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Tools To Create More Advanced Coils

TrackDay

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Hey guys,

I've been making simple single wrap kanthal coils using the coil master coil maker and I'm looking to start wading in the deep end when it comes to producing more complex coils such as claptons and fused claptons. I see a lot of people using drills and the such to build these coils and was just wondering what tools I would need to start making more advanced coils?

Cheers.
 

PhantomOp

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So far, all I've needed is a good drill, a 2x4 (cut and screwed together), a C-Clamp and some damn good ball-bearing swivels, #4 or #5. The swivels have been the biggest "key" to getting good wraps on any coil. I originally had shitty swivels from Walmart. That was a mistake and I couldn't get a clapton to come out correctly to save my life. I then got some real ball bearing swivels and it was a game changer.

I've built up to Alien coils so far with this setup.

Pardon the mess, I've been building. :D

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BLACK-DE...m-Ion-Cordless-Drill-Driver-LDX220C/205357759
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-in-Drop-Forged-C-Clamp-97892/205132123
Amazon - Swivels -- http://a.co/2M0pOpb


IMG_20170312_203758235_HDR (Large).jpg
 

TrackDay

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Thanks for the amazon links. Unfortunately I live in Australia so I'll have to try and source the gear locally.
 

PhantomOp

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Thanks for the amazon links. Unfortunately I live in Australia so I'll have to try and source the gear locally.
Go to a local fishing supply store and ask for ball bearing swivels. They should have them if your near the ocean side of your island. :p

You don't want these (http://a.co/5OgsEZU) --- they will fobar your spin every time.
 

TrackDay

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Go to a local fishing supply store and ask for ball bearing swivels. They should have them if your near the ocean side of your island. :p

Haha, I live on the coastal fringe so there's hoards of fishing stores. What exactly are the ball bearing swivels for?
 

PhantomOp

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Haha, I live on the coastal fringe so there's hoards of fishing stores. What exactly are the ball bearing swivels for?
Watch this video. Grimm Green explains their usage and how to use them.
I use three in a chain, that way if one were to fail, the other(s) would pickup the spin and not cause the wrapping to f*ck up.

 

ScReWbALL

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I guess being in the south, I'm a bit more crude in my methods. I make claptons, fused claptons, and alien coils using just a Dewalt 18v power drill and a "cradle" of sorts that I made from cutting up a wire hangar and bending it into a position where I can slide the spool of thinner gauge wire into the middle of the cradle and rest the cradle on my knees and position the spool right under the drill and guide the wire with my hand rather than trying to make a swivel setup...this way I can clapton straight off the spool using only what I need and there are very few factors that could cause any mishaps due to there being no factors due to any equipment malfunction because there is no equipment
69daaf072593046bb264147fc854e96a.jpg



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wheelie

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I got the Avidartisan Daedalus Coil DIY Tool For $49.95 CAN. Makes all your coils very simple. I use the drill for straiting wire as well as making coils. Check it out on Utube. It comes with a C-clamp and the swivels. Everything you need except wire. CHEERS!
 

PhantomOp

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I guess being in the south, I'm a bit more crude in my methods. I make claptons, fused claptons, and alien coils using just a Dewalt 18v power drill and a "cradle" of sorts that I made from cutting up a wire hangar and bending it into a position where I can slide the spool of thinner gauge wire into the middle of the cradle and rest the cradle on my knees and position the spool right under the drill and guide the wire with my hand rather than trying to make a swivel setup...this way I can clapton straight off the spool using only what I need and there are very few factors that could cause any mishaps due to there being no factors due to any equipment malfunction because there is no equipment
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If I'm doing short runs (5-6") I'll just freehand as well. This is the exact method i've been using and it works great also.
If I'm doing long stretches (12-18") I'll use swivels.

 

PhantomOp

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I got the Avidartisan Daedalus Coil DIY Tool For $49.95 CAN. Makes all your coils very simple. I use the drill for straiting wire as well as making coils. Check it out on Utube. It comes with a C-clamp and the swivels. Everything you need except wire. CHEERS!
Almost bought that thing, but I had all the tools already, except the swivels.
 

TrackDay

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If I'm doing short runs (5-6") I'll just freehand as well. This is the exact method i've been using and it works great also.
If I'm doing long stretches (12-18") I'll use swivels.


Awesome video. Now time to go out and pick up some wire and a drill.
 

TrackDay

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I got the Avidartisan Daedalus Coil DIY Tool For $49.95 CAN. Makes all your coils very simple. I use the drill for straiting wire as well as making coils. Check it out on Utube. It comes with a C-clamp and the swivels. Everything you need except wire. CHEERS!

