The M1A1 Buzz Tank

[ChaosAffect]

Quick update on my M1A1 prototype: As those that have been following this thread know I managed to crack the original tube it came with, so I replaced it with another that I had with no hole. Been running 100% VG juice through it for three days now with no issues.

Protip: If your carto starts getting dry take some hard hits without activating your mod. This sucks juice up into the carto and ensures it stays wet. This is ESPECIALLY important if you're running Dual coils@6v like me.

 

[my4jewels]

I don't know anything about this, so pardon my question. Does anyone know why polycarbonate is the material of choice for tanks? I ask because of the cracking issues. Is there a reason for not using the same material that syringes are made of? Folks that use syringe tank mods say that they can use any juice they want without cracking. Perhaps a durability issue? Just wondering...

Lots of people like to vape cinnamon, sour, etc... e liquid. It's a drag when your tank cracks, and you can't use a tank for your fave juice anymore.

 

[BuzzKill]

I don't know anything about this, so pardon my question. Does anyone know why polycarbonate is the material of choice for tanks? I ask because of the cracking issues. Is there a reason for not using the same material that syringes are made of? Folks that use syringe tank mods say that they can use any juice they want without cracking. Perhaps a durability issue? Just wondering...

Lots of people like to vape cinnamon, sour, etc... e liquid. It's a drag when your tank cracks, and you can't use a tank for your fave juice anymore.

Good point , that is a plastic with different properties and is opaque in color and is not as easy to tap for the screw , I will look into it however !!!

 

[Vermonster13]

Polycarbonate comes in standardized sizes and is cheap. Replacing it is simple. Also it machines well and doesn't need to be mold formed.

 

[my4jewels]

I'm going to make a few of my own syringe tank mods using a 10ml syringe. I'm gonna try all of the juices that are reputed to crack a tank and see what happens for myself. IMHO, if you could come out with tanks made from a material that didn't crack, you'd really have an innovative tank. To me, it is the biggest downfall of the tank systems, one and all.

Good point , that is a plastic with different properties and is opaque in color and is not as easy to tap for the screw , I will look into it however !!!

 

[Vermonster13]

A lot of the cracks come from the way the tanks are cut and how the ends are finished. You'll notice most all that fail do so from the ends where no juice actually makes contact. Some juices will cloud up the poly, but usually it is just pulling out flaws already present in the tank.

 

[my4jewels]

I have had 2 cracked tanks. Mine definitely started hairline cracks in the central area of the tube where the juice was touching the tank. The cracks gradually made their way to the end. The crack in this doesn't reach either end, and I have still been using it with a different juice for about a week now. This crack started out tiny and got longer until I removed the offending juice. I had another one that also started in the center, more of a tree like crack that looked like branches.

A lot of the cracks come from the way the tanks are cut and how the ends are finished. You'll notice most all that fail do so from the ends where no juice actually makes contact. Some juices will cloud up the poly, but usually it is just pulling out flaws already present in the tank.

 

[moorea]

jewels, doesn't it kind of worry ypu vaping juices that will eat through something that is bullet proof? It is just my humble opinion, but if it were me and my juice cracked my tank, I'd buy a new tank and find a different juice!

 

[Vermonster13]

Does make one wonder what is in there and what it does to your lungs.

 

[Ravenscroft]

Yep, it does to me.

RC

 

[markfm]

A bit of reading material for a lazy, rainy, day, from a company that knows polycarbonate properties (DOW Plastics): http://www.gallinausa.com/pdfs/polycarb.chemical.resistance.pdf It discusses how certain chemicals form stress cracks. Basically there are a bunch of things that can cause issues with polycarbonate, including oxalic acid (e.g., bananas), menthol vapor, cinnamic acid, ...

Nature of the beast. You want clear? You want not inherently fragile? Need some synthetic sapphire tubes ... (or skip clear, go to an SS tank? )

 

[Vermonster13]

There are trade offs for every material. You need to prioritize what is most important to the widest base of customers for it to be economically successful. There are plenty of +$100 options out there that may do what you need.

 

[markfm]

For me the poly will do fine -- I vape a really simple vanilla tobacco blend > 90% of the time, happy to switch to a plain carto for menthol or other mixes (I've rediscovered the pleasure of a few puffs of just menthol once in a while)

 

[my4jewels]

This all started when I got my 1st L tank, and I put my favorite DIY banana juice in it. Banana seems pretty innocent, huh? I though it was the heating of the juice that made some weird chemical reaction that cracked my tank. I have since exposed some polycarbonate to the same juice outside of a vaping situation. The PC developed hairline cracks without any heating or stress. So, there was something inherent in one of the flavors I used. Someone narrowed it down to TPA ripe banana because they had the same issues.

I am trying to avoid flavors that crack tanks because I don't want cracked tanks. Most of us realize that the biggest unknown in vaping is the physical effects of the flavors we inhale. For me, I need a variety of flavors to keep me interested in vaping, otherwise I'd be smoking analogs. I don't do flavors that irritate my mouth, figuring they'll probably irritate my lungs, too.

Oversimplified, I know, but look what happens when you put a rusty nail in Coca-Cola. We drink that stuff and don't worry about it. It's a chemical reaction that takes place with the nail, and our bodies are not made of that material. I feel that this is a specific chemical reaction that happens between some juices and polycarbonate, and we are not made of polycarbonate.

 

[5cardstud]

This all started when I got my 1st L tank, and I put my favorite DIY banana juice in it. Banana seems pretty innocent, huh? I though it was the heating of the juice that made some weird chemical reaction that cracked my tank. I have since exposed some polycarbonate to the same juice outside of a vaping situation. The PC developed hairline cracks without any heating or stress. So, there was something inherent in one of the flavors I used. Someone narrowed it down to TPA ripe banana because they had the same issues.

