Hey everybody, picked up a sub box mini kit, always enjoyed the original sub tank mini thought I might try my hand at using the new subtank mini rta. I have had one problem and I think it might be my wicking method, the juice seems to heat up in my pocket and becoming much looser, it ends up leaking through the airflow, checked the O rings and tightened her down but it still happens so my only guess is the wicking, using 24g kanthal and cotton bacon v2 if that helps? Runs at about .5 ohms.
Sub tank mini wicking problems?
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Might be wicking. While cotton will swell a bit when wet, too little can cause that.
Also check the height of the coil over the air intake. Too low and it can cause leaks.
And it could just be the temp change. Bottom coil toppers use a slight vacuum atop the liquid to keep it inside. As it warms up in your pocket, that goes away, and leaks are often the result.
Also check the height of the coil over the air intake. Too low and it can cause leaks.
And it could just be the temp change. Bottom coil toppers use a slight vacuum atop the liquid to keep it inside. As it warms up in your pocket, that goes away, and leaks are often the result.
Ahhhh good point, didn't factor in coil height at all, I thought the wick job was OK, I'm still not great with wicking but it looked pretty neat, I'll have another go, only got 26g and 24g kanthal in stock, maybe 26 might be better? I did have one of the coils from the kit installed but I think that might even be 28 or higher.... God I'm confused....
Seems like the coil that came on the deck of my STMs was 26, but it's been a while since I tossed them. I prefer the "action" of 30 - heats and cools faster. But I wind to about 1.5 Ω, don't care for sub-Ω.
Thicker wire like 28 or 26 will take longer to heat - and cool. But for a the same resistance, you'll have more turns, more surface contact, so more clouds. Just try some different sizes and see what you like best
Thicker wire like 28 or 26 will take longer to heat - and cool. But for a the same resistance, you'll have more turns, more surface contact, so more clouds. Just try some different sizes and see what you like best
Seems like the coil that came on the deck of my STMs was 26, but it's been a while since I tossed them. I prefer the "action" of 30 - heats and cools faster. But I wind to about 1.5 Ω, don't care for sub-Ω.
Thicker wire like 28 or 26 will take longer to heat - and cool. But for a the same resistance, you'll have more turns, more surface contact, so more clouds. Just try some different sizes and see what you like best
On the subtank mini I like the 1.2 stock coils, how many wraps on some 30g for 1.5 and what size roughly? Sounds really good to me! Wicking might be a bit of a pain, as I've never done it with wire that thin, I figured I would end up distorting the coil!
Welcome @V666
Check out Steam Engine | free vaping calculators
This has a great coil calculator. You plug in your wire gauge, diameter of coil and desired resistance. From there it will give you a suggestion of appropriate number of wraps. ALWAYS meter out your coil before you fire it, tho.
I use 30g wire for my Protank heads. On a 1/16" drill bit, about 7-8 wraps gets me about 1.5 ohms. However, on something like the STM, I would use a larger diameter bit (either 3/32 or maybe even a 2.5mm coil jig) as I find on RTAs/RBAs, that is a MUCH better diameter to avoid dry hits.
(Just ran a quick calc on SteamEngine, and about 5-6 wraps of 30g around a 3/32" diameter should get you 1.5 ohms.)
Cheers
Check out Steam Engine | free vaping calculators
This has a great coil calculator. You plug in your wire gauge, diameter of coil and desired resistance. From there it will give you a suggestion of appropriate number of wraps. ALWAYS meter out your coil before you fire it, tho.
I use 30g wire for my Protank heads. On a 1/16" drill bit, about 7-8 wraps gets me about 1.5 ohms. However, on something like the STM, I would use a larger diameter bit (either 3/32 or maybe even a 2.5mm coil jig) as I find on RTAs/RBAs, that is a MUCH better diameter to avoid dry hits.
(Just ran a quick calc on SteamEngine, and about 5-6 wraps of 30g around a 3/32" diameter should get you 1.5 ohms.)
