What do I buy for cotton wicks?

[HappyTimeHarry]

Hey guys,

So I want to try a set up with cotton wicks. I know I can just pick this stuff up at Walmart, but what exactly am I looking for? I've heard people mention cheese cloth. Do you know if these are just by the cotton balls, or are they somewhere else? I appreciate any input.

Regards

 

[Stosh]

For cotton wicking material, you want 100% cotton, no treatments - sizing -antiseptics etc. Cotton balls, yarns, butchers twine, cheesecloth, gauze, candle wick CAN fall into the pure cotton category (read the labels carefully) and can be used for wicks.

There is a thread where many experiments have been recorded...http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/284030-wick-materials-safe-vs-dangerous.html

 

[Dougiestyle]

First aid section should have cotton medical wrap. As stated, be sure it's JUST cotton mesh. Luckily I had a bolt of cotton cheesecloth from a former project hehe.

It's best to boil and dry the cotton before use, unless it's medical grade.

 

[HappyTimeHarry]

Great, thanks so much for the info. I'm having issues with silica wick properly. I'll eventually jump into SS mesh, but I don't feel like jumping that hurdle just yet. I've heard good things from cotton wicks.

 

[hildicat]

Cotton is working quite well in my viv nova. the hard part for me was determining the right density of cotton. I've had the best results with 100% cotton roll, purchased from CVS near the first aid supplies. it looks like what you might find if you tore open a couch cushion. i just take a very small piece, just one thin layer, about .75 inch wide and roughly 3 inches long, then roll it between my palms to form a rope. then line it up with a pin and wrap my wire in the center. add it to my vivi head then cut the ends to length. works a treat. oh, make sure your hands a squeaky clean. the cotton has a tendency to pick up any 'flavor' that may be on your hands. cheesecloth is also quite good, but i have trouble keeping all the little threads neat. they would usually catch around my wire, not so with the cotton roll. next up for me to try is 100% cotton candle wick. the only down side for me is that it has to be boiled before use.

 

[rotohammer]

I unbraid candle wick or gauze and work with the threads. Loose threads work best for me and its much easier to consistently assemble wick after wick this way.

 

[pounder]

Any of you folks making wicks out of cotton have any photos or videos showing how to do it?

 

[rotohammer]

Any of you folks making wicks out of cotton have any photos or videos showing how to do it?

I put my How-To in my signature.

 

[HappyTimeHarry]

So I went to CVS and found rolled absorbent cotton. It doesn't say anywhere that it is 100% cotton, but I think this is what I am looking for. I didn't see anything else there that would be it. On the box it says "sterile USP" and says it is for surgical use. I think it is what hildicat was talking about. It has layers of very delicate, thin cotton. I was able to roll it up into a rope and make a coil. I just wanted to make sure it is okay to vape. Can anyone confirm that this is what they use?

 

[rotohammer]

So I went to CVS and found rolled absorbent cotton. It doesn't say anywhere that it is 100% cotton, but I think this is what I am looking for. I didn't see anything else there that would be it.

Does it look like gauze or cheese cloth? If so its good. If it looks like cotton balls, its usable but not as easy to work with and get good results. I've used it and had to try a few times, decreasing the amount each time until it produced enough vapor.

 

[HappyTimeHarry]

It's more like the stuffing of a couch cushion like what was mentioned above. There are very thin layers of cotton. I just rolled one up and wrapped a coil around it. It's working quite well right now actually, but you're right, it was difficult to use. It took me awhile to figure out a method that worked. I think I'll go buy some cheese cloth when I get the time and see if that is easier.

 

[vikeme28]

It's more like the stuffing of a couch cushion like what was mentioned above. There are very thin layers of cotton. I just rolled one up and wrapped a coil around it. It's working quite well right now actually, but you're right, it was difficult to use. It took me awhile to figure out a method that worked. I think I'll go buy some cheese cloth when I get the time and see if that is easier.

Best way to check is put a flame to it. If its 100% cotton. It will turn to ash right away.

 

[HappyTimeHarry]

Best way to check is put a flame to it. If its 100% cotton. It will turn to ash right away.

