So there it is...

[Swerved]

My first RDA coil build.. dual coil, twisted 29guage Kanthal (had 29 sitting here)... 7 wraps around a 1/8" screwdriver shaft. Came out to .55 ohms. It's in a Smoktech Caterpillar; I figured I couldn't go wrong with that for 10 bucks as a starter RDA to play around on. Got it sitting on a brand new MVP 3.0 Pro 60W (like that thing too).

Not perfect but it'll do for now. Oh what a different planet than the Nautilus Mini I was using.. and this is a cheapo RDA.. Can't wait til I get find the right one for me.

 

[Zamazam]

Look at a Tugboat V2.

 

[Swerved]

Look at a Tugboat V2.

I've been looking at that one amongst a few others. 454 big block is one, and maybe a Tobh or Veritas. I'll probably work my way up the ladder price wise and end up with a Freakshow or Troll next... So many choices.

 

[Zamazam]

Stay simple, Dual coils for now. A 454 is a difficult beast to set up properly with 4 coils. I have the troll and freakshow, I love my freakshow for flavor, but you need to coil it right and not over drip else it will leak. I have a Tug V2 and a 1:1 clone called a steamboat V2. Love em both and they are damn easy to set up.

 

[Swerved]

Stay simple, Dual coils for now. A 454 is a difficult beast to set up properly with 4 coils. I have the troll and freakshow, I love my freakshow for flavor, but you need to coil it right and not over drip else it will leak. I have a Tug V2 and a 1:1 clone called a steamboat V2. Love em both and they are damn easy to set up.

Roger that; I'll check em out.

 

[Zamazam]

Roger that; I'll check em out.

http://101vape.com/rebuildable-atomizers-tanks/472-steamboat-rda-by-lawless.html

 

[vapelife]

Love my troll... Four post design is way easier than the three post have a little boy rda I liked it a lot til my Vape shop had trolls on sale. Don't think I'll ever buy three post rda again.

 

[Swerved]

Love my troll... Four post design is way easier than the three post have a little boy rda I liked it a lot til my Vape shop had trolls on sale. Don't think I'll ever buy three post rda again.

Yeah actually the first thing I did with the Caterpillar I got was drill out the center post hole. The post holes on that thing are crazy small. Once I did that it was easier to build on. But an upgrade will be on the way soon now that I've gotten used to building a little bit.

 

[vapelife]

Building is so fun. I've gone a little overboard but I usually do with new hobbies but 5$ for 100ft of kanthal and 5$ for cotton why not build build and build again till I find what I like..

 

[Swerved]

Ok... so I was thinking.. this little Caterpillar from Smok wouldn't be a bad RDA if not for a couple of things. First, the post holes were too small so it was kind of a pain for doing dual coil builds, unless you're doing a sleeper coil, which can also be a pain in the ass. So I drilled out the center post a bit and boom.. problem solved. So the next thing I thought was if it just had a little more airflow, it would perform much better... so in looking at it, the slot in the little ring that controls the air is right about 1/16th of an inch wide, but the air holes themselves are much smaller than that. I took my trusty little 1/16th drill bit and went to town on the 3 air holes in the center on both sides. Man, what a difference that made!! Before doing just that one little thing, it would choke me @ anything over 45 watts with the coil(s) I have in it right now because the airflow was insufficient and it would get too hot to get a good lung hit. Now, I can max out my mod @ 60w and it's smooth as silk, and still awesome flavor.


If they had done that to begin with, you wouldn't be able to beat this little thing for 10 bucks. It's like a whole new RDA now.


P.S. - Picked up some of that Drago Egyptian cotton for 6 bucks on line and if anyone hasn't tried it yet, it's pretty good stuff but it can be kind weird to work with.

P.S.S. - @Zamazam .. The Steamboat is on the way..

 

[TRIPDUBZ]

Drilling out attys is fun and all, but I would recommend trying your hand at a solid single coil build first. That, or wrap a bunch of coils until you have 2 that are as identical as possible. I got an authentic tugboat V2 and imo it wasn't what i thought it was going to be.

Since the popularization of T-post positive blocks with dual post holes, I can't recommend anything else. I can't stand building on tri post designs now...

There are tons of dual/quad coil decks out there now that are very build-friendly. Ive been using the mutation x v2 for about 6 months and it is by far my favorite on a sigelei 150W box. Also, the haze clone is cheap and chucks pretty good.

But yea keep on wrappin! Ive gotten some cheap stuff from angelcigs.com as well, just get non-painted stuff as it's been certain to rub off in my experience

 

[Swerved]

Got that steamboat from 101vape, but not that it matters.. all comes from the same place I guess.

Anyway, I agree with the T-post. Looks much easier to install multiple coils and I'm sure I will get one before it's over with.


As far as the wrapping goes, I've probably built about 20 more since I posted that one and each is getting better. Been a while since I had to work with something small with my hands but it's coming back to me. Also reminding me that getting old sucks and I need to change my eyeglass prescription..

Such is life.

 

[ConcreteBob]

I just picked up a Lycan. Bottom and side air flow. Plus a spatter screen built in. Also, 4 holes (pretty small, but I have other RDAs for larger coils) and a massive well. Only disappointment is that I couldn't get it in black. I have yet to get a black RDA to match my Segelei 150. But that's really just a stupid reason to complain.
As far as your build goes, Swerved, nice twisting job on the wire, and the coils definitely came out better than my first pair. And there's a whole slew of different RDAs out there, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Some are amazing for flavor, some for clouds, and some that don't seem to be especially good for either. Enjoy your new hobby, and keep posting your builds.

 

[Swerved]

Well.. got my steamboat today. I must say, not bad. It is well build, as a matter of fact was it's a little tight to disassemble but I like it so far. Stuck a dual 26 gauge setup in it, 5 wraps and it came in at .30 ohms on the dot, which is what I was shooting for. Around 40-50w it comes to life. Definitely a good addition to the arsenal. Thanks @Zamazam !

 

[bigboilik]

I love my plume veil so easy to build on I've only been vaping for about 5 months so many builds to do and so easy to install

 

[ConcreteBob]

Pretty. How's the vape?

 

[bigboilik]

Pretty. How's the vape?

Oh it chucks the clouds me ohm meter is shot but it's dual coil twisted 28 gauge 8 wraps I forget which drill bit sorry

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I love my plume veil so easy to build on I've only been vaping for about 5 months so many builds to do and so easy to install View attachment 21337

You have hit on a fantastic cloud Atty. I have had more than a year & still go Damn,
And the flavor is nice, to great.

 

[bigboilik]

yeah I just love the way it looks the number of builds I can do it

 

[martinelias]

If you get a troll i recommend using a chuff cap on it its better than the 510 drip tip attachment it comes with.