All About Vape Wires and Coils

All About Vape Wires and Coils

Vape Coils and Vape Wires

If you’ve already mastered the basics of using a vape, you’ll want to consider possibly making your own coils and vape wires. This allows for more control, and it does give you a better ability to control these types of different factors.  This post will discuss why you should build coils, what’s necessary, and the best ways to use them.

When it comes for you to get to this point you can read this post to learn about everything necessary to build the coils and use them. You won’t be really shooting in the dark and instead ready to fire your vape up.

Table of contents

 

Does your Wire Matter?

Yes, it does. Some of them work only for certain types of vapes, such as the temperature-controlled ones or the wattage ones. To use the wrong one in your vape could cause it to burn, and the coil gets ruined, and it could ruin the device or even become a safety issue.

Plus, some are toxic.  You’ll want to make sure that you do keep in mind just what you’re going to be putting into there, and understanding why it matters.

 

Vape Wires and Vape Coils
Image Source Vaping Daily

Nichrome Wire

This is one that has a very good ramp up time very easy to share and only works with wattage. However, this is an allergen for some so be careful.

This is a fan favorite however since it’s made with chromium and nickel. It’s fast and it does act like kanthal wire so it’s quite easy to work with. It’s got less spring, but the shape holds itself up well.

Now, this does have a lower point of melting than compared to other wires, so nickel wire should not be used in wattage devices, but instead in temperature controlled ones. It’s not something that you want and it’s why many shy away from this initially. Another issue is that if you’re allergic to nickel you should avoid this.

It’s good for the experienced users but it’s more difficult to find in vape shops and most of the online retailers don’t stock it very often. It does have a bit of temperature control resistance issues, so can be hard to work with for some of the other vapers out there.

The pros are:

  • Ramps up fast
  • Holds shape when rewicked
  • Easy to use
  • Not that expensive
  • Used in wattage mode

The cons are:

  • A lower melting point so could catch fire
  • Not all vape shops carry it
  • Contains nickel which is an allergen

Titanium Wire

Then we have titanium which is very easy to work with gives you a full and clean flavor but is hard to find in stores, so you may have to go online which can be dicey due to quality. This also only uses temperature control.

This is considered a super controversial one since it does release something called titanium dioxide which is poisonous when you get the temperature over 1130 degrees Fahrenheit however it does have a very stable TCR in most cases so if you use it in TC it actually won’t be an issue for you. one piece of information to keep in mind though is that you should heat it until you see it shine and there is an oxide layer that’s thin and will stick to the wire.

There really aren’t too many issues using them, so the panic is really just people panicking.

The pros of this are that it is simple to use holds the shape of stuff really well and is perfect for TC mode. Most vapors love the flavor it makes. It’s also a lot stronger than nickel so you can use this without messing up the shape.

Pros of this:

  • Simple to use
  • Keeps the shape well
  • A very nice flavor
  • Much stronger than nickel
  • Works perfectly in TC mode

The cons are:

  • Don’t use this in wattage. Period
  • Toxicity issues
  • Titanium fires are very hard to burn out
  • Hard to look for in most stores

Kanthal Wire

Kanthal wire is good for ramping up time. It’s quite easy to work with. It’s the most commonly used and focuses on wattage.

It does have a decent resistance for the wire itself and does oxidize, and it does hold the shape when you make it easily, so you won’t be struggling with that. also you can buy this everywhere. This is good for those who are just getting started, since they ramp up and get started fast, and they also maintain their shape well, and you don’t have to rewick it.

The pros of it are the following:

  • They’re cheap
  • Super easy to find
  • They hold shape well
  • They are easy to work with most of the time
  • They work only in wattage vapes

The cons are the following:

  • They can’t be used with temperature control vapes
  • Flavor can be dulled
  • The ramp up time is kind of slow

Stainless Steel Wire

This is what you use in both temperature control and wattage. It’s got a great ramp up time creates a crisp and clean flavor. However, there are different purity grades so know what works for you.

This is the only one you can use in both types of devices, so if you want a good all-around product, this is the way to go. It’s good for those who want both TC and wattage mode, or they don’t check their modes quite a lot. You can get it in different grades which can be a bit confusing for some vapers and they either praise it or hate it. Some do contain no nickel, and some have some nickel so watch that if you’ve got an allergy.

