Stainless steel wicks for beginners: help needed

A friend gave me an Aga t, some mesh and a little bit of Kanthal. He said they are meant to be amazing but in the end he couldn't be bothered with the setup.

I thought I would give it a go this evening. I watched some videos on how to oxidise a wick and then found Noe's thread on his wick setup with the ((w)) wrap. I thought "He sounds like he noes his shit", and tried it out. Wrapping it seemed easy enough. Went through the oxidising process, blahh blah. It seemed to fit in the hole on the Aga t nicely but I never did get to the gladwrap bit. Made a coil using the method in Noe's thread. First one had too many coils I assume and only glowed at the top part. Threw it away and made another with one less wrap. Tried it and it glowed even! Put the wick in but this is where the problems began. The coil glowed realy hot at the top for one coil then stopped. Upon closer inspection I noticed it had broken. Tried three more times making coils but kept producing the same problem before I gave up.

I hate being beaten. What am I doing wrong? Have I stuffed up the oxidising part? Should I have taken the time to make the glad wrap bit?

Would appreciate ANY tips on how to master this art.

 

After you make your coil. The top one will always for me anyway glow red. Don't go nuts on the button it will just make it pop. Get a flat head screwdriver and adjust the coils moving them around slightly and pulsing the battery to check. If you keep playing with them you will get them all glowing evenly. Then fill with juice and done.
There's a good video from zen that shows it well.
Sent from my 101T using Tapatalk 2

 

Just a slight budge of the wick or coil is all that is needed. That hotspot up the top is a short, that's why the other wraps dont glow and a simple nudge of even 0.1mm is enough to sort it out. Genesis atomisers aren't easy, they take practice. The AGA-T is a little harder too as there's so much space between the wick and the centre post. It's really hard to remove that hotspot.

 

Trial and error mate, join the club

Only just starting to get these right and there are many ways.

If if glows at the top, then bend the wick closer after loosening the nut, then check the resistance as it can change just as shifting the coils more evenly spaced all around.

Pulse the coil with a Mechanical RAW power mod a few times as you adjust things provided the resistance is within range.Drip some VG when it looks good and see how it performs without the cap on.

Basically I had very little help with mine but I'm a stubborn arse and just completed a Cyclone wick and wire....stoked!!

Arthy can you give a link for that tutorial mate?

Also we should sticky the google docs page for mesh(will dig it up for ya as I don't think I can put another link in my sig).

Keep at it mate '.comse if you're using VV/VW then 1.5- 1.8 Ohms makes these shine with flavour and TH.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

Why did the coils keep breaking? Is the coil meant to contact the wick? If so why not just wind the coil onto the wick?

I'm not sure I understand the SS wick theory just yet to be honest. But I'm a stubborn bastard. I won't rest till I understand it.

 

I think this is the video.

[video]http://www.google.com.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=zen%20coil%20basics&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CD4QtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZxG fAmIcs70&ei=gLJFUdWvOMOikAWh8oDYDQ&usg=AFQjCNFDQVVf0gYgD-zbnIBfHd_lYPyp2w&bvm=bv.43828540,d.aGc[/video]

 

I think this is the video.
[video=youtube;ZxGfAmIcs70]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxGfAmIcs70&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

 

You live close and I'm only a PM away. I am in Wanni regularly if you need help.

 

Yes, the coil needs to be in contact with the wick and yes, it is wound onto it, if the coil isn't contacting the wick it can't heat it. Any of the ss wick videos will show you how it's done, I'd watch several as people have different methods to achieve the same result. Keep with it the reward is worth it.

 

Cheers vapourize, might take you up on that offer if I can't nail this in the next few days.

@ Gunslinger - Some of the videos I watched had people winding the coil onto drill bits and other stuff that was the same dimension as the wick hole. Why bother with that if you can wind it directly on to the wick?

Another question to anyone that wants to answer.... I've read here that folks oxidise their mesh before they roll it but on the videos I watched they were just rolling it and doing the 3 burn oxidising and juice burning afterwards. Whats the best way to do this?

 

Either or mate, whatever works for you.I tried both ways and prefer to roll it before so it's more firm and even.I noted that some spots can be overheated too easily when doing it laid flat.

I started on an AGA-T using a nail that was a near tight fit then rolled my coil til it almost fit before oxidising as it shrinks a teeny bit.You can keep checking for the fit as you go then do the final VG or Juice burns then twist it in carefully.

Now I'm finding that just making the wick to fit after oxidising, then carefully wrapping it works well for me. You can use some wire or a paperclip that fits inside the coil to hold it firm but don't wrap too tight..it should just grip without pulling out of the coil,especially the last wrap up top as it will pull in by doing up the nut.

Even spacings and further adjustments can be made with a round toothpick so as not to scratch off the oxide layer...just keep checking the resistance as you go like basically assemble and adjust on a Vamo until it's right.Then check for even glowing on a Mech Mod and adjust the same way by pulsing it, then add some juice to the coil and see how she performs.

