tobeco Kaylite fun

[regal]

I've been trying to build a tobecos Kaylite for a few weeks now. I use the micro coil method (1.5mm rod) with sterile cotton. Now I wet the coil with ejuice when I am done and put the chimney on and fill it thru the Phillips screw hole on the bottom. I have tried many variations with the cotton, make sure not to block the channels. I've tried a lot of cotton and a little cotton and in between.

What I get is initial heavenly best tatse I've ever experienced but the cotton just quits wicking and I end up with a burnt cotton flavor.

I have some rayon to try today, but I feel like I am missing some fundamental for the wicking to not be occurring. If anyone has any input I would appreciate it.

thanks

[LOSTSOUL VAPORZ]

Well I'm new to this as well but I had the same issue with my kayfun clone yesterday! I made a 2mm coil with 26 gauge wire 10 wraps but I used the silica wick that came with my kayfun. I was getting a burnt taste so I did some looking around. I had my wick on the juice channels thinking it would be best but seems like it was blocking the path of the juice. Check your coil for any hot spots, your coil should glow evenly from the center outward, I believe that can also give u a burnt taste. Your wick should move easily thru the coil, have the right amount. What I did was made my coil a little bigger, 2.4mm & 9 wraps so that my wick would fit nicely & not have to put less. I pushed the ends of the wick to the sides instead of having them on the juice channels but right next to them. I juiced them up enough to were I seen a beed come out the channels & it worked fine for me! Before all that I fired up the coil first & squeezed it will it was hot with some needle nose to keep the coils tight. Just make sure u don't have the battery firing while u do this! Lol this worked for me I'm no expert I just started my self so I can relate to your problem! Hope this helps & maybe a vet can chime in with better info. Good luck

[regal]

Thanks, I've been watching these micro-coil builds on you-tube and I think they are mis-leading. Where I was going wrongis not being able to pull the wick back and forth thru the coil as you mentioned. The cotton was so tightly packed that the juice couldn't flow thru it. I've got a 2mm coil now and am using rayon, so far I've gone a day without burning the wick.

[LOSTSOUL VAPORZ]

Nice! Get your vape on!!!!

[Richstag]

I don't know differences between the clone and my authentic but wicking was the main key on mine as well.

I found I had to get it right for different fluids.

A few things I learned:

Not too tight or too loose in the coil.

When you pull the cotton off the cotton ball, pull it out in parallel strands, not just ripping a bunch out. Seemed to help mine a lot.

Work the cotton nice and consistent with juice once its installed.

Don't mush it tight by accident.

Cut it to fall right before the fluid channels.

I made a new coil just for wicking purposes and so far so good.

Here is a pic of my latest.

IMG_20140620_215139 by Richstag, on Flickr

I would think it would translate to the clones but Im not sure.

The other key was getting the airflow right to provide the right vacuum on the juice channels while still having good flow for the coil.

maybe helpful?

[Richstag]

I have to also agree, getting the coil to glow even from center out was another of the very most important keys.

[regal]

I don't know differences between the clone and my authentic but wicking was the main key on mine as well.

I found I had to get it right for different fluids.

A few things I learned:

Not too tight or too loose in the coil.

When you pull the cotton off the cotton ball, pull it out in parallel strands, not just ripping a bunch out. Seemed to help mine a lot.

Work the cotton nice and consistent with juice once its installed.

Don't mush it tight by accident.

Cut it to fall right before the fluid channels.

I made a new coil just for wicking purposes and so far so good.

Here is a pic of my latest.

IMG_20140620_215139 by Richstag, on Flickr

I would think it would translate to the clones but Im not sure.

The other key was getting the airflow right to provide the right vacuum on the juice channels while still having good flow for the coil.

maybe helpful?

I could never get a coil and wick that perfect, I'm afraid the Kaylight just isn't my cup of tea.

[LOSTSOUL VAPORZ]

I know some vape shops will make a coil for free when you buy something like juice etc. Just keep trying you'll get it.

[Richstag]

Yeah man, keep trying. It's really very easy. Maybe you just need someone to show you the basics in person.

[regal]

I am afraid my problem is arthritis and old shaky hands, I did my 12th build last night and it tastes like rayon. I'm switching back to the Aerotank. Hopefully the coils will go down in price.

[Richstag]

I feel like you would really get a lot of advantages out of letting a pro build you a coil. They last a really long time. Then all you would have to do is re-wick it and burn it off during re-wicking. These coils last a long, long time. You would be saving a lot of money. Also, the vapor is much better. Maybe you could ask one of the guys at your local shop to set you up with a 1.6 ohm 28 gauge coil and wick it for you. Making a wick is very easy out of the right cotton balls. You just pull a group of parallel strands away and cut them at the ends. Roll them by twisted in your thumb and finger. Slide it into the coil, cut to basic length and put some of your oil on the wick. Then push it down just behind the channels and thats really it.

