Mechanical Mods: Everything there is to know

One man in China hated his smoking with a passion. Hon Lik had lost his father to lung cancer and he came up with the cigalike idea in the early 2000s. This idea supposedly came to him in a dream. The cigalike was a battery, plastic cartridge with nicotine solution suspended in propylene glycol and an ultrasonic atomizer. Later the cartridge and atomizer merged to make the cartomizer. The cigalikes however, had very poor battery life and so people modified them for a better vaping experience. The first mods were fashioned out of torch shells. Mod is therefore just shorthand for modified. Mods can be mechanical or it can be a variable voltage device. 

Steel Tube of Joy

A mechanical mod is a tube that holds a rechargeable battery with a connection to attach an atomizer or other form of e-juice. They are unregulated in the sense that they do not have wires or tech to regulate wattage. The firing pin at the bottom of the tube completes the circuit and heats the coil then the juice vaporizes. It is basically just a cute tube with a battery in it and a switch. Most vapers swear by mechanical mods on the grounds that the vapor has a more intense flavor and production is higher. Absence of regulation means that the amount of vapor solely depends on the battery charge level and resistance of heating coil. Absence of too many electrical requirements means that the battery life on mechanical mods is longer. Usage of mech mods, though fun, can be potentially dangerous. They are molded from stainless steel, aluminum or brass. 

Mechanical mods have become the in thing. They are aesthetically pleasing and will add a cool factor to one’s swag. The appearance of mechanical mods makes them collectible items. These reasons are left to the novices. Diehard cloud chasers use mechanical mods for the raw vaping experience among other practical reasons.

Great for Rebuildable Atomizers

Some vapers build their own atomizers or RBAs. It is not a requirement that one uses a mechanical mod for this but it is easier. Using a mech mod would allow for adjustments without necessarily waiting for the error message to clear or resetting as is the case with regulated mods. When attaching the RBA, one should be careful not to overtighten the screws.

Pushing the Envelope

Sub-ohming has also become a popular practice. This is for people who want to push the limits. Vapers who like to balance right on the edge. Sub-ohming is quite dangerous without an arsenal of information. One needs to have in depth understanding of ohm calculations to pull this off. There is a high possibility of a short circuit. Short-circuiting happens when the battery discharges through a low resistance wire at a discharge rate that exceeds the upper ampere limit. Tip to successful sub-ohming is keeping the resistance under upper amp limit. Using a coil with resistance of under 0.2 ohms will raise ampere draw and cause a short circuit. To ensure the resistance is just right, one can incorporate an ohm reader. Mechanical mods are great for sub-ohming because vapor is produced regardless of the resistance level of the coil.

Proceed With Caution

As it is with items that use batteries, especially lithium-ion, there is a substantial amount of risk involved with usage. Mechanical mods can very quickly become pipe bombs. This is imminent if the mod does not have vents. The vents are necessary to allow escape of gases when/if the battery is compromised. One may press the firing pin a little too long, either intentionally or otherwise. Either way, this will cause the battery to overheat and potentially burst. The absence of vents in this case will lead to severe injury. 

To prevent accidental pressing of the pin, one may get a mod with a lock on the negative side. This will keep the circuit from completing when not in use. A vaper should go for a mod fuse, which will detect a short circuit and consequently break it to prevent catastrophic battery explosion. One may also make use of a hot spring. This acts as a fuse. The spring melts when the battery reaches dangerous temperature levels. This breaks the circuit effectively preventing a burst. 

Maintenance Tips

Mechanical mods are basic, simple, durable and quite easily modifiable. They are easy to maintain and dependable. The mods should be kept clean with 99% isopropyl alcohol and antioxidant on the caps. This will prevent oxidation of parts and subsequently, malfunction. The mods body and firing pin should never ever feel hot to the touch. This is a possible sign of a short circuit. In the event this happens, the mod should be disassembled immediately and inspected. After some time it can be put back together and tested. If it still overheats, one should consult an expert or just simply retire the mod. The battery charge life span can be kept at an optimum by ensuring it never discharges to critical levels. The battery should never overcharge or undercharge. To ensure these conditions are met, one should use a battery voltmeter, which is attached to the 510 connector. This is an important device to ensure the battery does not go under 3.4V too often. At 2.5V the battery will be undercharged. Typically, the battery will be fully charged at 4.2V though this may vary.

Nothing to Fear

Basically, a good mechanical mod needs to have vents, a locking mechanism and great reviews. Where one vaper says, for example, that he dropped his mod in water and after drying it out it was still operational, take that as an example of a great review. Knowledge never hurts and having lots of it will significantly enhance your vaping experience. All these precautions may seem daunting but they are paramount to the safety of the vaper. After a while, adhering to all the mechanical mod rules comes naturally and is not a bother at all. A mechanical mod is not dangerous if used in the right way.