Coil Building – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

Coil Building is the craft of manually winding and installing a resistancewire into a rebuildable atomiser (RBA, RDA, RTA or RDTA) to create the heating element that turns e-liquid into vapour. Instead of buying factory-made coil heads, the user wraps wire around a jig or screwdriver, mounts the coil on the deck, adds cotton wicking, and fine-tunes resistance for a customised vape. This practice gives Australian vapers control over flavour intensity, vapour temperature, battery life and the ability to chase bigger clouds while saving money on replacement cartridges.

Technical Details

A coil is built by wrapping Kanthal A1, Nichrome 80, stainless-steel 316L, nickel or titanium wire into a spiral. Wrap count (number of loops), Diameter“>inner diameter (typically 2–4 mm) and wire gauge (24–34 AWG) determine the final resistance measured in ohms. Single-strand builds range 0.1–1.2 Ω; Clapton, fused Clapton, alien and staggered variations use a core wire wrapped with thinner outer wire to increase surface area without drastically lowering resistance. Dual, triple or quad-coil configurations halve or quarter total resistance, so vapers must ensure their battery can safely deliver the required amperage. Target resistances for mechanical mods on 18650 cells are usually 0.15–0.25 Ω, while regulated mods accept 0.08–3.0 Ω. Post holes or clamps on the deck accept leads 2.5–4 mm long; coils are positioned 1–2 mm from the deck wall and airflow slots to prevent shorting and maximise flavour.

Usage & Tips

• Start simple: 6 wraps of 26 AWG Kanthal around a 3 mm bit gives ≈0.6 Ω—ideal for 18–25 W beginners.
• Dry-burn & strum: Pulse the coil at 15 W until it glows evenly from inside-out; gently pinch with ceramic tweezers to eliminate hot spots.
• Wick snugly:Cotton should slide through with slight resistance; too tight chokes flow, too loose causes spit-back.
• Watch leg length: Trim excess wire flush to prevent shorts against the chamber cap.
• Safety first: Always verify resistance on an Ohm Reader”>ohm reader before firing; builds below 0.1 Ω demand high-drain batteries (≥30 A CDR) and intimate Ohm’s-law knowledge.

History & Context

Coil building emerged in 2008 when Aussie vapers first imported rebuildable Genesis-style tanks from China. The scene exploded after 2012 cloud-chasing comps, spurring YouTube “build tutorials” and local Facebook groups like Coil Builders Australia. Today, specialty wire from Sydney vendors and stainless-steel mesh wicks fuel both flavour and trick scenes, making coil building a cornerstone of advanced Australian vaping culture.