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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 23, 2017 8:53:47 GMT -7
There's often a bit of apprehension for guys jumping into their first rebuildable, and most of this stems from horror stories across the Internet. These stories tend to center around overly-complex and/or supper-low-ohm builds, or "you're going to put your eye out with that thing" posts stemming from those who know nothing of what they're going on about. Don't let the whinings of these timid creatures rob you of the greater experience attained through building your own device, nor the personal satisfaction of achievement and knowing it's right because you built it yourself. Essentially, there are primary prerequisites that one needs before considering to take on rebuilding: 1) The ability to count to 10 (most often, only to 7 or 8) 2) Understand "righty-tighty, lefty loosey" It really is that easy - 6, 7, or 8 wraps (depending on the gauge wire being used and the mandrel wound around), loosen the deck screws, secure each leg of the coil under their respective deck screw, tighten deck screws, check ohm load, test fire, wick, saturate, install tank, fill, and vape. If you can follow directions thoroughly enough to tie your shoes, I promise you can do this, and will open a whole new world in your piping experience. The V5 is definitively my choice for a 22mm tank on the Huntsman pipe (using mine right now, actually). The coil and wick process is pretty much the same (for our purposes - no crazy coils here) regardless the deck it's being installed on, so I would definitely choose one with, as fredkite mentioned, the access to the build deck without dumping juice, as well as the ability to be tailored to your personal vaping preference. V5 wins. Any help you need at all with getting it set up, recommended/ favored coils or wicking, or any other V5 alterations/ upgrades/ modifications - we're only a post/ email/ text/ phone call away. PS ETA: Tools - There are a myriad of tools and coil jigs available to help with setting up your coil - likely some guys here will have some insight on those. Personally, I use a 2.5mm diameter screwdriver (3/32" will do) for most of my builds, with 3mm as an occasional option. A small screwdriver for the deck screws (or 1.5mm hex key if you opt for the V5 upgrade), a small pair of needle-nose pliers or hemostats, small wire cutters, and means to check the ohm load of your build will get you going. For wicking material, I use the organic Japanese cotton (Koh Gen Do). This can be ordered from many on-line vaping retailers, but you will find a much more economically attractive option of ordering it in bulk from a cosmetics retailer. I give a lot away, and a bag can still last me a year+. There is also "Cotton Bacon" - I've never used it, but it' supposed to be pretty good wicking. The silica will most likely leave you disappointed. For coil wire, you'll look for Kanthal A1 in an appropriate gauge. I would recommend beginning with 28ga as you learn and become comfortable with building, as it is pretty easy to work with, then you can choose if you'd like to move up to a slightly different wire as your comfort level increases. On-line retailers such as Kidney Puncher and Lightning Vapes are where I order my spools of wire; spools can range from a few feet, 30', 50', or 100' rolls.
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 15, 2017 13:15:42 GMT -7
PipeSmith .. just another question before I build my small stem .. if I set it up on the Kayfun V3 .. will it still fit the V5 if I want to swap tanks? Yep - drip tip port diameter is the same, standoff height the same; the only difference you may encounter is how the stem shoulders on the V3 lid opposed to the V5, but it should be inconsequential. PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 14, 2017 16:33:22 GMT -7
Either/ both
I twisted the 29ga that I'm currently using, primarily because I have a spool of 29ga that isn't getting used, but the twisted wire is pretty readily available commercially.
Remember that twisting the wire effectively cut's it's resistance in half while also doubling the mass, so you'll be looking for wire of smaller gauge (higher number) than that which you're currently using.
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 14, 2017 10:52:48 GMT -7
For years I was pretty settled with 28ga over a 2.5mm mandrel - I still build the wife's V3 this way - but last year I became pretty smitten with 26ga at 0.9 - 1.0 ohm.
It's not going to be an immediate fire for quick puffs (like smoking a cigarette), but a slower to warm, with somewhat denser vapor, that suits me better in a pipe.
As of late, I've been really enjoying dual twisted 29ga. This give a resistance along the lines of the 26ga, while the twisted wires creates more surface area. The flavor from this is quite nice.
In the V3, I still use the 2.5mm mandrel, but have been liking a 3mm mandrel for winding the coil for the V5. The reason - the larger V5 chamber is in the neighborhood of 27% larger than that of the V3, which, in spite of being labeled as "mini", is the same chamber size as that of the older KFL.