Where did you pick that up?
 

PhantomOp

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Awesome video. Now time to go out and pick up some wire and a drill.
All of his videos are awesome and I've learned a lot watching those and some others.
Here is a good one from M. Terk using swivels on a fused-clapton

 

PhantomOp

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Canvape is where I bought mine. CHEERS!
Cool. Another source for Canadians. I linked the 3fvape because I knew he was in Australia, and they "should" be able to ship to him with ease.
 

TrackDay

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Cool. Another source for Canadians. I linked the 3fvape because I knew he was in Australia, and they "should" be able to ship to him with ease.

Would you recommend picking up the Avidartisan Daedalus or just doing it the old fashioned way?
 

mach1ne

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the topic of gear has come up a few times very recently. i find that you can learn to make anything with a drill and swivel setup and a bit of patience, but there are a lot of other things you can buy and make to help, speed things up, or even automate some or all of the processes. that daedalus kit can make you fused claptons almost automatically. if thats as far as you want to go, then its a great purchase. its capable of being a regular drill and swivel setup too, if you want to try aliens or any other builds that are more complex. if you get to that point though, you will likely want a better drill and stuff...so its a bit of a gamble on what to invest in if money is tight.

i personally suggest a drill and swivels and a manual approach. :cheers:
 

TrackDay

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the topic of gear has come up a few times very recently. i find that you can learn to make anything with a drill and swivel setup and a bit of patience, but there are a lot of other things you can buy and make to help, speed things up, or even automate some or all of the processes. that daedalus kit can make you fused claptons almost automatically. if thats as far as you want to go, then its a great purchase. its capable of being a regular drill and swivel setup too, if you want to try aliens or any other builds that are more complex. if you get to that point though, you will likely want a better drill and stuff...so its a bit of a gamble on what to invest in if money is tight.

i personally suggest a drill and swivels and a manual approach. :cheers:

Yeah, I do want to move onto aliens at some point so I'm just going to go with the drill and swivel approach.
 

wheelie

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I mostly do it the old fashion way. I mostly clapton with ribbon wire. Only used the jig a few times. But I always use the drill from the kit now as it gives me a lot better speed control. Chuck is small and made for small wires and little drill bits for easier holding. It will hold a single wire as my big cordless drill I have more time preparing the wire to hold in my cordless drill. Small drill from kit now just sits on my desk and takes up very little room. 2- 18650 and drill uses very little battery power. It shocked me how little battery power it uses. I would not buy it if you have everything as you will likely keep doing them by hand mostly anyways. I like drill because I set speed and take hand off speed control and just concentrate on tension. One less thing I have to focus my little pea brain on while building. LOL CHEERS!
 

wheelie

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You still do it the old fashion way. Price out a cordless drill. Will likely run as much as the kit unless you have a drill at home already.
 

wheelie

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Cool. Gets worse and more complicated when you get into flavor chasing. When you are finished a 30ml bottle of juice do you buy another bottle of the same and keep trying for more flavor? LOL
 

whiteowl84

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I use a DC drill for SSFC, Staggs and aliens up to 36g and an AC drill for clapton, decore and aliens higher than 36g. Quality swivels are the only other things you need.
I've bought a few things here and there but most of it just sits around because I found a better way.
I'd like a dremel and spool tamer for micro clap but I don't have any 48g.
You can make almost anything with just a drill, swivels, hotglue and wire. When you start layering stagger builds a hand vice is nice but I'd assume you aren't there yet due to the thread.

Your best bet for learning how to make exotic stuff is to get on IG and hang with the builders. I've learned so much from just talking to people. Now I have more skills than I have wire!
 
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TrackDay

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What do you guys think of this method of creating claptons?

 

TrackDay

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If I'm doing short runs (5-6") I'll just freehand as well. This is the exact method i've been using and it works great also.
If I'm doing long stretches (12-18") I'll use swivels.


I think I'll go with this guys technique, seems a lot easier.
 

PhantomOp

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What do you guys think of this method of creating claptons?

When doing freehand on a short span, that is how you basically have to hold it to keep the core wire from flopping around hell's half acre.
If you don't keep the core wire from flopping, it can cause the wrap wire to "skip" or jump back and then it becomes a mess.

Same method that Squidoode uses. Squidoode goes through some very good explanation on this video of how to hold the wire in your hands.
 

TrackDay

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When doing freehand on a short span, that is how you basically have to hold it to keep the core wire from flopping around hell's half acre.
If you don't keep the core wire from flopping, it can cause the wrap wire to "skip" or jump back and then it becomes a mess.

Same method that Squidoode uses. Squidoode goes through some very good explanation on this video of how to hold the wire in your hands.