 

I'm by no means an expert but this is how I got it right, all the time

oxidize your wick, use torch not anything else
I torch before I roll, torch 3 times after.
burn some juices on the wick, pay more attention where the coil will be touching the wick part
now coil your wick, not too tight not loose make sure you are able to slide it out.
now attach it to your posts, slide off your wick and check your resistance, easier if you are using mods with resistance reading. now slide your wick back in, check your resistance. make sure it's exactly the same

if it's different, slide it off, you can torch it again but I normally just do more juice burning, repeat till you get same reading. don't worry it appears to be lots of work but over time you will find it easier

once you have no shorts. drop some juices and burn your coil with wick attached slowly, 3 secs each time at lowest voltage. you can check your resistance again but you shouldn't have issues now. fill up your tank and start from low voltage and slowly increase it to your desired voltage

if you taste metal or dry hit even though your resistance check out, chance is your wick doesn't wick properly, take out the filler screw or you can put your thumbs on the air hole and suck the juice to help with wicking

good luck

 

Some people find that winding around the drill bit is easier and they get better spacing of their coil. Winding directly round the coil is quicker but if your just starting can be a bit frustrating eg if you wrap it too tight it can cut through the oxidisation and .comse shorts, it all comes down to practice. If you use the drill bit method your wick must be a snug but not tight fit in the coil or again you risk scaping the wick and getting shorts, if it's too loose you won't get proper heating of the wick.
As for the second question, it is a matter of preference, I always lightly oxidize before rolling and then juice burn 3 - 4 times but I've also rolled first then oxidized and burned, I don't think it makes much difference to the end product but I find that oxidizing first makes the mesh a bit firmer and easier to roll.

 

The coils keep popping be.comse there is a short at that point. A short means a great deal of current at that point, creating immense heat. The wire essentially melts at the short.

A tip, rather than wrapping wire around the wick using your hand, hold the wire stationary and rotate the device/atty so that the wire wraps around the wick. When you need to get the wire over the centre post hold you thumb on the wick & wire so it doesn't loosen. You'll get the perfect tension every time doing this way after a few tries. Also, try keep your coil neat when wrapping but it doesn't need to be perfect. You can reposition it all later on so that the wire is evenly dispersed on the wick.

Another tip, don't throw away your wicks thinking that they're bad. They will be fine, it's just wrapping the wire that you will need to practice. You can over oxidise a wick and it will go brittle, so be .comtious of that. Having said that, I've oxidised a wick with nothing but a Bic lighter and wrapped a perfectly fine coil.

I always oxidise once it's rolled. If you oxidise when the mesh is flat it can become quite stiff and you will have a hard time rolling it. Also, only the outer layer needs to be oxidised.

I suggest you start with wrapping directly on to the wick, rather than on to a drill bit, screw driver, etc... If your wick is flimsy, shove a needle down it. I find tube shaped wicks superior to any and more convenient in many ways. You can also wrap a layer of rollie paper on the wick and hold it there with some eliquid. This will remove the possibility of shorts. You can vape a tank of eliquid with the paper on, just keep the wick wet. Once you finish the tank, burn the paper off. This will add a good amount of non-conductive material between the coil and the wick.

What don't you understand about "the SS wick theory"? Ask the questions and you'll get the answers.

 

Oddly interesting, you have me intrigued.

I always find mine expand after oxidation.
Heat will expand metal volume and I find that once it's expanded the strands catch and it stays that way.

Quite odd you get the opposite effect. How do you roll your wicks?

 

Some tricks I have learned so that 90% of the time first fire zero hot spots. Wrap the coil around the wick while its outside of the rba. Wrap the bottom coils real tight. Connect the top wire first then pull tight and connect the bottom ground. The top coil do not pull tight to positive connection. Line up the coils so they are spaced equal. Just pulse the fire button if hot spot on top turn wick counter clockwise pulse again. Never do more than a quick pulse of fire button and just keep moving coils up and down so hot spots are gone.... hope this helps someone

 

A prime example showing how everybody does it differently.

Dalmas, you will soon find your way. It doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get there.
Play with people's ideas and you will soon start taking bits and pieces from other people until you create a technique that works for you.
There's only one way to do it and that's the way that works for you.

I suggest watching a few more videos and then experiment, practice, experiment, practice. That's how the majority of us learnt.

 

Here's another.. lol. Give the top of the wick a pull away from the post, and maybe a little push back or around a bit. I find that can ease the tension of the top coil a bit.
As Krit says, there's many many methods, and watching a few Youtube vids would be time well spent.

 

Similar to the way I used to roll my RYO's

I think it's an Eastern States thing too like the way water flows down the drain for North to South lol

I don't get frayed ends, as I do a fold on the outer edge first after trimming it very clean and then do a water dunk after the first heating, then give it a slight roll again and run my finger along the edge to round out the seam so it's straight and flush.
The cold water dunk will shrink it a tad.
I generally do a few more water dunks then use VG straight away for the first of at least 3 burns.I think the VG on the wet wick might be what pulls it in tight too be.comse sometimes if I'm rushing it, there's a few bumps on the outer seam if that makes sense?

Using 400#

Oh and I'm using an Acetylene Turbo Torch too with a small tip, so the flame actually wraps around the wick just like I used it for with copper pipes when I was working in Refrigeration and Airconditioning.

 

So gas stove is no good? Thats what I used to oxidise my first attempt. After the initial heating and dunking it took forever to get it glowing again.

Can anyone point me in the direction of what would be an appropriate torch that isn't going to cost a fortune?