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 13, 2017 13:58:44 GMT -7
So when you buy a Legend pipe, is all the 'stuff' fitted to it, the top cap, fire button, 510 connector etc. or do you have to fit them yourself? The Legend Series E-Pipe bodies have all of the hardware fitted, assembled, and set up - the body will work/ fire just as you receive it. You do the shaping/ surfacing/ finish that you'd like, without the more technical aspects of the build, nor the tools required to perform them. I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to continue these - at least in number - but any one here who decides they may want a rough body set up, we'll make sure you're taken care of. PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 9, 2017 21:21:48 GMT -7
****I have re-named and "Stickied" this thread in the "Piping Atomizers" category for others to reference****
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 8, 2017 12:56:13 GMT -7
Well .. here is my first attempt at 'stem finishing' .. it was actually a lot easier than I thought. I't only a slight bend but that was intentional, I ordered an extra 3" stem with my pipe to play about with and was prepared to break it but I didn't and here is is on my pipe! I hope PipeSmith approves! Yep - Great job in getting it set! The bend of a pipe stem is not something measured in absolutes. Some pipes have very aggressive bends in the stem, some with long, sweeping bends, some with no bend at all. My Huntsman ( Here ) runs the KF V5, and a very stubby stem to make for a small footprint package, and has a very shallow bend. This is my preference for what I call a "Shop & Field Pipe" that gets carried in a pocket, in a work apron, etc. My LTD pipe ( Here ) runs the 3" stem with a bit more pronounced bend. The bend set into a stem depends on the ergonomics and layout of the pipe, the length of the stem, how the user holds their pipe, and, ultimately, the user's personal preference. You may well find that after using the pipe for a while that you want more or less bend - just stick a pipe cleaner in, re-heat, and bend to preference. The absolute most important factor is that you're dialing in your pipe to best suit you, and not occupying yourself with smoking. That makes it all a WIN! PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 4, 2017 22:03:16 GMT -7
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Post by PipeSmith on Mar 3, 2017 11:49:05 GMT -7
I needed a current fresh build, and this Lodge Series Huntsman had some chip-out, so I claimed it as a shop pipe. Added a bit of surfacing & color around the waist, and some attention to the fire button. Still haven't set up for photos, but can grab some better photos later if anyone's interested. PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 24, 2017 9:56:52 GMT -7
Ken .. just as a matter of interest, will the o-ring alone help solve part of the gurgling issue? I've scoured the internet all morning and can't for the life of me find any stainless or brass tube with an ID of 1.6mm but with an OD greater than the 2.3mm or 2.4mm of the centre stem. The biggest OD I can find is 2mm which would just fall in! (I've measured as best I can using my coil rods, the 2mm just falls in but the 2.5mm won't go in so I'm guessing it's in the region I mentioned above). I'll keep looking but curious as to whether the o-ring solution alone would help? I've had it apart and see what you mean about the skirt, I would just need to measure up against the o-ring and remove that depth off the skirt I guess? It's a real shame SvoeMesto don't make a MTL kit for the V3 as they do for the V5. The o-ring will alleviate all juice and air leakage from beneath the + block. Doing so will stabilize the vacuum inside the tank, translating to an end to the "free run" of juice into the chamber. This being said; if the atomizer is correctly built, the balance of o-rings are in good shape (and not dry), the coil is positioned a couple of mm above the air feed hole of the center post - the only gurgling that should then be created will stem from wicking, and balancing the air/ juice feed. I run these tanks all day/ every day, and never a gurgle. Center insulator - if you look at the insulator and see the transition from the larger shoulder to the thin "skirt" portion, this skirt should be cut/ sanded/ filed/ etc down to the point of the shoulder, essentially creating more of a washer. This insulator is necessary in the deck to provide a shoulder for the center post to tighten against when securing the + block since the base of the center post only has an o-ring present to seal the bottom air intake chamber. Your package is finished and will ship Monday (I didn't finish in time to put some time in to using it, which should be done before crossing the mighty Atlantic) - I will also drop in a small piece of tubing that you can work with if you want to attempt to make the air meter insert. PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 23, 2017 14:53:00 GMT -7
Yep - that's exactly it. Metering the air flow by means of an insert.
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 23, 2017 13:08:05 GMT -7
I presume you're referring to the air metering tube -
If you're making one, you'll want to cut your initial tubing so that it is shorter than the measurement from the upper-most edge of the air intake ports to the top of the center post.
Once cut, clean up the end of the tube that will be entering the center post first, and chamfer the inner lip for smooth air flow. Then, a quick filing or sanding of the tubing walls to size the tube down, but not to where it fits easily into the center tube - you want a tight press-fit. Once achieved, I use a small vise to press the tube into the center post from the top (threaded) end. It doesn't need to extend very deep into the center post, and you don't want this insert to encroach at all in the air intake ports of the center post (physics 101 says an internal restriction, regardless of length, meters the flow of the vessel).
