# Help me move on up!



## StevenToast (7/2/16)

Hey everyone.

I've had an entry level Titan Pro BVC vape for about three or four months now. It just cannot cut it anymore, after having the very odd opportunity to try out some acquaintances mods, which really stood out to me in terms of vape production and flavour, all leading to a much more satisfactory vape experience.

I need some help to move up from what I have, and firstly here are some preferences:

- Relatively compact in size
- Flavour and vape production is seriously valued
- Longer battery life the better
- Long term options to explore different configurations etc

I'm very interested in the Wismec Reuleux RX200, loving the aesthetics of it and actually held one in store the other day. They are quite pricey however, and I understand I would need 3 18650 batteries for that, which is just more cost to worry about. However, the price difference between the RX200 and the Presa from VapeMob doesn't seem significant enough for the Presa to seem worth it for me. The big plus of the Presa to me is size.

Then on to atty's: RDA, or RTA?

I love the size and look of RDA's, and either way I want to be doing my own coil builds.

My RDA interest is on the Wismec Bambino and the Wotofo Sapor (loving what both has to offer), or on the other hand I also like the idea of getting going with a tank that I can carry around with me without the hassle of dripping. I like the affordability of the Goblin Mini Tank, and have heard fairly good things about it on the forum.

Any advice is appreciated! I'm itching to get my hands on a new MOD. My Titan Pro ego battery cant even hold a charge anymore, its a real piece of junk that spits out sad whisps of vapour.

*edit: The eVic VTC Mini Mod is also rather appealing in terms of size, affordability, and general function.

**edit 2: (I just keep adding to this lol) I would also loooove a Mini Volt. They are super nice and I love the look and size. However, Sir vape seems to be out and nobody else has them


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## Vapington (7/2/16)

Cuboid and Goblin Mini V2 and you sorted

Reactions: Like 2


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## Cobrali (7/2/16)

Cuboid..i have one and battery life on 2 18650's lasts me about 6hours chain vaping on 35w

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Reactions: Informative 1


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## blujeenz (7/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Hey everyone.
> 
> I've had an entry level Titan Pro BVC vape for about three or four months now. It just cannot cut it anymore, after having the very odd opportunity to try out some acquaintances mods, which really stood out to me in terms of vape production and flavour, all leading to a much more satisfactory vape experience.
> 
> ...



If you love small ( evic VTC and MiniVolt) may I suggest the iJoy Solo mini @ R999 from Vapemob, more rounded the the VTC and supports all existing coil wire materials out of the box. I love mine.
Top that with the Goblin mini V1 on special @ R350. I have one but not too keen on the DTL style, prefer my Kayfun 3.1

Reactions: Thanks 1 | Informative 1


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## StevenToast (7/2/16)

blujeenz said:


> If you love small ( evic VTC and MiniVolt) may I suggest the iJoy Solo mini @ R999 from Vapemob, more rounded the the VTC and supports all existing coil wire materials out of the box. I love mine.
> Top that with the Goblin mini V1 on special @ R350. I have one but not too keen on the DTL style, prefer my Kayfun 3.1


Thanks! The Solo mini does look quite appealing I must say. And everyone seems to be shouting for the Goblin Mini's  I like the idea of getting the Goblin Mini on special, seems like a good option to me. What do you mean by DTL style, @blujeenz?

And then, what coil material is recommended for getting started with builds? What builds are good for a beginner. And other than wick and wire, what other materials might I need? Especially for winding around etc? And for example, when I first get my mod, how shall I decide what power to run it first and all that jazz?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Lingogrey (7/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Hey everyone.
> 
> I've had an entry level Titan Pro BVC vape for about three or four months now. It just cannot cut it anymore, after having the very odd opportunity to try out some acquaintances mods, which really stood out to me in terms of vape production and flavour, all leading to a much more satisfactory vape experience.
> 
> ...


