Author Topic: SX 350 Box Mod Build - Completed. (Read 46555 times)

Suzukiv6 · « **on:** May 27, 2014, 06:19:43 PM »

Hi, I have recently started building this SX350 box mod, and thought I would share with you some pic of the build. It's only a small box made with some reclaimed mahogany, and cut to size using the circular saw. The battery is a lipo 1200mAH 25c. The top and bottom plates will be made from brass plate. The screen frame is made from brass plate, and the control switch will be on the right hand side of the box. I could not wait until it was finished to try it out, so it's in test mode at the moment with a Kayfun mini on it. I must say I am impressed with it so far. I will load some more pics as I progress.

Breaktru · « **Reply #1 on:** May 27, 2014, 06:46:11 PM »

Thanks for sharing. It's looking pretty good so far

Visus · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2014, 07:06:12 PM »

Sharp mini mod

Alexander Mundy · « **Reply #3 on:** May 27, 2014, 07:07:05 PM »

That's a great bezel you have made for the screen!
Keep pics coming.

memoevapor · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:10:30 PM »

mahogany.... oh yea! Looking really good! Looking forward to updates.

iusedtoanalog · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:34:28 PM »

Bravo sir. Well done
Please update with the further progress.
How did you shape the brass ring? Was that cut from a single piece then routed edge?.... Well done...

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2014, 12:57:38 PM »

Hi iusedtoanalog. The screen fame was made from a section of brass plate rebated on the milling machine to fit in the cutout, cut to size and finished by hand, filing and polishing etc. The pic shows the frame in its raw state before finishing. I will load some more pic as I progress.

Breaktru · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2014, 01:59:07 PM »

Nothing like having real MANLY tools to do the job

Well done M8

BigHoffy · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2014, 01:26:54 PM »

man I'm thinking of doing something so similar, I like your style. I am trying to do a fair amount of research first as its going to be my first mod. at least vape mod. I have made a few R/C cars and one of them UAV deals. but I want to try to make a small box mod about the size of a pack of smokes. I want to toss in 5k mah worth of battery and incorporate two 2mm/3mm connections for fast charging, via a stand alone lipo charger for r/c stuff. that way I can charge at 5amps. Also if anyone can help me out on this I'm looking for info on magnetic switches for the firing switch. similar to the mech mods but smaller and not on the bottom. as well as good prices on the sx350 chip itself. cheapest I've found is about 75 bucks. I would like to get one for about the same cost as the dna 30. I know I may have to pay more since its newer but 75 bucks doesn't seem reasonable to me. I want to keep the whole deal under 100 bucks so I can make some for family or even maybe sell a couple without having to charge more than 130 or so. im not a fan of what hana mods is doing tossing a 50 dollar chip there prob getting for 30 or less and turning around and charging over 250 for. just for a nice case. LAME. there's plenty of good parts out now for DIY why would anyone buy a hana.

Visus · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2014, 02:18:48 PM »

Big check out Breatru's dna30 post he uses a box like a pack of analogs
but you will never get 5000mah in there or close to that
http://breaktru.com/smf/index.php/topic,1051.0.html
Also check out what can happen if you make a small mistake with a lipo battery (same enclosure)
http://breaktru.com/smf/index.php/topic,1028.0.html
it takes some knowledge or boom so read everything you can round here
because that enclosure, its a helluva tight squeeze and no room for error
goodluck thats gonna be a nice mod when u get it together I betcha..
Hammond makes that same enclosure a lil bigger and you can use 18650's 2x3000mah

BigHoffy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2014, 04:21:29 PM »

