The "You Watt" Challenge - Closes 11/26/18 (9 Prizes Available)

[Carambrda]

@Buddha222 coil selection is based on a lot of things, but those things are different for every person/setup. coil size/inner diameter and metal choice are mostly a result of the available room in your atomizer, and your target resistance, with a bit room to tinker with your performance/ramp-up/heat. some people can taste a metallic taste from certain types of wire too. i cant taste the difference between them, and i mix and match them all. its a good idea to try them all when you are starting out and try to quickly identify if one of them is a problem for you. some people also have allergies, which limit their wire choices as well.

the different builds like claptons and aliens all vape and behave differently. there is no 'best', but they all have different traits, so it mostly comes down to experience and personal preference what to use, and where to use it. more complex builds have a lot of different things going on with regard to temperatures, pockets of juice, and capillary action, which can change the flavors a bit too. you might find that aliens really bring out the milkshake in your strawberry milkshake juice, and staples bring out the strawberries, and settle on alien framed staples for that juice....

i recommend trying out everything you can. you might find a good vape where you didnt expect it. even if you are happy with your setup, try something different and keep searching. my tastes have changed a lot since i started, and i vape all over the place in terms of styles and power levels. the only way i dont vape/have a setup for, is the way i vaped when i first started

The real dealbreaker with SS 316L wire for me is the shitty durability of the coils if all you do is put a lot of serious hard work into building advanced coils. I'd rather waste time arguing about something here on the forum whilst knowing my coils a few of which perform incredibly well are going to last me a very very long time.

 

[Lady Sarah]

The real dealbreaker with SS 316L wire for me is the shitty durability of the coils if all you do is put a lot of serious hard work into building advanced coils. I'd rather waste time arguing about something here on the forum whilst knowing my coils a few of which perform incredibly well are going to last me a very very long time.

I use Vandyvape Ss316L wire once in a while, when I have plenty of time to focus on wrapping my own. Since I have Clapton's laying around, I like to use them, and burning them each time I change the cotton is no big deal.

 

[Carambrda]

You decided to quote me and what I said about TC, but you keep talking about a wire not made for TC (Kantal) and limited amount of MOD's that might work with it. If you want to debate how TC Mode works talk about it with using the correct coils or wire. You wonder why it doesn't work for you?

You quoted me first, and, WHEN you quoted me, you started talking to me about TC. I have zero interest in TC for reasons previously stated so no, I don't wonder why it doesn't work for me, as I already know perfectly why it doesn't work for me, and I've already explained that too. As for using the "correct coils", all my coils I use for vaping are correct ones. If they require TC Mode to work correctly, that means they're incorrect.

 

[Carambrda]

I'm wondering what type of batteries that penis uses.

Penisonic.

 

[Lady Sarah]

Penisonic.

Are those 18650s, or 20700s?

 

[CrazyChef v2.0]

40995s

 

[mach1ne]

here is a link to the 'official' build guide thread, which includes links to threads on the different builds and how to do them (ranging from the easiest to some of the most advanced), as well as a thread on how to use steam-engine to calculate your builds, and a host of other important topics (batteries!) for anyone using rebuildables. its has everything you need to learn to take the mystery out of all this and get started

The official directory - learn to build, from beginner to advanced

The real dealbreaker with SS 316L wire for me is the shitty durability of the coils if all you do is put a lot of serious hard work into building advanced coils. I'd rather waste time arguing about something here on the forum whilst knowing my coils a few of which perform incredibly well are going to last me a very very long time.

i go through hardware and builds too fast to see them ever reach their natural end. i have never been able to compare the different metals lifespan/durability. i have one experiment going, with a set of ka1/n80 aliens on a hog that were built in april 2017 and still glow and vape perfectly after 100s of ml of juice. i really want to replace them, but at this point im more interested to see how long they can go the punchline is that its kbee wire too

 

[Carambrda]

I use Vandyvape Ss316L wire once in a while, when I have plenty of time to focus on wrapping my own. Since I have Clapton's laying around, I like to use them, and burning them each time I change the cotton is no big deal.

For how I like to vape, switching to SS 316L would effectively force me to build new coils at least 20 times more frequently than I have been doing until now. That to me is not an interesting route to take, despite I love to build interesting coils... as long as it also means I don't have to spend a terribly huge amount of my time building them. I know making fused claptons doesn't take that much time. But I find that the type of coils I prefer to vape on are ones that perform ~20% better, flavor wise, than fused clapton coils. I also know this thread is about a challenge with the inclusion of a mindset of helping the inexperienced obtain a better vape experience. To me, what that means is fused claptons are the necessary starting point. But not forcibly so.

 

[Carambrda]

Are those 18650s, or 20700s?

The ultra high capacity 3400 mAh 18650 ones aren't bad for this particular application. The fact they're smaller in size than 20700s doesn't factually matter, as you can always decide to use an adapter piece if your slot is too big.

 

[Lady Sarah]

The ultra high capacity 3400 mAh 18650 ones aren't bad for this particular application. The fact they're smaller in size than 20700s doesn't factually matter, as you can always decide to use an adapter piece if your slot is too big.

I use Samsung 3500 mah batteries in my mods. But, I'm wondering what size works in the PENIS. Never mind the size of my slot.

 

[CrazyChef v2.0]

Never mind the size of my slot.

Enquiring minds want to know...

 

[Carambrda]

I use Samsung 3500 mah batteries in my mods. But, I'm wondering what size works in the PENIS. Never mind the size of my slot.

Well like I said, the size doesn't factually matter. The idea that counts is knowing how to use it of course.

 

[Carambrda]

i go through hardware and builds too fast to see them ever reach their natural end. i have never been able to compare the different metals lifespan/durability. i have one experiment going, with a set of ka1/n80 aliens on a hog that were built in april 2017 and still glow and vape perfectly after 100s of ml of juice. i really want to replace them, but at this point im more interested to see how long they can go the punchline is that its kbee wire too

Ni80 (and sometimes KA1 combined with Ni80) is my favorite metal type. It's highly durable and it ramps up fast, while at the same time also it doesn't easily push the resistance down so low that it forces you to use thinner wire than what most people consider still comfortable or easy to work with, and that extra thickness also helps to prolong the life expectancy of the coils AND helps to easier create more surface area of the coils so the only real possible downside IMO is if you are allergic to nickel or you are experiencing a metallic undertaste using Ni80, but SS 316L rainbow colors generally look nicer.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Let’s start this whole challenge back on the topic intended....

Let’s see some builds, whether single round wire or something a bit more intricate.

— all builds are welcome here as well as all vaping styles —-

Tell us the resistance of the build, the atomizer you’ve built it on, the mod you usually use; and, how much power you use.

 

[OmagaWright]

Odd question, but can one use these types of coils for salt nic juice? I mean, do I need a certain type of coil and/or certain type of cotton if I want to go the way of walt nic juice?

I know very little of salt nic, but I would love to try them out, but not sure if I can use RDA/RTA coils/cotton for such use.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Odd question, but can one use these types of coils for salt nic juice? I mean, do I need a certain type of coil and/or certain type of cotton if I want to go the way of walt nic juice?

I know very little of salt nic, but I would love to try them out, but not sure if I can use RDA/RTA coils/cotton for such use.

@5150sick
Would definitely know the answer to that.

 

[Letitia9]

Odd question, but can one use these types of coils for salt nic juice? I mean, do I need a certain type of coil and/or certain type of cotton if I want to go the way of walt nic juice?

I know very little of salt nic, but I would love to try them out, but not sure if I can use RDA/RTA coils/cotton for such use.

You don’t need to do anything different if using salts. I mix with salts for my juices and freebase for my uncle and notice no difference. Wicks the same and wire performs the same.