Okay, I'll try that, thanks. I guess I should do it outside in case it isn't 100%.

 

[Edstasic]

HappyTimeHarry: Please be careful with that cotton, so far until today i thought that was the way to go but then i found this video: SS Mesh/Cotton hybrid wick - YouTube and one of the commenters mentioned that cotton being full with chemicals (its a very short list of comments so its easy to find his comment and even my reply)i dont know what he meant by that i asked for source and im still waiting, his YT username is "Rip Trippers" (not the author of the video in that link, hes a commentator in that video and he has his own videos reviewing lots of juices, etc,) i dont know him so i dont know if he is well informed (he might) but this is the first time i hear that about USP sterile cotton wicks, so i would strongly suggest to wait a bit for a reply, hopefully we might get one soon.

 

[HappyTimeHarry]

Thanks Ed. I actually only tried it once and didn't like the way it tasted, so that might explain it. I was using it in a RA Tank which I'm not a big fan of anyways, so I just kind of put everything to the side. I might just go ahead and throw it out now (the cotton, not the tank).

 

[Hibiscuits]

HappyTimeHarry: Please be careful with that cotton, so far until today i thought that was the way to go but then i found this video: SS Mesh/Cotton hybrid wick - YouTube and one of the commenters mentioned that cotton being full with chemicals (its a very short list of comments so its easy to find his comment and even my reply)i dont know what he meant by that i asked for source and im still waiting, his YT username is "Rip Trippers" (not the author of the video in that link, hes a commentator in that video and he has his own videos reviewing lots of juices, etc,) i dont know him so i dont know if he is well informed (he might) but this is the first time i hear that about USP sterile cotton wicks, so i would strongly suggest to wait a bit for a reply, hopefully we might get one soon.

Unless you are buying Organic cotton (and even still), all cotton is processed, cleaned and bleached. Your gauze, cotton batting, cotton balls, cheese cloth...everything.... it is just the way cotton is manufactured. Cotton is not ice white off the plant Close, but not solid ice white. Even with organic cotton, it is processed and bleached, but hydrogen peroxide is used. All cotton is sprayed with defoliator so that the plant will drop it's leaves and make harvesting easier. Most cotton is also GMO.

I'm just starting to play with rebuilding wick/coils and have about a dozen left in a bag of regular ol J&J's white cotton balls that I am going to start with. I will boil them first before use. I'm going to pick up a bag of organic cotton balls (Walgreens) and use those when these run out (boiling still) until spring when I can go out and pick my own cotton (this area is highly farmed for cotton) before it is sprayed with defoliator. If I find the pesticides and fertilizers used are not water soluable and will not boil away then I will grow my own in my garden. A small 5x5 patch will likely net me a lifetime of wick. I grew my own tobacco, so why not? hehe

I'm not really worried about the 'processing' of cotton cause either way it's still better than smoking analogs. Now.... to just make sure I'm doing this right

 

[artbyshan]

This is what I bought to try in the Vivi Nova. Got it off of e-bay from a company in TN for $4.99 (Free Shipping). I'm still going to boil it though (Just to be on the safe side).

 

[Hibiscuits]

This is what I bought to try in the Vivi Nova. Got it off of e-bay from a company in TN for $4.99 (Free Shipping). I'm still going to boil it though (Just to be on the safe side).

View attachment 135900 View attachment 135901

Would be interested in hearing how this works out for the Vivi's. Checked ebay, several sellers have this. 220' for $5 is awesome!

 

[smitighe]

I got 120 yards of it today for 1.59 at Michaels (local craft superstore). I have yet to try it but it seems to be about the same size as I see most 3mm silica. I will keep yall up to date on how it works. I dripped some juice on it to see how well it would wick and it seemed to be very absorbent. Now the question is, is will it perform the way I want it too. I just don't see why I should buy silica wick for as much as its sold for if there are other options. Curious to see how it will work. cotton balls, hmmmmm

 

[smitighe]

Best way to check is put a flame to it. If its 100% cotton. It will turn to ash right away.

The stuff I had turned to ash or so much it disintegrated. I guess I'm good.