Hi again @StevenToast

There's been two recommendations for a Cuboid so far and from what I understand it's a great mod. However, I've also heard and read that it's not much lighter than a RX200, although the shape would certainly make it more pocket friendly. I love my RX200, but personally I would not want to have it as my only mod, as it's quite awkward to carry around (certainly very hand-friendly, but not pocket-friendly). On the other hand, I have a Mini Volt as well and it's a great little stealth (discreet vaping) setup, but I also wouldn't want to have it as my only mod. The battery life is quite limited and that kind of limits you to higher ohm builds or coils (if you want the battery to last for a few hours at least). Although 40 W is an ample amount of power, you would often want quite a bit more power for RDA's (whether you get a tank or a RDA now - at least you would want your mod to be able to handle RDA's if you decide to get one) and if you run it on 40 W or close the battery will be depleted in no time.

The VTC Mini is a great mod IMO. Compact, but with very good battery life for a single 18650 mod and loaded with features (all working well). I don't know anything about the IJoy Solo Mini suggested by @blujeenz, but it certainly is pretty and if he suggests it I am sure it must be good.

I have a Goblin Mini V1 on my Mini Volt and it's a good little tank. The screw bottom fill can get a bit tedious if that's your only tank though and the build deck limits you to smaller diameter coils. Therefore, if you decide to get a Goblin Mini - I would strongly recommend rather looking at the V2, available at Lungcandy or J & J Emporium.

On the topics of tanks - have you considered the Crius? It's very easy to build on and wick (quite a bit easier than the Goblin Mini), so if you're getting into RTA's that might be a good option.

On the topics of RTA's vs. RDA's. There are quite a few people that exclusively use RDA's, even when they're out and about. Generally, most prefer tanks / bottom fed RDA's (where you've actually got a little squeeze bottle inside your mod {usually these are mechanical mods, without electronics to adjust the wattages etc. and your battery level determines the power} 'squonking' juice into your RDA through a channel in the center pin) for out and about purposes. However - if you're quite set on getting a RDA as your primary atomizer, the Sapor would be my first choice. It has great flavour, but more importantly to this topic - it doesn't leak at all (the Bambino will - side airflow that can't be closed off. The airflow is also non-adjustable, so you'll have quite an airy vape without the option of closing it down a bit) and you can drip a very large amount of juice in one go. Some Sapors do have an issue with the positive post coming loose though, after which the atty is basically a paperweight. Mine did this (new one waiting at the post office), but it doesn't seem to be that widespread of an issue.

Reactions: Like 3 | Thanks 1


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## Lingogrey (7/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Thanks! The Solo mini does look quite appealing I must say. And everyone seems to be shouting for the Goblin Mini's  I like the idea of getting the Goblin Mini on special, seems like a good option to me. What do you mean by DTL style, @blujeenz?
> 
> And then, what coil material is recommended for getting started with builds? What builds are good for a beginner. And other than wick and wire, what other materials might I need? Especially for winding around etc? And for example, when I first get my mod, how shall I decide what power to run it first and all that jazz?


Technically, all you will need is some wire and wick (if you're only going to get one type of wire, Stainless Steel 316L might be a good choice. You can run it in power / wattage mode and in temperature control mode on all the mods mentioned besides the Mini Volt. In my personal opinion, 26 AWG is a good general purpose gauge). You can then manually wrap the wire on some screwdrivers / drill bits of different diameters (2, 2.5 and 3 being the most common for coil builds), clip your wire with nailclippers and use tweezers / needle nose pliers for adjusting your coils WHEN NOT FIRING. However, a coiler kit such as the Kurro style, Coil Master or UD kits makes wrapping coils a lot easier and faster. Flush cutters are also very handy and ceramic tip tweezers allow you to adjust the coils whilst firing. If you decide to get all of that, it might be worth it to consider rather buying a complete tool kit such as the Coil Master V3 kit, the UD Master kit or the Geekvape kit. The complete kits often work out quite a bit cheaper than buying even two thirds of the elements separately.

