Thank you ECF... now introducing myself...

[bohrdom]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I quit cigarettes via vaping in April of 2013 - never thought it would happen, but here I am. Breathing better, working out like crazy, in the best shape of my life and loving every day of existence. Not that all of that is thanks to vaping of course, but it's certainly become a part of my daily life. I've been through many different juices, from local store brands (here in northern CA, we are lucky to have many new shops popping up every week!) to the "famous" ones from the threads here, to smaller "boutique" brands that I've discovered through world travels and happy accidents.

I love the gear, started on a combination of a Green Smart Living cig-look-a-like (no joke, I still keep one around for stealth situations...) and an ego, then jumped straight to drippers. I'm a scientist and know a thing or two about electricity and coils, so I dug the idea of building my own coils. I did that for about another year, but my long commutes and frequent travels made RBAs a little cumbersome. I've moved now back to a tank system, using an Eleaf iStick with an Aspire Nautilus Mini and am digging the setup. Will probably be on this for a while. (though I'm toying with some dual dragon coils on an Infinite RBA on the iStick - it's pretty killer, but I had to use 32 gauge! So it's anything but robust...).

Love the fruity flavors and can't imagine anymore why people would prefer the burning taste and lingering stench of cigarettes over the sweet mist of a PV. Anything with strong fruit tones will get me excited. Love mount baker, and I think I've gone through about half their catalog at this point! I'd recommend them to anybody - no matter your preference, they have something that fits the bill. And so cheap!! But I have a lot of other favorite juices. Managed to get my hands on some Grant's during my "dessert-flavor" kick and it blew me away (though if anybody needs a "second best," the vanilla custard from Velvet Cloud was really frickin close...).

I spent the first SEVERAL months of my conversion to vapor sitting on my living room sofa, comfortably warm for a change, puffing away on my PV and reading thread after thread on ECF. You all have been awesome, so much information shared, and all so friendly with each other (NOT what I would have expected from a bunch of ex-smokers, lol! I certainly wasn't a peach for the first few weeks...). You ALL helped me get where I am today and I am so eternally grateful for that.

Now, I want to share some of my own experiences with others, experienced vapors and newbies alike, in hopes that we can all keep this movement going and not just a passing fad. Happy 2015 to all!

 

[inspects]

I've moved now back to a tank system, using an Eleaf iStick with an Aspire Nautilus Mini and am digging the setup. Will probably be on this for a while

Welcome, and Congratulations quitting the smokes....!!

I agree with you wholeheartedly, the little iStick is a great little device, and performs very well with the nautilus mini.

 

[drunkenbatman]

Heya! How you got 6 posts as a first-time poster is pretty magical, so you're off to a good start. An ego > dripper jump must have been quite the experience.

 

[bohrdom]

An ego > dripper jump must have been quite the experience.

It certainly was! I tried one at a local vape shop and all I could think was, "I need this." Took some doing to get the build right, but countless hours of YouTube-ing later, I got my build just how I liked it: dual coil 0.5 ohm with dragon wicking using organic cotton. But totally not practical for the commute... saved only for home. (I feel weird blowing massive clouds out at the bars... though it's certainly a conversation-starter! And not too uncommon in SF...)

 

[drunkenbatman]

It certainly was! I tried one at a local vape shop and all I could think was, "I need this." Took some doing to get the build right, but countless hours of YouTube-ing later, I got my build just how I liked it: dual coil 0.5 ohm with dragon wicking using organic cotton. But totally not practical for the commute... saved only for home.

Totally understand about the commute, but glad you haven't given up on the rebuilding entirely, as it's definitely a more-the-merrier thing. I'm going to suggest you take the opportunity of this thread to pump up your thread count via some pictures of those coils!

(I feel weird blowing massive clouds out at the bars... though it's certainly a conversation-starter! And not too uncommon in SF...)

There's a beautiful yet very tasteless joke here I am leaving on the floor. Because I'm classy. Just wanted you to know.

 

[Rsunderl]

Welcome to ECF, glad you got some good gear to keep you satisfied. Yes, the iStick with a Nautilus Mini is a great combination.

Happy Vaping and Happy New Year!

 

[Shade42]

Foster City woo hoo! I'm from the Peninsula too.

Welcome!

 

[InTheShade]

(I feel weird blowing massive clouds out at the bars... though it's certainly a conversation-starter! And not too uncommon in SF...)

Good lord, I feel dirty just reading that.

Absolutely first class double entendre. You deserve a prize.

