So you wanna start making box mods? Good idea, as with the FDA about to pull the trigger on us, we need as many modders, DIYers and machinists as we can get. I assume you also want to do it right, and safely. If so, you’re in the right place.


INTRODUCTION:

I got into modding back in like 2012 when the vaping market was VERY different. I didn’t get into it for the money or even as a hobby, I started modding because if you wanted to vape in any style other than the very few on the retail market you were offered, you had to get creative.

My very first box mod was a parallel 18650 unregulated box. With no MOSFET. I’ll talk about why that’s a bad idea later. I used a modified and cut down 18650 storage tray for a sled and used bent 10AWG solid copper wire for contacts that I glued onto the makeshift sled. The switch I chose, a 16mm antivandal, was far too big to fit on the side, so I had to punch a hole on the back of the box which made for an awkward grip when firing the mod. The 510 I used was some basic 510 I found on Ebay for $3 and it ended up melting (the insulator) when I put a .2 build on it.

Back when I made that mod, it was sharp. It hit HARD for a mod back then, I was building .2, .1 ohm builds. In 2012 that was some edgy shit. Now that I look back on it, with no MOSFET, punched holes, glued in parts with no proper mounting and half assed soldering on top of the makeshift sled and the fact it was in an ALTOIDS tin.. that box was garbage. But it was my garbage, my first garbage. I still have it, somewhere.

I don’t want your first mod, provided it hasn’t already been made yet, to be garbage. This is why I’m making this guide. So strap in.

SHIT YOU DON’T DO:

I’m putting this early on the list because it needs to be seen. I’ve made countless mistakes that have cost me over the years and some are pretty trivial. Here’s a list of shit I did at one point, so you don’t.

Don’t drill holes on an unclean surface, especially one with metal shavings and such lain about. Unless you don’t care about your paint job.

Don’t drill holes on an uneven or non-hard surface.

Don’t drill holes at an angle. Drill straight while applying heavy pressure on the back of the drill and when using step bits make sure you stop as soon as you punch through to the proper size or else the following section will eat down into the top of the hole.

Do NOT eyeball your holes. Many enclosures have print out sheets you can glue to the box, then punch through. I usually just use measuring tape and a marker. EVERY time I have eyeballed a hole, it came out off center.

Do not just say fuck it and not bother learning how to solder if you don’t know how. I won’t go too much into soldering in this tutorial, as it’s an art of its own just as drilling is, so Youtube is your friend if you’re a noob to the iron.

Do not use bare wire. Don’t use solid wire either. I don’t understand people who do this. Use INSULATED, stranded wire.

Do not ever make any box mod, period, without a fuse. N-Channel MOSFETs are the most commonly used fuses in the modding community. The reason we use these is because the MOSFET itself is rated for a much higher amperage than any switch you’ll find that you’d realistically want to use for a box mod, some handling as much as over 200A individually. When using a MOSFET, your fuse becomes the hub for the racing electrons running to the atomizer opposed to your firing switch, which now just serves as a notifier to switch the fuse on or off. Not using a MOSFET can lead to your switch failing, possible whilst in the ON position. I don’t need to explain why that’s bad. A MOSFET also acts as a safety net, as it’ll eat the load BEFORE your switch or batteries shit out provided you’re not being REALLY stupid.

Do not use Hammond enclosures. Why? Everyone has, forever. Well they need to stop, as now that Alpinetech exists and makes their ATI CNC line, we can get enclosures in EVERY size we used the Hammond enclosures for in modding. Only now with no annoying lean, nicer paint jobs, hidden magnets, nail nicks on the lid and they are much nicer in quality overall. STOP using Hammonds.

Do not used undersized wire. Any wire that is going to be carrying an electrical load needs to be sized for the job. In a box that will never go over 120W or so, 16-18AWG wire is just fine. For boxes that push 200W+, 12-14AWG wire needs to be used. When using a MOSFET fuse or a board, your switch carries no load current. Neither do things like potentiometers or volt meters. So you can use wire gauges down to 28-30AWG for these connections without issue.

Do not cheap out on parts on tools. You DO get what you pay for.

If you think a mod is unsafe, it probably is. Don’t put batteries in it outside of a controlled, safe environment.

Don’t buy ABS 3D printed battery sleds. If it’s not PETG, it’s flimsy shit that will break. Trust me.

