Pyrex Tube/Inner Coil/SS Mesh Genesis Mod

[dsy5]

Hey Big Screen are you tired of those crimps i may have found you another solution check this thread out
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/367095-resistance-no-resistance-wire-welder-2.html check out my post #19

Seen that before - I think I know how this works and if I ever get the time to wire up a prototype, I'll check out my theory on how it is done.

 

[dsy5]

This thread has been quiet for a while, no doubt due to the ceramic discussions. But to keep it alive, I've just finished a fused quartz wick that is vaping great. (Big D, you're original wick is also still going strong).

I used the NR-R welder to get a 2.0Ω wick and sealed top with FP mortar and bottom with food grade aquarium silicone. I'm running it at 10 watts. The vapor is thick and the taste is excellent. I'm only on the first tank, but it performed excellently right off the start. Once the ss wicking has seasoned, it should be even better.There is a slight lag (less than a second), but it is not a big deal to me. After a tank or two, I'm going to check for any leaking into the tube, but I think it should be fine.

At 10 watts, battery life is going to be on the low side - but I have plenty of batteries.

 

[Big Screen D]

Hey D. What's shaking.

Good to hear you have a FQ going, and the Pyrex is still kicking. I still have my original going in my rotation as well.

Been working some insane hours, and haven't made the time to fool around with the gear I got in from my friends here.

So you find the FQ needs more watts than the glass I take it? Or is it more a matter of it being hard to concentrate the coil inside the 1mm FQ?

 

[dsy5]

Yeah, I can commiserate, I've ben working a lot, too. So there has been a bit of a lull in the R&D on my end, also. I still haven't gotten around to using the piece of ceramic gdeal sent me. I'll probably break it anyway!

Yes the FQ does require a lot more power to get the vapor production up there, but it does produce it well. I don't think that the problem is the coil, though it is stretched a bit to make it fit. I think it has more to do with the wall thickness and the properties of FQ in general.

 

[asdaq]

I'm fairly certain my attempts failed on account of the wall thickness too. Mine FQ is 3mm OD 1.6mm ID, recently I got some 3mm OD ~2mm ID from TB that I may try again and 2.5mm OD 2.2 ID Pyrex that I don't think I want to mess with.

 

[eHuman]

This is beyond my tinkering abilities for now, but just a thought:
Instead of running your negative lead up through the fill hole, have you considered running it back up the outside of the tube prior to wrapping mesh around it? As the mesh ends a small distance from the top of the tube, the negative wire would come off lower than the positive wire that exits the top of the tube, which lines up with any typical Gen style atty anyway.

It would be a lot cleaner and require less of a negative lead length...

 

[Big Screen D]

Running the negative lead up under the mesh is indeed a viable method IF the atty one uses has a large enough hole. TB did his this way with good results.

 

[dsy5]

This is beyond my tinkering abilities for now, but just a thought:
Instead of running your negative lead up through the fill hole, have you considered running it back up the outside of the tube prior to wrapping mesh around it? As the mesh ends a small distance from the top of the tube, the negative wire would come off lower than the positive wire that exits the top of the tube, which lines up with any typical Gen style atty anyway.

It would be a lot cleaner and require less of a negative lead length...

Actually, doing it that way, you would need a longer lead. My mesh is almost at the very top of the tube, BTW.

 

[eHuman]

If nothing else (in my mind) it would make for a cleaner appearance. It definitely does not add function, just form.

 

[eHuman]

Another thought, if you had an air-tight seal on the top, could you leave the bottom open? Vapor-lock would prevent the need to seal the bottom. You could also make a press in plug and thread the negative lead through the middle of it also.

I only thought of this because of one of the photos showing a jb seal on the bottom that makes it look like you must insert the wick from the bottom of the tank.

 

[dsy5]

If nothing else (in my mind) it would make for a cleaner appearance. It definitely does not add function, just form.

I do not wrap the lead around the mesh; it simply comes up through the hole and attaches to the base screw. Can't get much cleaner than that.

 

[Big Screen D]

If nothing else (in my mind) it would make for a cleaner appearance. It definitely does not add function, just form.

What is especially nice with that method is removing the assembly for fiddling, re-wicking, etc. is much easier. No need to tank the tank apart. I haven't tried it yet, but wrapping the NR negative around the wick in a spiral fashion might be a good method as well. One of the keys to making this work right is that the mesh must remain in contact with the tube.

 

[Big Screen D]

I do not wrap the lead around the mesh; it simply comes up through the hole and attaches to the base screw. Can't get much cleaner than that.

Yeah, looks just fine to me as well. Have a hard time seeing the NR wire inside the tank once juice is in it. In fact, I hold mine up to the light to check for the wire so i can tell what flavor I'm looking for.

 

[Big Screen D]

Another thought, if you had an air-tight seal on the top, could you leave the bottom open? Vapor-lock would prevent the need to seal the bottom. You could also make a press in plug and thread the negative lead through the middle of it also.

I only thought of this because of one of the photos showing a jb seal on the bottom that makes it look like you must insert the wick from the bottom of the tank.

JB melts at the top.