Another good positive is that if you tend to dry burn you won’t ruin the coils and that it’s super simple to prevent that since it’s got a very high melting point. SS is much springier than other, and you should stick around the grades of 430 304 and 316 ideally. They’re also decent for temperature control, but if you want the best performance with TC, try a different wire.

This one has a fast ramp-up time and it does have a flavor that’s crisp and clean based on what users say. However, it’s not super readily available either.

The pros are:

  • It’s super simple to work with
  • They hold shape
  • The ramp up time is quite fast
  • The flavor is quite clean
  • It’s not that expensive
  • It works with both TC and wattage

The cons are:

  • They have usable gauges which can be hard for a few grades
  • Possible nickel in a few grades
  • Some are harder to work with than others

Nickel Wire

This only works with temperature control. It’s easy to source but difficult to work with. However it’s also a toxin and might be something that you’re allergic to, so be careful.

Often this is referred to as pure nickel and it’s mostly used in temperature control. The TCR is very low so it’s pretty easy to read and regulate in most cases. It should only be used in TC mode since it can melt and overheat. Nickel can handle the higher temperatures, but it does create graphite which is why some are concerned with using it and it can create a debilitating condition to those that are around it a lot.

The bad rep is also blown out of proportion though. When used with vaping in TC nickel is safe. The biggest downside is that it’s soft, so it can be hard with working and it doesn’t really hold the shape well. If you have a nickel allergy avoid this.

It’s pretty easy to find locally though in shops and kind of cheap. It’s faster in ramp up than kanthal and it’s easy to find a tempered wire to work with this and it does hold the shape relatively well.

The pros:

  • Faster ramp-up time
  • Inexpensive
  • A decent taste of it

The cons are:

  • Has nickel in it so it can create an allergy
  • Soft so can’t be worked with easily
  • Doesn’t hold the shape very well

Wire Gauges

This is the diameter of the wires, which go as low as 22, but as high as 30 or more, and it’s important to look at the gauge that you’re using, because it plays a huge part in how long it takes to ramp itself up, but also how much it can affect the coils too.

Now remember in this that the bigger the number the thinner the wire will be. For example, 28 will be smaller than 30 but it’ll be bigger than a 26. However, it also will be thicker than a 30 but thinner than a 26. The diameter increase also affects resistance which means it’ll take much longer for it to get hot.

The heating time for this is called ramp up time and it’s quite important. If you think about it this boils down to the following: how long do you want to wait before you can use your vape. The exotic vape coils which use more wire strands have a much longer ramp-up time but it’s also true for the larger diameter wires.

How do you build coils?

While the internet has a lot of different tutorials we’re going to touch here briefly on what you need and the process itself.

Before you begin you need the following tools:

  • A coil maker for vape coils and a screwdriver that’s small
  • A screwdriver or an Allen key that works with the screws of the RDA
  • Nail or wire clippers
  • An ohms reader
  • Wire for the vape
  • A lighter or a propane torch
  • Tweezers

Before you begin make sure you see how many wraps the coil will have to have until you’ve got the right resistance. Use a col wrapping calculator and in order to get an ohm of resistance from a stainless steel 316 with a 2 mm diameter you need to do this eight times. Before coiling you will need to heat up the wire with the lighter or whatever heating source you have to make it glow and oxidize since it will make it much easier to work and perfect.

Take the coil and cut about half a foot of wire or less and use the screwdriver itself to create wraps. Begin near the shaft area of your screwdriver so you can keep it in place. Continue to wrap this and make sure that the wraps are close but not overlapping. Once you’ve finished the amount and you should see them in the same direction leave it on there and begin with the next step. Using a coil wrapping tool usually works better and it’s faster especially if you’re a beginner.

From here you unscrew the RDA posts in a careful manner not totally all the way gone and then position each end of the coils onto the holes of the post one of which is negative the other is positive. You should make sure that the coil is in the center of the deck of the RDA. Tighten the screws in a gentle manner and then get the screwdriver out of there and then trim the legs of this as close as it possibly can be. You can use nail clippers here as well.

Once this is put in you have to test fire this. However, before you begin check the resistance with the ohms reader. Put the RDA onto it and then show the firing resistance within the coil. Don’t worry if you see if it’s off by a .1 ohm or so that happens. However, if it’s not within the range you need to check the screws on the posts and that the coil is on the deck. Adjusting should solve this.

