My first copper mod...

[jumper]

It was suggested to me that I start a new topic for my mod. I think it makes sense because I was putting too much into the sticky thread. So this may not be pretty, but I'm hoping it works, lol. I started out with the basic pinned 3.7v mod. Simple, simple, simple... I need to conquer a plain vanilla mod before I can move on to more complex ones.

And since this is a new thread, I will also post the last pictures here too. The pictures here are the last thing I did. Will post more when I get farther along.

One thing about starting a new thread for my mod is that maybe I can add some really basic things that I did wrong at first and maybe that will help others.

There are two pics of the atty. Just wanted to show everyone that the atty is flush with the copper cap so when you put a tank on it, it will look better. The second pic shows the the copper tube with the screw on the bottom cap for locking. What you don't see is how bad I cut the slot out for locking, but since no one will see it, I can live with it

The top cap was cut down to about 1/3 it's original length (got the idea from Breakthru). I think it makes it look better. I'm going to leave the bottom cap it's original size.

[Squance]

It's looking good jumper  Well done.
That is an excellent idea about posting what you did wrong so new modders can get a handle on what is involved with building a copper mod. My hats off to your jumper  and keep up the good work.

[jumper]

It's looking good jumper  Well done.
That is an excellent idea about posting what you did wrong so new modders can get a handle on what is involved with building a copper mod. My hats off to your jumper  and keep up the good work.

Thanks man... I really do appreciate the support. In order to help others out who are just starting like me, I might post "do and don't" topics.

[Pantera]

Good beginnings  Can't wait to see you blowing smoke rings photo 

[jumper]

Good beginnings  Can't wait to see you blowing smoke rings photo 

LOL... you know I've been smoking since I was 13 years old (just quit this January) and never did learn how to do that 

[Mimms]

What type of firing mech are you planning to use?
BTW, congrats on your progress

[jumper]

What type of firing mech are you planning to use?
BTW, congrats on your progress

Thanks Mimms, I'm going to use a PB that I got from MV. It's the horn style push button. Which brings me to my first "don't".

Don't use a horn style button on a copper mod. The button is too big. I'm going to force this one to work, but I'm not going to be buying any more of this kind. Breakthru uses the C&K buttons and that's what I'm going to use next time (although I still have one horn button left).

Here's a few pictures of my hack. What I had to do to get the horn button to work. It started out as a nice clean hole that the button would fit in... however, the button was so far down on the pipe that I couldn't get the locking mechanism on the button. So... this is my hack so the button would work. I'm planning on fixing up the cosmetic part with some very thin sheets of bronze and tin that I got from Hobby Lobby.

The first one is what I had to do to the top section of the tube to be able to use the button. The second is pic is my ugly looking lock slot. When the end cap is on, you can't see how bad the lock slot looks. I know it's ugly, but I never had a dremel before and I'm still getting used to it

and thanks for the compliment... the end result should be something that looks better than what you see here. Just wanted to make an example out of myself, lol.

[jumper]

Here's a helpful tip for doing the lock slot. Although my shaky hand didn't cut the slot very well, I found a good way to judge where the slot should be cut with the dremel tool. First I drilled a hole as much in the middle of the end cap. Then I took end end cap off and went directly to the right of the first hole and drilled another hole. That kind of made me an outline for where to cut the slot. All I had to do is cut from the bottom up to the left hole, then to the right for the next hole. Making a slot that you don't have to put too much brain into it.

[Breaktru]

We learn from doing. Every mod built after the first will get better and better as well as easier.
As long as it is functional, that's what matters most. Congrats on your first mod. I appreciate that you are sharing the do's and don'ts.
This will help new mod builder for sure.

[pnguin]

I second Breaktru, the best knowledge comes from doing something and learning from your errors. Congratulations on the first mod and may you make many more.

[jumper]

Thanks guys. Having these type of comments really helps. I know my first one is going to be the hardest. Once I can get that one under my belt, the next one should probably be a lot easier. Right now I'm learning how to use a multimeter. I think I just about have it. The only thing I want it for is to chase down connections that are not good

[jumper]

Well, I finally got the darn thing to work. Many, many thanks to Breakthru for all his help and patience with me. As this is my first mod, I was also getting used to using a multimeter. Had to watch a bunch of YouTube videos about the multimeter and basic soldering.

