Want to stockpile re FDA, but what to get for DIY?

[SpiritBear]

Not a complete noob regarding vaping, I've been vaping for 3 yrs after almost 40 yrs of smoking, don't smoke anymore (!!). My ADV is a combo of 2 menthol flavors, occasionally I vape something else.

Started out with eGo batts and have stuck with that general type of battery (510 threading). Currently, I use an Aspire Nautilus tank (1.80 ohm, BVC) with a Vision Spinner 2 battery (1600 mah). Battery setting at 3.8v, air draw is on the largest hole. I go for flavor more than clouds, but like to have SOME cloud. Not a dripper, no interest in that.

What I'm looking for: a battery device that I can simply buy the batteries for when they wear out and won't recharge ... a decent RBA that I can learn to rebuild -- in other words, a combo of these that will be equal in output to what I've been using with the Nautilus and Vision Spinner. This seems to me the most feasible for my use if/when supplies dry up. My understanding is that the Aspire Nautilus atomizer can be rebuilt, and I have a bunch of used ones, but have read that the rebuild can be a little difficult, so would like an alternative.

I don't know whether I should be looking at a hand-made mod for replaceable batteries, or really what kind of thing would be right and safe.

Any help very appreciated!

 

[bwh79]

I've never used a Nautilus, but I hear it's a solid MTL (mouth-to-lung) style vape. In my opinion, the Grand King of MTL-style rebuildable atties is the Kayfun family. I like my "Lite Plus version 2" clones from EHPro -- you can get them in various colors for about $5 +shipping these days, when there are any left in stock. The "Mini version 3" looks promising, too, and has an affordable clone made by Tobeco, but I haven't got my hands on one of those yet. I have three of the KFL+v2 clones, though, two in daily rotation and one in the closet for "spare parts." Great MTL vape between 1-2 ohms at around 12-15ish watts.

 

[Jdurand]

IPV D3 for a mod. Goes to 80 watts has temp control and has been very reliable for me. I would look to get a couple single or dual coil rta's as well. I, myself, have a love affair going on with my aromamizers. Simple to build and wick and also very reliable.

 

[bwh79]

If you're looking long-term reliability, you will probably want to add at least one mechanical mod to your arsenal. You don't have to learn how to use it right away -- and by all means, don't try to use it until you do learn how, as they do require a bit more specialized knowledge to operate safely than a regulated device with built-in protections -- but electronic devices don't last for ever and if replacements are not available or easy to obtain, then you might benefit from having a rugged, simple, mechanically-operated device with no form of circuitry to go bad. With care and a little maintenance, a mech mod should be able to last an entire lifetime.

Also, have you thought about making your own refill liquid? Nicotine solution stores very well in glass bottles in the freezer, and may become very hard to obtain here pretty soon. USP-grade Propylene Glycol is added to animal feed and can be purchased from most local farm-supply stores, so it's not likely going anywhere. Ditto for Vegetable Glycerin, it can be found in most drugstores in the skin care aisle. Flavor concentrates are used in baking, candy- and soap-making, perfumery, and home-made soda machines, but even if they somehow manage to ban or restrict access to the vaping-suitable concentrates, you can still get a decent enjoyable vape from good old "unflavored," which happens to be my current favorite ADV.

 

[bnrkwest]

What I have for stocking up now is Nic, Provari mini's and Kayfun Lite rebuildables. I have tons of other stuff too but I wanted a regulated unit like Provari that takes replaceable batts. I also have 2 GLV super mini's that take batts.

 

[Str8vision]

Stay away from mods that have internal (built in) batteries, they won't store well and are disposable once the battery dies. Of those that use replaceable batteries, mech mods are by far the most durable (S.S. is the best for longevity) but regulated mods can be bought in numbers sufficient to last. For long term storage protect them from moisture and if plastic is involved (case, buttons, display screen etc) from UV and heat as well. I store mine sealed in Mylar bags (from Amazon) with a Desiccant packet inside (also from Amazon).

 

[crxess]

Critical Items:
Quality Mods, Tanks/RDA's, Spare Parts
Nicotine Concentrate!!! 100mg/ml is simple to work with and a single Liter makes an extreme amount of E-liquid.

 

[SpiritBear]

If you're looking long-term reliability, you will probably want to add at least one mechanical mod to your arsenal. You don't have to learn how to use it right away -- and by all means, don't try to use it until you do learn how, as they do require a bit more specialized knowledge to operate safely than a regulated device with built-in protections -- but electronic devices don't last for ever and if replacements are not available or easy to obtain, then you might benefit from having a rugged, simple, mechanically-operated device with no form circuitry to go bad. With care and a little maintenance, a mech mod should be able to last an entire lifetime.

Gonna show my dumb side here: what is a mechanical mod and can you name a few so I can check them out? AND, where would I find a "rugged, simple, mechanically-operated device with no form circuitry to go bad"? I assume either or both would last a lifetime with care and maintenance ...