 

[zephyr]

Odd question, but can one use these types of coils for salt nic juice? I mean, do I need a certain type of coil and/or certain type of cotton if I want to go the way of walt nic juice?

I know very little of salt nic, but I would love to try them out, but not sure if I can use RDA/RTA coils/cotton for such use.

I use nicotine salt and nothing else (diy e-liquid), switched to it a year ago and don't see any difference compared to regular nicotine

- so long as the levels are the same, 3mg or whatever you like, doesn't matter. People warn against using nicsalts with subohm devices becase nic salts are mistakenly assumed to All be very high in nicotine - but not all nic salt eliquids are 35mg or 50mg, there are more coming out at 3mg or 6mg and such

 

[KingPin!]

I use nicotine salt and nothing else (diy e-liquid), switched to it a year ago and don't see any difference compared to regular nicotine

- so long as the levels are the same, 3mg or whatever you like, doesn't matter. People warn against using nicsalts with subohm devices becase nic salts are mistakenly assumed to All be very high in nicotine - but not all nic salt eliquids are 35mg or 50mg, there are more coming out at 3mg or 6mg and such

Ok another question on this as I’m looking at trying nic salt as well

If freebase is 3mg and Salt is 3mg which will absorb into the bloodstream faster?

So far I do know salt is supposed to be smoother at higher levels which suits MTL and pod systems at higher concentrates but not sure on the answer to the above

 

[WPMac]

I Have watted all over the place. But after a while I settled into 3 main categories that are my preferred range.


**Forewords - My favorite builds are for intermediate and up builders. I will add novice builder alternatives to each build. My preferred gauges, for my favorite vapes, are almost always 28g or 30g frames, .3x.1 ribbon, and 38g or 40g fuse. The alloys I choose are usually Ni80 Frames and KA1 Ribbon. Since these babies can be a LOT of metal to heat, the NiChrome helps bring down the ramp time and the Kanthal helps keep the resistance in a manageable range**


***Warning - use HIGH drain batteries for these builds!! In a regulated mod you can only pull approx 55-57w, per 20a battery, safely. For single battery unregulated, you will need at least 25a batteries***


Single Coil 60-70w:
The Coils-
When I'm in the mood for a "cooler" (cooler being relative to blowing your face off ) vape this is where I like most of my single coils. As an artistic builder most of my single coils have a lot of wire in them. They typically have over 1.5mm wide leads (and often over 2mm) and ohm in between .12-.18 with 2.5-3.5 wraps on a 4mm ID. I am partial to Staple Staggered Fused Claptons (SSFC-Staggered frames around a stack of ribbon and fused between the staggers) in this category. In my opinion, and at the wattages I like to vape them, these coils tend to be a smidge cooler than Framed staples, have better flavor due to more places for the liquid to pool, have less pop and sizzle since the liquid doesn't become "trapped" between the fuse and the cores, and have incredible wicking properties giving you longer life on your cotton. .
Here is a slight variation on a basic SSFC-



Novice Alternative - Framed Staple



The Atomizers -
I am on a budget so I don't have an array of RDA's to choose from. For the most part most of my single coils go into the VandyVape Pulse24 since it's the only one I have that will hold the monsters. If I'm not building to intricate, and can keep the ohms down far enough, I will do a 3.5mm ID and throw them in the KTX. I plan on Picking up the Wotofo/MikeVapes Recurve, or the Asmodus C4, in the near future for a dedicated single coil RDA.

The Mods -
For this range I typically put them on any regulated mod. But Mostly I enjoy squonking them on my VandyVape Pulse80w.

Dual Coil 100-110 watts:
This is where I spend most of my time.
The coils -
I have 2 favorite builds for this range, both being dual coil.

First is an Interlocking Fralien (a framed staple fused with a paralleled decore). I have not yet pinpointed what exactly makes this such a great vape for me. So, I honestly can't tell you the "why" lol. My assumption is that it is similar to a SSFC, with the space between the fuse.
30/6ply/40, 3.5mm ID, 4.5 wrap dual coil, .16 ohm dual coil at 100-105w (approx 4v)


Novice alternative - Fralien (Framed Staple with an alien fuse)
This is a rather large build for dual coil. It's just a pic for reference





Next is a Half staggered Half framed staple. Basically this is an SSFC but missing 1 frame. This build gives you all the benefits of an SSFC but allows you more leeway with resistance and gives you the ability to add more ribbon to ramp up the heat. The pic is what is known as a half pitchfork and is much more in depth than just doing a half stag. But I honestly find it to be a bit more flavorful than just doing a half stag.
Half Pitchfork - 2x 4 ply .3/28/40, 4.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .14 ohms at 110w (just under 4v)
****Warning - This pulls 28 amps on an unregulated mod****


Novice Alternative - 28/38/.3r Half Framed Staple
Don't have a pic for this but it's a standard framed staple but without 1 of the round wire frames.


The Atomizers -
Depending on your vape style, this high wattage is a balancing act of getting enough air but not being so open that you still get good flavor. For me I like a slightly restricted airflow. I find the honey comb style to give me that nice little restriction while also allowing for enough direct air to keep the flavor in a good place.

The Mods -
Depending on your batteries you can either do a regulated or parallel unregulated. I personally like to vape these in regulated. I find the voltage sag on unreg to pull the wattage down to much for me.


Dual Coil Unregulated Series vaping 140-150w:
This will blow your face off!!! I thoroughly enjoy series vaping. But be warned it is a super hot and heavy vape.

The Coils -
This is a balancing act between pulling out flavor while also keeping your resistance in a place that wont melt your mod. My first choice is a 3 core 32/42 alien, 6.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohm. I like the fine wire core, and larger ID, because I find less wraps gives me a more satisfying vape


Novice Alternative - And my second "go to" build for unregulated series vaping is some variation on a twisted clapton. This is a twisted 3 core (2 of them claptoned) 30/42, dual coil, 8.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohms



Novice alternative - Single Wire Clapton
26g core with 38 and 40g parallel clapton (38g only clap for novices), 9.5 wraps (8.5 would be better), 3.5mm ID, .58 ohm (.5 with 8.5 wraps)




The Atomizer -
My personal favorite, from my collection, for series vaping is the Voopoo Rune. It is slightly restricted airflow. But when installed correctly the direct bottom airflow is enough to keep the coils from burning your cotton.

The Mod -
The only series mod I have is the Noisy Cricket-II

Dual Coil ridiculousness 200 watts
And last but not lease something "dangerous" ... You MUST have super high drain batteries!!!!! You will be pulling at least 25 amps on an unregulated series mod. And this will be a ridiculous vape if your not used to it. I build this on occasion and I always find it satisfying, if not sometimes a little overwhelming.
2 core 28/38 Alien (a fused clapton works as well), 7.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .35 ohms, ~200w
Don't have a pic available but it looks just like every other alien

 

[Letitia9]

Ok another question on this as I’m looking at trying nic salt as well

If freebase is 3mg and Salt is 3mg which will absorb into the bloodstream faster?

So far I do know salt is supposed to be smoother at higher levels which suits MTL and pod systems at higher concentrates but not sure on the answer to the above

I detect no difference at all. I believe that is a myth that comes from using 50mg juices. Yep that'll give you a head rush.

 

[KingPin!]

I Have watted all over the place. But after a while I settled into 3 main categories that are my preferred range.


