What tools you use for wrapping coils (coil jig, or metal rods, or etc.)
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I definitely like the jig idea as my hand skills are challenged and most definitely for thicker wire gauges. But the tactile feedback from winding with a pin vise cannot be matched by a jig. The closer the wind to the source (the spool) the more precise control you have and can feel over the geometry. A jig in that context is like trying to hit a baseball with your arms stretched out.
Best of luck to ya Joe. Tap me on the shoulder anytime.
I'm sure I'm missing something, but I'm having trouble understanding how you use the pin vise. I wrap around a mini screwdriver or a syringe needle. What I have trouble with is keeping the first wrap tight I really need a third hand. After the first wrap or two, I can keep the remaining wraps pretty tight. If I wrap one or two extra wraps, then try to unwind the loose one at the start, that part of the wire comes off rather ugly and hard to truly straighten out.
How dos the pin vise help with this process?
Ok, not wanting to get into a debate about the "right or wrong" way to do this, but here is what works for me. My results are 95% consistent with every coil head I rebuild..
**edit - I have shaky hands and issues with my eyes, which is what brought me to this process ***
1. Completely disassemble used/dirty coil head
2. Discard wick and coil
3. Toss coil head with rubber insulator and bottom pin into vodka to clean ( Unknown time, has been up to weeks between building sessions )
4. I use 32ga Kanthal - Pull a couple feet off spool, let hang down.
5. Using cheap butane torch, anneal kanthal the entire length (Get it red hot for a couple seconds) This takes out the springyness, straightens, and burns off anything on the wire.
6. I use the Artistic design coil gizmo, shortened rod, small clamp on handle to hold wire (rubber in clamp helps)
7. Coil wire 5 or 6 wraps - then compress coil with fingernails while still on mandrel
8. Clip leg of long end, remove leg from clamp, then holding both legs, pull gently to make sure both ends of coil are identical.
9. Remove coil from mandrel, pinch together with thick tipped tweezers and heat red hot for less than 10 seconds and set aside (in now unused and cleaned glass ashtray)
10. Once cooled, I wick the coil with cotton (100% cotton balls, leaving 1/4" out of both sides ( microwaved in distilled water for 3 min (boiling) in sterile pyrex dish, pressed flat and allowed to dry rolled in paper towel) yes, I know this probably defeats the sterilization, but if so, it's minimal and unnoticed.
11. Remove soaking coil head parts from vodka and allow to dry (disassembled)
12. I slide a sewing needle through cotton in wicked coil
13. I run the legs through the coil head until the sewing needle sits in the slots of the head.
14. I place the coil head assembly into a mold that I made using epoxy putty and a 2 liter bottle cap to hold everything in place and not allow any movement.
15. I pull first leg tight and fold off to one side. slide other leg through rubber insulator and fold over in the opposite direction of the first, and insert bottom pin.
16. I pull each leg gently until sewing needle feels snugged up to the coil head.
17. using fingernail clippers I clip off the excess from the legs FLUSH with the coil head/rubber insulator
18. I remove the sewing needle and trim cotton so that it just protrudes from sides of coil head.
19. I add 2-3 drops of 50/50 pg vg 0%nic 0% flavoring to cotton in coil head (helps to ensure no dry fire as I build a bunch of coils in advance)
20. reassemble coil head tube and rubber cover
21. place coil head into MVP2 and check Ohms but DO NOT fire it. (If it's shorted or broken the MVP 2 will show 0.00)
22. remove coil head from MVP 2 and place in airtight plastic (tuperware style) container until ready for use.
I know this may seem overly complicated but I do my cotton by the handful at a time, I do my coils and wicking ahead of time (keep them in a plastic container, just dry wicks in coil) until I am ready to rebuild coils. I can rebuild/build a coil in less than 3 min and each are +/- .1 Ohm of each other (1.8 Ohm as described above) and since I am rebuilding for a couple people, it just makes it a quick, consistent, reliable coil head.
As stated before, not saying this is the right or wrong, or even a "this is what you have to do" thing, just how I do it and it works for me. Hopefully this may help someone in some way
Good luck, be patient, and as always.. Vape On!!!!
**edit - I have shaky hands and issues with my eyes, which is what brought me to this process ***
1. Completely disassemble used/dirty coil head
2. Discard wick and coil
3. Toss coil head with rubber insulator and bottom pin into vodka to clean ( Unknown time, has been up to weeks between building sessions )
4. I use 32ga Kanthal - Pull a couple feet off spool, let hang down.
5. Using cheap butane torch, anneal kanthal the entire length (Get it red hot for a couple seconds) This takes out the springyness, straightens, and burns off anything on the wire.
6. I use the Artistic design coil gizmo, shortened rod, small clamp on handle to hold wire (rubber in clamp helps)
7. Coil wire 5 or 6 wraps - then compress coil with fingernails while still on mandrel
8. Clip leg of long end, remove leg from clamp, then holding both legs, pull gently to make sure both ends of coil are identical.
