Cartomizer Help

[Kiska927]

hello everyone, I'm new to the forum and to vaping. After days of research, I finally ordered an Ego, with drip tip, lr atomizers, lr cartomizers, and a bunch of e-liquids. I know everyone here seems to say that direct dripping can't be beat, but I'm actually liking the boge 510 lr cartomizers the best so far. Probably cause I like to switch flavors every few minutes since I haven't found what works best for me yet.

My question is about filling the cartomizers. I've researched the condom method, syringe method, and drip method. I have been going with dripping directly from the bottle onto the sides of the filling after removing the soft cap. I can use a syringe if I had to, but would rather keep it simple and just drip in slowly. So for the most part its just been a couple drips, wait a few secs, then add some more. I have gone with 15-20 drips for a first time fill. When filling, I make sure the liquid never pools at the top before I add a couple more drops, and I'm very careful to keep the liquid on the sides and dont let it get in the middle tube part.

SO my main question...After I fill if I blow through the top end should liquid consistently come out the battery end of the cartomizer? That is whats happening for me. Is this normal, that liquid should come out from blowing down the carto and I'm just wasting juice by blowing so much? Or should no liquid come out when I blow, and if it does should I keep blowing til no more liquid comes out the battery end? I have yet to fill it until the liquid stops soaking in so I don't think I'm overfilling them at all. How do I know when to stop filling? I've just assumed that once the liquid blows out that I have enough in there.

I'm pretty confused, but really want to learn how to best use these things. Also, how do I know when the cartomizer is nearing empty and needs more liquid, and when should I just throw it out and fill up a new one.

Can someone please help me out here, and explain the best way to use these boge 510 lr cartos by dripping to fill? A crash course on how to get the best use out of them without wasting liquid would be greatly appreciated. I've searched the forums on here, but haven't found anything specific about blowing liquid out of the cartomizers.

Thanks in advance, and I'm sure I'll be a regular on the forum from here on out.

 

[Tootie]

As far as I know you only need to blow it out if the tube is flooded. After you put your drips in, hold it up and look through the tube, if you can see through it clearly, and out through the battery end, there is no reason to blow it out.
Hope this helps.

 

[swedishfish]

SO my main question...After I fill if I blow through the top end should liquid consistently come out the battery end of the cartomizer? That is whats happening for me. Is this normal, that liquid should come out from blowing down the carto and I'm just wasting juice by blowing so much? Or should no liquid come out when I blow, and if it does should I keep blowing til no more liquid comes out the battery end? I have yet to fill it until the liquid stops soaking in so I don't think I'm overfilling them at all. How do I know when to stop filling? I've just assumed that once the liquid blows out that I have enough in there.

I think you're putting a little too much in. I fill it, then I shake it like a thermometer -give it a blow. A bit will come out then pop the plastic cap on. If it pours out it sounds like you put too much in.

When your vaping for awhile and your not getting a lot of taste, pop the top off and put a few drops in. Best not to let it get too dry or you'll burn the carto.

 

[Kiska927]

Ok, I just tried putting 10 drops into a carto that I used on and off for a day and flavor had started to drop off a bit. I didn't flood it, and I can see straight through the tube. Now I"m blowing on it and liquid keeps coming out the battery end non-stop. Am I just needlessly blowing out everything I just filled it with?

 

[Kiska927]

I think I just thought of the best way to ask what I'm looking for. If you have a perfectly filled carto, and keep blowing through the mouth piece, will your liquid still come out the battery end no matter what. Or if it is filled correctly should no liquid come out no matter how much you blow through it? I'm hoping liquid will always come out since its soaking into the middle tube, and you just shouldn't blow that much or it is a waste. But if thats not the case I'm doing something completely wrong here.

 

[dormouse]

When filling I hold a tissue on the threaded end (against the hole), hold the carto at an angle with the soft-cap off, and drip into the stuffing. When done I clean up any drips at the threaded end. Then I don't blow in the top - I blow into the threaded end to clear the air channel, with the opened end of the carto tilted down into a tissue. Then I use a bit of tissue to sop up any juice pooled above the stuffing (last because some may end up there after you blow out the air channel)

Pretty normal. I love those Boges. I'm always using 2 cartos on 2 different ecigs (KR8 and 510) and that 510 Boge works well the longest. Vaping it 1/2 the time way the I do, I can get a month out of a Boge 510.

BTW - if the drag ever gets tight, gently straighten the air channel so you can see light through the carto again. And it can help to poke a small smooth unbent paperclip right through and out the threaded end hole to clear any dried juice buildup. It's hard to see light through the 510 ones but when the channel is clear and straight you can.

 

[satelliteguy]

when flavor drops for me I add about 5 drops, in my boge lr

 

[N2rock]

Easiest way in the world. You know when you get a new carto it has that condom on the battery end, and also has that little "plug" in the battery end- keep those. Now before filling/re-filling, put the plug in the battery end, and put the condom back on. Now do the drip fill as normal. Once finished, just pull the condom and plug off at the same time in one quick motion. This creates a suction and pulls any juice (that happens to be in the hole) out and into the condom. No mess, no blowing, just a nice clean carto to start using immediatly.

Of course that plug is only with 510 cartos. 808 and 801 cartos have a small plug built into the condom, so you get the same basic affect.

BTW- I always get a minimum of 30 drops into a brand new carto. I have had some that went to 35, and one that went to 40 drops! It's good to count so that you know when the carto "should" be getting full. But don't go by the count completely. Just wait until it won't absorb any more and then you're done.

 

[dormouse]

I don't recommend the condom method with auto batteries - I think you should see the inside of your carto and know the air channel is clear and there is no juice pooled above the stuffing. I use manual batteries but don't use the condom method. If I had to fill a dozen cartos I might.