**Forewords - My favorite builds are for intermediate and up builders. I will add novice builder alternatives to each build. My preferred gauges, for my favorite vapes, are almost always 28g or 30g frames, .3x.1 ribbon, and 38g or 40g fuse. The alloys I choose are usually Ni80 Frames and KA1 Ribbon. Since these babies can be a LOT of metal to heat, the NiChrome helps bring down the ramp time and the Kanthal helps keep the resistance in a manageable range**


***Warning - use HIGH drain batteries for these builds!! In a regulated mod you can only pull approx 55-57w, per 20a battery, safely. For single battery unregulated, you will need at least 25a batteries***


Single Coil 60-70w:
The Coils-
When I'm in the mood for a "cooler" (cooler being relative to blowing your face off ) vape this is where I like most of my single coils. As an artistic builder most of my single coils have a lot of wire in them. They typically have over 1.5mm wide leads (and often over 2mm) and ohm in between .12-.18 with 2.5-3.5 wraps on a 4mm ID. I am partial to Staple Staggered Fused Claptons (SSFC-Staggered frames around a stack of ribbon and fused between the staggers) in this category. In my opinion, and at the wattages I like to vape them, these coils tend to be a smidge cooler than Framed staples, have better flavor due to more places for the liquid to pool, have less pop and sizzle since the liquid doesn't become "trapped" between the fuse and the cores, and have incredible wicking properties giving you longer life on your cotton. .
Here is a slight variation on a basic SSFC-

View attachment 123168

Novice Alternative - Framed Staple

View attachment 123170

The Atomizers -
I am on a budget so I don't have an array of RDA's to choose from. For the most part most of my single coils go into the VandyVape Pulse24 since it's the only one I have that will hold the monsters. If I'm not building to intricate, and can keep the ohms down far enough, I will do a 3.5mm ID and throw them in the KTX. I plan on Picking up the Wotofo/MikeVapes Recurve, or the Asmodus C4, in the near future for a dedicated single coil RDA.

The Mods -
For this range I typically put them on any regulated mod. But Mostly I enjoy squonking them on my VandyVape Pulse80w.

Dual Coil 100-110 watts:
This is where I spend most of my time.
The coils -
I have 2 favorite builds for this range, both being dual coil.

First is an Interlocking Fralien (a framed staple fused with a paralleled decore). I have not yet pinpointed what exactly makes this such a great vape for me. So, I honestly can't tell you the "why" lol. My assumption is that it is similar to a SSFC, with the space between the fuse.
30/6ply/40, 3.5mm ID, 4.5 wrap dual coil, .16 ohm dual coil at 100-105w (approx 4v)
View attachment 123169

Novice alternative - Fralien (Framed Staple with an alien fuse)
This is a rather large build for dual coil. It's just a pic for reference

View attachment 123171



Next is a Half staggered Half framed staple. Basically this is an SSFC but missing 1 frame. This build gives you all the benefits of an SSFC but allows you more leeway with resistance and gives you the ability to add more ribbon to ramp up the heat. The pic is what is known as a half pitchfork and is much more in depth than just doing a half stag. But I honestly find it to be a bit more flavorful than just doing a half stag.
Half Pitchfork - 2x 4 ply .3/28/40, 4.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .14 ohms at 110w (just under 4v)
****Warning - This pulls 28 amps on an unregulated mod****
View attachment 123172

Novice Alternative - 28/38/.3r Half Framed Staple
Don't have a pic for this but it's a standard framed staple but without 1 of the round wire frames.


The Atomizers -
Depending on your vape style, this high wattage is a balancing act of getting enough air but not being so open that you still get good flavor. For me I like a slightly restricted airflow. I find the honey comb style to give me that nice little restriction while also allowing for enough direct air to keep the flavor in a good place.

The Mods -
Depending on your batteries you can either do a regulated or parallel unregulated. I personally like to vape these in regulated. I find the voltage sag on unreg to pull the wattage down to much for me.


Dual Coil Unregulated Series vaping 140-150w:
This will blow your face off!!! I thoroughly enjoy series vaping. But be warned it is a super hot and heavy vape.

The Coils -
This is a balancing act between pulling out flavor while also keeping your resistance in a place that wont melt your mod. My first choice is a 3 core 32/42 alien, 6.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohm. I like the fine wire core, and larger ID, because I find less wraps gives me a more satisfying vape
View attachment 123176

Novice Alternative - And my second "go to" build for unregulated series vaping is some variation on a twisted clapton. This is a twisted 3 core (2 of them claptoned) 30/42, dual coil, 8.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohms

View attachment 123177

Novice alternative - Single Wire Clapton
26g core with 38 and 40g parallel clapton (38g only clap for novices), 9.5 wraps (8.5 would be better), 3.5mm ID, .58 ohm (.5 with 8.5 wraps)

View attachment 123179


The Atomizer -
My personal favorite, from my collection, for series vaping is the Voopoo Rune. It is slightly restricted airflow. But when installed correctly the direct bottom airflow is enough to keep the coils from burning your cotton.

The Mod -
The only series mod I have is the Noisy Cricket-II

Dual Coil ridiculousness 200 watts
And last but not lease something "dangerous" ... You MUST have super high drain batteries!!!!! You will be pulling at least 25 amps on an unregulated series mod. And this will be a ridiculous vape if your not used to it. I build this on occasion and I always find it satisfying, if not sometimes a little overwhelming.
2 core 28/38 Alien (a fused clapton works as well), 7.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .35 ohms, ~200w
Don't have a pic available but it looks just like every other alien

Wow colour me impressed ...one of the most thorough posts of the challenge so far! thanks very much mate much appreciated

 

[OmagaWright]

I Have watted all over the place. But after a while I settled into 3 main categories that are my preferred range.


**Forewords - My favorite builds are for intermediate and up builders. I will add novice builder alternatives to each build. My preferred gauges, for my favorite vapes, are almost always 28g or 30g frames, .3x.1 ribbon, and 38g or 40g fuse. The alloys I choose are usually Ni80 Frames and KA1 Ribbon. Since these babies can be a LOT of metal to heat, the NiChrome helps bring down the ramp time and the Kanthal helps keep the resistance in a manageable range**


***Warning - use HIGH drain batteries for these builds!! In a regulated mod you can only pull approx 55-57w, per 20a battery, safely. For single battery unregulated, you will need at least 25a batteries***


Single Coil 60-70w:
The Coils-
When I'm in the mood for a "cooler" (cooler being relative to blowing your face off ) vape this is where I like most of my single coils. As an artistic builder most of my single coils have a lot of wire in them. They typically have over 1.5mm wide leads (and often over 2mm) and ohm in between .12-.18 with 2.5-3.5 wraps on a 4mm ID. I am partial to Staple Staggered Fused Claptons (SSFC-Staggered frames around a stack of ribbon and fused between the staggers) in this category. In my opinion, and at the wattages I like to vape them, these coils tend to be a smidge cooler than Framed staples, have better flavor due to more places for the liquid to pool, have less pop and sizzle since the liquid doesn't become "trapped" between the fuse and the cores, and have incredible wicking properties giving you longer life on your cotton. .
Here is a slight variation on a basic SSFC-

View attachment 123168

Novice Alternative - Framed Staple

View attachment 123170

The Atomizers -
I am on a budget so I don't have an array of RDA's to choose from. For the most part most of my single coils go into the VandyVape Pulse24 since it's the only one I have that will hold the monsters. If I'm not building to intricate, and can keep the ohms down far enough, I will do a 3.5mm ID and throw them in the KTX. I plan on Picking up the Wotofo/MikeVapes Recurve, or the Asmodus C4, in the near future for a dedicated single coil RDA.

The Mods -
For this range I typically put them on any regulated mod. But Mostly I enjoy squonking them on my VandyVape Pulse80w.

Dual Coil 100-110 watts:
This is where I spend most of my time.
The coils -
I have 2 favorite builds for this range, both being dual coil.

