The advantages

The main advantage of an atomizer is that you can make significant savings on coils. The cotton and the resistive wire are bought in large quantities and at a low price.

The second advantage is that you can vape exactly as you want, with perfectly reproduced flavours, and/or produce impressive volumes of vapor (cloud chasing).

The disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage of this type of equipment is the time required to create the coils and the complexity of the assemblies. A vape beginner won't be able to make a smooth start with this type of equipment. You run the risk of quickly giving up vape and falling back on tobacco.

Types of rebuildable

The RBA tray

The RBA (ReBuildable Atomizer) tray converts a clearomizer into an atomizer. The mounting plate is shaped like the original coil and can be fitted in its place. This type of option on a clearomizer is a good compromise for getting started with the rebuildable.

The rebuildable atomizer (RTA)

The RTA (Rebuildable Tank Atomizer) is the rebuildable atomizer closest to the clearomizer. It consists of a mounting plate and a tank placed above the mounting plate. They are called RBA for a clearomizer that can be converted into an atomizer. The RTA indicates an exclusively rebuildable atomizer.

The dripper (RDA)

The dripper (RDA = Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer) is an atomizer in which the tank has been removed, leaving only the mounting plate and atomisation chamber. Some drippers may have a small reserve of liquid. These drippers are known as RDA.

This type of equipment is quite demanding, as it requires the cotton to be soaked regularly, but it produces a lot of vapor and the flavours are heightened.

The BF dripper (bottom feeder)

The BF dripper (RDA) is a dripper with a pin 510 connection to the box, which is pierced and allows you to feed your dripper liquid from below, using a BF bottom feeder box with a flexible reservoir (a sort of squeezing bulb). Some drippers can be converted into BF drippers using a conversion kit, usually supplied with the dripper.

The genesis atomizer

Less and less common, it was soon less distributed by manufacturers because of the complexity of assembly. It has no cotton but instead a metal braid that has to be heated with a flame to form it into a tube shape. As a result, there is a high risk of short-circuiting, which can be dangerous, especially when used with a mechanical box.

The RDTA atomizer

The RDTA (Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer) is a cross between the dripper (RDA) and the atomizer (RTA). You have a mounting plate covered by an atomization chamber. A reservoir is placed under the mounting plate and the coil is fed by capillary action using cotton or metal braids. You get the benefits of a dripper, with the added autonomy of a BF dripper and BF box.

Trays

Single and double coil trays are commonly available. Single coils will enhance flavour at the expense of vapor. The opposite is true for double coils. You can also find trays with three or four coils (or even more, but this is rare and very specialised).

Types of inhalation

As with clearomizers, you'll find rebuildables for indirect or direct inhalation. Direct inhalation is the most common.

Coils

The coils are the twisted resistive wires in your assembly. You can either create them from scratch from a thread of wire, or use coils that are already made and ready to assemble. The latter are more expensive than a simple spool of wire, but as they are ready to assemble, they save a considerable amount of time and reduce the risk of assembly errors.

There are many wires available on the market in different alloys.

Cotton

There are many different types of cotton available for sale. Whether in raw or pre-cut form, you can easily find the one that suits your needs. Don't hesitate to try it out!

The material

To make a rebuildable, you need basic equipment. Here are the main ones:

• Cutting pliers, to cut your coils efficiently and cleanly.
• A pair of scissors or special pliers for cutting cotton cleanly without fraying it.
• An ohmmeter to check the resistance value of your assemblies and avoid short circuits. This device is essential when using a mod or mechanical box.
• a pair of ceramic tweezers for cleanly shaping your coils without the risk of short circuits.
• A micro-coil template or rod to create/twist your coils.