Yeah, I'll definitely be using squidoodes technique.
 

TrackDay

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raymo2u

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The fore most best tools Ive found for building are:

Good lighting...a big one for sure.

#3 Swivels (Tsunami Props are nice)

Ryobi One+ Drill
combo, comes with 2 batteries and a quick charger and its pretty inexpensive, also runs up to 1800rpm and has 2 speeds.

Vise:
Holding Swivels or other instruments, also great for securing a finished wire when coiling.

Nylon Pliers:
Great for keeping cores/wrapping flat, pinching ribbon sliders and more.

Toothless Pliers:
Great for gripping and stretching wire or grabbing wire with accuracy. Great for prepping coil leads or flattening wire quickly.

The Ultimate Tool: Sandwich Baggies, are great for cheap spool tamers and if using them wrapped around the spool to hold the spool act as a dry lubricant....makes alien decore slip right off the core wire. If you put a spool in a baggie and do the same for a spool of the same gauge into a separate baggie then you can pinch the lines and paraclap for staggering incredibly easy.

Spool Tamers: Great for holding wire on your spool you can also use these to make claptons painlessly and even staggering for round wires.

Ribbon Sliders: Thse are 2-3" long pieces of ribbon wire that you wrap loosely around wires you want held together, then pinch with nylon pliers. I have found Ribbon sliders to be the most effective method of keeping cores together.

Hot Glue: Great for keeping wires together or adding new wire onto wires attached to your drill already, I suggest using Ribbon sliders and then hot glue if adding wire to secured wire.

CoilMaster Coil Jig V4: Best coil jig out so far
 

Mike H.

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Im working on a secret Clapton maker,,You put all the wire freshly cut off the spool into the box and press a button then let it sit for 5 minutes and out comes a Fused stapled alien superman batman captain kirk coil ready to use...Taking pre orders now at $1.99 plus shipping.
 

Mike H.

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I bought an $18.00 drill from walmart ..A wooden sign stake I cut down as a base for a nail to attach a swivel...a cheap walmart C clamp to attach the stake with and some #4 ball bearing swivels all for around under $30.00 at walmart...Found everything I needed there.
 

PhantomOp

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The fore most best tools Ive found for building are:

Good lighting...a big one for sure.

#3 Swivels (Tsunami Props are nice)

Ryobi One+ Drill
combo, comes with 2 batteries and a quick charger and its pretty inexpensive, also runs up to 1800rpm and has 2 speeds.

Vise:
Holding Swivels or other instruments, also great for securing a finished wire when coiling.

Nylon Pliers:
Great for keeping cores/wrapping flat, pinching ribbon sliders and more.

Toothless Pliers:
Great for gripping and stretching wire or grabbing wire with accuracy. Great for prepping coil leads or flattening wire quickly.

The Ultimate Tool: Sandwich Baggies, are great for cheap spool tamers and if using them wrapped around the spool to hold the spool act as a dry lubricant....makes alien decore slip right off the core wire. If you put a spool in a baggie and do the same for a spool of the same gauge into a separate baggie then you can pinch the lines and paraclap for staggering incredibly easy.

Spool Tamers: Great for holding wire on your spool you can also use these to make claptons painlessly and even staggering for round wires.

Ribbon Sliders: Thse are 2-3" long pieces of ribbon wire that you wrap loosely around wires you want held together, then pinch with nylon pliers. I have found Ribbon sliders to be the most effective method of keeping cores together.

Hot Glue: Great for keeping wires together or adding new wire onto wires attached to your drill already, I suggest using Ribbon sliders and then hot glue if adding wire to secured wire.

CoilMaster Coil Jig V4: Best coil jig out so far

I think the only thing I don't have from your list is the Drill (I got a Black and Decker) and the sandwich baggies --- never heard of that method o_O

Bad Ass little swivels fur sure! Can pick them up at Walmart or Amazon.
upload_2017-3-13_21-41-12.png
 

Mike H.

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I was going to buy those at first and even posted them in a past thread asking about them...I was told to get Mustad which I did from walmart..The Tsunamis are better?..lol
 

PhantomOp

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I was going to buy those at first and even posted them in a past thread asking about them...I was told to get Mustad which I did from walmart..The Tsunamis are better?..lol
I've only burned up ONE of the #5 bearings --- and that was probably my fault and while using my Milwaukee drill at full throttle (2800rpm) for a VERY long run. o_O --- oops my bad. :giggle:
I've since started putting a small drop of VG in the bearings every few (5-8) runs.
 

TrackDay

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PhantomOp

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Can you add that to that thread I linked -- that way it is all together in that one thread. :)
 

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