Earthling789
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Posts posted by Earthling789
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4 minutes ago, Walt said:
A nice watch is such a wonderful touch of class. Shows an appreciation for fine materials and fine workmanship.
You are so right, Walt... I went nearly 30 years without wearing a watch (after my Pulsar chronograph was stolen in college), and one day I said "hey, I'd like a nice watch to wear"... so ... and then the obsession began
My fiance' think's I'm a bit crazy over my watches... she still reminds me that I can wear only one at a time... but she's starting to come around... she's beginning to see the appeal of having choices for all occasions, including ones you can wear working on the farm or playing in the ocean.... She even picked out the watch I wore to her aunt's 40th wedding anniversary dinner over the weekend, telling me "this one looks sophisticated and will look good with your tie"
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Thanks @Walt! I never intended to start refurbishing or repairing watches, but I had a couple of old ones that needed crystal replacements and the local watch shop wanted $25 to replace a $5-10 crystal, and he always pushed for the full $50-75 service with OEM parts and cleaning, so I decided to "try" it myself... turns out it's not that hard, after you buy a few specialty tools, lol. But, like vaping, it is turning into an expensive hobby, and I'm getting quite the stock-pile of "parts"
I started out with half-a-dozen decent watches that I wore regularly (Seiko, Bulova, Invicta)... now I have more than 30 "working" and "wearable" pieces from many Swiss and Japanese manufacturers, and my fiance' has more than a dozen she can wear for anything from scuba-diving to black-tie events
The highest value watch I've refurbished so far is a Swiss 14K-RG Carl F. Bucherer (with original leather band) that I picked up for < $10 at a thrift-store, and after fixing it, I found out it is worth over $1500! My fiance' refuses to wear it for fear of having it stolen or breaking it 
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10 hours ago, Edna said:
Try Michael's like I told @Walt You're going to love the difference in the lighting it's easier on your eyes and details will pop better. I use one for jewelry making and also when I paint miniatures. Can you fix an old timex? I have my Aunts that ran forever but died recently and I'd be happy to pay you
(and no, it's not the battery lol)
I have to go to the neighboring town this week, so I'll check them out and see what they have. I'd really love a better, LED model, and one with dual magnification would be fantastic!
As for fixing an old Timex, it really depends on the level of damage. I've been finding that broken main-springs seem to be the primary reason any mechanical watch fails... usually from over-winding them, and honestly, finding parts is a bigger challenge than actually fixing them. I have a Caravelle 10K RG hand-wind watch on my desk right now with broken mainspring, and NOS replacements are retailing twice what the watch is worth, even with the rolled-gold
I'd love to be able to fix it for you, but sadly, it's probably not economical to fix? Now, if you find another one like it, or one with the same (working) mechanism, and possibly a bad case/crystal... swapping the mechanism is a really cheap and easy fix
and I'd be happy to do that for you at no charge. I know it has sentimental value to you, but in reality, replacing the mechanism is easier and cheaper than repairing it.
To give you an idea of my plate at the moment... all these are quartz watches except the one on the bottom... it's a Sterling Silver Ladies Orient automatic (Japan hand-assembled, self-winding) mechanism from the late 60's.
- Bulova Marine Star - repaired broken rotating bezel and bad water-seal - swapped bad black dial mechanism for the working Swiss Longwood mechanism with champagne dial ( I think it looks 100% better this way), and I'll probably replace the band with a genuine Bulova deployment leather band.
- Bulova Marine Star - broken band repaired/sized, replaced crystal and cleaned it (it's a gift for my oldest son's birthday, as it was manufactured the year he was born).
- Wenger 200M Diver- replaced battery and new rubber dive-band - needs replacing of crystal, crown, and stem (so far, I think it is all it needs)
- Victornox 300M Certified Diver - replacing crystal, band, battery, and water-seals to return it to full dive-certification (for me to wear diving/snorkeling)
- Wenger 100M officer's dress - replacing crown/stem and cleaning
- Wenger 100M Field - just needs battery, already cleaned it
- Bulova Marine Star - already cleaned and replaced water-seals, just needs new battery
- Wenger 50M Infantry - replaced domed crystal, cleaned, new battery, water-seal (this one is ready to wear for my youngest son)
- Orient 17 Jewel auto - mechanism is stuck due to age and lack of maintenance... I'll disassemble, clean, oil, and re-assemble... probably have to touch-up the dial as well as replace the acrylic crystal, but the band is sterling silver, so it's worth repairing... and it's for my fiance's collection.
