S.O.S Rebuilds Issues: Horrific Metallic Funky Taste

[hellcat]

I have been searching for threads to see if anyone has had some of these issues but didn't find anything so here goes:

I just recently started rebuilding vivi nova heads and the rda octopus. I am using peaches and creme (ecru) for wick and 32g kanthal. Wrapping the coils seems to go fine they are nicely evenly spaced and look better than some of the factory coils I have seen. I am getting ohm readings consistently around between 1.8-2.1 so I am thinking awesome right? Wrong! Most of the time I go to fire them and they either don't glow red at all or are glowing unevenly. The taste so terrible I can't even describe it other than metallic acid-like burning funk at any voltage. A few of them have tasted fine for the first 3 or 4 hits and then bam, awful funk.

Its really gross and I am about to lose my mind. I have watched countless videos and my local vape shop buddy rebuilds out of the same materials and he has no problem. AAAHHHHH! It really doesn't look like I am doing anything differently but clearly I am because its just not working. So why do they taste so flippin' bad? Starting to think this is more like rocket science than it looks. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pdib]

You're not dry burning with the cotton wick in there, are you?

 

[hellcat]

Nope. Definitely not dry burning.

 

[pdib]

So you're glowing your empty coils, and sometimes they don't glow, and sometimes partially glow; but they meter out just fine?
And same symptoms on both octopus and vivi?

 

[Euphonious Nonsense]

Try some 30g, it's a bit more sturdy. Also, you should try wrapping your coils around a nail then pulsing then spacing them and push the cotton in with a needle or safety pin when all glowing evenly. It helps alleviate a lot of hassle with these builds.

 

[hellcat]

So you're glowing your empty coils, and sometimes they don't glow, and sometimes partially glow; but they meter out just fine?
And same symptoms on both octopus and vivi?

Yep. Same thing on both.

 

[hellcat]

I will definitely try that. I know metal touching where it should causes metallic taste but as far as I can tell nothing is touching where it shouldn't. Does uneven burn contribute to bad taste?

 

[pdib]

Bad taste (burning metallic) comes from coils glowing when they shouldn't. This can be from "hot legs", from a lack of juice (wicking or strangling the wick), or from coils too loose on your wick. Vivi Novas are notorious for hot legs, since the resistance wire has to travel down the tube to it's connection. The way to alleviate this, is to use non-resistance wire for the legs; or you can try to build very tightly bunched coils. (wraps all so close together that they touch each other). Its probably not a wicking issue, since you would probably be complaning of a burnt cotton taste, as well. (but vivis can and do have wicking problems as well) I used to use cheese cloth in mine, and that worked pretty good. I think it wicks faster than cotton yarn. Cotton yarn does swell up with juice and you might be choking it off it your coils are too tight. Since you're having the problem in both atties, I'm gonna guess that your coils are too loose. But you might have hot legs for two different reasons (in the two different atties). What to watch for (hot leg-wise) with the Octopus, is that your legs should be of equal length. All of this is just a shot (or some shots) in the dark. Maybe I hit on something, maybe not.

After your cotton has had some time to swell, it should be pretty easy to see if the coil is wrapped on it like a boa constrictor; or if you can see gaps between the coil and the wick.

 

[forg1vn]

Bad taste (burning metallic) comes from coils glowing when they shouldn't. This can be from "hot legs", from a lack of juice (wicking), or from coils too loose on your wick. Vivi Novas are notorious for hot legs, since the resistance wire has to travel down the tube to it's connection. The way to alleviate this, is to use non-resistance wire for the legs; or you can try to build very tightly bunched coils. (wraps all so close together that they touch each other). Its probably not a wicking issue, since you would probably be complaning of a burnt cotton taste, as well. (but vivis can and do have wicking problems as well) I used to use cheese cloth in mine, and that worked pretty good. I think it wicks faster than cotton yarn. Cotton yarn does swell up with juice and you might be choking it off it your coils are too tight. Since you're having the problem in both atties, I'm gonna guess that your coils are too loose. But you might have hot legs for two different reasons (in the two different atties). What to watch for (hot leg-wise) with the Octopus, is that your legs should be of equal length. All of this is just a shot (or some shots) in the dark. Maybe I hit on something, maybe not.

After your cotton has had some time to swell, it should be pretty easy to see if the coil is wrapped on it like a boa constrictor; or if you can see gaps between the coil and the wick.

Agreed, hot spots

 

[hellcat]

Bad taste (burning metallic) comes from coils glowing when they shouldn't. This can be from "hot legs", from a lack of juice (wicking or strangling the wick), or from coils too loose on your wick. Vivi Novas are notorious for hot legs, since the resistance wire has to travel down the tube to it's connection. The way to alleviate this, is to use non-resistance wire for the legs; or you can try to build very tightly bunched coils. (wraps all so close together that they touch each other). Its probably not a wicking issue, since you would probably be complaning of a burnt cotton taste, as well. (but vivis can and do have wicking problems as well) I used to use cheese cloth in mine, and that worked pretty good. I think it wicks faster than cotton yarn. Cotton yarn does swell up with juice and you might be choking it off it your coils are too tight. Since you're having the problem in both atties, I'm gonna guess that your coils are too loose. But you might have hot legs for two different reasons (in the two different atties). What to watch for (hot leg-wise) with the Octopus, is that your legs should be of equal length. All of this is just a shot (or some shots) in the dark. Maybe I hit on something, maybe not.

After your cotton has had some time to swell, it should be pretty easy to see if the coil is wrapped on it like a boa constrictor; or if you can see gaps between the coil and the wick.

Agreed, hot spots

Thank you this is incredibly helpful. I will give these suggestions a shot. It is likely that my coils are too loose and or not bunched enough. I use a mini screwdriver for repairing glasses to wrap my coils and then insert the cotton, sometimes I do see a bit of gap between the wick and the wire. I will give an update as soon as I get a chance to tinker today.

 

[BuzzKilla]

i dont rebuild with cotton, but doesnt it swell up when wet?

i think Pdib mentioned choking the wick....

maybe the wicks are too constricted and not able to let juice flow to where it needs to be.
the resistance wire should be touching but not restricting the wick material.

either way keep at it

 

[pdib]

Yep, ↑ depends on the type tho. Cotton yarn swells, cheesecloth not so much. I also use a braided cotton sleeve, which doesn't. You can kinda tell by the strands/structure of the stuff, whether it is going to swell or not. Isolated, "woody"/firm fibers that are woven together don't swell. Fluffy, puffy, soft cotton fibers do.

 

[Satava]

Also kanthal can have a funky taste if you don't flame it before coiling. I just hold my wire in a pair of hemostats and run em over a flame from a regular bic lighter before I coil

 

[hellcat]

Also kanthal can have a funky taste if you don't flame it before coiling. I just hold my wire in a pair of hemostats and run em over a flame from a regular bic lighter before I coil

I wish I could say that that was the problem but I do the same thing with hemostats and run the wire through the flame until it glows twice.