Trident clone - problems with center screw stripping... fixable?

[Vwls]

Hi - is there an easy fix for this? (Meaning, something someone with little to no knowledge, experience, dexterity, or common sense could perform?)

So I was securing a new coil on a Trident clone... when all of a sudden I noticed the pos post itself was turning in the base. Now here's where it gets dumb. I popped out the wire, turned the pos post till it stopped, and then installed the coil anyway... because after all, the pos post did seem to attain tightness again (or found a place to stop, if you will). And hey, the ohm meter gave a solid reading, so I'm like cool. Time to vape.

But when I took 'er off the meter and went to adjust the bottom screw (the one that lives in the center post at the bottom of the atty), that screw came tumbling out.

Now it seems the only way that screw will stay in (actually catch a thread I guess) is when it's screwed in all the way. The minute I try to adjust it to make it extend lower so I can get connection using flat top batteries, it just falls out of the atty.

Can I fix this or is it a dead atty?

I found a few people complaining about this same phenomenon on actual Tridents as well, so it's not a clone issue, but a problem with design. I just want to know if I can get in there with a few tools and some Loctite or something and make her good as new, or if I'm trotting over to the Classies to buy a new atty.

 

[Thrasher]

hmmm i would take a look inside the post and see if it is stripped or if the screw broke off. then maybe in my spare time try to find a slightly longer screw maybe? locktight or something like that is going to kill the conductivity.

gotta quit being so brutal on those little screws you animal!

 

[Vwls]

How would you be able to see up in there? Screw is not broken. A longer screw made of brass might work. Off to Home Depot. Ix-nay on the Loctite.

 

[Xobeloot]

You need to take that center screw (the brass one that screws in from the 510 threads) into the pos post out and see if you can find a replacement screw (socket cap screw) from the hardware store. The brass is very soft and the post threads are SS (hard). It is very easy to shear off the brass threads inside the SS post. The catch here is taking the pos post out and checking inside and making sure the threads aren't boogered up and there are no brass shavings from the 510 screw before threading in a new screw. The pos post can be removed by gently tapping it from inside where the other screw threaded into it.

 

[Xobeloot]

Keep in mind that all these instructions are based on my real trident from Grand Vapor. I claim no responsibility for what may happen if the clone is not built the same.

 

[player one]

This just happened to me last night. Check to see if your positive post is higher than your negative posts. Mine managed to wiggle free from the delrin insulator. If that's the case, your copper positive pin will reach only a small part of the positive post's threads. Small adjustments to back out your positive pin will result in it falling out.

 

[Ryedan]

Vwls, you've already got some great advice from Xobeloot. I have the clone and just took out the 510 screw. Here are a few pics which I thought might help you troubleshoot.

Here's the screw beside the Trident clone.

This is the screw just touching the threads:

Looking into the screw hole:

And another at a steeper angle:

 

[Ryedan]

This just happened to me last night. Check to see if your positive post is higher than your negative posts. Mine managed to wiggle free from the delrin insulator. If that's the case, your copper positive pin will reach only a small part of the positive post's threads. Small adjustments to back out your positive pin will result in it falling out.

player one, I take it you can simply tap the center post back into the Delrin insulator, correct?

 

[player one]

player one, I take it you can simply tap the center post back into the Delrin insulator, correct?

That's the plan, just haven't had time to do it. But I've read somewhere that when this happens once, it's going to continue to happen.

 

[Xobeloot]

^^Correct. The only thing holding the center post in is pressure from the delrin insert and the screw from underneath. A light tap from the top will set it further down. The wide base of the center post should sit level with the delrin insert before screwing in the set screw.

be careful when screwing in the set screw. you can put a screw driver in the top while screwing in the set screw, but too hard on the bottom screw will cause too much pressure on the pos post and if the halves of the pos post spread, the cap nut will no longer fit.

 

[Vwls]

Thanks very much - I'm going to tinker with this a bit before returning it. Because.. why not.

 

[SLIPPY_EEL]

I have a trident clone that the negative post's turn and not the positive, i'm almost certain it's from over tightning so go steady with them aswell

 

[Vwls]

Well I like to work with some pretty hard-to-tame wire sometimes. Part of grappling some of my coils into place is tightening, shifting position a bit, tweaking, then re-tightening. All this takes a toll on an atty that isn't built to last.

