Silica wicks and solid SS mesh = yuck?

[Dtori]

So I got my first rba about 2 weeks ago a AGA T2 after watching tons of you tube videos on how to set them up... I managed on my first day to get a decent wick and coil going, I was impressed by the flavor. Today I was replacing my wick and coil and I ordered some more SS 400 mesh, Kanthal wire, And 2mm and 3mm silica and some 2mm Ecowool. I have been building coils and wicks all day long in every combo you can think of. Looped 2 and 3mm wicks, looped Ecowool wicks, hybrid wicks with 2mm silica in the middle of rolled SS mesh, Solid rolled SS mesh..

The hybrid wick didnt taste bad it just had muted flavor, but every silica wick I tried had a slightly burned after taste and almost no flavor... My silica was so soaked it was almost dripping so I know I wasn't getting dry hits.

So I went back to my SS mesh rolled around a paper clip so its slightly hollow and my flavor a vape production is back!

Am I doing something wrong or does silica just suck this badly?

Im thinking of getting a RB dripping atomizer but am I going to experience the same taste? Or am I doing something wrong?

 

[jmarkus]

the aga's are mostly designed for mesh. its hard to use silica in a bottom fed system from my experience. theres some amaxing silica rba's out there. id suggest a cheap clone to see how you like it.

 

[Dtori]

Cool I was thinking of picking up a nimbus clone, I might just do that after my mechanical mods get here!

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

I dont see anything wrong with using silica in an AGA. Thats just totally baseless.

OP, a picture would help. Off the top of my head i think the coil may be choking the wick, but i cant know for sure until i know the complete configuration.

 

[Dtori]

I dont see anything wrong with using silica in an AGA. Thats just totally baseless.

OP, a picture would help. Off the top of my head i think the coil may be choking the wick, but i cant know for sure until i know the complete configuration.

The top of my AGA now has a SS wick and a 3/4 wrap on it so it wont be useful to what Im saying.. I have perfected my coil wrapping, I have 4 years into mechanical engineering, I know ohms law like the back of my hand and I know how this devise works, I just get a muted taste with silica or burnt, I have tried straight silica in different diameters 2mm and 3mm in configurations straight just like a SS mesh wick and looped through 2 holes straight to the bottom of the tank with no hot spots..

What Im trying to figure out from this post is if Dripping RBA's give the same effect as this or if it can be comparable. I can still taste some flavor (better than carts) in the AGA with silica but nowhere near the vapor production or flavor as the SS mesh Hollow wick. Im new to this and I would love to show some pics but I went back to the reliable hollow SS mesh wick and it vapes great!!

 

[eHuman]

Read my 2 part blog on setting up the AGA-T. It may clear some things up for you.
(And I run silica in one of my AGA-Ts with no problem, vapes rather nicely.)

 

[Exile]

I picked up an AGA-T2 a few weeks ago, and have been using a silica u-wick in it ever since I got it. But though it has been performing pretty good, it just doesnt seem to wick as fast as I would like it to...

So last night I swapped the silica u-wick out for a 100% cotton u-wick, and wow! Better flavor, and a lot better vapor production! Its wicking really good now!

 

[Kanj.nguyen]

The top of my AGA now has a SS wick and a 3/4 wrap on it so it wont be useful to what Im saying.. I have perfected my coil wrapping, I have 4 years into mechanical engineering, I know ohms law like the back of my hand and I know how this devise works, I just get a muted taste with silica or burnt, I have tried straight silica in different diameters 2mm and 3mm in configurations straight just like a SS mesh wick and looped through 2 holes straight to the bottom of the tank with no hot spots..

What Im trying to figure out from this post is if Dripping RBA's give the same effect as this or if it can be comparable. I can still taste some flavor (better than carts) in the AGA with silica but nowhere near the vapor production or flavor as the SS mesh Hollow wick. Im new to this and I would love to show some pics but I went back to the reliable hollow SS mesh wick and it vapes great!!

The baseless part was for the guy after you.

Silica works great in drippers. If you get muted flavor and thin vapor in the AGA, then it looks like you are not heating enough juice. Burnt taste is from lack of wicking, which probably means the wick is choked.

 

[jmarkus]

The baseless part was for the guy after you.

Silica works great in drippers. If you get muted flavor and thin vapor in the AGA, then it looks like you are not heating enough juice. Burnt taste is from lack of wicking, which probably means the wick is choked.

if it was baseless, it wouldn't be BASED on my subjective opinion and experience...which it clearly states. i guess reading and having polite conversations/discussions isnt your forte.