Owie, that second post there is a bummer. Such an awesome mod though. and ya the only 5k mah batts ive found are 5 inches tall so that's prob out but I can stack 2 2200's together prob. I have a couple 4s 2200 20c lipos I can strip apart. im not sure where to get them for the best price but hobbyking.com has them for about 4.50 or so. and the 5k ones for about 10 bucks. here's the dimensions in us standard, I had to round up a hair. 2200mah 3.82x1.34x.315, and the 5k is 5.04x1.66x.4. I think the 2200 is doable, glad I have two 4s's sitting around from my DIY UAV quad copter build. also I really want to do a magnetic closure, so I have somewhat easy access to the innards. I was thinking about threading the vent hole to I can thread a screw in slightly to pop her open. I need to get some specs on depth of buttons, sx350 chip, and usb charger so I know how deep to make the box. I'm looking at making a woody since I don't have machine tools and am good with woodworking. I'm thinking about shaving wood nice and thin and doing some fiberglass reinforcing on the inside. Ohh hey I found a nice 5800mah 60c lol on there too. its 3.63x1.82x.74 in a hard case too. its kinda pricey @ 20 bucks. but you could run that thing @ 100+ watts without risk. maybe take off hard case to save some room. jeeze my post are long.

to break, visus, mamu, and that guy who made that custom sleeve for that adjustable pin. not to mention props on the woody at the top of this forum page.

CraigHB · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2014, 05:33:25 PM »

I would recommend "not" disassembling the hobby packs for individual LiPo cells. The tabs are soldered onto a host board for those which presents a couple problems. For one, the tabs are trimmed after initial assembly which makes them too short to work with conveniently. Also, there's a limited amount of heat the tabs can tolerate. When you reuse them, they're getting soldering 3 times. Once for the initial assembly, once for disassembly, and once for reassembly. Plus the last two are done when the tabs are short further reducing heat tolerance.

Hobby King sells individual LiPos cells and they're really inexpensive. They're actually a lot less than you pay for a typical round cell; link. They have round LiPos too; link.

For mods that require series cells, you should just use the 2S packs as is if you want flat cells; link.

BigHoffy · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2014, 08:42:48 PM »

Ok ty for that info. I wont mess with them thanks for saving me the headache. Also I did some math and I think I can get more out of less space with these 18650's. Less amp rating but still in the green zone I think. I have 2 Samsung 18650-26F. I also just got my aunt 2 sony vtc5's I could maybe swap her if I had too. both have same capacity not sure on amp rating for these 26f's but one came with my evic so I just got another on ebay. the second had the cuircut chip deal and nipple top with an extra shrink wrap. it wouldn't even go in the tube. I looked at it for 30 seconds and ripped off the shrinkwrap chip and nipple. came out just like the original. I kept the chip cause im like that lol but its prob trash. so ya 2x 18650 is 65x36x18 @ 5200mah and a flat cell the same rating is 93x47x18 or 128x42x20. I know ill lose some w battery connection but still will have modular capability. I think its the way to go. I would like to see some 18650's pushing over 3k though that would be sick. and not a fake rating like some of the 5k trustfires. hah trustfire lol. you can always trust it to burn.

on guys. hack the planet!

CraigHB · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2014, 07:38:47 PM »

The Samsung ICR18650-26F is a 2C cell which means it has a maximal drain limit of 2 times the charge. I believe those have 2600mAh so that would be 5.2 Amps. You can burst 'em for about 8 Amps without issue. For any cell, you can safely go about 50% over the continuous drain limit for short intervals like you do when using them in an e-cig.

So, with two of the Samsung cells in series or two in parallel, you're limited to an output around 50 Watts. You wouldn't want to use them for an ultra low resistance atomizer, but with two, they're fine for the more typical 20 to 30 Watts.

The VTC5 is a much different battery. First it uses a manganese based chemistry compared to the Cobalt based chemistry of the ICR18650-26F so it's a safer battery to start. Also it has a 12C drain limit compared to the 2C limit of the Samsung cell.

There's such a huge difference between the US18650VTC5 and ICR18650-26F that I would have to say you should not even bother with the Samsung cells. Though Samsung does make a cell that competes with the Sony VTC5 and the part number is INR18650-20R, but the capacity is not as good. I expect a new version will be coming from them with specs closer to that of the VTC5. The INR18650-20R is getting rather dated now.

