Cartridge filler materials

[OckhamsRazor]

I just started vaping about a week ago. Started with 510 Titans which are pretty cool, but I'm sure I'll diversify my portfolio soon - I want more vapor.

Also sold it to two friends. I'm in the Navy band, and we have to take long van rides to gigs sometimes. When they saw I could vape in the vans and not offend anyone, they were sold.

One of these friends is into it big time, and the first thing he asked me was "What is this stuff in the carts? Can't we refill them ourselves?"

So I came here - and found this thread - and now we're totally teabaggers (laugh intended). Picked up some Tazo yesterday, emptied one out, followed the instructions (*with a variation), and it's awesome. Not so much more vapor, for me, but lasts much longer before needing to top, and topping is infinitely easier. The material just soaks it up completely.

*variation: Instead of rolling the teabag paper like a carpet, we folded it like an accordion. This provides many more wicking edges and many more "vents" for a good draw.

Love the forum, love you all, and love vaping.
Ock

 

[OckhamsRazor]

P.S.,

13-14 drops per teabag filter. We started brand new ones today just to test what they'd absorb.

Peace, y'all.

 

[j4mmin42]

Okay, so after reading as many of these posts as I could, it seems that the consensus is "Teabags!"(lol), so I went ahead and tested this promising design on an empty 501 cart. I did notice a difference in the way that it wicks the fluid into the atomizer (much improved, I would say), but...I swear I remember reading about a steel mesh old-style tea filter mod as well on here somewhere, and that the problem there had to do with the mesh getting tamped down after a few uses, and breaking contact with the atomizer. So next, I took a standard pair of scissors and cut half of the mesh off of one round side of the filter (you have to know what kind of filter I'm talking about to understand...). Then, I cut it to the length of the inner cartridge, and rolled it up (like a...carpet, heh). I then inserted a small, folded up piece of paper tea bag on top of it, 15 drops, and...(I am just now testing it..)...no leakage around the atomizer, which was a common problem in the past, but it seems i used too much liquid, as i flooded my atomizer...any other vapers try anything like this yet? once i dial it in, this seems like a great way to go. -j4mmin

 

[j4mmin42]

It works now...less liquid, and a larger section of teabag on top(not too much, just enough that if you add too much liquid it won't spill out when holding the cart upside down and tapping on it) and this baby cranks out the vapor! Multi-layer carts are the way for me to go I think. Wish i had a quality camera to show you guys how i did this, although some of you out there should be able to "get it". Anyway, good luck! -j4mmin

 

[Mach10X]

What a great thread!

I'm new to vaping but I've been a scientist for many years now. The world is my laboratory. Someone mentioned braided fiberglass earlier and I have to agree with him. Liquid candles use ultra high grade paraffin oil, the better candles include fiberglass wicks.

An assortment of wicks:

Capillary action draws liquid up the bundle, fiberglass strands such as this are chemically inert, though can cause damage if dust in inhaled, higher quality fiberglass wicks are dust-free and durable, made of thermal glass such as to not melt under the heat of a small flame. A length of braided fiberglass of precisely the right diameter would work splendidly in a cart, but you'll be hard pressed to find the exact size you need as each cart varies.


My second idea is polyester based. I understand that polyfill is popular but even high quality fiberfill is not very good as a wick. Most modern sports or workout clothing is designed from microfiber polyester and polayamide weaves and has excellent wicking properties. In clothing this is used to draw moisture (sweat) away from the skin, though this is counter productive (sweat evaporates on the skin to cool the body, the same way that an air conditioner evaporates freon or other liquid to cool air). Nonetheless, woven microfiber would be my first choice (microfiber is made from extremely small polyester fibers). The type of weave will further improve the wicking abilities. I'll need to perform tests to see if the microfiber locks the moisture too well for the atomizer to be able to pull the moisture out of the fibers (shouldn't be a problem, I suspect).

Close up of a single microfiber thread, the star shaped core is polyester, the wedges are polyamide (a type of nylon):

For those of you worried about materials being flammable or smoldering, may I suggest placing a tiny layer of less-flammable material on top of the material in question, such as wool or the hemp-like tea filter material.

