Tag: threads

Brand New Clearomizers

On By Michel McDonaldIn VapingLeave a comment

ecigs_red_black

WOW where to start?  Let’s see, I’m sure people don’t read every blog post so I will summarize everything lol.  A Twitter friend (@destinblue) told me that her and her husband have an online store (@ZeusEJuice) where they sell e-liquid for e-cigarettes.  I don’t smoke, but it got me thinking, and long story short I decided that it was for me lol.  I figured the sweet tastes would help me stop snacking.  I bought a kit with 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, the charger and cartridges.  It took like 6 weeks to get to me and I already had the e-liquid from Zeus e-Juice waiting to be used.

I faced several issues.  1 the atomizers weren’t giving me any flavor and 2 I bought 50/50 strength e-liquid, which I later found out doesn’t matter.  I bought a “Changeable Coil Clearomizer” from Smoktek and all was great with the world until I overtightened the tip and snapped the rubber seal and could then only taste burnt flavor.  I didn’t know that that was why I was tasting burnt flavors and I bought 5 new coils which still tasted burnt so I bought 5 more coils and wasted 2 of them for nothing.  The first 5 were the right type of coils, but the second 5 weren’t, they had a cone near the threads so I had to return those to get the right ones.

Fast forward to now…  LOL

When I got the new coils that were the right fit, they still tasted burned and I finally came to the realization that the problem wasn’t the coils, the problem was that rubber seal that snapped and was removed from the clearomizer, so I bought 2 new clearomizers in red and black (pictured above).  The only problem is, the coils in them are the same wrong ones that I returned, so now I have 8 wrong coils for these new clearomizers lol.

I had been without my e-cigarette for over a month because of this whole snapped rubber seal and didn’t even realize that it was the seal and not the coils.  I guess something in me just snapped and made my eyes open to the fact that the clearomizer is dead and I needed another one.  I am so happy with the new ones because not only do I now have 2, but they work and I can vape 2 different flavors whenever I want to instead of being stuck with 1 flavor.

Another thing that I love about them is that they screw on the battery all the way, the other one and the atomizers that came in the kit didn’t, and they wobbled.  These new ones have 2 holes at the bottom for air flow, so that’s why it can screw them on all the way.  Also, the black one has a round tip and not a flat tip which I found out is actually better because it makes pressing the button less awkward if the flat tip isn’t lined up with the placement of the button.

As far as the 8 wrong coils are concerned, SmokTek was very understanding.  It wasn’t their error in sending the wrong coils, they were sent the wrong coils and the new clearomizers that I got that had the wrong coils, well technically it was their fault, but they didn’t even notice that they weren’t the right ones when they shipped them to me.  It was such an odd coincidence that a screw up would happen to me twice, but I laughed it off.  As long as I get 8 new coils that fit these new clearomizers I’m happy.  Those things cost money you know, they are $2.50 each, so I had $20 worth of coils, $25 if you count the ones that I thought were burnt out and I threw in the garbage.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, I basically threw $5 in the trash.

So the new clearomizers rock.  I’ve been vaping Banana Nut Bread in the red one and Gingerbread in the black one.  I’ll take a few hits off of one, then switch to the other.

As always, for some reason I feel that I have to state that I do not get paid to blog about SmokTek and/or Zeus e-Juice.  I have seen videos on YouTube where they state in their video that they are not getting paid and so I feel I should also state that just in case.

Walnut Hollow Hot Tool Issues

On By Michel McDonaldIn craftsLeave a comment

July 15th 2009:

I just emailed Walnut Hollow with this query but I wanted to post it here as well.

I have a Creative Versa-Tool wood burning kit.  Sometimes the points get black from being used so much or maybe from being turned on for extended periods of time.  The points I can sand with a very fine metal sandpaper which I usually use when needed but the threads on the points also get black.  I can use a wire brush to get the black off the threads on the points but what about the inside of the tool?

