# How Far?



## Mida Khan (12/10/17)

Do you remember the excitement, the intimidation and the glory after getting your first build right? 

What did you start with and How far have you come?

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## Silver (12/10/17)

Great thread @Mida Khan

My first proper build was done for me by a friend at a vape meet back in late 2013

I think my first solo build was somewhere around the beginning of 2014
I cant remember if it was on the mini protanks (thanks to a RipTrippers video) or if it was on the IGO-L dripper. 

Here's an old thread around that time
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/kayfun-versus-i-g-o-l-initial-impressions.t1372/

My first subohm build was on the Kayfun clone around that time and will never forget the evening i did it. Several forumites stayed up and helped me to get it right on the forum. 

It was an amazing feeling vaping on your own coil. So much excitement.

Since then Ive built lots of coils on several devices. But my coil building skills have not changed much. Im just a bit faster. I dont do exotics or claptons etc.

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## RenaldoRheeder (12/10/17)

It was just the other day, but it feels like ages ago. My wife brought a Serpent SMM with form SA in July. I used pre-made coils to start with and I had @Rob Fisher standing by on FB Messenger for advice. One failed wicking and second one spot on. What a thrilling experience!!! I now make my own simple round wire coils and try to build anything that can take a coil and cotton. I have enough toys to experiment with. Will hopefully learn some more before December so that I can stock up and start playing with fancier coils 


Sent by iDad's iPhone

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## Stosta (12/10/17)

Awesome thread!

I remember the sweat and nervousness! I was building a 6 wrap 26g Kanthal coil with a 2mm (or roughly, back then we used the little blue screwdrivers to measure the ID of our coils, no fancy coil sticks) ID. The happiness one felt when it worked out was amazing!

I haven't really changed very much, I've changed my wire and generally build a 2.5mm coil, but still stick to very simple builds.

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## BATMAN (12/10/17)

My first build was a disaster 

I had the kangertech dripbox and I had purchased it second hand.This was about 2 years ago.
After 2 days of using the mod,I noticed that my coils were stuffed and I had received a free 28ga wire with my purchase,so I decided why not try to build my own coils-it cant be that difficult right!

I used a screwdriver and a pair of kitchen scissors,made my coils and vaped that night.I knew they weren't perfect and that something wasn't right as I was unable to adjust the watts on my mod.I knew absolutely NOTHING about building,gauges,internal diameters or even the basics of the different types of wire.

After sometime I had noticed that my mod was getting so hot that it was literally burning my lips and hands,I had placed my mod aside and gone to bed.
In the morning I had picked up my mod to vape and found that the entire mouthpiece had melted into the tank and all over my coils 

PS:I have come very far since then.

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## Stosta (12/10/17)

BATMAN said:


> My first build was a disaster
> 
> I had the kangertech dripbox and I had purchased it second hand.This was about 2 years ago.
> After 2 days of using the mod,I noticed that my coils were stuffed and I had received a free 28ga wire with my purchase,so I decided why not try to build my own coils-it cant be that difficult right!
> ...


Wow! Very lucky there!

So what had happened? Did you just build to low?

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## BATMAN (12/10/17)

Stosta said:


> Wow! Very lucky there!
> 
> So what had happened? Did you just build to low?


Built too low and juice made the button sticky causing it to fire on its own(or not releasing after I pressed it)-terrible experience.

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## Stosta (12/10/17)

BATMAN said:


> Built too low and juice made the button sticky causing it to fire on its own(or not releasing after I pressed it)-terrible experience.


Sjoe, as unfortunate as that was you're lucky that it didn't cause worse.

My Dripbox was benched after I heard reports of it auto-firing. I found the button a little sticky at times so I thought it was only a matter of time before I woke up to a melted mod!

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## Genosmate (12/10/17)

First coils were in an Evod.I'm not sure I've come that far ; take a look at my coil building equipment,paper clip for sticking thru Ready X Wick which I use in squonkers and my trusty nail for coils for the BB etc.Don't really use those tweezer jobbies,I'm just showing off

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## BATMAN (12/10/17)

Stosta said:


> Sjoe, as unfortunate as that was you're lucky that it didn't cause worse.
> 
> My Dripbox was benched after I heard reports of it auto-firing. I found the button a little sticky at times so I thought it was only a matter of time before I woke up to a melted mod!


exactly what happened to me

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## Mida Khan (12/10/17)

Silver said:


> Great thread @Mida Khan
> 
> My first proper build was done for me by a friend at a vape meet back in late 2013
> 
> ...



Thanks for the link 

Luckily you had the help, no kop krapping lol

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## Mida Khan (12/10/17)

You're on a mission!

