One step up from fishtank-filter-filler

[katink]

I stopped using the fishtank-filter a while back, because it had the same drawback as the filler of the e-Cig cartridges (both empty or filled ones): the filler itself soon gets pushed together, and then doesn't reach the atomizer-bridge anymore (so you have to keep messing around with it, pulling it up, putting straws underneath to keep it up, whatever).
From then on I just bought some Janty- and Partysmoker cartridges; emptied them, then rinsed and kept re-using them. Would be okay for a while, but of course this didn't work endlessly, I had to buy new cartridges with some regularity (filled ones, neither sell empty cores) to keep my stock filled.

Well... a few weeks back, one of my young dogs tore it's fluffy toy in pieces within an hour after she had gotten it (my avatar was the guilty one ). And as I was cleaning up the mess, it suddenly dawned on me that the filling of that toy was real spongy-feeling: I could press it together and it would come right back up to it's original space-filling all the time... It looks the same as the fishtank-filter, also very clean and with no loose small pieces of thread in at all; but it feels and acts much better as to what we need for cartridge-filler.

Washed some of it and tried it; and indeed, this is a real step forward, works much better!
Then I made small holes in other fluffy-toys I have laying around.... and they all had the same stuff in them (from different brands and different sellers). So it looks like all or many fluffy toys have what we need inside them Not sure if it's just pet-toys or also children-fluffy's that have the right stuff: only have pet-fluffs around the house here.

I can't track it down on internet in unused state... can't afford to keep buying and discarding like probably would be neccessary until stumbling upon the exact same stuff. But perhaps someone here by chance would happen to know where these kinds of toyfillings come from?
And anyhow, for now I will manage with the toys, though it's no cheap way of getting filler... but one toy's innards should last a year or so I think. So from now on I am getting a new pet-toy myself once a year!

[GTOrichie]

they are stuffed with craft grade polyester wadding.

[Jason]

My family is going to have an intervention if I start smoking my daughter's teddy bear.

In all seriousness though, I'd be concerned about additives you might be exposing yourself to. I think that here in the US, stuff like that needs to be treated to be fire retardant. I'm pretty much clueless on this kinda stuff so I could be completely wrong.

[GTOrichie]

it's the same in most of the EU aswell fire retardant coating is ment to be used on all stuffed toy wadding, and polyester is not the nicest stuff in the world should it be exposed to high heat, if I remembet corectly its made using petrolium byproducts and coal but don't quote me as it's been a long time since we did that in science at school

[katink]

It would be best if we found fillings different then polyester that worked well: all the way with you there.
But we haven't... and the polyester fillings don't get burnt any if they are kept wet (and if you take them off when self-cleaning is happening, if it's not all too wet anymore).
Perhaps the fire-defense put on might even be a good thing with atomizers near... we've been into burnt tastes etc at length in many posts before (though I never have burnt taste myself: just keep the filler wet and all is okay, at least with my atomizers)
As to additives being poison: I am pretty confident it isn't, else it wouldn't be allowed to be put into either childrens or pets toys... both tend to chew on their toys a lót

[GTOrichie]

it's quite easy to get hold of if you want some, theres loads on ebay or online craft shops, failing that have you got any local craft shops nearby like hobby craft?

[katink]

My family is going to have an intervention if I start smoking my daughter's teddy bear.

@ Jason, and rightly so!



No locals GTO, but I do know some online-shops, so will have a look there now that I know they sell it... thanks!

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

What we might be able to use is kapok, the stuff they filled teddy bears with when I was a kid (or at least my teddy was full of it - he was an old git, though). I remember futzing around with it in primary school. I'm pretty sure it's a plant like flax or cotton, except you can't make thread out of it. Used to go in pillows and quilts, too.

Emp

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

Hmm - it's resistant to water. In fact it was used as lifejacket stuffing. That doesn't sound particularly viable. I did find a buddhist paraphernalia site flogging it at 250g for a fiver though...

[DeviLFisH]

gee i was thinking of using fishtank fliter spongy as the stuffs to hold e liquid if I successful made

since like cannot as katink tried?