Anyone else stressing over wicking material?

[Shiryo]

Because for the last two weeks, I have...

Getting very close to getting my first Genesis Style rba (Scuba Gen Mini V3) and I have a 12'x12' roll of 400 SS mesh unused that I bought a few months ago. Now i'm reading that the oxidation is horribly bad.

Now we're messing with:

Nextel sleeves over SS Mesh
- Still reading on this.

Porous ceramic wick
- Pricey
- Safer
- Lasts ~week and clogs up
- Brittle

Non-Oxidized SS Mesh
- This boggles my mind and gives me headaches on how it's setup (Floats freely??? What...?)

I swear there was a couple others I saw out there like hemp and bamboo, but I think those were not genesis style.

This is just getting frustrating, in the meantime, I have been sticking to cotton and cotton gauze (Curad Cotton Bandage) for my dripping rba.

I don't want this thread to become a debate on which is best and which is safest, but im sure it'll happen. Just wondering who else is just a bystander, just reading all this info and getting a headache reading it all lol.

 

[SteveW]

Maybe I can try to demystify some of these things for you. The term "floating" refers to being isolated electrically from the circuit. When speaking about wicks and coils , the wick, even though in close contact with the coil does not form part of the electrical circuit and is therefore "floating" in electrical terms. Non-oxidised stainless mesh wicks are also a little misleading. A layer of oxidation builds up quickly between the wick and the coil when power is applied. An oxidation process still takes place in situ rather than pre-oxidising the wick. This way, there is minimal heat stressing of the coil before installation which is thought to preserve the integrity of wick structure and maximize wicking ability.

Different materials are available for wicks. Ceramics are new but very promising. There is no need to worry about oxidising at all as ceramic is non-conductive. Same could be said for silica, bamboo etc that you mention. In the end it comes down to your experience and what you enjoy. For some shorts and hot spots with stainless wicks are a pain and buggering around with them for hours on end becomes very stressful and many unfortunately give up on it go back to something else. You may find you are successful with stainless wicks but want to experiment with other materials searching for a better experience. I have settled on porous ceramic as the best so far but who knows what is around the corner? Whatever that may be, you will never know unless you take a peak over the fence and try them out for yourself.

Good luck on your quest!

 

[Nomoreash]

I'm not stressing about it but I am curious and want to try ceramic whenever it gets back in stock. I don't oxidize my SS, not because I'm worried about it but I don't have a torch and I found on my first build it's really not needed. I boil my SS sheet then cut and roll and wet it with liquid, burn that off with a bic, repeat a few times and go from there. Once you get it set up pulse it a few times at very low voltage, work out your hot spots and you're off.

 

[Thrasher]

im not stressed, i used the nonoxy and if theres chromium leeching into it, it is so minute it really isnt a problem, too many chemicals in cigs i never worried about im not going to freak out on vaping too.

 

[Randy C]

I like cotton.

 

[thecatanddog]

i want to try that nextel over SS, sounds like a great idea and easy way to avoid shorts as well as having to oxidize the mesh. hmmm what size nextel would be good to get? (DID x2 and 2x AGA S) just seems like that'd be a good way to go for best of both worlds.

 

[Rule62]

i want to try that nextel over SS, sounds like a great idea and easy way to avoid shorts as well as having to oxidize the mesh. hmmm what size nextel would be good to get? (DID x2 and 2x AGA S) just seems like that'd be a good way to go for best of both worlds.

The xc116. Nextel Braided Ceramic Very High Temperature Sleeving

 

[SteveW]

The xc116. Nextel Braided Ceramic Very High Temperature Sleeving

This stuff must be a national security matter. In big red letters:

XC Nextel sleeving is NOT FOR EXPORT and is sold for USA use Only. Please consider using XS (silica material) as a substitute outside of the USA or consult OMEGA's Temperature Engineering Department.

What on earth? No way for us Aussies to try this one it seems.

 

[Thrasher]

they dont want to see it in the remains of some missile wrapping engine wires that blew up england.

 

[Hello World]

Non-Oxidized SS Mesh
- This boggles my mind and gives me headaches on how it's setup (Floats freely??? What...?)