Post some pic


RenaldoRheeder said:


> It was just the other day, but it feels like ages ago. My wife brought a Serpent SMM with form SA in July. I used pre-made coils to start with and I had @Rob Fisher standing by on FB Messenger for advice. One failed wicking and second one spot on. What a thrilling experience!!! I now make my own simple round wire coils and try to build anything that can take a coil and cotton. I have enough toys to experiment with. Will hopefully learn some more before December so that I can stock up and start playing with fancier coils
> 
> 
> Sent by iDad's iPhone



You're on a mission!

Post some pix when you've accomplished

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## Mida Khan (12/10/17)

BATMAN said:


> My first build was a disaster
> 
> I had the kangertech dripbox and I had purchased it second hand.This was about 2 years ago.
> After 2 days of using the mod,I noticed that my coils were stuffed and I had received a free 28ga wire with my purchase,so I decided why not try to build my own coils-it cant be that difficult right!
> ...



Disaster!

Luckily it didn't melt on your lips

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## Christos (12/10/17)

A year ago I was happy with plain 28 or 26 AWG coils. 

Picture with a 28 awg strand ontop of the coils I'm building now....

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## RenaldoRheeder (12/10/17)

Mida Khan said:


> You're on a mission!
> 
> Post some pic
> 
> ...



Mission, @Mida Khan ? This is more like a freight train out of control

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## SarChasm (12/10/17)

I think it was around June this year, a friend of mine met me at Panarotti's in KC.
I was complaining about the M2 coils tasting bleh in the V8. He came through with an RBA and the tall glass.
I remember sitting there just watching him wick those claptons that come pre-installed with the Baby RBA. I had so many questions.
How do you know long and thick to cut the cotton?
How do you know where to measure the end of the wick?
How do you know how much thinning it needs?

A few weeks went by and I started getting dry hits, I WhatsApp'd that same buddy. He told me it was time to rewick.
Luckily I had some 26 ga Ni80 and some cotton he left with me.

After feeling despondant for a few hours, I hit up YouTube.
Went to the garage for a 3mm screwdriver, a long-nosed pliers and half-blunt side cutters from my toolbox.
About an hour later, I had wrapped each side with 7 parallel wraps. My hands were shaking the entire time while I was clamping down the leads. Using a kaka side cutters left some nubs but nothing caused a short.
First build read in at 0.19 ohms.
I cut and wicked it just like he showed me at Panarotti's.
I remember I primed it with my last few ml's of Choc Cheesecake.

Good lord, I personally thought it tasted great.

Since then I've gained experience building in the Baby RBA, a Troll RTA and my new and shiny Ammit 25.
I was very hesitant when getting the Ammit 25 a week ago, I heard lots of stories about fussy wicking. Too much/too little ends up with dry hits/leaking.
As soon as I got it home, I knew simple Ni80 coils weren't going to the Ammit justice. Popped in at JuicyJoes for a spool of fused clapton wire.
Came home, 7 wraps reading at 0.50 ohms.
Cut and thinned the wicks exactly like MikeVapes did it in his video. Been using it all week now and have had 0 dry hits nor leaks 

Sorry if long post

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## Jengz (12/10/17)

My first ever builds were on the kangertech subtank mini, kanthal round wire and a screw driver. Cocked the builds up about a million times... got it right like 2 out of 40 most of the time but burnt my fingers plenty during this. I then just reverted to the SOCC coils.

This actually pissed me off so much I gave up vaping! I hate Using small motor skills and not getting it right. 

Anyways, about a year ago I bought a druga rda and the build deck of the druga compared to that of the STM, was like comparing the Kimberley big hole to my poepol! And voila I was a master builder!

Since then I’ve build successfully on many decks including the ever so awesome Exocet!

My next project after watching many many YouTube videos is making my own Clapton’s, super scared but I’ve really come a long long way and can’t think about ever going back to stock coils!

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## Stosta (12/10/17)

Jengz said:


> My first ever builds were on the kangertech subtank mini, kanthal round wire and a screw driver. Cocked the builds up about a million times... got it right like 2 out of 40 most of the time but burnt my fingers plenty during this. I then just reverted to the SOCC coils.
> 
> This actually pissed me off so much I gave up vaping! I hate Using small motor skills and not getting it right.
> 
> ...


So did you ever try build on the Subtank Mini again with your new found master-builder skills?

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## Jengz (12/10/17)

Stosta said:


> So did you ever try build on the Subtank Mini again with your new found master-builder skills?