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## StevenToast (7/2/16)

Awesome!I think I will have to make do without a tool kit at first, that will be something to look at down the line definitely though.

So I think my decision is: Cuboid mod with a Goblin Mini V2! 

Ill get started with that on some 26ga SS coils, and for the wicks its regular cotton wick right? 

Then I will definitely cure my RDA interest in the future after recovering financially from this purchase, probably will go for the Sapor! 

I think I'll order from Lung Candy as their prices are the best.

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## blujeenz (7/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> What do you mean by DTL style, @blujeenz?



Direct to lung, like bong hits.
mtl is like sipping on a straw, like analog cigs

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## Lingogrey (7/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Awesome!I think I will have to make do without a tool kit at first, that will be something to look at down the line definitely though.
> 
> So I think my decision is: Cuboid mod with a Goblin Mini V2!
> 
> ...


I would say the most common wicking materials would be (Koh Gen Do / Muji) organic Japanese cotton (Koh Gen Do available at Vapemob for R 40 for 5 sheets) and quite a number of people use vape specific cottons like Cotton Bacon or Vapers Choice Cotton (both available at Lung Candy). Rayon is also highly rated by some (R 20 from Vapemob). Dove cotton available at Dischem / Clicks also work quite well (although some would question whether cotton not labeled explicitly as organic would be safe to vape on) as a budget option, but for me it's not as easy to wick with as organic cotton sheets.

Lung Candy doesn't have SS wire listed on their site, so if they don't have you could consider getting them here: http://www.vaperscorner.co.za/shop/product/ss316l-wire-619?category=94

Great quality SS wire and the price includes free shipping. 

Enjoy your new toys and let us know how it goes!

Reactions: Thanks 1 | Informative 1


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## Salamander (7/2/16)

My 2c worth, the cuboid is a brilliant mod and although a little heavy quite easy in the pocket. As far as tanks go, I have 2 suggestions. The Serpent is a very easy tank to rebuild, but has the limitation of being a single coil deck. It has a very easy top fill and doesn't leak. The Crius is a dual coil deck and also top fill and easy to build. 
The bottom fill screw on the Goblin is a serious issue for me.

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## Kuhlkatz (7/2/16)

Hi @StevenToast ,

The Cuboid is a steal for it's price, but it is quite heavy, so be 100% sure that you are comfy with the weight of the Cuboid before you pull the trigger. It is in the same weight class the the Rolo, despite the slightly smaller form factor and one less battery. I was eyeing one for extended battery life from 2 x 18650s, but due to the weight, rather opted for it's slimmer brother, the Evic VTC Mini instead. Less than three weeks old, and it's already got 8420 8450 puffs on the clock. (too much editing  on the post)
You can charge batteries in the VTC Mini and vape while it charges (passthrough), but it takes about 15 seconds to slide off the sleeve and swap in a fresh battery. The only niggle i have with it is that some tanks, like the Subtank Mini might not screw on 100% tight. It has a slight rattle when you wiggle the mod, but obviously does not affect the vape or performance, but somehow still grinds my gears.

A common moan about the Goblin Mini V1 is the sweating directly onto the mod, as the minimalistic shape has no 'catch cup' at the bottom. Not sure if the V2 does less sweating, but that part is still minimalistic. Fellow forumites that rock this atty all have the same opinion: it is an excellent flavor atty.
The Crius v3 with the Velocity style 2 post design is dead easy to build on, and is a top fill as well.
If you prefer to use commercial coils, look at the Cubis tank. It's virtually leak proof.

Big decisions to make on new gear, but anything that keeps you off stinkies is a good buy.

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## Big_Al (7/2/16)

The RX is a fantastic mod and well worth it. It is also easy to use the TC with the mod (for Ni, Ti and SS wire) making it a great daily Vape. The only negative is the size...not very pocket friendly but not an issue if you carry it in your hand like I do...just don't drop it!