 

[Kiska927]

Thanks for the tips so far, I'll definitely try them out. However, no one has really answered the question on whether or not there should be juice coming out the battery end when you blow on your carto if it is not overfilled. I definitely want to hear all the advice I can from you guys as well, but I really want an answer to that.

Like to N2rock who uses 30 drops. After you are done filling and ready to vape, if you blow on the carto will juice come out the battery end? Or will juice only come out when its not filled properly?

I have 5 cartos in front of me, all freshly filled, and each one has juice come out if I blow on them. And its not like its a little juice, they literally will keep dripping juice for as long as I blow. I read somewhere to blow out after filling to get rid of any excess juice that might have got into the middle, but this seems like way more than a little bit that got in the tube. I feel like I could keep blowing juice out until everything I filled comes out.

 

[dormouse]

You shouldn't be blowing on the mouth end IMO. You could be causing air pressure to push the juice out of your stuffing. I only blow on the mouth end (with a tissue against the bottom hole) if it really seems like I over filled (or if I know I did) and I want to get the excess juice out.. Normally I just blow into the threaded end then clean up any juice pooled above the stuffing.

Also - newly filled blank cartos need to sit. No matter how much juice you put in there would be areas that take longer to absorb juice. I do my whole cleaning thing then rotate the carto various angles then lay it on different sides for a while to make sure every bit of stuffing absorbs juice. One time I didn't do that and I got singed flavor.

Note if you are using really thin juice like 100% PG and getting a lot of leaking, try thicker juice. I use 70pg/30vg juices and occasionally 80pg/20vg

 

[N2rock]

my experience has shown that juice will come out. I'm guessing that the pressure of blowing into the mouth end just forces juice out of the filling and into the hole. You are basically forcing the juice to go down further into the filling. Then the lower filling gets saturated and the excess moves into the hole and out.

I never blow in mine. If I happen to get juice inside the hole, I either swing it hard a couple times (forcing the juice out on to the ground), or stand it up (battery side down) on top of a paper towel and let it sit a few minutes.

 

[dormouse]

Re number of drops - every type of dropper tip has different size drops, and there is even variation within the same type of bottle depending on how the hole was punched. I have one bottle that makes huge drops, another that makes tiny drops. The number of drops in an ml can range from under 20 to 30. So you can't go by how many drops somebody else fits into a carto.

 

[Kiska927]

Thanks so much everyone. Thats what I figured I was doing. The pressure from blowing causing the juice in the filing to come out the bottom makes sense. So basically I shouldn't be blowing until juice stops coming out cause that will just empty it and waste the juice. A quick blow up from the battery end seems like the best way to clear the airflow without wasting all the juice I have been wasting the past few days blowing for minutes down the mouth piece.

A couple of hours ago I actually soaked a whole tissue blowing out juice, so I knew I had to be doing something wrong. I read somewhere on here to blow out after filling to get rid of excess juice, but I guess that just meant a quick blow. Definitely not blow as hard as you can to get the juice out like I've been doing.

 

[whodat1]

Re number of drops - every type of dropper tip has different size drops, and there is even variation within the same type of bottle depending on how the hole was punched. I have one bottle that makes huge drops, another that makes tiny drops. The number of drops in an ml can range from under 20 to 30. So you can't go by how many drops somebody else fits into a carto.

Dormouse, could you say what amount in ml makes a good refill? I've got a bunch of small vet syringes that I could use for refilling. They range from 2-10 ml.

 

[swedishfish]

Thanks for the tips so far, I'll definitely try them out. However, no one has really answered the question on whether or not there should be juice coming out the battery end when you blow on your carto if it is not overfilled. I definitely want to hear all the advice I can from you guys as well, but I really want an answer to that.

Like to N2rock who uses 30 drops. After you are done filling and ready to vape, if you blow on the carto will juice come out the battery end? Or will juice only come out when its not filled properly?

I have 5 cartos in front of me, all freshly filled, and each one has juice come out if I blow on them. And its not like its a little juice, they literally will keep dripping juice for as long as I blow. I read somewhere to blow out after filling to get rid of any excess juice that might have got into the middle, but this seems like way more than a little bit that got in the tube. I feel like I could keep blowing juice out until everything I filled comes out.

I do blow on mine with the top off after I fill. I blow lightly, not like I'm filling up a balloon. I maybe get a drop of juice on the tissue. That seems to prevent me from getting juice in my mouth.

I don't think there's a right way or wrong way. That seems to work for me.

 

[swedishfish]

Dormouse, could you say what amount in ml makes a good refill? I've got a bunch of small vet syringes that I could use for refilling. They range from 2-10 ml.

I can sort of tell by looking at the carto if it's refilled enough. If it's soggy looking with juice pulled on top it's too full. If it's super white looking I add some. I always shake mine even after I put a few drops in. I can usually tell that way if it'll take a couple more drops or if it's full.

It also matters what type of juice you're using and who's juice. Even the same ratio (I use 70pg/30pg) from different vendors is thicker or thinner.

Also when your carto's getting old it starts to get sort of soggy and won't take more juice.

 

[splitgrille]

I agree with Dormouse. You should not be blowing down into the carto. The only time I ever blow into my carto is when the juice starts gurgling.

 

[swedishfish]

I can't imagine what harm it would do to lightly blow on a carto. I'm not blowing on it like I'm blowing out candles on a birthday cake. I just give a light puff and it seems to prevent the whole juice in the mouth thing.

 

[Irons]

Don't stress you will get the hang of it. I chronicly flooded my carto's, just not keeping track of what I was putting in them.
I still do sometimes. Ah well...