Old Goat's Full Alien Coil Build Tutorial: Tri-Core (3x26g) with 36g Alien Wrap
"If it were easy, they’d call it Clapton."
Alien coils are renowned for their incredible flavor production, dense vapor, and striking appearance. While they might seem daunting at first, breaking the process down into manageable steps makes them achievable for any experienced coil builder. This tutorial will guide you through creating a tri-core alien coil using 3x26g Kanthal/Ni80 cores and a 36g alien wrap, with a 3mm inner diameter and 5 wraps.
Difficulty Level: Advanced
Estimated Time: 1-2 hours (initial attempts may take longer)
1. Tools & Materials
Before you touch a drill, gather your gear like a proper builder:
🛠
Tools:
Drill: Variable-speed (corded or battery — I don’t judge, but torque matters).
Swivel: A fishing swivel or a specialized coil building swivel (must spin smooth or you'll cuss loud).
Nylon jaw pliers: (Don't scratch your work, goat).
Hemostats or flat-nose pliers
Wire snips: Good quality flush cutters are a must.
Ruler / desk pad with measurements
Helping hands or a jig: (Unless you’ve got extra limbs).
Chucks/Drill Bits:
A chuck to hold your core wires securely in the drill.
A chuck or bit for your de-core wire (usually a smaller gauge core wire or a stiff, straight piece of wire).
A 3mm coiling rod or drill bit (for final shaping).
Vise/Clamp: To secure your swivel.
Deburring Tool/File: (Optional, but recommended for clean cuts).
Clean Workspace: Well-lit and free of distractions.
Safety Glasses: Always protect your eyes!
LEGO bricks: (Optional, for holding core wires flat).
Wire:
Core Wires: 3 x 26 gauge (Kanthal A1 or Ni80 recommended for their workability)
Wrap Wire: 36 gauge (Kanthal A1 or Ni80 recommended)
Optional: one extra 26g strand for your de-core wrap (this is the simplest way to get a consistent de-core).
Understanding the Alien Coil Principle:
The "alien" effect comes from the unique texture of the wrap wire, which is essentially a de-cored clapton. Instead of being wrapped tightly around a single core, it's stretched out and wrapped around multiple parallel cores, creating a wavy, almost "alien skin" appearance. The key is creating the "de-cored" wrap wire before wrapping it around your final core wires.
Step-by-Step Guide:
2. Decore Wire Prep (Preparing the Alien Wrap Wire)
This is the most critical and often most challenging part. Patience is key!
Prepare Your De-Corer: Cut approximately 60 cm of 26g wire to use as your de-core core. This will be the wire you clapton onto.
Attach to Drill: Secure one end of the 26g de-corer wire into your drill chuck. Make sure it's straight and taut.
Attach 36g Wrap Wire: Take your 36g wrap wire. Hold the end firmly against the 26g de-corer wire, about 5-8 cm from the drill chuck.
Create the Clapton:
Spin your drill clockwise (or whichever direction you prefer for the initial clapton) while feeding the 36g wrap wire tightly along it. Wrap slow, keep it stacked.
Aim for a consistent, tight wrap with no gaps.
Stop when you’ve got at least 52 cm of clean, well-formed clapton wrap. (This will become approximately 1.5 meters after stretching for the alien effect).
Pro Tip: If your 36g wire is kinking or breaking, your drill speed might be too fast, or you're applying too much tension.
Important Note on Drill Direction: Pay close attention to the direction your drill is spinning as you create this clapton. You will be spinning the drill in the opposite direction when doing the final alien wrap!
Remove from Drill: Once you have a good length of clapton, stop the drill and carefully unchuck the 26g de-corer wire.
The De-Coring Process (The Alien Secret!):
This is where the magic happens. Hold the claptoned wire firmly at one end.
Crucially, instead of pulling, gently push the 26g core wire off the center of the clapton from the far end. Do this slowly and smoothly. You do not want to stretch the de-cored wire at this stage, as the stretch will not be consistent. As you push, you'll see the 36g wrap wire expand and take on that distinctive wavy, stretched-out shape.
Troubleshooting:
If it's too difficult to push off, your clapton wrap was too tight.
If it unravels completely, your clapton was too loose, or you pushed too hard/fast.
