The Lemo RTA: A Build With Pics
- Thread starter VaPreis
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Update: My IPV mini 510 connection is slotted. I think the slot on that 510 caught the slot on the Lemo 510 just right and loosened up the Lemo's connection base 510 on me. Anyone else have a mod with spring loaded and slotted 510? I can't seem to get a sold reading and/or connection to the two.
Thanks....I'll give one of those two things a shot that are mentioned earlier. How is it that they consider this an adjustable 510? Sure doesn't seem truly adjustable to me.
I've struggled with this on many of my attys, not just the Lemo. And it's particularly obnoxious when I have a nickel build on it as it seems much more sensitive to any connection even the slightest bit loose.
Putting the rubber grommet under there does solve it for me, but I wish there were better options for 510 pin adjustment.
Exactly. Why Eleaf even bothered putting a screw in that had to bottom out to be tight is beyond me. May as well have just made a fixed pin because the length is pre-determined. This is frustrating because I thought these new mods with spring loaded 510s were supposed to resolve all these issues. Apparently not so much.
Edit: dang, i did not really read the few previous posts too clearly. 
Useless post removed with some even more useless text. haha
Useless post removed with some even more useless text. haha
Last edited:
had anyone tried replacing the lemo's glass tank with a taifun ss tank section? I was just wondering because I'm in constant fear of breaking it, and since they are both 23mm devices, they might be interchangeable, but I don't wanna buy one just for testing, since I don't own a taifun 
The taifun screws in on one side where the lemo doesn't screw in on any side. I can have a better look when I get home and I look at my taifun but I don't think it would work.
I know I owe someone my build pictures but I can't remember who it was :/
Anyways here it is. Triple 32ga twisted ni200. Apologies for the messy build. In a rush to get ready for the duke game!!!
I have my leads wrapped a full around around the screw heads
Trimmed the wick ends since im using rayon
Most people say I use too much wick, but it's been working well for me at 30 watts so I don't really change it
Screw the barrel section on, and use a tiny screw driver to make sure the wick stays in place
Hope that helps? Haha
Burping out loud using Tapatalk
Anyways here it is. Triple 32ga twisted ni200. Apologies for the messy build. In a rush to get ready for the duke game!!!
I have my leads wrapped a full around around the screw heads
Trimmed the wick ends since im using rayon
Most people say I use too much wick, but it's been working well for me at 30 watts so I don't really change it
Screw the barrel section on, and use a tiny screw driver to make sure the wick stays in place
Hope that helps? Haha
Burping out loud using Tapatalk
I decided to change out that 0.6 ohm 4 wrap ribbon coil for a 5 wrap which came in at 0.8 ohm. With the 0.6 ohm build I was going through a charge on my 30W iStick way too fast.
just wondered is the lemo a cooler vape all round than the lemo drop for i like a really cool vape as i hate/cannot handle throat hit.. so for example will my 30 awg 3.2 ohm coil vape even cooler on the bigger lemo than the drop version?
Between my full size lemo and lemo drop, it is cooler, not so much dramaticly but cooler with longer lung hits.
Well I discovered the 510 pin on the connection base wasn't the issue . It was the connection to the atty which was loose. That might explain why I was getting so many dry hits and scorched liquids. All this time I thought I just wasn't wicking properly. I should have investigated a connection problem. My mods were getting wacky resistance readings.
Thanks RandyF for the great suggestions on lowering that 510 pin because it got me to investigate the real source of the problem.
Thanks RandyF for the great suggestions on lowering that 510 pin because it got me to investigate the real source of the problem.
I vape around 22-24w on a 24g 0.7ohm coil. Its possible that higher wattage evaporates more juice thus less gunk build up. But I cant chain vape above 24w, other wise the tank get way too hot which requires cold water cooling.
As a test, i will wrap a paper towel soaked in cold water to keep the tank cool and vape at 30-35w and see if the coil stays cleaner.
Just finished vaping 5ml of juice at 38w and the coil is no cleaner vs vaping at 22w.
I will re-test it at a later time with fresh wick and clean coil. My coil was already dirty-ish, thus i can safely say that the test was inconclusive. I was hoping the juice build up would free up off the coil at higher wattage, but at this time the results have not been positive.