As for tanks...if you want flavour and clouds and plan on building then I would strongly suggest that you look at the Geek Vape Griffin tank. It's just hit the market and is making big waves for its ability to deliver flavour and clouds. I picked mine up yesterday and my experience has been fantastic so far.

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## Silver (8/2/16)

Hi @StevenToast and welcome to the forum.
Congrats on the original post. Certainly the way to go in order to get some help and advice on what to buy.

I've come in here quite late and the guys above have all suggested superbly so I wont be able to add much to that. 

Regarding what mod to get - i think one will find after a while one needs two or three mods. Maybe one high power machine, one daily workhorse and perhaps one stealthy one for portability. In vaping, one always needs a backup too. Another thing I will add. Dont get too swayed by power, many folk seldom go above 50 or 60 Watts despite having a 200W mod. 

Regarding atties. I think you need both an RTA and a RDA. RTA for convenience and daily carry and RDA for tinkering and cloud blowing when you feel like it. I would say at this stage, the RDA is more of an optional thing and the RTA (tank) is a must. Regarding single coil versus dual coil, as a first time builder, single coil is easier. But with the right deck, duals are easy. On some decks, installing duals can be tricky and frustrating. You need to try both over time and see what you prefer. I slightly prefer single coil just for simplicity and the lowish power I tend to vape at.

This is a journey and it is never ending. Its great to see you are taking your time to consider your purchase carefully. Remember that at the end of the day, you will discover things that you like and dislike irrespective of what other vapers say or advise. Has happened to me many times.

And dont forget to spend some time considering what juices to put into your new set up. The better the gear, the better the juices need to be because it amplifies the taste - both on the good and bad side...

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## StevenToast (8/2/16)

Thanks everyone for the amazing help! I really appreciate it. Im ITCHING to get a nice setup going. A few further questions, does anybody have experience with the Wismec Presa? The look and size of it is an absolute winner for me, and its a single 18650 which only helps out budget wise for now (but less battery life I know).

Then also, I'm now looking at the Kanger Subtank mini, as it looks like something that could be good to get started out on. And it's R350 from Vape Mob. What's nice is it seems to come pre packaged with some coil wire and wick, which seems mighty convenient to me - a nice way to get into it all. How would this compare to say, the Goblin Mini?

Thanks! I actually hope I can head to VapeMob today and get my new setup! I cant wait any longer!

edit*: THERES JUST SO MUCH!! What about the Youde Bellus?


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## Salamander (8/2/16)

Hi Steven, welcome to the edge of a very slippery slope. The advice you are getting is all good, however, each person wants and expects something different. This is where the slippery slope comes in - you always want to try something different and new. You mentioned the Subtank Mini - I thought it was wonderful when I got it, and still use it but find that my vaping style has changed and want something with more airflow. It is a good starting point, but don't expect that your first purchase will be your last.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Lingogrey (8/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Thanks everyone for the amazing help! I really appreciate it. Im ITCHING to get a nice setup going. A few further questions, does anybody have experience with the Wismec Presa? The look and size of it is an absolute winner for me, and its a single 18650 which only helps out budget wise for now (but less battery life I know).
> 
> Then also, I'm now looking at the Kanger Subtank mini, as it looks like something that could be good to get started out on. And it's R350 from Vape Mob. What's nice is it seems to come pre packaged with some coil wire and wick, which seems mighty convenient to me - a nice way to get into it all. How would this compare to say, the Goblin Mini?
> 
> ...



The Subtank Mini is a very good tank as your first rebuildable option and you can use stock coils as well. The deck is designed for single coils (although there is a way to fit double coils) and it's convenient and easy to build on. The Bellus is a good tank with very good flavour, but quite tricky and sometimes just a real PITA to build and wick. Personally I would definitely not recommend that as a first rebuildable tank. 

