Sigelei #19 Tips, tricks, and DON'Ts

[Cyrus Vap]

Thanks for the thorough post my man! Two quick questions, regarding the specs: Are we talking about the standard 19 top cap or the nzonic?

And the other thing is, about the top cap screws, I see you mentioned two. The atty pin is the 8/32 or the 3/16? Not sure why there are two screws? LOL

Brass screws are not difficult to find at all - many hardware stores carry them, but Copper screws are very difficult to find because they are generally too soft to retain their threads....however, they are used in tattoo machines because they are such good electrical conductors...here are some on eBay that may work for you:
Copper Machine Screws | eBay

If you can't find the exact thread size - go just a tad larger and let the screw cut new threads. Delrin is pretty soft, but still takes threading pretty.

Good luck...

BTW - the specs for the #19 are:

The top cap screw is 3/16-24 or #10-24
The bottom switch screw is 1/4 by 28 (I couldn't find this one in brass but I'm sure if you search around you can find one.)

Remove top spring and replaced with 8/32 brass screw.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

Great stuff Mike, I dig it. The thing that's confusing to me about the spring is, even if it doesn't touch the side while, shouldn't full depression of the switch against the locking ring be sufficient to complete a circuit?

 

[MikeE3]

Great stuff Mike, I dig it. The thing that's confusing to me about the spring is, even if it doesn't touch the side while, shouldn't full depression of the switch against the locking ring be sufficient to complete a circuit?

That's the what I thought too Cyrus. But way back someplace, I think they were talking about the potential for arc'ing and/or inconsistent voltage flow or some such thing with respect to the spring making contact with the inside wall of the housing. I do know that before I did the wire 'thing' sometimes it would fire better when pushing the button from one 'side' of it than 'another'. But it seems to fire more consistently now regardless where I press the button.

 

[Porksmuggler]

Great stuff Mike, I dig it. The thing that's confusing to me about the spring is, even if it doesn't touch the side while, shouldn't full depression of the switch against the locking ring be sufficient to complete a circuit?

Both the magnet switch and the new brass pin switch have the same design problem. They touch the battery bottom well before the button can touch the inside ledge of the lock ring. When the top spring is in, it's easy to tell, you can push the button to fire and then harder to reach the locking ring. It's worse for those that have removed the top spring, because the lack of give then means the button will likely never touch the inside ledge. That's where the misfires come from, and why there's so many fixes.

The best fixes are sanding down the pin/magnet so that the button comes in contact with the locking ring at the same time the pin touches the battery bottom. That or adding a copper washer between the button and locking ring.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

Great stuff guys thanks. Has anyone sourced replacement copper springs for the switch? Maybe something much wider?

For now I'm not having any issues so I hesitate to mess around with that spring anymore, it was kind of a nightmare stretching it out lol

 

[NamVet68]

Great stuff guys thanks. Has anyone sourced replacement copper springs for the switch? Maybe something much wider?

For now I'm not having any issues so I hesitate to mess around with that spring anymore, it was kind of a nightmare stretching it out lol

A Hot Spring from a Silver Bullet works fine...you just have to coil it a little tighter. It's easy to do because its a softer spring made of a copper alloy. I have one in my 19a and it works perfectly, and makes for an easier button press as well.

I got mine from Altsmoke:

AltSmoke.com - Silver Bullet/Omega - Replacement Hot Spring - Silver Bullet - Starter Kits

 

[TSRodes]

Does anyone know any other switches that you could use with the 19? Wondering about, say...GP Paps switch, etc? I just don't like the switch and I would prefer a new one.

 

[NamVet68]

Does anyone know any other switches that you could use with the 19? Wondering about, say...GP Paps switch, etc? I just don't like the switch and I would prefer a new one.

I know that the switch from an 8W & the #29 are direct replacements & there may be others - most of Sigelei's Telescopes have the same threading. I think there are a couple of aftermarket switches available from the Philippines if you can find them....look on Youtube.

 

[the4thpower3]

Does anyone know any other switches that you could use with the 19? Wondering about, say...GP Paps switch, etc? I just don't like the switch and I would prefer a new one.

GP paps spring will not work - it's far too small.

Spring out of a GV clone works and is lighter. But I haven't looked to see if just a spring can be purchased anywhere; and if you buy something like the GrandVapor Private V2 in ss/brass/copper (because they are only $21) to use the spring- you may not want to use your Sigelei 19 anymore.

