Ask a PIF mod or vet

[pwyll]

I just put mine in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Then do the quick click/pulse dry burn thing. I've done the soak in isopropyl as well, and it seems to work for a "quick reset" but doesn't seem to get the atty's as clean as a boil in water will. Also, I've found putting them in the water and bringing it to a boil to be much more effective than soaking them in boiling/near boiling water...

Just MHO, YMMV, ETC.

 

[pchela]

Okay, I soaked it in boiling water, blew it out, repeated about 3 times till the water was clear. Let it dry overnight. And now it won't work. It still sizzles but no vapor, and it's like I'm drawing bad tasting air. This is exactly what happened to my other attys after I cleaned them. This is why I gave up on them in the first place! Terribly frustrating. What am I doing wrong? Can I fix it?

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

Okay, I soaked it in boiling water, blew it out, repeated about 3 times till the water was clear. Let it dry overnight. And now it won't work. It still sizzles but no vapor, and it's like I'm drawing bad tasting air. This is exactly what happened to my other attys after I cleaned them. This is why I gave up on them in the first place! Terribly frustrating. What am I doing wrong? Can I fix it?

Sounds like it's not dry. Blow it out and blow dry it with the hair dryer.

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

double post...my bad

 

[markfm]

Any reason you wouldn't do a fast dry like with cartos? 220F in the oven, on a paper towel, maybe 20 minutes? (I never do the air dry bit, always use the oven, about 1 hour for cartos -- they come out hot, but dry) Hot enough for the residual water to quickly evaporate, cool enough to not damage anything else.

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

For an atty, nothing wrong with isopropyl alcohol as long as you do a rinse and dry.
I would probably do a couple of soaks in near boiling water, iso, then rinse, keeps it to a rational length of time.

I run 91% iso through mine, blow that out, repeat a couple times, do a final blow out and hit their guts with the air from the hair dryer. I never rinse after the alcohol...I can't stand using water in my attys, they are never the same after water hits them for some reason. Or at least that's been my experience.

 

[pchela]

Have not heard of a fast dry or putting them in the oven. I will try that.. but do I need to start over? There is juice in there now. Maybe I'll try alcohol.

 

[markfm]

Alcohol for you, then you won't notice the taste

 

[pchela]

Oh - also, the other attys I had with the same issue, could not have been a drying issue because they remained that way for months after I cleaned them.

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

Oh - also, the other attys I had with the same issue, could not have been a drying issue because they remained that way for months after I cleaned them.

Alrighty then. The alcohol routine I mentioned above has been working extremely well for me. It might be worth a shot.

 

[pchela]

Operation atty alcohol soak commencing! Wish me luck!

 

[markfm]

I do the oven because I really prefer cartos, and want them to be dry quickly -- no time for stuff to collect on them/grow. Up to 220 and change is safe, if you move to 275 or more you can shrink the wrapper on the carto.

 

[pchela]

How long do you "bake" them?

 

[markfm]

Cartos I give a full hour, though longer wouldn't hurt -- 220F is low enough temp that the towel won't burn (Fahrenheit 451 is the flash point of plain paper), and all the carto components are good to higher temps. I batch clean, up to 20 at a time, paper towel on a pizza pan. Let them cool about 20 minutes afterward.

 

[pchela]

Well, that didn't work either and the new atty I just opened is also crap. I'm frustrated as hell. Why can't things just work? What am I doing wrong???

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

What brand are these poopy attys?

 

[thehangdude]

Well, that didn't work either and the new atty I just opened is also crap. I'm frustrated as hell. Why can't things just work? What am I doing wrong???

I ask myself the same thing, right before I go back to cartos. I have yet to get attys right.

 

[pchela]

The one I cleaned says lr 1.8... don't remember where I ordered it from. Cisco I think. The new one I got from another member... don't know what it is.

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

I've never had much luck with anything other than the Joye 1.5ohm to 3ohms and these new hybrid attys. I'm sorry your gear is working against you babe.

 

[thehangdude]

Where do you get the new hybrids? Are they easier (read- foolproof)?