blue foam mod - word of caution/advice/tip

[SeanFromIthaca]

With normal polyfill in a cartridge, when you start noticing a funky dry or burnt taste it's almost always because the part of the polyfill closest to the atomizer is dried out, but if you pull it out and look at it, the entire back part of the polyfill is usually still soaked with juice... Hence -- it doesn't 'wick'.

So, since I love cartridges (smooth flavor, less throat hit (for me at least)), but I hate constantly topping the carts off, I figured I'd try out the Marineland blue foam mod. So I've been using the blue foam for a few days now, and I must say, this stuff wicks WAYYY better than the polyfill in any cartridge I've gotten from any distributor. When you notice the dry burnt flavor and you pull the foam out, instead of the entire back part soaked like with polyfill, the entire piece of foam is empty except for a little residue. What this means is that basically your cartridges last almost as long as cartomizers! After all, a carto will hold 26-40 drops, whereas a cartridge will hold 11-17 drops -- BUT -- with a carto, when it starts to get around half-empty you start noticing a drop in vapor, flavor, and throat hit, and you need to top it off. So if you prefer cartridges like I do, the blue foam mod is DEFINITELY the way to go.

However -- something I've learned from using the foam for a few days is that you have to cut the foam down so that the atomizer is barely touching it -- if at all, because if you vape really fast occasionally you'll notice that you can taste a little bit of the foam, and I doubt vaping the blue foam is good for you hehe...

But even if you DO notice a slight burnt taste that resembles the way the foam smells, if you pull the foam out and look at it, it doesn't appear that the foam has actually burnt at all. So I don't necessarily think this is really awful for you. It's just that if you DO notice the taste, you're inhaling at least SOME of the blue foam being heated up past where it is just wicking juice for you, and avoiding that is surely preferable.

So if you notice a hint of the blue foam taste just squash the blue foam down further into your cartridge and be sure to cut future pieces of foam short enough so that the atomizer doesn't touch it. It still wicks perfectly fine without the atomizer being squashed into the blue foam.

Just a friendly tip for anyone using this mod.

here's some vids of the mod: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=blue+foam+mod

 

[SF252]

Thanks for posting these tips. I finally bought some blue foam and was going to try it this weekend. I have mainly been dripping but need to use carts for travel and etc.

 

[SeanFromIthaca]

another tip.... if you have an eGo or use an eGo battery on your 510, don't set it down so that it's standing upright on its base, because even though the blue foam wicks pretty near perfectly while you're vaping, it does allow juice to leak out if it's sitting there upright for an extended period -- especially if you just filled up the blue foam -- that's probably partially why the designers of ecigs use the crappy wicking polyfill -- it might not wick well, but it doesn't leak -- as much

as you know, the polyfill will still leak, but the blue foam leaks a little more if you leave your ecig upright for a long time

 

[Mr.Self_Destruct]

I too enjoy carts and use blue foam. I have never tasted burning blue foam. I have tasted dry atty when vaping faster than it wicks. That's the standard dry atty taste, not the blue foam.

Also, you do want the blue foam to touch the bridge of the atty.

 

[SeanFromIthaca]

you're probably mostly right -- even though the taste I'm talking about smells like the blue foam a little, it does smell mostly like a burnt smell, and like I said before -- the blue foam doesn't appear burnt

so it's likely a mix of both -- when you vape too fast for the blue foam to wick the atty gets dry and hotter, which then heats the blue foam up hotter than it usually gets

moral of the story: don't vape too fast, or have multiple PVs handy

I only have two really -- my eGo 900maH and whichever standard 510 batt is charged... so I'm gonna get another 900maH because having three PVs available would be better for me when I'm vaping hard -- taking three big hits off one, set it down, three big hits off the other, and since the first one isn't cool yet, hitting the third one

most times I get by with two pretty easily though

 

[dormouse]

Thanks. I already cut the foam shorter than the juice-holding part of my carts (so they'll hold more juice).

One of my early attempts was too slim - wicked great but would slide right in or dump lots of juice. It never tasted funny though. Today I made a fatter blue foam plug and it stays in place fine, wicks fine, dumps juice infrequently and lower amount, yet tastes a bit funny.

