Petar K Method with a hybrid Wick

Status
Not open for further replies.

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
48lowes....I don't know if we went over this or not....I thought we did....but you want to leave a small hole in the middle. You also want to roll it tightly but never crush the mesh or use excessive force when rolling.....do it in a comfortable manner. Use a straightened out paper clip. If you use a lot of force when rolling the mesh your mesh won't come out perfectly cylindrical. The rolled mesh should be spongy and flexible even though it is rolled tight.
 

48lowes

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 10, 2009
196
19
illinoize
EDO
Today I did just about what you said and a few things different than what I was doing. I did leave a hole (straw), rolled relaxed, then I made it to fit perfectly into the tank hole ( in the past I was slightly smaller). I then made my coil just that little bit bigger to accommodate the wick. 1.8Ω running bout 3.5 volt any more seems to scorch and the wick doesn't seem to keep up, maybe just burning the juice and doesn't have much to do with the wick. At any rate seems I'm getting a bit better but don't feel it's perfect yet. I'll give it a few days and decide then.
thanks

I see discount vapors has ceramic wicks 3/32 & 1/8 three for $12 in the Coming Soon department.
 
Last edited:

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
48lowes I like your perseverance...keep at it in the end it will be worth it.

If your wicking is truly the problem...ceramic wicks won't help you since they wick a lot slower than SS mesh.

Well assuming it is not the SS Mesh then the only thing left is the cotton. Just use the bear minimum....a little wisp of cotton. It should be almost transparent when you put liquid on it. I can't stress this enough...it should be thinnest layer of cotton possible. IF you are already using the bare minimum amount of cotton then make the fit of the hybrid wick a little tighter in the coil....so make the SS mesh a little ticker before putting the cotton on it. After this put some liquid in the tank...wait for the cotton to get soaked and the do wet burns....until the coils is a little gunked up.
 

XfooYen

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Oct 11, 2012
3,035
5,032
SoCal
If you have a system down that works for you....then why change? I don't use the cotton myself....I only tested it out for about ten days. That was so I can offer people help with their builds who are at their wits end because they just can't set up a genny properly....the cotton is a good training wheel. I am assuming there are a lot of people like that since there is so much interest in the ceramic wicks thread.

The only thing I can say that you might have used too much cotton in your build....when I was using it I had no problems turning up the wattage.

I wasn't criticizing your post. I've been following it and using it to learn from. It is my "training wheel" too. I made several hybrid wicks. No, I'm not using too much cotton. Perhaps less than in the vid. Just enough to insulate the wick and barely hug the coils as per instructed. It's a great method and what I fall back on if things aren't going as easily as I would like. I was just noticing a taste difference between the two methods (with and without cotton) at higher voltages. Once I got a good coil set up and broke it in I was able to crank up the heat more than if I was using cotton without getting any burnt taste. Certainly I should be free to share that information without ruffling any feathers. Is this not a collaborative thread?
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
I guess my post came out combative while I was trying to actually agree with you...I guess I didn't do a good job. Of course all feedback is completely welcome. My point was that If some one has the Petar K method down and they are happy with it , then there really is no reason to use the cotton and I thought that was your point as well.

Next time you want to break in you coil try the following before starting to vape....5 x 10 seconds wet burns if doing the petar k method and 3 x 10 second wet burns with the hybrid wick. Hold the device horizontal when doing the burns and have a full tank of liquid.

Now I want every ones feed back on this ...so Let me share a secret.... if your juice can handle it.... slimmer is better. Next time you make a new set up use a 5/64 drill bit and make your wick very slim. I been doing this lately...wow what a difference in taste and warmth of vapor. I use about 20-25mm mesh and make a semi solid wick. The coil is 6 wraps of 32 awg kanthal. I vape it at only 6-7 watts. However all my juice are at least 80%pg and they are all tobacco flavors....so not everyone might get the same results. Now if you decide to try this ...please don't hesitate to share your opinion here.

.
 

48lowes

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 10, 2009
196
19
illinoize
EDO
48lowes I like your perseverance...keep at it in the end it will be worth it.
I'm in no hurry, I'll keep at it until get it or quit. Really I just try something I think of that's a little different from what I've done, do it, doesn't work, put it aside. Well I'm back at it today. I was going in the direction of less screen as things weren't getting any better by adding xtra width. I'm not using cotton any more, between dry firing the coil and torching the screen, I can do without it. I did try your smaller is better method above to the letter. After two tries I believe I've got a winner. I'll check back after further use.
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
I don't know 48lowes...your jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.... doing 6 wraps around a slim wick should be harder than what you were doing before, but if it works for you ....go ahead....and good luck.

You might do better with rolling the mesh around a thick needle or a straightened out paper clip...to insure you have a nice sized hole in the middle of the wick. Also you might have to tilt to about 90 degrees when vaping ticker juices.
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
Hey Petar....welocme back...glad to see you posting again. I was mentioning to people how I am getting much nicer vape lately with slimmer wicks. Before I would make my wicks around 2.5-2.8mm diameter and do 4 wraps of 32 kanthal at 1.6ohms...now I make my wicks around 2 mm diameter and 6 wraps at 1.6 ohms....and I am getting far more flavor. I have to make my setups at least 1.6 ohms so I can avoid the 1.2 ohm cutoff of my devices. I am not having wicking issues with the slimmer wicks. What do you think about slimmer wicks?