Also, have you thought about making your own refill liquid? Nicotine solution stores very well in glass bottles in the freezer, and may become very hard to obtain here pretty soon. USP-grade Propylene Glycol is added to animal feed and can be purchased from most local farm-supply stores, so it's not likely going anywhere. Ditto for Vegetable Glycerin, it can be found in most drugstores in the skin care aisle. Flavor concentrates are used in baking, candy- and soap-making, perfumery, and home-made soda machines, but even if they somehow manage to ban or restrict access to the vaping-suitable concentrates, you can still get a decent enjoyable vape from good old "unflavored," which happens to be my current favorite ADV.

Yes, that I have thought about. A couple of years ago, I bought 500ml of liquid nicotine (24mg strength, 100%PG) and have kept it stored, unopened, in the refrigerator. I would expect to be vaping for another 20-30 yrs, any idea how much more I should get? My hope is to drop my nic level down and I was just starting that when the FDA rules hit ... I've never vaped at 24mg nic, so maybe need to order nic at the level I now vape, or a level or two down? Mixing my own e-juice with the flavorings and nic added is something I feel I could do without too much difficulty.

 

[SpiritBear]

I've never used a Nautilus, but I hear it's a solid MTL (mouth-to-lung) style vape. In my opinion, the Grand King of MTL-style rebuildable atties is the Kayfun family. I like my "Lite Plus version 2" clones from EHPro -- you can get them in various colors for about $5 +shipping these days, when there are any left in stock. The "Mini version 3" looks promising, too, and has an affordable clone made by Tobeco, but I haven't got my hands on one of those yet. I have three of the KFL+v2 clones, though, two in daily rotation and one in the closet for "spare parts." Great MTL vape between 1-2 ohms at around 12-15ish watts.

I see a lot mentioned on here about Kayfuns, I will go do some checking on those. As far as MTL style vaping, that's a new term to me and not sure it's exactly what I do. About 30 yrs ago, my allergist had me light up and smoke a cig in his office -- this was because I beat his nurse at the pulmonary function test, but he knew I smoked. After a minute or so, he had me put the cig out and told me that I was a "nervous smoker", that no sooner than I drew on the cig, I blew the smoke back out. And I vape the same way -- I pretty much get the throat hit and then blow it back out. That doesn't mean nothing goes to the lungs, I'm sure, but I sure don't draw and hold onto it!

 

[bwh79]

Gonna show my dumb side here: what is a mechanical mod and can you name a few so I can check them out? AND, where would I find a "rugged, simple, mechanically-operated device with no form circuitry to go bad"? I assume either or both would last a lifetime with care and maintenance ...

The rugged device I was referring to is a mech mod: Mech Mods

Sorry, I meant no form of circuitry. No boards, no chips, no wires. Mech mods are simple devices. They are little more than a battery holder with a heavy-duty mechanically-operated switch that closes the circuit and allows raw unregulated battery power to pour through your atomizer. That's what makes them so reliable, but that's also what makes them potentially dangerous to the uninformed user. There are no circuits to fail, but that means there are also no protections in place except for the one between your ears. You need a solid understanding of Ohm's Law and how it pertains to vaping in specific, and battery-powered devices in general. You need to test your atomizer and ensure that its resistance (ohms) is within a safe range for your battery (too little resistance will cause the battery to drain too fast, building up heat and potentially leading to a disastrous failure.) You need to inspect your gear, and learn how to identify and remedy a short circuit. If you go to the sub-forum I linked above, there will be plenty of people there willing to help you learn. All you have to do is ask!

Yes, that I have thought about. A couple of years ago, I bought 500ml of liquid nicotine (24mg strength, 100%PG) and have kept it stored, unopened, in the refrigerator. I would expect to be vaping for another 20-30 yrs, any idea how much more I should get? My hope is to drop my nic level down and I was just starting that when the FDA rules hit ... I've never vaped at 24mg nic, so maybe need to order nic at the level I now vape, or a level or two down? Mixing my own e-juice with the flavorings and nic added is something I feel I could do without too much difficulty.

Most DIY'ers get their nicotine in 100mg/mL strength, and then dilute it to their preferred level as needed. It's cheaper that way, and takes up less space in the freezer. I figure I vape about 24mg of nic per day (roughly 4ml at 6mg/mL) so the 360ml I have stored in the freezer should last me about four years. I'll very likely be buying at least that much more here, pretty soon. We have a DIY forum here, too, with even more folks who are just dying to help you out: DIY E-Liquid

I see a lot mentioned on here about Kayfuns, I will go do some checking on those. As far as MTL style vaping, that's a new term to me and not sure it's exactly what I do. About 30 yrs ago, my allergist had me light up and smoke a cig in his office -- this was because I beat his nurse at the pulmonary function test, but he knew I smoked. After a minute or so, he had me put the cig out and told me that I was a "nervous smoker", that no sooner than I drew on the cig, I blew the smoke back out. And I vape the same way -- I pretty much get the throat hit and then blow it back out. That doesn't mean nothing goes to the lungs, I'm sure, but I sure don't draw and hold onto it!