First is an Interlocking Fralien (a framed staple fused with a paralleled decore). I have not yet pinpointed what exactly makes this such a great vape for me. So, I honestly can't tell you the "why" lol. My assumption is that it is similar to a SSFC, with the space between the fuse.
30/6ply/40, 3.5mm ID, 4.5 wrap dual coil, .16 ohm dual coil at 100-105w (approx 4v)
View attachment 123169

Novice alternative - Fralien (Framed Staple with an alien fuse)
This is a rather large build for dual coil. It's just a pic for reference

View attachment 123171



Next is a Half staggered Half framed staple. Basically this is an SSFC but missing 1 frame. This build gives you all the benefits of an SSFC but allows you more leeway with resistance and gives you the ability to add more ribbon to ramp up the heat. The pic is what is known as a half pitchfork and is much more in depth than just doing a half stag. But I honestly find it to be a bit more flavorful than just doing a half stag.
Half Pitchfork - 2x 4 ply .3/28/40, 4.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .14 ohms at 110w (just under 4v)
****Warning - This pulls 28 amps on an unregulated mod****
View attachment 123172

Novice Alternative - 28/38/.3r Half Framed Staple
Don't have a pic for this but it's a standard framed staple but without 1 of the round wire frames.


The Atomizers -
Depending on your vape style, this high wattage is a balancing act of getting enough air but not being so open that you still get good flavor. For me I like a slightly restricted airflow. I find the honey comb style to give me that nice little restriction while also allowing for enough direct air to keep the flavor in a good place.

The Mods -
Depending on your batteries you can either do a regulated or parallel unregulated. I personally like to vape these in regulated. I find the voltage sag on unreg to pull the wattage down to much for me.


Dual Coil Unregulated Series vaping 140-150w:
This will blow your face off!!! I thoroughly enjoy series vaping. But be warned it is a super hot and heavy vape.

The Coils -
This is a balancing act between pulling out flavor while also keeping your resistance in a place that wont melt your mod. My first choice is a 3 core 32/42 alien, 6.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohm. I like the fine wire core, and larger ID, because I find less wraps gives me a more satisfying vape
View attachment 123176

Novice Alternative - And my second "go to" build for unregulated series vaping is some variation on a twisted clapton. This is a twisted 3 core (2 of them claptoned) 30/42, dual coil, 8.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohms

View attachment 123177

Novice alternative - Single Wire Clapton
26g core with 38 and 40g parallel clapton (38g only clap for novices), 9.5 wraps (8.5 would be better), 3.5mm ID, .58 ohm (.5 with 8.5 wraps)

View attachment 123179


The Atomizer -
My personal favorite, from my collection, for series vaping is the Voopoo Rune. It is slightly restricted airflow. But when installed correctly the direct bottom airflow is enough to keep the coils from burning your cotton.

The Mod -
The only series mod I have is the Noisy Cricket-II

Dual Coil ridiculousness 200 watts
And last but not lease something "dangerous" ... You MUST have super high drain batteries!!!!! You will be pulling at least 25 amps on an unregulated series mod. And this will be a ridiculous vape if your not used to it. I build this on occasion and I always find it satisfying, if not sometimes a little overwhelming.
2 core 28/38 Alien (a fused clapton works as well), 7.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .35 ohms, ~200w
Don't have a pic available but it looks just like every other alien

Geez, just got out of the shower, clean clothes, read this post and had to change my undies.

Wow, those are some beautiful coils. I prolly cant build one of them but those are sweet. Would really like to see the 200 watt monster coils. Even if they look like another typical build, that one got me curious.

Edit: If I ever get into tradin/buyin/aellin I know who I am huntin down for coils.

 

[Letitia9]

I Have watted all over the place. But after a while I settled into 3 main categories that are my preferred range.


**Forewords - My favorite builds are for intermediate and up builders. I will add novice builder alternatives to each build. My preferred gauges, for my favorite vapes, are almost always 28g or 30g frames, .3x.1 ribbon, and 38g or 40g fuse. The alloys I choose are usually Ni80 Frames and KA1 Ribbon. Since these babies can be a LOT of metal to heat, the NiChrome helps bring down the ramp time and the Kanthal helps keep the resistance in a manageable range**


***Warning - use HIGH drain batteries for these builds!! In a regulated mod you can only pull approx 55-57w, per 20a battery, safely. For single battery unregulated, you will need at least 25a batteries***


Single Coil 60-70w:
The Coils-
When I'm in the mood for a "cooler" (cooler being relative to blowing your face off ) vape this is where I like most of my single coils. As an artistic builder most of my single coils have a lot of wire in them. They typically have over 1.5mm wide leads (and often over 2mm) and ohm in between .12-.18 with 2.5-3.5 wraps on a 4mm ID. I am partial to Staple Staggered Fused Claptons (SSFC-Staggered frames around a stack of ribbon and fused between the staggers) in this category. In my opinion, and at the wattages I like to vape them, these coils tend to be a smidge cooler than Framed staples, have better flavor due to more places for the liquid to pool, have less pop and sizzle since the liquid doesn't become "trapped" between the fuse and the cores, and have incredible wicking properties giving you longer life on your cotton. .
Here is a slight variation on a basic SSFC-

View attachment 123168

Novice Alternative - Framed Staple

View attachment 123170

The Atomizers -
I am on a budget so I don't have an array of RDA's to choose from. For the most part most of my single coils go into the VandyVape Pulse24 since it's the only one I have that will hold the monsters. If I'm not building to intricate, and can keep the ohms down far enough, I will do a 3.5mm ID and throw them in the KTX. I plan on Picking up the Wotofo/MikeVapes Recurve, or the Asmodus C4, in the near future for a dedicated single coil RDA.

The Mods -
For this range I typically put them on any regulated mod. But Mostly I enjoy squonking them on my VandyVape Pulse80w.

Dual Coil 100-110 watts:
This is where I spend most of my time.
The coils -
I have 2 favorite builds for this range, both being dual coil.

First is an Interlocking Fralien (a framed staple fused with a paralleled decore). I have not yet pinpointed what exactly makes this such a great vape for me. So, I honestly can't tell you the "why" lol. My assumption is that it is similar to a SSFC, with the space between the fuse.
30/6ply/40, 3.5mm ID, 4.5 wrap dual coil, .16 ohm dual coil at 100-105w (approx 4v)
View attachment 123169

Novice alternative - Fralien (Framed Staple with an alien fuse)
This is a rather large build for dual coil. It's just a pic for reference

View attachment 123171



Next is a Half staggered Half framed staple. Basically this is an SSFC but missing 1 frame. This build gives you all the benefits of an SSFC but allows you more leeway with resistance and gives you the ability to add more ribbon to ramp up the heat. The pic is what is known as a half pitchfork and is much more in depth than just doing a half stag. But I honestly find it to be a bit more flavorful than just doing a half stag.
Half Pitchfork - 2x 4 ply .3/28/40, 4.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .14 ohms at 110w (just under 4v)
****Warning - This pulls 28 amps on an unregulated mod****
View attachment 123172

Novice Alternative - 28/38/.3r Half Framed Staple
Don't have a pic for this but it's a standard framed staple but without 1 of the round wire frames.


The Atomizers -
Depending on your vape style, this high wattage is a balancing act of getting enough air but not being so open that you still get good flavor. For me I like a slightly restricted airflow. I find the honey comb style to give me that nice little restriction while also allowing for enough direct air to keep the flavor in a good place.

The Mods -
Depending on your batteries you can either do a regulated or parallel unregulated. I personally like to vape these in regulated. I find the voltage sag on unreg to pull the wattage down to much for me.


Dual Coil Unregulated Series vaping 140-150w:
This will blow your face off!!! I thoroughly enjoy series vaping. But be warned it is a super hot and heavy vape.

