Really helpful tools for coil builds?

[patrickbarlow]

Hey guys as I recently started a job at the hardware and tools department at lowes, I've realized that if you have the proper tools/items building coils can be the easiest task in the world. Everything from wood clamps to aviation snips have been a huge help to me. However I'm wondering what tools you guys find essential I have a feeling Ill get some helpful tips from more heads on this topic. Here's some that have been a life saver for me:
-Homemade wooden RDA holder for coil builds (screws in, wooden "puck")
-Homemade drill "lathe" (used for drilling air holes/making microcoils) I'm proud of this one, I can almost make my drill spin my nano-coil.
-Nail Clippers (can't beat these for kanthal snipping, they can really get in there)
-precision screwdriver set (used for tightening, but even better for that certain coil size your looking for/keeping coil-shapewhileuwork)
-Dewalt drill (for those thick chambers)
-needle nose tweezers (I found some that lock, you have no idea how much that helps lol)
-adjustable lamp
-I'm pretty sure that's it, I gotta say though my biggest help is my homemade lathe. The absolute best part about the "lathe" is that I can screw one end on the kanthal into the drill, and the other end to the opposing wall and it's like having an extra set of hands while you work. I can make perfect industrial-spring-like coils just by putting whatever coil guid I want into the drill, and flawless clapton coils as well, which have been a favorite recently. Here's my homemade lathe below.


-Any life-savers y'all? I'm looking to get me another tool on my way home from work!
-Vape on ECFriends!

 

[Bolivar]

A swing arm magnifying lamp sure saves the old eyeballs.




Sent from the north 40 via messenger cow

 

[Nicoroshi]

A set of heavy duty tweezers from Harbor freight (6 in the set).
[change the 'xxx' for 'www'] http://xxx.harborfreight.com/6-piece-fine-point-tweezer-set-93598.html#.UyHyyYXfZ8E
Drill index with numbered bits.
small butane torch
toenail clippers

 

[keonee]

Also a small blow torch would help. I also use Artistic Wire Coiling Gizmo(R) Deluxe Winder for Jewelry Making....works fantastic for micro-coils.

 

[Rev. Stabard]

+1 on the blow torch. Plus, I can make Creme Brulee with it as well!

 

[dripdaze]

A multimeter for checking resistance.

 

[motabrownie]

Im looking to start building coils myself. Is there a kit or something that has everything needed?

 

[Rev. Stabard]

Im looking to start building coils myself. Is there a kit or something that has everything needed?

I've not seen one. Best bet is to read the forums and look at the videos. It's hard to put together a kit as so much is personal preference. If I were to make one for you I'd need to know what your setup was, how you like your vape, how many ohms do you want in your coil, atty used, do you want SS mesh, silica, ekowool, cotton etc. So making a one size fits all is kind of impossible. If you do find any, beware!

Coils are easy to build, once you get the hang of it. My first one didn't work. No problems since. I've tried a few different methods and they all worked fine. Just do some research here, watch some vids and start building. As mentioned above, do invest in a halfway decent multi-meter. Safety first!

 

[dripdaze]

If you are going to use cotton for wick, you need a really sharp pair of scissors. It is a bit frustrating to get the cotton just right in the coil and then pull it out when trimming with a pair of dull scissors.

 

[treehead]

Im looking to start building coils myself. Is there a kit or something that has everything needed?

Im looking to start building coils myself. Is there a kit or something that has everything needed?

Unfortunately no, you kinda have to piece everything together yourself. They do have sample packs of different kanthal gauges though, that may be something to check out. Although if I could start over and buy the bare necessities I would buy:

-28 gauge kanthal A1- (probably 75% of everyones favorite because it's the perfect middle ground) if you want thicker go lower (26) or thinner higher (30), thinner will heat up faster and use a little more battery, whereas thicker will take a little longer to heat up but save you some battery (not too big a differencethough ), I'd probably get some 28 and 30 just to get an idea of what you like, because most people end up going thinner if anything IME. I'd grab them from temcoindustrialpower.com that's where I like to get it because it's super high quality (for electricians) and really cheap (50ft for 5 bucks )
-A small screwdriver set- I've found they are perfect and easy to work with for making different size coils and figuring out what you like, you can usually find a cheap set that will allow you to make a macro or micro coil, and they are helpful for screwing down your posts. (and muuuuch cheaper than drill bits)
-Some needle nose tweezers- (or normal ones if you already have them, they've come in handy for me quite a few times, especially for cleaning tight spots, and even fixing that one stay coil that sticks out. (allows you to get inside the coil "hole" if you ever need to)
-small nailclippers- Honestly I've never found a better kanthal clipper that can get in there better, and usually most people already have them! (hopefully )
-Some kind of 510 "holder"- To be honest I almost found this essential, this is just a "platform" to screw your rig into so it doesn't roll around while you work on it: 510 Anodized Aluminum Tank Holders , this is nice and cheap and saves ALOT of hassle. Or you could kill 2 birds with one stone with the next option.
-Some type of ohm meter- alot of people suggest a multimeter which I have issues with getting enough coil on to make a good reading. 510 ohm-meters are sometimes a little pricey but I found this one for 20$, AND I use it as my "work platform", you can check your ohms on it, and it holds it in place while your working, another HUGE hassle saver in my opinion. Ohm Meter Atomizer Clearomizer 510 Thread or Ego Thread | eBay

-That's pretty much it! Anything else is just frills pretty much, some people suggest a torch but I just use my battery to heat it up if it needs softening. Also when I started building I used a variable voltage/variable wattage device for my "mod" that read ohms, thus not needing an ohm meter, because my Vamo V5 (best bang for your buck in my opinion for a regulated mod) read ohms as well, so that killed 3 birds with one stone.

