Any tips for a compressed 26ga DIY coil?

[illuminated.vaper]

I'm new into DIY coils and I've been experimenting with a couple of wires last few days, namely: Ka1 28ga, SS316L 26ga and the latest - Ka1 26ga which works the best for me so far in terms of flavor (2.5mm with 8 rounds gives me ~1ohm).

But, as the 26ga is a bit thick, I'm spending a lot of time trying to get the "perfect" coil.... I'm attaching below the tools I'm using and the best result I've got so far. That one took me almost 15 minutes of pulling and stretching and compressing....

So, I was wandering if there is a trick to get this wire compressed quicker?

 

[Izan]

Hi and welcome,

Old fart tips:
Wire is cheap.
Winding double the wraps needed and then unwrap from the ends and use the best (8 in your case) adjacent for the final.
Focus on even tension and try for consistent, identical, wraps, find your rhythm.
A pliers may be useful in gripping the wire more securely.

If using a regulated device, coil resistance is only part of the recipe for a good build.
ETA; NiCr 80 / Rayon
Cheers
I

 

[TARTARA]

Welcome on ECF !

It's a pretty good coil... (especially for a new biulder) !

I usually only build with SS-316 wire, simple spaced coils ! I have the coil tool but i but i use it very rarely, hardly at all ! I got used to make my coils on the mimi screwdrivers that we are using for the screwposts, so it's quite easy for me ! Im using thin wire for my MTLs and thicker for my RDLs and RDAs ! I find the thicker wire (like yours in the photo) much easier to make it, because it stays in it's position where i put it in, and it doesn't move around even when im trying to put the cotton in... (because of its thickness) !

In general you have to try a few methods by your own, and try to find what is work for you, plus with the process and practice you will getting better and better over the time... !

Maybe it's better for you to break down the process in steps and work them a little bit more "carefully"... !?

You can use a simple screwdriver, or the coil tool, or the coil tool without passing the wire through the hole of coil tool (like a simple screwdriver), and then use the other part of the coil tool to just compress your coil... !?

Plus when you are practicing, you don't have to cut off the wire - coil, you can use the whole spool, making the coil, then straightening up the wire again, and repeat the whole process again, and try to find your errors or what you don't like and try to improve it... !

Then you will getting better and better on every coil that you are trying, and of course the time will go down pretty quickly... !

I hope that helps you, and i didn't confused you... !?

 

[illuminated.vaper]

Thank you both!

Well, some practicing ahead is inevitable for me I was hoping there's a shortcut, a hidden knowledge that I'm unaware of, but I guess I'm off to a learning path

There was a suggestion to heat up the wire a bit ahead of coiling, that can soften the material a bit so the coiling is easier. I'll try that over the weekend as well.

But reading your posts it actually makes sense that pure manual wrapping instead of using a tool might be easier in this case, as the control is direct.

Luckily, as @Izan posted above, the wire is cheap, and there's no harm in practicing until my fingers/hands hurt

 

[TARTARA]

Yeah isn't any real trick behind it, it's a simple process that you have to get used to it, and what it works better for you... nothing really special... !

I prefer to not heat up my wire and coils, especially the SS-316 on temperature control, because you end up destroying it's propertys as a metal ! Some other people use to heat up, or dry burning the coil so they can squeeze the raps together on the Kathals wire, so they can turn it to a micro-coil, but i don't like it for the same reasons as above... !

Just my opinion !

 

[TARTARA]

Plus, if your coil isn't exactly perfect, you can make some adjustments when you have screw it on your deck, it's much easier because it's holding on its position with the screws !
Also you can check out some videos on YouTube, maybe you can find a method that fits you... !?

 

[illuminated.vaper]

I prefer to not heat up my wire and coils, especially the SS-316 on temperature control, because you end up destroying it's propertys as a metal ! Some other people use to heat up, or dry burning the coil so they can squeeze the raps together on the Kathals wire, so they can turn it to a micro-coil, but i don't like it for the same reasons as above... !

The reason I gave up on SS316 is that I get a really strange aroma with it... I was using TC, going up to 425F with 17-20w power (on another mod, Drag M100s, I cannot control power in TC, and it's locked to 80w) but the taste of the inhale was kind of "dirty", like the original aroma had an added layer of some weird metallic taste. I've tried two builds with SS, one I was preheating (impulse heating, low power) and the other did not - the wires gave a bit different taste, but the additional aroma was very similar, just slightly stronger in the pre-heated case.

 

[TARTARA]

On my Aspire Zelos X i can adjust the watts on TC mode, somewhere 12.5 - 15 for MTL RTA, 17.5 - 20.0 for RDL on RTA , and 30 for RDL - DL on RDA !
I don't know about the "taste" but i think the SS-316 it's more "clean" wire... ! Plus i prefer it on TC mod because im not gonna take any dry hit on any case, if i made any mistake, if my RTA doesn't wick properly, or if i forgot to drip on my RDA... , it will cut down the power... !
Even on simple watt mod or on a mechanical tube mod im using SS-316, i have some Kanthal and Ni-80 wires but i never use them at point on... !

Again, it's just my opinion !

 

[illuminated.vaper]

I might give SS another shot, just another supplier/brand, as the one I've tried is everything but clean.

 

[Rossum]

So, I was wandering if there is a trick to get this wire compressed quicker?

Install on an atty. Heat it up. If on a mech mod, pulse it. Squeeze it gently with ceramic-tipped tweezers while hot.

 

[illuminated.vaper]

To update my own thread with a solution I have found in the mean time: I've noticed actually that the little screw on the tool wasn't screwed completely, the head was well above the surface...

So, once I've tried to coil with this one screwed completely, I've finally got a coil with "perfect" wraps and compressed spacing. And right now my most favorite DIY coil for MTL is Kanthal 26ga with 2.0mm wraps' diameter. It takes around 8 wraps to get around 1ohm and the taste is best ever. Better than clapton coils I've been experimenting with. My atomizers (Tripod2, Brunhilde and Bishop) feel like I've got rid of them all and bought all new and different

 

[Rossum]

26ga with 2.0mm wraps' diameter. It takes around 8 wraps to get around 1ohm

Should be more like 9 or 10 to get to 1 ohm with a 26 AWG 2mm ID coil.

 

[illuminated.vaper]

You're right, @Rossum, my mistake. I am doing now 8 wraps usually and I used to chase ~1ohm, so I guess I've just connected the two in my mind.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

But, as the 26ga is a bit thick, I'm spending a lot of time trying to get the "perfect" coil

My experience is the opposite. I find it esier to make coils with 26g because 28g is almost too thin, but I prefer 28g because it takes a lot less time for it to ramp up at the wattage I use.

But anyway, one "trick" to using those coilers is to not put much inward pressure, if any, while making your turns on the coiler. The thinner the wire the less pressure you want. Too much inward pressure and you can end up with wraps that overlap and look fugly. Again, the thinner the wire the more that happens.

So, I was wandering if there is a trick to get this wire compressed quicker?

Compressing the coil nice and tight isn't something to worry about on the coiler. Worry about that after you've mouted your coil and before you wick it. Many coil metals we use, especially Ka1, get very malleable when they are warm/hot. Press the fire button to heat the coil, let go of the fire botton and squeeze the coil together (gently) with your tweazers. If using ceramic tweezers you can even squeeze the coil while holding the fire button because you won't short it with ceramic tip tweezers. However I find it best to squeeze the coil without firing it simultanously regardless of what type of tweezers you're using.