Trying to make a simple and conclusive guide comparing the pros and cons of each.
The Safe Wicking Material thread's like 500 pages. Threads specific to each type go a lot more into deatail, but I hope to make a simple sort of noob guide. The Wick Summary thread as a result of the 500 page thread isn't as good as it should be.
I'm probably wrong about some of this so correct me if I'm wrong or just say it should be disregarded and write your own and I'll edit mine out. This might just be an example:
Silica
Least safe.
Wicks faster than everything else.
Needs to be burnt with a lighter/torch for few seconds before use to remove chemicals.
Doesn't add unwanted taste.
Not good as a bottom coil atty extra 'flavor wick' that isn't connected to anything and just sits on the coil wick because the strands eventually come undone and the flavor wick comes out of the coil head causing flooding and/or less juicy hits.
SS
Suposidly the safest material; however there's this thread with lab tests that may show SS to be less safe than currently thought to be. The results aren't in yet though: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...stainless-steel-mesh-oxide-discussion-14.html
Makes sense to me that a plant-based wick like cotton, hemp, or bamboo would be the safest.
Ties with hemp in that it wicks slightly faster than all the rest except for silica being the fastest and cotton being the slowest.
Wick can be re-used and last very long.
Needs to be pre-oxidized with a blow torch to red hot numerous times before using and care is needed when wrapping coils to not create shorts or hot spots.
Doesn't add unwanted taste.
Cotton
Is on the safer side of the spectrum along with hemp and bamboo. I don't know which is the safest of those. Whatever you buy, make sure it has zero addatives and organic is a plus. Maybe contact the manufacturer with a trick question as if you hope for them to tell you that it has addatives so they're less likely to lie or give an answer that's not fully researched. Something like: "I want to know the complete chemistry of this product to see if it has addatives that will help it hold up better with proiducts I'm using."
These filters linked probably have nothing at all added to them. I double checked with the manufacturer without a trick question, but got no reply. RAW Rolling Papers
Should be boiled a few times before using to break up the fibers to make it wick better and also to remove any pesticide or fertelizer traces even if it's organic. Between boils and after the final boil, put the pot under slow running cold water because the addatives suposidly rise to the top and will flow out of the pot so each boil's water gets cleaner and little to nothing's re-collected when the cotton's finally pulled from the pot.
Cotton soaks and holds the most juice so it gives the biggest juciest hit, but it wicks the slowest and is prone to dry hits and burns the easiest. If it burns you'll always get a burnt taste. It needs about an hour soaking in juice before vaping.
Hemp
Same thing I wrote about cotton for safety, boiling, and finding out if it has zero addatives.
The manufacturer told me there's nothing whatsoever added to these hemps that say undyed and unwaxed: Organic Hemp Twines
100% Hemp Braided Cords Organic European
The 12 strand type is said to wick the best.
Possibly gives the most unwanted taste.
Hardest to burn besides bamboo.
Ties with SS in that it wicks slightly faster than all the rest except for silica being the fastest and cotton being the slowest.
Doesn't give as juice of a hit as cotton, but juicier than bamboo.
Bamboo
Same thing I wrote about cotton for safety, boiling, and finding out if it has zero addatives.
Hardest to burn and doesn't give as much of an unwanted taste as hemp.
Wicks the slowest besides cotton.
Gives the least juicy hit
Edit: I forgot Ceramic, which wicks the slowest unless it's very porous, which then is very difficult to work with without crumbling when carving out a small piece. If you can even find that.
One of the safest materials.
lasts long if boiled in vodka or something to unclog it.
gives no unwanted taste and won't burn for burnt taste
The Safe Wicking Material thread's like 500 pages. Threads specific to each type go a lot more into deatail, but I hope to make a simple sort of noob guide. The Wick Summary thread as a result of the 500 page thread isn't as good as it should be.
I'm probably wrong about some of this so correct me if I'm wrong or just say it should be disregarded and write your own and I'll edit mine out. This might just be an example:
Silica
Least safe.
Wicks faster than everything else.
Needs to be burnt with a lighter/torch for few seconds before use to remove chemicals.
Doesn't add unwanted taste.
Not good as a bottom coil atty extra 'flavor wick' that isn't connected to anything and just sits on the coil wick because the strands eventually come undone and the flavor wick comes out of the coil head causing flooding and/or less juicy hits.
SS
Suposidly the safest material; however there's this thread with lab tests that may show SS to be less safe than currently thought to be. The results aren't in yet though: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...stainless-steel-mesh-oxide-discussion-14.html
Makes sense to me that a plant-based wick like cotton, hemp, or bamboo would be the safest.
Ties with hemp in that it wicks slightly faster than all the rest except for silica being the fastest and cotton being the slowest.
Wick can be re-used and last very long.
Needs to be pre-oxidized with a blow torch to red hot numerous times before using and care is needed when wrapping coils to not create shorts or hot spots.
Doesn't add unwanted taste.
Cotton
Is on the safer side of the spectrum along with hemp and bamboo. I don't know which is the safest of those. Whatever you buy, make sure it has zero addatives and organic is a plus. Maybe contact the manufacturer with a trick question as if you hope for them to tell you that it has addatives so they're less likely to lie or give an answer that's not fully researched. Something like: "I want to know the complete chemistry of this product to see if it has addatives that will help it hold up better with proiducts I'm using."
These filters linked probably have nothing at all added to them. I double checked with the manufacturer without a trick question, but got no reply. RAW Rolling Papers
Should be boiled a few times before using to break up the fibers to make it wick better and also to remove any pesticide or fertelizer traces even if it's organic. Between boils and after the final boil, put the pot under slow running cold water because the addatives suposidly rise to the top and will flow out of the pot so each boil's water gets cleaner and little to nothing's re-collected when the cotton's finally pulled from the pot.
Cotton soaks and holds the most juice so it gives the biggest juciest hit, but it wicks the slowest and is prone to dry hits and burns the easiest. If it burns you'll always get a burnt taste. It needs about an hour soaking in juice before vaping.
Hemp
Same thing I wrote about cotton for safety, boiling, and finding out if it has zero addatives.
The manufacturer told me there's nothing whatsoever added to these hemps that say undyed and unwaxed: Organic Hemp Twines
100% Hemp Braided Cords Organic European
The 12 strand type is said to wick the best.
Possibly gives the most unwanted taste.
Hardest to burn besides bamboo.
Ties with SS in that it wicks slightly faster than all the rest except for silica being the fastest and cotton being the slowest.
Doesn't give as juice of a hit as cotton, but juicier than bamboo.
Bamboo
Same thing I wrote about cotton for safety, boiling, and finding out if it has zero addatives.
Hardest to burn and doesn't give as much of an unwanted taste as hemp.
Wicks the slowest besides cotton.
Gives the least juicy hit
Edit: I forgot Ceramic, which wicks the slowest unless it's very porous, which then is very difficult to work with without crumbling when carving out a small piece. If you can even find that.
One of the safest materials.
lasts long if boiled in vodka or something to unclog it.
gives no unwanted taste and won't burn for burnt taste
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