The Wismec Presa (I assume you're referring to the 75W TC?) uses the same chipset to the VTC Mini as far as I know and has a very similar screen (Joyetech, Wismec and Eleaf are basically subsidiaries of the same holding company) and Wismec has really been putting out quality products - so it should be a very good mod.

The 18650 battery that you get for your mod is also an important thing to consider. I see that Vapemob stocks almost exclusively Efest batteries (and Sony VTC4's). There has been some credible tests done recently that SOME of the Efest 3000 mAh batteries rated for 35 amps (your amps would be basically the amount of stress that you can continuously put on the battery whilst remaining safe) are actually rewrapped 10 amp batteries (even those that aren't are more realistically 20 amps max, rather than 35). Personally I would stay away from those batteries, as you never know which ones you're going to get.

As @Silver said, juice choices are also very important. Besides getting good flavors that works well with higher power, you might also want to consider dropping your nicotine by one level (for instance 18 mg to 12 mg) as the nic delivery of higher powered devices are more effective and you will also be going through juice a lot faster on them. Vapour Mountain in Brackenfell, whose juices are highly rated, has a great special running at the moment: http://www.ecigssa.co.za/buy-2-get-1-free-and-stand-a-chance-to-win-a-reuleaux.t19275/

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## StevenToast (8/2/16)

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!!! I did it. Took the plunge today, and admitted to being broke af for the rest of the month (I'm a student).







Ended up getting the eVic VTC Mini and a Crius tank!! Its beautiful. Flavour is just amaaazing. The nice guy at the Vape Mob store helped me out with the first build on it. Current build is a dual kanthal setup running at 0.61 ohms at 30 watts. IM VERY HAPPY!

A few further noob Q's, if you guys don't mind. And once again, thank you to each and every one of you for your input and help, I seriously value and appreciate it all.
---------------------

1. When the coils were first built, they were reading at 0.29 ohms, but after vaping for a bit they now read 0.61. Why is this?

2. While testing it out on the drive back home, I had closed the tank portholes to the wick, and took about three hits, then noticed a burnt cotton taste. I presume this is a dry hit? Could my actions have compromised on the wicks life or quality significantly?

3. I didn't realize how much these things can really EAT juice. Will running at a lower wattage help slow the speed of consumption?

4. It seems I can only do lung hits with this, even when the air holes are as closed off as possible. I'm okay with this, its still great. Is it OK to continue pulling a tiny bit after having released the fire button, to get in those last few wisps of vapour from the chamber? Or should I only be inhaling while the fire button is being pressed.

5. Chain vaping? I'm quite partial to this practice. Is there any worry of burning out the coils/wick by chaining too hard? And also, whats the longest inhale I should be doing, or is it okay to take quite long ones (above 5-6 seconds?)


THANK YOU ALL!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 2


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## Lingogrey (8/2/16)

Hi @StevenToast

Congratulations! Great gear that you've got there. The VTC Mini (really my favourite mod out of everything I've tried or owned) and Crius (favourite tank) is my all day dependable setup.

As far as your questions are concerned:

1. A slight jump / fall in resistance after the coils have settled is normal, but definitely not by that big a margin. Do you know the details of the build - What gauge Kanthal, what inner diameter and how many wraps? In the meantime, also make sure that all the grub screws are properly tightened. 
2. That sounds like a dry hit. If it was a very slightly burnt (more just dry cotton) taste for a moment and you immediately stopped firing, it probably wouldn't have really singed (scorched) the wick to a significant extent. If it was quite a bit worse (you should have at least coughed a bit ), it probably did. Even if so, it's easy and cheap to rewick (and dry burn) and it's something you should be doing every few tanks at least in any case.
3. Running it at a lower wattage will lower juice consumption somewhat. I know that some people also close the juice flow control about half way and they say that it lowers juice consumption to an extent.
4. It is possible to sort of do MTL with the Crius, but it's definitely not great or designed for that. What you're doing with inhaling a bit after firing is fine. You can do that for 10 seconds if you like and it won't do any damage to the tank, but might look silly after 5 seconds or so 
5. 5 - 6 Seconds inhales are fine. It should also be fine for your mod and tank to chain vape as long as you give your wick a few seconds between pulls to resaturate and if you ever chain vape near the top spectrum of your mod's power range (75 W would be a very warm vape on a Crius, so I wouldn't personally want to really chain vape that), be very mindful of when your mod / battery starts getting warmer.

