Roll Up Your Sleeves: DIY Your Own Vape Coil
How To Build Your Own Vape Coils: A Guide On Vape Coil Building. After a month long market survey of the best vaping device for you, you have finally settled on one and are ready to start vaping. Three months down the line and you realize that your coil is busted, you either need to buy a replacement coil or get a new device. Have you considered building your own coil? Read on and find out how you can save some money and DIY a replacement coil for your device.
Before we get started, find out how big or small you want the coil to be by measuring or approximating the internal diameter of the coil you wish to replace. The larger the internal diameter the higher the resistance of the coil so make sure you know if you are making a micro coil (anything with an internal diameter less than 2mm) or a macro coil (anything larger than 2mm); this will play a big role in determining what materials to use. Here’s a basic list of what you will need;
- Organic cotton or your preferred material for the wick
- Wire cutters
- Scissors
- Resistance wire (26 to 28 gauge wire)
- Needle-nose pliers
- Small screwdriver or a coiling tool
- Ohm reader
The girth of the wire will affect the resistance of the coil which eventually has an effect on the vapor, a thicker wire will have a lower resistance when compared to a thinner wire. If you can only find thin wire, then twist two strands together tightly using your hands, pliers or clamps to increase its girth; this retains a moderate resistance of the coil, not too high and not too low. Additionally, examine the coil on the device that you intend to replace and identify if it is single or dual, do you see one or two coils attached to the posts? Most devices use a dual coil atomizer because this helps create more vapor. Make sure that the gauge, dimensions and shape of each coil is identical so that heat is distributed evenly.
While this is a basic DIY process we must make sure that we put safety first, ensure you understand battery use and safety and are conversant with Ohm’s Law; safety must always come first. These are the basic principles of Ohm’s Law that you need to remember;
While voltage is the force which pushes electricity through a material, current is the rate at which this electricity flows through it. When you fill a balloon with water then prick it with a needle, the water will rush out through this hole because of the force created inside the balloon; this force is the voltage which is measured in volts (V) while the rate at which it escapes through the hole is the current and is measured in amperes (amps). Resistance is the level which something allows or denies electric current to go through it, a material like metal has a low resistance meaning electrical current passes easily through it while something like glass has a high resistance meaning electrical current has a difficult time passing through it. Wattage is a measure of how much time it will take electric current to pass through a material, it is a function of voltage and resistance and is measured in watts (W). The lower the resistance of your coil material, the higher the wattage of the system; if you use a high resistant material your battery might be unable to deliver the right amount of current at the right rate through it causing the battery to explode or your coil to burn out.
Let’s build this!
- Take out the batteries from your device.
- Use the wire to make about 6 to 7 wraps around your coiling tool or screwdriver; make sure they are as close together as possible and that they do not overlap. Repeat this if you are making a dual coil.
- The ends of the coil that attach to the atomizer are called leads while the part of the atomizer where the leads fit are called posts. Cut 1 lead shorter than the other.
- The atomizer has a negative post and a positive post; some may have 2 of each or 2 negative posts and one positive post. Insert the longer lead into the positive post and the shorter lead into the negative post ensuring that the coil does not make direct contact with the post and neither is it too far. Repeat this with the second coil but make sure it is on the opposite side of the first coil; the two coils should be horizontally placed and be parallel to each other.
- Tighten the screws on the post and, using wire cutters, cut off the excess ends of the leads as close as possible to the post. Use the needle-nose pliers to adjust the coil positions.
- Attach the ohm meter to the atomizer and check the resistance of the build, it should be as close as possible to the recommended rating on your battery; adjust the coils and tighten or loosen the screws on the leads until you get the right reading, do not proceed until you do so.
- Insert the battery into the device and test the coils to see if they fire up correctly; press the power or activation button on the device in pulses then for long periods of time until the coils turn red hot. Make sure the coils start glowing from the centre going out, if it is uneven, release the power/activation button and squeeze the coil wraps as close together as possible with the pliers. Repeat this until you get the right glow pattern.
- Cut about 3 inches of your wick, thread it through each coil ensuring it is not too packed or too thin, trim off excess material and tuck the rest into the e-liquid tank below the coil.
- Perform a final test fire to make sure everything is working correctly.
- Light it up! You are now ready to vape using your DIY coils