 

[pdib]

Thanks very much - I'm going to tinker with this a bit before returning it. Because.. why not.

i always thought you had more hair than that.

 

[Vwls]

Update: The pos post had definitely migrated much higher than the neg posts, and it's not hard to pop it back down where it belongs. When you do, the center post screw does screw back in properly. The only trouble is, it seems once that pos post has popped, it will continue to do so. Apparently the way it's housed in the Delrin base is not very smart... It's not threaded in... it just kind of sits there in a hole. Maybe when it's new a drop of glue holds it in place?

Any ideas Re gluing it or otherwise securing it so it stops slipping?

 

[Xobeloot]

THe upper part of the pos post is compression fit into the delrin. The current comes from the screw underneath. If you want it to stay put, you CAN pull the pos post out and add a dab of krazy glue to the delrin then quickly insert the pos post and tap it in and let it cure.

You have to be careful with this though. At high Ω and moderate heat, there will be no issue, but at low Ω and high heat, you run the risk of cooking the glue and creating toxic gasses.


If you glue carefully and make sure once the pos post is tapped into place, the excess glue is wiped from the deck... The chance of heat reaching the 500+ degree mark needed to turn any residual surface glue into fumes is highly unlikely....


Bottom line is that even if a tiny bit of krazy glue were to smoke off... It is still likely less harmful than the years of smoking we have all done.


*******************Follow these suggestions at your own risk... We risk our health every time we vape... This adds to the risk****************

 

[Ryedan]

Update: The pos post had definitely migrated much higher than the neg posts, and it's not hard to pop it back down where it belongs. When you do, the center post screw does screw back in properly. The only trouble is, it seems once that pos post has popped, it will continue to do so. Apparently the way it's housed in the Delrin base is not very smart... It's not threaded in... it just kind of sits there in a hole. Maybe when it's new a drop of glue holds it in place?

Any ideas Re gluing it or otherwise securing it so it stops slipping?

Vwls, do you mean the positive post continues to turn after you have screwed the 510 screw in again? Or does the positive post move out again upwards ? Hope this makes some kind of sense.

 

[Vwls]

THe upper part of the pos post is compression fit into the delrin. The current comes from the screw underneath. If you want it to stay put, you CAN pull the pos post out and add a dab of krazy glue to the delrin then quickly insert the pos post and tap it in and let it cure.

You have to be careful with this though. At high Ω and moderate heat, there will be no issue, but at low Ω and high heat, you run the risk of cooking the glue and creating toxic gasses.


If you glue carefully and make sure once the pos post is tapped into place, the excess glue is wiped from the deck... The chance of heat reaching the 500+ degree mark needed to turn any residual surface glue into fumes is highly unlikely....


Bottom line is that even if a tiny bit of krazy glue were to smoke off... It is still likely less harmful than the years of smoking we have all done.

*******************Follow these suggestions at your own risk... We risk our health every time we vape... This adds to the risk****************

Of course - thanks little Monkey

Thing is, I do sub ohm. So I'm generating quite a bit of heat... safely mind you - always safely. I would feel better about returning this P.O.C. and getting a new toy that doesn't pop out of place and require Super glue.

Suggestions for a new atty?

Must have adjustable air flow, adjustable center pin, and look awesome. Preferably easy as pie to set up (like I'm not looking for resistance and non resistance wire Cos-play). Just a well made, sexy, rebuildable dripping atty. If it came in gold or brass, all the better... that's actually what attracted me to the Trident.

 

[Vwls]

Vwls, do you mean the positive post continues to turn after you have screwed the 510 screw in again? Or does the positive post move out again upwards ? Hope this makes some kind of sense.

Hey No, it doesn't continue to turn - it pops back up. Upwards... like it wants to jump out of the Delrin and go for a jog. It's basically just seated in the Delrin as Xobe said - compression is what keeps it there and apparently, compression doesn't work for very long when you're actually using it a lot. I need an atty that can take daily use and pretty frequent rebuilding, as well as getting bumped around a bit as I take it with me when I go out.

 

[Xobeloot]

I'm tempted to order a CHIdent and see if there is any difference between it and the one I paid $90 for other than the etched serial number on the bottom.

Every bit of research I have done leads me to believe you have the exact same atty as I do minus the serial.


(the $15 FT one... not the $5 one)