Cotton Wicks Making Me Sick?

[slgshane]

I have been using an evod for two years now. Yeah, I know, minor leagues, but it gets the job done just fine for me.

For the first 18 months I was constantly buying new coils. I work from home so I can basically vape all I want and I vape A LOT. I use Swagger as my ADV and it will destroy a coil in just a couple days. It was becoming difficult to even find coils to buy and it was getting expensive, so I did some research on rebuilding my own coils. At first I tried to build them with silica wick, but I could never get them to work right. Using 1mm silica wick wrapping around a stick pin the wraps would always be too big and there was lots of leak/gurgling. So I went the cotton route and would wrap around a 1/32 drill bit and then slide the cotton through the coil. Works great, perfect ohms, great flavor. I've been doing this for the past six months. In the first 18 months of vaping I never got sick once. Since I've been using the cotton wicks I've been SEVERELY sick twice (probably a respiratory infection but never went to the Doc), and now I feel like I'm getting sick AGAIN.

I've noticed that I can see little flecks of what looks like cotton building up on the mouthpiece, and I'm assuming, going into my lungs. I think this is what is making me sick--the buildup over time. Anyone else had issues with this? I think I may have reached the end of my rope with vaping and now maybe I'll do what my original intention was (quitting altogether after vaping for a short period of time).

Anyone have any tips on rebuilding coils with silica? I've watched a million Youtube videos and replicate the process perfectly, but the wraps end up being twice the size they should be and I've been unable to slide silica wicks into the coil like I do with cotton because even at 1mm it's too big to fit through the hole. Thanks for any help.

 

[soysos]

I've been using rebuildables exclusively now for over a year and only recently started using cotton when I could no longer get the same type. The best way to build with silica is to wrap the coil directly around the wick. Silica doesn't burn so you can dry fire with the wick inside. The big problem with this method is you have to make a new coil every time you change the wick.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Try this method for silica wicks.

Works fine for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttsi6N2f9FI

 

[slgshane]

That's what I did with silica wicks. I would lay the silica alongside a stick pin and then wrap the kanthal around both. The result was one of these things:

The wraps were too big and the ohms were way off.

The wraps wouldn't stay next to each other to create a mini coil.

The wraps were too tight (ohms would be right) but the wick was choked resulting in lots of dry hits.

 

[dhood]

What kind of cotton? Is it drug store organic or japanese? I'd think the japanese cotton would hold together better because of the way the pads are created (the grain runs together nicely). I've got a bunch of Kayfuns and two Subtank minis and I don't see any cotton on my mouthpieces.

 

[slgshane]

I got sterilized cotton roll from the drug store.

 

[miro011]

well for the past year ive been using a drug store non-orgranic fast absorbing cotton usually used for makeup . Just now ive ordered 2xFuji 140pads organic japanise cotton . I am very curoius as to how it works because the one that came with my subtank which i tried to use on my orchid was wicking slower than my fast absorbing cotton .

 

[miro011]

I got sterilized cotton roll from the drug store.

i think that it is your mod that is ....ing everything up . Get a VW VV mod and you should be fine

 

[jambi]

Hmmm, I've never seen cotton "flake" as you described, but silica definitely does. Regardless, if you're seeing "flakes" of anything on your mouthpiece, something's definitely amiss. I'd cease vaping with that setup till you figure out what's wrong. Am I correct in assuming you don't get the flakes with the stock coils?

I never had any luck rebuilding those Kanger evod coils. Everything's just way too small for me. Since you're already an experienced rebuilder, why not just pick yourself up something cheap like an EHpro Kayfun clone? IMAO, a lot less hassle to rebuild on something designed to be rebuilt, than messing around with those tiny Kanger coils.

The few times I wicked with silica, I made the coil first (2mm drill bit, I think), then used doubled-up 1mm silica and pulled it through the coil with a little "hook" I fashioned from Kanthal. It worked for me, but once I started using cotton, I abandoned silica.

 

[mattiem]

I cheat I get my precoiled coils from fasttech. I get the 1.8ohm with the 4 silica wicks and they work perfectly in my protank/evod coils.

https://www.fasttech.com/search? Pre-coiled Welded Wires w/ Wicks

 

[edyle]

I have been using an evod for two years now. Yeah, I know, minor leagues, but it gets the job done just fine for me.

