A PBusardo Tutorial - How I slot my cartos!

[pbusardo]

[offset]

I really enjoyed your tutorial PBusardo, it's very well made and you managed to packed in a lot of good information.

[Vapian]

OK, here's something I've been dealing with when slotting that I haven't figured out yet.

Sometimes I end up with a nice slot but rather than a clear view to the fill material, there's a very thin metal film at the bottom of the slot that just doesn't want to grind out. It appears to be part of the carto body that thinned out and bowed in. It's definitely not any kind of internal sleeve or other component.

Ever had this happen, and if so how do you prevent it?

[Scottinboca]

It is so much easier to use a saddle valve. It's also cheap and quick!

[Vapian]

It is so much easier to use a saddle valve. It's also cheap and quick!

I have one and have done that, but in my experience it depends much on the cartomizer. Some take the punch OK without deforming much, but others do not. Hole size is limited somewhat as well; trying to make bigger holes I've accidentally punched through the center tube and created leaking problems. And, as was pointed out, thicker nicquids (high or all VG) don't always do well with smaller holes.

I'm not dissing on the saddle punch method at all. For thinner nicquids I will probably continue to use it. But I do like slotting as well, once I can get past the issue I brought up. I have a Craftsman cordless rotary tool that I can keep on a shelf over the work bench so getting the job done is really no more inconvenient than remembering where I put the saddle valve.

Do whatever works for you, definitely! But I like having multiple ways to do things to suit different situations.

[Scottinboca]

I agree. I'm sure if I owned a rotary tool I'd slot my cartos. I'm not sure it's worth buying one for just that purpose. I've heard the cheap rotary tools suck and it take forever to cut the slots if your even able to.

I have one and have done that, but in my experience it depends much on the cartomizer. Some take the punch OK without deforming much, but others do not. Hole size is limited somewhat as well; trying to make bigger holes I've accidentally punched through the center tube and created leaking problems. And, as was pointed out, thicker nicquids (high or all VG) don't always do well with smaller holes.

I'm not dissing on the saddle punch method at all. For thinner nicquids I will probably continue to use it. But I do like slotting as well, once I can get past the issue I brought up. I have a Craftsman cordless rotary tool that I can keep on a shelf over the work bench so getting the job done is really no more inconvenient than remembering where I put the saddle valve.

Do whatever works for you, definitely! But I like having multiple ways to do things to suit different situations.

[offset]

OK, here's something I've been dealing with when slotting that I haven't figured out yet.

Sometimes I end up with a nice slot but rather than a clear view to the fill material, there's a very thin metal film at the bottom of the slot that just doesn't want to grind out. It appears to be part of the carto body that thinned out and bowed in. It's definitely not any kind of internal sleeve or other component.

Ever had this happen, and if so how do you prevent it?

I've had this happen before and I kind of like it. It means that I didn't go too deep and mess up the filler. I have a small pick ( it looks like something a dentist would use *shudder* ) that I pull the metal film out with and then I rip it off with pliers. I'm not really sure how to prevent it from happening though.

[frazz]

Does slotting a carto when you are using a mostly pg juice cause flooding of the cartomizer?

[Vapian]

Does slotting a carto when you are using a mostly pg juice cause flooding of the cartomizer?

By itself it should not, though to be on the safe side I would cut only one slot, or two slightly smaller than usual slots.

I'm beginning to suspect that the condition of the o-rings that seal around the cartomizer (or, the grommets if that kind of tank) might be a contributor in some cases of leaking. It would seem to make sense that if air can leak in that way then more nicquid would be displaced into the cartomizer, but I really haven't set about testing this theory.

[andyman97]

By itself it should not, though to be on the safe side I would cut only one slot, or two slightly smaller than usual slots.

I'm beginning to suspect that the condition of the o-rings that seal around the cartomizer (or, the grommets if that kind of tank) might be a contributor in some cases of leaking. It would seem to make sense that if air can leak in that way then more nicquid would be displaced into the cartomizer, but I really haven't set about testing this theory.

The answer to that question is yes. I've tested this with syringe tanks and put threaded holes into them. I can do dry pulls all day and get nothing to enter the carto. The second I remove the screw in the tank body and replace it, I hit it with a dry pull or two and it immediately bubbles like crazy from the slot. Another thing you can do is blow back into the carto through the drip tip to put some air back into the tank and then do a dry pull and you should get some juice to enter back into the carto.

Phil, great vid, as usual. Thanks for sharing.