Concerning the flammability of polyester... Having smoked analaogs for a while I've found that any part of the cherry or burning ember that falls onto 100% polyester clothing will result in a good sized hole, the material seems to melt away from the heat.

 

[Mach10X]

As to not detract from this thread too much, I started a new thread to discuss fiberglass and microfiber in more detail. Also, this thread is getting awfully long!

Here's a link to my new thread (with more info than above post):
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/27389-microfiber-braided-fiberglass-cartridge-filler.html#post426015

 

[paise]

Will plain sterile cotton balls work?

BTW, polyester does burn. Back years ago after my 1st marriage fell to pieces, I was raising an infant/toddler child alone w/o child support or even emotional support and I was raising my younger brother doing all I could to keep him in high school so he would graduate. I worked 2 to 3 and sometimes even 4 jobs if I could get day work on the weekends since I worked 2 shifts during the week or double-shifts at the one daytime job.

I woke up late one morning after pulling a night shift as a barmaid and had to iron my uniform, which was in polyester. I was waiting tables, working in a factory, and tending bar as well as working weekends during the day pulling fiber optic and phone wire through buildings for new setups for computers and extra phone lines. I set the iron too hot as I was half asleep at the time. I'd been running on an hour here and there for months on end. I went to iron my top and burned right through it. Thankfully, I had 4 more of them and my boss was understanding. He didn't charge me for the shirt. He just gave me another because he knew my schedule was hectic and I was playing mommy to my brother and I was mommy to my little one. FYI: my brother learned the underground telecommunications trade from the man who became my 2nd husband yrs later. My oldest daughter has our last name (since 8th grade by court decree) and she is less than a year from her college degree though she plans to return to college after this one.

So yes Virginia, polyester will most certainly burn and it has a horrid smell that seems to last forever in the clothing and the area where it burned. It also leaves a residue on the bottom of an iron causing it to stick to everything so badly it's best to toss the iron for a new one, their cheap so that's a good thing.

Paise

 

[ProfessorDaffy]

I also picked up the filler from wally world. i picked up the batting and just love it. I tried the teabags for about a week and liked them but they always seemed to collapse. The batting has been the bomb. just the right vap, just the right flavor. thanks for the info.

I tired the tea bag, too. They seem to compress and seem kind of mushy, like a wet paper towel. I use polyester fiber fill. It's like $2-3 dollars a metric ton or something. I should live long enough to use up one bag full. Half a pinch is plenty. I have two cups set up, one for dirty and one for clean. I'm my carts not in great shape I may clean it out or I may not. I just toss it in the dirty cup and grab a fresh one. Every week or to I have Cartridge Stuffing Day! and just pack a bunch of carts all at once. 10 carts, 10-15 minutes. I just love minimal effort with maximum results. The tea bags turned out to be just too much cutting and rolling and with less than satisfactory results.

--Prof Daffy

 

[TheLizinator]

My teabags are made of silk (they are "sachets" not bags >sniff<). You suppose silk would work? Hate to destroy these uppity little tea sachets and they're awfully pretty. heheh

 

[Mach10X]

Silk is a great fiber....but doesn't hold liquid well, and does burn easily. I'd keep your silk tea bags for....Tea!

 

[b16driven]

What about the Kevlar rope that fire spinners use for insulation?

I can't post the link to it but search for firemecca.

 

[Mach10X]

Kevlar is a nice material, very similar to nylon actually. I'm not sure how well it will wick, why not get some and test it with some liquids and try it out in a cartridge. I'd be very interested in your results. Oh and for those of you thinking that Kevlar is bullet proof, it is not...not by itself. It needs to be woven in just the right way to become bullet proof. Interesting tidbit: the seats in my Volvo S40 are upholstered in Kevlar fabric (pretty sure it's not the correct weave to be bullet proof...just durable).

 

[paise]

My dad (step-dad tho' not my mother's current husband) is a former police detective and former Gunnery Sgt in the Marines. I asked him about the Kevlar vests and such after this program came on that showed this little girl saving pennies and encouraging others to do so in order to purchase Kevlar vests for officers unable to afford to buy the vests and the precincts that didn't have enough funding in their budget to afford vests either.