I worked and worked on the wiring, but could never get it to work, so here's another helpful tip for someone starting on their first mod. After I soldered all my connections, I checked it out with the multimeter and it said that everything was good. I was trying to test it "outside" the tube because putting everything in the tube is a PITA and even more so if you have to take it back out

However, when testing it out of the tube, there's one thing you have to take into consideration. The negative path is just as important as the positive path. I became very frustrated before I learned this. I had been working on it for days and couldn't get it to work. In order to test it out of the tube,

So here's today's helpful hint for new modders. If you try and test your setup outside the tube, tape a wire to the negative terminal of the battery and run it to the top cap and tape it there too. Also tape the connection of the door wheel and brass screw to the positive connection. Helpful hit comes from Breakthru.

Very important stuff if your doing your first mod And once I did it, my mod started working. Can't thank Breakthru enough for all his help. I will give him a break for a while so he'll speak to me again, lol.

[Learfx]

LOL! Yer dewin it wrong!  That's not a hax, that's a monstrosity!     A couple of things, Why didn't you just drill a hole for the horn switch rather than cutting out such a large section of copper?  You've created more work for yourself. 

When I build a copper mod I start out by getting my button location drilled first. Then I set the battery retaining ring in place as close to the button location as possible while making sure the round plastic positive battery connector will have enough room  as not to interfere with the button.   Then I solder the ring in place.  I leave the top and bottom of the mod a little longer as well in case I need more room than I originally thought.

After the ring is soldered in place ( or pressed in place ) I prefabricate the positive battery connection piece and make sure it slides in and out of the copper without a great deal of force.  Once this is done, you'll be able to see exactly where the negative end of the battery will end up in the mod.  For the end cap and spring, I set it up so the spring will compress about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. This allows for different battery end types, flat top or button top.  Then you can cut your locking slot for the end cap.


For making the cap lock notch in the copper I start out by drilling the cap at about the center, then slide it on the copper and drill again. This will give your starting point... From there you can just use the dremel tool and cut left or right and then down  the copper. One thing that makes the lock actually lock, is to notch about 1/8" down at the stop point of the notch in the copper. Imagine an upside down letter ell with drop of water hanging on the top end.    As you tighten the cap on to it's locked position, the spring will push the cap down into the small groove at the end, preventing it from spinning off in your pocket or hand.  REMEMBER to be safe when taking measurements using the battery, you could accidentally short the battery out. 

Not sure what type of camera you're using but the pics you're uploading are not very close up.... It's hard to see what you've done. I'm no photographer or anything but I've experienced the best results with using a light pointed right up close to the mod using my macro setting and no flash.

[jumper]

Yes it is a bit of monstrosity And originally, I did drill a hole for the horn switch, but couldn't think of a way to anchor it to the tube. The switch is pretty far down the tube and I don't have the tools to reach down that far and put the back nut on. And yes, I did create myself more work, but I'm hoping to come out on the other side with a nice looking mod. Well see if what I have planned works. I have also made my mod a bit long, just in case. I still have room to work with if I need to trim it down some.

Thanks for the info about how you go about making your mods. It will be a big help when I make my next one. I'm using a large spring so I think it will work for handling other size batteries.

About the cap lock notch... other than this was my first experience using a dremel, we really did things the same way. The only difference is that I drilled a second hole to the right of the first to help me try to align the notch. I know my dremel work is awful, but I don't mind since it's my first mod. My goal was just to go through the learning process and make something that actually vaped.

I appreciate your help Learfx. Maybe you wouldn't mind me asking you some questions the next go around. Send me a PM to let me know. I haven't finished putting it together, so I'm getting off of here and do that now.

Thanks for the great info. Oh... I'm not great with the camera but I will take more time with it the next time.

[Learfx]

   It's your first copper mod,  Copper isn't such an easy material to work with otherwise you would see a lot more copper mods out there, IMO. Go through the process with this one and get the experience.  You don't need any special tools to make the horn switch work...  All you need is a flat head screw driver. You don't need that much room between the center line of the button to the end of the copper tube, you could get away with about 1-1/2" to 2" max... The button's not going to fit on it to well because of the arch in the copper tubing, but it will work. Close up shots with the camera give a lot more detail and make it easier for people to understand what you're dealing with.

[DRA]

The next one will be better. Not to worry. It's still nice and if it vape good then great. 
I would have pulled the wires out of the switch hole, wired it and then tacked the back of the switch in with a drop of glue if I couldn't get the nut on. Maybe hot glue so it can be easily removed just in case.

