Welcome to MiniNail: Getting Started with your First Enail Kit

An enail replaces the torch. Instead of heating your nail with a flame and guessing when it has cooled to the right temperature, you set a number and the controller holds it, session after session, for as long as the unit is on.

This guide covers what is in the box, how to set it up, how to run it, and the handful of things worth knowing in the first week. If you already own one, start at the setup section. If you are still deciding, the first two sections explain what you would actually be getting.

How an enail works

Three parts, and each does one job.

• The controller. A temperature controller with a display. You set a target, it holds it.
• The heater coil. A resistive heating element wrapped around your nail, with a thermocouple inside it reading the actual temperature.
• The nail. Titanium, quartz or silicon carbide, whichever surface you want your concentrate to touch.

The part that matters is the loop between the coil and the controller. The thermocouple reports back constantly, the controller adds or cuts power to match, and the set point holds instead of drifting. That is the whole difference from a torch, where the temperature is falling from the moment you stop heating.

Two things about MiniNail specifically. The number on the display is the dabbing surface, not the coil, so what you set is what your material meets. And every unit is calibrated to ±2°F before it ships.

It also draws about 1 amp, 89 watts, which is low enough to run off a car inverter or a battery bank. There is no battery in the unit itself and nothing to charge.

What comes in the kit

• MiniNail Controller. Fits in your palm. This is the temperature control box.
• Heater Coil. The heating element. Its range runs from room temperature to about 1000°F, though 400°F to 600°F is where you will actually live.
• AC Power Cord. Mains power. The unit runs plugged in.
• Nail. Titanium, quartz or silicon carbide depending on how you configured your kit. MiniNail’s universal nails fit 14mm and 18mm joints, male and female. A 10mm joint needs a separate adapter.
• Carb Cap and Dabber. The dabber loads, the cap traps heat and controls airflow.
• Slab Pad. A non-stick mat for your station.

Not sure what you want in yours? Build-A-Box lets you configure the kit around the nail and accessories you actually want, or browse the full enail kits range.

Setting it up

1. Attach the nail to the coil, then to your rig

Connect your nail to the heating element, paying attention to whether you are using a male or female adapter. The adapter screws onto the heat shield, then the bowl of the nail slides through the heating element. Attach the heat shield last.

Check that the coil and nail are secure to each other and to your glass before you go any further.

2. Connect the coil to the controller

Plug the connector on the heating element into the port on the back of the controller.

Keep the controller powered off while you do this. Power should only be applied once everything is seated and nothing is touching the coil or nail.

3. Power on

Connect the power cord, plug it in, and switch on. That is the whole setup.

Your first session

Two buttons, up and down. Press either and the display starts flashing to show your set temperature rather than the current one. Adjust to where you want it, then leave it alone for about five seconds and the display goes back to reading the actual temperature.

From cold, it takes roughly three minutes to reach temperature. On power off, the full cooldown takes up to ten minutes. The coil stays hot well after the display goes dark, so do not test it with your fingers.

What temperature

400°F to 600°F. Lower in that range for flavor, higher for vapor volume. Start around 500°F and move in small steps until you find your number.

Full breakdown, including how the range shifts by nail material, in the dabbing temperature guide.

Use the carb cap

A cap restricts airflow, which lowers the temperature your concentrate needs to vaporize. Without one, a low-temperature dab mostly evaporates into the room rather than reaching you. This is the single most common thing new owners skip.

Cold start dabs

A cold start means loading concentrate into an unheated nail and then bringing the heat up underneath it.

The technique came out of torch dabbing, where holding a precise low temperature is difficult and starting cold was the practical way to get there. On an enail your controller is already holding the set point to the degree, so you can get the same result without the timing. Some people prefer how a cold start feels and nothing stops you running one. Treat it as a preference rather than a fix.

The habit that matters most

Keep cotton swabs and distilled water next to your rig, and swab the dish while it is still warm after every dab.

Residue wipes off warm quartz in seconds. The same residue cold has to be dissolved, which takes hours. Skip this habit and you get carbon buildup, which blocks heat transfer, makes the dish run unevenly, and tempts you into running hotter to compensate. That is how bangers get ruined.

MiniNail’s Custom Cotton Swabs are shaped for the job, though any cotton swab works.

When swabbing is not enough: How to Clean an Enail for titanium and silicon carbide, and How to Clean a Quartz Banger for quartz.

Worth knowing in the first week

• Leave it on. The unit is designed to run 24/7. Most owners stop powering down between sessions and just change the set temperature.
• One controller runs the whole line. The same box drives enail coils, the Coil Caddy and the wired Flower Wand. Adding a second device usually does not mean buying a second controller.
• Dish tops swap. The hybrid nail body takes every dish MiniNail makes, so changing material costs a dish rather than a whole nail. The only thing that has to match is the coil size.
• It works with smart plugs. See connecting your MiniNail to Alexa or Google Home.
• Two-year warranty on both the controller and the coil.

Frequently asked

How do you use an enail?

Attach the nail to the heater coil and your rig, plug the coil into the controller, power on, and set your temperature. Give it about three minutes to reach the set point, load your dab, cap it, and swab the dish while it is still warm afterward.

How does an enail work?

A resistive coil heats the nail while a thermocouple inside the coil reads the actual temperature and reports back to the controller, which adds or cuts power to hold your set point. Unlike a torch, the temperature does not drift once it is there.

What temperature should I set my enail to?

400°F to 600°F. Start around 500°F, go lower for flavor and higher for vapor volume.

How long does an enail take to heat up?

About three minutes from cold, depending on your set temperature. Cooldown after power off takes up to ten minutes.

Can you leave an enail on all the time?

Yes. It is built to run continuously and draws roughly 1 amp. Most owners leave it on and adjust the temperature rather than powering down between sessions.

Do I need a carb cap?

Effectively yes. Without one a low-temperature dab largely evaporates into the room instead of reaching you.

If something is not right

The full user manual covers troubleshooting. If your controller is showing a temperature but the nail is not heating, power off, reseat the coil connector, and check the set screws are snug.

Beyond that, call us. Every controller and coil carries a two-year warranty, and the phone is answered by an engineer who has held your device. Replacement heater coils and additional nails are always in stock.