-Hope this helps someone, I know you'll have as much fun building as I do! (Check out rip trippers youtube for all types of build advice, he's awesome no matter what any hater says) VAPE ON!

 

[Bunnykiller]

hemostats....

 

[Rev. Stabard]

hemostats....

I had thought that. Almost ordered some from Amazon. Decided to go with a decent set of tweezers. Some very finely pointed, others curved, etc. About 6 different ones and 2 of them enable clamping. For my needs, I am no longer in a rush to get hemostats. Great tools though! And I'll end up with some one day, of that I'm sure. The pack of tweezers was less expensive as well....

 

[certus11]

toothpick is my favorite among them all

 

[BillyHill]

Master ecig repair tool - $19.99 | DFWvapor.com, The Best US E-Liquid Made!

 

[DasBluCig]

Overstock.com has a Watch Repair Kit for around $16.....looks like it has about everything you'd need to get started...
OT to black6host....the torch can also do Baked Alaska pretty well, too!!
Happy (vaping) Trails!

 

[Flavored]

Get one of these:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/clearomizers/510520-coils-made-easy.html

 

[pinkythereddog]

Thank you for this! This is exactly what I've been looking for!

Unfortunately no, you kinda have to piece everything together yourself. They do have sample packs of different kanthal gauges though, that may be something to check out. Although if I could start over and buy the bare necessities I would buy:

-28 gauge kanthal A1- (probably 75% of everyones favorite because it's the perfect middle ground) if you want thicker go lower (26) or thinner higher (30), thinner will heat up faster and use a little more battery, whereas thicker will take a little longer to heat up but save you some battery (not too big a differencethough ), I'd probably get some 28 and 30 just to get an idea of what you like, because most people end up going thinner if anything IME. I'd grab them from temcoindustrialpower.com that's where I like to get it because it's super high quality (for electricians) and really cheap (50ft for 5 bucks )
-A small screwdriver set- I've found they are perfect and easy to work with for making different size coils and figuring out what you like, you can usually find a cheap set that will allow you to make a macro or micro coil, and they are helpful for screwing down your posts. (and muuuuch cheaper than drill bits)
-Some needle nose tweezers- (or normal ones if you already have them, they've come in handy for me quite a few times, especially for cleaning tight spots, and even fixing that one stay coil that sticks out. (allows you to get inside the coil "hole" if you ever need to)
-small nailclippers- Honestly I've never found a better kanthal clipper that can get in there better, and usually most people already have them! (hopefully )
-Some kind of 510 "holder"- To be honest I almost found this essential, this is just a "platform" to screw your rig into so it doesn't roll around while you work on it: 510 Anodized Aluminum Tank Holders , this is nice and cheap and saves ALOT of hassle. Or you could kill 2 birds with one stone with the next option.
-Some type of ohm meter- alot of people suggest a multimeter which I have issues with getting enough coil on to make a good reading. 510 ohm-meters are sometimes a little pricey but I found this one for 20$, AND I use it as my "work platform", you can check your ohms on it, and it holds it in place while your working, another HUGE hassle saver in my opinion. Ohm Meter Atomizer Clearomizer 510 Thread or Ego Thread | eBay

-That's pretty much it! Anything else is just frills pretty much, some people suggest a torch but I just use my battery to heat it up if it needs softening. Also when I started building I used a variable voltage/variable wattage device for my "mod" that read ohms, thus not needing an ohm meter, because my Vamo V5 (best bang for your buck in my opinion for a regulated mod) read ohms as well, so that killed 3 birds with one stone.

-Hope this helps someone, I know you'll have as much fun building as I do! (Check out rip trippers youtube for all types of build advice, he's awesome no matter what any hater says) VAPE ON!

 

[molimelight]

If you have a Harbor Freight nearby, I've found these helpful:

3 1/2" Locking Clamp

They're small enough to work with under a magnifying lamp someone else mentioned earlier.

Fine Point Tweezer Set

I bought a similar set off Amazon and the ones that are spring loaded to clamp are perfect for holding microcoils for torching. The ultra fine ones are great for reaching into Kanger heads to adjust coils and grab wicks.

You can't beat Harbor Freight's prices if you don't mind the hit in quality sometimes. You could probably put together an entire coil building kit from Harbor Freight!

 

[dripdaze]

Beware of the Harbor Freight micro torches. I talked to a couple of guys that said they were OK but the igniters did not last. I went ahead and got one and fresh out of the package the igniter didn't work. It's not a big deal if you have a lighter handy. Just keep your expectations real.

 

[emus]

One of my favorites is a needle threader. With it I can snug up a wick w/o starting over.