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help me understand safe coil building please.

RubenAlonzo

Member For 4 Years
Greetings Everyone,

Tomorrow my CoilMaster V3 kit arrives along with my new AMMIT RTA and I wish to start building my own coils. The kit comes with 24 gauge and some cotton, I also have some 26 gauge and cotton I purchased from Amazon that should arrive by Wednesday next week.

Ok, having said all that, at what resistance should I be aiming to build my coils? I am not a "Cloud Chaser" at all, my Smok AL85 produces a copious amount regardless of the wattage, though I normally vape at 30 watts. I also an familiar with Steam Engine website and have it bookmarked and I bought the android Vape Tool Pro app for my phone.

When I vape, my mod displays the wattage, amps, omhs, and resistance. How would I go about making a safe (I certainly do not wish to brick my mod, as it was a gift from my wife) coil for my AL85, and at what wattage should i then be vaping it? I do have the Samsung 2500 mah, 20A 18650 batteries, three of them to be precise, so this is my power source.

Should I be aiming to build for a resistance of say, .6xx Ohms? if so, what would be a good wattage to run for this coil? Do you recommend i build with the 24 gauge kanthal included in the kit or wait for the 26 gauge?

Any help would be appreciated.
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
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Greetings Everyone,

Tomorrow my CoilMaster V3 kit arrives along with my new AMMIT RTA and I wish to start building my own coils. The kit comes with 24 gauge and some cotton, I also have some 26 gauge and cotton I purchased from Amazon that should arrive by Wednesday next week.

Ok, having said all that, at what resistance should I be aiming to build my coils? I am not a "Cloud Chaser" at all, my Smok AL85 produces a copious amount regardless of the wattage, though I normally vape at 30 watts. I also an familiar with Steam Engine website and have it bookmarked and I bought the android Vape Tool Pro app for my phone.

When I vape, my mod displays the wattage, amps, omhs, and resistance. How would I go about making a safe (I certainly do not wish to brick my mod, as it was a gift from my wife) coil for my AL85, and at what wattage should i then be vaping it? I do have the Samsung 2500 mah, 20A 18650 batteries, three of them to be precise, so this is my power source.

Should I be aiming to build for a resistance of say, .6xx Ohms? if so, what would be a good wattage to run for this coil? Do you recommend i build with the 24 gauge kanthal included in the kit or wait for the 26 gauge?

Any help would be appreciated.
Oh my God, we just went over this, yesterday?...or the day before yesterday?????
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
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When your coil master arrives, PM me...I'll send you my phone number, and walk you though the entire process.
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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You'll be fine either way. Nothing is stopping you from building another coil when you have time.

Dale, you are a saint :)
 

IMFire3605

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Greetings Everyone,

Tomorrow my CoilMaster V3 kit arrives along with my new AMMIT RTA and I wish to start building my own coils. The kit comes with 24 gauge and some cotton, I also have some 26 gauge and cotton I purchased from Amazon that should arrive by Wednesday next week.

Ok, having said all that, at what resistance should I be aiming to build my coils? I am not a "Cloud Chaser" at all, my Smok AL85 produces a copious amount regardless of the wattage, though I normally vape at 30 watts. I also an familiar with Steam Engine website and have it bookmarked and I bought the android Vape Tool Pro app for my phone.

When I vape, my mod displays the wattage, amps, omhs, and resistance. How would I go about making a safe (I certainly do not wish to brick my mod, as it was a gift from my wife) coil for my AL85, and at what wattage should i then be vaping it? I do have the Samsung 2500 mah, 20A 18650 batteries, three of them to be precise, so this is my power source.

Should I be aiming to build for a resistance of say, .6xx Ohms? if so, what would be a good wattage to run for this coil? Do you recommend i build with the 24 gauge kanthal included in the kit or wait for the 26 gauge?

Any help would be appreciated.