Enjoy!

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## StevenToast (8/2/16)

Lingogrey said:


> Hi @StevenToast
> 
> Congratulations! Great gear that you've got there. The VTC Mini (really my favourite mod out of everything I've tried or owned) and Crius (favourite tank) is my all day dependable setup.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much @Lingogrey!

And for changing flavours, do you worry about re wicking each time? I would like to change from my mob premium vanilla to the premium mango just now. I was thinking of running the vanilla down to just above the wick holes in the tank, then emptying out the remaining vanilla and fill her up with some mango. However this seems a bit tricky?


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## Lingogrey (8/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Thanks so much @Lingogrey!
> 
> And for changing flavours, do you worry about re wicking each time? I would like to change from my mob premium vanilla to the premium mango just now. I was thinking of running the vanilla down to just above the wick holes in the tank, then emptying out the remaining vanilla and fill her up with some mango. However this seems a bit tricky?


Pleasure! It's probably better to rewick if one can when changing flavours (and definitely when switching from something like a rich desert to a tangy refreshing fruit). However, I often just do what you are planning to do now when I'm changing between relatively similar / compatible flavours. It's not really tricky - you pretty much do as you said and vape till the remaining juice is barely covering the juice holes; then screw out the deck and either just carefully shake the tank with the open bottom facing down over a sink or preferably rinse it out (you could always open the side top fill and hold it under moderately running water - distilled or spring would be best - so the water is kind of 'forced' through the whole tank), shake it carefully to get as much water out as you can and let it dry for a while. If you don't have the patience for that wait right now, some flavours work quite well together and adding a new one to a tiny bit of the rest is often quite nice (I'm not personally a big mango or vanilla fan, but I'm thinking that they might work well together)


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## Kuhlkatz (8/2/16)

StevenToast said:


> Thanks so much @Lingogrey!
> 
> And for changing flavours, do you worry about re wicking each time? I would like to change from my mob premium vanilla to the premium mango just now. I was thinking of running the vanilla down to just above the wick holes in the tank, then emptying out the remaining vanilla and fill her up with some mango. However this seems a bit tricky?



The best is likely to re-wick for flavor changes, as you might experience some very odd combo flavors if you mix them 
That is one of the reasons why I still love and use my Subtank Mini V1 and my Billow V2. I can vape them till the last drop with no dry hits. A change of juice is a piece of old takkie. I'm a lazy bugger, so usually just add 1 or 2 squirts of a new flavour, roll it around the tank to mix and 'absorb' the previous flavour and then finish that bit off if I cannot rinse the tank top. No remnants of the older flavor then when you do a full refill. NB: Will NOT work when switching from menthols - a very good wash is needed.
With cotton or rayon wicks, the new flavor is there after the second or third drag. The Crius might be a bit more tricky, as the juice holes are slightly bigger. If you dump the remaining juice and rinse the top, the effect should be the same though.

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## Big_Al (8/2/16)

@Lingogrey summed it all up pretty well. Great advice there.
@StevenToast congrats on a great setup. The feeling of total satisfaction with your Vape is fantastic isn't it? 


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## Big_Al (8/2/16)

@StevenToast and your first dry hit as well...that is certainly a rite of passage in my opinion. Welcome! 


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## Big_Al (8/2/16)

I have never managed to get rid of menthols and mints from my coils...even with vodka. That's the type of juice that just lingers...some flavours such as Apple and Cherry become nice and icy with just a hint of menthol so it's not all bad.


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