Jan
Contents
- Getting Started.
- Safety / Performance Configuration Options.
- Battery and Kick Compatibility.
- Switch Assembly / Disassembly Guide.
- Bottom Cap Assembly / Disassembly Guide.
- Notes on Switch Use and Maintenance.
- Basic Facts about Voltage Drop and Batteries.
- Basic Facts about Sub-Ohm Vaping.
- Troubleshooting.
- Discussion.
1. Getting Started
The Lab is a 100% rebuildable, high performance mechanical mod of moderate complexity. It is suitable for experienced vapers who possess a good understanding of the nature of mechanical mods and electric power transfer, but it is also simple and easy enough to be used by intermediate vapers who have the desire to learn the ins-and-outs of their vaping gear in order to get the most out of it.
Mech mods are sophisticated, enthusiast-oriented vaping tools. By nature, a mechanical mod requires:
- Proper handling.
- Frequent maintenance.
Proper handling guidelines are specific to each device. Thanks to its uni-tube design, the Lab is very easy to use without requiring constant attention. To help you get up to speed with your new Lab, we have written up a quick reference of 9 Important Tips, which also includes some more general, essential information about mech mods and vaping gear:
#1: Mech Safety Matters
Out of the box, every Lab can be configured in 3 different bottom-cap-to-battery contact modes with different safety / performance characteristics (Springless-Fused, Springless-Direct and Spring-Loaded). Check out this section for detailed information about each mode. The device comes with the Springless-Fused contact preinstalled – it is strongly advised to stick to this configuration, unless you are planning to use protected batteries or a VV/VW module.
Although IMR batteries are proven to be very safe, every short-circuit results in minor battery damage which affects the discharge characteristics of batteries and their ability to hold a charge. A single, prolonged short-circuit is often enough to cause permanent battery failure.
Remember: Protection devices are always used for two reasons: i) operator safety, and ii) equipment protection.
#2: Watch out when refilling your tanks!
The switch assembly of the Lab is fully liquid-sealed from the top, but you still need to be careful not to let any amount of e-liquid leak around and into the area of the mod’s button.
#3: Wrap coils that your batteries can handle and don’t go cheap on batteries.
Don’t go below 1 Ohm unless your battery is happy about it. Even good IMR batteries will at some point get stressed / damaged with use. Replace your batteries every 6 months and don’t trust labels blindly – a label is easy to fake.
Don’t go cheap with batteries and chargers and always watch out for expensive fakes. Keep at least one protected battery aside for testing. Do not trust heavily short-circuited batteries even if they appear to work. Don’t power your mods with anything else than 3.7V batteries.
For the best possible performance, use only high-drain IMR 18350, 18500 and 18650 batteries from sources that you trust. Choose a highly respected brand, like AW, MNKE or Panasonic.
#4: Eliminate voltage drop on your mod.
To ensure that no power gets lost on the way to your atomizer, you need to:
- Always adjust the pole screw of the Lab high enough to ensure good contact between your mod and your atomizer!
- If you have configured the mod in the spring-loaded mode, keep the spring shiny clean and, if necessary, stretch it back to shape.
#5: Invest in tools and backup equipment.
Measuring your resistances is critical to prevent damage and accidents from short circuits. Protected batteries and resettable fuses are also a must for testing. Always test that new coil with a protected battery or fuse, even if you get a correct open-circuit resistance measurement. Putting power through it may reveal an entirely different story than what your ohm-meter tells you. Keep a few spare cartos around for testing – they may not vape as much as a 1 Ohm coil, but they will tell you if your mod fires. And, last but not least, get a 510-to-510 voltage measurement tool.
#6: Invest in knowledge.
Before carrying out voltage drop measurements, learn some basic facts about voltage drop and batteries.
#7: Watch what you connect on top.
Atomizers with badly designed poles and off-shelf center post screws won’t cut it, even if they cost $200. The positive pole of your atomizer should be machined smoothly. Using off-shelf screws as electrical contacts is asking for trouble: Rough atomizer poles will quickly tear the plating on your mods’ pole screws and may cause overheating. Wire ends should be properly stabilized / fixed on properly designed contacts, especially when using resistance wire that heats up. Unstable wire ends will cause voltage drop and misfires.
