Best SS Wick Weave Type and Material

[Ryedan]

I'm going to experiment with rebuildables and have been doing some research trying to learn about the subject. I've searched on ECF and on the web and am not finding definitive answers to the following questions.

In weave types I see plain and twill. I know there are a couple of others, but I don't think any of those get used for PVs - please correct me if I'm wrong. After a bit of reading I think plain is just fine and no advantage will come from using a twill mesh. I'm looking at mesh numbers of 400 and 500. Is this correct?

As for SS materials, the choice seems to be between SS 304 and SS 316. I know the 316 is more resistant to corrosion. It seems to me that 304 is just fine for us. Is this correct?

What else am I missing here?

Many thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[WillyB]

I'd say the bulk, if not all of the original Genesis dabblers used plain weave.

With SS there is also the 'L' versions, low carbon.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the plain weave info WillyB. That also jives with what I was thinking. I've seen the 'L' and other designations. Thought they were all probably not important to us as vapers. As a machinist I assume carbon content is more related to heat treatment and strength issues, but again, not sure I am not missing something else that's important.

 

[WillyB]

With the same mesh number, the plain is considerably thinner than the twill.

The Mesh Co. plain.

Mesh Count: #400 mesh - 400 wires or holes per linear inch.

Wire Diameter: 0.025mm

Aperture: 0.039mm - this is the hole size and it is square

Open Area %: 36.8%

The eBay 400 twill:

Wire Diameter: .031 mm

Opening Size: 0.0013 Inch/ .033 mm

Open Area Percentage: 27 %

So we see that the twill is about 25% thicker than the plain, and the plain has about 35% more open area.

How these can both both be classified as 400 mesh eludes me.

 

[Ryedan]

Do you think the plain weave and twill weave will vape any different? I'm thinking the twill will wick a bit faster because of the smaller openings.

 

[j4mmin42]

I ordered the 316L twill from Ebay, and it's working better than anything else I've tried. You can see and feel the difference in the weave- it feels smoother and "tighter", and looks like a twill weave. you have to see the two side by side to compare them, but its noticeable.

316 is a slightly higher grade- it is what they use for medical implants and surgical equipment. 304 is food grade.

edit: Also, the low-carbon may or may not make a difference, but it MAY help roll a tighter wick that stays in place better, before you start quenching it of course.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks j4mmin42. Looks like I probably should experiment with different mesh weaves. As far as the 304 vs 316, I was actually thinking the 304 would oxidize better because it corrodes more.