Saddle valve fix

[r77r7r]

For those who have the brass saddle valve. The pin got dull quick and was sliding off the side of the carto. Looking inside, there is NO guide for the pin. I looked around the basement and found what looks like a rubber foot from the bottom of a coffee maker.

It had the perfect sized hole already in the small part, slid right into the area where the pin comes down! Even with a very dull pin, it popped a perfect hole.

 

[donnah]

I used to have trouble with my saddle valve. Sometimes it would punch through but much of the time the piercing needle would just go down the side of the carto, making a small dent. It was very frustrating!

Now I make sure the carto is squarely below the piercing needle, I make sure the sv is tightened evenly and very snug. I keep the condom on the carto and it helps too. I punched 6 cartos yesterday in a few minutes with no problems by making sure I did all of the above.

 

[r77r7r]

Good ideas. I was very surprised at how much area there was for the needle to move around in! Markfms' new punch looks great and I bet the other version of the saddle valve probably works better than these also.

I wrote this up mostly for the people who had useless valves sitting around. Have you used the first idea that came out- the wirestripper??

 

[donnah]

I bought my sv from lowes, they're around $7. I've never heard of the wirestripper. I've thought about getting that $15 punch from cloudsofvapor but I'm cheap, my sv works so I can't justify spending more money when I've got something that already works. But if that cov punch had been in stock when I first started punching with my sv... I would have bought it! I used to get so frustrated trying to punch the cartos when all that happened was the needle would slide off the side I almost wish I was still having problems so I could get something new to play with

 

[r77r7r]

Have you seen Markfm's punch? Under $8-
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/pay-forward-pif/272989-diy-carto-punch.html

You're right tho, when it's working right, the saddle valve's gonna last forever. Especially when Using unflavored, or light juice- I've got over 2 months just on this one tank carto. At 2 months, I can economically just get a whole new tank w/ carto, But I ordered 50 Boges just a few days b4 I bought the cartotank, so I'm stuck punching, lol.

The problem I have w/ the COV punch, and other folks, is the price markup. I just feel ripped off paying that much over what it cost them!

 

[donnah]

Have you seen Markfm's punch? Under $8-http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/pay-forward-pif/272989-diy-carto-punch.html

You're right tho, when it's working right, the saddle valve's gonna last forever. Especially when Using unflavored, or light juice- I've got over 2 months just on this one tank carto. At 2 months, I can economically just get a whole new tank w/ carto, But I ordered 50 Boges just a few days b4 I bought the cartotank, so I'm stuck punching, lol.

The problem I have w/ the COV punch, and other folks, is the price markup. I just feel ripped off paying that much over what it cost them!

That's funny you talk of unflavored juice. I started using it a few months back, just to try it and liked it. I could see a big difference in how long my cartos lasted while using it! But then I got interested in added flavor and haven't vaped plain unflavored for awhile. The last couple weeks all my juice has been tasting bad. My cartos aren't lasting past a couple days before the flavor is gone or "off". So yesterday I got out a fresh carto and filled it and the tank with good ole unflavored. Ahhhh... I love the fresh, clean taste. I'm going to continue using it for a week or two and then might start added a bit of flavor to see if I have "reset" my taste again.

While I wouldn't pay the $40 for that one punch they sell, I wouldn't have minded paying $15 for smaller one. But now that I've learned how to use the saddle valve, I'm not in the market for one anymore.

I did see the diy punch and would have been interested in it but like the cov punch, I learned how to use what I already had successfully so I never ordered the parts.

 

[Butters78]

I think I'm going to order one of those clouds of vapor punches soon. Probably a couple weeks when I run out of my prepunched ones. I really can't justify spending 2.50 per carto on something I can do myself. It looks really simple.

 

[donnah]

I think I'm going to order one of those clouds of vapor punches soon. Probably a couple weeks when I run out of my prepunched ones. I really can't justify spending 2.50 per carto on something I can do myself. It looks really simple.

yea, it's about $1 more per carto for prepunched and I've heard many say that they have to make the holes larger anyway. Plus, it's mostly the dual coil cartos that come prepunched and I don't use dc cartos in my tanks. I've always punched my own. If I didn't already have a sv, I'd spring for the $15 cov punch.