24awg even with Kanthal A1 :/, unless a single coil 24awg will be hard to reach a resistance of 0.6ohm and fit it in the chamber properly on an RTA, its doable but going to take a lot of trial and error to get it right. The 26awg would be more ideal, 28awg even more so due to the higher resistance of them. Dual coil with 24awg, you'd be really pushing the limits to reach 0.3ohms, just finished a dual coil 24awg NiChrome 80, 3mm ID, 8 wrap each, on an old Zenith RDA of mine yesterday, its measuring in at around 0.23ish ohms, Kanthal that would probably be around 0.28 to 0.3ohms with the same build. Building is about trial and error, but being on a regulated I can say resistance (your ohms) only plays so much a part of the mod reading it to see if the build is in its programmed optimal firing resistance ranges (generally most current mods that is a range of 0.1 - 0.15 up to 2.5 - 3.0ohms) so you will want to focus on as much wire to wick/liquid surface contact as you can, larger that surface area is, more liquid can be vaporized at once which equals more flavor and more vapor output, being on an RTA most likely due to chamber size being smaller flavor will be more predominant than clouding, though not to say a decent cloud will not be produced.

A more realistic range to shoot for and be in the 30watt range would be 0.4 to 0.7 depending on your wire gauge, with 26awg you'd easily hit in that 0.4 lower scale, with 28awg hitting the 0.7 to 0.8 range easily. A good idea is to use an Ohm's Law Calculator, being regulated, put in your target resistance and the wattage you want to be at, and calculate, this will tell you the volts and the amps that will be needed, example, knowing you like 30watts, thats one variable, adding in a target resistance of 0.5ohms, the calculator tells me, 3.87v and 7.75amps will be needed to supply to the coil to reach that set wattage, battery nominal voltage is 3.7v so 3.87v will be easy to maintain that voltage from fresh 4.2v charge down to about 3.4 to 3.5volts lowest without needing more amps

Regulated mods we use a Watts formula of Ohm's law (Watts/Voltage=Amps), and being the mod control board uses power as well we use a percentage variable, average of most mods on the market is about 90%, heres a couple examples below, with regulated mods more amps are pulled the lower the charge on the battery, once you go below the voltage needed for set watts, the control board pulls more and more raw amps to convert to volts to boost into the voltage signal to your coil.
30watts/4.2v/90%=7.9365amps needed from the batteries <- Just below 50% Max CDR of the Samsung 25R you are using
30watts/3.4v/90%=9.8039ampd needed from the batteries <- 50% Max CDR which is about ideal to increase their longevity
30watts/3.2v/90%=10.4167amps needed from the batteries <- Still in that 50% Max CDR range, almost 1/2 amp higher but still pretty gentle on the battery

Temco Industrial Power
http://www.temcoindustrialpower.com/search.html?&category=Resistance_Wire&c=0002000&page=1
one of the best places to get bulk resistance wire for a decent price

Get yourself a cheap $10 clone RDA, get several spools of various wires, 24, 26, 28, 30awg are 4 of the most common, don't think about anything thicker or thinner (remember higher the AWG number the thinner the wire and higher the resistance per foot, lower the AWG number the thicker the wire and lower the resistance per foot), 100feet per spool, and use that RDA to practice wrapping a coil setup, mounting it, reading its resistance, pulsing it and get it firing evenly, tear it back out of the RDA and build another coil, this practice, practice, and more practice of 5 to 10 wraps per coil on various internal diameters (ID) of the coils, you'll see the variances of wire gauge and ID of the coils play subtle differences, and gets you into the habit of the muscle and mental memory of building and getting comfortable doing it. After a few days to couple weeks you'll find a simple build you like for your RTA and soon after you'll be able to whip up a new coil when needed with no problem (the muscle and mental memory you built up ;) )
 

gbalkam

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Get yourself a cheap $10 clone RDA
Make sure it has PEEK insulation though. regular plastic melts, PEEK is high temp plastic.

Aside from that, you have a regulated mod, as a new coil builder, resistance will not matter much, as long as you stay above the min and below the max your mod can do. (usually above 0.10 ohm min and 3.0 or so max.)

A little note here.. the coil master is a bit temperamental when you first use it. So kind of pull the top part gently and slowly while wrapping. (You will see what i mean if you find your coils are overlapping as you wrap them)

I also find, after you have the coil wrapped, that taking the jig out is the easiest way to get the coil off. (remove the metal part your coil is wrapped around)


steam-engine is your bestest friend, and will save you a fair bit of $$$ by letting you "pre-build" a virtual coil before you actually wrap it.