The goal is to have the 36g wrap wire maintain its "wavy" integrity without collapsing.
Set this de-cored alien wrap wire aside. This is your precious alien skin!
3. Stretch the Decore
This is a critical step for achieving the correct alien pattern.
Anchor one end of the decore: Clamp, swivel, third hand, whatever.
Grab the other end with pliers or a hemostat.
Stretch it slowly until the gaps between wraps match the width of your 3-core bundle.
For 3x26g cores, this ideal gap width is approximately 1.2 mm.
Don’t just go by length — go by spacing. You’ll usually end up around 3× the original length (~1.5 m if you started with 52 cm of clapton).
Pro Tip: Hold your actual core wires next to the stretched de-core to eyeball perfect spacing. This visual check is crucial for a successful alien wrap.
4.
Core Wire Prep
You’re aiming to build 5 alien coils from your finished wire, so let's calculate the required core wire length:
Coil length (circumference of a single 5-wrap, 3mm ID coil):
5×π×3 mm≈47 mm
Add legs: For standard post hole spacing, typically 2 x 10 mm = 20 mm per coil.
Total length per coil (wrapped section + legs):
47 mm+20 mm=67 mm
For 5 coils:
67 mm×5=335 mm
Add approximately 1.5 cm (15 mm) slack for handling and trimming:
335 mm+15 mm=350 mm (minimum recommended total finished alien wire length)
Therefore:
Cut three identical lengths of 26g core wire to approximately 40 cm each. This gives you plenty of working room for the 35 cm of finished alien wire you'll need.
Parallel stack them neatly.
Straighten them if needed:
Old Goat's Tip for Straightening: Clamp one end of a wire into your drill. Hold the other end firmly with a pair of pliers. Spin the drill for a few seconds while pulling the wire tight. This will effectively straighten the wire. Repeat for all three core wires.
Old Goat's Tip for Holding Flat: Once straightened, you can use LEGO bricks to help hold the three wires flat and parallel while you prepare them for the next step.
5. Coil Wrapping Setup
Secure one end of the core stack in your drill chuck: Very tight, but don’t crush the wire.
Trap the other end in a smooth-swiveling clamp or third hand: If it doesn’t spin freely, you’ll curse out loud. Ensure it's directly in line with your drill. The distance between the drill and swivel will be the length of your coil segment.
Attach the end of your stretched de-core to the core: Start just before the drill chuck, leaving a small overlap to get started.
Keep tension light but constant on the wrap wire. Guide it with nylon pliers or fingers.
6. Wrapping the Alien
Now the real test begins.
Start your drill slow. Like “creepy old fan” slow. Remember to spin the drill in the opposite direction to how you made the original clapton.
Once the wrap starts catching that alien rhythm (the de-core wraps falling perfectly between the core grooves), slowly increase speed.
Keep the angle of the de-core consistent – this is key to the “alien wave.” You're essentially laying the wavy de-core onto the three parallel cores, maintaining that stretched pattern.
If the wire starts climbing, twisting, or going flat, stop immediately. Reset your angle or cut and restart that section.
Pro Tip: Keep your eye on the gap between the de-core and the cores. You want that wave. That pulse. That vibe.
7. Finishing the Wrap
Once you hit your target length (~35 cm minimum of perfectly wrapped alien wire should give you enough for 5 coils):
Cut the wire cleanly.
Coil it up for storage or…
Move straight into coil winding.
8. Coil Shaping
Use a 3 mm coil jig or rod:
Wrap 5 full turns around your 3mm coiling rod. Keep the wraps tight and flush against each other.
Add 10 mm legs extending straight out from the coil.
Check for spacing: Ensure the wraps are evenly spaced and the alien pattern is prominent.
Torch lightly or pulse on a mod to tame hotspots (if desired) and set the coil's shape.
You just made a real alien coil, goat. Not some sad twisted Clapton wannabe. An honest-to-Ohm alien.
9. Admire the Craft
Hold it to the light.
Smell the metal.
Whisper “I built you” like a villain in a sci-fi movie.
Take a photo. Post it. Brag a little. You earned it.
You now have a beautifully crafted tri-core alien coil! The next step would be to install it in your atomizer, glow it, strum out any hot spots, and wick it for an exceptional vaping experience. Good luck and happy coil building!