The wick is wrapped around the tube prior to placement in the tank. So it can be put through the atty hole from either top or bottom. Of course with the negative lead through the fill hole design, the tank goes on after the wick/tube is in place.

 

[dsy5]

JB melts at the top.

The wick is wrapped around the tube prior to placement in the tank. So it can be put through the atty hole from either top or bottom. Of course with the negative lead through the fill hole design, the tank goes on after the wick/tube is in place.

Yes, it does. But the fireplace repair mortar seems to hold up fine. Also going to chack after a couple of tanks how the silcone is working as a bottom seal. And for those others with questions - my lead does not go through the fill hole; it is coming through the wick hole along with the glass/ss wick assembly.

 

[k3vin]

HEy guys,just stopping in to say hi..Hope everything is going great...
Real busy here,and hoping will slow down a bit..

 

[Nocturin]

Another thought, if you had an air-tight seal on the top, could you leave the bottom open? Vapor-lock would prevent the need to seal the bottom. You could also make a press in plug and thread the negative lead through the middle of it also.

I only thought of this because of one of the photos showing a jb seal on the bottom that makes it look like you must insert the wick from the bottom of the tank.

A perfect seal on the top of the tube would only work if the tank juice level never got below the bottom of the glass and breaking the seal.

-----

Great thread, absolutely great read. I'm looking to get my first RBA soon and these techniques opened my eyes a-bit as the adaptability of the atomizers.

So far the easiest to maintain is the coil wrapped pyrex/fq with the wick coiled inside the tube. I was wondering if anyone had tried different wicks than SS? The best seems to be the glass coil-capsule inside a SS wick with something tied(wire) around the wick to keep it from uncoiling.

Whelp, time to dive deeper into the archives!

 

[dsy5]

So far the easiest to maintain is the coil wrapped pyrex/fq with the wick coiled inside the tube. I was wondering if anyone had tried different wicks than SS? The best seems to be the glass coil-capsule inside a SS wick with something tied(wire) around the wick to keep it from uncoiling.

Whelp, time to dive deeper into the archives!

The coil inside the glass wrapped by ss is definitely the best. As far as an unsealed bottom, it is a no go - the coil heat causes expansion of hot air in the glass and subsequent cooling will draw the liquid into the tube. I have sealed the bottom with food grade silcone and it still managed to get into the tube. I hesitate to use jb weld as the bottom seal for fear of unknown contaminents mixing in the juice. I get a couple of tanks before the tube is filled almost completely. If I could find a good way to seal the bottom, this setup would be perfect.

 

[Nocturin]

The coil inside the glass wrapped by ss is definitely the best. As far as an unsealed bottom, it is a no go - the coil heat causes expansion of hot air in the glass and subsequent cooling will draw the liquid into the tube. I have sealed the bottom with food grade silcone and it still managed to get into the tube. I hesitate to use jb weld as the bottom seal for fear of unknown contaminents mixing in the juice. I get a couple of tanks before the tube is filled almost completely. If I could find a good way to seal the bottom, this setup would be perfect.

I've been wondering about the sealing problem through the entire time I was reading the thread(s). Your using FQ tubes, correct? If so, unless you have access to a welding torch you won't be able to get the heat needed to melt the tube shut on the bottom like others have done with the pyrex.

I was thinking that the silver solder idea would be the best method to seal. Food grade silicone/solder ect won't have anything to stick too on the smooth class. Have you tried scuffing/rouching up the bottom 1-2mm (inside and out) to see if the silicone sticks better? That seems to be the problem your running into, it just slides right out. Personally I wouldn't use any unknown chemical (such as the fireplace repair) until the fumes from them can be put through a mass spec or similar and analyzed. As for sealing the top, using a mortar or enamel would prolly be best if you can't seal the glass/fq.

Never did I think that vaping was such a diversified hobby, I've learned about electronics, basic conductivity, thermoconductivity, and now a little bit o' glass work!

Granted I've only been vaping for 2mo's or so, but I cannot wait to get a workbench so I can experiment like this.

I'll be ordering all types of tubes, kantal round 28-32g and kanthal flat ribbon wire with a couple other gauges of nichrome wire, glass crimping tool, mini-torch, some 18490's and a kick (to go with my natural).

So far the AGA-T2 seems like it might be my first RBA, it might accommadate much of the testing.... maybe I'll get two .

The Nichrome 60 36g I have tastes like terrible. I've been through an entire tank trying to get the wire taste to go away, but it never did. That and wrapping a 1.5-2.0ohm head in a nova head is difficult with such a high-resistance wire. Damnit, I need supplies >.<.

 

[dsy5]

The silicone does not slide out at all - the silicone seems to take well to the negative NR wire that is there. However, you are correct in that it does not bond to the glass and that is where I believe the juice is sucked in; on the glass wall. I would never put the furnace cement on the bottom, only the top. Once dried and torched, there does not seem to be any fumes or crumbling. I thought about using silver solder to seal the bottom, but figured that it would not bond well to the glass either. And since I only have that one small piece of FQ left, I want to make sure that it will be reusable - I'm not too sure that once the silver solder is in there that I would be able to successfully remove it without breaking the tube. Have not scuffed up the tube at all since the FQ is very brittle and does not do well with any kind of side forces.