#8: Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
It’s not bulletproof just because it’s mech or expensive. A Lab can handle hard drops when assembled just fine, but there is a limit. If you are clumsy, go for something heavier!
Always remember to lock your mod when carrying it in a pocket – the #1 cause for contact damage is overheating / arcing caused by accidental, repeated switch activations at a very low force (for example when forgetting the mod unlocked in a pocket, or when sitting on it by accident).
#9: Maintain the switch contacts of your mods.
All make-break (push-button) contacts on mech mods must be routinely cleaned to remove dust and moisture. If e-liquid gets into the switch assembly, disassemble the switch and clean the contacts right away!
Remember to re-fresh the silver-plating of your mod’s contacts once in a while! With use, the silver plating layer on them will start to wear off – don’t let that happen! Take the contacts of all your mods to your local jeweller’s and ask for a thick layer of pure silver at least every 5-6 months.
If left unmaintained for a long time, or if dust enters the switch assembly, the contacts of your mod will start to overheat and eventually get damaged / tarnished. For safety reasons, the switch is designed to fail at sustained temperatures above 150*C, to prevent heat from reaching the battery.
Remember that all make-break switches must be operated above a minimum force to ensure a long life. The button should be pressed with a force equivalent to 500-700 grams, which is still quite low. Use a kitchen scale to get an idea of how much that is.
2. Safety / Performance Configuration Options
Out of the box, every Lab can be configured in 3 different bottom-cap-to-battery contact modes with different safety vs. performance characteristics:
Springless-Fused Mode
In Springless-Fused mode, a high-performance PTC fuse is assembled into the bottom cap of the device to protect your batteries and the mod itself from damage caused due to short-circuits. The fuse used in the Lab is resettable, does not affect the dimensions of the device and has a negligible impact on performance when using resistances down to ~0.5 Ohm.
During a short circuit, the PTC module interrupts the high-current and slowly warms up. This heat is transferred directly to the bottom cap of the Lab and signals that the device has been short-circuited. As soon as the fault is removed, the device cools down fast and reverts back to its low-resistance state.
PTC fuses do not ‘burn’ like the traditional ones. In contrast, they have an internal resistance which is dependent on current and temperature: An abnormally high current or temperature will quickly bring a PTC fuse to a high-resistance state, which effectively brings the current down to very low levels.
The tripping time ranges from a few milliseconds (hard-short, IMR battery), to a few seconds (8.5A current at room temperature). This means that the Springless-Fused mode provides dependable protection, which prevents battery / mod damage under hard short-circuit conditions. The fuse can withstand many short-circuit cycles with little to no impact on its performance.
Springless-Direct Mode
A Springless-Direct cap contact is also included with every Lab, which can be used to remove all protection features from the device. When using the Springless-Direct contact, the voltage drop on the mod will be negligible, resulting in performance unseen in existing top-firing designs. However, its use is only recommended with protected batteries, or for *very experienced users*. Due to its ultra-low-voltage-drop characteristics, the Lab should not be short-circuited in Springless-Direct mode, because the short-circuit current will be limited only by the internal resistance of the battery. A long, hard short circuit in Springless-Direct mode can cause very quick damage to any IMR battery and, under extreme conditions, also to the mod itself.
Due to the high-efficiency design of the Lab and the performance characteristics of its PTC fuse, it is virtually impossible to detect any difference between the Springless-Fused and the Springless-Direct mode during real-world use, all the way down to 0.5 Ohm. In absolute numbers, the performance impact of the fuse is minimal: Ballpark voltage-drop values are 0.06-0.08V drop at 1.0 Ohm (~4A), and 0.12-0.17V drop at 0.5 Ohm (~7A), both at an ambient temp of 40*C.
Overall, the performance of the Lab in the Springless-Fused mode is consistently higher than the performance of most high-end mech devices without any kind of protection built-in. The additional performance recorded in Springless-Direct mode is only valuable in benchmarking terms, and results in little to no real-world benefits.
Spring-Loaded Mode
The Spring-Loaded mode is a compromise between the two. Spring performance is on average higher than that of the fuse when using well-maintained, plated springs. However, it is not as consistent, since springs tend to lose their flex with use. Moreover, springs provide little to no short-circuit protection, and may collapse only *after* the battery has overheated. The spring-loaded configuration is very useful for fitting abnormally long batteries, or when using long Kick modules, since it provides ~1.0mm of additional battery space.