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47 minutes ago, cany said:
I have the glasses and one of these also
+1 on the magnification lamp... best accessory "tool" I ever purchased 30-yrs ago...lol.
I use to use it when soldering small circuit boards, but now I use it now for my latest hobby of vintage watch repairs and refurbishing. I also use it occasionally when I need a better view of a coil build/deck, too.
Maybe someday I'll upgrade to one of the "daylight-white" LED ring-lamps, like you pictured... the one I'm using now works with a standard 40W appliance bulb
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2 hours ago, Foofightervapegirl said:
I am so through with kangertech it isn't funny! everytime I have bought a tank from them it has detected in some way ! I like their coils, so I kept buying from them over the years.I'm done now!!
I hate that you're having issues with your Kanger tanks... I've been using them almost exclusively for 3 years (along with Russian 91% RTA's), and other than one piece of glass with a tiny defect, I've not had any issues with them... They've been my go-to work-horses since day-one... seriously... KPT2, KPT2-mini, KPT3-mini, Aerotank, Aerotank-mini, Subank, Subtank-mini, Subtank-nano, and all the top-tank versions.
Perhaps your local B&M is getting a lot of their Kanger stuff from the grey-market or selling a lot of clones to keep their profit-margins higher? Have you purchased any from online stores like the VT store or one of the other reputable online stores/sellers?
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@Adversarious1, I think the FDA and CDC are far more interested in the study they funded... the one published in the Journal of Pediatrics
I too hope for the day all ENDS devices are declared "approved" cessation devices, and all this hype and fear-mongering are eradicated.
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17 hours ago, Patricia said:
And I would gather up all I could while it is still available but Juice DOES expire. I have kept some I was not crazy about for over a year and it had turned almost black and the darker it gets it stops up the coils quickly. So once its gone, its gone because I have never learned how to make it. Any suggestions? I don't want to have to go back to the alternative.
Yes, it does eventually expire, but if you want to store a bottle for years... top-off the bottle with a little VG or PG (or PG/VG mix to match the ratio in the bottle), so it is 99.999% full, seal the cap tight, and pop it into your freezer. What turns juice dark is heat and AIR. If you top-off the bottles, you prevent oxidation of the ingredients and Nicotine, which will make them last almost indefinitely. Using the freezer is like putting them into stasis... the extreme cold keeps them from aging.
I have some juices that have been in the freezer for nearly 3 years, and they still look the same color as they did when I bought them. I sometimes pull one out and vape it, and once it reaches room-temp, it's as good as the day I bought it
Oh, and 30ml or larger bottles that I may not want to vape the whole thing... I just divide into several 10ml bottles (before freezing) and it prevents me from thawing out a big bottle, when I may only want a small bottle...
I store my mixed juices and bulk mixing supplies in my deep-freeze, and things I use most often (for vaping or mixing) in a dorm-size fridge in my office
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This is news we knew already, but science is beginning to prove what we already knew
http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0207/850694-e-cigarettes/
There's no mention on the devices used, nicotine strengths, etc., but even if the e-cig devices used were not regulated/controlled, the results appear to be the same
Contrast this to an article on MSN.com today (corroborated by the SUN in a similar article), which cites info that is years old, as "today's facts about teen dripping craze", simply because the study was "finally" published in the Journal of Pediatrics... you know... because it's for the kids...
- Tam, Edna, Christopher and 2 others
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On 2/4/2017 at 9:01 AM, Tam said:
For example, when I was using a Nautilus with a 1.8 ohm coil, I was using a 12mg nic juice. That same juice in my Subtank with a .5 ohm coil almost blew my tonsils out. I dropped down to a 3mg nic in the same juice and I still feel satisfied with the nic output. @Earthling789 can probably explain better why this works like it does.
Lower resistance = more heat, and Nicotine is absorbed faster (and felt more) by the body as heat increases, which is why you get a stronger Nicotine "buzz" and more throat-hit from Nicotine if you lower your resistance of your coil (but don't lower the % of Nicotine by the same amount).
@Tam's example is spot-on... she dropped her coil resistance by 75% (roughly), and needed to drop her Nicotine by the same 75% (12mg to 3mg) to get the same "feeling", and the same Nicotine absorption.
