im not sure it was but is now, maybe when i respositioned it some juice snuck by the oring. Ill be looking tomorrow for a leak. I've had enough nova for the day. thanks BJ43 for holding my hand!!
Vivi Nova Rebuild tutorial
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im not sure it was but is now, maybe when i respositioned it some juice snuck by the oring. Ill be looking tomorrow for a leak. I've had enough nova for the day. thanks BJ43 for holding my hand!!
I like the idea of rebuilding Vivi Nova's with cotton or bamboo yarn, but I don't like that you can't do a dry burn to clean things up. You either have to gently remove the wick from the coil, dry burn the coil, and carefully re-thread another wick when it's clean up time or build a entire new wick/coil.
I've wanted to use an SS wick, but didn't want to hassle with bending one w/o putting kinks in the bend and messing up the wicking.
So I've come up with the tri-fecta wick - SS mesh, bamboo yarn, & cotton roll.
1. I took a piece of 400 SS mesh about 30x30mm.
2. I rolled it as tight as I could to fit in the stock slots of the Vivi Nova head. It took a bit of rolling but it was possible. (oh - another premise I started w/ - I didn't want to mod; file or drill out the opening on the head. Wanted to keep this simple.)
3. With Kanthal A1 34 awg, I wrapped a 2.5 ohm coil. This was 2 complete wraps and 2 partial end wraps. (I don't know if this a 4/3 wrap or a 3/4 wrap - I still don't understand that nomenclature).
4. I installed the wick/coil just like doing any coil. (hint put the two coil leads in a piece of coffee straw, then slide that through the head and remove the coffee straw, make threading the leads through the head simple and quick)
5. I cut the ends of the SS rolled mesh off at each side of the head, just long enough to clear when putting on the tank. (Note: I wrapped the coil toward one end of the 30mm rolled wick, so I've still got more coil ready for another setup)
6. I took 2 pieces of 6 strand bamboo yarn and laid it accross the top of the wick/coil.
7. I put a cotton roll on top of the yarn.
8. Put a notched silcon cap top back on.
9. Primed the wick good with juice.
10. Filled the tank and started vapin'.
I LIKE it. At 3.7volts (to start off) w/ the 2.5Ω head, I'm was getting good vapor production and good taste. Maybe the best taste I've gotten so far from either factory heads or my DIY heads. Diialed it up to 4 volts, then to my usual sweet spot of 4.2volts w/ 2.5Ω and I'm really likeing it. Hoping this does work out, as I can easily take off the cotton and yarn, do a dry burn when the coil gunks up. Then replace cotton/yarn if/as needed and be back to vaping again.
(I'll try to post some pictures later)
I've wanted to use an SS wick, but didn't want to hassle with bending one w/o putting kinks in the bend and messing up the wicking.
So I've come up with the tri-fecta wick - SS mesh, bamboo yarn, & cotton roll.
1. I took a piece of 400 SS mesh about 30x30mm.
2. I rolled it as tight as I could to fit in the stock slots of the Vivi Nova head. It took a bit of rolling but it was possible. (oh - another premise I started w/ - I didn't want to mod; file or drill out the opening on the head. Wanted to keep this simple.)
3. With Kanthal A1 34 awg, I wrapped a 2.5 ohm coil. This was 2 complete wraps and 2 partial end wraps. (I don't know if this a 4/3 wrap or a 3/4 wrap - I still don't understand that nomenclature).
4. I installed the wick/coil just like doing any coil. (hint put the two coil leads in a piece of coffee straw, then slide that through the head and remove the coffee straw, make threading the leads through the head simple and quick)
5. I cut the ends of the SS rolled mesh off at each side of the head, just long enough to clear when putting on the tank. (Note: I wrapped the coil toward one end of the 30mm rolled wick, so I've still got more coil ready for another setup)
6. I took 2 pieces of 6 strand bamboo yarn and laid it accross the top of the wick/coil.
7. I put a cotton roll on top of the yarn.
8. Put a notched silcon cap top back on.
9. Primed the wick good with juice.
10. Filled the tank and started vapin'.
I LIKE it. At 3.7volts (to start off) w/ the 2.5Ω head, I'm was getting good vapor production and good taste. Maybe the best taste I've gotten so far from either factory heads or my DIY heads. Diialed it up to 4 volts, then to my usual sweet spot of 4.2volts w/ 2.5Ω and I'm really likeing it. Hoping this does work out, as I can easily take off the cotton and yarn, do a dry burn when the coil gunks up. Then replace cotton/yarn if/as needed and be back to vaping again.
(I'll try to post some pictures later)
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tri-fecta wick - SS mesh, bamboo yarn, & cotton roll { with pictures }
Materials:
Comment: The wick/coil I'm using in this setup is the 1st one I've done w/o twisted tails/leads. I'm curious to see if the rubber gasket burns. I don't use the original sleeve at all when rebuilding. I'll vape a couple-few tanks then take it apart. Would be nice to skip twisting the tails, 'tho the more I do the easier it gets.