[jumper]

Thanks LearFX and DRA, I'm getting a little better as I go along. Thanks for the info. I guess I could have used a flat head screwdriver. I didn't think of that but it's good to know for the future. Also, I will try and get more closeup pictures. Good idea about how to handle the switch DRA. I'll remember that because I still have one horn switch left.

I appreciate the comments. They really help.

[tommygun]

Congrats on your build jumper.
Are you going to shine it up or leave it as is?

[jumper]

Thanks Tommy, I will probably shine it up some when the time comes. There are some cosmetic things I need to do to it and once I get that figured out I'll start adding things to make it look better.

Thanks about the build... It's a little shabby, but I learned a lot while working on it, plus the comments I've received have been a big help too.

[jumper]

Just wanted everyone to know that this thread is going to not be updated until I can get the hang of soldering. I have no idea why it's so hard for me, but I'm really struggling to make the wiring work. Will update this thread when I finally get it to work.

thanks

[Pantera]

Just wanted everyone to know that this thread is going to not be updated until I can get the hang of soldering. I have no idea why it's so hard for me, but I'm really struggling to make the wiring work. Will update this thread when I finally get it to work.
thanks

You may want to looks at this video here on soldering http://breaktru.com/smf/index.php/topic,538.msg7737.html#msg7737

[jumper]

Thank you Pantera, I need all the help I can get, lol. What I really don't understand is that my multimeter says that all my connections are good, but it still doesn't work. I'm trying to test it out of the tube. I have a negative wire attached to the bottom of the battery and it goes up to the outside of the 510 connector. I have another wire going to the positive terminal of the battery going to one of the pins on the push button, and it still will not vape.

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, please let me know.

[Learfx]

Pictures are worth a thousand words...  Did you connect the center pin of the atty connector to the push button switch? That may be a stupid question but It's hard to know what you've done without a little more info....

[jumper]

Right now I have things apart again and going to start all over. When I get it hooked back up I will post some pictures. And yes, I did connect the pin to the push button switch. And with me, no that's not a stupid question. I'm going to do some work now and see how it turns out. When I'm through, I will make pictures and post them.

thanks LearFX

[jumper]

Ok... I have a question. I just got a really nice push button. The action on it is very soft and you barely have to push on it for it to work. My question is this... Should I run my wire through the holes to solder them or should I solder the wire going up and down the length of the posts.

Here's a couple pictures of the button...





Any help is appreciated. Just want to do it the best way and simple questions like this make a big difference.

[Learfx]

Some people push the wire through the holes and then twist it to form a mechanical connection. Then solder it... I never do.    I solder them right to the side and then slip heat shrink on the connections. Sometimes I use a little hot glue instead.

[jumper]

Some people push the wire through the holes and then twist it to form a mechanical connection. Then solder it... I never do.    I solder them right to the side and then slip heat shrink on the connections. Sometimes I use a little hot glue instead.

Thanks a lot. I don't know which was is easier for a newcomer, but I will stick with the way you do it. I didn't know about the hot glue. Do you put that on after you see if it vapes or do you just put it on after you solder it?

[jumper]

OMG... It's working! I got some new wire today and it's smaller than the original wire I was using. I also got some pre-wired 510 connectors to try. I've vaped on it about 4 times and it's still working. Think I will put hot glue on it and try to put it into the tube.

Here's some pictures of my test setup...





The pictures might look the same, but they are two separate ones that I took just in case one didn't work. I'm one happy man tonight!

I also found a great web page for soldering. It really helped me out a lot... http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/GoodSolderingTechnique.htm

In case it helps someone else that has struggled like me... read the link above about soldering. It's a really good one.

[CraigHB]

The best soldering tutorials for electronics I've seen are the ones from EEVBlog.  They've been posted in this forum before, but here they are again; 

[jumper]

Thanks Craig,

Great videos. It really covers most of the things I had to learn the hard way. And learning the hard way is not bad because when you get the hang of it, it's not as tough as one would think. I really appreciate your help with this. I've looked at the videos and will probably come back to them again because there's some things in there that I didn't know. I have a sponge that I use now, but don't have that gold look stuff to clean the tip.

And contrary to what the video says, I do tin the tip of the soldering iron because it seems like it gets the part hotter and seems to work well. I covered the place I want to solder with water soluble flux before I solder. Doing it this way seems to make the solder go on the wire better. This may not be the best way to do things, but it worked for me and I finally have things working. One other thing, the new wire I got is stranded copper. I think that helps too.

