Rebuildable Vape Tanks for Noobs - Wrapping a simple round wire Coil

Why should I make my own Coils?

This skill is really the first stepping stone to rebuildable atomiser greatness - and in terms of MTL atomisers and tanks may very well be the only skill you need to reduce your coil outlay from £100-£300 pounds a year to about a Fiver!

If wrapping your own coils difficult for you  - maybe you have a disability that makes it difficult, or if you just find it too much hassle, fear not you can always use pre-made coils for RTA’s - and still not take your yearly costs above a tenner.

If you are going to stick at it and make your own coils - you will be rewarded. There is no better flavour than a rebuildable Atomiser and your own tailored coil.

What Equipment will I need?

This is one of those piece of string moments :) - it depends how far down the rabbit hole you want to go - but for the sake of simple round wire MTL coils, the minimum you need is a Screwdriver (with a shaft the width you want your coils), something to cut the wire with (clippers or old scissors at the most basic) and some wire.

You can make your life easier however with a coil Jig - the most basic of which (and which I use personally for making these types of coils) - is a just a rod sectioned into different widths - for different sized coil diameters. This will replace the screwdriver, and is also very useful for placing the coil in the atomiser. A pair of wire cutters will make life easier as well.

If you really want to travel top banana - a good coiling kit is always a good thing, and will contain all the tools you are ever likely to need. We sell two which I highly recommend if you are going to stick at making your own coils - The Coil Master V3 rebuildable kit and the Coil Master DIY Mini kit v2 - these kits contain all the tools you will need not only for making the coil - but for placing it in the atomiser and dealing with the cotton as well - the Big V3 Coil master kit even has a winding tool if you cant get on with the first more basic method I’m going to describe and an invaluable Building deck that will read the final ohms of your coil and even fire it up to check it.

Enough sales pitch! - onto the builds.

I’ll start with the coiling rod method.

I’m going to wrap a simple 2.5mm internal diameter round wire coil (this is my standard coil for all MTL tanks), in all of the following scenarios.

Note : it is always worth using Steam Engine before you get to know what you are doing to work out Ohms of any given wore and diameter - https://www.steam-engine.org/coil.

Method One : Coiling Rod

Start by holding the coil rod in your left hand (reverse if you are a south paw) and place the wire (for staters) over the top of the 2.5mm section of rod holding the wire tight with your thumb of your left hand - you will use the right hand to wind the wire around the coil - I am using 28AWG (.32mm) Nichrome wire here - and will do 6wraps to get a coils somewhere around 0.8Ohms - my preferred Ohms in an MTL tank.

I count the coils from the top as I look down .. as most of the atomisers I use require the coil “legs” (the bits that stick out) to be opposing I count six wraps and then continue to coil the wire till it faces in the opposite direction to the one under your left thumb.

When I have finished the coil I like to compress the coils downward to make the coil a bit neater - at this stage do not worry if the coil is a bit untidy, that can be manipulated once inserted into the atomiser (in the next tutorial) 

Note : it was harder than expected to do this though a camera! not the neatest coil I've ever done, also - I bite my nails, hence the gloves.

 Method Two : 2.5mm Screw Driver

No Coil Rod or Jig? Want to rough it? Out and about with only basic tools? A 2.5mm screwdriver is your friend!  And to be honest the instructions for using this are EXACTLY the same as the coil jig above … it can also be used to place the coil in the atomiser, but the handle width of a screw driver can get in the way sometimes.

See Easy - the only difference between this and the coil Rod method above .. is if you have a coil rod or not … 

 Method Three : Coil Jig

These are great if you want to make a super tidy coil, or if you have poor eyesight, or for some disabilities. From my perspective who can still just about see enough to hand wind around a rod or screw driver, I actually find them slightly more faff than the above methods - but for the less able - and beginners they can make life so much easier.

All Jigs differ slightly - but most follow the same principle of using a mounted rod with a cap on with a small sticking out bit that winds the coil around the rod as you turn it.

The Jig I am using is the Coil Master one from the V3 Kit mentioned above - that comes with a variety of rod sizes and caps to suit different wire gauges and coil diameters.

Again I am choosing a 2.5mm Internal Diameter coil with Stealthvape Nichrome at 38AWG (0.32mm) wire.

 Setting up the Jig 

Choose the 2.5mm Rod from the Rod pack, then unscrew the cap of the Jig handle and place the rod fat side down in the space in the handle top, then replace the cap.

Hold the wire against the side of the handle with your left hand (there are slots and holes in the jig you can use to do this - I prefer to just hold it). Rest the wire over the top of the coil rod agains the base of the handle.

Put the appropriate Coil top on (in this case the 2.5mm Top), Push the top down and make sure the wire is caught behind the small screw that sicks out (when looking from the top). 

Start to turn the coil cap in an away from you - counting the times you are turning the cap, do not press down on the cap .. you will end up coiling over the last coil! Just light pressure or even move it slightly out each time you make a revolution.

Once you have made the required amount of coils (in this case 6) continue on slightly to get opposing legs.

Remove the cap - you should have a pretty neat coil now ready to install in an atomiser.

Easy! .. keep practising with whichever is your chosen method you will soon get it - and soon be able to save money by making your own coils!

Next - Installing your coil in an Atomiser.

You can find DIY and Rebuiladable supplies here : Rebuildable Supplies