In general, LiPo cells either round or flat have the lowest energy density of all the Li-Ion types. That means they don't carry as much charge capacity (run time). Their big advantage is efficient power delivery. That's why they're used in RC models that have very high power demands. You do give up some charge capacity with them, but they perform really well in terms of power delivery so that's a big plus.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 04, 2014, 01:58:39 PM »

Hi, I will be changing the switch that comes with the SX350 board for a tactile button switch. I have made a remote housing so there will be a 10mm dia brass button on the outside the mod operating the tactile switch inside the mod. I have found these small tactile switches are very reliable, but with being so small are not very user friendly for a firing switch.
Here are some pics of the remote housing and switch.

Breaktru · « **Reply #15 on:** June 04, 2014, 02:24:19 PM »

Quote from: Suzukiv6 on June 04, 2014, 01:58:39 PM

Hi, I will be changing the switch that comes with the SX350 board for a tactile button switch. I have made remote housing so there will be a 10mm dia brass button on the outside the mod operating the tactile switch in side the mod. I have found these small tactile switches are very reliable, but with being so small are not very user friendly for a firing switch.
Here are some pics of the remote housing and switch.

Nice work

BigHoffy · « **Reply #16 on:** June 05, 2014, 01:53:25 AM »

to craigHB got in my 2x sony vtc5's

tossed the Samsung batteries to my aunt. there an upgrade from what she had. her biggest battery was a 2200mah cobalt style which I believe actually tests @ 1600 or so. her other ones are 18350 cells which I thing all suck personally. I got her two of them for her zmax mini say 900mah but rate at 750 or so I believe. by the way the zmax is also a hunk of junk. I really hate the menu system. I can figure it out fine but for a ditsy chick not the best at all. I am stoked on these sony's though. ready to get my other parts for a good mod. I just lost a bidding war on a sx350 on ebay, I stopped bidding at 55 bucks. plus I had to hit the dmv. im such a cheap bastard lol, if you don't believe me check my cheap battery charger pictures. lmao china aint got shit on me.

granolaboy · « **Reply #17 on:** June 05, 2014, 01:49:08 PM »

Nice build man! The screen frame is exquisite!!

Also like the work with the remote button for the tactile switch. I'm thinking of doing the same thing, but with wood to make a wooden switch

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 05, 2014, 02:23:28 PM »

Quote from: granolaboy on June 05, 2014, 01:49:08 PM

Nice build man! The screen frame is exquisite!!

Also like the work with the remote button for the tactile switch. I'm thinking of doing the same thing, but with wood to make a wooden switch

Hi, That's a good idea to make it out of wood , you could make it out of the same wood as the box or a contrasting one. Please post us a pic when you get it made.

granolaboy · « **Reply #19 on:** June 05, 2014, 02:31:59 PM »

Quote

Hi, That's a good idea to make it out of wood , you could make it out of the same wood as the box or a contrasting one. Please post us a pic when you get it made.

Absolutely! I'm waiting on parts right now. Will be my first DIY mod. We'll see how it goes...

This forum is awesome btw! Big props to breaktru for setting this up!

CraigHB · « **Reply #20 on:** June 05, 2014, 03:07:23 PM »

Quote from: BigHoffy on June 05, 2014, 01:53:25 AM

to craigHB got in my 2x sony vtc5's

Funny, almost the same day I mentioned the Samsung INR18650-20R, I saw the INR18650-25R is on shelves now which has pretty much the same specs as the Sony and LG high drain 18650s. So there's another player for you. Right now there are three big name 18650 brands that seriously kick the crap out of everything else. Strange to say Panasonic is not one of them, it's like hello, anybody there?

granolaboy · « **Reply #21 on:** June 05, 2014, 05:22:39 PM »

Speaking of which:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=57291

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 07, 2014, 05:31:16 PM »

Hi, I have got a bit further with the construction of the mod, got the box glued together and a coat of sealer on. Fixed the control button and bezel. When I have finished the top and bottom brass plates I will mask all the brass bits and apply a few coats of French Polish .
Here are a few pics showing the construction of the mod up to date.

Breaktru · « **Reply #23 on:** June 07, 2014, 06:27:35 PM »

Very nicely done. Bravo mate.
Real nice small size and the display frame is excellent.