I have increased the wattage to 45w, to further test juice build up on a coil and a wick, as to what it will take to keep it clean for extended period of time.
Before at lower 22wattage 12ml of juice and after higher 38w 5ml of juice, coil looks the same.
Will update at later time after vaping at 45w.
I will continue to vape Max VG 0nic mixed with 70VG 6mg Nic, giving me a 2mg Nic juice Mix. Every 2-3min with a 5sec direct lung hit.
I will re-test it at a later time with fresh wick and clean coil. My coil was already dirty-ish, thus i can safely say that the test was inconclusive. I was hoping the juice build up would free up off the coil at higher wattage, but at this time the results have not been positive.
I have increased the wattage to 45w, to further test juice build up on a coil and a wick, as to what it will take to keep it clean for extended period of time.
Before at lower 22wattage 12ml of juice and after higher 38w 5ml of juice, coil looks the same.
Will update at later time after vaping at 45w.
I will continue to vape Max VG 0nic mixed with 70VG 6mg Nic, giving me a 2mg Nic juice Mix. Every 2-3min with a 5sec direct lung hit.
Last edited:
Just Wow, thanks Peris for this thread and all ya 'alls posts!
Finished my FIRST build (ever) on my new LEMO and am LOVING IT!
It's got my head SPINNING Whew, kicking!
Finished my FIRST build (ever) on my new LEMO and am LOVING IT!
It's got my head SPINNING Whew, kicking!
Good to see others are investigating the effects of wattage on wick life (gunking). Maybe you'll come to same conclusions as others who have done similar tests eg. the optimal vaping temp for extended wick life correlates to maximum vapor density output and the coolest vape.
Using a poo-load of knowledge from this thread over the last several months, I figured I'd share those results with my current go-to build. I've been using a variation of this for the last two months, with small refinements to help with wicking.
This is a Ni200 build for DNA40 devices, though I would imagine variations of this will work very nicely with standard Kanthal builds. I am using 30AWG, with 8 wraps around an M4 (left-hand threaded) screw which gives me an inner diameter of approximately 3.2mm and a final resistance of .20ohms every time. If I don't get .20ohms, I immediately check my connections, as I've found the Lemo to provide a consistent and solid connection every time if everything is done right (and as long as the insulator disc is flipped, see below).
First, break it all down and clean it all up. If you haven't "flipped your disc" yet, you may want to do so. What we're doing here is flipping the "disc" insulator around from it's standard factory configuration. You'll notice this piece has an indentation on one side ... rather than facing down, you want it facing up. This provides a tighter connection between the lower base/510 connection and the deck. Note that this may introduce a minor "gap" between the knurling on the base and the metal on the outer deck. It's hardly noticeable to me, but others may be more sensitive to it. I prefer the better performance of this configuration over anything else. Below is a photo of the "disc" insulator I'm referring to.
Next, re-assemble the deck. Tighten the center post / positive pin well. Sometimes when tightening, it will "spin" the positive upper deck (along with the insulator housing it) out of alignment. In order to prevent this, I use some standard pliers to hold both the upper negative/upper positive decks together tightly while tightening the positive pin. Minor adjustments are OK, just make sure that positive pin is good-n-tight.
Next, wrap the coil. I use a left-hand-threaded machine screw (M4) with a homemade jig, one end of the wire tight around a mounting point on my jig (the screw you see in the photo), and the other end of the wire clamped (I use vice grips) to a solid object with the wire at the clamp point wrapped around a piece of garden hose gasket to keep it nice and tight/prevent the vice grips from simply cutting or flattening the soft Ni200 wire. Keeping constant tension, turn the tool to wrap the coil. After wrapping the coil on the jig, cut the wire (leaving enough lead length), and remove it from the jig. I then spin the coil back on to a second left-hand-threaded M4 machine screw in order to prepare for mounting. Before mounting, I typically pull the leads nice and tight just to make sure there is no slack and the coil is still very tight around the screw. Below is a photo of my home-made jig made from an old laundry basket handle (why not?)