Nicotine absorption rate is a little complicated (math), but the basic rule-of-thumb for vaping is, if you lower (or raise) your coil resistance by X%, then you should lower (or raise) your Nicotine level by the same X%, to maintain your absorption and Nicotine feel/effect. The relationship is nearly linear above 0.5 Ohms, with a steeper curve below 0.5 Ohms because power and heat increase more as you approach zero resistance.... This is why Temperature Control devices have become more popular for those who sub-ohm 0.5 Ohm coils and lower
TC devices allow you to control the temperature / heat, so you can (for the most part) use the same juice with a 0.5 Ohm coil as you do with a 0.2 Ohm coil, but you'd still find a lower Nicotine level more appropriate (even when using TC-mode) with a lower Ohm coil, than you would with, say, a 1.2, 1.5, or 1.8 Ohm coil.
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11 hours ago, Christopher said:
It probably wouldn't be impossible, but at the very least you couldn't buy it from any vape based store. (It's not worth the fines/risk for most)
I think if your determined enough, well, you can buy just about anything on the internet. But generally speaking, it will become much more difficult and less readily available. There are at least 4 stores that are linked to this forum fairly often that I know plan to bow out in 2018 (end). They are some of our competitors but it pains me to see them go. I'd rather a business leave because of crappy decision making or the free market at work, not because of some ridiculous, makes absolutely zero sense legislation.
Nicotine will still be available, but it may be only from a few, well-controlled sources, which will cause the prices to rise, due to less competition for sales
Competition is the biggest part of the free-market... more and more vapor shops and manufacturers will close in 2018, which will shrink the market and drive prices higher... which is exactly what the FDA regulations were designed to do... shrink (or eliminate) the market so that traditional tobacco (cigarettes/cigars) become more readily available and cheaper than vaping.
It pains me to see stores closing too (B&M's and online)... regulation and legislation should protect consumers, not big-business interests (by eliminating competition)!
- Patricia, Christopher and Edna
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5 hours ago, VapeMama said:
VOILA! Finally "found" something to take the vapor residue off the inside of my car windows! Witch Hazel of all things. I do put the window down when I vape in the car, but some still sticks to the windshield and window cleaner and isopropyl alcohol just make a cloudy mess. All the windows took a couple of rounds of cleaning, but IT WORKS! Sure beats buying a little bottle of some "super duper" high priced cleaner! Happy mama right here!!!
I've been buying "Invisible Glass" cleaner from the dollar store... < $2 a can, and it lasts forever, even though I (try to) clean my windows monthly in multiple vehicles. Even if I buy a can to keep in the trunk or under-seat storage bin for every vehicle, it's worth it... and YES, it does cut the VG residue off the windows, and seems to keep it from re-forming a layer for several weeks.... spray... wipe... wipe... buff.... CLEAN
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@Patricia Glad to see you've found a tank/coil you like
If I'm not mistaken, you decided to go with the 1.2 Ohm coils, which are (yes) red o-rings, and Nichrome wire. Those are perfect, IMO, for your vaping style.... if you like them, then they are perfect The ones with different color o-rings are just to designate different wire (Nickel, Kanthal, Stainless Steel), and the Nickel and SS versions are used with Temp Control mods.
As for drip-tips... I've picked up some from Fasttech or Gearbest... they're roughly twice as tall (18-20mm high) as the ones that come with them, and slightly smaller in diameter... they work well to prevent heat on the lips, and I prefer SS tips over those short delrin tips. I will use a delrin tip (longer one) if I'm using it outside in sub-zero weather, lol. But as for reducing heat, I think any drip-tip over 20mm will help.
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They are identical in function... the square OCC are the older version, and the round SSOCC are the newer version with an all Stainless Steel case construction. The wire inside them are the same regardless of the shape of the coil-head casing, which is probably Nichrome. If the o-ring seal at the bottom is red, then it is Nictrome. Blue = Ni200, Black = Clapton (Kanthal), and Pink = SS 316L (for TC)
I personally prefer the square ones with horizontal coils, but they quit making those, and moved to all vertical coils. But rest-assured, both coils you received are identical in function, and the round ones let you get in a few extra drops of juice in the tank... because they take up less volume.
- Patricia and Christopher
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Hahaha... I've leaned to keep my vape gear in my office, and my fiance' has leaned to ignore any new packages
She does, however, roll her eyes often when she sees a "new" mod or tank... but often it is a mod she's just not seen "lately", or a new set of different colored o-rings, not a new tank... I honestly haven't bought that much new stuff in the past year... I swear!
She did mention casually that she'd need a WHITE mod for the wedding in June...
Little does she know she has a white 75W Topbox Kit sitting on the shelf in my office (tank cleaned and ready to use), just waiting for mother's day to give it to her...
