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KB - Kanthal vs. NiChrome

Discussion in 'Tips and Tricks For Vaping' started by oil, Jan 22, 2014.

  1. oil
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    oil Thread Starter Custom What?

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    just found / learned that recently, thought its worth sharing.
    So if you ask yourself what wire to use Kanthal or NiChrome thats the difference from what i learned so far

    Kanthal has a melting point of 1400 degrees Celcius and most people say it tastes better on ESS Mesh
    Kanthal is basially just a brand name Kanthal wire consist out of Aluminum, Iron, Chrome

    NiChrome has a melting point of 1200 degrees Celcius and most people say it tates better on Cotton, Silica
     
  2. ryanmacl

    ryanmacl Well-Known Member

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    Kanthal is also less springy and tends to hold its shape better, whereas nichrome is harder to work with on smaller coils. Nichrome will also burn out faster because of its lower melting point. Personally, I find no difference in taste with either, but I always oxidize them with a torch before I use them. I switched to all Kanthal A1 because its less numbers I have to put in the resistance calculator.
     
  3. oil
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    oil Thread Starter Custom What?

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    LOL
    is there something about the Gauge / Thickness of the Wire which advantages / disadvantages it has, i am still looking for some knowledge in this but havent found it so far
     
  4. ryanmacl

    ryanmacl Well-Known Member

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    The smaller the number of the gauge, the thicker the wire is. The thicker wire will last longer without breaking, but obviously has lower resistance. Thinner wire is easier to work with (somewhat) and has the higher resistance needed if you are working in tight spaces or are trying to use 2 or more coils in one atomizer. Ribbon wire is also nice because it affords more surface area to the juice, however with ribbon wire you can't really make micro-coils.
     
  5. oil
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    oil Thread Starter Custom What?

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    so for us newbies, what set up different wires you recommed to get,
    since i ll visit germany and i read that their wires are much better quality then the chinese ones, i thought i ll buy a few.
    however my current selection feels like way tooo much ...

    so far i have planned to get some
    Kanthal A1 Ø 0,40mm - AWG 26
    Kanthal A1 Ø 0,32mm - AWG 28
    Kanthal A1 Ø 0,25mm - AWG 30
    Kanthal A1 Ø 0,18mm - AWG 33

    NiChrome Ø 0,32mm - AWG 28

    and when i look at it i think its insane to order it, half of the stuff i will prolly never need, so in your opinion what would be wise to get?
     
  6. ryanmacl

    ryanmacl Well-Known Member

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    Alright, as I've said before I wouldn't even bother with the NiChrome, there is absolutely no difference in taste if you're torching everything first anyway.

    AWG 26, skip it, I doubt you'll ever use it. You would be doing some crazy sub-ohm crap to have to go that low.

    AWG 28, buy it, I try to use this whenever possible, but if you're trying to make a dual coil build above 1 ohm then your coils will be huge, like almost a centimeter wide. Great for stuff around 1.4 ohms.

    AWG 30, buy it, good for dual coils or when AWG 28 is too thick. Still resists popping pretty well.

    AWG 32, buy it, good for smaller stuff like rebuilding a Protank, or multiple coils. Prone to popping coils, but if you don't have hot spots it should last a while. I don't use it anymore because it pops too easy for me.

    AWG 33+, skip it, too easy to pop your coils and then you're rebuilding again.

    I also use .4mm x .1mm Kanthal ribbon...I was using .5mm x .1mm but the resistance was too low, I would always end up with huge coils. Also, buy some non-resistance wire just in case you need it. I use AWG 28 gauge nickel wire, but you can use silver as well. You'll use this if you're trying to do a Protank or Aspire coil properly, because you don't want the legs heating up and melting the insulators. I built that wire joiner, but a lot of people just twist the wire together.
     
  7. oil
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    oil Thread Starter Custom What?

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    thx a ton :)

    by that great advice i owe you a meter of each if you ever run out :D
    i recall you mentioned in some other thread you would need something from germany?
    My reflight back to thailand is scheduled to Smoking Season (March) so just lemme know what u need
     
  8. ryanmacl

    ryanmacl Well-Known Member

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    What I need is currently out of stock, but believe me if the get it back in stock I'll let you know.
     
  9. Phil_1975
    Fine

    Phil_1975 Phil

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    Hey after using 28AWG for ages, I am digging 26AWG. Have messed around with dual 28 in my Kayfun, single 28, tower 28 and now have an 11 wrap 26 rocking 1.25 ohm - awesome vape with lots of surface area!

    Phil
     
  10. oil
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    oil Thread Starter Custom What?

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    not really good considering that Aluminium is a neurotoxin

    - - - Updated - - -

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2014

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