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I really enjoyed your tutorial PBusardo, it's very well made and you managed to packed in a lot of good information.
OK, here's something I've been dealing with when slotting that I haven't figured out yet.
Sometimes I end up with a nice slot but rather than a clear view to the fill material, there's a very thin metal film at the bottom of the slot that just doesn't want to grind out. It appears to be part of the carto body that thinned out and bowed in. It's definitely not any kind of internal sleeve or other component.
Ever had this happen, and if so how do you prevent it?
Sometimes I end up with a nice slot but rather than a clear view to the fill material, there's a very thin metal film at the bottom of the slot that just doesn't want to grind out. It appears to be part of the carto body that thinned out and bowed in. It's definitely not any kind of internal sleeve or other component.
Ever had this happen, and if so how do you prevent it?
I have one and have done that, but in my experience it depends much on the cartomizer. Some take the punch OK without deforming much, but others do not. Hole size is limited somewhat as well; trying to make bigger holes I've accidentally punched through the center tube and created leaking problems. And, as was pointed out, thicker nicquids (high or all VG) don't always do well with smaller holes.
I'm not dissing on the saddle punch method at all. For thinner nicquids I will probably continue to use it. But I do like slotting as well, once I can get past the issue I brought up. I have a Craftsman cordless rotary tool that I can keep on a shelf over the work bench so getting the job done is really no more inconvenient than remembering where I put the saddle valve.
Do whatever works for you, definitely! But I like having multiple ways to do things to suit different situations.
I agree. I'm sure if I owned a rotary tool I'd slot my cartos. I'm not sure it's worth buying one for just that purpose. I've heard the cheap rotary tools suck and it take forever to cut the slots if your even able to.
I've had this happen before and I kind of like it. It means that I didn't go too deep and mess up the filler. I have a small pick ( it looks like something a dentist would use *shudder* ) that I pull the metal film out with and then I rip it off with pliers. I'm not really sure how to prevent it from happening though.
Does slotting a carto when you are using a mostly pg juice cause flooding of the cartomizer?
By itself it should not, though to be on the safe side I would cut only one slot, or two slightly smaller than usual slots.
I'm beginning to suspect that the condition of the o-rings that seal around the cartomizer (or, the grommets if that kind of tank) might be a contributor in some cases of leaking. It would seem to make sense that if air can leak in that way then more nicquid would be displaced into the cartomizer, but I really haven't set about testing this theory.
The answer to that question is yes. I've tested this with syringe tanks and put threaded holes into them. I can do dry pulls all day and get nothing to enter the carto. The second I remove the screw in the tank body and replace it, I hit it with a dry pull or two and it immediately bubbles like crazy from the slot. Another thing you can do is blow back into the carto through the drip tip to put some air back into the tank and then do a dry pull and you should get some juice to enter back into the carto.
Phil, great vid, as usual. Thanks for sharing.
No problem andyman97.
You know it's funny. I hate fiddly things, yet I use tanks. Is there anything more fiddly? I posted this in Facebook the other day:
Funny. I hate fiddly things, yet I use carto tanks. Is there anything more fiddly? Slot, punch, drill, big, small, twice, once, dry, flooding, etc, etc. I agree, a PITA, but when they work right, they do a good job. Two slots either side on the Boges and tiny slot over the pre-drilled hole on the Smoktechs has been working pretty well for me. It's only a matter of time before these improve as well. To make it perfect? 1) Put a HUGE slot in the carto and be able to regulate how much juice the cartos sees by an adjustment on the tank. 2) thread the caps for easy removal and refilling. 3) Do that and maintain the current pricing
You're in Rochester, eh? My wife graduated from Naz College and my brother in law and his wife teach at schools in Victor and Rochester. We really want to move back but I'm stuck in DC on military assignment.
Anyways, there are "acorn" style tanks that do have threaded caps. I wouldn't mind trying those out but I've already got about $50 in tanks and I refuse to spend $20 on a tank. Anyways, the most foolproof, leakproof, least fiddly tank I've used has been my homemade syringe tank with a bleeder/fill screw.
Anyways, there are "acorn" style tanks that do have threaded caps. I wouldn't mind trying those out but I've already got about $50 in tanks and I refuse to spend $20 on a tank. Anyways, the most foolproof, leakproof, least fiddly tank I've used has been my homemade syringe tank with a bleeder/fill screw.
When I was going to RIT we used to goto Naz to... well... we used to go to Naz ;-)
Yep, we're going to start seeing a lot more of the threaded cap design in the future, I'm sure.
Yep, we're going to start seeing a lot more of the threaded cap design in the future, I'm sure.
Many people put ports on the side of their tanks to make filling easier. Don't know how that would work for a polycarb tube, since I use syringes.
Phil, do you have any concerns about the metal filings getting into your juice/filler? I slot my cartos as well, and I've seen many people say they won't do it because of the metal bits that can get into the filler. I've never worried about it myself, but just wondering.
Phil, do you have any concerns about the metal filings getting into your juice/filler? I slot my cartos as well, and I've seen many people say they won't do it because of the metal bits that can get into the filler. I've never worried about it myself, but just wondering.
I think the odds of a metal shaving wiggling it's way to the top of the carto to be inhaled before the carto goes dead is pretty slim. I'd bet you're more likely to inhale metal particles when you're actually slotting the carto than when you're vaping it. I always wipe the carto down thoroughly after slotting, too. I'm not that worried, either.
That's my thinking too. Although I don't know about the metal leaching some sort of material that might be toxic, what with all the increased surface area from the metal dust. Doesn't seem likely, but it's not something I know much about.
Think of it this way, the inside of the tube is the same material and the filler/juice sits against it as it is, anything leeched would already be leached just by being in the metal tube anyways...
I slot always, one single good size cut, vape a quite thin diy blend, 70%pg plus pga in the flavorings. Never a leak problem.
I use fusion cartos, and my tank has good seals.
I use fusion cartos, and my tank has good seals.
I slotted a carto for the first time and I'm pretty sure it went as deep as in your video. It sure looks like some of the filler gets cut along with the metal. I put in jokesmoke, which is very lightly flavored, and gave it a long time to soak in.
We tried vaping it and it had this rather strong grinded metal taste....exactly like the carto smelled after slotting....
We tried to slot two more.....being as careful as we could to just barely pierce the metal and not go through any filler. It turned out a little better, but still had that unmistakeable, rather unpleasant flavour....
Even now, several hours later, I can still taste it in my mouth and nose....
Are we doing something wrong? How do you avoid this flavour?
We tried vaping it and it had this rather strong grinded metal taste....exactly like the carto smelled after slotting....
We tried to slot two more.....being as careful as we could to just barely pierce the metal and not go through any filler. It turned out a little better, but still had that unmistakeable, rather unpleasant flavour....
Even now, several hours later, I can still taste it in my mouth and nose....
Are we doing something wrong? How do you avoid this flavour?
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