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Insane Coil Gunk

Toastie

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Apr 2, 2019
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Looking for some assistance as I'm pulling my hair out. I'm an experienced builder, but wicking has always been my weak point, even after many years. I'm posting here because I hope to hell it is down to me making a wicking mistake or something.

Bought a new juice yesterday from a local vape shop, Zonk Mixed Berry.

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After literally an hour I start getting flavourful but burnt hits on the back end. This is a picture of the coil, spaced 26g ni80, centre wrap is starting to go black, looks worse in the picture. Am I just extremely sensitive to coils with a little gunk in them, or am I missing something entirely? I hadn't even put 2ml of juice through the coil.

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This happens with most juices I use, even the ruthless ez duz it you see in the photo, just to a lesser extent. I know Zonk is a US company so likely packed with sweetener, but from what I've read these are pretty light if any.

I've seen people vaping on coils in a much worse state than that, could I really just be extremely sensitive to burning coil gunk? I'd rather not waste yet another bottle of juice.

That is a Kanger RBA used inside a billet box, 0.6ohm, 20-25w.
 
Have you got a hot spot. To me, if only the centre wrap is going like that so quickly, it's a possibility.
I assume you are fluffing the ends of the cotton before tucking them in.

I can get a week on the same cotton all be it an rda.
 
Have you got a hot spot. To me, if only the centre wrap is going like that so quickly, it's a possibility.
I assume you are fluffing the ends of the cotton before tucking them in.

I can get a week on the same cotton all be it an rda.

I am yes and with it being a spaced coil, unlikely to be a hot spot. The cotton was fine when I pulled it out. Best I've had from a dripper was maybe a day on the same cotton, cotton was fine but coil needed a dry burn.
 
I am yes and with it being a spaced coil, unlikely to be a hot spot. The cotton was fine when I pulled it out. Best I've had from a dripper was maybe a day on the same cotton, cotton was fine but coil needed a dry burn.
As you say, unlikely, being a spaced coil but worth checking just incase. For it to go just on the centre wrap like that it may be heating up alot faster in the centre than the rest.
Of course, it could be just your American juice. I've never used any so can't really comment on it.
 
I've had similar effects from too much cotton.

My current method is to take what I think is about right, then reduce it by like maybe 1/5-1/4. Roll the end into a point and put through the coil, then snip the ends with scissors.

Then, I don't comb or fluff the ends - I just flick them a bit to break up the bits that the scissor cut stuck together.

Then wet and poke into place (not necessarily in that order, depends on the deck design).



It's not the usual recommended method, but every time I've tried following the guides with fluffing and shiz I manage to spack it up royally. I think it must be a conspiracy, I refuse to believe it's just my cackhandedness at play :18:

Maybe worth a shot? Only a little wodge of cotton and a couple ml of juice to lose...
 
Any chance to try a different metal in the coil ? I have this problem although it takes more to happen on cheap premade coils or cheap wire. When I first burn the coil i can see that it does not heat evenly , even on a spaced one, some wraps heat harder and those wraps get gunked really fast. Looks lice the centre wrap is the problem and is not that abnormal, if the coil glows from center to outsides the middle will be hotter. I don't see it as a wicking issue as you would have burned the cotton or flooded the coil ...
 
As you say, unlikely, being a spaced coil but worth checking just incase. For it to go just on the centre wrap like that it may be heating up alot faster in the centre than the rest.
Of course, it could be just your American juice. I've never used any so can't really comment on it.

I pulse my spaced coils once or twice and it was firing alright, all leads nice and secure, no shorts with the top cap. I was under the impression that gunk forms in the middle first and then works its way outwards on the coil?

I've had similar effects from too much cotton.

My current method is to take what I think is about right, then reduce it by like maybe 1/5-1/4. Roll the end into a point and put through the coil, then snip the ends with scissors.

Then, I don't comb or fluff the ends - I just flick them a bit to break up the bits that the scissor cut stuck together.

Then wet and poke into place (not necessarily in that order, depends on the deck design).



