Where to start?

[skoot]

So I'm a couple weeks into vaping with a 510 kit. It's become obvious that this will not do for the long haul. Battery life, constantly refilling, etc. I looked at the high end stuff (Provari, Reo, etc.) and I just can't see shelling out that kind of dough for what they are. I'm a pretty hardcore DIY guy- 23 years brewing beer, build audiophile tube amps, fix guitars, toilets, build all my computers from scratch.

But with all the options in vapes I need a starting point. My needs are:

Battery- long life, cheap replacements. I want to use standard issue batteries I can buy anywhere, along with a good charger that won't overcharge them. I need 6-8 hours out of one charge. The ability to plug into USB in car or computer, and automatically bypass the battery would be great.

juice capacity- Would be great to fit 20 ml.

Rugged- needs to not spill and be able to be stored horizontally.

Adjustments- don't need variable power, but would be good to be able to customize the design for a specific draw. Not sure what that is yet, I've only used the 510 but I definitely want more kick than that.

Displays, buttons, gadgets- bare minimum. Manual power button is all I need.

I have no opinions on cartos, clearos, atty, etc. Whatever it is, it needs to be completely rebuildable and stainless steel. No glass or plastic.

Enclosure- pretty sure I'll DIY this from scratch. I'm hoping for something the size of a Reo if box or Provari if tube.

Any ideas on where to start? Thanks! I'll definitely do a tutorial as I build it.

 

[bapgood]

If your a DIYer the Evolv DNA20D is a great place to start. There is probably a dozen builds going on in the battery mods sub forum. The DNA lets you chose everything from the battery to the enclosure and etc.

As far as atomizer...there are a ton of options, that basically boil down to personal preference. Which requires trying a few different options.
I like the good old tanked carto. You will hear good and bad about just about everything, from health concerns to vape performance. Most of which are personal opinion and subjective to some degree or another.

If you are in an area with a good vape supply store and/or vape community they should be able to give you a ton of first hand knowledge.

 

[BJ43]

A lot of info here for DIY box mods. All mine are VV Battery and PT. Also have the DNA12 and DNA20.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/battery-mods/259577-just-lm2596-users.html
I would try a CE5 and Vivi Nova atty before going into the rebuilds.

 

[skoot]

If your a DIYer the Evolv DNA20D is a great place to start.

YEAH! That's what I'm talking about. I don't need the display, I could probably point-to-point or breadboard the circuit on my own for $20. And that gives me the flexibility to wire in just about anything. Brilliant.

No community around here in CO, which is odd with the healthy lifestyle, skiing, altitude, etc.

 

[bapgood]

YEAH! That's what I'm talking about. I don't need the display, I could probably point-to-point or breadboard the circuit on my own for $20. And that gives me the flexibility to wire in just about anything. Brilliant.

No community around here in CO, which is odd with the healthy lifestyle, skiing, altitude, etc.

Not sure why you wouldn't want the display, but they also have a DNA12 that doesn't have a display.