Cheers
Welcome @V666
Check out Steam Engine | free vaping calculators
This has a great coil calculator. You plug in your wire gauge, diameter of coil and desired resistance. From there it will give you a suggestion of appropriate number of wraps. ALWAYS meter out your coil before you fire it, tho.
I use 30g wire for my Protank heads. On a 1/16" drill bit, about 7-8 wraps gets me about 1.5 ohms. However, on something like the STM, I would use a larger diameter bit (either 3/32 or maybe even a 2.5mm coil jig) as I find on RTAs/RBAs, that is a MUCH better diameter to avoid dry hits.
(Just ran a quick calc on SteamEngine, and about 5-6 wraps of 30g around a 3/32" diameter should get you 1.5 ohms.)
Cheers
Your a diamond mate! I'll have a whirl at 6 wraps 30g on 3ml and see how badly I can screw that up
Here is a great video I stumbled upon that works well with the subtank. I use this method as well. Hope this helps. Happy Vaping!!!
Do make note @V666, larger diameter means more wire, means more resistance. Six wraps on 3mm might over-shoot the 1.5, but that may not be such a big deal.
One thing I've been playing with on wicking the STM RBAs is to "feather" the ends of the wick (thin them out a bit). My wick ends don't quite touch the bottom of the build deck. I use Japanese cotton pads - cut a strip just thinner than the inner diameter. Give a light twist in one direction only and taper the end to feed through. Splay the ends to fan them out. That's been my best luck wicking RBAs.
Cheers
One thing I've been playing with on wicking the STM RBAs is to "feather" the ends of the wick (thin them out a bit). My wick ends don't quite touch the bottom of the build deck. I use Japanese cotton pads - cut a strip just thinner than the inner diameter. Give a light twist in one direction only and taper the end to feed through. Splay the ends to fan them out. That's been my best luck wicking RBAs.
Cheers
Here is a great video I stumbled upon that works well with the subtank. I use this method as well. Hope this helps. Happy Vaping!!!
Excellent, if I actually sit down and concentrate for once maybe I'll learn something
How do you like the Sub box mini kit? I'm finally going to make a step up from my vaporfi pen and this is the set up I'm leaning towards.
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Dinger had the numbers for you
30 is stiff enough - especially if you torch it / anneal it before winding! - to not deform much at all, and I use rayon, which needs to be pretty snug. Cotton would be less stress on the coil, since you use less. (Cotton swells when wet, rayon may shrink a tad as the fibers lay down more evenly.)
Haven't gone to a 3 mm ID on my subtanks, but do use 2.5 mm on them, 6 wraps. 7 wraps on 2 mm for my kayfuns.
30 is stiff enough - especially if you torch it / anneal it before winding! - to not deform much at all, and I use rayon, which needs to be pretty snug. Cotton would be less stress on the coil, since you use less. (Cotton swells when wet, rayon may shrink a tad as the fibers lay down more evenly.)
Haven't gone to a 3 mm ID on my subtanks, but do use 2.5 mm on them, 6 wraps. 7 wraps on 2 mm for my kayfuns.
Welcome. The RBA on the Subox is awesome. That video is absolutely perfect in showing the best wicking method. I don't use cotton bacon, I use KGD and know exactly how much to cut with that. Its really important to tuck the cotton to cover the holes after you reattach the chimney. The only thing you should see through those holes is cotton.
Let us know how it goes!
Subox is an awesome kit. Get it! I went from an eVod to the Subox and only regretted not doing it sooner! Keep in mind you will need other accessories, like batteries, a charger, and if you choose to make your own RBA, even some kanthal and cotton. But, the subox does come with an extra loose coil and some KGD cotton to build the RBA the first time.
Using the cotton to wick a coil is an art form.
You want the cotton to have resistance in the coil but not too tight.
Cotton that is really packed in will have dry hits. Cotton to loose will leak. Neither extreme is good.
I never saw an OCC head with too little cotton. The ones I disassembled and rebuilt had too much cotton.
There is one other possibility; you are using ejuice that isv too thin like a 60% PG.
I make my own ejuice 70%VG 30% PG
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