The Coils -
This is a balancing act between pulling out flavor while also keeping your resistance in a place that wont melt your mod. My first choice is a 3 core 32/42 alien, 6.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohm. I like the fine wire core, and larger ID, because I find less wraps gives me a more satisfying vape
View attachment 123176

Novice Alternative - And my second "go to" build for unregulated series vaping is some variation on a twisted clapton. This is a twisted 3 core (2 of them claptoned) 30/42, dual coil, 8.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohms

View attachment 123177

Novice alternative - Single Wire Clapton
26g core with 38 and 40g parallel clapton (38g only clap for novices), 9.5 wraps (8.5 would be better), 3.5mm ID, .58 ohm (.5 with 8.5 wraps)

View attachment 123179


The Atomizer -
My personal favorite, from my collection, for series vaping is the Voopoo Rune. It is slightly restricted airflow. But when installed correctly the direct bottom airflow is enough to keep the coils from burning your cotton.

The Mod -
The only series mod I have is the Noisy Cricket-II

Dual Coil ridiculousness 200 watts
And last but not lease something "dangerous" ... You MUST have super high drain batteries!!!!! You will be pulling at least 25 amps on an unregulated series mod. And this will be a ridiculous vape if your not used to it. I build this on occasion and I always find it satisfying, if not sometimes a little overwhelming.
2 core 28/38 Alien (a fused clapton works as well), 7.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .35 ohms, ~200w
Don't have a pic available but it looks just like every other alien

Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[WPMac]

Wow colour me impressed ...one of the most thorough posts of the challenge so far! thanks very much mate much appreciated

I would say your welcome but you've seen all of this before
The "in-depthness" is purely for educational purposes. Almost everything I have learned about vaping comes from sparse input from others but mostly self taught. I wasn't a part of the vape community for years. So, outside of some minor googleing to make sure I wasn't going to burn my house down, I only had myself to lean on. This challenge is such a great chance to share our knowlege with those who need it. So, if my posts helps just one person I'll be happy

Geez, just got out of the shower, clean clothes, read this post and had to change my undies.

Wow, those are some beautiful coils. I prolly cant build one of them but those are sweet. Would really like to see the 200 watt monster coils. Even if they look like another typical build, that one got me curious.

Edit: If I ever get into tradin/buyin/aellin I know who I am huntin down for coils.

Thank you very much If you head over to the Post your builds thread you'll see a lot more fun stuff from me and many others And as a note, most builds beyond claptons and aliens are almost purely asthetic. Yes, to some degree, you can fine tune your vape experience with more intricate builds. But unless you delve into them you wouldn't even notice the difference all that much.

Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.

Thank you! I love sharing my art, as well as helping others when I can

 

[zephyr]

Ok another question on this as I’m looking at trying nic salt as well

If freebase is 3mg and Salt is 3mg which will absorb into the bloodstream faster?

So far I do know salt is supposed to be smoother at higher levels which suits MTL and pod systems at higher concentrates but not sure on the answer to the above

I gotta say nic salts are absorbed faster - I get a nic rush if I go several hours without vaping within seconds of puffing, and I dont think I Ever got any kind of noticeable effect from regular nicotine. This is true whether I vape 3 or 4mg clouds or 8mg mtl, with nic salts

I Have watted all over the place. But after a while I settled into 3 main categories that are my preferred range.


**Forewords - My favorite builds are for intermediate and up builders. I will add novice builder alternatives to each build. My preferred gauges, for my favorite vapes, are almost always 28g or 30g frames, .3x.1 ribbon, and 38g or 40g fuse. The alloys I choose are usually Ni80 Frames and KA1 Ribbon. Since these babies can be a LOT of metal to heat, the NiChrome helps bring down the ramp time and the Kanthal helps keep the resistance in a manageable range**


***Warning - use HIGH drain batteries for these builds!! In a regulated mod you can only pull approx 55-57w, per 20a battery, safely. For single battery unregulated, you will need at least 25a batteries***


Single Coil 60-70w:
The Coils-
When I'm in the mood for a "cooler" (cooler being relative to blowing your face off ) vape this is where I like most of my single coils. As an artistic builder most of my single coils have a lot of wire in them. They typically have over 1.5mm wide leads (and often over 2mm) and ohm in between .12-.18 with 2.5-3.5 wraps on a 4mm ID. I am partial to Staple Staggered Fused Claptons (SSFC-Staggered frames around a stack of ribbon and fused between the staggers) in this category. In my opinion, and at the wattages I like to vape them, these coils tend to be a smidge cooler than Framed staples, have better flavor due to more places for the liquid to pool, have less pop and sizzle since the liquid doesn't become "trapped" between the fuse and the cores, and have incredible wicking properties giving you longer life on your cotton. .
Here is a slight variation on a basic SSFC-

View attachment 123168

Novice Alternative - Framed Staple

View attachment 123170

The Atomizers -
I am on a budget so I don't have an array of RDA's to choose from. For the most part most of my single coils go into the VandyVape Pulse24 since it's the only one I have that will hold the monsters. If I'm not building to intricate, and can keep the ohms down far enough, I will do a 3.5mm ID and throw them in the KTX. I plan on Picking up the Wotofo/MikeVapes Recurve, or the Asmodus C4, in the near future for a dedicated single coil RDA.

The Mods -
For this range I typically put them on any regulated mod. But Mostly I enjoy squonking them on my VandyVape Pulse80w.

Dual Coil 100-110 watts:
This is where I spend most of my time.
The coils -
I have 2 favorite builds for this range, both being dual coil.

First is an Interlocking Fralien (a framed staple fused with a paralleled decore). I have not yet pinpointed what exactly makes this such a great vape for me. So, I honestly can't tell you the "why" lol. My assumption is that it is similar to a SSFC, with the space between the fuse.
30/6ply/40, 3.5mm ID, 4.5 wrap dual coil, .16 ohm dual coil at 100-105w (approx 4v)
View attachment 123169

Novice alternative - Fralien (Framed Staple with an alien fuse)
This is a rather large build for dual coil. It's just a pic for reference

View attachment 123171



Next is a Half staggered Half framed staple. Basically this is an SSFC but missing 1 frame. This build gives you all the benefits of an SSFC but allows you more leeway with resistance and gives you the ability to add more ribbon to ramp up the heat. The pic is what is known as a half pitchfork and is much more in depth than just doing a half stag. But I honestly find it to be a bit more flavorful than just doing a half stag.
Half Pitchfork - 2x 4 ply .3/28/40, 4.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .14 ohms at 110w (just under 4v)
****Warning - This pulls 28 amps on an unregulated mod****
View attachment 123172

Novice Alternative - 28/38/.3r Half Framed Staple
Don't have a pic for this but it's a standard framed staple but without 1 of the round wire frames.


The Atomizers -
Depending on your vape style, this high wattage is a balancing act of getting enough air but not being so open that you still get good flavor. For me I like a slightly restricted airflow. I find the honey comb style to give me that nice little restriction while also allowing for enough direct air to keep the flavor in a good place.

The Mods -
Depending on your batteries you can either do a regulated or parallel unregulated. I personally like to vape these in regulated. I find the voltage sag on unreg to pull the wattage down to much for me.


Dual Coil Unregulated Series vaping 140-150w:
This will blow your face off!!! I thoroughly enjoy series vaping. But be warned it is a super hot and heavy vape.

