Notes on a KF4 Clone

[atomised]

Nice account mate, I'm gonna have to get some of those o-rings as I have the same problem with mine, and I've an Infinite on the way from FT.

Did you see this thread by tubbyengineer about resistance?

http://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/f.../60652-kayfun-4-resistance-stabilisation.html

Thanks for that Ment. Are you getting the SS version?

I've just looked at the link. Lots of good stuff there but, actually, my wandering resistance came from the Universal Connector screw. Part #A9 on the song sheet. It had worked slightly loose. It forms part of the only return path for the coil current so tightening it up is good! It must be the cause of many wandering resistance problems as well as the spring.

Anyway, I've now stretched and crimped the spring slightly, tightened up A9 and have got rock solid resistance. I can open and close the juice control, heave the body of the atty around or take it off the mod with no change at all.

Notes:
1. Tightening #A9 causes the juice control to stiffen up a lot. However, on this Infinite clone, it was possible to tighten it up enough to get stable resistance and still be able to spin the juice control without undue force. I didn't need to sand down the #A7 sealing ring as I saw someone doing in the comments on the YT video in tubbyengineer's thread. Sadly though it will probably work loose again in due course.

2. When I disassembled the thing, I found a little bit of juice had leaked into the universal connector. Last night I noticed vapour coming out of the air holes in the juice control ring after every toot so I guess some of it was condensation but I suspect that pesky O ring #B16 may be playing up again. If the postman brings my new rings today I shall replace it.

3. Last night, despite the jumping resistance, was the best vape experience I've ever had. I'm not a lip smacker but I actually did at one stage, just to make that flavour last a bit longer! This morning, after fettling and a new wick the flavour seems to have diminished a bit. I suspect the errant ohms yesterday caused the mod to hit high on occasion so I'm gradually upping the power now.

4. Overall, I'm so impressed with the Infinite clone that I was about to order another to use with a DNA40. Seems people have done this but I think I'll investigate a bit further as the current path is not ideal for high currents / low resistance coils and SvoeMesto don't specify it for use below 1 ohm anyway.

 

[Ment]

Thanks for that @Ment. Are you getting the SS version?

I've just looked at the link. Lots of good stuff there but, actually, my wandering resistance came from the Universal Connector screw. Part #A9 on the song sheet. It had worked slightly loose. It forms part of the only return path for the coil current so tightening it up is good! It must be the cause of many wandering resistance problems as well as the spring.

Anyway, I've now stretched and crimped the spring slightly, tightened up A9 and have got rock solid resistance. I can open and close the juice control, heave the body of the atty around or take it off the mod with no change at all.

Notes:
1. Tightening #A9 causes the juice control to stiffen up a lot. However, on this Infinite clone, it was possible to tighten it up enough to get stable resistance and still be able to spin the juice control without undue force. I didn't need to sand down the #A7 sealing ring as I saw someone doing in the comments on the YT video in tubbyengineer's thread. Sadly though it will probably work loose again in due course.

2. When I disassembled the thing, I found a little bit of juice had leaked into the universal connector. Last night I noticed vapour coming out of the air holes in the juice control ring after every toot so I guess some of it was condensation but I suspect that pesky O ring #B16 may be playing up again. If the postman brings my new rings today I shall replace it.

3. Last night, despite the jumping resistance, was the best vape experience I've ever had. I'm not a lip smacker but I actually did at one stage, just to make that flavour last a bit longer! This morning, after fettling and a new wick the flavour seems to have diminished a bit. I suspect the errant ohms yesterday caused the mod to hit high on occasion so I'm gradually upping the power now.

4. Overall, I'm so impressed with the Infinite clone that I was about to order another to use with a DNA40. Seems people have done this but I think I'll investigate a bit further as the current path is not ideal for high currents / low resistance coils and SvoeMesto don't specify it for use below 1 ohm anyway.

No, I ordered the black one, and a black SMPL to go with it. I've also got an Ehpro on the way from the classifieds, so I'll let you know how they compare.

Do you know about the sub-ohm kit? I've ordered a couple from FT for pennies, but Cloud9 has them for £9 if you're in a hurry.

 

[atomised]

...
Do you know about the sub-ohm kit? I've ordered a couple from FT for pennies, but Cloud9 has them for £9 if you're in a hurry.

Yes, I saw that but the draw is perfect for me as it is.

The postie arrived with my O rings. If you want to PM me your address I'll put a couple in the post for you to try?

 

[Ment]

Yes, I saw that but the draw is perfect for me as it is.

The postie arrived with my O rings. If you want to PM me your address I'll put a couple in the post for you to try?

Cheers mate, that would be great, I'd forgotten about those.

 

[cosd]

very informative post, thanks for that.

I too have the Infinite version and think its excellent. I had the 3.1 Infinite clone and that has been faultless.

I had a cleaning session on the K4 last night for the first time (I bought this from a friend who's bought and cleaned it, but never used it) and have to say the machining is very precise (as was my 3.1). The threads are silky smooth.

