Cartridge filler materials

[OckhamsRazor]

I just started vaping about a week ago. Started with 510 Titans which are pretty cool, but I'm sure I'll diversify my portfolio soon - I want more vapor.

Also sold it to two friends. I'm in the Navy band, and we have to take long van rides to gigs sometimes. When they saw I could vape in the vans and not offend anyone, they were sold.

One of these friends is into it big time, and the first thing he asked me was "What is this stuff in the carts? Can't we refill them ourselves?"

So I came here - and found this thread - and now we're totally teabaggers (laugh intended). Picked up some Tazo yesterday, emptied one out, followed the instructions (*with a variation), and it's awesome. Not so much more vapor, for me, but lasts much longer before needing to top, and topping is infinitely easier. The material just soaks it up completely.

*variation: Instead of rolling the teabag paper like a carpet, we folded it like an accordion. This provides many more wicking edges and many more "vents" for a good draw.

Love the forum, love you all, and love vaping.
Ock

[OckhamsRazor]

P.S.,

13-14 drops per teabag filter. We started brand new ones today just to test what they'd absorb.

Peace, y'all.

[j4mmin42]

Okay, so after reading as many of these posts as I could, it seems that the consensus is "Teabags!"(lol), so I went ahead and tested this promising design on an empty 501 cart. I did notice a difference in the way that it wicks the fluid into the atomizer (much improved, I would say), but...I swear I remember reading about a steel mesh old-style tea filter mod as well on here somewhere, and that the problem there had to do with the mesh getting tamped down after a few uses, and breaking contact with the atomizer. So next, I took a standard pair of scissors and cut half of the mesh off of one round side of the filter (you have to know what kind of filter I'm talking about to understand...). Then, I cut it to the length of the inner cartridge, and rolled it up (like a...carpet, heh). I then inserted a small, folded up piece of paper tea bag on top of it, 15 drops, and...(I am just now testing it..)...no leakage around the atomizer, which was a common problem in the past, but it seems i used too much liquid, as i flooded my atomizer...any other vapers try anything like this yet? once i dial it in, this seems like a great way to go. -j4mmin

[j4mmin42]

It works now...less liquid, and a larger section of teabag on top(not too much, just enough that if you add too much liquid it won't spill out when holding the cart upside down and tapping on it) and this baby cranks out the vapor! Multi-layer carts are the way for me to go I think. Wish i had a quality camera to show you guys how i did this, although some of you out there should be able to "get it". Anyway, good luck! -j4mmin

[Mach10X]

What a great thread!

I'm new to vaping but I've been a scientist for many years now. The world is my laboratory. Someone mentioned braided fiberglass earlier and I have to agree with him. Liquid candles use ultra high grade paraffin oil, the better candles include fiberglass wicks.

An assortment of wicks:


Capillary action draws liquid up the bundle, fiberglass strands such as this are chemically inert, though can cause damage if dust in inhaled, higher quality fiberglass wicks are dust-free and durable, made of thermal glass such as to not melt under the heat of a small flame. A length of braided fiberglass of precisely the right diameter would work splendidly in a cart, but you'll be hard pressed to find the exact size you need as each cart varies.


My second idea is polyester based. I understand that polyfill is popular but even high quality fiberfill is not very good as a wick. Most modern sports or workout clothing is designed from microfiber polyester and polayamide weaves and has excellent wicking properties. In clothing this is used to draw moisture (sweat) away from the skin, though this is counter productive (sweat evaporates on the skin to cool the body, the same way that an air conditioner evaporates freon or other liquid to cool air). Nonetheless, woven microfiber would be my first choice (microfiber is made from extremely small polyester fibers). The type of weave will further improve the wicking abilities. I'll need to perform tests to see if the microfiber locks the moisture too well for the atomizer to be able to pull the moisture out of the fibers (shouldn't be a problem, I suspect).

Close up of a single microfiber thread, the star shaped core is polyester, the wedges are polyamide (a type of nylon):


For those of you worried about materials being flammable or smoldering, may I suggest placing a tiny layer of less-flammable material on top of the material in question, such as wool or the hemp-like tea filter material.

Concerning the flammability of polyester... Having smoked analaogs for a while I've found that any part of the cherry or burning ember that falls onto 100% polyester clothing will result in a good sized hole, the material seems to melt away from the heat.

[Mach10X]

As to not detract from this thread too much, I started a new thread to discuss fiberglass and microfiber in more detail. Also, this thread is getting awfully long!

Here's a link to my new thread (with more info than above post):
Microfiber and Braided Fiberglass Cartridge Filler

[paise]

Will plain sterile cotton balls work?

BTW, polyester does burn. Back years ago after my 1st marriage fell to pieces, I was raising an infant/toddler child alone w/o child support or even emotional support and I was raising my younger brother doing all I could to keep him in high school so he would graduate. I worked 2 to 3 and sometimes even 4 jobs if I could get day work on the weekends since I worked 2 shifts during the week or double-shifts at the one daytime job.

I woke up late one morning after pulling a night shift as a barmaid and had to iron my uniform, which was in polyester. I was waiting tables, working in a factory, and tending bar as well as working weekends during the day pulling fiber optic and phone wire through buildings for new setups for computers and extra phone lines. I set the iron too hot as I was half asleep at the time. I'd been running on an hour here and there for months on end. I went to iron my top and burned right through it. Thankfully, I had 4 more of them and my boss was understanding. He didn't charge me for the shirt. He just gave me another because he knew my schedule was hectic and I was playing mommy to my brother and I was mommy to my little one. FYI: my brother learned the underground telecommunications trade from the man who became my 2nd husband yrs later. My oldest daughter has our last name (since 8th grade by court decree) and she is less than a year from her college degree though she plans to return to college after this one.

So yes Virginia, polyester will most certainly burn and it has a horrid smell that seems to last forever in the clothing and the area where it burned. It also leaves a residue on the bottom of an iron causing it to stick to everything so badly it's best to toss the iron for a new one, their cheap so that's a good thing.

Paise

[ProfessorDaffy]

I also picked up the filler from wally world. i picked up the batting and just love it. I tried the teabags for about a week and liked them but they always seemed to collapse. The batting has been the bomb. just the right vap, just the right flavor. thanks for the info.

I tired the tea bag, too. They seem to compress and seem kind of mushy, like a wet paper towel. I use polyester fiber fill. It's like $2-3 dollars a metric ton or something. I should live long enough to use up one bag full. Half a pinch is plenty. I have two cups set up, one for dirty and one for clean. I'm my carts not in great shape I may clean it out or I may not. I just toss it in the dirty cup and grab a fresh one. Every week or to I have Cartridge Stuffing Day! and just pack a bunch of carts all at once. 10 carts, 10-15 minutes. I just love minimal effort with maximum results. The tea bags turned out to be just too much cutting and rolling and with less than satisfactory results.

--Prof Daffy

[TheLizinator]

My teabags are made of silk (they are "sachets" not bags >sniff<). You suppose silk would work? Hate to destroy these uppity little tea sachets and they're awfully pretty. heheh

[Mach10X]

Silk is a great fiber....but doesn't hold liquid well, and does burn easily. I'd keep your silk tea bags for....Tea!