What causes the "hard draw"?

[gsc4077]

I clean my carts by boiling and I'm positive they're dry before I use them again. I thought it might have been the holes on the batteries but they seem clear and when I use a new pre-filled cart there isn't a problem.

I'm sure I've seen it addressed on here before but couldn't find it again.

 

[v1John]

Here's something important I found out.
It may or may not apply to everyone, but I just found out that my white cartomizers are very difficult to draw air through!

Now, this is 'only' when I'm vaping, otherwise everything is perfect.
The battery is perfect, and everything is perfect... well except for what I found out...

The notch accross the center post of the cartomizer is the problem.

It is too thin to begin with, and I only had 2 new white ones left, so at this moment I'm using one of them with no problem whatsoever. You know how? I simply did not tighten it. I know addrenalynn has pointed out that nature abhors a vacuum, but I have no choice. I have to screw it on and stop 'before' the connection is tight, and then I get airflow while I'm vaping just like a perfect cartomizer.

Can someone please look into this?

The way it is now, the limiting factor of airflow into the wind tunel, specifically during vaping--when you need air flow, is the notch on the centerpost of the cartomizer. It makes no difference if the battery holes are 3 or 4 or big or small, because little or no air will be allowed to flow through the extremely thin centerpost notch.

 

[jamvector]

I used to do this all the time, especially with older non-premium carts; some were literally air tight unless I loosened them a little. Too loose of course, you don't make electrical contact - I still have a few in a can for the "someday maybe these will work on something" stash. Kind of given up on the tweaking since I have finally accumulated quite of few premiums and newer batts. You can also tweak air flow sometimes by turning the slot inside the cart with a wide tip flathead screwdriver to help align the slot direction with the notches. Also, some of the older carts had the label over the slots, etc... Thanks for bringing it up again though!

 

[5cardstud]

I thought you were talking about cartridges. If it's cartos the paper covering alot of times goes down too far and I circle the bottom lip with my knife and take it off and that usually fixes it. Also sometimes it's the passage through it. To remedy that I carefully put a paper clip through it then as I arch the clip I turn the carto to align the hole through the middle. Also there is a thread about adjusting the center post with a screwdriver of ECF.

 

[v1John]

I used to do this all the time, especially with older non-premium carts; some were literally air tight unless I loosened them a little. Too loose of course, you don't make electrical contact - I still have a few in a can for the "someday maybe these will work on something" stash. Kind of given up on the tweaking since I have finally accumulated quite of few premiums and newer batts. Thanks for bringing it up again!

Ok, well I think I found the problem. It's not that they're old cartos or new.
It can't be that they're premium or not either, because I only order premium cartos, and I ordered my white ones when they first came out. They only had Black, White, and Gold, and I ordered all three. I know it can't be, otherwise does that mean I was sent older style cartos with brand new white labels? I hope not.

But anyway, that is the problem, now I hope it gets looked into asap, as I'm ordering cartos in a week, I only have a 4 left and I don't know what to do, I have a drill somewhere, but I really need small tools that I don't have. Besides, I really don't know of a solution except to keep it loose, but that is not suitable while driving, plus it causes juice at the conection.
So I don't recommend users to modify it, if yours are auto batts (mine are not), the juice could harm your battery. Then also, I don't know if or how to make the notch deeper, because I'm afraid of scraping metal.

So unless someone has a better idea, I think only V4L and/or the manufacturer should look into this please.

 

[v1John]

I thought you were talking about cartridges. If it's cartos the paper covering alot of times goes down too far and I circle the bottom lip with my knife and take it off and that usually fixes it. Also sometimes it's the passage through it. To remedy that I carefully put a paper clip through it then as I arch the clip I turn the carto to align the hole through the middle. Also there is a thread about adjusting the center post with a screwdriver of ECF.

The wind tunnel and everything is perfect, here are some verified perfections:

1- The wind tunnel -perfect
2- The label not covering the vents -perfect
3- The battery post -perfect

but the notches across the cartomizer centerpost are too thin, how can I solve that?

 

[jamvector]

Some of the slots are deeper than others depending on who / when V4L had the carts manufactured by. Your assumption that the depth of the slot is the problem is possible, but this has been intensely discussed in the past - the opposing argument is that it isn't the depth of the slot, but its alignment with respect to the cart notches. Use a flat tip screwdriver and align the slot with 2 of the notches; as I said, it doesn't always help, but sometimes it does. (There are 4 notches, each end of the slot should be facing one on each side).

 

[Adrenalynn]

I use a washer made from a piece of copper wire bent in a loop that isn't fully closed, the size of the center post. I've made them from 24 AWG to 18 AWG. Place on top of the center post and carefully screw down. Boom, perfect electrical connection and you can off-set as needed.

 

[v1John]

I use a washer made from a piece of copper wire bent in a loop that isn't fully closed, the size of the center post. I've made them from 24 AWG to 18 AWG. Place on top of the center post and carefully screw down. Boom, perfect electrical connection and you can off-set as needed.

ok



I hope I don't cause a short circuit, I thought about a real washer, but for those who don't know, I think we need to stay away from the threads.
8-o


________________________________________
Help stop the bans! Help the UK! Help New York!

 

[jamvector]

I use a washer made from a piece of copper wire bent in a loop that isn't fully closed, the size of the center post. I've made them from 24 AWG to 18 AWG. Place on top of the center post and carefully screw down. Boom, perfect electrical connection and you can off-set as needed.