The Coils -
This is a balancing act between pulling out flavor while also keeping your resistance in a place that wont melt your mod. My first choice is a 3 core 32/42 alien, 6.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohm. I like the fine wire core, and larger ID, because I find less wraps gives me a more satisfying vape
View attachment 123176

Novice Alternative - And my second "go to" build for unregulated series vaping is some variation on a twisted clapton. This is a twisted 3 core (2 of them claptoned) 30/42, dual coil, 8.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .47 ohms

View attachment 123177

Novice alternative - Single Wire Clapton
26g core with 38 and 40g parallel clapton (38g only clap for novices), 9.5 wraps (8.5 would be better), 3.5mm ID, .58 ohm (.5 with 8.5 wraps)

View attachment 123179


The Atomizer -
My personal favorite, from my collection, for series vaping is the Voopoo Rune. It is slightly restricted airflow. But when installed correctly the direct bottom airflow is enough to keep the coils from burning your cotton.

The Mod -
The only series mod I have is the Noisy Cricket-II

Dual Coil ridiculousness 200 watts
And last but not lease something "dangerous" ... You MUST have super high drain batteries!!!!! You will be pulling at least 25 amps on an unregulated series mod. And this will be a ridiculous vape if your not used to it. I build this on occasion and I always find it satisfying, if not sometimes a little overwhelming.
2 core 28/38 Alien (a fused clapton works as well), 7.5 wraps on a 3.5mm ID, .35 ohms, ~200w
Don't have a pic available but it looks just like every other alien

Awesome!!!

 

[wildgypsy70]

I would say your welcome but you've seen all of this before
The "in-depthness" is purely for educational purposes. Almost everything I have learned about vaping comes from sparse input from others but mostly self taught. I wasn't a part of the vape community for years. So, outside of some minor googleing to make sure I wasn't going to burn my house down, I only had myself to lean on. This challenge is such a great chance to share our knowlege with those who need it. So, if my posts helps just one person I'll be happy

Thank you very much If you head over to the Post your builds thread you'll see a lot more fun stuff from me and many others And as a note, most builds beyond claptons and aliens are almost purely asthetic. Yes, to some degree, you can fine tune your vape experience with more intricate builds. But unless you delve into them you wouldn't even notice the difference all that much.

Thank you! I love sharing my art, as well as helping others when I can

Still brilliant, dude! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[BrokenChef]

Lots of great info guys. New builder here, actually, have yet to build anything.

here is what I am thinking I want...

FLAVOR, NICOTINE, CLOUDS

I like fruity flavors and about 15mg nic level

I like a cool vape so from what I understand, I need something along the lines of .5-.75ohm running around 20-25 watts.

I'm using a wotofo Flux mod if that makes a difference as to what I can put on it.

I really cant comprehend how some of you are doing over 60 watts...and some of you 150-200 watts... Doesnt that burn the hell out of your throat???

Back in the day, I used to take pride in taking the biggest **** hit without choking but nowadays, I just want nicotine in my system that tastes good and doesnt HURT.

What would you recommend?

something along the lines of a 25mm RTA is what I am thinking I want.

But what wire, cotton, mesh, tools, etc, etc, etc do I need? All these names and numbers have me completely LOST!

 

[Letitia9]

Lots of great info guys. New builder here, actually, have yet to build anything.

here is what I am thinking I want...

FLAVOR, NICOTINE, CLOUDS

I like fruity flavors and about 15mg nic level

I like a cool vape so from what I understand, I need something along the lines of .5-.75ohm running around 20-25 watts.

I'm using a wotofo Flux mod if that makes a difference as to what I can put on it.

I really cant comprehend how some of you are doing over 60 watts...and some of you 150-200 watts... Doesnt that burn the hell out of your throat???

Back in the day, I used to take pride in taking the biggest **** hit without choking but nowadays, I just want nicotine in my system that tastes good and doesnt HURT.

What would you recommend?

something along the lines of a 25mm RTA is what I am thinking I want.

But what wire, cotton, mesh, tools, etc, etc, etc do I need? All these names and numbers have me completely LOST!

What kind of draw? MTL, DL, RL?

 

[zephyr]

Lots of great info guys. New builder here, actually, have yet to build anything.

here is what I am thinking I want...

FLAVOR, NICOTINE, CLOUDS

I like fruity flavors and about 15mg nic level

I like a cool vape so from what I understand, I need something along the lines of .5-.75ohm running around 20-25 watts.

I'm using a wotofo Flux mod if that makes a difference as to what I can put on it.

I really cant comprehend how some of you are doing over 60 watts...and some of you 150-200 watts... Doesnt that burn the hell out of your throat???

Back in the day, I used to take pride in taking the biggest **** hit without choking but nowadays, I just want nicotine in my system that tastes good and doesnt HURT.

What would you recommend?

something along the lines of a 25mm RTA is what I am thinking I want.

But what wire, cotton, mesh, tools, etc, etc, etc do I need? All these names and numbers have me completely LOST!

When you get up to the higher wattages, you also need more air - direct lung, or DL for short - it can be a cooler vape at 60w with enough air, than say 25 watts on a tight draw, like a mouth to lung or MTL (sucking like on a straw)

Restricted Lung or RL means you inhale but it's a tighter draw - 60w is usually too much power, 20-40 is more likely

Can even be cool at 160 watts, so long as there is enough airflow and you inhale fast enough! Some atomizers have big enough airholes that you can breathe through them (the Rebuildable Dripping Atomizers, Rebuildable Tank Atomizers) or "toppers," the thing that goes on top of the mod

Nicotine needs to be much lower for high wattage vaping, though, or it Will burn the throat. 6mg and less, usually - 3mg is very popular

 

[BrokenChef]

What kind of draw? MTL, DL, RL?

DTL

Like longer draws if I can handle them

Dont like much air

Not big on ramp up either, I want it now, lol One of the reasons I got the Flux with the standard/powerful/powerful+ modes

High Nic is a MUST, otherwise there is no point in vaping. Anything I've tried under 11mg just doesnt do anything for me. I used 24mg for several years and just cut down to 18mg a few months ago. Willing to go down to 15mg but that's about it...for now anyhow.

The big clouds and heavy hit on this sub ohm feels heavy and sticky in my lungs and creates fleghm that I dont care for.

I liked the 1.6 or 1.8 ohm 15 watt on the Plato Aspire so the sub ohm cloud will take a little adjustment.

 

[Letitia9]

DTL

Single coil is easier to start out on. Simple round wire build with 26g kanthal is a great starting point to learn on. Kanthal isn't very springy and 26g is pretty easy to work with and still get a good ramp. I would encourage you to look up single coil rtas on youtube and see what appeals to you. Augvape Intake is a good one but I don’t use that kind of build so will let others chime in about that.

I think cotton pads like muji or koh gen do are the easiest to use and good wicks.

Have you collected any tools yet?

 

[zephyr]

Lots of great info guys. New builder here, actually, have yet to build anything.

here is what I am thinking I want...

FLAVOR, NICOTINE, CLOUDS

I like fruity flavors and about 15mg nic level

I like a cool vape so from what I understand, I need something along the lines of .5-.75ohm running around 20-25 watts.

I'm using a wotofo Flux mod if that makes a difference as to what I can put on it.

I really cant comprehend how some of you are doing over 60 watts...and some of you 150-200 watts... Doesnt that burn the hell out of your throat???

Back in the day, I used to take pride in taking the biggest xxxx hit without choking but nowadays, I just want nicotine in my system that tastes good and doesnt HURT.

What would you recommend?

something along the lines of a 25mm RTA is what I am thinking I want.

But what wire, cotton, mesh, tools, etc, etc, etc do I need? All these names and numbers have me completely LOST!

