wrapping coils. fact or fiction?

[pwrstrk02]

let me start by saying that I have yet to wrap a coil.
here is what going on in my big ol brain.

when wire is made it is made it is stretched and directed straight to a spool.
when weed eater line is made it is extruded and directed straight to a spool.
when fishing line is made by either process above or both and directed straight to a spool.
this gives all of these a natural curl. a comfortable laying position, not a twist.

lets start with weed eater line; when you spool your weed eater, you direct it off from the factory spool to your weed eater in a fashion as to not get the line twisted so it sets easy in the weed eater head. if you put it on twisted, the natural curl and line memory wants to decompress and come apart like a spring, and you wind up putting it on naturally anyway.

on a fishing reel; (bait caster for arguments sake) you put the spool of new line in the same orientation as the reel so the line lays onto your reel. if you reel your reel with the factory spool oriented at a 90deg to your reel, you will get nasty twisted line as you take the line off of the spool and essentially trying to lay the line sideways onto your reel.

lets make a sexist remark.
how can i make this for women to understand? so you're making a sammich, just kidding, just kidding.
so you are winding a bobbin on your sewing machine, you always roll new thread onto the bobbin in the same fashion it comes off of the spool so that the new thread lays on there nicely.

when building a coil; you should lay the wire onto your coiling devise rather than force it into a spring while keeping pressure on the wire and twisting it. if you lay it on the coiling device, it will have a more natural coiling effect with a greater tendency of not needing to be forced to a solid coil.
if you force the wire into a coil; it will get a twist in it at some point and you will have "doglegs" in your coil pattern that will need to be compressed and heat tempered more so than naturally laying the wire on.

is my thought process on the right path here or not?

 

[MamaTried]

makes sense

on the other hand...

 

[Train2]

All logical, yet people haven't found any problems wrapping the coils into the shapes they want. The metal used is selected MOSTLY for it's electrical properties, but also for the way it handles being formed - there's no "shape memory" to it - or perhaps there isn't until we heat it in it's new coiled shape?

 

[super_X_drifter]

Good notes

Once I torch my wire it's pretty much my biatch and will do anything I want, especially with the darkzero coil jig.

 

[clyde2801]

Good notes

Once I torch my wire it's pretty much my biatch and will do anything I want, especially with the darkzero coil jig.

Coil jig?!?

 

[super_X_drifter]

Coil jig?!?

Yup it's badass

 

[Vapolith]

Yup it's badass

Holy Frijoles! Which deities must I pray to so I may purchase one of those?

 

[Vapeaddikt]

I used to torch my wire. I no longer do. I just dry fire the coil w/o wick in it a few times using tweezers to do minor adjustments when I'm not firing and its barely cooling down.

Your over thinking a basic process.

When I put thought on the matter it more in a direction of "what is a more efficient way to wrap coils which yields a better result". The basic act of doing a coil is simple so there is no need to complicate a simple task. Shift your paradigm to what is more efficient.

Basic rule of life: If someone else is achieving a better result in most areas of life whether it be business, personal, or whatever it is because of a better technique they are employing. Whether are fully share it or not is another story. Most of the time people won't (100% that is). This is where your practice, patience, tenacity, intelligence, and resources will come to bear. This also includes knowing where to direct your energy & efforts to attain the maximum result through use of the Pareto principle.

Moving forward there are several threads on coil making. most I've seen appear to be by hand. I'm going to assume your looking for a micro coil build using cotton for a wick.

If this is the case I have a resource here which would be helpful. Drifter also has a resource Here.

In either case just keep the wire tight. When I use my drill method I hold the wire with pliers and coil it very tight. By hand I did it as tight as I could as well. Practice and repetition will get it down for you in no time.

 

[Big Hitter]

I agree about the over thinking it ....... I know you need something to think about while your awaiting your REO and supplies though

Really simply put it lays fine and coils fine no matter what you do ......
Torch or no torch it coils up fine frontwards, backwards, or inside out

Also even though folks here like to make perfect coils and show them off it can be more of a hobby than actual application.
They don't need to look pretty to provide the best vape of you life ..... The fact is most of us REOnauts have so much time on our hands now that we don't need to be searching for the next best thing that we need to fill the time by building 5 minute coils instead of 2 minute coils .... hey what else are we going to do..........

Hope you stuff shows up soon then you can see for yourself.

EDIT: I see you did mention "twisting" .... I myself and I don't believe anyone twists the wire as they coil .... just wrap it round and round and it lays fine ..... Its not like coiling an extension cord or garden hose where you need one twist per coil for perfection.

Really you will see ...... just wrap it and vape it ....... Instant satisfaction for sure.

 

[yaypudding]

I like to pre-torch my kanthal, I find it easier to work with, takes some of the springiness out of it, but you don't really need to. Some say there is residual oil left on the metal from the manufacturing process. If you dry burn your coils, it should be enough.

After you wrap your first couple of coils you'll have it down, and then you can go about changing the variables, gauge, # wraps, coil set height, direction of coil, different wicks, styles of wicking, it goes on and on.