Good idea Lynn, I will have to give that a try, lots of wire laying around here.

 

[Jeff78]

I clean my carts by boiling and I'm positive they're dry before I use them again. I thought it might have been the holes on the batteries but they seem clear and when I use a new pre-filled cart there isn't a problem.

I'm sure I've seen it addressed on here before but couldn't find it again.

Take your cart and pop the cap off of it. Look through it at a light and make sure you can see all the way through it with no obstructions. Sometimes the batting will fluff in the middle and cause a hard draw.

If you can not see through it, take a paper clip and straighten it out and carefully put it through the battery end and push through to the top of the cart and move it around a bit. It will open the air flow from your mouth to the battery.

I know this does mean that you get to manufacture anything, or get to use a volt meter, but I like to start at an easier solution first.

 

[v1John]

I use a washer made from a piece of copper wire bent in a loop that isn't fully closed, the size of the center post. I've made them from 24 AWG to 18 AWG. Place on top of the center post and carefully screw down. Boom, perfect electrical connection and you can off-set as needed.

Yep. Done it, thanks Addrenalynn! You just saved me.
I tried it on the battery, and the bad carto worked, now I'm PC vaping
on my PT and the carto works just fine!

What I used was the tip of a plastic coated bread wrapper. I left a mm. or less of the plastic, and made a small 'v' of a stripped part of it. The plastic part goes in the battery hole (or PT), and the metal V lays flat on the post. The whole thing is probably 2mm. maybe slightly more. It is transplantable, as I already tried it on the battery, and it did save my cartos. I'm ready for any carto now, heehee.

See? Before, one of my cartos was so bad, that if I loosened it to let air in through the notch across the carto center post, the carto would not get juice from the battery, and if I tightened it properly, there would be no airflow and the juice would just vaporize and remain in the carto, but now we're back in business. Thank you so much.

I don't recommend this for everyone, tho. I almost lost the little implant when it fell off my tweezers while I was turning to reach for the PT. Luckily I found it, but only because of the orange plastic tip (the part that goes in the battery hole). It was also time consuming and struggled to make a circular shape on it, which is why the bare part turned out to be a 'V', and finally, it was difficult enough making it small enough to all fit within the circumference of the post. As it is, it goes right to the edge of the post.

I wonder if a more permanent solution would be some kind of an adaptor? What do you think? Unless they start cutting a groove on batteries and PT's as well. It may be that too much stock has already been manufactured, and the best solution might be a V4L (808d1 to 808d1) adaptor, because then it can be used as an option. You may need it, and yu may not. Basically it's just an adaptor with a groove on it, jsut like the cartomizer, for times when the carto's groove is just not deep enough.

 

[Darrigaaz]

Sounds like you just reinvented the Staple Mod

 

[v1John]

Are a lot of them this way, I wonder?

 

[v1John]

Ok, I got me what they call a Dremel drill for 19 bucks at WalMart, but the diamond tips I got were too small for the drill, so I used the cone rock that came with it.

I made one half of the groove across the post deeper, and the carto that was giving me no air flow now has plenty, and I can screw it on fully and normally.

The draw is light and wonderful, (some may think it's too light(airy)), but I get tons of vapor effortlessly, so I believe it's actually perfect.

 

[gsc4077]

Ok, I got me what they call a Dremel drill for 19 bucks at WalMart, but the diamond tips I got were too small for the drill, so I used the cone rock that came with it.

I made one half of the groove across the post deeper, and the carto that was giving me no air flow now has plenty, and I can screw it on fully and normally.

The draw is light and wonderful, (some may think it's too light(airy)), but I get tons of vapor effortlessly, so I believe it's actually perfect.

AWWW NO! you had to say Dremel, my favorite tool of all time lol. Well I know what I'm doing tomorrow.

 

[v1John]

But wait, I got the $19 one, and a pack of 2 diamond tips, but they are too small!
Do they sell an adaptor for them, I wonder?

And remember, I actually "recommend this to nobody (!)" ,please note. I had to do it upside down (well, almost sideways), and ensured that it was washed after the mod. This was merely my diagnostic procedure to confirm and measure the problem and quanitfy the extent of necessary correction. Nothing more. [mod(s) please remove this post if it's not clear or permitted]

This Dremel really is nice tho, it only took minutes, but now I got it charging for the night, because the battery does not come fully charged and it says chrge it fully first. And it definitely fixed it, I think I made the one of my favorite cartos out of a dud, that's the most interesting thing, but I can't so I don't recommend the procedure, except that manufacturing should hopefully fix it.

But anyway, how can I make the thinner diamond tips work?

 

[Adrenalynn]

You're needing a different size mandrel, or a locking chuck.

And it's a "Dremel Tool", not a "Dremel Drill".

I keep at least three chucked up with finger tip controls, and another one or two without, so that I don't have to change tools.

 

[v1John]

You're needing a different size mandrel, or a locking chuck.

And it's a "Dremel Tool", not a "Dremel Drill".

I keep at least three chucked up with finger tip controls, and another one or two without, so that I don't have to change tools.

Wow.
And ok, thanks.

I guess it's not called the cone rock either, right?

heheh

 

[Adrenalynn]

Depends upon the actual shape and color.

Bullets and Cones don't look that much different. Color tells you what the material is. If it's the light brown color, it's either a aluminum oxide bullet grinding stone or an aluminum oxide grinding cone.

You should probably be using the light/mint green stones for aluminum, which are Silicon Carbide Stones