I am trying to avoid flavors that crack tanks because I don't want cracked tanks. Most of us realize that the biggest unknown in vaping is the physical effects of the flavors we inhale. For me, I need a variety of flavors to keep me interested in vaping, otherwise I'd be smoking analogs. I don't do flavors that irritate my mouth, figuring they'll probably irritate my lungs, too.

Oversimplified, I know, but look what happens when you put a rusty nail in Coca-Cola. We drink that stuff and don't worry about it. It's a chemical reaction that takes place with the nail, and our bodies are not made of that material. I feel that this is a specific chemical reaction that happens between some juices and polycarbonate, and we are not made of polycarbonate.

That's another reason I don't use LRs on a VV or HV device. If it stresses the batteries what am I inhaling into my lungs? Batteries are made of chemicals too.

 

[Vermonster13]

I am thinking some of the cracking is from expansion of the gasses in the tank. DCs and some other cartos put off quite a bit of heat and the gasses in the tank really have no place to go once expanded by it. The tanks that have juice cracked are usually milky looking or etched up in my experience and a lot I've been seeing folks post of late have been very clean looking. Just another thought I am putting out there. Could also possible be why some folks have DC leaking issues in the center hole when they vape.

 

[moorea]

This all started when I got my 1st L tank, and I put my favorite DIY banana juice in it. Banana seems pretty innocent, huh? I though it was the heating of the juice that made some weird chemical reaction that cracked my tank. I have since exposed some polycarbonate to the same juice outside of a vaping situation. The PC developed hairline cracks without any heating or stress. So, there was something inherent in one of the flavors I used. Someone narrowed it down to TPA ripe banana because they had the same issues.

I am trying to avoid flavors that crack tanks because I don't want cracked tanks. Most of us realize that the biggest unknown in vaping is the physical effects of the flavors we inhale. For me, I need a variety of flavors to keep me interested in vaping, otherwise I'd be smoking analogs. I don't do flavors that irritate my mouth, figuring they'll probably irritate my lungs, too.

Oversimplified, I know, but look what happens when you put a rusty nail in Coca-Cola. We drink that stuff and don't worry about it. It's a chemical reaction that takes place with the nail, and our bodies are not made of that material. I feel that this is a specific chemical reaction that happens between some juices and polycarbonate, and we are not made of polycarbonate.

As for the biggest unkown being the flavors we inhale I honestly never gave it much thought... I just assume it has to be better then smoking fire ......ant and the unkown chemicals. Wasn't trying to suggest you are unhealthy... just threw it out there. If my favorite flavor cracked my tank it would be hard to stop vaping it, but I would give it some thought! Oh and on a side note I do worry about Coca-Cola and most other sodas as well... teriibly unhealthy, bad for your teeth (will rot them away) and it does nothing to hydrate you. Better off drinking a glass of water... I just can't get the family to agree.

Did you ever try the third tank that didn't crack... are you having better luck with that?

As for tank design, maybe Mikes original idea would work better, some kind of metal tank with a view window. I am certainly not an engineer, but it seems to me a small strip would have less of a chance of cracking and we could still all so our juice level.

 

[my4jewels]

No offense taken at all! My 3rd tank is fine. I've used DIY grape, strawberry kiwi, choc Irish cream mmint, and bnana nilla pudding juice that Vaporescence sent me to try. BTW, they replaced my tanks, and sent me 30ml of theirs to try. No cracks. I found out from someone else that it was TPA ripe banana flavoring that did it.

I agree about soda, very seldom drink it myself. I just used it as an example to make my point; I'm sure there are others. I'm a big water drinker. A few years ago, I started to clean up my bad habits, tackling them one at a time. Now I'm drinking more water, eating more fruits and veggies, all whole grains, taking vitamins, etc.. The only thing I couldn't conquer was my smoking, until I found vaping. Even with vaping, I started to DIY, and I try to use mostly clearer flavorings without added colorings.

As for the biggest unkown being the flavors we inhale I honestly never gave it much thought... I just assume it has to be better then smoking fire ......ant and the unkown chemicals. Wasn't trying to suggest you are unhealthy... just threw it out there. If my favorite flavor cracked my tank it would be hard to stop vaping it, but I would give it some thought! Oh and on a side note I do worry about Coca-Cola and most other sodas as well... teriibly unhealthy, bad for your teeth (will rot them away) and it does nothing to hydrate you. Better off drinking a glass of water... I just can't get the family to agree.

Did you ever try the third tank that didn't crack... are you having better luck with that?

As for tank design, maybe Mikes original idea would work better, some kind of metal tank with a view window. I am certainly not an engineer, but it seems to me a small strip would have less of a chance of cracking and we could still all so our juice level.

 

[Vermonster13]

True I hear some people even still smoke knowing what it does to the body.

It is a challenge to make a tank that will make everyone happy and work with every juice out there I think it's safe to say while keeping it attainable by everyone who may want one.

 

[moorea]

Yes, some people do. I'm trying my hardest not to though! I am down from 2+ packs per day to only 3 stinky's per day, so I am making an effort. It's all the hubby's fault, when he went camping for 4 days I was happy just vaping... didn't even think about smoking, but he keeps buying them. He is making an effort though.

Wow Jewels, you are far ahead of me in the healthy living I have gotten as far as cutting out most soda and drinking water! I have an occasional sprite, but the family drinks coke like it is needed to breath. Surprised the hubby still has teeth. I do have plans to follow in your foot steps after I stop the smoking 100% I'll go to the next step.

Not to go too far off topic, does anyone who has quit cigs completely ever move forward and stop vaping as well?