4Nine clone buying and set up guide

The authentic 4nine was instantly renowned for being about as small as a mod can
be; most people's first exposure to one leaves them sure that it's actually a 1
4500 device, as it's barely bigger than the 18650 battery the full length tube c
ontains. Better still, this small size and simplicity (it only has one moving pa
rt) means that clones can be had for ridiculously low prices - I think the cheap
est variant on Fast Tech is thirteen bucks. However, there is a price to be paid
, and this guide should help you pick out a good one, and set it up so it's silk
y smooth and reliable enough to become your new all day vape.
4nine clones can be separated into three groups; 1:1, good 'style' clones, and b
ad 'style' clones - 'style' being the accepted designator for non 1:1.
Firstly, the 'style' clones are better than either the 1:1 or the authentics bec
ause believe it or not, they're shorter. Not only does this heighten their appea
l as a small mod, but also helps solve one of the innate issues with the 4nine,
which is the length of the switch throw. My 1:1 needed some effort to sort it ou
t, but all my 'style' clones work fine with minimal tweaking.
Secondly, the 'style' clones can be differentiated between good and bad by the b
attery contact. On the better clones the magnet is housed within a screw threade
d copper ring that mounts in the delrin insulator. If you see a clone that has t
he magnet simply pressed into the delrin with no copper ring, avoid it like the
plague - they tend to pop out and in doing so can lock your mod in the firing st
ate.
Lastly, a good clone is better than an authentic. Whilst one of the benefits of
the original 4nine was its single tube design, this does mean that you have to r
emove the top to change batteries. With the clones you get the option to run 186
50, 500/490, and 350. Not only does this mean that you can use it in what I pers
onally think is the best configuration - 18500 - but also allows you to facilita
te battery changes by breaking the tube mid section. Admittedly that technically
compromises the conductivity slightly, but if you apply copper grease to the jo
ins and ensure they're well tightened, it's as near to zero detriment as makes n
o difference. If you're buying the SS version, then run copper tape on the insid
e, and that helps improve performance.
The various copper versions are tempting, but it should be noted that by the nat
ure of the materials, joins are more obvious with the copper 4nine. However, as
one can be had for $16 on Fast Tech, and as people are most likely going to pati
na it, it's still an astonishing bargain. I'm using mine with a copper 1:1 TOBH
as I type this, and it's an eyewateringly pretty little combo. I'm not into pati
nas, so I just ran some utrafine scotchbrite over it and finished up with a coup
le minutes of elbow grease with a miracle cloth. The slightly course brushed fin
ish it came with was replaced by a silky sheen that's easy on the eye.
The big issues with the 4nines in general is the button and danger of hard short
s. The price you pay for such a svelte package is a total lack of traditional ad
justment, making it something that should be reserved for the more experienced v
aper, or you if you read this guide and take heed.
We (don't) like short shorts
If you look at the underside of the top cap, you will see a thin delrin insulato
r through which the 510 of your atty passes. Before slapping a battery in, test
fit your atomiser and make sure that the centre pin is proud of both the insulat
or and the threaded portion of 510 itself. If your atty has an adjustable contac
t like say the Kayfun 3.1, then you can use that to tweak your connection. If th
at fails, then it's perfectly fine to sand the delrin insulator so it sits more
flush with the top cap rather than protruding quite so much. This will still gua
rd against your battery creating a short at the positive end, but allows more of
your 510 to protrude. Button top batteries are often said to be all you can run
in a 4nine, but that's not the case - with careful fitting, flat tops work just
fine. That said, there are some atties that just don't work; I don't have a lis
t, nor have I found one from my collection that can't be made to work, but some
people insist that so-and-so a device just plain doesn't have a long enough 510.
You should also become aware of battery lengths. The standard size for an 18650
is unsurprisingly 65mm, but rewrapped cells often exceed this, as do most prote
cted cells (not that you should be using those in the first place). Keeppower an
d Xstar rewraps of the Sony VTC5 add a couple of mil to that spec, and in a mod
this small, that can be the difference between working perfectly and auto firing
.
On the button
The big issue with 4nines is the janky button - given that they basically have o
ne moving part, that simplicity comes at a cost. The cause is the length of the
throw, and the thickness of the button itself. To keep the mod as short as possi
ble, the button is quite thin, and that means that even small amounts of play be
tween it and the body are magnified, whereas a thicker button would reduce the a
ngle away from true that it can torque. The best way to combat this is to shorte
n the throw so the button has less opportunity to change the angle of attack aga
inst the tube, and therefore not allow the sharp edges to try and dig into the w
alls of the mod. Buy some 1mm neodymium magnetic shims, and add them to the batt
ery contact - one will normally sort it out. Additionally, slightly radius the l
eading edge of the button with a fine file or sandpaper so it's less likely to c
atch on the wall of the tube. Further improvements can be had by polishing the b
earing surfaces of both the button and the part of the tube it's in contact with
, and generously lubricating with copper anti seize grease.
If you have a stainless steel version, then run copper tape through the tube of
the mod, ensuring that you apply it to each section separately, and that the end
s of the tape go over the threads. On all the SS 4nines I've seen, there's actua
lly room to fit one strand of tape between the switch and mod body without any b
inding issues. This helps lower voltage drop, reduces the chances of getting a h
ot button, and removes any play in the button. As long as the throw has been sho
rtened, I've not observed any problems with doing this, but tolerances do vary.
Again, finish up with copper grease on each thread. You may also want to add som
e extra copper foil tape to your top thread, as it makes the top cap harder to a
ccidentally unscrew along with your atty, but obviously not if you plan on using
it in 18350 mode. That problem can also be minimised by polishing or sparingly
lubricating the mating surface of the top cap.
Soooooooo, that's the 4nine for ya'. Awesome little mod, and worth coming to ter
ms with. All the above might sound like a huge ball ache, but it's not a noob's
mod, and sorting one out can take as little as quarter of an hour and only needs
doing once.

Nymza Vril 2014

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