Thanks again for the videos.

Edit: I want to thank Breaktru for all his help and patience.

[vaporhead]

Can you take a clear close-up photo of the top cap with the 510 installed? Top and bottom.

[jumper]

Can you take a clear close-up photo of the top cap with the 510 installed? Top and bottom.

I can't take photos like that just yet. I'm still doing some work on it outside the tube, but I'll post some once I know everything is working.

[jumper]

Update on the mod: I just finished my last solder joint and it's still working  Next step is to hot glue that joint. Then I'm going to put it into the tube. Keep your fingers crossed

[CraigHB]

Thanks Craig

Welcome.

I don't agree 100% with what the guy says in the videos, but with a only a few minor points of contention, that's how I've been doing things for years.

Like he says in the beginning, it's more about the tools and equipment and it's actually hard to solder badly when you're using the right stuff.  He says his number one tip is to use the right solder and I wouldn't argue that, but my addendum would be to tin and clean your tip prior to every solder joint.

The fluxed steel wool is handy for a really dirty tip, but I've never used the stuff.  If you don't let your tip get that dirty in the first place, you don't need it.  He mentions thermal shock as an issue, but it's really not unless your sponge is dripping wet (which it should not be).

[jumper]

Welcome.

I don't agree 100% with what the guy says in the videos, but with a only a few minor points of contention, that's how I've been doing things for years.

Like he says in the beginning, it's more about the tools and equipment and it's actually hard to solder badly when you're using the right stuff.  He says his number one tip is to use the right solder and I wouldn't argue that, but my addendum would be to tin and clean your tip prior to every solder joint.

The fluxed steel wool is handy for a really dirty tip, but I've never used the stuff.  If you don't let your tip get that dirty in the first place, you don't need it.  He mentions thermal shock as an issue, but it's really not unless your sponge is dripping wet (which it should not be).

I agree about the guy in the video. He did reinforced some things that I had just found out. I think an important thing to me was just getting comfortable working with what I had. Thanks about the fluxed steel wool idea. The iron I'm using is my lady's and I don't think she ever cleaned it. It's completely black, lol. I started using a sponge (just a little damp) and that helps some, but that steel wool would probably do wonders for the iron.

I would like to get me one of those really nice setups that has everything you need in it. It has what I guess is that steel wool and a place for a sponge. PLUS a place to put your iron!! I have burned spots everywhere on my table. I'm getting better though. Also, I'm PO so can't afford one of those nice soldering kits.

[rrtwister]

I have burned spots everywhere on my table.

So not to get smacked up-side the head from the ole lady, I use an 18"x18" ceramic floor tile to solder on. You can pick one up cheap at Lowes or home depot for under a buck.

[jumper]

So not to get smacked up-side the head from the ole lady, I use an 18"x18" ceramic floor tile to solder on. You can pick one up cheap at Lowes or home depot for under a buck.

That's a great idea! Thanks. I will probably get me one the next time I'm out and about.

[CraigHB]

but that steel wool would probably do wonders for the iron.

Not necessarily.  That's actually a special type of steel wool that's made of brass ribbon and fluxed.  It's minimally abrasive and not something you can find at the local hardware store. 

You actually have to be careful about using abrasives on the tip.  They're nickel plated and if the nickel plate gets damaged, the tip is no good anymore.  If you're using one of those cheapo soldering pencils, the tips are crap on those anyway so it's probably not going to matter.  Those tips work poorly at best.

It's funny to me how people insist on using those crap pencils when acceptable soldering stations that use a proper tip are really not that expensive.  The guy in the videos emphasizes that point, but it seems he doesn't emphasize it enough.

[jumper]

Thanks for all the info and help. I really appreciate it since I'm so new at this. How much is a decent setup for soldering? I have limited funds and that's why I haven't bought a new one. Also, if you could provide a link, that would be nice. And yea the iron I'm using is one of those crap irons. Need to get a better one plus some braided copper wire to remove solder. Trying to remove solder is driving me nuttier than I already am..

[CraigHB]

I've seen links posted in this forum for soldering stations as low as $20.  However, I don't know about the tips for them.  The quality of a soldering station is primarily about the quality of the tips it uses and secondly the range of temperature. 

[jumper]

$20.00 is not that bad. I saw some for $50.00 and thought they were out of my range. The next time I go to Lowes or Home Depot I will check them out. Oh, we also have a Harbor Freight here too (almost forgot). I'm going to look them up in a second.