I use Heat-shrink tubing (Thin Stuff) on unoxidized SS wicks snugly fit into wickholes. "Free floating" and sudden mysterious inopportune intermittent shorts I don't have time for.

If you are dealing with RBAs ... you are gonna have to learn things, no way around it.

 

[Idaholandho]

Honestly, stress? Just experiment and use what allows you to have your best vaping experience. Make it fun. I prefer mesh and feel I always will but I'm not afraid to try different material if needed.
There are great threads on ECF and willing members that are experts on several methods.
Good luck and remember stress over cancer from cigarettes not vaping.
Enjoy

 

[Mitey F]

It seems cotton has no ill effects, and works wonderfully for myself and many others. [/headache]

 

[Shiryo]

Cotton wick in a genesis though? Just sounds odd to me.

 

[Mitey F]

I've got cotton in my Dream dripper RBA, AGA-T, and even my T3's. They all work wonderfully. Cotton is also (far and away) the cheapest and most readily available wick. I think it tastes better than silica by far, and while I *almost* ordered some SS mesh, after reading about possible health issues (whether or not it's something to worry about) I have no interest in trying it.

I don't plan on using anything else.

Cotton ....ing rules

 

[eikon]

I love it! With all the panic going on about "unsafe wicking materials" someone goes and advocates wrapping wicks in plastic! Almost as good as the Kevlar Wick idea.

 

[pdib]

Yeah, I'm stressing. I'm not sure if I'm really clear on this; but I gather some folks are using aquarium air stone for wicking. This is not good, IM(oh so humble)O. Glass beads held together by resin/composite. These are not made for heating up and inhaling, people.

 

[SteveW]

Yeah, I'm stressing. I'm not sure if I'm really clear on this; but I gather some folks are using aquarium air stone for wicking. This is not good, IM(oh so humble)O. Glass beads held together by resin/composite. These are not made for heating up and inhaling, people.

This statement is not accurate. The ceramic wicks I use at least do not resemble what you describe. Some times these wicks are merely ceramic beads forced together under pressure and then fired to white hot temperatures. Other processes involve organic materials in the manufacturing process (urethane foam for example). This is then dipped in a ceramic slurry (like aluminium oxide as an example) the slurry is forced through the foam in a mold under pressure. After this the wicks are fired to a temperature of 2000 degrees which vaporizes all organic material. Either way, there is nothing left but a hard, porous ceramic material which does not burn at all. This has been tested many times and wicks are also prefired to 2000 degrees before sale to double check that they are clean and free of organics. Please do not misrepresent the materials or construction of these wicks. No one here I hope is stupid enough to use a wick that is made in the way you are describing.

 

[pdib]

This statement is not accurate. The ceramic wicks I use at least do not resemble what you describe. Organic materials are used in the manufacturing process (urethane foam for example). This is then dipped in a ceramic slurry (like aluminium oxide as an example) the slurry is forced through the foam in a mold under pressure. After this the wicks are fired to a temperature of 2000 degrees which vaporizes all organic material. There is nothing left but a hard, porous ceramic material which does not burn at all. This has been tested many times and wicks are also prefired to 2000 degrees before sale to double check that they are clean and free of organics. Please do not misrepresent the materials or construction of these wicks. No one here I hope is stupid enough to use a wick that is made in the way you are describing.

Well, I wasn't referring to anything you posted, hence the lack of resemblance. Nonetheless, I think I misunderstood some other information. So, still my bad. Sorry to create misunderstanding.

 

[SteveW]

Well, I wasn't referring to anything you posted, hence the lack of resemblance. Nonetheless, I think I misunderstood some other information. So, still my bad. Sorry to create misunderstanding.

No dramas at all . Probably good this surfaced just on the off chance someone was tempted to carve a resin bubbler into a wick and take a puff.

Cheers.

 

[Idaholandho]

No dramas at all . Probably good this surfaced just on the off chance someone was tempted to carve a resin bubbler into a wick and take a puff.

Cheers.

*clearing throat, putting Zen down....so this was a bad idea?