Jip! And it’s one of my favorite tanks still, just don’t have a mod for it anymore sadly... But honestly speaking, having the coil master kit made me a master, remember I call myself a master to feel good about myself... not actually a true master

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## jamie (12/10/17)

It was the Evod and Mini Pro Tank for me. I think it got it right a few times, but was mostly just dry hits. After that I mostly stopped vaping or just used commercial coils. I only started building coils again this year when I switched to an RTA.

I was actually looking through a drawer the other day and found this.

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## Friep (12/10/17)

I also started building on a top tank mini rba. Still remember the first build where you just had to put in some cotton and vape as kangertech where nice enough to install the first coil for you. I did not know anything about wicking or building watched a few youtube vids and then the taste on that 0.55 coil was amazing way better than the occ coils I didn't have any whire at that stage only the one coil left in the box I did not know you could dry burn them so when it was time for rewicking I popped the other coil out inserted the new one and was happy again. When that one failed I was so depressed because it happened on a monday and I would only be able to get wire the Saturday so back to the occ coils I went. Got the wire the Saturday some 24g kanthal and built my first coil on a screw. I still remember standing in the vapeshop checking the tfv8 told my wife I dont see the point in generating that much vapour. And now today I own five rdas and love the amount of vapour and taste they produce. Building parallels twisted and vertabraid coils now just waiting for my friend to bring my wire then the clapton experiment starts.
My first builds with ni80 I kept melting the leads and thought somethings wrong with the mod then I discovered strumming looking for hotspots and squeezing your coils for the first time.

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## Raindance (12/10/17)

Friep said:


> I also started building on a top tank mini rba. Still remember the first build where you just had to put in some cotton and vape as kangertech where nice enough to install the first coil for you. I did not know anything about wicking or building watched a few youtube vids and then the taste on that 0.55 coil was amazing way better than the occ coils I didn't have any whire at that stage only the one coil left in the box I did not know you could dry burn them so when it was time for rewicking I popped the other coil out inserted the new one and was happy again. When that one failed I was so depressed because it happened on a monday and I would only be able to get wire the Saturday so back to the occ coils I went. Got the wire the Saturday some 24g kanthal and built my first coil on a screw. I still remember standing in the vapeshop checking the tfv8 told my wife I dont see the point in generating that much vapour. And now today I own five rdas and love the amount of vapour and taste they produce. Building parallels twisted and vertabraid coils now just waiting for my friend to bring my wire then the clapton experiment starts.
> My first builds with ni80 I kept melting the leads and thought somethings wrong with the mod then I discovered strumming looking for hotspots and squeezing your coils for the first time.


Carefull @Friep, squeezing your coils can land you up in hospital. Make sure your diet includes plenty roughage, it eliminates the need to squeeze. 

Enough silliness, as many I also started with the STM rba. Plain kanthal 26 guage aiming for 0.7 to 1 ohm. Did a tour of duty with exotic wires and even making some myself but back to plain round wire as I came full circle. The only difference being way larger build decks and 24 guage SS wire.

Regards

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## GregF (12/10/17)

I think the first coil I built was rebuilding/rewiring a stock Cubis coil. Pulled the thing apart and checked out how it worked then made another one to go inside. Wrap a bit of cotton around it and fired it up. 
There were a few hits and misses until I realised how the airflow worked. After that it wasnt too bad.
I still now rewire some stock coils for my son, although now it is getting a bit less as he is now getting into RTA and RDA so he is coming along just fine and learning to do it himself.
Come to think of it, I think he could always do it, it was just easier for him to play ignorant.
Kids.....I am forever learning.

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## kev mac (13/10/17)

Mida Khan said:


> Do you remember the excitement, the intimidation and the glory after getting your first build right?
> 
> What did you start with and How far have you come?


My first build was in a terrible Brass Monkey clone with 28g.I had hard time as I remember it.Also I rebuilt my eLeaf coil heads with difficulty. Now I don't have much problems and also have mastered semi exotics like Clapton's and Fused Clapton coils.

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## Stosta (13/10/17)

GregF said:


> I think the first coil I built was rebuilding/rewiring a stock Cubis coil. Pulled the thing apart and checked out how it worked then made another one to go inside. Wrap a bit of cotton around it and fired it up.
> There were a few hits and misses until I realised how the airflow worked. After that it wasnt too bad.
> I still now rewire some stock coils for my son, although now it is getting a bit less as he is now getting into RTA and RDA so he is coming along just fine and learning to do it himself.
> Come to think of it, I think he could always do it, it was just easier for him to play ignorant.
> Kids.....I am forever learning.


After getting that right you would have found anything afterwards very easy I imagine!!