Refer to the Bottom Cap Assembly / Disassembly Guide for assembly guidance and tips in relation to the 3 modes.
3. Battery / Kick Compatibility
The usable battery space in the Lab (without extension) is:
Lab 35
In Springless-Fused / Direct Mode, up to 36.50mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 37.50mm otherwise.
In Spring-Loaded Mode, up to 37.50mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 38.50mm otherwise.
Lab 50
In Springless-Fused / Direct Mode, up to 51.00mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 52.00mm otherwise.
In Spring-Loaded Mode, up to 52.00mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 53.00mm otherwise.
Lab 65
In Springless-Fused / Direct Mode, up to 67.00mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 68.00mm otherwise.
In Spring-Loaded Mode, up to 68.00mm with the cap fully recessed in the main body, and up to 69.00mm otherwise.
When using the LA-T16 extension, the available battery space becomes exactly 16.00mm longer in all cases.
Important: The LA-T16 extension limits the battery diameter to 18.40mm max, which means that some (usually low-quality) batteries with thick insulation may not be able to pass through it.
If you are planning to use an Evolv Kick with the Lab, you should be aware that the Evolv Kick 1 / 2 modules are produced with a loose length tolerance: Units with a max length of 17.80mm (2.80mm oversized) may also be found. This means that with certain battery / Kick combinations, the Kick might not allow the bottom cap of the Lab to close completely, or it may not fit inside the Lab at all. In most cases, the Kick length issue can be remedied by configuring the device in Spring-Loaded Mode. Using the 16.00mm LA-T16 extension is another possible workaround.
4. Assembly / Disassembly Guide
5. Bottom Cap Assembly / Disassembly Guide
6. Notes on Switch Use and Maintenance
7. Basic Facts about Voltage Drop and Batteries
8. Basic Facts about Sub-Ohm Vaping
9. Troubleshooting
- The device is making a rattling sound.
- The switch is misfiring / The contacts inside the switch are tarnished.
- The connector gets un-screwed along with the atomizer.
- Voltage drop issues.
Rattling Sound
The rattling sound that you hear when shaking the device is perfectly normal!
If you disassemble the device, you will notice that the moving contact rod that’s mounted on the axle of the switch is designed to “float” in its slot. The “seesaw” shape of this contact, along with its free-floating design help distribute the applied force evenly among the fixed hexagonal contacts, which gives the device its distinct, touch-sensitive firing ability.
Switch Misfires
If liquid penetrates the switch assembly, it can cause heavy arcing inside the switch, which will quickly cause the contacts to overheat and tarnish (turn black).
The contacts may also overheat if dirt, dust, or machining leftovers are preventing the switch contacts from touching each other firmly. A quick inspection of the switch around the contacts will quickly reveal the cause of misfires. In most cases, simply disassembling the switch and giving all components a thorough clean with alcohol should be enough.
If the contacts are tarnished, they should be cleaned with a cream suitable for silver-plated jewellery or “silver wipes”. Do not scrape or sand the contacts to clean them, as this will damage the silver-plating layer on them.
Keep in mind that misfires may not be directly related to the switch – for example, bad contact between the atomizer pole and the mod’s pole screw is a common cause for misfires. Intermittent heavy voltage drop issues may also be perceived as misfires, so it’s definitely a good idea to also check the Troubleshooting section dedicated to voltage drop issues, especially if the contacts of your mod appear to be shiny clean.
The connector gets un-screwed along with the atomizer
To prevent the connector from coming off along with your atomizers:
1) Don’t remove the o-ring mounted on the bottom side of the 510 connector.
2) Always tighten the 510 connector firmly on the switch housing with the help of a small coin.
Important: Some rebuildable atomizers, even from reputable manufacturers, come with oversized, non-standard 510 male connectors, sometimes almost 0.1mm larger than the size defined by the spec.
Voltage drop issues
Some voltage drop is normal, depending on the capabilities of the battery that you use. Excessive voltage drop can be traced to 5 possible causes:
1) The pole adjustment screw is not making good contact with the atomizer.