Materials:
- 400 SS Mesh, started w/ 30x30mm rolled tight (wick in pic, isn't 35mm long, already used 1 end of it)
- Kanthal A1 34 awg coil (add turns to suite your desired Ωs)
- 2 pieces of ~2mm 6 strand bamboo cotton
- 1 rolled cotton overwick made from cotton roll
- Install SS wick/coil as 'normal', cut SS wick to fit inside tank
- Add 2 pieces of bamboo laid accross the coil. Notice how on the left side the cotton wick is in front of the SS wick and on the right its behind it.
- Add cotton roll over-wick (the cap is notched to avoid pinching)
Comment: The wick/coil I'm using in this setup is the 1st one I've done w/o twisted tails/leads. I'm curious to see if the rubber gasket burns. I don't use the original sleeve at all when rebuilding. I'll vape a couple-few tanks then take it apart. Would be nice to skip twisting the tails, 'tho the more I do the easier it gets.
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looks awesome! Question. those coils appear to be touching each other- does that cause a problem. I ask cuz I've been taking steps to keep them apart. thanks
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Oh - I just wraped that coil quickly for the picture. 1.) I miss counted and have an xtra wrap and 2.) yepper, I'd have to adjust those coils to make sure they're not touching before I installed it.
MikeE3,
Is that cotton, bamboo or cotton-bamboo mix yarn? You mention all three. Also, Pics of the yarn/cotton overwick change out would be interesting to see too when you get there.
Thanks for the detailed walk thru, very clear. I may try to do this in AM...
Is that cotton, bamboo or cotton-bamboo mix yarn? You mention all three. Also, Pics of the yarn/cotton overwick change out would be interesting to see too when you get there.
Thanks for the detailed walk thru, very clear. I may try to do this in AM...
Mike, thanks for the tutorial. I've been trying to figure out a good way to use mesh wicks in the Mini Nova (tube is so narrow it would be difficult to get the perfect bend). Your set up looks like a good solution as the mesh wick is really short. Will definitely be trying this.
The 6 strand 'yarn' is bamboo (my oops! I went back and edited my posts) - it's from a sample that Supervape sent me. I don't know the brand.
The over-wick is cotton. It's "rolled" cotton from CVS. Pull/stretch a bit of it from the packaging and roll it to size.
I'm running 2 of these now and like them both. After a few tanks I'll post some picks of the bamboo, cotton over-wick and coil to show how it's holding up.
Can anyone point me in the right direction as to why I keep having flooding issues?
I use an untrimmed cap and I get dry hits after a few puffs. But if I trim my caps in the V shape, I flood after about 30 minutes of vaping. I've made big Vs, and also small Vs, but even the smallest of cuts leads me to flooding.
I use an untrimmed cap and I get dry hits after a few puffs. But if I trim my caps in the V shape, I flood after about 30 minutes of vaping. I've made big Vs, and also small Vs, but even the smallest of cuts leads me to flooding.
If your question is refering to the tri-fecta wick setup - no, I rolled it tight w/o a center hole. I wanted as 'much' mesh as I could get in a narrow & short wick piece to hold the juice.
Can you describe your wick & coil setup. Might help to 'guess' what the issue is if we new it is.
So after reading about Chinese Mystery Metal at the Wick Materials. Safe Vs Dangerous. thread I decided to revisit the stock Vivi Nova head and see what could be done without enlarging the wick slot.
The stock Vivi head has a slot that is 1.5mm in width. With the silicon cap on the head, the available hole for a wick is 1.5mm high. The tightest SS wick I could roll to 1.5mm was 30mm. I initially used a single SS mesh curved wick wrapped with a 2.0ohm 34ga coil. Vapor production was ok, taste good, but wicking flow definitely not fast enough. read: "dry hits" If you take short pulls and wait a couple of seconds for the wick to recharge it was ok. Nice..not thrilling.
Here is what I did:
Higher Resolution Version:
http://imageshack.us/a/img841/1632/vividualcoil2x30mmwired.jpg
Side View:
Higher Resolution Version:
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4436/vividualcoil2x30mmside.jpg
Multimeter stated 3.2/Provari indicated 3.0
Vapor production great!
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9576/66hwboxbntwqnqvzyetpcl.mp4
With asymmetry of the stacked wicks, I estimated that I have about 80-90% of the coil coverage of a single 60MM wick used in Genisis attys. Not sure about comparative wick flow, but I have not had a single dry hit yet.
Halfway through the first tank, the resistance dropped to 2.6, due to coil shift or heat expansion...Taste dropped slightly. A bit of coil tweaking brought it back up to 3.0ohm, but it would continuously drop back down after a couple of pulls. PITA
Overall... as good/better than any 5mm cheesecloth wick with a batten overlay in a bored out wide mouth slot. I have a couple of more tweaks that might solve some of the coil shift, but I need to play a bit more here.
The stock Vivi head has a slot that is 1.5mm in width. With the silicon cap on the head, the available hole for a wick is 1.5mm high. The tightest SS wick I could roll to 1.5mm was 30mm. I initially used a single SS mesh curved wick wrapped with a 2.0ohm 34ga coil. Vapor production was ok, taste good, but wicking flow definitely not fast enough. read: "dry hits" If you take short pulls and wait a couple of seconds for the wick to recharge it was ok. Nice..not thrilling.
