You are not the only one having this same issue. I was sent one also and having the same issue as you are. I was trying to figure out a fix and then I read this review and you have saved me the trouble of writing another review saying the exact same thing.
Very nice mod in every other aspect but a piss poor design on the fire button and that is not the place to save money in manufacturing when doing a mech mod. Sorry Lost Vape big old thumbs down from me as well.
Wow…I am happy that I am not the only one… @worm1 also discovered others who have written of this same problem on other forums…what a shame…
It could be the simplest of fixes. If i were u guys, I would continue looking for reports and perhaps find a follow-up by a tinkering mech user, they wont stand for less then it hitting hard.
Exactly what I want!!! I am gonna try @TheTinMan’s suggestions…I am gonna try my damnedest to get this beautiful piece of junk to be more than it’s current state…
Gl to you and @wvsanta. I’ll poke around for more info when i get a chance but would always be happy to take whatever off your hands 
The one I got has the brass tube and the very first time I tried to fire it I noticed the button issue.
I took it apart and played with the spring but have not truly had the time to mess with it much.
I like everything about this mod but if it wont fire right it has to go in the category of useless POS.
I have seen on-line that others with the same issue have had success by squeezing the two loop sections slightly.
I noticed in the picture I found of the switch that the nut on the 510 pin is slightly off so that the contact in the button will not hit it flush, if that were my mod I would tighten the nut a little so that it lines up parallel with the contact on the switch.
Nice find. Stared at the pic a while since i dont have one but the bend is your spring/return to not firing position, squeezing it will reduce throw(button travel) but if its hitting the nut then its fine. I would get the nut squared w/ the button like u suggest but although hard to tell w/ pic, it almost look like its skimming the bottom of the nut as well ( too tight already) perhaps back it off a few turns and get it square.
Here’s an after pic
Not owning it either I don’t know how mush resistance there is in the springs keeping the contacts apart but that does look a little too close for me, at least it does show how the nut and contact should align.
Nice find and I will try to take some time to mess with this later today.
In my honest opinion this is a very nice mod in every other way.
I am a big guy that has worked with my hands all my life, so I have not only big hands but also strong hands and it is at best difficult for me to push the fire button hard enough to get it to fire.
That nut being aligned like that would cause an arc issue without a doubt. But I do like the fact that it has a flat surface nut.
Two issues I ran into, one with the Athena, was a flat half inch connection plate meeting a round surface! On top of that, the flat connection piece was angled in giving it even less of a connection. On YouTube I found a video adjusting the flat connection with pliers, bending it back about 5 degrees. Still, a flat surface bar making contact with a round pice is just poor design. And it’s not just the Athena that has this.
Along with squaring the nut, working in just a tiny bit of Ox-Gard would make this a very hard hitting mech.
I missed that.
How do builders of mech mods not take into account these simple details? Flat surfaces + solid contact = less arc.
I agree and it is a shame Lost Vape even released this mod as it is. I think it is very well made in every other aspect but falling short on the fire button design was a big disappointment to me. This kind of makes me think that not a single person at Lost Vape even tried this mod before it was released for sale.
I hope all of this “mech tech” isn’t distracting too much attention from a great review by @SunnyT but she pointed out an issue that many will face, not just with this mod, but many like it. Maybe a split topic off her review to discuss mech squonkers and their quirks and fixes?
I do too. And it is a great looking mod.
I actually forgot that I did notice this on mine when I took it apart as well. I did straighten the nut up, but it didn’t fix my problem. Its been about 2 months since I have taken it apart, so I can’t remember exactly what I did, but you mentioning this reminded me…I think I am gonna tinker with it today…
I really like every aspect of this mod as well. Aside from the firing button problem, it is the ideal squonker! I love the squonk bottles so much, they are perfect, imo…
By this statement, I can tell that you understand my exact dilemma!!! It is extremely hard to get this mod to fire, as I said before, it leaves an imprint of the button in my thumb…
Thanks for the concern, and while I do think a topic on mech squonkers and their quirks and fixes would make for a fine topic that should definitely be created, I also think that the info about this particular mod is good here in this review thread as well, because as you said, many people may also run into this particular problem with this particular mod. Therefore, with some of the trials and errors we are facing with the Furyan being right here with the review it may be very helpful to someone trying to find info regarding it!
You nailed it, I totally agree with everything in your review. I was really struggling with doing my review of this because my first instinct was to come on a trash the quality just because of the fire button issue. I am so glad I held off now because I see this going in a very positive direction now.
Thank you for doing such a great review and drawing in the attention of others that may be able to help come up with a good solution to this issue. With the fire button issue fixed I can see this mod becoming one of my favorite squonk mods. I think Lost Vape did a beautiful job on this one in every other aspect.
I could not agree more with this statement. I think others would find this information very helpful. If and when we find a fix that works well you could always add a tag in the title line at the end such as AND HOW TO FIX IT.
Again thank you for such a nice review because I would have never done such a tasteful job considering my disappointment right from the first time I pushed the fire button.
Your review and the direction the comments have went has renewed my interest in finding a fix for this issue.
Speaks volumes of how and what this community should be.
The negative contact is traveling thru those long bolts from bottom cap to top cap so cleaning out those lil threads, applying ox-gard may help too. May sound as if @TheTinMan and myself have stock in it but u use so very lil, almost like u are simply changing the color of the metal, if that makes sense.
Use a tiny art brush or q-tip
Great review, and great pics, that is a beautiful Mech.