CraigHB · « **Reply #24 on:** June 07, 2014, 06:29:09 PM »

For sure, looks really good. Size is always a big consideration for me and that one is very compact.

Visus · « **Reply #25 on:** June 07, 2014, 07:18:09 PM »

Awesome

They have a post with your mods on fasttech forum suz-- they are loving them..

fyi Mundy on ecf just posted they released the up/down button update, he has it wired, works good.. They also fixed the battery voltage everything is now pretty accurate..

They put a lot a thought into that module its turning out to be the king at this point. To think it will do 50w later is also whoa factor great job..

http://www.fasttech.com/forums/vapers/t/1255475/fawkin-cows-everywhere/5

Quote

Look at that custom switch .. Jeez! I'd flip over my wallet until the last penny drops off

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #26 on:** June 07, 2014, 08:43:00 PM »

Hi Visus, thanks for the link, I had no idea my mods were on fasttech. I am a member of The Vapers Shed Forum here in the Uk. And have done a few build threads on there. My idea was trying to get other members interested in making there own mods , which has worked , there are a few members that have now bought lathes etc and making some nice mods. It's only an hobby to me , and making the mods for my own use and publishing the builds hoping other vapers will be tempted to have a go themselves . I never thought someone would copy my pics and post them on another forum. Mind you I have the right user name for that forum. Cheers suzukiv6

Jasen · « **Reply #27 on:** June 07, 2014, 08:53:16 PM »

Suzuki,
Been watching your build, very nice and the size is great.
Does the retaining ring on your switch glue on or did you thread it?

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #28 on:** June 07, 2014, 09:37:42 PM »

Quote from: Jasen on June 07, 2014, 08:53:16 PM

Suzuki,
Been watching your build, very nice and the size is great.
Does the retaining ring on your switch glue on or did you thread it?
[/quote
Hi Jasen, thanks for the complement. It's held on with loctite 641 retaining compound. You could put a thread on it, but I don't think there is any need for it.

Jasen · « **Reply #29 on:** June 07, 2014, 10:15:33 PM »

I think the loctite is probably plenty, I was just curious.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #30 on:** June 14, 2014, 07:44:24 PM »

Hi, I have nearly finished the mod , just got the top and bottom plates to fix on, clean up and apply a few coats of French Polish. I thought I would test it out before securing the plates. The plates will be secured with some pearl glue, with using this type of glue should they need to be removed at any time you apply a hot domestic Iron which will soften the glue allowing removal.
It's working very, and here are a few pic of it up to date.

Claviger · « **Reply #31 on:** June 14, 2014, 07:47:27 PM »

Really beautiful! I love the look of the wood with the metal color used. Really really nice.

How did you connect the tactile switch to the button assembly?

Jasen · « **Reply #32 on:** June 14, 2014, 07:54:03 PM »

Truly a nice piece

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #33 on:** June 14, 2014, 08:15:36 PM »

Quote from: Claviger on June 14, 2014, 07:47:27 PM

Really beautiful! I love the look of the wood with the metal color used. Really really nice.

How did you connect the tactile switch to the button assembly?

Hi, the tactile switch is secured with loctite applied to the collar on the switch . Inside the assembly there is a stop which only allows the switch To make contact and not travel any further. I have use this method in the past and found it to be reliable.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #34 on:** June 15, 2014, 05:23:49 AM »

Hi, thought I would post a couple of pics showing the way I held the bezel around the USB charger for filing it to size. It's a push fit into a piece of wood which then can be held in the vice for filing. The bezel is 12mm diameter.

Breaktru · « **Reply #35 on:** June 15, 2014, 12:33:35 PM »

That's a brilliant idea cutting the usb port in a metal plug

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #36 on:** June 21, 2014, 04:54:33 AM »

Hi, I have been making the 510 connector for the mod, I was going to make a self adjusting one, but there was not enough room inside the mod to accommodate it . Instead I made one with an adjusting screw, I have loaded a few pic showing how it was made. The other pic shows the mod in its rough state before the final stage of cleaning it up and applying some polish.

