Tea bag/tea filters.... which and where and who and how?

[keys4fun]

Good earth tea bags rock!!!

[Shrodingers Other Cat]

OK, I don't have enough posts under my belt to start my own thread...and I've searched, and searched, and SEARCHED for similar issues/problems/resolutions and I'm almost at my wit's end by now. If anyone subscribed to this thread can point me in the right direction, I'd be most grateful.

I finally went full-bore eCig a little over two weeks ago, and thinking ahead, I ordered two extra batteries and five atomizers just to make sure I could keep things going.
(back in April we bought two starter setups from Beci @ BesteCig so bogaring his stuff I had/have four batteries and two chargers)
I got the batteries and atomizers on Tuesday.
Wednesday the trouble started.
One of my husband's batteries started acting up and pretty much if you look at it, it activates.
And now it seems the chargers have failed as well as the rest of the batteries.
I've cleaned the contacts. I've stuck a paperclip in the hole (gently!). I've tapped 'em (gently!) I've swapped power supplies on the chargers. I'm rotating batteries with chargers trying to ascertain if one or both and one, two, or four of the batteries are just dead.
At present, one battery is holding a charge. I'm leaving the batteries on the chargers (not tightened TOO much) the full five or more hours even though the light either changes immediately or not at all.
I've always said if I'm going to do something I'll go all the way...didn't think it'd be full-scale FAIL.
My options are to keep to the testing and be patient(ha!); order a replacement from somewhere stateside first thing tomorrow morning and hope for a quickie delivery; either way, probably end up buying my regular cigarettes in the interim.
Can someone talk me down off the ledge?

TIA

[Bones]

One question for everyone- I did the fluval thing and the teabag/coffee filters - Both work pretty well - I get about the same performance from the fulval as I do from factory fresh carts that have the similar material -

I noticed though that sometimes (about 2 out of 30 that I have in front of me) There is a DIFFERENT type of material that comes from the factory - It looks a lot like the Fluval in it's basic fabric structure - EXCEPT - It seems to be made up of many little strips that separate out from each other very neatly like sheets of paper - Looks almost like little PH test strips but is not paper - These are Janty KBC carts -

This stuff is THE STUFF! - Those last 3x than longer than the fluval type factory fresh ones - and wick down to the bone - I can barley squeeze a single drop out when it stops vaping - They are straight edged and do not fill the entire cart - This leaves the channels on the side to vent as the straw mod does - In fact the stuff itself has air channels in it due to the "stacked paper" nature of it's structure - It slips in and out great with no need for tweezers cause it holds it's shape and does not bunch up on itself - WHAT IS THAT STUFF? - It looks so familiar - But I can't figure out just what it is - I'm going to go to a fabric store and see if I can find something similar - I think that stuff is the way to go - Even on refills - Up to 3 refills now in one - It blows the fluval out of the water - Tea Bags just seem to keep too much juice for me -

[Zofryer]

polyester batting from walmart
why use teabags!!!

Honestly? If you do it a certain way, it's like having the "coffee stirrer mod". Let me elaborate:

The idea is to roll the bag material up like a carpet and put it in the cart. Not TOO tight, but just tight enough that it unrolls and you can see gaps in the roll. What you end up with is, these long spiral walls of vertical teabag material that are very good at using capillary action to hold the liquid in place. You also get this very convenient hole in the very center that you can push the tip of a glass dropper into for topping off your carts. At first I didn't really see much difference between poly and tea-bag, but all my carts are teabag now.

Hope This Helps

[kathyst]

This is from bizzyb0t
There's been some recent developments in cart filler materials. Tea bags made of hemp (I use nylon gossamer tea bags with great results, personally), coffee filters, etc.

Since Nylon melts at 350+ F and Polyester melts at 255+ F, I figured it was a smart choice. You heard it here first

Someone else came up with using tea bags in general, but I came up with using rolled strips of nylon gossamer. For one, wicking is out of this world, durable, doesn't melt when touching a really hot atomizer bridge like polyester and washable/reusable. Holds the juice without trying to keep it.

I have been using these the past week or so and they work great, they don't seem to wear out.