2) The spring-loaded contact is heavily oxidized or or not pressing against the battery firmly.
3) The internal components of the bottom cap assembly require cleaning.
4) Your atomizer resistance is very low and/or you use a stressed or low-quality battery.
5) The switch is damaged or dirty.
1) Always adjust the pole screw when exchanging atomizers! Unscrew it as much as needed to ensure good contact with your atomizer.
2) The supplied spring may slowly deform with use, or get oxidized (brass springs only). When oxidized, there will be a considerable contact resistance which will be translated into voltage loss under normal operating conditions. If you are using the Lab in Spring-Loaded mode, always keep the spring shiny clean and in good shape. If necessary, stretch it to bring it back to shape.
3) If you are using the Lab in Springless-Fused / Direct mode, you may need to clean the bottom cap and the enclosed components (contact / fuse) to remove oxidation or dust.
4) When vaping with a very low atomizer resistance (high current) and use a low quality or stressed battery (abnormally high internal battery resistance), there will be an excessive voltage drop in the battery itself, which you will not be able to measure in open circuit conditions. Keep in mind that a stressed battery under load will always consume some of its own power, which will translate into a reduced voltage on your load. Read more here.
5) Following the industry-standard at these power levels, the contacts are plated with a thick layer of silver, which possesses self-cleaning properties at mid/high currents. The result is that, even with heavy use, the contact areas will remain shiny clean, even when the areas around them start to oxidize. It is very unlikely that the switch will be the cause of voltage loss, unless i) the plating is scratched, or ii) the contacts don’t touch each other properly. When the contacts don’t press against each other well, the contacts may become resistive, which will result in misfires and / or voltage drop. This can only happen if there is dirt or tiny delrin particles inside the switch, or if you use a very low force when pressing the button (for example, if you accidentally sit on the mod for a while). If you open the switch and the contact surfaces are shiny clean (shinier than the area around them) it means that the switch is perfectly fine. If the contacts are tarnished (black), you will need to give the switch a good clean and if necessary have the contacts re-plated.
Salut,
Ayant acheté un lab 50 hp édition pour assortir à mon tripod, les deux en ss-im, je suis vraiment déçu de voir que les deux n’ont pas du tout la même couleur.
Vraiment dommage surtout que les deux produits viennent du même fabricant…
Y a t’il une solution pour rendre le mod plus clair ?
Hello Matthieu!
Many thanks for reaching out to us – also apologies for having to write this in English as we don’t speak French.
For a start, you can rest sure that what you mention is actually not a problem. The ice matte finish will return to *almost* initial light grey shade, if you try to clean the outer surfaces gently, with a soft cloth and silver polishing cream.
Please take serious note that:
1. you treat the surfaces gently and properly by using a soft cloth, rubbing gently and not harshly and avoiding direct contact of sand blasted surfaces with any hard tool or scratchy medium. Also avoid to use kitchen paper or any harder cloth to rub, as this might cause scratches like “polished” lines on the ice matte surface, as a result of friction. These scratches cannot be cleaned and if caused, they can only be repaired if the device is treated with sand blasting.
2. You use silver polishing cream and not any other corrosive cream like brasso etc. Sliver polishing wipes are also suitable.
The explanation why the ice matte finish is dynamic and changes among different devices , also on the same device over time, lies below:
SS Ice Matte is a medium blasted finish with special SS beams, it’s not an extra layer or coating. In simple words, it’s the result of the natural surface of SS after being repeatedly shot by special SS beams, a procedure which is held out with special equipment.
This blasting procedure creates extra small bumps and “nests” on the – otherwise – smooth and even surface of stainless steel. These cavities host dirt and surface oxidation which pile up constantly, and this is why the ice matte finish gets darker over time, thus considered to be a “dynamic finish” which constantly changes to darker shades.
The above explains why two different ice matte devices that are produced at different times and / or have been subject to different impact by daily use or environmental conditions, will eventually appear as having different shade of grey. This is absolutely not a problem, because the two devices will end up looking almost the same if cleaned according to the aforementioned procedure.
Just make sure that you treat the surfaces gently and properly by using a soft cloth, rubbing gently and not harshly and avoiding direct contact of sand blasted surfaces with any hard tool or scratchy medium, as this might cause scratches like “polished” lines on the ice matte surface, as a result of friction. These scratches cannot be cleaned and if caused, they can only be repaired if the device is treated with sand blasting.
I see that the Lab 65 is currently out of stock. Is there another batch on the way?
Hello David,
thanks for asking! Indeed there is a new batch, it won’t be long before it is made available. First pieces should be ready in the next one or two days, full batch due for next week.
Hi,
After many attempts at getting my order processed (long story…short version is that my card is from one country, I’m from another and live in a third one!), I’m finally going to get a Lab 50 delivered soon.. Since this will be my first mech mod, I now have to get batteries.. After looking around a bit, it looks like I’ll go for these: http://www.fasttech.com/product/1793603-authentic-panasonic-ncr18500-3-7v-2000mah
But before clicking on the ‘Pay’ button, I wanted check on 2 things:
1. Will they fit in the Lab 50? (An aside: this info may already be on the Lab 50 pages somewhere and I didn’t see it due to my ADD..but if it isn’t already there, newbies like me will find it useful to know the internal dimensions of the mods..)
2. It doesn’t say on the FT website, but from what I can see on the Panasonic website, these batteries already have a PTC – does this mean that I could get away without using the Lab ‘springless-directly’ or would you still recommend using it with the PTC fuse?
Any info you can provide on this would be useful…
Cheers,
M
Oops again…all info already above!
Oops..in questions 2, I meant to ask – does this mean that I could get away *with* using the Lab ‘springless-directly’ or would you still recommend using it with the PTC fuse?
Hola!!! Gros problèmes de switch sur mon lab il sa commence par une gêne au moment de l’actionner, puis il se bloque après plusieurs nettoyage et changement de ressort je ne trouve toujours pas le problème.
Toute aide sera la bienvenue merci! !!
Hello Kevin 😉 thanks so much for contacting us about your issue! this is a strange case indeed. If you *are* certain that you have followed our instructions and videos of the support section, please send some photos of the internals of your switch, as close and clear as possible, so that we can have a distant view of the parts. You may send everything to support@atmizoo.com!
Lab 35 extend with T16 from 18350 to 18500. is it possible to add more T16 to use 18650 battery on Lab 35 ?
Hi,
This is not recommended since the length of a Lab 35 with 2 x T16 extensions will be longer than a Lab 65, or a Lab 50 with a T16 extension. Besides, adding 2 x T16 extensions to a Lab 35 really breaks the purpose of owning a uni-tube device. If you really like the uni-tube concept but require flexibility, the best solution would be to have 2 uni-tubes: a small one for the road and a bigger one at home. Otherwise, you may want to consider a telescopic device.
Out of curiosity, if a short were to occur while in Springless-Fused mode, what should be done? I see the description says “the fuse used in the Lab is resettable.” How would one reset the fuse after a short? Besides pulling the battery for safety and correcting the cause of the short, what else should be done? Also, about how many shorts can the PTC fuse handle?
It’s all here:
“During a short circuit, the PTC module interrupts the high-current and slowly warms up. This heat is transferred directly to the bottom cap of the Lab and signals that the device has been short-circuited. As soon as the fault is removed, the device cools down fast and reverts back to its low-resistance state.
PTC fuses do not ‘burn’ like the traditional ones. In contrast, they have an internal resistance which is dependent on current and temperature: An abnormally high current or temperature will quickly bring a PTC fuse to a high-resistance state, which effectively brings the current down to very low levels.”
There is no need to pull out the battery, or do anything at all on the mod! Short-circuits are usually caused by bad atomizer builds, so if the device is not firing and the bottom cap feels warm (that’s where the PTC module is assembled), just disconnect the atomizer and investigate. Damaged insulators and loose/long wire ends are the most usual suspects.
The PTC module can handle hundreds or short-circuits without any performance degradation. The only way for it to get damaged fast is bad handling. It’s very thin, so you if you need to remove it and reassemble it, take care not to bend or damage it around the edges.
How would I go about removing tarnish from the earth matte brass lab? I’m aware of various at home eco friendly methods as well as off the shelf polishing compounds but I just wanted to make sure with you guys before attempting anything. I love it so much I dont want to make any mistakes 😀
The Soft Brass tarnish is not meant to be removed completely, because that will ruin the satin look and feel of the finish.