Next, mount the coil. Nothing to tricky about this, except 30AWG Ni200 is easy to break, don't tighten too much or it will snap and you will inevitably curse. Ready to mount the coil:
Photo of mounted coil:
For my (roughly) 3.2mm inner diameter 8 wrap coil, I take a 4mm x 40mm piece of KGD cotton and strip the harder outer pieces off, leaving just the fluffy center. There is a bit of debate on this; some claim it's OK to leave the outside on (would have to cut the piece smaller, probably 2-3mm). I find that if I remove the outer / denser layers, I get less popping and the fluffy cotton "fills" the coil a little better. Here I am removing one of the outer layers:
Pinch and roll one end, and pull on through. There should be very little resistance.
I like to trim to just inside the outer diameter of the Lemo base, shown here:
Now, the part that has greatly enhanced my wicking properties and has allowed me to vape at much higher wattages: Take some off the top! I was previously using way too much cotton, both through the coil and at the wick ends. I cut at an upward angle from the ends of the wick up to just in front of the beginning of the coil, leaving prominent shoulders. I find thinning out the ends helps deliver liquid faster to the coil, and also cutting from the top as explained helps to keep the cotton away from the juice channels.
Next, juice it up:
Gently lower the wick ends to brush the top of the lower deck. I use a precision micro flathead to do this. It's difficult to see in this photo, but the juice channels and threads are 100% clear and the wick is actually curling inward a bit towards the insulator. The wick is touching the smooth portion of the deck only (with maybe a small portion touching the bottom of the insulator).
Next, bridge the wicks using @WeirdWillie bridging method. Still not exactly sure how/why this works so well, but my primary reasoning is for enhanced/richer/deeper flavor notes. It also seems to help keep the coil well-fed.
Now comes another very important part: leak prevention. I lubricate all of the seals with e-liquid, and pay special attention to the chimney seal. Photos to explain, first up: lubricating the lower clear ring:
Now, lubricate the slot for the black chimney o-ring:
Install the black chimney o-ring, make sure it's not twisted or bunched up anywhere. Then add more e-liquid (lubricant) to the o-ring:
Still paying attention to the chimney o-ring, I now test fit it and tighten/loosen a few times in order to make sure it's sealing well. It should feel smooth and well-lubricated when doing this. If it feels choppy, jumpy, or like it's "stretching" the rubber, add more e-liquid and try again. I've found this seal to be crucial to the overall successful operation of the Lemo.
Time to take care of the top cap ... insert the large clear ring, make sure it's seated properly and lubricate it with e-liquid as well:
I like to spin the glass on the newly lubricated seals in the top cap and the base before tightening down. In the following photo, I'm doing this on the top cap. Do it on the bottom as well.
Now, tighten everything up. Once everything is threaded and starting to get tight against the seals, give the glass a couple of more spins before one last final torque down. Not too tight. Your glass may even still be able to spin slightly with all that e-liquid lubrication (I typically tighten to just beyond the point of being able to spin the glass).
That's about it. The rest is fill and vape. Be sure not to fill all the way: leave a bubble to support proper vacuum. Vape it hard a few times right after tightening everything down to build up some vacuum, you should eventually see some bubbles coming up immediately after each pull which indicates things are working properly. Enjoy!
This is a Ni200 build for DNA40 devices, though I would imagine variations of this will work very nicely with standard Kanthal builds. I am using 30AWG, with 8 wraps around an M4 (left-hand threaded) screw which gives me an inner diameter of approximately 3.2mm and a final resistance of .20ohms every time. If I don't get .20ohms, I immediately check my connections, as I've found the Lemo to provide a consistent and solid connection every time if everything is done right (and as long as the insulator disc is flipped, see below).
First, break it all down and clean it all up. If you haven't "flipped your disc" yet, you may want to do so. What we're doing here is flipping the "disc" insulator around from it's standard factory configuration. You'll notice this piece has an indentation on one side ... rather than facing down, you want it facing up. This provides a tighter connection between the lower base/510 connection and the deck. Note that this may introduce a minor "gap" between the knurling on the base and the metal on the outer deck. It's hardly noticeable to me, but others may be more sensitive to it. I prefer the better performance of this configuration over anything else. Below is a photo of the "disc" insulator I'm referring to.
Next, re-assemble the deck. Tighten the center post / positive pin well. Sometimes when tightening, it will "spin" the positive upper deck (along with the insulator housing it) out of alignment. In order to prevent this, I use some standard pliers to hold both the upper negative/upper positive decks together tightly while tightening the positive pin. Minor adjustments are OK, just make sure that positive pin is good-n-tight.
