another possibility is a cut in the mesh. if you have been pulsing and oxidizing and at the same time maybe one of the
coils were to tight, it is possible that the heat from the coil can actually make a cut in the mesh. this might only show up as you torch it, as the wick glows you can see it. at this point i would make another wick and start again. its not the device brother, this is an issue in the build and is the most popular post in this thread. if you go back and look at all the posts in this thread you will see this very same issue in the aga asked a hundred times. it takes time to get it just right but once you do it becomes easy. even a tiny frey in the mesh can cause an issue. do you fold a flap? i tell you one thing, when i vaped ss mesh exclusively, about 5 months ago, i used to oxidize my wicks, i would pre-oxidize, then roll, then
juice burn, then more oxidize, then more
juice burns. i oxidized pretty good and once i perfected this i never had any issues. but now with this pulse oxidize method on a mechanical mod, its super easy. just roll up a piece of mesh and insert it into the wick hole, coil it and pulse the mod until all glows, it a lot easier then oxidizing the wick with a torch. i know you only have the provari and this wont work unless you have a mechanical mod, but maybe something to think about. also the small washers at this point will work good, just go to ace hardware and buy some small washers. didn't you say your pp nuts are stripped? if your connection is loose?