 

[Papadragon]

Idk if this is on here but I just mixed my 13a ss tube with the 19 brass tube and put the k100 switch on it I have a all new hard hitting mod !

 

[bapgood]

I believe the Paps and Vela use a 20mm x 1 thread pitch and Z2 uses a 20mm x 1.5, the 19 uses a 21.5mm thread.

 

[Porksmuggler]

So my 19e (newest vaportekusa version, no magnet, no glue) is weakly magnetic. Anyone else happen to check? Wondering if there's maybe iron in the alloy?

 

[goonie]

So my 19e (newest vaportekusa version, no magnet, no glue) is weakly magnetic. Anyone else happen to check? Wondering if there's maybe iron in the alloy?

weakly magentic? You're saying the battery still sticks to the caps?

 

[Porksmuggler]

weakly magentic? You're saying the battery still sticks to the caps?

No, not at all. I'm saying a magnet sticks to the "brass".

*edit* I'm thinking there's iron in the alloy, as nickel and cobalt wouldn't serve a purpose and are more costly. Just wondering if someone else with a NIB magnet has checked their 19e to see if it's magnetic.

http://chestofbooks.com/reference/H...ol1/Brass-Iron-Aich-s-Metal.html#.Uh0mAT-fiUk

 

[ill_dawg]

just a quick note about how I modded the spring in my 19

I had a spring in the spare bottom cap of my zmax, it is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom

I took out the button, spring, and locking ring and put the zmax spring under where the locking ring was. It makes good contact under the locking ring threads. When I put the locking ring back in, it still screws down flush.

The top of the spring was a bit too narrow for the firing pin, so I had to widen it with a pair of pliers. with a bit of work, I was able to get the pin through and screw the button down. this screw holds the button in place more than the stock screw, so the button no longer screws off when you use the locking ring. Between that and the solid contact between the firing pin and the body, it seems like a great little upgrade.

An added benefit, to me at least, it that it isn't as stiff as the stock spring. It won't fire standing up (with a Kayfun lite on top) with an 18350, but it will with an 18650.

If you don't like the stock spring, and you have one of these cone-shaped springs hanging around, IMO it's worth a go.

Just sharing something that works for me, hope this helps someone.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 4

 

[zipflint]

Nice tips ill_dawg. I don't have any extra springs laying around so I'm at a bit of a loss. If I just search for zmax replacement springs, you think that''ll do the job?

 

[the4thpower3]

No, not at all. I'm saying a magnet sticks to the "brass".

*edit* I'm thinking there's iron in the alloy, as nickel and cobalt wouldn't serve a purpose and are more costly. Just wondering if someone else with a NIB magnet has checked their 19e to see if it's magnetic.

Brass-Iron (Aich's Metal)

You are checking it without a battery in it I assume?

Mine is not new - I have the older version that came with the button magnet and glue (I took the magnet out) - but mine is not magnetic.

I know they were professing to have some sort of anti-tarnish coating - wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

[Porksmuggler]

You are checking it without a battery in it I assume?

Mine is not new - I have the older version that came with the button magnet and glue (I took the magnet out) - but mine is not magnetic.

I know they were professing to have some sort of anti-tarnish coating - wonder if that has anything to do with it.

lol, yeah definitely without the battery, and each section separately too. It's definitely attracting a NIB magnet and will hold it inverted (a regular ferrite won't work).

I sold my first version 19e, so I can't compare, but I'm wondering if the anti-tarnish is actually a bit o' iron in the alloy. I've sanded and polished, so it's not just a coating.

 

[the4thpower3]

It is possible to magnetize brass...just not sure if that was accidental at the factory or if it has something to do with their "anti-tarnish" secret. I'm interested to know.

oh. and btw. I've been looking to do some some hybridiation with 8w - looking for tubes and I know someone here was asking about 19 extended tubes.
found brass 18650 + kick tube.
Extended Tube for Sigelei #19E - Kidney Puncher

 

[ill_dawg]

Nice tips ill_dawg. I don't have any extra springs laying around so I'm at a bit of a loss. If I just search for zmax replacement springs, you think that''ll do the job?

Something like this should work. You just want to make sure it snaps into the gap between the delrin and the side of the button.