If you only need to remove excessive tarnish, the best and easiest way is to use a professional ultrasonic cleaner with an approved soap-based detergent. This will not remove *all* tarnish, but it will leave you with a sufficiently dark, very pleasant patina.
From the “DIY” cheap methods, the one that works best is to use a soft cloth or soft toothbrush emerged in a soap-based solution with just a little amount of vinegar, and use it to clean the external areas with the most excessive tarnish. Then wipe them well with a wet cloth.
Avoid using brasso or any other abrasive cleaners: they will give the earth-matte finish a “polished”, dull look. But if that’s what you are after, then brasso might just work for you.
Hello,
The Lab I just got a few days ago stop firing. Out of the box when it arrived, I put in my Kayfun Lite Plus (1.5ohm) and vapes fine for that day. All I did was put it down at the end of day and next day pick it up to vape, then it would not fire up at all. I dissamble the switch and put it back, then it fire up again. Vapes for several hours later and put it down again. Return to vape later and it would not fire up at all. There’s nothing I can do right now to make this Lab fire up and it’s not dirty either. I did regression testing on my KFL+ with 3 other mods (Provari, Svoemesto Semovar, Precise Simplicity) and works fine. Any suggestion to get the Lab firing up again is greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Regards,
-Tony
Hi Tony,
Hmmm, it’s hard to guess what might be wrong without looking at it.
Have you maintained / inspected the device thoroughly? The cause of such issues can be tracked down very easily when using a mech device. You just need to find which part of the circuit doesn’t close between the atomizer and the battery.
Might be something very simple, such as the contact between the atomizer and the pole screw of the mod.
If the device was left unlocked in a bag or pocket it might have auto-fired and overheated, but that’s something you should be able to see if you examined the switch internals.
It could be related to the fuse, too, so if you are using it you may want to check that the bottom cap of the device is assembled correctly. Make sure everything is clean and also measure the resistance across the PTC element.
Please share your findings with us at support (at) atmizoo.com!
Top cap is stuck on my atomizer,so I unscrewd it together with it. Now I can’t unscrew it from atomizer itslef. Tried to put it in fridge, drip some oil on threads. Nothing helps.
What can you advise in this situation?
I should consider cleaning my devices more often. Oh, lazy me.
Yep, that’s one way to do it. Even a tiny chip of metal or bump/dent can cause two correct threads of this tiny size to get stuck. Brass connectors are much more forgiving and less likely to get stuck on a damaged atomizer thread, but they get damaged easier themselves, too.
Problem solved. Used freezer and the electric tape to protect threads and 2 pairs of pliers. Took a while and I alreay ordered a replacement cap for LAB, as I was ready that I will destroy the threads. But that went smooth, just got minor scratches on threads, but the cap itself is fully functional. Great quality, I must say, it’s really hard to damage the thing.
Hi,
In the event of a battery failure where is the vent hole for the Lab?
Hey David,
In the spring-loaded configuration, the vent hole (located in the centre of the bottom cap) is exposed as usual.
In the fused configuration, the fuse will prevent batteries from venting due to sustained external short circuits by interrupting the circuit. Additionally, the PTC fuse will interrupt the circuit at temperatures above 100*C, regardless of whether the high temperature is caused by heat emitted by the battery or external sources.
In fused and direct mode, the vent hole is covered by the fuse or cap-to-battery contact, but the thermoplastic materials used as standard in the device will melt at temperatures > 150*C. If a serious overheating event happens, the thermoplastics of the switch + cap will melt and interrupt the circuit. Additionally, the melted thermoplastics will create large openings for venting if the battery is in an uncontrolled state (at both ends of the tube).
For a mechanical device, the Lab is one of the safest, if not the safest mod out there. Note also that top-firing devices are inherently safer compared to bottom firing ones, because they break the circuit on the positive side.
However, don’t forget that low quality and stressed batteries can be very unsafe. Even advanced battery management systems can’t help during an internal short-circuit / thermal runaway due to externally-caused damage. By nature, mechanical mods and rebuildable atomizers are technical equipment and should be used only by vapers who are relatively qualified.