48lowes this is the perfect time to post a picture...Petar himself will tell you whats going on with your set up. Petar, 48lowes is using 500 mesh and doing semi solid wicks but is still having wicking issues. His liquids work fine with other atomizers.
 

petar k

Unresolved Status
Jun 6, 2010
43
71
Serbia / Croatia
i would gladly help, but i was busy, and so far, 48lowes is the only one having unsolved problem with his wick/coil.

well, it all depends from a device, preferences, etc. it's the best to find some optimum/middle point, in general. i guess your 2mm wicking OD is the optimum, and it's good as long as you are satisfied;)

i think that his wick is actually not wicking good, because of the obvious reason (imo): the mesh #500 is too dense (has very small "pores"), and when you roll it to, lets say five layers, mesh's "pores" can't precisely overlaps, and when you add some cotton, yarn or silica (maybe he added too much of the "insulator") - you get choked wicking material (not to mention gunk, which builds up after not so long time of use).

anyway, some photos would help, too.
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
I have never really experimented with different meshes...when I started vaping they were recommending that 325 mesh has better throat hit and that is what I have. I bought enough to last me for years....I never had wicking issues so I never tried anything else. But if you look at the 500 SS mesh thread....everyone seems to think that the 500 mesh solid wicks actually wick the best. But I don't think they are taking into account that we actually tilt our devices when vaping...because in my opinion a wick with a hole in the middle actually performs much better than a solid wick.
 

48lowes

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 10, 2009
196
19
illinoize
I've been a little busy as late. I'm pleased to see Peter K here on the forum. I will try my best to get that picture tomorrow, it really isn't that big a deal for me, I'm familar. EDO I have no trouble whatever with my coils, using Peter K's pointers makes it a breeze. I do think Peter K has a clue to my problems, that being 500 screen, I haven't used any cotton in the last few I've done. I do put a paperclip or other when wrapping wicks so I'm sure of my hole in the middle. I've got some 400 stainless and I'll try that tonight. I have been making wicks with fewer wraps of screen so I believe I may be sneaking up on the solution. If 400 doesn't do it I'll have to order some 325.
EDO I see a few posts back that you prefer tobacco liquid. I wonder if you'd tell us what a few of your favorites are. I've got 3 vapers I'm buying for so I am well aware of different tastes. Thanks for hanging in there with me. It sure is a pleasure not getting 100's of posts, with stuff thats not really revelant.
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
I never thought the fact that you are having problems was due to using 500mesh. I always figured that the 500 mesh is superior to my 325 mesh I have at home. In the other thread everyone seems to love the 500mesh. I know they are wrong about a totally solid mesh being better than a semi solid mesh with a small hole in the middle.....I think they are realizing that now as well. They were promoting crushing the mesh when rolling but I think it is a lot better to roll the mesh firmly but comfortably. A flexible wick... wicks a lot better.

I been vaping so long that I still use what was available 4 years ago...Dekang or Hangsen RY4, 555, Turkish, and MAB. I bet there are killer tobacco flavors out there but I have no clue....since I have never experimented with liquids.
 

petar k

Unresolved Status
Jun 6, 2010
43
71
Serbia / Croatia
that's what i think, tightly rolled "crushed" mesh is not enough porous. as i said, i didn't use #500 mesh yet, so i'm just Thinking and visualising 48lowes's problematic coil. i usually roll my meshes in spiral (when using wider mesh 20-30mm), and i make them "tight" with chimney when rolling it from 10-15mm wide mesh.

so, 48lowes, what is width of your mesh (before rolling) and what is the OD when rolled.
 

petar k

Unresolved Status
Jun 6, 2010
43
71
Serbia / Croatia
don't get me too serious, since i haven't use any 500 mesh so far, and my opinion (impression) is based on experiences with 325, 400 and 400 super fine meshes. so, if you are getting better vaping performances with 500 mesh compared to less fine meshes, than stick to it. i'm just assuming that 48lowes is using too tight rolled 500 mesh which doesn't live any space for e liquid to circulate. the best way to roll 500 mesh, and probably any other is to make it spiral like this http://s293.beta.photobucket.com/user/nnnoooiiissseee/media/misc/spiral.gif.html
in that case the mesh doesn't interfere circulation/capillary process and it makes the mesh more flexible to fit in a prep. coil.
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
i usually roll my meshes in spiral (when using wider mesh 20-30mm), and i make them "tight" with chimney when rolling it from 10-15mm wide mesh.

I am not sure what you mean...do you mean you make strum wick....like this:

Wick (STURM G-Tank) | G-Tank-US

I actually use this type of a wick in my GTUS atty...it is a top fed Genesis atomizer.

Or do you mean that you use a needle or pin and roll it while holding the outer edge of the wick....so to make the center of wick tighter? Petar a detailed explanation would be much appreciated.
 

48lowes

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 10, 2009
196
19
illinoize
I'm back today with some pics. PeterK The last thing I tried was 400-35mm tall X 30mm wide I used 4 wraps 32g kanthal @ 1.5 ohm. The o.d. of my wick was pretty tight to the 2.5mm hole
EDO I've been filling it up to the top, it still doesn't really explain it, as I've drawn it down to over half way. Even with the 400 I'm still not getting it to wick

1r.jpg 2r.jpg
1st pic is little blurry but I've got washers on the positive post
2nd pic hole for wick is 2.5mm
 

EDO

Ultra Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 15, 2009
1,538
502
I Can't really see but if you are making an almost a 2.5 mm wick and trying to fit it in the 2.5mm wick hole....this is choking the wick basically. If you have decent drill bit I would definitely bore out the wick hole to 7/64. It is very easy to do...I have done it on all my DUDs.

What is the diameter of your air hole?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread