What the heck am I doing wrong!?!?!?!?

[Dzaw]

OK - I've always thought of myself as a handy kind of guy. Love to tinker, and have been pretty successful with all manner of different fine little futzy projects. I really didn't think I was getting in over my head at all with a genesis style atty.

I've now been through about two yards of A1 kanthal. I've got three spools of the stuff in 28, 30, and 32 ga.

I've had three coils up and running - sort of. On all three there was a hot spot right where the top coil transitions to the center (positive) post. On any wire thinner than 28, that spot will either ignite my wick and then it burns like a candle (I can let it burn until I'm out of juice, so I know I'm getting plenty of wicking) or just pop right there. With 28 ga, I can get the bloody thing to vape - but it's tasteless and harsh.

I've tried the Petar K method, I've tried wrapping wick that's installed already, both with similar results.

I'm getting ready to just toss the thing into my forge and turn it into a puddle of slag.

 

[donnah]

What rba are you trying to get to work?

 

[Dzaw]

It's an AGA t2

When I put a coil on using the drill bit method, it measures out between 1.3-2.5 ohms, depending on which guage wire I'm trying, and how many wraps. I can get a good, even glow pulsing without a wick. Drop a wick in and BAM - it's useless.

On the worst offenders, I can see a drop in resistance indicating a short. If I play with the wick a bit, the short will disappear - but to no avail, I'll get teensy tinsy sparks between the coil and wick, then the juice will light up, and now there's a new short - resistance drops from say 1.4 to .8.

re-oxidize the wick, play with wick position, etc, and I can get the shorts to go away, only to get the hotspot at the top of the coil, between the wick and the post.

 

[jazzbo]

Try using some no-res wire from the top leg of the coil to the centerpost...or angle your wick so that there is less space between the coil and the post.

 

[eikon]

I also think of myself as a handy kind of guy, who loves to tinker with all manner of different fine little futzy projects. But it took me a while to figure out this RBA thing.

Sounds like your top wrap may be too tight. If you are using a VV or VW device, first turn it all the way down. You could try the "unoxidized" wick method and give the coil quick pulses, this should eventually work out the hotspot, just be careful not to overheat your device. You can also work with the hot coil, stick a needle or paperclip (some thin sharp object) into the top of the wick, fire it till you see a hot spot at the top, then move the top around till it goes away, again be careful not to overheat your device. Also your top nut may be too tight, try loosening it just a fraction of a turn.

The 28awg is the easiest to work with, so stick with that till you get it down, and you will get it down, just don't give up, all the frustration of figuring it out will be worth it in the end.

 

[sonikweb]

I had so many struggles with this atty, wasted hours and hours rebuilding it... The trick is really to have it not too tight around the mesh, you need to have a little space around the mesh and play with it before putting juice to have it right, it's a very delicate process. Right now I have it right but I have an issue with liquid becoming dark after 12-24h, looks really nasty! If I knew I was getting in so much trouble I wouldn't have bought this atty!

Anyway, try using a bigger drill tip, just a little to make sure it wraps around with just a little space. Then you can play with the wire and place it right before putting juice in.

Note: I've been working as jeweler for years, I was so sure this would go smooth and easy and it didn't... But it can works, your investment is not a waste if you have the patience.

 

[Dzaw]

Note: I've been working as jeweler for years, I was so sure this would go smooth and easy and it didn't... But it can works, your investment is not a waste if you have the patience.

This is the most telling bit I've read about these. I've done knifemaking which can be similarly fine in detail when fitting up handle scales, bolsters, etc. I figured attention to detail and working with very small, fine pieces for precision fit would serve me very well in this - but thus far, the experience hasn't translated into any advantage.

This had damn well better turn out to produce an AMAZING vape when it all settles, or it's slag just out of spite. I've melted worse.

 

[DSmooch]

Dzaw, i understood the pb with the AGA T was the long distance from wick to post. Another vaper here (vapdivr) solved this with just a washer...
check this (around 00:11:00) it might help...

 

[ricks]

When you roll your mesh, are you folding the end so the edge is not a cut end? I found that to be a major issue with these.

OK - I've always thought of myself as a handy kind of guy. Love to tinker, and have been pretty successful with all manner of different fine little futzy projects. I really didn't think I was getting in over my head at all with a genesis style atty.

I've now been through about two yards of A1 kanthal. I've got three spools of the stuff in 28, 30, and 32 ga.

I've had three coils up and running - sort of. On all three there was a hot spot right where the top coil transitions to the center (positive) post. On any wire thinner than 28, that spot will either ignite my wick and then it burns like a candle (I can let it burn until I'm out of juice, so I know I'm getting plenty of wicking) or just pop right there. With 28 ga, I can get the bloody thing to vape - but it's tasteless and harsh.

I've tried the Petar K method, I've tried wrapping wick that's installed already, both with similar results.

I'm getting ready to just toss the thing into my forge and turn it into a puddle of slag.