 

[rudy4653]

Holy Frijoles! Which deities must I pray to so I may purchase one of those?

You can make a crude version. I got a small block of wood put a screw, washer and nut on one end and drilled a hole with a 1/16" drill bit on the other and left the drill bit in the wood. Not as pretty as Dark Zero's but works!

 

[dodari]

You can make a crude version. I got a small block of wood put a screw, washer and nut on one end and drilled a hole with a 1/16" drill bit on the other and left the drill bit in the wood. Not as pretty as Dark Zero's but works!

Yep, did the same darn thing, used a wing-nut to make holding the tail end tight. Crude copy of DZ's beautiful work, but, it works well.

 

[Vapolith]

You can make a crude version. I got a small block of wood put a screw, washer and nut on one end and drilled a hole with a 1/16" drill bit on the other and left the drill bit in the wood. Not as pretty as Dark Zero's but works!

I thought of trying something like that. Thanks for letting me know it works for you!

 

[FeistyAlice]

Good answers. I find pre heating 28 and smaller wire, for basic micro-coils, to be a step that just adds time to a quick make. Same for extra tools that would over fill or not fit in a small case. Although the jig would be fun or helpful for "hobby" coils or a few with gross loss of function in one or both hands it really isn't needed for the average hands, eyesight, coil.

Heating coil to burn off impurities and to set is a good idea.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

 

[dodari]

Good answers. I find pre heating 28 and smaller wire, for basic micro-coils, to be a step that just adds time to a quick make. Same for extra tools that would over fill or not fit in a small case. Although the jig would be fun or helpful for "hobby" coils or a few with gross loss of function in one or both hands it really isn't needed for the average hands, eyesight, coil.

Heating coil to burn off impurities and to set is a good idea.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

Well OK, F A, how do you wrap your coils?

I make a bunch of coils at one time, none of them "hobby" category, just plain old coils. My hands, eyes ain't what they used to be,

As far as being gross, my wife says I'm gross.

 

[FeistyAlice]

Well OK, F A, how do you wrap your coils?

I make a bunch of coils at one time, none of them "hobby" category, just plain old coils. My hands, eyes ain't what they used to be,

As far as being gross, my wife says I'm gross.

Lots of "girls" think "boys" are gross but we loves ya all the same.

I like to keep things simple (OK, I'm working hard to do so. ) so all of my main coiling gear fits into a small case that probably wouldn't hold the average woman's makeup.

I wrap on a small jeweler's screwdriver from a very cheap set; the silver ones, smallest flathead that is ~1/16. The handle is easy to hold and gives a nice stop for winding coil tightly against. I have enough finger strength to hold beginning end tight and winding end. I learned that it is so much easier to wind if a couple extra inches on winding end to grasp. For anyone with issues grasping fine things the 30 ga Kanthal is easy to hold, works easily, easier than 32 to grasps, doesn't deform easily, when manipulating coil or threading in post hole, and is very durable. I just replaced an 8 week old coil, 30 ga, that was on RM2 on Mini that I use the most; about 80% of the time.

I need 2.5 correction for reading but after enough practice it is possible to build coil and put on RM2 without glasses although glasses do make the task easier.

I just plain don't like 32 ga except for certain RBAs that do better with smaller like ceramic cup macARB, eBaron, Killer or rebuild for Nova heads. It is harder to keep from deforming when threading through post holes and isn't as durable over time with lots of use and very frequent dryburns. It is easier to snap it off tightening down post screws, too.

I can get the 30 ga coil tight enough hand wrapping that it takes a good amount of magnification to see any gaps in wraps so heating and squeezing, after mounting, probably only improves asthetics and not performance. Same for 28 ga but it did take more force to pull it tight, while wrapping, and some peeps might not have the fine grasping ability.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

 

[rudy4653]

Well OK, F A, how do you wrap your coils?

I make a bunch of coils at one time, none of them "hobby" category, just plain old coils. My hands, eyes ain't what they used to be,

As far as being gross, my wife says I'm gross.

I will say that Alice has a point. I made a crude jig as mentioned and yes it does work but after a few times using it I found that it's just another gadget that I liked but then the thrill of tinkering went away and back to my old method. Simply taking my 1/16" drill bit and wrapping the wire around it unassisted, then using it intact to mount the coil to the rba, adjust, then remove bit. Fire up, squeeze coils together with tweezers and voila... simple, fast.

 

[FeistyAlice]

Another thing I find very helpful for old, arthritic fingers is plastic handle on phillips screwdriver used to tighten phillips post screws. Just can't say enough how helpful that extra width is for firm grasping. I run into tiny screws a lot that I can't unscrew if only using small handled jeweler's drivers.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

 

[rudy4653]

Another thing I find very helpful for old, arthritic fingers is plastic handle on phillips screwdriver used to tighten phillips post screws. Just can't say enough how helpful that extra width is for firm grasping. I run into tiny screws a lot that I can't unscrew if only using small handled jeweler's drivers.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

So your saying girth does matter not just length???

 

[FeistyAlice]

So your saying girth does matter not just length???

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