My girls saved their pennies along with anyone else's they could get including their granny, dad, and me. They did this for a month before we exchanged the pennies for a cashier's check from them so we could donate what little we could to help the cause. It was around that time when I asked dad about the vests.

Kevlar has come a long way since the days when Dad was on the force but even so, he keeps up with what goes on in the legal profession. He told me it wasn't so much the Kevlar that prevented a bullet from passing through a vest. It is a type of armor-plating inside the vest. The Kevlar material's weave is tight and dense so it slows the bullet down enough for the plating to stop it - most of the time. Since the armor-piercing bullets have hit the streets, I do wish someone could invent a way to prevent those armor-piercing shells from tearing through the Kevlar vests. I just don't understand how criminals keep getting them.

As for using Kevlar for the filler, I don't know if it would be absorbent enough to hold fluid then allow the draining of said fluid that's any better than what we are dealing with now.

 

[kittycatt]

I do wonder what is in that material. I bought some of that filling material from the local craft store & it works pretty good. But all the time I'm thinking what kind of chemicals or whatever is in it & is it safe to be inhaling it. The one I bought was on a roll that the girl had to cut but I don't recall if it said flame ......ant on the box it came from. I didn't even think to look for that until reading the posts on this thread. I'm going to have to go back & look at that box. I've tried tea bags but that just didn't work at all. Is there some other natural kind of untreated material that would work?

 

[metapuff]

Silk is a great fiber....but doesn't hold liquid well, and does burn easily. I'd keep your silk tea bags for....Tea!

i have tried silk in the cart and was worried about the burning. do you think it would be safe to use silk for the "tip" end of the cart and make up the difference with a small patch of paper teabag material near the atomizer? that way there would be no burning of the silk.

i really like the easy draw silk was giving. seems like it allowes air and liquid to flow more freely compared to paper. silk burning does concern me though. must be careful. burning silk=toxic

 

[Stehle]

I've tried tea bags but that just didn't work at all. Is there some other natural kind of untreated material that would work?

I'd stay away from most treated stuff.

kittycatt? ...just curious were they Lipton Pyramid Tea Bags?

 

[Robert]

OMG- What's Next? Is someone is going to try Asbestos?......8-o.
Kevlar? Fiberglass Rope? what about wood shavings?

Lypton Pyramid Tea Bag is the Answer

 

[Stehle]

OMG- What's Next? Is someone is going to try Asbestos?......8-o.
Kevlar? Fiberglass Rope? what about wood shavings?

Lypton Pyramid Tea Bag is the Answer

LOL... C'mon now Robert we need to listen and help where we can.

Different strokes.. they always say.

 

[Robert]

ok

New People- it is your duty to pass this info on, if it helps you!

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/30017-video-lipton-pyramid-tea-bag-mod.html

This info was given to me and I found an easier way to do it- Cart Allignment-

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/atomizer-mods/29739-pink-dot-atomizer-alignment-mod.html

 

[metapuff]

OMG- What's Next? Is someone is going to try Asbestos?......8-o.
Kevlar? Fiberglass Rope? what about wood shavings?

Lypton Pyramid Tea Bag is the Answer

the question is what is the lipton pyramid bag made of. my initial query leads me to believe it is "pet" plastic.
sorry if i've missed some pertinent info. if there is a post i should look at could you please supply the link?

i'm not trying to scare anybody here but better safe than sorry right?

i've posted this on another thread but if you haven't seen it:

"The translucent Pyramid tea bag is made of PET, the same food grade material clear water and juice bottles are made of. As with any plastic, it would not be considered biodegradable. PET is completely safe and is 100% recyclable within the plastics waste stream"

ok. search for pet. wikipedia

Polyethylene terephthalate (sometimes written poly(ethylene terephthalate)), commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers family; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber.


seems the burning temp of this plastic is 260 degrees celcius.

what is the temp of the atomizer heating to?