MTL (mouth-to-lung) means that you draw the vapor into your mouth first, using your cheeks and jaw to draw it in, and then after you've drawn the vapor into your mouth, you (usually, but I guess not always) breathe in and take it into your lungs. It's the way most people smoke cigarettes, though I have seen a few people who would suck on it like it was a..."hand-rolled" cigarette, if you know what I mean. That's what we call DL or "direct-to-lung" style, where you just inhale directly with your chest and diaphragm, kind of like the "reverse blow" that you do when your bite of food in your mouth is too hot. That's what you see when the "cool kids" are blowing big clouds in the YouTube videos. DL requires lots of wide-open airflow like breathing through a hose, while MTL requires a very restricted draw like puffing on a cigarette. DL tends to make big, billowy clouds and not much else, while MTL tends to make smaller, wispier vapor and intensifies the flavor. I have atomizers that work well with both styles, I like them both and will switch them up throughout the day, but if I was trapped on the proverbial desert island and could only choose one to take with me, I think I would have to go with the Kayfun. It's been my all-day-vape, nearly every single day, since the day I got it.

 

[SpiritBear]

Thank you, bwh79 -- very clear explanations! I have one further question at the moment ... was just looking on Fast Tech at the mech mods and I see the tube type ones as you illustrated. There are also "box mods" -- those seem to hold 2 batteries, and I'm wondering if 2-battery-boxes are better in some way than a 1-battery-tube ... for example, if 1 batt dies, the user switches to the other or something?

 

[Two_Bears]

Not a complete noob regarding vaping, I've been vaping for 4 yrs after almost 40 yrs of smoking, don't smoke anymore (!!). My ADV is a combo of 2 menthol flavors, occasionally I vape something else.

Started out with eGo batts and have stuck with that general type of battery (510 threading). Currently, I use an Aspire Nautilus tank (1.80 ohm, BVC) with a Vision Spinner 2 battery (1600 mah). Battery setting at 3.8v, air draw is on the largest hole. I go for flavor more than clouds, but like to have SOME cloud. Not a dripper, no interest in that.

What I'm looking for: a battery device that I can simply buy the batteries for when they wear out and won't recharge ... a decent RBA that I can learn to rebuild -- in other words, a combo of these that will be equal in output to what I've been using with the Nautilus and Vision Spinner. This seems to me the most feasible for my use if/when supplies dry up. My understanding is that the Aspire Nautilus atomizer can be rebuilt, and I have a bunch of used ones, but have read that the rebuild can be a little difficult, so would like an alternative.

I don't know whether I should be looking at a hand-made mod for replaceable batteries, or really what kind of thing would be right and safe.

Any help very appreciated!

I would recommend an RTA, abd mod that uses 18650 batteries.

Here are some of tge best mods with external batteries

Ipv D2 or D3
eVic VTC Mini. I have two of them. They are great.
Eleaf istick60tc
Eleaf istick Pico.

How do you like to vape

Direct Lung hits

Goblin Mini
Silverplay nano

These are flavor monsters but not recommended for newbies because the airflow is directly under coils and tends to leak if not Wicked correctly.

Also good is Orchid V3
Kayfun Monster.

Mouth to Lung.

Kayfun lite plus
Taifun GT-II
Kayfun Mini V3 i would not recommend for a newbie because wicking issues.

The four recommended for beginners is easy..

Orchid, Kayfun lite plus, and Taifun pretty much wick the same.

Cut the tails so they lie on top of the Juice Wells. Screw down the barrel wet the wick with Juice, and make sure tge coil(s,) are not touching the barrel. Assemble the RTA fill with Juice and you're ready.

The Kayfun Monster has big Juice Wells and let the tails go all the way to the bottom of the Wells. Again make sure the coil does not touch THR barrel.

I would recommend using organic cotton balls for wicking at least in tge begining. Dacron and japanese cotton more finicky.

Wicking coils you want the cotton right but still able to slide in the coil.

When the wick is saturated the cotton will dwell. If the cotton is too tight it will give Dry hits, and sometines a burned flavor.

If the wick is too loose the eCig will pop snd spit.

You want the wick just right.

If i may be or further assistance just ask.

 

[SpiritBear]

I would recommend an RTA, abd mod that uses 18650 batteries.

Here are some of tge best mods with external batteries

Ipv D2 or D3
eVic VTC Mini. I have two of them. They are great.
Eleaf istick60tc
Eleaf istick Pico.