Meanwhile, welcome to the forum

 

[SuperTaz]

Hello bohrdom welcome and nice to meet you.

 

[ElevenEleven]

Welcome! This forum is amazing

 

[daleron]

Welcome to ECF, make yourself right at home

 

[davelikestacos]

Welcome!

 

[bohrdom]

Totally understand about the commute, but glad you haven't given up on the rebuilding entirely, as it's definitely a more-the-merrier thing. I'm going to suggest you take the opportunity of this thread to pump up your thread count via some pictures of those coils!



There's a beautiful yet very tasteless joke here I am leaving on the floor. Because I'm classy. Just wanted you to know.

Haha I swear the double entendre was unintentional! Clouds and I are just friends, Dad...

Anyway, it looks like I don't have photos of my most recent builds (since switching to cotton), but here are a few of my favorites. One is a super-simple dual micro-coil build. It's using 28-gauge kanthal (round), wrapped around a 1/8" post (actually the little phillips screwdriver that came with the RDA!), with juiced-up and doubled 2.5 mm silica wick pulled through each coil. This was the first build I focused on, and while this photo isn't my best, it became my workhorse for a good couple of months. Usually came out to ~0.55, using 6 wraps. Solid vapor, good juice retention, built 1-2x per week.


The second is also 28-gauge round kanthal, but wrapped (freehand) with a steady hand around 3 mm silica.


The third was my experiment with flat wire, which the eBay seller sent me as a "free gift" when I bought some silica. It was fun! Though also a little finicky - I decided I liked the round stuff best. But to each his/her own.


In my experience thus far, the wicking is the trickiest part of building - and I think there's a lot of progress to be made with clever wicking strategies. The dragons are brilliant, totally changed my builds since getting turned on to those! Though I have a love-hate relationship with cotton: it's clearly a great material for producing a ridiculous amount of vapor with good flavor and a pleasantly mild TH (I'm guessing that's because the coil is pretty much fully saturated, like swimming in a puddle of juice). But one pull too many with a cotton wick and you get the gnarliest dry hit! I also find I need to replace my cotton daily to keep the flavor clean and avoid dribbles of juice down the side of the mod. Silica seems to perform better as a wicking material for me, but the vapor production is not quite as good as cotton. Flavor quality for me though has been pretty consistent between cotton and silica. My next experiment is to see what can be done to mimic the performance of cotton with the silica material...

 

[bohrdom]

Welcome Element & Kate too!

One question: how do I add a photo under my name? (I think that's an "avatar"?)

 

[bohrdom]

Ok nevermind I figured it out This thread helped:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/site-feedback-help/606201-how-do-i-add-profile-picture.html

 

[drunkenbatman]

Silica seems to perform better as a wicking material for me, but the vapor production is not quite as good as cotton. Flavor quality for me though has been pretty consistent between cotton and silica. My next experiment is to see what can be done to mimic the performance of cotton with the silica material...

Enjoyed the coil pics. Wicking can be the worst -- especially when you have a string of everything going perfectly and then *bume* no matter what you do nothing is working right and you're trying not to cry (I have returned your entendre).

Have you considered rayon? You definitely don't want to dry burn it, but it holds up to certain types of flavor better than cotton and wicks very, very well.

 

[The Ocelot]

Heya! How you got 6 posts as a first-time poster is pretty magical, so you're off to a good start. An ego > dripper jump must have been quite the experience.

Lol! What a new little bat you are. People started dripping with cig-a-likes to get more flavor. I learned to drip with a 650mAh eGo long before I found ECF and no one imagined there would ever be devices just for dripping. One just removed the cartridge and dripped directly onto the atomizer. This was followed by bottom-feeders, which are basically dripping upside down.

 

[drunkenbatman]

Lol! What a new little bat your are. People started dripping with cig-a-likes to get more flavor. I learned to drip with a 650mAh eGo long before I found ECF and no one imagined there would ever be devices just for dripping. One just removed the cartridge and dripped directly onto the atomizer. This was followed by bottom-feeders, which are basically dripping upside down.

I find it highly endearing that you think I wasn't aware of this. And that you had to vape in the snow, walking uphill, for 5 miles.

 

[Danielle347]

I'm a newbie too, but you're right! There's an answer for any question in the world here. It's comforting for sure

 

[The Ocelot]

I find it highly endearing that you think I wasn't aware of this. And that you had to vape in the snow, walking uphill, for 5 miles.

Based solely on your post I wasn't sure. Now get off my lawn.