SHIT YOU SHOULD DO:

This list will be shorter, but here are some quick misc. tips.

Use bezels. Why? They’re pretty, first of all. Bezels never make anything look worse, that’s for sure. They only serve to enhance the look of a mod. This isn’t the main reason why, though. For those of you who dremel out volt meter slots, you know they rarely come out 100% clean. Sometimes, holes don’t either. When using a 510 or a firing switch, we can be assured the flared outer sections will hide any imperfections in the hole. With a potentiometer or a volt meter, this isn’t the case. So a bezel will not only make the part look flashier on the outside, it can hide any imperfections on the hole under it.

Invest in a good soldering iron and good tips for it. A variable one is ideal. I’ve ran through my fair share of cheap China irons over the years and it’s always the same story. The iron either shits out in a week or it never solders right. A good iron will prevent this and having a variable dial can allow you to fine tune the temperature to exactly the point that your solder melts it. Heat transfer can ruin parts, so this is a good thing to consider.

Learn how to actually solder. I mentioned this already, but I’m mentioning again because it’s fucking important.

Use flux paste when soldering, but not TOO much. This makes soldering way easier and you’ll find far less cold joints as a result.

Invest in a step drill bit if you’re on a budget. A step bit can serve as multiple drill bits in one and not everyone can afford an entire set. I of course recommend you eventually try to get one, and even a drill press. Though a step bit in the beginning can be your best friend.

Wear gloves when using glue. Just do it. Also place anything that’s being glued on top of a paper plate.

Get a vise, a helping hands station and anything you can to hold parts still. Soldering in a precise art and you want everything secure and stationary when you’re in the process of doing it. Same with drilling.

PARTS:

I made a full thread on what parts I feel are best in each category, it’s pinned in another part of the forum if you’re interested. This is not what this is.

The parts you’ll need will vary from job to job. Some parts are outright optional. Things like on/off switches, amp limiting fuses, volt meters and LEDs are examples of optional parts.

Parts that can simply vary include things like potentiometers, sleds or lipo connectors, certain types of FETs (PFET/NFET), diodes, resistors, lots of things. Maybe you just felt like using a certain switch or that 30mm 510 you prefer is too big for this box. Always make sure you match the parts perfectly to the job. Don’t buy a switch that’s too big, or a 510. Don’t buy cheap ass, sketchy parts. Make sure the part you’re buying is correct. Don’t get excited on mail day only to learn you ordered the wrong thing or a cheapo part.

SOLDERING:

I’ll keep this section brief as I’ve already mentioned the art that is soldering is something you’ll need to learn and master on your own.

A proper solder joint is where the solder has melted onto the pad/surface and joined with the metal on the surface. If your joint looks pooled and even, it’s good. If your joint looks lumpy or has cracks in it, either something was disturbed while cooling it the solder was not properly applied.

When applying solder, make sure you apply it right. Don’t just dab some solder onto your iron and slap it down on the wire. I prefer contact soldering, where you place the hot iron tip on the surface of where the wire is, heating it up, then feeding the solder in and allowing it to melt and pool along the surface. This method allows the surface to melt the solder as well as the iron, helping create amazing joints. Properly fluxing surfaces can help immensely as well, just make sure you clean up after you finish soldering and also be sure not to use TOO much.

As far as type, any electrical solder works. I’ve found the best though is lead-free, tin-rich solder with a low silver content. This solder still has a low enough melting point to avoid dangers of heat transfer, but it conductive enough to be used for our needs and work well. Lead is toxic and the fumes from lead based solder can cause damage, so I prefer solder without it.

DRILLING:

I’ve already said pretty much everything I can about drilling above so maybe I should’ve put of all of that stuff here, but instead you get this weak ass section. Sorry.

Don’t drill at an angle, use a vise, drill pilot holes, be careful when using step bits and always mark your holes. Also NEVER drill on a messy/unclean surface or with a drill that has a slow RPM speed.

REGULATOR BOARDS:

We all know of them. DNA’s, SX’s, Big Al’s, Voltrove’s, Gunstar’s, OKL’s/OKR’s, Raptor’s, Micro PWM’s.. regulator boards are in no short supply. You can even wire up the regulator circuit yourself and say fuck the board. Old school 555 timer PWM circuit mods do this often.