The air control on the 3.1 was a little vague at best, and that was the case with the genuine one also, but on the K4 the air control is superb; You can literally block it completely through to so open you can only lung hit.

The vapour and flavour production is also superior to the 3.1, and that was very good anyway.

So far I have never had a leak or a gurgle.

Opening and closing the juice channels is very smooth, taking off the top for refill is the same. The only bit of tightness I have experienced is taking off the base to re-wick, but again, it's not excessively tight though.

Overall, for the amount of precision engineering involved, the Infinite clone really is for nothing.


Cos

 

[atomised]

very informative post, thanks for that.

I too have the Infinite version and think its excellent. I had the 3.1 Infinite clone and that has been faultless.

I had a cleaning session on the K4 last night for the first time (I bought this from a friend who's bought and cleaned it, but never used it) and have to say the machining is very precise (as was my 3.1). The threads are silky smooth.

The air control on the 3.1 was a little vague at best, and that was the case with the genuine one also, but on the K4 the air control is superb; You can literally block it completely through to so open you can only lung hit.

The vapour and flavour production is also superior to the 3.1, and that was very good anyway.

So far I have never had a leak or a gurgle.

Opening and closing the juice channels is very smooth, taking off the top for refill is the same. The only bit of tightness I have experienced is taking off the base to re-wick, but again, it's not excessively tight though.

Overall, for the amount of precision engineering involved, the Infinite clone really is for nothing.


Cos

I have an anonymous 3.1 clone. It works well enough but I totally agree with you about the vague airflow. I never quite got it right and I certainly never got the flavour from it that this Infinite gives.

Have you tried the bell cap? I'll get to it one day, but I'm wondering how it refills. I'm guessing that you insert the bung instead of a drip tip. Turn upside down and remove the deck then refill it through the juice holes?

 

[cosd]

I have an anonymous 3.1 clone. It works well enough but I totally agree with you about the vague airflow. I never quite got it right and I certainly never got the flavour from it that this Infinite gives.

Have you tried the bell cap? I'll get to it one day, but I'm wondering how it refills. I'm guessing that you insert the bung instead of a drip tip. Turn upside down and remove the deck then refill it through the juice holes?

I haven't in the K4, but yes, use the bung; That's how I did it on the 3.1

 

[atomised]

Hmmm... I've now replaced two O rings. B16 and B18. B16 was always suspect. I took off B18 because it looked like it would cause leaking if the wrong size were fitted. Instead of 10x1.5mm it turned out to be 8x1.5mm.

With the correct size fitted I've been happily vaping most of the evening. As usual there's no external sign of leaking or gurgling but the juice seems to be running down more quickly than I expect. Either I'm vaping more heavily today or the better seal due to B18 is drawing more juice into the coil or there's still an internal leakl. I shall find out tomorrow.

Thanks for the info cosd.

 

[atomised]

Replacing those two O rings seems to have done the job. No leaks now. There is a minute bit of moisture collecting underneath the deck on top of the Universal Connector screw (A9) but it's clear water from condensation rather than juice.

Other notes:
1. I have recoiled the thing. 28AWG, 8 turns, 2.5mm, 1.5 ohms. I opened up a tiny gap with a screwdriver blade between the 4th and 5th turns to stop the centre of the coil getting too hot on longer drags at higher powers. I fettled slightly to make sure each half of the coil heated up evenly. On an iStick 30W the sweet spot for me is 12W (mean power ~ 15W RMS). (I moved the thing to an iStick 50 to check the RMS setting and it seems about right.)

2. I'm not sure whether splitting the coil in the middle produces a bit more vapour or not but I don't think the flavour could get any better than this. I have a caramel tobacco juice at the moment and the aftertaste is just like having eaten a very nice dark toffee.

3. My subtanks lie idle. Just not enough flavour; and there was I a week ago thinking they were the bee's knees.

 

[atomised]

More notes:

1: Afterburn.
Last night I rewicked the thing in a very lazy fashion.
Stuffed cotton through coil, made bunny ears through congestion ring (B25) a la Pbusardo.
Cut cotton to what I guessed was the right length and stuffed it down to the juice holes.
Not a very good result. Flavour a bit weak, coil kept hissing after releasing the button.

Investigation today showed that just guessing and stuffing is too hit and miss. Wick was dryish on one side (hence afterburn). I had cut the wick too long, it had folded over and was squeezing itself thus impairing the wicking action. Also, the cotton was not contacting the coil all the way through. I had cut too thin a strip.

I rewicked with a thicker cotton strip. I used my thumbnail to crease the cotton at the bottom of the deck and cut just a tad longer than the crease. I think Grimmgreen does it this way?)
I opened the coil up just very slightly as the juice I'm using loves gunking up in the hot middle of the coil.

My flavour and vapour came back instantly. Big time!

2. Leaks.
Although the leaking seems OK now I was interested in a thread running on ECF concerning an Ehpro Kayfun Lite Plus V2
Note to self: Next time you get a new atty, before putting juice in, block off all air holes, suck like hell and see if the vacuum will stick your tongue to the drip tip. If not, there's no point in wasting juice until the leak is fixed.