What you need is:

- to watch a few videos of coil building for beginners

- wire that's clearly marked with what wire type it is (nichrome/N80 or Kanthal/FeCrAl/A1 or SS 316L/stainless steel) as well as what gauge it is - 26awg, 28awg etc

- organic cotton, yes it needs to be organic - regular cotton balls will taste like nasty chemicals

- bits, jigs, coilers, something round that you know the diameter of to wrap your wire around

- something to cut the wire. Flush cuts, or even old nail clippers that you don't mind ruining

- then check out a coil build calculator like VapeTool
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stasbar.vape_tool

And try different things and chat with people here and in the build section of the forum

*Phew*

 

[Letitia9]

LOL I started with a pair of nail clippers and a screw driver for tools. Guy from the shop pif'd me some KGD and wire.

 

[VladSumy]

5-20 W
20-30 W
40-50 W
60-70W
80-90W
100-110W
110 -120W
120W + (state your preferred wattage – it’s a bit of an animal)
As to the “why” .....In addition we ask you to describe the conditions you like to vape. This helps budding builders target a list of builds to go for...i.e.
Do you like mouth to lung or direct lung (airy to very restricted),
810 or 510 drip tip or something else (chuff it like a tail pipe baby!),
Type of atomiser you like the build on,
Deep draw or tootle puff,
Metals you like using,
Build compositions (gauges etc),
Like an instant or slower ramp up,
Flavour chaser or cloud chaser,
Type of mod you use the build for.

40-50w Vaporesso Target mini. Prebuid coils. I like mtl and DL both) 810 and 510 drip tip, Flavour chaser and cloud chaser)

 

[f1r3b1rd]

DTL

Like longer draws if I can handle them

Dont like much air

Not big on ramp up either, I want it now, lol One of the reasons I got the Flux with the standard/powerful/powerful+ modes

High Nic is a MUST, otherwise there is no point in vaping. Anything I've tried under 11mg just doesnt do anything for me. I used 24mg for several years and just cut down to 18mg a few months ago. Willing to go down to 15mg but that's about it...for now anyhow.

The big clouds and heavy hit on this sub ohm feels heavy and sticky in my lungs and creates fleghm that I dont care for.

I liked the 1.6 or 1.8 ohm 15 watt on the Plato Aspire so the sub ohm cloud will take a little adjustment.

Started building with 28g, nail clippers and cut off pieces of coat hanger to use as a wrapping tool.

26g is much easier to build with, especially great for those that want a tighter draw.

If you’re looking for a tighter draw direct lung rda for single coil, take a look at wasp nano, nudge 22 or a hadaly clone... all have good flavor and can be found rather inexpensively at 3fvape.

 

[Letitia9]

DTL

Like longer draws if I can handle them

Dont like much air

Not big on ramp up either, I want it now, lol One of the reasons I got the Flux with the standard/powerful/powerful+ modes

High Nic is a MUST, otherwise there is no point in vaping. Anything I've tried under 11mg just doesnt do anything for me. I used 24mg for several years and just cut down to 18mg a few months ago. Willing to go down to 15mg but that's about it...for now anyhow.

The big clouds and heavy hit on this sub ohm feels heavy and sticky in my lungs and creates fleghm that I dont care for.

I liked the 1.6 or 1.8 ohm 15 watt on the Plato Aspire so the sub ohm cloud will take a little adjustment.

Good info. Just a heads up...we don't get notified if you edit, better if you do a new post unless you are correcting a mistake. I found your additional information by accident.

 

[OmagaWright]

(Points @BrokenChef ) Its Raj from Hell's Kitchen! Jk lol

Glad to have ya on board! I enjoy vapin over 100+, aside from enhanced flavor from the heat, I get the huge volume of vape as well. I guess that makes me one of those weirdos who vape. Lol I have tried vaping at 350 watts before on one of the Smok CBK coils, but the vape is so hot the airflow can only allow me about 1.7 seconds of vape. Good luck past that.

Personally I could have gone the way of 6 to 9mg of nic, but instead I chose 3mg (now on 1.5mg) for flavor. Instead of a few hits of a higher strength nic, I wanted to vape as much as I can of a lower nic. I still get my satisfaction for my cravings and great flavor to boot. Those nic hits hurt too much on the throat for me to enjoy. Whatever works out for, go for it. In the end, its all about gettin away from the old smokes that matter.

 

[WPMac]

Lots of great info guys. New builder here, actually, have yet to build anything.

here is what I am thinking I want...

FLAVOR, NICOTINE, CLOUDS

I like fruity flavors and about 15mg nic level

I like a cool vape so from what I understand, I need something along the lines of .5-.75ohm running around 20-25 watts.

I'm using a wotofo Flux mod if that makes a difference as to what I can put on it.

I really cant comprehend how some of you are doing over 60 watts...and some of you 150-200 watts... Doesnt that burn the hell out of your throat???

Back in the day, I used to take pride in taking the biggest xxxx hit without choking but nowadays, I just want nicotine in my system that tastes good and doesnt HURT.

What would you recommend?

something along the lines of a 25mm RTA is what I am thinking I want.

But what wire, cotton, mesh, tools, etc, etc, etc do I need? All these names and numbers have me completely LOST!

If you want "clouds bro clouds" your not going to get that with high nic without the burn. This is the reason most high wattage vapers use 3 mg juice. Even at 6mg It starts to get a little iffy around the 80 watt range. I capped out around .4 ohms and 45 watts using 12mg before I decided to delve into a denser vape. And even that % was pushing the limit for my personal tastes. Also, your nic level is not the only factor to the amount of nic your consuming with each hit. High wattages burn more juice faster. So, at 3 mg and 100 watts it feesable to get the same amount of nic as you would with a 15mg at 20 watts (I honestly don't know the true ratio numbers here ... I just use that as an example to show what I mean).

The vape temperature (aka cool/hot/warm) is relative to each persons own tastes. Warm to me tends to be hot to many vapers. Hot to me is, on average, unbearable to a good majority of people.
Also, the vape temperature is determined by the build, atomizer, and airflow choice ... not just the wattage. For instance, I'm tokin on a compact .13 ohm dual coil at 105 watts on an airy atty right now and it is a comfortably dense vape that is warm but isn't burning. If I where to put a loose .13 ohm single coil in a more restrictive atty and try to vape it at 105 watts it would get HOT AF and burn the hell out of my throat. In turn, I can put a .5 ohm build on a different atty at 150 watts and it honestly isn't much "hotter" that the .13 at 100. It certainly might make you choke, if your not used to it. But, not because it's hot or burning ... but because your inhaling a hugely dense amount of vapor in comparison.

My suggestion would be to grab a good 24-25mm RTA with a large range of airflow. This will allow you to experiment with builds until you find what works for you. My other suggestion would be to not discount different vape styles until you've tried them. I'm living proof of that fallacy. I would never have thought that high wattage would be my preferred vape style. I spent almost 6 years steering clear of it because I thought "there's no way I'm going to enjoy that". I wish I had tried a loooong time ago ...

Wire selection is pretty easy. For a true beginner I would grab some 24, 26, and 28 KA1 (Kanthal) or Ni80 (80/20 Nickel Chromium Alloy). You can find wire suppliers, and reviews on them, HERE
My personal selection for cotton is Cotton Bacon Prime. Been using cotton bacon since V1 from years ago. But there is a myriad of choices out there. And you can always just buy plain old organic cotton.
There are only a few tools you NEED for basic building: 1- Something to wrap your wire around that you KNOW the diameter of. I've talked to people that use all sorts of things. I know a guy who uses knitting needles. Honestly though you can get a coil builders jig for almost nothing. 2- Something to cut the wire with. 3- An ohm reader (or quality regulated mod) to make sure your resistance is acceptable. 4- Scissors
Here are some suggestions to help a little more - Ceramic tweezers, Needle nose pliers, A good Coil Calculator

Edit: All the links in my post are good accept the pliers ... I didn't put that one in. VU tends to auto link key words like that lol

 

[Letitia9]

If you want "clouds bro clouds" your not going to get that with high nic without the burn. This is the reason most high wattage vapers use 3 mg juice. Even at 6mg It starts to get a little iffy around the 80 watt range. I capped out around .4 ohms and 45 watts using 12mg before I decided to delve into a denser vape. And even that % was pushing the limit for my personal tastes. Also, your nic level is not the only factor to the amount of nic your consuming with each hit. High wattages burn more juice faster. So, at 3 mg and 100 watts it feesable to get the same amount of nic as you would with a 15mg at 20 watts (I honestly don't know the true ratio numbers here ... I just use that as an example to show what I mean).

