Question about a coil build

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folkphys

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Jul 27, 2013
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Twisted (2-strand) 30g with 6 wraps around a roughly 5/64" ID got me 1.07 Ohms and my R91 loves it.
The reason my ID is a 'rough" estimate lies in the fact that I use XC-116 for wick and as such, I can no longer pre-coil the wire around a mandrel.

I was never truly happy with duals in my KF's using cotton wick and here's why:

1. Resistances in the KF "sweet spot" seemed too high making for a painfully slow ramp-up heating time, which made for longer draws and thus the inevitable chamber flooding.

2. Resistances below the "sweet spot" heated quick enough, but unfortunately the KFs' limited airflow and metered juice dispensing simply could not keep up, which meant I was drying out the wick well before it could re-saturate itself, and we all know what toasted cotton and dry-heated Kanthal taste like....

Of course, the personal discovery of XC-116 and XC-132 has now forever altered my KF worldview. Thermally resilient and super-straw-like-suckiness, the XC wicks have allowed me to run sub-ohm with duals or singles in my KF's and added denser, more plentiful clouds to the flavor intensification these suckers are known for.
 
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1ceCreamMan

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Twisted (2-strand) 30g with 6 wraps around a roughly 5/64" ID got me 1.07 Ohms and my R91 loves it.
The reason my ID is a 'rough" estimate lies in the fact that I use XC-116 for wick and as such, I can no longer pre-coil the wire around a mandrel.

I was never truly happy with duals in my KF's using cotton wick and here's why:

1. Resistances in the KF "sweet spot" seemed too high making for a painfully slow ramp-up heating time, which made for longer draws and thus the inevitable chamber flooding.

2. Resistances below the "sweet spot" heated quick enough, but unfortunately the KFs' limited airflow and metered juice dispensing simply could not keep up, which meant I was drying out the wick well before it could re-saturate itself, and we all know what toasted cotton and dry-heated Kanthal taste like....

Of course, the personal discovery of XC-116 and XC-132 has now forever altered my KF worldview. Thermally resilient and super-straw-like-suckiness, the XC wicks have allowed me to run sub-ohm with duals or singles in my KF's and added denser, more plentiful clouds to the flavor intensification these suckers are known for.

Can you post a picture of your build using the xc-116?
 

Dampmaskin

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Uuummmm, then ditch your iPhone and get an Android? Sorry, couldn't resist. No hard feelings.

I know of a calculator that works with both iPhone and Android ... but I'm not telling. ;)
(But maybe my signature will spill the beans if you shake it down a bit.)
 
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folkphys

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Jul 27, 2013
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588
Chapel Hill, NC
Can you post a picture of your build using the xc-116?

Ask and you shall receive.....
photo 1.jpg
 

folkphys

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Jul 27, 2013
596
588
Chapel Hill, NC
Nice! And how do you wrap your coils

If you mean the coils-on-wick, then here's how:
1. I thread a very small drill bit (a straightened p-clip will do) inside the wick to make it rigid.
2. Torch wire.
3. Wrap wire around wick tightly -- but not so much as to shear the wick's fibers -- and as close together as possible (touching is OK).
3.1. I wrap the wire a few extra turns both at the beginning and at the end of my coil.
4. Unwind both "extra" sets of coils to tighten up the middle section.
5. Capture wire-ends with post screws, using the drill bit to keep the coil+wick in place (which is right on top of the air hole and oriented diagonally to the deck screws.
6. Use drill bit to lift up and adjust the angle of coil as needed, making sure the negative wire has a clear path from screw to coil.
7. Remove drill bill and fire it up.

If you mean how do I twist the 2 strands of 30g together, here's that:
1. Fold in half a single strand of wire that is roughly twice as long as I need and torch to soften it.
2. Grab the two ends with pliers and stick finger in the "fold"
3. Turn finger until the fold becomes a loop that almost chokes finger.
4. Replace finger with the short end of an allen key.
5. Twist the ever-living-... out of the key until the loop (previously "fold") snaps off -- or nearly so.
 
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1ceCreamMan

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Mar 14, 2014
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If you mean the coils-on-wick, then here's how:
1. I thread a very small drill bit (a straightened p-clip will do) inside the wick to make it rigid.
2. Torch wire.
3. Wrap wire around wick tightly -- but not so much as to shear the wick's fibers -- and as close together as possible (touching is OK).
3.1. I wrap the wire a few extra turns both at the beginning and at the end of my coil.
4. Unwind both "extra" sets of coils to tighten up the middle section.
5. Capture wire-ends with post screws, using the drill bit to keep the coil+wick in place (which is right on top of the air hole and oriented diagonally to the deck screws.
6. Use drill bit to lift up and adjust the angle of coil as needed, making sure the negative wire has a clear path from screw to coil.
7. Remove drill bill and fire it up.

If you mean how do I twist the 2 strands of 30g together, here's that:
1. Fold in half a single strand of wire that is roughly twice as long as I need and torch to soften it.
2. Grab the two ends with pliers and stick finger in the "fold"
3. Turn finger until the fold becomes a loop that almost chokes finger.
4. Replace finger with the short end of an allen key.
5. Twist the ever-living-... out of the key until the loop (previously "fold") snaps off -- or nearly so.
Awesome! Thanks man. And you get good vapor production from the xc16?
 

folkphys

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Jul 27, 2013
596
588
Chapel Hill, NC
Awesome! Thanks man. And you get good vapor production from the xc16?

It is no cloud machine to be sure. But for the more subtle flavor blends, like MM's Bledan Lotus, it intensifies every note. But that is mostly due to the design of these KF's, and not as much the wick/coil construction.

However, I just got in some XC-132 (from the same place where it is properly kiln treated) and switched out the set up in the above pic for a dual 6-wrap of 30g (no twisting), ID ~ 1/16", which came out to 0.68 Ohms. It is quite a bit cloudier now.
 
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