9. Remove coil from mandrel, pinch together with thick tipped tweezers and heat red hot for less than 10 seconds and set aside (in now unused and cleaned glass ashtray)
10. Once cooled, I wick the coil with cotton (100% cotton balls, leaving 1/4" out of both sides ( microwaved in distilled water for 3 min (boiling) in sterile pyrex dish, pressed flat and allowed to dry rolled in paper towel) yes, I know this probably defeats the sterilization, but if so, it's minimal and unnoticed.
11. Remove soaking coil head parts from vodka and allow to dry (disassembled)
12. I slide a sewing needle through cotton in wicked coil
13. I run the legs through the coil head until the sewing needle sits in the slots of the head.
14. I place the coil head assembly into a mold that I made using epoxy putty and a 2 liter bottle cap to hold everything in place and not allow any movement.
15. I pull first leg tight and fold off to one side. slide other leg through rubber insulator and fold over in the opposite direction of the first, and insert bottom pin.
16. I pull each leg gently until sewing needle feels snugged up to the coil head.
17. using fingernail clippers I clip off the excess from the legs FLUSH with the coil head/rubber insulator
18. I remove the sewing needle and trim cotton so that it just protrudes from sides of coil head.
19. I add 2-3 drops of 50/50 pg vg 0%nic 0% flavoring to cotton in coil head (helps to ensure no dry fire as I build a bunch of coils in advance)
20. reassemble coil head tube and rubber cover
21. place coil head into MVP2 and check Ohms but DO NOT fire it. (If it's shorted or broken the MVP 2 will show 0.00)
22. remove coil head from MVP 2 and place in airtight plastic (tuperware style) container until ready for use.
I know this may seem overly complicated but I do my cotton by the handful at a time, I do my coils and wicking ahead of time (keep them in a plastic container, just dry wicks in coil) until I am ready to rebuild coils. I can rebuild/build a coil in less than 3 min and each are +/- .1 Ohm of each other (1.8 Ohm as described above) and since I am rebuilding for a couple people, it just makes it a quick, consistent, reliable coil head.
As stated before, not saying this is the right or wrong, or even a "this is what you have to do" thing, just how I do it and it works for me. Hopefully this may help someone in some way
Good luck, be patient, and as always.. Vape On!!!!
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How is the juice gonna taste better if the wire isn't torched before wrapping the coil? Go ahead and vape the oil if you want to, but I'll burn the oil and anything else that is on the wire off before I wrap my coils.
If the wire won't take being torched, then it won't last long as a coil either...
If the wire won't take being torched, then it won't last long as a coil either...
I love when someone takes a great idea like drill blanks then thinks a bit and produces a cheaper alternative.
Freehand and at first my jeweler's tools, I cheated, I saw the little tool kids and I do beaded and wire jewelry so just used those.
Nasca I so agree..all organic cotton yarn that I autoclave at work (so it's sterile and keep it WET) and for now Kanthal (the cousin MIT Prof of mine says we're not getting it hot enough to hurt us) so that's it for now...still very interested in the data though. (and yeah I put cigarette smoke down there for 30 years and NOW I'm concerned *lol*) *rolley eyes emoticon*
Nasca I so agree..all organic cotton yarn that I autoclave at work (so it's sterile and keep it WET) and for now Kanthal (the cousin MIT Prof of mine says we're not getting it hot enough to hurt us) so that's it for now...still very interested in the data though. (and yeah I put cigarette smoke down there for 30 years and NOW I'm concerned *lol*) *rolley eyes emoticon*
Sorry I originally missed this post and I'm catching up review today.
Wow, the mandrel is both pulled away lightly from the spool and rotated with the right hand (or left)
A jig is certainly useful for thicker gauges and twisted wire; however, simple ones are often too flimsy to induce enough tension (energy) into the wire to achieve (adhesion). This is the state in physics where things cannot get any closer to each other. In fact, the wire tends to draw back into the shape it was wound when tension is imparted. In a formed microcoil the tendency is for it to s p r e a d instead. That's why we end up forcing it with pressure and torching to finalize its contact. That contact though is not the tightness that can be achieved in seconds with the method I illustrate above.
More importantly it's more efficient and cooler having transferred more energy from the wire to juice (rather than to the air). That translates to more flavor as well.
Have a go at it. You'll like it.
Good luck.
I plan to start wrapping coils very soon and I think I'm going to use my double pointed sock knitting needles. I just don't feel like digging through my hubby's messy tool boxes for drill bits.
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I use a 3d finish nail. It forms the perfect sized diameter coil for the Peaches & Cream cotton yarn.
I've have a punch set that seems to work pretty good. I've also played around with everything from needles to nails experimenting with coil sizes...just about anything will work.
Cotton, a 1/16th drill bit, a few toothpicks, a lighter, needle nose pliers, and cuticle scissors. And a lot of patience.
It seems like a general consensus that the Stanley screwdrivers work well. I twist 32g twisted to make my coils. Works great in my Kayfun lite and my Aqua
Anyone ever use or know where to purchase a wire coiling gizmo that has a 2mm crank shaft? Been looking around and I can't seem to find anything. Or perhaps does anyone know an optimal mm size for a hemp wick that is approx 2mm in diameter? Would a 2.5mm cracnk shaft be too big? I'm sure a 1.6mm would be too small.
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