It could be because it's jamming up against the atty too well. but I am also wondering if it needs to be washed before the first use? Or maybe I went a bit too wide on the new plug and some areas of the top are too compressed to wick or get wet - that could be.

It's a bit tricky to make the plugs for M401. So tiny. Works a lot better than the white stuffing though.

 

[LuvULongT1me]

Gonna try this trick out when I get the chance. The whole topping off gets tiresome. Where can I pick up this bluefoam stuff?

 

[MadHatter]

You can get it at Petsmart or other pet stores. You want Marineland Rite-size U blue foam sleeves. Usually sold as a three pack.

 

[dertbv]

Just tried the blue foam mod and like it much better than the normal fill. I have noticed the bit about letting the evo stand makes a little mess each time.

 

[silkakc]

another tip.... if you have an eGo or use an eGo battery on your 510, don't set it down so that it's standing upright on its base, because even though the blue foam wicks pretty near perfectly while you're vaping, it does allow juice to leak out if it's sitting there upright for an extended period -- especially if you just filled up the blue foam -- that's probably partially why the designers of ecigs use the crappy wicking polyfill -- it might not wick well, but it doesn't leak -- as much



as you know, the polyfill will still leak, but the blue foam leaks a little more if you leave your ecig upright for a long time

So you put it cart side up? Does it leak if you lay it down flat?

Thanks,
Lori

 

[tybin]

i find it does fine and the leaking comes when i overfill the cart. don't go over 3/4 full

 

[SF252]

Sean, thanks for the second tip. I always stand my ego up. Hate to come back to it and find my precious juice all over. The poly just doesn't keep up with my vaping when on the computer so I usally drip but getting tired of dripping all the time.

 

[SeanFromIthaca]

yeah once you get the hang of how long the blue foam lasts it's really grand not to have to drip or constantly have to top off the cart -- I usually hit it about 3-5 times 2-3 times per hour, and it seems to last me about 2-3 hours without having to throw 5-8 drops back in

Lori -- just lay it flat on its side and it won't leak for you
it's when it's standing up that gravity pulls the juice down through the foam into the atomizer, which then leaks the juice out of the tiny air holes -- same thing happens with regular polyfill, just slower (because the polyfill doesn't wick as well as the foam)

 

[cherewine]

Thanx for the tips on using these as I was going to purchase some of the blue foam and try it because the polyfill just isn't cutting it, between the constant topping off and terribleeee taste after a few vapes with some of them.

 

[tobarger]

What I do:
3/4 juice
1/4 blue foam plug
regulate juice flow by standing up(fast) or laying down(very slow) e-cig

Works very nice for me.

 

[bruiser]

Anyone had any success doing this with a cartomizer?

 

[beentheredonethat]

Thanks for the advice, I was just thinking about giving the foam a try. I've done a straw mod to all the carts I'm using but instead of a plastic straw I bought some ball needles at the local sports store, three in a pack for under two bucks. After cutting them to fit a little below the lip of the cart I flattened them using a vice so that they don't take up much room and fit snug in a corner of the cart. The carts fill easier and having a path for air to reach the back of the poly fill really helps to keep the juice flowing. I didn't like the idea of having a plastic straw down close to the atty coil so that's why I went with a metal needle. I'll give the blue foam a try next.

 

[JC Okie]

I've been using the Blue Foam exclusively for months now and I love it. You DO need to wash it with hot, soapy water before you use it...that will completely get rid of the smell (for me, anyway.)

 

[stefon]

has anyone used blue foam on silver bullet

 

[tobarger]

stefon
If you are using an atomizer with a cartridge blue foam will work.
I have an Omega.

beentheredonethat
Those ball inflation needles will screw onto the dropper of just about any juice bottle for filling carts and cartos. You don't have to cut them, crimp them and leave them installed in the cartridge with a blue foam plug, it wicks much better than polyester filler. And when the cart is empty there is very little juice left in the foam, no need for any type of straw mod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0uVneCpNyc