Here is what I did:
Higher Resolution Version:
http://imageshack.us/a/img841/1632/vividualcoil2x30mmwired.jpg
Side View:
Higher Resolution Version:
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4436/vividualcoil2x30mmside.jpg
Multimeter stated 3.2/Provari indicated 3.0
Vapor production great!
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9576/66hwboxbntwqnqvzyetpcl.mp4
With asymmetry of the stacked wicks, I estimated that I have about 80-90% of the coil coverage of a single 60MM wick used in Genisis attys. Not sure about comparative wick flow, but I have not had a single dry hit yet.
Halfway through the first tank, the resistance dropped to 2.6, due to coil shift or heat expansion...Taste dropped slightly. A bit of coil tweaking brought it back up to 3.0ohm, but it would continuously drop back down after a couple of pulls. PITA
Overall... as good/better than any 5mm cheesecloth wick with a batten overlay in a bored out wide mouth slot. I have a couple of more tweaks that might solve some of the coil shift, but I need to play a bit more here.
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funny you bring up the mystery metal issue
friends who have bored things out, keep an eye out and let us know if you start to see green or funk, so far I have none
gdeal your set up is smart and makes perfect sense to me. if you can't go wider go taller!
was also thinking of doing something like this but wrapping the coils in figure eights between the two stacked wicks, not sure it would do much besides be a PITA, but it might give the coil more contact area with the wick
friends who have bored things out, keep an eye out and let us know if you start to see green or funk, so far I have none
gdeal your set up is smart and makes perfect sense to me. if you can't go wider go taller!
was also thinking of doing something like this but wrapping the coils in figure eights between the two stacked wicks, not sure it would do much besides be a PITA, but it might give the coil more contact area with the wick
Just sayin...
Nice Mod
LOL...I thought that pic reminded me of something. Nice graphic work.
Tri-fecta wick/coil update.
So, I've been vaping on this wick for a few days. Probably only a couple tanks of BWB RY4, which is a fairly clear, light amber color. My 1st reaction was, YIKES, it sure did turn dark. Now I've read that genisys atty/tanks can heat up and cook the juice, turning it darker along with the crud from the coil, etc. But I didn't expect it so fast with this setup after just 6-8ml of juice.
This is the topper of rolled cotton over the wick/coil. It's really dark with juice. It's much darker, almost black in the center, than the wick but it doesn't show up in the lighting I used when taking the picture.
Under that is the two strands of bamboo yarn for the wick itself.
And under that is the SS mesh wick/coil. The coil is still in good shape, no signs of gunk buildup yet.
But I can't get over just how dark the juice has gotten. This Vivi had a metal tank on it, but I don't think that makes a difference. I've another light juice using the same wick/coil setup in a plastic tank, and it too has turned quite dark. If any of you ever vaping BWB RY4, you'll know just how dark this juice has turned. This came out of the tank.
So, I've been vaping on this wick for a few days. Probably only a couple tanks of BWB RY4, which is a fairly clear, light amber color. My 1st reaction was, YIKES, it sure did turn dark. Now I've read that genisys atty/tanks can heat up and cook the juice, turning it darker along with the crud from the coil, etc. But I didn't expect it so fast with this setup after just 6-8ml of juice.
This is the topper of rolled cotton over the wick/coil. It's really dark with juice. It's much darker, almost black in the center, than the wick but it doesn't show up in the lighting I used when taking the picture.
Under that is the two strands of bamboo yarn for the wick itself.
And under that is the SS mesh wick/coil. The coil is still in good shape, no signs of gunk buildup yet.
But I can't get over just how dark the juice has gotten. This Vivi had a metal tank on it, but I don't think that makes a difference. I've another light juice using the same wick/coil setup in a plastic tank, and it too has turned quite dark. If any of you ever vaping BWB RY4, you'll know just how dark this juice has turned. This came out of the tank.
I deduce that cover wicks generally preserve coil life by keeping the coil clean @ the cost of the gunk ending up quickly in eliquid, instead of as deposits on the coil 8-o
Thus additionally, vapors rise off the coil, need to penetrate through the cover wick, staining it, & also adding to the quickly polluted ejuice
If one vapes hard enough to need the extra wicking it would be worth using a topper
,then swirling a bunch until wicking gets near nil, & then a cleaning of some degree. Sadly that equates to: no often topping off due to quicker eliquid pollution
P.S that Tri-fecta wick/coil is awesome thinking!
Thus additionally, vapors rise off the coil, need to penetrate through the cover wick, staining it, & also adding to the quickly polluted ejuice
If one vapes hard enough to need the extra wicking it would be worth using a topper
,then swirling a bunch until wicking gets near nil, & then a cleaning of some degree. Sadly that equates to: no often topping off due to quicker eliquid pollution P.S that Tri-fecta wick/coil is awesome thinking!
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