TC with SS 316L way harsh - What did I do wrong

[6steelstrings]

I tried temp control today with an X Cube Ultra and a Griffin 25 at 450 degrees and it was too harsh. I backed all the way down to 300 degrees and it was still harsh. I even switched over to watts at 60 watts and although not as bad, it was still pretty harsh. My dual coils were at .20 ohms.

Should the ohms be lower? What did I do wrong?

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

You've likely got a hot leg. I've noticed that SS coils are a bit more susceptible to that...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[6steelstrings]

You've likely got a hot leg. I've noticed that SS coils are a bit more susceptible to that...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

What is a hot leg?

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

What is a hot leg?

A hot spot all the coil. Usually close to the legs. Strumming and spacing the coils and tightening the legs will typically get rid of it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

Also, in wattage mode what were you running?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[6steelstrings]

Also, in wattage mode what were you running?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

I was at 60 watts, what I consider moderate wattage for .20 ohms.

 

[Shawn Hoefer]

I was at 60 watts, what I consider moderate wattage for .20 ohms.

Stainless heats up much faster/hotter than Kanthal. Try something lower... something in the 45 watt range.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[6steelstrings]

I am going to try again tomorrow and I will be very meticulous about wrapping my coils.

 

[whiteowl84]

Did you fire out the hotspots first?

 

[DaveP]

Wicking that's not tight enough can leave a small space that glows hotter where the coil isn't fully filled. Make sure your wick is snug inside the coil. You should have to twist the wick as you pull it through. If you can pull the wick through the coil without slight leg bending, it's probably a little too loose. You want snug contact with the wick at all points on the coil.

 

[6steelstrings]

I did a new build today. I was very careful with my wraps with good spacing between each coil. I was careful to make sure that the coils were not touching the deck and that I cut the ends as close as possible to the posts. I also did a pre-burn before wicking to look for hot spots. both coils heated up perfectly with no evidence of hot spots and both glowed red at the same rate.

I wicked carefully with plenty of cotton, but not too much. And the results were perfect. No harshness and no burning.

I guess it was just a poor build the first time. Now I just have to experiment with the temp settings to find the right temp for the vape I want. I got a resistance of .25 with dual coils of 26ga SS316L at 6 wraps.

 

[whiteowl84]

Good. Spaced coils usually don't get hotspots.
It's when they contact that you'll get cold and hotspots. With SS and A1 they aren't hard to work out. N80 can be a pain but it's do-able.