When it comes to regulators there’s a bit more to it. Sure, the shit you need to wire is often labeled for you and has nice hole terminals, but it’s on a PCB. A PCB can be burned or damaged if you’re careless, and there’s also a bunch of other scary, important looking parts of there! What if my iron accidentally touches one?

These are things that run through the heads of newer modders when wiring their first regulator. It’s not like an unregulated circuit where all of the parts in question are quite forgiving and tough, and if you fuck up you can often fix it without much issue. Regulators, aren’t as forgiving. If you fuck it up, it’s fucked. Rather by burning out a trace, popping a fuse, accidentally soldering off a part, lots can happen. Try not to be too nervous when wiring up your first regulator and remember, there’s a tutorial for everything and most boards offer wiring diagrams on the vendor websites.

There is a difficulty increase here as the part in question has lots of smaller parts on it that can be accidentally damaged and it’s just, different. Still, try not to be nervous. These boards have solder pads which I mentioned earlier, these allow you to press your iron to it before applying solder to heat the pad, so when the solder is fed in the pad itself even helps melt the solder for an even, perfect joint. Try not to wander off the pad when soldering and pay close attention to what you solder to where. Once you get it down, it’s like riding a bike.

I wire up PWM regulators all the time, so maybe that’s just how I see it. As far as PWM mods go, since raw 555 circuit mods are ancient history due to amazing regulators like the Big Al IntelliPWM and Voltrove NLPWM on the market, there isn’t much to explain as far as making mods goes here. I’m gonna make a PWM thread too, so don’t fear if you curiosities in this area.

UNREGULATED MODS:

There’s not a whole lot to say here. In terms of actually making them, they’re the easiest mods to make out of the bunch. They have the least amount of parts, the least amount of wiring, so overall time invested decreases.

Of course there is a certain stigma. People seem to automatically associate unregulated with dangerous, and I can see why. Though in terms of modding, follow your diagram properly and make sure you’ve practiced everything I’ve told you and nothing should occur in terms of error.

You can add safety, however. Things like amp limiting fuses that reset the circuit if you push the mod too hard, on/off switches, PFET’s can offer things like RPP (Reverse Polarity Protection) or additional parts like Mod Meters that can give output and resistance readings, zener diodes can prevent you from pushing your battery voltage too low. This is all optional, but it’s there if you want it.

WHERE DO I ORDER FROM:

Any good modder knows there is no TRUE one stop shop. Sure, many websites offer full kits or everything you need, but it’s foolish to rely on just one website. Places like Gunstar Mods, Brimstone 3D, Big Al’s, Motley Mod’s, Voltrove and the ATI Store on Ebay all get used often by me. These are all places you should check out too, among others. You’d be amazed at what all is out there to choose from.

BATTERY SHIT (Like LiPo’s):

For any of you wondering on what the work load difference is in making a lipo mod in comparison to an 18650 or lithium ion tube style mod you typically see, lipo mods are actually easier. Instead of a battery sled that takes up a lot of space and that you have to bridge contacts on, you just have to wire up a connector with a + and - on it. The female connector is the one you’ll be using. Wire it as you would any sled, just pretend the +/- terminals are the positive and negative beginning/end (the non-bridged ones) contacts on a sled.

A good tip here is to always use XT60’s. They handle a good 60A. Also, a LOT of LiPo’s come with them attached already, a FUCK ton, so that’s the main reason. Also for the wire you solder to the lipo connector, I strongly recommend silicone wire. It’s far more flexible than normal wire, and for a lipo connector that will likely be tugged and pulled around a lot, you do not want regular stiff wire that will result in tugging and pulling against your solder joints.

When it comes to sleds, it’s simple. Any sled that holds more than two batteries, for parallel it’s the exact same. For series, the bridge wires will jump. So with the first bridge on the bottom (or top), the bridge the next contact over would be on top (or bottom). Just remember the only contacts you’ll be wiring anything to are the beginning/end positive and negative, anything inbetween simply has to be bridged. Don’t get overwhelmed, it works the same as any other sled. Just more soldering involved sadly.

CLOSING:

So I may edit this, honestly I likely will, but for now that’s all I can think to write. If you’re thinking of picking of modding or are newer, I hope this guide helps you.