Nichrome vs Kanthal on claptons

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BigMattP13

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ECF Veteran
Been watching alot of videos and notice that using 36g nichrome is what alot of people use for the outer wire on claptons but then I mostly see 32 gauge kantha. So pretty much was wondering if 36 gauge breaks easy because 32g kanthal seems a little weak is the nichrome worth a buy have 32g of it coming but was thinking of maybe order some 36g but I'm not a gentle person and dont wanna get it and have problems with it breaking and such. Thanks in advanced.
 

93gc40

Vaping Master
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Oct 5, 2014
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It's about the target resistance and the way the materials vape. 36awg wire does break easier than 32, mostly because it is thinner and easier to break, yes nichrome is slightly more brittle than Kanthal, when heated, but not by much. Nichrome is slightly less resistant than Kanthal. (you use a little more nichrome at a given ohm than kanthal)
 

Kraken_Up

Multiple ID Suspension
Aug 6, 2015
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There's multiple factors that contribute to Youtubers/celebrity vapers using nichrome lately:
-Lower resistance per wrap compared to Kanthal (would make a build of same wraps heat up faster than the Kanthal build when on a mechanical)
-Nichrome80 has no Iron in it(80% Nickel/20% Chromium). Some people report a cleaner flavor when switching to Nichrome80 because of the lack of Iron that Kanthal has(FeCrAl alloy)
-Nichrome, if properly heat treated, takes on some amazing colors. Let's be real, you vape with your eyes just like you eat with your eyes.

Notwithstanding all those, it could be just because there's the "clouds and flavor brah" thing going on with it.

I vape exclusively claptons lately, been trying them out for the last few months. I make them out of everything from Kanthal to Nichrome80 to Titanium(only in the core) to Stainless Steel(only in the core), with cores ranging from 24 to 30g and outer wrap wires ranging from 34 to 40. I can't definitively say that any specific combination tastes better than the other, especially after the first rewick, when coils have a pretty consistent covering of juice gunk. I will say I've had an easier time sourcing thin Nichrome than Kanthal, though Kidney Puncher stepped up and made wires of multiple types/gauges really easy to acquire on spools that make claptons easy as pie. Thicker wrap wires sink a *lot* more heat than you think, so be prepared to turn your wattage up if you want a warmer vape. Thinner wrap wires don't sink near as much. When using 34 gauge, I find myself wanting at least 5-10 more watts to eliminate coil ramp up, and with something as thin as 40g, I hardly modify my power setting at all when compared to a standard wrap of that core wire.

I can't report any difference, that I've felt, in strength differences between Nichrome80 and Kanthal. They work the same to me in terms of being the outer wrap wire around a clapton. Nichrome80 as a core wire seems to be slightly softer/less springy than Kanthal when wrapping. The difference in that, however, is so small as to be insignificant. You'll hardly notice it.

TL;DR: Vape what you want. Make your own reasons, and as long as you're safe, tell people to get bent if they don't like it. You're vaping it, not them. You don't have to follow the trend.
 
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