Newby coil builder seeking advice

[muggo]

Hi
I've been using NatureVape's Pro Coils at 1.8ohm for my MTL vaping using a Kanger 2 atty.
I'm very happy with NatureVape performance but not their reliability. I've got through 4 coils in 2 1/2 months but don't believe I'm dry burning them wrongly when rewicking. The first was faulty & was replaced FOC. My wife over cooked the second which wasn't the fault of the coil. The last 2 developed a hot spot on one of the legs & inevitably burnt out. At £6 each plus P&P, I'm not saving money over swapping for a new standard type coil each week. Therefore I've decided to build my own coils.
The wire is single strand & .25mm diameter which is 30 AWG.
I'm confused by the different materials for vape wire, so would appreciate some advice.
Kanthal, titanium or something else? Single strand & not twisted please. Where to purchase my wire in the UK? Anything else I should be asking? I'd like them to be long lasting if possible.
Maybe I'll go back to NatureVape but thought I'd have a go at some DIY first.
Many thanks
Paul

 

[Crewella]

Hi Paul, it's a while ago but when I started rebuilding the Protank coils I learned from Vic here:



I believe the need for using NR/R/NR was was no longer relevant when the grommets at the base were replaced with a more heat-resistant plastic, so it mattered less when the coil legs got hot. Take one of your old Naturevape ones apart to have a look and see if the wire is welded or all of one piece?

Once I had replaced the grommets I used 32 AWG kanthal sometimes - bought from Stealthvape.

As I say, it was a long time ago and I've since moved on to RTAs ..... someone else might have some more up-to-date info.

 

[muggo]

Hi Paul, it's a while ago but when I started rebuilding the Protank coils I learned from Vic here:



I believe the need for using NR/R/NR was was no longer relevant when the grommets at the base were replaced with a more heat-resistant plastic, so it mattered less when the coil legs got hot. Take one of your old Naturevape ones apart to have a look and see if the wire is welded or all of one piece?

Once I had replaced the grommets I used 32 AWG kanthal sometimes - bought from Stealthvape.

As I say, it was a long time ago and I've since moved on to RTAs ..... someone else might have some more up-to-date info.

Thanks Crewella.
The NatureVape coils have welded legs & a rubber grommet. Are you saying they may burn & short? Is there much difference between 30 & 32 on a Kanger 2?
I don't even know what an RTA is!
Cheers
Paul

 

[Crewella]

@muggo It's not so much that it shorts, it's more that the hot legs burn the rubber and taste vile!

Just to note, I used to rebuild those coils with silica, but I think the Naturevape ones are cotton?

RTA - Rebuildable Tank Atomiser

 

[Leni]

RBA - Rebuildable Atomiser. Like the Naturevape one you're using. These are used in tanks where you can also use stock (made specifically for the tank by the manufacturer) coils.

RTA - Rebuildable Tank Atomiser. A tank with a deck for building your own coils built-in. Stock coils can't be used in these.

At least that's my understanding of the lingo, somebody will be along to correct me, start a lengthy debate, or whatever, if I've misunderstood Can't help with the Kanger sorry

 

[Crewella]

@muggo just a thought.

Hopefully someone will come along that has rebuilt the Naturevape coils. If not, you're welcome to PM me and I'll send you a few strands of wire and some silica so you can try copying the video so you can see if that works for you and take things from there. Or you're welcome to send me a Naturevape coil so I can have a good look .... then try rebuilding it myself so I can then help?

 

[muggo]

@muggo just a thought.

Hopefully someone will come along that has rebuilt the Naturevape coils. If not, you're welcome to PM me and I'll send you a few strands of wire and some silica so you can try copying the video so you can see if that works for you and take things from there. Or you're welcome to send me a Naturevape coil so I can have a good look .... then try rebuilding it myself so I can then help?

That's very kind of you.
A cocktail stick is more or less the correct diameter. I was planning to apply 9 winds around it & use cotton as a wick.
Why would there be a welded (thicker) leg? To avoid burning the plug I guess. I hope I can do without this. The video shows a special type of wire. I was planning on using a spool of something suitable & building a few at a time.
Thanks again.

 

[Crewella]

That's very kind of you.
A cocktail stick is more or less the correct diameter. I was planning to apply 9 winds around it & use cotton as a wick.
Why would there be a welded (thicker) leg? To avoid burning the plug I guess. I hope I can do without this. The video shows a special type of wire. I was planning on using a spool of something suitable & building a few at a time.
Thanks again.

It's not that the leg is thicker, it's that it's non-resistance wire so does not conduct. Only the section of wire in the middle is conductive and therefore gives you your resistance. It's not just a matter of winding the right number of loops, you need to have the right wire to reach the resistance you're after. What ohm coils are you vaping? You need to understand coil resistance to do this, and to be safe and avoid shorts you really need to be able to read and test your ohms.

 

[muggo]

It's not that the leg is thicker, it's that it's non-resistance wire so does not conduct. Only the section of wire in the middle is conductive and therefore gives you your resistance. It's not just a matter of winding the right number of loops, you need to have the right wire to reach the resistance you're after. What ohm coils are you vaping? You need to understand coil resistance to do this, and to be safe and avoid shorts you really need to be able to read and test your ohms.

The NatureVape coil had 9 turns of 30 gauge wire so I was going to copy that to get 2.1ohms. After the last one failed, I unwound a couple of coils to give me a new "leg" & the resistance dropped to 1.5 ohms. I have a multi meter to test my work!

 

[Crewella]

The NatureVape coil had 9 turns of 30 gauge wire so I was going to copy that to get 2.1ohms. After the last one failed, I unwound a couple of coils to give me a new "leg" & the resistance dropped to 1.5 ohms. I have a multi meter to test my work!

Excellent. I just wanted to make sure you were safe!