Edit
http://vapingunderground.com/threads/how-to-build-you-first-basic-coil-for-new-vapers.298828/
some simple coil building methods from very basic to intermediate basic. 1,2,3,4
 
Last edited:

KingPin!

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Oh my God, we just went over this, yesterday?...or the day before yesterday?????

LoL inspects

woosah.jpg
 

RubenAlonzo

Member For 4 Years
Thank you all for the wonderful advice and insight.

Ok, trial and error, I built my first successful coil and it came in at .691 Ohms at 5 wraps (26 gauge Kanthal A1) at 2.5 diameter. I am vaping at 20 watts and so far so good! I am getting better at wicking, with the CM Jig and Tab II Mini, the coil building part is really not as challenging as I thought it was going to be but I am only making simple rounded coils, nothing fancy, the wicking part, that is an art form in and of itself lol.

My hat's off to you all who can wick perfect every time. What I need to learn more than anything now is the OHM RANGE that I should be at, my target range to be able to vape and not worry too much about errors and such. Should I try to be between .5xx to 1.xxx or 2.xxx ? on my Smok AL85?
 

gbalkam

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Thank you all for the wonderful advice and insight.

Ok, trial and error, I built my first successful coil and it came in at .691 Ohms at 5 wraps (26 gauge Kanthal A1) at 2.5 diameter. I am vaping at 20 watts and so far so good! I am getting better at wicking, with the CM Jig and Tab II Mini, the coil building part is really not as challenging as I thought it was going to be but I am only making simple rounded coils, nothing fancy, the wicking part, that is an art form in and of itself lol.

My hat's off to you all who can wick perfect every time. What I need to learn more than anything now is the OHM RANGE that I should be at, my target range to be able to vape and not worry too much about errors and such. Should I try to be between .5xx to 1.xxx or 2.xxx ? on my Smok AL85?

Don't worry to much about your ohms. Use steam-engine, the ohms get worked out as you build your virtual coil set up. This applies to regulated mods only.

Mechanical you kind of do it the other way round.. set resistance and then build to that, while staying within your Amp limit. Obviously mechs are much more complex, so they are considered an advanced user item.

I have often said, only the first coil is the hard one. Just being confident enough to take that first baby step.
 

dabeas99

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
@RubenAlonzo
You're way over-thinking it, bud. If your AL85 will fire it, it's safe. 0.1ohm to 3ohms is it's range. Where you settle is dependent entirely on where you find what you like.

Ohm's law tells us that with 4.2 volts and a 20amp battery the lowest you should go .21 ohms. Yes, your device will run at .1 ohms safely but your device will probably run hot and you will drastically shorten the life of your batteries. Though when making basic builds from Kanthal it is difficult to get that low of ohm, I have duel stainless steel (half the resistance of kanthal) claptons in my Alien and they are running at .346 ohms. The best thing you can do is play around with different builds to see how they measure. Also, that 521 ohm reader in that kit is crap; mine always shows about .1 ohm higher that actual. So, I suggest you trust your device over the ohm reader.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your builds.
(youtube is your friend)
 

gbalkam

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Ohm's law tells us that with 4.2 volts and a 20amp battery the lowest you should go .21 ohms. Yes, your device will run at .1 ohms safely but your device will probably run hot and you will drastically shorten the life of your batteries. Though when making basic builds from Kanthal it is difficult to get that low of ohm, I have duel stainless steel (half the resistance of kanthal) claptons in my Alien and they are running at .346 ohms. The best thing you can do is play around with different builds to see how they measure. Also, that 521 ohm reader in that kit is crap; mine always shows about .1 ohm higher that actual. So, I suggest you trust your device over the ohm reader.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your builds.
(youtube is your friend)
Totally irrelevant on a regulated mod. The mod has 2 controllers on the IC board. Voltage in from the batteries and voltage out to the coil. Dealing only with the 2nd controller, the formula the mod uses is V2 / resistance.
The heat from a regulated mod is caused by the coil heating the atomizer and thereby heating the mod. A heatsink ($1.99 from fasttech) greatly reduces heat transfer and helps also protect the IC from heat damage.