From there put the RDA onto the mod and then fire it so that it does turn hot. When you see it start to heat start from the center to the two ends you want to make sure that there aren’t any hotspots on there. From there you should pinch this together with the tweezers until I’s heated up in an even fashion.

And there you have it! While most are usually happy with the single coil model the RDA coil types can be simple or extravagant and some of them use several strands of these different wires and multiple tools in some cases even a drill. Don’t really go into this though until you’ve got the basics down.

Wattage along with temperature control vaping wires to use

Certain wires work better for the two modes of vaping wattage and temperature. While it would be great to use whatever we wanted for these that’s now how this works. Some behave better at different temperatures room versus heated. Nickel works well at a low level of ohms when it’s at room temperature but once it’s fired it could potentially overheat and create problems.

Temperature control does work differently than just wattage. Temperature coefficient of resistance regulates the current that’s given to the coil. For example, nickel does behave in a predictable manner when it comes to an increase in temperature. The wire will have a certain resistance when it’s at a certain temperature. TC mods usually need to have the stable increase for resistance and from there it lowers the current itself in order to keep the coil at a temperature that’s safe.

There’s only one vaping wire that you can use in both TC and wattage and currently that’s stainless steel however how they each do with flavor ramp up time easiness and production of clouds is quite different.

Wicking the coil

You’ve built a coil so now it’s time to wick it. This can be a bit complicated but if you don’t wick it correctly this can cause the coil to be wasted.

First you want to choose is the wicking material. The top ones are the following:

  • Silica
  • Organic cotton
  • Those Japanese organic cotton pads
  • Rayon
  • Ekowoll

Now how you wick this is simple, but you need patience. The best thing is to follow the steps and work with cotton at first. You should make sure that you follow all the steps since it will help make it easier.

First you stretch the cotton into a shape like a rope. Take the cotton and put it on until it’s a rope. Make it about several inches to cut off the excess.

Thread this into the coil by pinching a single end of the cotton itself and then thread into the coil that was installed into the RDA. It’s a fine art so you should make sure that the thickness is enough for a pull but not so thick to ben it out of shape. There’s no resistance either in some cases and if that happens the cotton won’t wick, and it will create dry hits.

You then want to cut the cotton ends. You should make sure that you have enough to fill the well of the juice on the RDA. Some have different fill so adjust as necessary.

Tuck the cotton then under the coil as well. make sure that the ends of each cotton are touching and that it’s not sticking out from the juice well itself.

That’s all there is to it and it can make a big difference.

Best for flavor

Some don’t care about clouds and they want flavor instead. However, you want to keep a few things in mind:

  • You should make sure that the airflow is a bit less since that involves much more flavor due to the air getting saturated with the particles. You should keep a lot more cotton on there than you would for cloud chasing
  • With wick position you should also minimize the airflow along with that, but you want to make sure that there is room underneath for circulation. Leave a hole there so that it can get the flavor particles
  • The wire type is best to be stainless steel to get the flavor
  • When it comes to flavor chasing use a Japanese cotton wick, but this depends what wattage you use as well

Flavor is subjective though since something that tastes good might taste too much to others. But there are three types of coils that work best for flavors and they are the Framed Staple Alien Coil the Staple Staggered Fused Clapton Coil and the Tri-Core Fused Alien Clapton Coil.

There are also crazy coil builds you can try as well. They look cool but is it worth it? that’s up to you and if you’re curious you can try them.

The best coil for clouds

If you’re a fan of huge clouds you need to understand that vape coils help a lot and if you’re a cloud chaser you need to think of the following:

  • You got to have excellent airflow, so you shouldn’t overstuff the coil with some cotton
  • The wire gauge should be thicker in many cases since this will give a lot more surface area and vaporize the juice. You will need more wraps though to make the resistance low
  • You should make sure that the diameter is much bigger. Bigger diameter means more cotton to wire contact and it will vaporize the juice in a much quicker manner
  • The positioning of the coils work perfectly too. If you want them to align on the center posts so that the wick within each side is even and absorbs the juice quickly you want to keep this all lined up

The best coils for this are the dual 24 the twisted 22 and the Clapton coil. Try to make these in order to create the best coil possible.

In conclusion

Finding the perfect vape medium is hard. With so many out there it’s hard to find the perfect one. But it is fun, and you can try out new flavors and nuances and you can explore for yourself the great options.

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