I’m having issues getting the points on and even taking them off.  I have to use a pair of pliers to put the points on and take them off because it’s so tight from all the black on the threads.

So while I await their response I’m going to save this post as a draft so I don’t have to edit my post.

I am still waiting for their response but while I was waiting I decided to try my own little experiment.  I tried looking for a wire brush, it looks like a tooth brush but it’s wire instead of the normal plastic bristles your tooth brush has.  I wasn’t so lucky but I did find something that is a bit longer than the average tooth brush with longer bristles and is meant for use in the kitchen.  So I grabbed that and also a can of WD-40 meant to keep my bicycle lubed up at all times.

I sprayed some of that on 2 of my points and it soaked the In ‘N Out Burger napkins on my desk so the bottom of my desk is now an oily mess.  I proceeded to scrub the shit out of the points with the brush and even though I could see some blackness going onto the bristles, the threads didn’t change.

I then squirted some WD-40 into the chamber where you screw the points, not too much, I flipped it over and tapped it on the napkin so in case I put too much in there then it would drip out.  I then tried screwing a point on and unscrewing, you know, to grease the threads and it seems to have helped a little but not too much.  Maybe it just needs that to be done several times to get that shit out of the threads on the inside and on the points.

It’s too late now to get a response so back to the draft this post goes until I get a response hopefully tomorrow (Thursday).

July 20th 2009:
Dear Michel,

I believe that the ‘black’ on the Points and threads is due to a reaction when the metals get hot from the tool. To remove this, you can use fine grade sandpaper. As for any difficulty you have changing the Points using pliers, try using powdered graphite (found at most hardware stores) to help with changing Points on the tool. Powdered graphite is mostly used in locks to make keys slide in and out easier – works on our hot tool threads also.

Hope this helps,

Chris

Bike Light

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

I think it was the day before yesterday or something but I noticed that the light generator wasn’t touching the tire when you flip the switch and so I fixed it and then checked out the lights to make sure they were ok by pushing the peddles.  I noticed that the back red light was working fine but the headlight wasn’t working at all.  I flipped the bike upside down and pushed the peddles with my hand to make the back tire turn and the light was just not coming on.

I took the light fixture off the bike and took it apart to see if the light bulb was just out and when I went to turn it to remove it the glass part came off and the metal was just not unscrewing at all.  I’m pretty sure it’s because the light set that I bought was old, it was made in 1991.  I searched high and low trying to find a new bulb, I went to Albertson’s, no go.  I went to Walgreens, not there.  I figured that maybe an auto parts store might have them because they have little tiny lights too but alas the car lights were the same size but no threads.  The guy at the counter told me to try Home Depot or Floyd’s hardware store.

I decided that since I can’t use my bike anyway I might as well wait until I can to worry about it.  But then I noticed a Halloween tap light sitting in a drawer and noticed that the light bulb looked the same.  I unscrewed the 3 screws on the bottom and was able to unscrew the bulb and sure enough, the exact same light bulb.

I brought it to the bike area (this was yesterday) and screwed it in and flipped the bike over and plugged the wire into the generator and pushed on the peddles but unfortunately it didn’t turn the light on.  I put it back in the tap light and put some batteries in there and tapped it and it turned on just fine.

I went searching in a computer drawer with old computer stuff and found some old mic’s from when I got my first computer and never used the mic’s and was all ready to strip the wires to use it but it was late at night and I couldn’t find my scissors so I waited until today.  This morning after Darrin went to church I got up and went out there and my scissors were by the bike so I got all the stuff ready and sat down on the stool out there.  I tried it one more time with the wire that came with the light set but this time I stripped the wire that touches the light to see if it was just messed up there but no go.  I then thought, well what if the light has to be on the bracket on the bike frame so I just placed it on there and turned the peddles and sure enough the light came on.

At this point I’m not quite sure if it’s just sheer stupidity or if my ADD is really that bad lol.  At any rate I’m glad I finally figured it out and got one more problem out of the way so I can get back on with my life.