How do you like to vape

Direct Lung hits

Goblin Mini
Silverplay nano

These are flavor monsters but not recommended for newbies because the airflow is directly under coils and tends to leak if not Wicked correctly.

Also good is Orchid V3
Kayfun Monster.

Mouth to Lung.

Kayfun lite plus
Taifun GT-II
Kayfun Mini V3 i would not recommend for a newbie because wicking issues.

The four recommended for beginners is easy..

Orchid, Kayfun lite plus, and Taifun pretty much wick the same.

Cut the tails so they lie on top of the Juice Wells. Screw down the barrel wet the wick with Juice, and make sure tge coil(s,) are not touching the barrel. Assemble the RTA fill with Juice and you're ready.

The Kayfun Monster has big Juice Wells and let the tails go all the way to the bottom of the Wells. Again make sure the coil does not touch THR barrel.

I would recommend using organic cotton balls for wicking at least in tge begining. Dacron and japanese cotton more finicky.

Wicking coils you want the cotton right but still able to slide in the coil.

When the wick is saturated the cotton will dwell. If the cotton is too tight it will give Dry hits, and sometines a burned flavor.

If the wick is too loose the eCig will pop snd spit.

You want the wick just right.

If i may be or further assistance just ask.

Thank you, Two Bears -- I'm definitely going to need to upgrade the learning curve, here!

 

[Two_Bears]

Thank you, bwh79 -- very clear explanations! I have one further question at the moment ... was just looking on Fast Tech at the mech mods and I see the tube type ones as you illustrated. There are also "box mods" -- those seem to hold 2 batteries, and I'm wondering if 2-battery-boxes are better in some way than a 1-battery-tube ... for example, if 1 batt dies, the user switches to the other or something?

The list if mods i gave above all use 1 battery at a time.

All of them will go up to 60-75 watts

Dual or triple 18650/box mods can deliver 150 -200 watts and use both batteries at the same time.

One problem with multi battery mods tge batteries must be married. Use together as a set snd charge together as a set.

I don't like mech mods, and like hybrid mech mods even less.

A hard short or sone sub Ohm tanks on a hybrid mech mod can literally turn your battery and mech mod into a pipe bomb.

 

[Two_Bears]

I see a lot mentioned on here about Kayfuns, I will go do some checking on those. As far as MTL style vaping, that's a new term to me and not sure it's exactly what I do. About 30 yrs ago, my allergist had me light up and smoke a cig in his office -- this was because I beat his nurse at the pulmonary function test, but he knew I smoked. After a minute or so, he had me put the cig out and told me that I was a "nervous smoker", that no sooner than I drew on the cig, I blew the smoke back out. And I vape the same way -- I pretty much get the throat hit and then blow it back out. That doesn't mean nothing goes to the lungs, I'm sure, but I sure don't draw and hold onto it!

Kayfuns have good flavor, and easy to build.

Wrap tge coil snd have the leads go off in opposite directions.

Om the base are two little screws. Unscrew a bit snd trap that lead

Unscrew tge other a bit and trap that lead.
Lift the coil about 1/2 a mm so it is only touching near the screws.

Cut the leads as close as possible.
Wick the coil and you're practically done.

Super simple. flavor is good too.

 

[SpiritBear]

I don't like mech mods, and like hybrid mech mods even less.

A hard short or sone sub Ohm tanks on a hybrid mech mod can literally turn your battery and mech mod into a pipe bomb.

I definitely want something that will be as safe as possible ... when I'm 80, don't want to be worrying that a sudden mental glitch will cause me to blow up the house!

 

[bnrkwest]

For the Kayfuns, do you wrap the leads around the screw once or twice? Also what direction on each screw? Clockwise, counter clockwise or doesn't it matter? I just bought several but have not built any coils yet. Have watched videos tho

 

[Two_Bears]

I definitely want something that will be as safe as possible ... when I'm 80, don't want to be worrying that a sudden mental glitch will cause me to blow up the house!

It wont blow up the house. But exploding mechd have been known to shoot the Atomizer 1/2 way across the room and hit the wall.

 

[Two_Bears]

For the Kayfuns, do you wrap the leads around the screw once or twice? Also what direction on each screw? Clockwise, counter clockwise or doesn't it matter? I just bought several but have not built any coils yet. Have watched videos tho

I usually wrap clock wise and the lead about 2/3 around tge screw.

Here's the reason.

1. Clock wise because that is the direvtion the screw turns. Tighten the wick instead of loosening.

2. I have the lead coming our the right side si tge barrel is further away and much less likely to short out.

 

[bnrkwest]

I usually wrap clock wise and the lead about 2/3 around tge screw.

Here's the reason.

1. Clock wise because that is the direvtion the screw turns. Tighten the wick instead of loosening.

2. I have the lead coming our the right side si tge barrel is further away and much less likely to short out.

Thank you!