Breaktru · « **Reply #37 on:** June 21, 2014, 08:33:56 AM »

Excellent piece of work. Well done mate

Claviger · « **Reply #38 on:** June 21, 2014, 11:08:36 AM »

Good god I wish I had your skill at manufacturing components. Incredible mod!

Visus · « **Reply #39 on:** June 21, 2014, 02:17:02 PM »

Wow

Excellent 0.0 tolerance melding of 510/usb and internal adjustable pin screw thats some tiny work

Jasen · « **Reply #40 on:** June 21, 2014, 02:46:43 PM »

Mandro · « **Reply #41 on:** June 21, 2014, 05:27:38 PM »

Love the look, size and build qualiy, something to be really proud of.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #42 on:** June 22, 2014, 10:12:07 AM »

Hi I have completed the mod, I put a couple of coats of French Polish and finished off with a coat of Danish Oil which is easy to maintain and to apply another coat if needed, it gives a nice soft finish and any getting on the brass work can be easily removed.
I have been using the mod for a few day now and it's working fine. Here are a few photos of the completed mod.

fusionboy · « **Reply #43 on:** June 23, 2014, 02:01:17 PM »

Truly beautiful! I love wood/metal contrast.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #44 on:** June 24, 2014, 06:23:27 PM »

Hi, I have come across a fault with the SX350 chipset in my mod. This fault was shown quite by accident on my part. I wound a new coil for my attie which was far to low for my use, but thought I would give it a try. When firing this coil I found I was getting an intermittent SHORT displayed on the screen. After some experimenting I found this SHORT fault only shows up on a coil below 1.6ohms. On finding this I contacted YiHi in China who I must say were very helpful in sending me an updated file, stating once this was loaded onto my chip it would cure the problem and also lift it to a 40watt chip. The only problem is this file cannot be loaded onto the device with the battery connected.
After all this I have decided to leave my mod as it is for now, taking the battery out is a major job and as I have said I will never use low resistance coils. Sorry for rambling on, but for any of you that are thinking of building a mod using the SX 350 chip,wire it up on your bench and test it with low resistance coils to check for the SHORT fault, which will easily be rectified whilst the chip is not encased in a mod. It might be that it is only my chip that has this fault but it worth checking before your mod is finished like mine is. Happy mod building. Cheers Mike.

Littlefeather · « **Reply #45 on:** June 24, 2014, 10:55:56 PM »

Now that there's Puuuuurdy! Well done once again Mike.

Littlefeather · « **Reply #46 on:** June 24, 2014, 10:58:42 PM »

Ooops, my bad! I ment Suzukiv6!

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #47 on:** June 25, 2014, 11:18:36 AM »

I have got some more info. Which contradicts some of what I said above. With the Short showing on the screen, here are a few things to try. First, put the chip in link mode and tilt for 5sec, this reboots the chip, didn't clear the fault for me. Next, I have found it can be made to accept the update software with the battery in circuit. Go into link in the menus then connect to PC and update to V2 software. Once update is complete disconnect and hold the fire button for 5 seconds and it will display the version you are running. Then return to link and tilt it for 5 sec, it will then reboot as if you have removed the battery. The last thing is when doing the wiring of the mod make sure the negative wire is thick enough, if not, this short fault can show when using low ohms coils, I used 20 gauge which is about the right size, but I wouldn't go any smaller.
I will probably have a go with the software on mine now I know the procedure. I don't need it to work on low setting for my style of vaping, so I will have to be in the mood to have a go at updating it. When I do I will come back with the results.

miskol · « **Reply #48 on:** June 25, 2014, 01:29:11 PM »

it is interesting that the YiHi is software-upgradable. wondering the actual hardware limit they have.

Suzukiv6 · « **Reply #49 on:** June 25, 2014, 01:45:17 PM »

Quote from: miskol on June 25, 2014, 01:29:11 PM

it is interesting that the YiHi is software-upgradable. wondering the actual hardware limit they have.

Hi this new software update takes the chip from 35 to 40watts and later this month there is another upgrade to 50 watts so the hardware limit must be quite high, be interesting to see if I can find out.