A look at various wicking materials for rebuildable atomizers

[Magaro]

Looks a lot like Salon Coil cotton. But salon coil cotton is 3.29 for 45 feet.

Pretty much ALL of this "high-end" stuff is repackaged commodity fibers. Time is money - not everyone is willing to search out the perfect wick. Anyway, when you buy it, you're supporting a vibrant small-business economy built around vaping. I know that doesn't fly with everyone, but it works for me.

On a related note, I have 8 oz of what I hope will be next-level bamboo wicking material winging its way to me. I didn't buy more because I don't have room for it. And I paid almost as much in shipping as the fibers cost, which is next to nothing. Maybe I should name it "Panda Wick", review it on YouTube, and sell the crap out of it.

 

[druckle]

Pretty much ALL of this "high-end" stuff is repackaged commodity fibers. Time is money - not everyone is willing to search out the perfect wick. Anyway, when you buy it, you're supporting a vibrant small-business economy built around vaping. I know that doesn't fly with everyone, but it works for me.

On a related note, I have 8 oz of what I hope will be next-level bamboo wicking material winging its way to me. I didn't buy more because I don't have room for it. And I paid almost as much in shipping as the fibers cost, which is next to nothing. Maybe I should name it "Panda Wick", review it on YouTube, and sell the crap out of it.

I'm interested about that one. Bamboo seems to have some qualities that might be very interesting for wicks.
Do you have a link for the source?

Duane

 

[Magaro]

I'm interested about that one. Bamboo seems to have some qualities that might be very interesting for wicks.
Do you have a link for the source?

Duane

Not yet.
Let's see how it turns out, shall we? Could turn out to be like vaping with Yorkie fur.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Pretty much ALL of this "high-end" stuff is repackaged commodity fibers. Time is money - not everyone is willing to search out the perfect wick. Anyway, when you buy it, you're supporting a vibrant small-business economy built around vaping. I know that doesn't fly with everyone, but it works for me.

On a related note, I have 8 oz of what I hope will be next-level bamboo wicking material winging its way to me. I didn't buy more because I don't have room for it. And I paid almost as much in shipping as the fibers cost, which is next to nothing. Maybe I should name it "Panda Wick", review it on YouTube, and sell the crap out of it.

I am gonna get some of those bamboo diaper liners and try them.

And the cotton bacon looks denser than Salon Coil but otherwise no different.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Not yet.
Let's see how it turns out, shall we? Could turn out to be like vaping with Yorkie fur.

Ohh I heard that Yorkie fur was the best thing since cartomizers.

 

[VCross]

I actually saw a post I think on reddit about a guy who ran out of cotton to wick with and tore off some strips from a tampon and used that. He (she?) said it actually wasn't a bad vape either.

Sent from my Flux Capacitor using Tapatalk

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Tampons and such are rayon and have been a source of wicking materials for some on here in the past at least.
I about got all the women ...... at me for talking about it on here. So beware.

 

[druckle]

Not yet.
Let's see how it turns out, shall we? Could turn out to be like vaping with Yorkie fur.

LOL...I haven't tried that...my dogs aren't Yorkies.

Duane

 

[Magaro]

LOL...I haven't tried that...my dogs aren't Yorkies.

Duane

Neither is mine.

Seriously, no sense in both of us throwing away some fiber we can't vape on. As soon as I receive it, boil it (trust me), and vape it, I'll let you know where to buy it. But by then, someone will most likely have posted a source for a better wick.

At least that's how I hope this thread plays out. The ECF community seldom lets me down.

 

[Magaro]

Scratch the bamboo I had coming. Turned out to bamboo viscose, which I wouldn't vape with a gun to my head. So sad.

Cheap Chinese rayon. Uh,... no.

 

[Cacique]

Thanks for posting all the pictures, I'll be following your thread. What's your preferred wick so far?

 

[Magaro]

Thanks for posting all the pictures, I'll be following your thread. What's your preferred wick so far?

If I had to use only one wick on a desert island, RIGHT NOW I'd take the Vapers Choice long staple cotton. It is simply amazing to work with, and when I'm done wicking an atty, I feel like I've built something of utility & value. But it has its shortcomings.

Full disclosure: Right now, I think it's necessary to combine different fiber types to build a perfect wick. Wicking and juice retention are not the same property, as best I can tell. And I've already got a post where I describe my still-current favorite wick:
Composite cotton wick: engineered performance | E-Cigarette Forum
This composite wick works for me in MOST cases, but it isn't a universal solution.

I still want a "tear off a strip, roll it, stuff it & vape it" solution. That's why I'm still looking.

 

[Cacique]

I saw that thread of yours and found it very interesting, thanks. I might try something like that some time.

 

[Alien Traveler]

I still want a "tear off a strip, roll it, stuff it & vape it" solution. That's why I'm still looking.

I want it even shorter: cut it, stuff it & vape it. So, KGD (or other pads) work for me just fine. Just cut piece of pad of needed size, squeeze it through coil, cut ends as needed. No need in separation of strands or layers, no rolling.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

I want it even shorter: cut it, stuff it & vape it. So, KGD (or other pads) work for me just fine. Just cut piece of pad of needed size, squeeze it through coil, cut ends as needed. No need in separation of strands or layers, no rolling.

Yep that is the main reason that KGD style pads are so popular. Easy peasy and work well. Not as well in small rigs though. Have to split them and such for the 1/16 diameter coils.

 

[Magaro]

Two more cottons for the evaluation:
100% cotton Graham Cellucotton (top)
Organic combed Pima cotton (bottom)

I'll post photos of each later.

 

[Magaro]

100% cotton Graham Cellucotton

The pure cotton version of Cellucotton. Very inexpensive, and, right out of the package, very attractive.

Teased apart, it looks like every other combed cotton. Not that that’s a bad thing.

At 10X, the fibers are relatively random, but also look like they carve out a lot of space for liquid retention.

It very easily rolls into a nicely-formed wick.

I’ve never used this material before, but so far it seems like it might possess a nice combination of properties. And it’s very reasonably priced.

Next up: Organic combed Pima cotton.

 

[Froth]

Now please add the Rayon variant of that Graham!! Love it so far!! you're going above and beyond for sure.

 

[Magaro]

Now please add the Rayon variant of that Graham!! Love it so far!! you're going above and beyond for sure.

Waiting for it to arrive.

 

[Magaro]

Still trying to wrap my mind around a good test of vape wicking performance. Thinking of doing a test like Phil Busardo used in his wicking material video with dyed liquid, only with a heated coil instead of a hole in a sheet of plastic.

Thoughts, anyone?