Also remember, some coils are heavier than others, therefore take more wattage to heat to vaping temp.

http://blog.thevaporist.org/2015/12/29/regulated-mods/ for the actual formulas
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
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Totally irrelevant on a regulated mod. The mod has 2 controllers on the IC board. Voltage in from the batteries and voltage out to the coil. Dealing only with the 2nd controller, the formula the mod uses is V2 / resistance.
The heat from a regulated mod is caused by the coil heating the atomizer and thereby heating the mod. A heatsink ($1.99 from fasttech) greatly reduces heat transfer and helps also protect the IC from heat damage.

Also remember, some coils are heavier than others, therefore take more wattage to heat to vaping temp.

http://blog.thevaporist.org/2015/12/29/regulated-mods/ for the actual formulas
Awesome link... info I was after as well thanks gbalkham
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
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LOL 8 yrs tech support.. I can google like a maniac. Usually while talking on the phone, writing a ticket and juggling 7 open windows.
When I say I research, I ain't kidding. LOL.

I'm disappointed you left off ...all whilst vaping with the other hand lol ;)
 

RubenAlonzo

Member For 4 Years
Well, I have managed to successfully wrap both my Ammit RTA (Single Coil) & Tobeco 25mm Super Tank (Dual Coils) and I am so proud of myself! Really thank you to everyone that chimed in to provide sage words. Honestly the hardest part is really the wicking, lol. Steam Engine and Vape Tool Pro both make it easy to make a successful coil.

What I have noticed between the two RTA's is I can easily vape the Ammit @ 20 to 25 watts, the Tobeco needs about 40 to 45 and I suspect this because of the dual coils. Even the Vape Tool Pro app suggested the increase in wattage. Vape On!!!
 

gakudzu

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Well, I have managed to successfully wrap both my Ammit RTA (Single Coil) & Tobeco 25mm Super Tank (Dual Coils) and I am so proud of myself! Really thank you to everyone that chimed in to provide sage words. Honestly the hardest part is really the wicking, lol. Steam Engine and Vape Tool Pro both make it easy to make a successful coil.

What I have noticed between the two RTA's is I can easily vape the Ammit @ 20 to 25 watts, the Tobeco needs about 40 to 45 and I suspect this because of the dual coils. Even the Vape Tool Pro app suggested the increase in wattage. Vape On!!!
Love a good success story. :cheers:

And your suspectations are correct. More wire needs more power.

Enjoy! :cloud::cloud::cloud:
 

gbalkam

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I'm disappointed you left off ...all whilst vaping with the other hand lol ;)
I use one hand to mouse, the other to keyboard... I tried vaping while doing that.... but HR frowns on using prehensile appendages in the work area.
 

gbalkam

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Well, I have managed to successfully wrap both my Ammit RTA (Single Coil) & Tobeco 25mm Super Tank (Dual Coils) and I am so proud of myself! Really thank you to everyone that chimed in to provide sage words. Honestly the hardest part is really the wicking, lol. Steam Engine and Vape Tool Pro both make it easy to make a successful coil.

What I have noticed between the two RTA's is I can easily vape the Ammit @ 20 to 25 watts, the Tobeco needs about 40 to 45 and I suspect this because of the dual coils. Even the Vape Tool Pro app suggested the increase in wattage. Vape On!!!
Well Done! And yes, wicking does take a bit of practice. Regardless of what you see in videos, the simple method is best.
 

KingPin!

In my defence, I was left unsupervised ^^
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Well Done! And yes, wicking does take a bit of practice. Regardless of what you see in videos, the simple method is best.

I agree wicking takes time to learn and get right and each atty is different as to how to wick .... it's one of those things that you get a feel for Then rinse and repeat each time ;)

Tip for you Ruben ...for wicking take a pic top down before every wick...after the next pic delete the old pic unless you have already found the best way to wick for that atty
once you find that perfect one you'll have a record of it for each atty you use (especially useful if you swap attys about as much as I do lol)
 

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