The vape temperature (aka cool/hot/warm) is relative to each persons own tastes. Warm to me tends to be hot to many vapers. Hot to me is, on average, unbearable to a good majority of people.
Also, the vape temperature is determined by the build, atomizer, and airflow choice ... not just the wattage. For instance, I'm tokin on a compact .13 ohm dual coil at 105 watts on an airy atty right now and it is a comfortably dense vape that is warm but isn't burning. If I where to put a loose .13 ohm single coil in a more restrictive atty and try to vape it at 105 watts it would get HOT AF and burn the hell out of my throat. In turn, I can put a .5 ohm build on a different atty at 150 watts and it honestly isn't much "hotter" that the .13 at 100. It certainly might make you choke, if your not used to it. But, not because it's hot or burning ... but because your inhaling a hugely dense amount of vapor in comparison.

My suggestion would be to grab a good 24-25mm RTA with a large range of airflow. This will allow you to experiment with builds until you find what works for you. My other suggestion would be to not discount different vape styles until you've tried them. I'm living proof of that fallacy. I would never have thought that high wattage would be my preferred vape style. I spent almost 6 years steering clear of it because I thought "there's no way I'm going to enjoy that". I wish I had tried a loooong time ago ...

Wire selection is pretty easy. For a true beginner I would grab some 24, 26, and 28 KA1 (Kanthal) or Ni80 (80/20 Nickel Chromium Alloy). You can find wire suppliers, and reviews on them, HERE
My personal selection for cotton is Cotton Bacon Prime. Been using cotton bacon since V1 from years ago. But there is a myriad of choices out there. And you can always just buy plain old organic cotton.
There are only a few tools you NEED for basic building: 1- Something to wrap your wire around that you KNOW the diameter of. I've talked to people that use all sorts of things. I know a guy who uses knitting needles. Honestly though you can get a coil builders jig for almost nothing. 2- Something to cut the wire with. 3- An ohm reader (or quality regulated mod) to make sure your resistance is acceptable. 4- Scissors
Here are some suggestions to help a little more - Ceramic tweezers, Needle nose pliers, A good Coil Calculator

Edit: All the links in my post are good accept the pliers ... I didn't put that one in. VU tends to auto link key words like that lol

Great info here.

 

[WPMac]

Just went back and checked out the other posts ... and now I feel bad for posting all the porn. I really don't want to scare anyone off. The majority of my builds are for my own personal pleasure. Twisting wire is my hobby and my get-away. I often spend hours at the build station playing around. No1 needs to be able to do that to get a satisfying vape. If your new to building, or thinking about it, don't think that the exotic coils you see is your goal. If you can learn to get a good clean wrap on a single strand of plain wire than you can get a satisfying vape.

 

[mach1ne]

everyone is a little different on the nic strength. i started out like @BrokenChef on a subohm tank at about .5ohms/30-40w/12mg nic taking long cool lung hits. the guys at my local shops advised/begged me to drop to 3mg, but 12 was working great. i only dropped to 6mg after 7 months on that setup, when i decided to upgrade my hardware and learn to build stuff too big for me to vape 12 on. i still vape 6mg in everything but my mtl setups (where my builds range from .7 ohms to 2 ohms and 12mg to 27mg salts).

if i try to vape 3mg the result is that i vape twice as much, which costs twice as much (juice/coils/wicks) and takes twice as much time (vaping/refilling/installing and wicking). doesnt make sense to me/for me...

 

[Letitia9]

Just went back and checked out the other posts ... and now I feel bad for posting all the porn. I really don't want to scare anyone off. The majority of my builds are for my own personal pleasure. Twisting wire is my hobby and my get-away. I often spend hours at the build station playing around. No1 needs to be able to do that to get a satisfying vape. If your new to building, or thinking about it, don't think that the exotic coils you see is your goal. If you can learn to get a good clean wrap on a single strand of plain wire than you can get a satisfying vape.

Pardon me but my answer is "nonsense". Your post was excellent and full of good info and you were very clear about safety. This challenge is for all types of vapers.

 

[ScReWbALL]

Started building with 28g, nail clippers and cut off pieces of coat hanger to use as a wrapping tool.

Am I the only person redneck enough to use a toothpick to wrap around when they first started building? I had a Kangertech SubTank Mini that I lost the little blue screwdriver to, so, I was wrapping 26ga Kanthal (before N80 became more mainstream) around a toothpick and used nail clippers to cut leads for a lot of my first basic round wire builds.



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[Letitia9]

everyone is a little different on the nic strength. i started out like @BrokenChef on a subohm tank at about .5ohms/30-40w/12mg nic taking long cool lung hits. the guys at my local shops advised/begged me to drop to 3mg, but 12 was working great. i only dropped to 6mg after 7 months on that setup, when i decided to upgrade my hardware and learn to build stuff too big for me to vape 12 on. i still vape 6mg in everything but my mtl setups (where my builds range from .7 ohms to 2 ohms and 12mg to 27mg salts).

if i try to vape 3mg the result is that i vape twice as much, which costs twice as much (juice/coils/wicks) and takes twice as much time (vaping/refilling/installing and wicking). doesnt make sense to me/for me...

Same here. I don't get the pressure to drop mg unless your body tells you it's time. I dropped from 9mg to 8mg a few months ago and still vaping more. Next time I mix my base I'll go back to 9mg.

 

[f1r3b1rd]

Am I the only person redneck enough to use a toothpick to wrap around when they first started building? I had a Kangertech SubTank Mini that I lost the little blue screwdriver to, so, I was wrapping 26ga Kanthal (before N80 became more mainstream) around a toothpick and used nail clippers to cut leads for a lot of my first basic round wire builds.



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The wife did the same thing as you, when she started building.
The Kanger coils were my nemesis. My old eyes and fat fingers couldn’t wrap the 30g around anything to make a coil. Every time I tried, a Kanger tank grew wings and flew across the room.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t going to happen, so I bought a Kayfun and 28g as a solution to my problem.

 

[Letitia9]

Am I the only person redneck enough to use a toothpick to wrap around when they first started building? I had a Kangertech SubTank Mini that I lost the little blue screwdriver to, so, I was wrapping 26ga Kanthal (before N80 became more mainstream) around a toothpick and used nail clippers to cut leads for a lot of my first basic round wire builds.



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There's a few that still use bamboo sticks and toothpicks. Whatever works.

 

[Letitia9]

The wife did the same thing as you, when she started building.
The Kanger coils were my nemesis. My old eyes and fat fingers couldn’t wrap the 30g around anything to make a coil. Every time I tried, a Kanger tank grew wings and flew across the room.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t going to happen, so I bought a Kayfun and 28g as a solution to my problem.

I used a 3 wrap clapton wire in my STM.

 

[ScReWbALL]

Every time I tried, a Kanger tank grew wings and flew across the room.

That’s what I call “Testing the aerodynamic properties of the...”. It just sounds better, lol.

Kind of like saying “I wasn’t just hitting the object with a hammer, I was using the percussion method of troubleshooting”



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[Letitia9]