Can The DCT Cartomizer Be Modified?

[Horsemen]

I have had the 3ml. DCT system for a week now.  IMO these devices are really nice.  The one I got did take a bit of time for it to kick into high gear.

I also find that every now and then I get a slightly burnt taste from it.  This is easy to fix by simply taking a couple of cold draws.

So my question is this.  What could you use to make the hole a little bit larger if you wanted to?

It has to be something simple as I do not possess drills, a vice clamp or anything special.  So I'm wondering if there is something simple that could be used to make the hole slightly bigger.

TIA

[tez77]

I have had the 3ml. DCT system for a week now.  IMO these devices are really nice.  The one I got did take a bit of time for it to kick into high gear.

I also find that every now and then I get a slightly burnt taste from it.  This is easy to fix by simply taking a couple of cold draws.

So my question is this.  What could you use to make the hole a little bit larger if you wanted to?

It has to be something simple as I do not possess drills, a vice clamp or anything special.  So I'm wondering if there is something simple that could be used to make the hole slightly bigger.

TIA

I occasionally get a burnt taste from the 3.5ml DCT too and as you say, cold draws sort it out. Do you notice this more when the tank is really full? I think on the odd occasion i've filled it to the brim pretty much and I feel like it struggles to feed the carto.

Im undecided if its just the carto thats in the 3.5 but the 6ml tank seems to go through a lot more liquid.

I posted a thread about punching a second hole further up the carto as I noticed that the wadding looks quite dry and I dont know how far up the carto the second coil sits, is it possibly not getting enough liquid when vaping heavily? I am loving the DCT so I don't want to bugger the carto, I'll wait until it's tailling off before having a go at punching it.

The other thing I have started doing it pushing the carto down inside the tank and carefully pouring a little liquid from the tank into the carto every now and again which helps

As for what to use to make the hole a little bigger, I guess I would stick a nail in the hold and try waddling it about, not very technical I know. Another option might be a deburring tool if you can get one small enough, need to be careful of any tiny shavings though I would guess. Surely there are some hardcore modders here with an opinion on how to do it properly though.

[terrier]

Hi Tez,

re your consumption swap the cartos over and see what happens.

re hole, if you are going to make a 2nd one it needs to be on the opposite side of the body at the same height from the base otherwise at some point it will be out of the juice and will draw in air when you puff.

You can buy a dvice for punching the hole,if not find someone who has a dremel, but drilling on a round surface with tiny drills will be difficult. If you make another hole you instanly double the intake size, me I would favour opening it out at P.1mm at a time, again a dremel might help, although i suspect the next size drill after 1mm is 1.5mm. Ill have to check nextine I open mine (dremel).

terrier

[Neuro]

I agree with both of you.  On a fresh refill if I fill right to the brim with no air space I have wicking problems.

Been using the cold draw method.  Was hoping this would be a thing of the past not using tornado tanks.

I have also wondered wether to increase the hole size for improvement at my mixes are heavy on AG.

The smallest drill bit I have have up from the 1mm hole is 1.5....would prefer to try 1.2 and go in smaller stages.

I must say the flavour is awesome best I have had in ages, from either clearos of tornado tanks.  My lime zinger is tasting so citrusy and zingy.

[tez77]

re hole, if you are going to make a 2nd one it needs to be on the opposite side of the body at the same height from the base otherwise at some point it will be out of the juice and will draw in air when you puff.

Yeah thats what I was worried about, someone in another thread mentioned the little rubber seal thing that I chucked to one side (not mentioned in the unstructions) is supposed to stop the wadding drying out so I will try that also.

[Neuro]

Ha haa !!

Back from the garage !!

Took a 1.5mm drill bit to the cartomiser.  Then promptly managed to snap the drill bit.  I did have in my mind this was going to be a possible out come.

Ok not to be defeated, I was now in mod mode, and when it bites it bites hard.

Lets try punch the hole bigger method.  Grabbed a random nail off the bench and a lump hammer.  Thwack......oh no !!! what have I done I thinks to myself.

Oh well lets go back and try it....a bit of plier work to give the cartomiser some roundness back and actually fit in the tank.

Wow this thing is now a beast....a tonne of vapour and still the best flavour I have had from any atty in a year !!!  Rough measure of the new hole is showing approx 5mm !!!!!  Instead of been light and airy with only medium vapour ..... its hard to see the keyboard as I type !

I am using a booster, tornado pass through and the DCT.  Not sure if the booster is giving an element of control over this new juice level, thought it was worth mentioning.

[cyborg]

I have used the silicone seal from the start but the top of the wadding is drying out from time to time.
Strangely the first fill worked faultlessly but on subsequent fills I have had to top up the wadding . 

I will probably attempt to enlarge the hole at a later date but don’t want to do it yet as I haven’t got extra cartos to mess around with yet.
Despite having to top the filler up occasionally I think the system is great.

[tez77]

Rough measure of the new hole is showing approx 5mm !!!!!

   and 

Does it not leak/flood??

Again I say 

[terrier]

jeeeeeeez, I have seen smaller entrances to pot noodle drift mines.

terrier

[Astrecks]

Instead of drills, nails and lump hammers..... how about a cheap set of needle files you can get from the DIY stores? you could use the triangular or blade shaped one   to file a controlled slit rather than a hole  or use a Dremel 

[tez77]

Instead of drills, nails and lump hammers..... how about a cheap set of needle files you can get from the DIY stores? you could use the triangular or blade shaped one   to file a controlled slit rather than a hole  or use a Dremel 

Im still not sure about modifiying the existing hole or adding another. I want to do it but I am slightly worried about the filings to be honest, not sure I want to take the chance of inhaling bits of metal or am I worrying about nothing?