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Today, I received my Vape Mail from the VT Store! YAY, Thanks @Christopher for getting those coils and the TopBox Platinum into the warehouse for me!
- 2 boxes 1.6 Ohm Nautilus BVC for my gal
- 2 boxes 0.5 Ohm SU316 SSOCC for me
- Several meters of NiChrome wire in assorted gauges for my RBA deck and OCC head rebuilding
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1 absolutely gorgeous TopBox Mini Platinum Yes, it is the all SS body version, not the unpainted Aluminum body.
I am one HAPPY vaper this morning
- Walt, Tam, Foofightervapegirl and 1 other
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@Christopher I'm not trying to be the spelling overlord, but when you hover over the "Coils & Heads" in the top menu bar... the first selection option reads " Drop in Coils & Hands"
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6 minutes ago, FXRich said:
I have subtank minis, and toptank minis, and they use the same coils. They even use the same coils as the subtank Nano except the RBA don't fit.
Yeah, the RBA doesn't fit in the Nano (not tried the TopNano, lol)...
But as for the Subtank and TopTank mini... both use the same coils (Square) OCC, (Round) SSOCC, and both versions of the RBA (original or RBA+).
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The round ones are SSOCC bodies, but have different coil wire inside them, based on color-coding of the o-rings.
The pink o-ring ones are the called the SU316 SSOCC... They are 0.5 Ohm 316L wire which can be ran in Wattage-mode or TC mode if your mod can handle SS wire
- Clapton (black o-ring, Kanthal wire)
- NI200 (blue o-ring, Nickel wire)
- SUS316 (pink o-ring, 316L wire)
- Standards (red o-ring, Nichrome wire in 0.15, 0.5, 1.2, and 1.5 Ohm resistances)
The 75W Toptank kit MOD will run SS wire as well as Nichrome in TC mode
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15 minutes ago, cany said:
Thank you Sir @Earthling789 I picked up the kit havent opened it I thought it used the same coils as the subtank mini lol
Yep, same coils as the Subtank mini and Nano (and a few other tanks)... It will use the RBA, square coils (OCC) and round coils (SSOCC)... but the MOD handles TC /TCR with SS and Nichrome coils (just like the larger Wattage Kboxes), but in a single-18650 configuration.
Upon further looking at the Toptank kit (in silver), it looks like it is the basic version (not the Platinum). This is okay because it is all Aluminum and not painted like the black/red/white versions are. I was actually after the Platinum Kit which is all polished SS and a little heavier/sturdier. At least being Aluminum, I won't mix it up with the other (Platinum) I have... It's nice to have things a "little" different
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Well, the VT store does have the new SU316 Kanger coils... 0.5 Ohm 316L wire coils for TC (or Wattage-mode). I gave them a try and I love them for TC, which is why I picked up another 75W kit... they handle SS and Nichrome in TC mode
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1 minute ago, cany said:
@Earthling789 Is Platinum something new?
No, it's the same TopTank kit... 75W, single 18650 TC Mod... but it has no "paint" on it... all SS body so no worries about paint-chips or fading
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It's all good... I've got my TopTank Platinum, 316L coils... and some Natty coils for my gal, so by end of the week, I'll be in good shape
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1 minute ago, Christopher said:
Odd. So when you mention the zip code issue, was it on the age verification page or the age checker itself ?
My billing info was already there (address/phone), I entered my CC info, checked the box for TOS, then hit age verification / complete order... Age verification went right through, but then it returned to the checkout screen with an error that said my billing postal code was invalid. At that time, all my billing info was greyed-out and I could not change anything other than my phone number.
Next time through, I changed the zip code first, then entered my CC info, checked the box and had to go through age verification again... but it processed the order without issue that time.
Two more tools for the insufferable geek
in Coil Builds
Posted
You can remove the battery, remove the stem from the mechanism, and lift the mechanism from the case... only the case can be cleaned under basic cleaning/service.
The mechanism has gears as well as the electronic module... you "can" disassemble the mechanism to remove all the gears, levers, springs, etc. and THEY can be cleaned, oiled and re-assembled, but anything electronic cannot be cleaned. I'd not disassemble the mechanism for cleaning unless it is really dirty or unable to keep time... or if a battery only lasts a year or less, which would indicate dirt is stressing the mechanism, wearing down the battery faster than it should.
Another thing to consider when cleaning a case is to make sure you don't damage the water-seals (unless you replace them after cleaning), and the case must be 100% clean, dry, and dust-free before re-assembly.