Next, wrap the coil. I use a left-hand-threaded machine screw (M4) with a homemade jig, one end of the wire tight around a mounting point on my jig (the screw you see in the photo), and the other end of the wire clamped (I use vice grips) to a solid object with the wire at the clamp point wrapped around a piece of garden hose gasket to keep it nice and tight/prevent the vice grips from simply cutting or flattening the soft Ni200 wire. Keeping constant tension, turn the tool to wrap the coil. After wrapping the coil on the jig, cut the wire (leaving enough lead length), and remove it from the jig. I then spin the coil back on to a second left-hand-threaded M4 machine screw in order to prepare for mounting. Before mounting, I typically pull the leads nice and tight just to make sure there is no slack and the coil is still very tight around the screw. Below is a photo of my home-made jig made from an old laundry basket handle (why not?)
Next, mount the coil. Nothing to tricky about this, except 30AWG Ni200 is easy to break, don't tighten too much or it will snap and you will inevitably curse. Ready to mount the coil:
Photo of mounted coil:
For my (roughly) 3.2mm inner diameter 8 wrap coil, I take a 4mm x 40mm piece of KGD cotton and strip the harder outer pieces off, leaving just the fluffy center. There is a bit of debate on this; some claim it's OK to leave the outside on (would have to cut the piece smaller, probably 2-3mm). I find that if I remove the outer / denser layers, I get less popping and the fluffy cotton "fills" the coil a little better. Here I am removing one of the outer layers:
Pinch and roll one end, and pull on through. There should be very little resistance.
I like to trim to just inside the outer diameter of the Lemo base, shown here:
Now, the part that has greatly enhanced my wicking properties and has allowed me to vape at much higher wattages: Take some off the top! I was previously using way too much cotton, both through the coil and at the wick ends. I cut at an upward angle from the ends of the wick up to just in front of the beginning of the coil, leaving prominent shoulders. I find thinning out the ends helps deliver liquid faster to the coil, and also cutting from the top as explained helps to keep the cotton away from the juice channels.
Next, juice it up:
Gently lower the wick ends to brush the top of the lower deck. I use a precision micro flathead to do this. It's difficult to see in this photo, but the juice channels and threads are 100% clear and the wick is actually curling inward a bit towards the insulator. The wick is touching the smooth portion of the deck only (with maybe a small portion touching the bottom of the insulator).
Next, bridge the wicks using @WeirdWillie bridging method. Still not exactly sure how/why this works so well, but my primary reasoning is for enhanced/richer/deeper flavor notes. It also seems to help keep the coil well-fed.
Now comes another very important part: leak prevention. I lubricate all of the seals with e-liquid, and pay special attention to the chimney seal. Photos to explain, first up: lubricating the lower clear ring:
Now, lubricate the slot for the black chimney o-ring:
Install the black chimney o-ring, make sure it's not twisted or bunched up anywhere. Then add more e-liquid (lubricant) to the o-ring:
Still paying attention to the chimney o-ring, I now test fit it and tighten/loosen a few times in order to make sure it's sealing well. It should feel smooth and well-lubricated when doing this. If it feels choppy, jumpy, or like it's "stretching" the rubber, add more e-liquid and try again. I've found this seal to be crucial to the overall successful operation of the Lemo.
Time to take care of the top cap ... insert the large clear ring, make sure it's seated properly and lubricate it with e-liquid as well:
I like to spin the glass on the newly lubricated seals in the top cap and the base before tightening down. In the following photo, I'm doing this on the top cap. Do it on the bottom as well.
Now, tighten everything up. Once everything is threaded and starting to get tight against the seals, give the glass a couple of more spins before one last final torque down. Not too tight. Your glass may even still be able to spin slightly with all that e-liquid lubrication (I typically tighten to just beyond the point of being able to spin the glass).
That's about it. The rest is fill and vape. Be sure not to fill all the way: leave a bubble to support proper vacuum. Vape it hard a few times right after tightening everything down to build up some vacuum, you should eventually see some bubbles coming up immediately after each pull which indicates things are working properly. Enjoy!
Last edited:
Excellent step-by-step - love the closeups you took. I will try your wicking method in my next build.
- Status