Then you will be spending about a nickel on wicks a month and coil is basically free too.

[regal]

I live out in the sticks, walmart is an hour drive, people look at my VTR like its a bomb so no local pros. I'm 75% sure that the Kaylights over-rated compared to the Aerotank ,I mean I've been messing with it for a month.

But I didn't lose all hope and ordered some of the pre-made coils from fastech.

[LOSTSOUL VAPORZ]

I live out in the sticks, walmart is an hour drive, people look at my VTR like its a bomb so no local pros. I'm 75% sure that the Kaylights over-rated compared to the Aerotank ,I mean I've been messing with it for a month.

But I didn't lose all hope and ordered some of the pre-made coils from fastech.

I have an aero tank & the kayfun, the aero tank is great but the kayfun gets me a much better vape! Maybe someone here can make you a coil? I'll make you one once I get ready to clean out my tank.

[Richstag]

Yeah, my buddy has the aerotank. Not the same ballpark IMO.

[regal]

As in aerotank is better, cause that was I'm seeing. Much more modern and fool-proof. Only issue is the cost of coils.

[Mr Smith]

I can see how it could be discouraging as when I went cowboy at building my first coil I made a mess and it wasn't working right and I really didn't know WTF I was doing.

I also have kinda shaky hands so I feel your pain there.

That said: once I figured out what I was doing, building the coil was a sinch.

You first need the proper tools for the job and the proper wire and object to wrap with.

I can give you a brief text tutorial of building a coil here...

what you will need:

28g kanthal wire

5/64" drill bit (they cost $3 at the hardware store, go get one!)

a butane or propane torch. (I use a butane pen torch)

1 pair of wire cutters

1 pair of tweezers or needle nose pliers

napkins and lots of them...or paper towels.. juice is messy!

Build the coil:

take about a 6" lengh of wire and cut it off the spool.

either hold the wire in your hand or with the needle nose if you feel safer doing that (the wire cools rapidly and doesn't transfer heat down the wire) and torch the entire length of wire. You want it to glow orange for a second or so at all points. We basically do this to make the wire easier to work with and less springy so it holds its shape better.

Flip the wire and do the other end you were holding so it gets heated to glowing orange at all points. cooling should only take seconds..

now take the drill bit and hold it in one hand with the smooth end facing outwards and hold down about an inch of the wire with your thumb to the drill bit and using your other hand begin to wrap the wire around the drill bit trying to keep the wire wraps as close as possible to eachother. wrap it 9 times and then give it an extra 1/2 wrap to make each end of the wire facing opposite of each other.

Now that it is wrapped, gently slide the coil off of the bit and then gently squeeze the coil together with your tweezers or pliers so all wraps are touching and even, and then torch it for about 10 seconds evenly heating the entire coil so it all glows orange. now let it cool for about 10 more seconds while still holding gentle pressure against the coil.

At this point you should be able to let off pressure and the coil should hold its shape. If it does not, repeat the previous step until it does.

Now that it is holding a nice clean shape you will put the drill bit back through the coil so it maintains its shape while we attach it to the deck of the kayfun and position it.

place it on the deck and wrap one lead around the screw and tighten it down. now wrap the second lead around the other screw and tighten it down as well. now use the bit and position the coil where you want it which is ideally very close to the airhole on the deck and centered over the airhole on the deck without actually touching the deck.. once it is in place there, trim or break off the excess wire and you should have a nice clean coil.

At this point you can remove the drill bit and test your coil by either reading resistance or seeing if your device can fire it. This coil should come out to about 1.2-1.3ohms.

Now take a cotton ball and tear off a small length of it. roll it up in the shape of a joint and see if it will begin to fit through your coil. If not unroll it and tear off more cotton from the piece you are working with and recheck it. Just roll it like dough in your hand till it fits through. it should pull through with ease but still be touching the coil without feeling like it is going to tug on the coil.

once you get to that point where it is a little resistance in the pull but not over snug or tight, then bend each end down to the deck for a quick rough measurement and trim the cotton so it will touch the bottom of the deck and a tiny extra... once trimmed, fluff out the ends of the cotton so they are no longer rolled up.

Should look something like this:

now take your juice and wet the cotton with it getting it nice and saturated with juice and put a little bit on the top of the coil as well. top and bottom of the wick...

That prime of the wick is going to do two things for you: one it prevents a dry fire for the first fire of the coil, and two it acts like a paste to help stick the wick to the sides/base of the deck so you can put the base piece and stove pipe on without running over the wick. Now assemble the rest of your tank, fill it up with juice, and let her rip!

I find that 3.5v on my vamo gives a nice flavorful vape with that particular coil/wick setup. I also run my airflow wide open.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[regal]

DO you put the bottom half of the chimney on before or after you soak the wick?

[Mr Smith]

No, I soak it first and then stick it to the sides before I screw the bottom half in place... The juice helps hold it in place so the threads don't run over it.