Once you're happy with the fitment, a quick filing of the top-most portion of the insert to meet with the center post/ clean up the inner top lip and dress this all together, and you will make a nice finished piece. Be careful to not bugger up the threads.
It's a neat, fairly quick project - things to really start dialing in your pipe experience.
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 23, 2017 10:04:02 GMT -7
Just a couple of things Ken. I intend to strip down my V3 today to get a good look at the centre post and where the o-ring goes, if I hit any snags I'll come back to you separately. On the airflow screws, you say you discard them and make an insert that you press into the centre post, what is the insert made from/how do you make it? Thanks. When you pull it apart (you'll need a 5mm nut driver to remove the center post), you'll see an insulator that resides around the middle of the center post. This insulator has a base shoulder, and a very thin-wall skirt; it is this skirt that needs to be cut/ filed/ sanded in order to make room for the new o-ring. The V5 has a different center insulator, so it requires no modification/ just seat the o-ring and go with it. The insert that I make to meter air flow can be made from stainless or brass tubing with the appropriate ID, filed down if necessary to fit, then pressed into the center post on a small vise. This is very similar to how the MTL kit works on the V5, with the exception that this pressed-in-place piece is not something you'll be removing. PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 22, 2017 12:35:25 GMT -7
There are a couple of things at play with the V3 and V5 - all simultaneously.
With the addition of adjustable juice flow on the vacuum tanks, a tight draw with too much juice flow will create flooding of the chamber - this causes the gurgling you're experiencing. It may take a few tries at setting up to find your sweet spot, but about two (2) turns open seems to be the neighborhood in which the V3 really works (for me, at least), and 2 - 2 1/2 turns open for the V5 - these are with running 50/50 NETs.
But, here's the real issue; these tanks (and most all other Kayfun and Kayfun-styled platform tanks) tend to leak from under the positive (+) block, so as you're chasing the "airyness" trying to shore up the draw, the internal vacuum can bounce all over the place, often drawing excess juice into the chamber and creating a flooded deck.
The culprit here is the Derlin/ Peek insulator beneath the + block. Both of these materials make fantastic ELECTRICAL insulators, but not so much as a VISCOUS (air/ fluid) insulator. This fault really becomes evident as the atomizer is used/ heated/ cooled/ taken apart and rebuilt/ etc., as the common approach is to simply attempt to tighten the center post a bit further to achieve a reasonable seal between the + block and the build deck. This typically results in a warped or otherwise damaged insulator, subsequently leading to more leakage.
On the V3 and V5, these issues can be compounded, as they use an entirely different center post than those we are accustomed to with the older Kayfun platforms. These new center posts are only partially threaded, meaning that you only have *so much* room to tighten or adjust before the threading bottoms out in the + block; attempting to continue tightening typically results in a broken center post.
No worries - we have a fix! The addition of a simple o-ring around the center post that rides beneath the + block and insulator completely alleviates all of the juice & air leakage. This is a drop-in fix for the V5, and only requires a shaving of the skirt on the center insulator for the V3 (for now/ we look to have a drop-in replacement soon). The small o-rings needed aren't typically available at the corner hardware store, so I order them in bulk from an industrial supply company - and you'll receive a few in your PipeSmith package when it arrives.
I am also working on setting up a "Kayfun Upgrade" package that will entail the appropriate o-ring, as well as much nicer, easier to work with deck screws that capture the coil leg wire superior to those commonly used. More on this later in another post of other new things on the drawing board.
On the airflow screws -
Personally, I don't use them; I remove the screw from the V3 center post and toss it in a box. I then make an insert that I press into the center post to establish a 1.6mm ID - the same as I run on my V5. For me, this creates a nice, even draw, that is much more pipe-like in nature, and with the aforementioned o-ring upgrade in place - I'm not chasing air leaks, so I know what the airflow will always be.
Why do I do this? The fact that there is now nothing to move out of adjustment and change the air feed is actually a benefit that is complimented by smoother airflow. Just because we may prefer a bit tighter draw doesn't mean that we should have to settle with turbulent/ whistling air flow.
Using the adjustment screw creates additional obstacles in the flow path of each port of the center post that the incoming air must hit, then maneuver around, then enter the actual "chamber" inside the center post. This can be compounded on devices using an adjustment screw that is not tapered, but has threading that would also be introduced into the path of air flow. I also chamfer the inlet ports on the center post a bit to smooth out this flow and directional transition as much as possible.
I hope this has been more helpful than confusing / any questions at all, or anything I can do to help - just give a shout!
PS
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Post by PipeSmith on Feb 14, 2017 10:23:09 GMT -7
That's simply fantastic! Really happy for you guys, GW - I know you've put a lot into achieving this goal.
PS
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