It's not the usual recommended method, but every time I've tried following the guides with fluffing and shiz I manage to spack it up royally. I think it must be a conspiracy, I refuse to believe it's just my cackhandedness at play :18:

Maybe worth a shot? Only a little wodge of cotton and a couple ml of juice to lose...

Worth a try, definitely. As I said, always been shit at wicking, got better over the years but still not amazing. I've swapped to the exocet and put a spaced 26g ss316l coil in, to test in temp control. Been running it for over an hour at 450F with zero issues, doesn't seem to be forming gunk yet. I've just switched it over to wattage to test further. I'll try even less wick next time, I'm always worried of putting too little wick in and glowing the wire out.

One thing worth noting on my builds, the first hit is generally smooth, second hit and you start to hear crackles and pops from the coil, as if there's pockets of air in the wick that haven't been filled by juice. Does that indicate insufficient wicking?

Any chance to try a different metal in the coil ? I have this problem although it takes more to happen on cheap premade coils or cheap wire. When I first burn the coil i can see that it does not heat evenly , even on a spaced one, some wraps heat harder and those wraps get gunked really fast. Looks lice the centre wrap is the problem and is not that abnormal, if the coil glows from center to outsides the middle will be hotter. I don't see it as a wicking issue as you would have burned the cotton or flooded the coil ...

The 26g n80 is from stealth vape, I have put a build into the exocet rba with 26g ss316l from crazy wire. Testing as we speak. Lightly pulsed this spaced build and it is heating evenly.

Wire I have in hand:

24g kanthal, n80 & ss316l
28g kanthal
26g n80 & ss316l
22g n80 & ss316l
Premade Coilology MTL Staple

What you and @mick brown are saying does make sense though, the burning sensation does feel like it is cooking the gunk off of the coil. The bit that is confusing me is that others seem to be able to vape on a gunked coil for a hell of a lot longer.
 
Update, not long after my last post the ss316l build started giving intermittent dry hits (not cotton), tastes exactly like the smell you get when you dry burn a coil to clean it. Anyway, stuck it back into temperature control and it is working fine at anything at or below 470F. If I push it to 500F, it will randomly dry hit.

Shame that I might have to stick to temp control, as I prefer thick, warm vapour when restricted lung hitting and I also don't seem to get much flavour from temp control as apposed to wattage.
 
Update, not long after my last post the ss316l build started giving intermittent dry hits (not cotton), tastes exactly like the smell you get when you dry burn a coil to clean it. Anyway, stuck it back into temperature control and it is working fine at anything at or below 470F. If I push it to 500F, it will randomly dry hit.

Shame that I might have to stick to temp control, as I prefer thick, warm vapour when restricted lung hitting and I also don't seem to get much flavour from temp control as apposed to wattage.
I imagine it is giving dry hits. If that crud build up in the middle is occurring then it's gonna prevent fresh juice from hitting the centre of the coil (as it's already coated in crap) and just get hot and burn the shite into your vape.
I'd actually attempt a non spaced coil. It's possible your wicking just fine and that section of the coil is getting the full airflow producing more vapour, juice then floods back in after your draw and cooks on the hottest part of the wire (like a blacksmith uses a bellows to raise the heat of metal by adding oxygen).
Perhaps a micro coil will keep things more even but as you say, if it's yanky juice there's a chance it has sugar in it so rewicking and cleaning may be a constant ball ache.
 
I imagine it is giving dry hits. If that crud build up in the middle is occurring then it's gonna prevent fresh juice from hitting the centre of the coil (as it's already coated in crap) and just get hot and burn the shite into your vape.
I'd actually attempt a non spaced coil. It's possible your wicking just fine and that section of the coil is getting the full airflow producing more vapour, juice then floods back in after your draw and cooks on the hottest part of the wire (like a blacksmith uses a bellows to raise the heat of metal by adding oxygen).
Perhaps a micro coil will keep things more even but as you say, if it's yanky juice there's a chance it has sugar in it so rewicking and cleaning may be a constant ball ache.

I'm about to rebuild so I'll try that now, although I've already ran contact n80 builds with the same result, I actually prefer contact because I feel I get a denser vape. What I will do is try again but adjust the wicking, maybe try wicking lighter as opposed to tight through the coil, like @pdg said.
 
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