Rebuildable Section – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

A Rebuildable Section is the part of an RDA, RTA, RDTA or refillable pod that houses the coil and wicking material. Instead of buying pre-made coil heads, users wrap their own wire, install it on posts or a deck, and threadcotton through to create a custom heating element. This section is designed to be taken apart, cleaned, and rebuilt repeatedly, giving vapers control over resistance, flavour intensity, and vapour production while reducing long-term cost and waste.

Technical Details

Most rebuildable sections consist of a deck with positive and negative posts (or a post-less clamp), 510 threading for conductivity, and an airflow control ring. Deck diameters range from 14 mm on compact MTL RTAs to 30 mm on cloud-chasing RDAs. Post holes accept wire from 24 AWG down to 3×28 AWG fused Claptons. Insulators are PEEK or Ultem rated for 200 °C+. Juice wells vary: RDAs hold 4–8 mm deep, RTAs surround a 2–5 ml tank, and RDTAs combine both. Variations include single-coil, dual-coil, mesh, and series decks; each changes ramp-up time and battery draw. Squonk-compatible rebuildable sections add a hollow 510 pin so e-liquid can be pushed up from an internal bottle.

Usage & Tips

Start with a simple 26 AWG Kanthal round wire build: 6 wraps on a 3 mm rod usually reads 0.4–0.5 Ω. Trim leads flush, centre the coil 1 mm inside airflow slots, and glow evenly at 20 W to remove hot spots. Use Scottish-roll cotton—fluffy but snug—to avoid dry hits. Check resistance on a Mod“>regulated mod before firing; a sudden drop can indicate a short. If flavour is muted, raise the coil closer to the chimney or close down airflow slightly. Replace cotton every 2–3 days and coils every 2–3 weeks to keep rust and gunk at bay. Always work on a heat-resistant mat; tiny screws love to disappear.

History & Context

The first rebuildable sections appeared in 2009 on genesis-style tanks imported from China. Aussie hobbyists soon adopted them to beat the nicotine import limits and high coil-head prices. By 2013, local machinists like JD Tech and Vapefly were milling bespoke decks in Sydney garages, fuelling the cloud-comp scene and pushing manufacturers worldwide to refine post designs, airflow, and safety insulation we see today.