This is awesome -- thank you very much. Can't wait to try this. I'd been also looking for specifics on using tea bag material (though I also have a lot of poly fiberfill from sewing projects). Seems a flat piece of material rolled up is easier to clean and reuse than the fluffy fiberfill.

And I'll remember where I heard the melting points of nylon and polyester -- very interesting

kathy

[kathyst]

One question for everyone- I did the fluval thing and the teabag/coffee filters - Both work pretty well - I get about the same performance from the fulval as I do from factory fresh carts that have the similar material -

I noticed though that sometimes (about 2 out of 30 that I have in front of me) There is a DIFFERENT type of material that comes from the factory - It looks a lot like the Fluval in it's basic fabric structure - EXCEPT - It seems to be made up of many little strips that separate out from each other very neatly like sheets of paper - Looks almost like little PH test strips but is not paper - These are Janty KBC carts -

This stuff is THE STUFF! - Those last 3x than longer than the fluval type factory fresh ones - and wick down to the bone - I can barley squeeze a single drop out when it stops vaping - They are straight edged and do not fill the entire cart - This leaves the channels on the side to vent as the straw mod does - In fact the stuff itself has air channels in it due to the "stacked paper" nature of it's structure - It slips in and out great with no need for tweezers cause it holds it's shape and does not bunch up on itself - WHAT IS THAT STUFF? - It looks so familiar - But I can't figure out just what it is - I'm going to go to a fabric store and see if I can find something similar - I think that stuff is the way to go - Even on refills - Up to 3 refills now in one - It blows the fluval out of the water - Tea Bags just seem to keep too much juice for me -

Wow -- this is really interesting! I will follow your search avidly. I can picture exactly what you mean, and I want to know and find this stuff too! I wish you could take an extreme close-up photo somehow and post it. I wonder if it's similar to "interfacing" that you use for garment-making?

What do you mean "tea bags keep too much juice" ? I haven't tried tea bags yet, but I intend to. Actually, though, I'm not having any problems at all with the poly fiberfill that comes in the 510 carts. But I haven't been doing this very long.

We're so funny -- like can never leave well enough alone. Or maybe it's more like we're always looking for the "perfect smoke." Is there something about smoker-types being DIY'ers? It might seem that smokers, and vapers, have too much time on our hands. But heck, modding our e-cigs is my idea of a good time!

kathy

[Bones]

Wow -- this is really interesting! I will follow your search avidly. I can picture exactly what you mean, and I want to know and find this stuff too! I wish you could take an extreme close-up photo somehow and post it. I wonder if it's similar to "interfacing" that you use for garment-making?

What do you mean "tea bags keep too much juice" ? I haven't tried tea bags yet, but I intend to. Actually, though, I'm not having any problems at all with the poly fiberfill that comes in the 510 carts. But I haven't been doing this very long.

We're so funny -- like can never leave well enough alone. Or maybe it's more like we're always looking for the "perfect smoke." Is there something about smoker-types being DIY'ers? It might seem that smokers, and vapers, have too much time on our hands. But heck, modding our e-cigs is my idea of a good time!

kathy

Hey - Have not had time to get into town and look for it yet - I live out in the country - I think you may be on the right track - Some type of backing material - I'm sure I will find something very much like it when I get to look - I will let you know and try to get a picture up later when I clean it again - I'm making it last as long as I can right now - 5 refills and still works great -

oh yea - "tea bags keep too much juice" - I mean that when it won't vape anymore I can squeeze a LOT of juice out of it - Feel like I'm throwing away 20-30 puffs - Not to sound cheap - I'm just an efficiency nut - LOL -

[Chorizo]

They DO keep too much juice. And the 510 hogs it too. I'm running out of juice, actually.

[Bones]

Here are the pics of it -
Fluval cartridge restuffing video instructions.

[Myshkin]

So i just went out and bought some lipton pyramid bags. What do you guys do with them? Do you use the whole bag, or do you cut some off? Do you roll it up or just smush it in there loosely. I am using a 510

One other thing, have any of you used the straw trick with the lipton bag?