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## Andre (13/10/17)

*August 2013*. RM2. 1.5 mm drill bit. 28g Kanthal. Around 1.2 ohms. Excitement, intimidation and GLORY describes it perfectly @Mida Khan!






*October 2017*. Mostly 2.5 mm IDs. Kanthal 27g, SS304 27g, Claptoned Kanthal wire (not self made). My first coil jig below. Still using one like that, but with thicker mandrels. That feeling of satisfaction on seeing you own build coil glowing perfectly never goes away!

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## E.T. (13/10/17)

Building 2 years still building simple single 24G or 26G 0.4ohm to 0.5ohm 3mm diameter kanthal or SS coils.

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## E.T. (13/10/17)

O and I forgot, they still look like shyte, my skills did not improve, but they work fine​

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## Dexter305 (13/10/17)

My first build wasn't too long ago. I bought a Pharaoh RTA and the guy at the vape store coiled and wicked her for me the first time. After that I bought a box of those Demon Killer mixed coils to try out. I still remember putting a alien coil in there and wicking it with way too much cotton. I had to wait 2 minutes after every drag so that it could re-wick. Still I thought it was amazing and couldn't wait to show it off.

Since then I have re-wicked countless RTA's, RDA's, RDTA's and have sort of mastered the skill. I have now moved on to building my own coils and knocked my first set of Aliens out of the park last night (28g*3/36g NiCr80). I love every minute of this non stop learning experience.

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## Mida Khan (13/10/17)

Andre said:


> *August 2013*. RM2. 1.5 mm drill bit. 28g Kanthal. Around 1.2 ohms. Excitement, intimidation and GLORY describes it perfectly @Mida Khan!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You've come far! Fancy toys and all

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## Rob Fisher (13/10/17)



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## Silver (13/10/17)

Andre said:


> *August 2013*. RM2. 1.5 mm drill bit. 28g Kanthal. Around 1.2 ohms. Excitement, intimidation and GLORY describes it perfectly @Mida Khan!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



When i joined this forum in Nov 2013 @Andre - i recall thinking to myself you were somewhat of a wizard with this weird looking vape device (Reo) that was so un-Twisp-like , lol.

And you were building coils, quoting things like IDs and gauges and using mandrels. I was like, what the heck is going on here! 

Incidentally, @Andre , i recall you were a small ID person for quite a while. What ever made you switch to 2.5mm? Was it more about the wick or the power? Was there a major turning point?

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## Andre (13/10/17)

Silver said:


> Incidentally, @Andre , i recall you were a small ID person for quite a while. What ever made you switch to 2.5mm? Was it more about the wick or the power? Was there a major turning point?


No major turning point. Mostly starting to follow a good trend and the diameter of my ceramic wicks.

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## Smoke_A_Llama (13/10/17)

Just did my first build ever on a RTA (Ammit) ...0.48 Clapton, no dry hits or leaking... flavour is meh though  will play around with the wattage but more than likely it’s my build

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## GregF (13/10/17)

Stosta said:


> After getting that right you would have found anything afterwards very easy I imagine!!


Well not the fancy stuff, but a single wire coil does not require a degree in brain surgery. 
The hard part is finding the right wire, right ga wire, right ID, right ohms, position of coil, amount of cotton.
And then you change your juice or tank or mod and have to start all over again.
But we do this because we enjoy it......or so I have been told.

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## Stosta (17/10/17)

Rob Fisher said:


> View attachment 110188


A 40W KBox!!! Those are still awesome IMO!

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## Smoke_A_Llama (20/10/17)

First time I’ve turned wire into a coil.... ended up with fused Clapton ni80 ... 3mm ID, 5 wraps and a very unexpected Ohm value

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## RichJB (20/10/17)

My first build wasn't really a build at all. I bought an Avo 24 as my first RTA and upgrade from the Melo 2 I got with my first mod. A bit intimidated at the thought of building, I bought a pack of Geekvape pre-made Claptons with it. So I had three tasks to complete:

1) Undo the post screws, insert the coil, tighten the post screws, clip the excess off the leads
2) Pulse and strum to ensure even glow
3) Wick it properly.

Well, I forgot number 2 so that wasn't a great start. Then after about ten minutes I got a "No atomiser" message on the mod and discovered I hadn't tightened the post screws enough so no contact was being made. So that was a fail too. The wicking was OK-ish but not stellar. I figured 0.5 out of 3 wasn't too shabby at all for a first attempt and decided immediately that coil-building was for me. And, to be fair, my scores haven't improved much since then. It's just that when you've been doing it for a while, you're not bothered much anymore and have got over the white-knuckle "OMG, am I going to blow my face off?" nervousness of the first time. So long as you can kap 'n skyf from it, it's all good.

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