Ok, so tip quality is a big thing and so is temperature. I saw some of the ones with different settings for temperature. I guess that's probably better, but will have to look at the cost. If I find something I will post a link so you can see.

thanks a bunch.

[jumper]

one more thing... what kind of watts should I be looking for?

here's one I found... http://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-Soldering-Kit-100T1/203604655#.UdnmD5ZSBKI

[SmokeRings]

Here is something that is useful at times when soldering: Helping Hands

[jumper]

Thanks, That's a great deal. It seems like 90% of my time is used trying to line things up so I can solder. I would have thought they cost more, so this is a good find.

[jumper]

I know a lot of you probably thought I wouldn't make it, but I finally got my mod to work. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but I have my first mod under my belt. Very special thanks to Breakthru for answering a ton of questions and to everyone else that I've talked to about this.

Much to my surprise, it vapes really well. Pretty close to my Vamo. Don't understand that because it's only 3.7v. I'm walking on air now that I finally made one that works. Thanks to everyone who have been so patient with me 



As far as size goes, it's just a little bit bigger than my Vamo.

[Breaktru]

Congrats  It looks pretty darn good. I can't even see the cut slots with the cap on and the trim around the button 

[jumper]

Congrats  It looks pretty darn good. I can't even see the cut slots with the cap on and the trim around the button 

Thanks Breaktru, that means a lot to me coming from you. You know so much and I'm just a babe. But one thing about it... I can only go up from here 

[Learfx]

I know a lot of you probably thought I wouldn't make it, but I finally got my mod to work. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but I have my first mod under my belt. Very special thanks to Breakthru for answering a ton of questions and to everyone else that I've talked to about this.

Much to my surprise, it vapes really well. Pretty close to my Vamo. Don't understand that because it's only 3.7v. I'm walking on air now that I finally made one that works. Thanks to everyone who have been so patient with me 



As far as size goes, it's just a little bit bigger than my Vamo.

Hell yeah dude! good job.    Did you ever figure out why you  were having problems with your first attempt at wiring it up?  Did you solder the battery retaining ring in or use the punch method? How is the top cap secured on the mod?? My turn to ask questions...    The next mod you make will be a little easier.

[jumper]

Hell yeah dude! good job.    Did you ever figure out why you  were having problems with your first attempt at wiring it up?  Did you solder the battery retaining ring in or use the punch method? How is the top cap secured on the mod?? My turn to ask questions...    The next mod you make will be a little easier.

Hi Lear. Thanks a lot. I'm really happy about it. Yes, I did find out how to solder in a way that worked. I really sucked at it in the beginning. There were some other things too. Here's what I learned about soldering. I'm sure other people know, but this is what I had to learn...

1. Put flux on the wire and where you are going to solder the wire.
2. Tin the wire and the soldering tip (heat the wire from the bottom and the wire will soak up the solder)
3. Lay the wire on top of what it's being soldered to and heat from the bottom (not a lot of solder is actually used this way, but I didn't know about that)

So that's what I learned about soldering. The one I've shown in the picture was all done today. I had to start over from scratch and it went 10 times as fast as before.

Right now I haven't done anything with the ring yet. I made it pretty fat so it hangs in there pretty good. I'm tempted to put a couple of screws in it on a band of metal that will fit around the mod (tin or bronze).

The top cap is just held on by a tight fit. I didn't shave anything off after cutting the cap in half so it was hard to get on at first (still is), so I'm not going to worry about that yet. I might have to face the cap issue in the long run though.

On all of my attempts , I couldn't get the solder to melt for nothing inside the top cap. Breaktru says that using a torch is a must, but the one I have doesn't work. If you have any suggestions for this, I would appreciate the help (and don't say buy another torch... can't afford it right now). This time I was very careful about the size of the hole for the 510 connector and it fits perfectly and so far, no need to solder. Once again though, it may turn into something that I will have to address later.

Thanks for the kind comments about my first mod. Eventually I will do one that is etched, but it's too soon for that now. I'm still getting the basics down. Would love to make a switch like you did on your Scorpio mod. You did a great job on that.

[Breaktru]

Remember I mentioned using your kitchen stove but you had said you have an electric stove.
Here is how Rocketman does it on an electric stove. Remove insulator first.
Just sitting the 510 in the cap will cause an intermittent ground connection

How about holding the cap w/ the 510 connector in place over and open flame on your stove? 

--- have an electric stove, lol