cotton wick questions

[sinkoman]

Hey guys, finally got my hands on an RM2 the other day, and have been extremely pleased with the performance so far. One thing i've noticed so far though, is that my cotton wicks look a pretty disgusting black in the center after less than a days worth of use. I've yet to determine if this is because my wicks are burning prematurely, or if it's just gunk buildup due to the NET liquids ive been vaping lately.

I was wondering if you guys get similar results on your cotton wicks. I feel like it might just be gunk from the liquid, because I don't really notice that signature burnt cellulose taste till I run the wicks past about a day, but I also think liquids i'm using could just be masking that burnt taste till it gets to the really gross stage.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

when I've burnt a wick they are in two pieces and the burnt end is black

 

[wsteven321]

you might be using to much cotton. ive had cotton wick last for a week without any build up or difference in taste. The liquid does make a difference tho.

 

[sinkoman]

you might be using to much cotton. ive had cotton wick last for a week without any build up or difference in taste. The liquid does make a difference tho.

was thinking this too, although I don't think i'd want to run one past two days either way.

what kind of liquid are you using?

 

[wsteven321]

this is my wick after 3 days

 

[wsteven321]

i use 20/80 pg vg mostly. that pic is with "thug juice" from mt baker.

 

[johni]

I run NETs in my Reo. The cotton will definitely be black by the end of the day so I clean, dry burn, and rewick daily. Some of the really gunky NETs can crud up a wick and coil in less than a day. I save those for dripping when I'm at home.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Using unflavored nic base in high VG content, my wicks last atleast a week.

 

[Stringer63]

Wonder if you might have a hot spot issue. Make sure you squeeze the coil tightly together when building (see videos) and that you're seeing a center-out even glow when firing the coil pre-wick.

 

[txgtr]

I would guess it to be an issue with the juice. While I don't use NET's(Unless Boba's in a NET, which I don't think it is) per se, I do use juices that have a "gunky" reputations. My wicks gunk up very quickly. I sometimes change them/dry burn 2-3 daily.
Just recently, as an experiment, I tried cuttting my Boba's with 50/50 pg/vg unflavored by 50%. I actually think that I prefer the results. The flavor is still there, it's smoother and my wicks last longer. I also get the benefit of lower nicotine which is something I've been wanting from Boba's. The flavor to me is still very much in tact, so much so, I'm considering cutting it even more.

 

[e30ernest]

I find that darker juices tend to gunk up cotton wicks faster. After a day the wick turns really gooey and dark; even black at times. My lighter fruit juices are kinder to my wicks and I can keep the same wick for about 2-3 days.

I'm not familiar with NET juices so I'm not sure if my post helps lol.

 

[generic mutant]

For NETs or other gunky juices, I'd seriously consider giving stainless steel wicks a go.

Some people just don't get along with them, and you do have to squonk quite a lot. But with the ceramic base it's comparatively easy to avoid shorts.

I just roll a little bit of 400 gauge mesh, soak it in PG or juice I don't like and burn it off, repeating something like four or five times, and put it in the RM2 in a standard ~2mm ID microcoil. You don't need to worry about bending the wick or anything, just make it fractionally longer than the coil, and make sure it's a fairly snug fit (not hard to push in, but with a bit of friction), and it shouldn't move.

Then install in a short-circuit protected mod (I use a Vamo, as it happens). You can hold the mod upside down so juice doesn't get onto the positive pin, and keep adding juice and firing it for a second or so at low voltage (wear safety glasses, because it can spit). If it shorts, rotate the wick by a couple of degrees. Gradually increase the length of firing, and voltage, as you go.

Given half an hour of that, you'll have a working wick - once you can fire for ten seconds or so at 4.2 volts, with the coil heating evenly, I think you're pretty safe. I'm certainly not saying it's better than cotton, but it's much more robust, and might be worth a go.

 

[dchest02]

The only time I have black on my wicks is if they get dry and burn. Recently I ran the same cotton wicks in my Reos for almost two weeks, I was moving, and couldn't find the energy to change them, when I finally did, only one of them looked really bad.

 

[Raynman]

I've been using bamboo lately and I find it wicks well, lasts a longer time between rewicking, and doesn't have as bad of a burnt taste if you don't squonk enough. I just started using koh gen do and it seems much easier to wick taste results are still being evaluated. I have a few other things to try and it will take time to find what I like best. So far I think I can eliminate Eckowool just gives a scratchy taste. I will try some ceramic whenever I can get some and give it a go. I should have full results in March sometime.

 

[sinkoman]

The only time I have black on my wicks is if they get dry and burn. Recently I ran the same cotton wicks in my Reos for almost two weeks, I was moving, and couldn't find the energy to change them, when I finally did, only one of them looked really bad.

What kind of juices? I think it was the nets. I've been using a candy flavor this week and the wick looks much better after a day. Still a tiny black spot or two in the center though, but nowhere near the black cruddy mess from the nets. I was getting some gnarly coil buildup with the nets.

 

[Gigdujour]

when I've burnt a wick they are in two pieces and the burnt end is black

I usually do the tug test. I unscrew the cap and give a little tug on the wick. It lets you know right away if it's burned or not. I generally re-wick when I refill my bottles on my Grands and every second bottle on my Minis although I do have 1 Grand that's a wick burning biatch. I'm not sure why, it's not the lowest resistance coil of the group. It is my oldest one, so maybe he's just cranky


Master of Bassets...and not much else.

 

[supertrunker]

tug test is no good for me - i use huge wicks, but not cotton which is nasty after a day and even real men only wear it in the summer!

I have some xc-116 you can try for the cost of a PM, Raynman - it's pretty good and i can get a month out of it if i really push it. Never tried bamboo or hemp, but then all the protagonists for them seemed to gently drop the subject. I have np with silica and it's hardly likely to shorten my life after smoking 40 a day for 30 yrs if i smoked rolled asbestos!

Here's a decent wick!



T

 

[generic mutant]

I've been curious about bamboo and hemp - might try getting hold of some soon. Hopefully distract me from ordering more Reos for a few months (I will, at the very least, have many flavours of relaxing vape within easy reach during my bankruptcy proceedings).

The 'exotic' silica type things don't really appeal yet. I'm letting you lot beta test them for me. Thanks everyone

 

[Joshinthecity]

Yep.
Unflavored and menthols, a wick lasts up to a week.
My tobacco juices, I change out and dry burn at the end of each day..

 

[Vwls]

I've been experimenting with hemp, and cotton/hemp hybrids.

The only time my wicks turn black is when I vape dark juices or juices with particles in them (I think yours probably qualify for both categories). Or, if you wick too tight (use too much cotton) the part inside the coil tends to change color faster.

But the great thing about cotton is it's super easy to pluck out a gunked up wick and toss a new one in. Takes only a minute and you don't have to worry about the possible dangers associated with SS mesh or silica.