nextel despite the need for a flavor wick. But I loved doing those tests. Just that I concluded the average user would not go through the hassle of Kanger assembly modification to get it. And many would be deterred at the prospect.
But your idea with cotton works well and I honestly did not test it adequately with the options I tried or had available at the time.
Your approach works because the ends of the cotton wick are pointed up. Cotton wicks tends to settle. If laid horizontally exiting the slot they tend to sag. Sometimes this leaves a slight gap and likewise a contact gap at end turn top!!! Most people may not even notice this. I didn't for the longest time while I was actually testing cotton. I only realized this when I started working with drippers long after I concluded those tests…that you're often running an effective short with cotton if you're not careful.
With your method the cotton being held upward by the cup wall would serve to avert that collapse and maintain a complete contact on those very critical end turns. Just wanted to point that additional benefit out to all of you.
The only concern I would have depends upon the density and fiber structure of the cotton. Highly directional material like Japanese cotton is not as permeable. Highly directional fiber structures tend not to saturate as effectively from the side. So if you bend the cotton it may not exhibit the same flow. Too tight and it may strangle. Also be careful not to bend too tightly or the coil could be distorted and compromise the micro effect, or leave a contact gap at the bottom of the first turn (short)…or, introduce a slight leak gap underneath the exit of the coil at the slot. All three things you must check with your set.
You though seem to confirm this may be averted bending such a short section of wick. And I wholeheartedly agree on the airflow advantage as huge though not exceeding the benefits of ceramic braid.
I'd say, definitely worth a try for all you cotton users who would prefer it in the Protank. Just get the density right and don't give up. Be forewarned what to look out for. This is reproducible with both cotton and Eko. And I will certainly be trying it with Japanese cotton when I decide on the right coil build for it.
Not Nextel cig. The core needs to exit in line to the coil. Even minute interruptions like very slight contact on the edge of the liquid channel will block it. Bending it is verboten. However, Nextel simply fills the slot like it was made for those silly 3mm's or so and nothin' gets past it that doesn't get sucked up like you got a black hole in your back yard. You'll see. Cutting at the midpoint to the juice channel edge is just right. I cut a slight bias using the edge of the flange as a guide for the bottom cut with nail clippers. Nice clean single cut.
Thank you cig for the great feedback.
Good luck all.
Yeah I pulled the wick out to torch when I was rebuilding. Its expands just the slightest bit when wet so I just torched it dry to slide it back into a new coil. I got to use it twice before I got the ends a bit unwound. I'm saving the little bits for a mini dripper that should be here next week.
As for dry burning... I don't know if those grommets can take the constant heat dude. Cutting the metal would also expose the brass underneath so that's out of the question for me.
Anyways have fun when you get your wick
edit:
I make micro coils by hand with a 16g (1.65mm) needle and a little cigar torch. The wick slides in perfectly everytime and there is a slight gap sound the edges when you complete the head, but I havn't had any leaking issues that I can see on my nemesis. I checked the ohms on my evic, set my kick to 12w max and ran those tests. I like the kick at about 8-9 watts most of the time though.
On my omega clone, I used a 2mm drill bit and the wick would be loose after saturation, still vaped OK but not the best. 1.5mm drill bit got bent so thats when I discovered the 1.65mm needle. I used cotton in it and got mad one night and ordered the readyxwick because ecowool is hard to work with lol
For kicks I built a functioning cartomizer/dripper
Works really well and holds about 2ml. Its just such a pain to shield the coil from the sera wool
I'll be very happy if I can get back to a 2ml a day vape. With 7 new style (?) protank heads and 2 OG evod heads I'm kinda of set for awhile. All of mine are rubber, I would like to try the silica ones I'd need to steal one from a aerotank head. always nice to have spare parts!
Just joined this thread and reading from the beginning; gonna take awhile but wanted to thank everyone for just wonderful information. I have been rebuilding Protank style coils for several months and wish I found this sooner!
On another note -I have not read the whole thread so I don't know if this has been posted already or not. Apologize if it has. Lightning Vapes now carries all parts for the heads - the whole thing (minus wire and wick) plus individual parts in packs of 10. Top post, grommets (both rubber or silicone), positive pin, top cap. I have all parts because I tend to be fumble fingered and forget to close the sink drain...
Lightning Vapes - Florida - All the RBA Materials you need! Silica Wick, Ekowool, Kanthal Wire, and more!
I have to agree. We're no longer talking about a basic micro coil in a PT, and we're not seeing micro coil results. I think there's a parallel. You may be on to something there Mac.I dunno guys. AWG 32 at 5 or 6 shouldn't take long to fire on anything (even twisted tension), I would think. And I kinda think on a great 2mm dia in a clearo you'd get damn good vapor output on just about any wick at even 7W.
Seems like something wrong with this picture. Let me see, hmmm, steam generator says the res for that gauge/dia should be 2.8Ω (figuring a 16mm leg length, nominal). About 8.5 wraps for twisted. Fascinating.
Scratchin my head here but didn't we kinda solve that problem? Something about localization, termination and shorts?
And just sayin, unless the world turned Dali this week, did I forget what a microcoil looks like?
I dunno, maybe it's just me. Maybe I got on the vertical micro thread by mistake. Things are starting to look fuzzy.
Good luck.
Know exactly what you both mean. There is a good deal of variability within the design constraints and limitations of the KPT. It's slot width being one of them. I think that's what Bill meant by standard. A proper electrical installation within the scope of capability of the atomizer. I was jokingly alluding to just how far afield we can go. I agree cig...here are no limits but nature, I basically said. And they are most definitely reflected within the design of the KPT. Experiments won't overcome them. But it can be fun to try. On this thread though, what distinguishes it for those who have benefited, is that posters have stayed remarkaby focused on the prize…a great vape.
Good luck all!
Just joined this thread and reading from the beginning; gonna take awhile but wanted to thank everyone for just wonderful information. I have been rebuilding Protank style coils for several months and wish I found this sooner!
On another note -I have not read the whole thread so I don't know if this has been posted already or not. Apologize if it has. Lightning Vapes now carries all parts for the heads - the whole thing (minus wire and wick) plus individual parts in packs of 10. Top post, grommets (both rubber or silicone), positive pin, top cap. I have all parts because I tend to be fumble fingered and forget to close the sink drain...
Lightning Vapes - Florida - All the RBA Materials you need! Silica Wick, Ekowool, Kanthal Wire, and more!