[ean33]

the bits of metal wouldnt travel through the carto wadding

now would you of worried about what you were inhaling from a cigarette 

[cyborg]

I think the filings are the safest option, not that you should get any. 

[tez77]

now would you of worried about what you were inhaling from a cigarette 

I know, weird eh?

[jeffj4873]

I am an old country boy, just took a drill and a 1/16 bit and opened the hole. Not really that easy without a vise to hold it. It seems like they case hardened those carto's. Still haven't tried it yet though

[JohnEAngel]

for those who do not dabble with drills and dremels, you can take a nail which is approximately larger than the hole and rout it out by hand. 

[SMonkey]

You could also go to a DIY or plumb centre and
buy a pipe punch, which is a small device you
Can put the carto in and screw down a sharp pointed
Punch. No need for any vice hammer nail or dremmel 

[jeffj4873]

You have to be careful opening the hole on a cartomiser. The one I opened to 1/16 had problem with passing air to the tip. I think I closed off the air hole when I opened the hole. I came to findout today that I can take a paper clip and straighten it real close to straight and run it thru. Even an old carto that plugged up is working again after doing that. Tez was right, there is no tubing but  if you loose the hole the wadding has thru it, you can't vape right. I have basically reconstituded 2 carto reopening the hole. Interesting

[lordy]

I came to findout today that I can take a paper clip and straighten it real close to straight and run it thru.

Sorry Jeff I might be a bit slow here, but could you expand on what you mean here?

[jeffj4873]

My first examination of the cartomiser ( a new one), if you look thru the open end, you will see light from the other side where the battery attaches. This is the main vaping holethru the wading. As time goes by using the device, this hole has a was of disappearing. Mainly thru burning of the wading. Then the carto will not let you draw vapor easily.  One of my missions is to get as long a life as possible from my carto's, so I tend to investigate what happened when I lose one. Thus the other comment. If your careful you can poke a straight wire thru without damaging the heating coils to help keep that pathway opened. I had closed one accidently by trying to take a carto and open the 1mm hole to 1/16" which would have allowed easier fluid movement into the wading. Plus the Pumpkin spice fluid I just got is kinda thick, so I am experimenting a little.

[Neuro]

Nice one Jeff thanks for sharing that tip.  Its cheered up a cartomiser on day 5.

Cart has had the nail and hammer treatment as all of mine get ! 

[johncellario]

I too have just returned from the garden shed where I 'modified' the 1mm hole in the cart to a more appealing 4mm hole with a hammer and nail! This was done purely out of frustration at the thing producing no throat hit, and have to say increasing the hole along with DD into the top of the cart have helped improve things. Am I right in thinking that if there is no hole near the top of the cart tube for the liquid to enter,  then the secong atty is receiving hardly any juice?

I  notice on another site that they actually sell a specialist tool for this very purpose and their advice is to puncture the cart with numerous holes. Indeed, the carts can be purchased with or without holes pre-drilled.

[bluenova]

If you put a hole further up the carto you will draw air through that hole when the liquid level in the tank is below it thus reducing the pressure on the bottom hole so less liquid will pass through. So make sure all holes are kept near the bottom of the carto under the liquid level in the tank. The liquid will soak up to the top in the same way it soaks down when priming.

[cyborg]

Hi bluenova
Welcome to the forum
I was thinking the same thing but I haven’t found it necessary to mod one (yet).

[bluenova]

Thanks for the welcome  didn't realise that was was first post here, been reading for a few weeks already  . Great community.

[tez77]

The liquid will soak up to the top in the same way it soaks down when priming.

I don't think that's the case though... judging by the internals of a few cartos I have dismantled the top coil has always shown more signs of burning than the bottom so I believe it gets starved. That's the reason I started topping up the carto on a regular basis, one of my current cartos has now done almost 70ml which is awesome for something costing just a few £s. Im not totally sure if the life I've got out of this one is helped by the fact its only had menthol and spearmint liquid through it which are both very clear liquids.

I have a new carto that I modded with a second hole at about the same level as the second coil so once my legendary 70ml carto packs up I will see how well it performs (or not). For the most part, depending on how you hold your e-cig when you vape, both holes would be able to pull liquid in even when the level would be below that of the uppermost hole if stood vertical (if that makes sense?).

[bluenova]

The liquid will soak up to the top in the same way it soaks down when priming.

I don't think that's the case though... judging by the internals of a few cartos I have dismantled the top coil has always shown more signs of burning than the bottom so I believe it gets starved.

I think that is due to the liquid being used by the bottom atty before it gets a chance to soak up to the top so a bigger (or multiple) holes at the bottom should (in theory) help allow more juice through and thus more should soak up to the top. I think how long your breaks are between vaping would also have a considerable effect as the breaks would give the juice a chance to move through the filler before the bottom atty zaps it.

[real-player]

hi all   i had problems with not enough juice getting into my carto so measured and marked the hole on the oppisite side of my carto and punched a hole same size nail or craft drill  i ued a craft drill 1.5 ml but has to be in the same place oppisite side and now its perfect sometimes floods the caRTO IF I DRAW A BIT TO HARD!    IN MY OPINION DCT NEED TWO HOLES ONE ON BOTH SIDES for optimal performance

[jediknight129]

try a pinvice from a modeling shop

[tez77]

I think that is due to the liquid being used by the bottom atty before it gets a chance to soak up to the top so a bigger (or multiple) holes at the bottom should (in theory) help allow more juice through and thus more should soak up to the top. I think how long your breaks are between vaping would also have a considerable effect as the breaks would give the juice a chance to move through the filler before the bottom atty zaps it.

I took the wadding from a carto and left it sat upright in a bowl of water, it's really not that absorbent, 2 days later and the top of the wadding was still bone dry so I think adding a hole to the top of the carto is really a necessity to squeeze the most life out of them.