For the first 18 months I was constantly buying new coils. I work from home so I can basically vape all I want and I vape A LOT. I use Swagger as my ADV and it will destroy a coil in just a couple days. It was becoming difficult to even find coils to buy and it was getting expensive, so I did some research on rebuilding my own coils. At first I tried to build them with silica wick, but I could never get them to work right. Using 1mm silica wick wrapping around a stick pin the wraps would always be too big and there was lots of leak/gurgling. So I went the cotton route and would wrap around a 1/32 drill bit and then slide the cotton through the coil. Works great, perfect ohms, great flavor. I've been doing this for the past six months. In the first 18 months of vaping I never got sick once. Since I've been using the cotton wicks I've been SEVERELY sick twice (probably a respiratory infection but never went to the Doc), and now I feel like I'm getting sick AGAIN.

I've noticed that I can see little flecks of what looks like cotton building up on the mouthpiece, and I'm assuming, going into my lungs. I think this is what is making me sick--the buildup over time. Anyone else had issues with this? I think I may have reached the end of my rope with vaping and now maybe I'll do what my original intention was (quitting altogether after vaping for a short period of time).

Anyone have any tips on rebuilding coils with silica? I've watched a million Youtube videos and replicate the process perfectly, but the wraps end up being twice the size they should be and I've been unable to slide silica wicks into the coil like I do with cotton because even at 1mm it's too big to fit through the hole. Thanks for any help.

1: one thing about rewicking with cotton instead of silica is you don't have to recoil; just dryburn coil and rewick.

2: if you're going to recoil evod heads, you might as well consider getting a proper rebuildable where you have more space to work with and actual screws where you can screw down your wire securely; the wider workspace also means you can better ensure that your wire will not accidentally short out on the surrounding metal. You might be interested in getting a simple rda.

3: if there's buildup of something on your driptips maybe you should rinse your tip out daily.

 

[NancyR]

I actually had a reaction to using cotton so since have been using rayon, I have not had any of the issues with the rayon I had with the cotton and it wicks just as well

 

[slgshane]

I cheat I get my precoiled coils from fasttech. I get the 1.8ohm with the 4 silica wicks and they work perfectly in my protank/evod coils.

https://www.fasttech.com/search? Pre-coiled Welded Wires w/ Wicks

Oh wow! Thanks for this!

 

[slgshane]

1: one thing about rewicking with cotton instead of silica is you don't have to recoil; just dryburn coil and rewick.

2: if you're going to recoil evod heads, you might as well consider getting a proper rebuildable where you have more space to work with and actual screws where you can screw down your wire securely; the wider workspace also means you can better ensure that your wire will not accidentally short out on the surrounding metal. You might be interested in getting a simple rda.

3: if there's buildup of something on your driptips maybe you should rinse your tip out daily.

1. Yeah, I love that about cotton. I can get coils to last much longer.

2. I'll look into it.

3. Yeah, I clean it, but that stuff is still going into my lungs, which is what I'm trying to sort out.

 

[edyle]

I have been using an evod for two years now. Yeah, I know, minor leagues, but it gets the job done just fine for me.

For the first 18 months I was constantly buying new coils. I work from home so I can basically vape all I want and I vape A LOT. I use Swagger as my ADV and it will destroy a coil in just a couple days. It was becoming difficult to even find coils to buy and it was getting expensive, so I did some research on rebuilding my own coils. At first I tried to build them with silica wick, but I could never get them to work right. Using 1mm silica wick wrapping around a stick pin the wraps would always be too big and there was lots of leak/gurgling. So I went the cotton route and would wrap around a 1/32 drill bit and then slide the cotton through the coil. Works great, perfect ohms, great flavor. I've been doing this for the past six months. In the first 18 months of vaping I never got sick once. Since I've been using the cotton wicks I've been SEVERELY sick twice (probably a respiratory infection but never went to the Doc), and now I feel like I'm getting sick AGAIN.

I've noticed that I can see little flecks of what looks like cotton building up on the mouthpiece, and I'm assuming, going into my lungs. I think this is what is making me sick--the buildup over time. Anyone else had issues with this? I think I may have reached the end of my rope with vaping and now maybe I'll do what my original intention was (quitting altogether after vaping for a short period of time).

Anyone have any tips on rebuilding coils with silica? I've watched a million Youtube videos and replicate the process perfectly, but the wraps end up being twice the size they should be and I've been unable to slide silica wicks into the coil like I do with cotton because even at 1mm it's too big to fit through the hole. Thanks for any help.

Can you get a picture of those flecks you are talking about?
Never heard of it before.

 

[Thrasher]

I've been using rebuildables exclusively now for over a year and only recently started using cotton when I could no longer get the same type. The best way to build with silica is to wrap the coil directly around the wick. Silica doesn't burn so you can dry fire with the wick inside. The big problem with this method is you have to make a new coil every time you change the wick.

Yea buy you dont have to change the wick for weeks. Silica is easily cleaned while in the coil. I have some coils/wicks several weeks old

 

[SissySpike]

Cotton tends to pop and crackle more than silica just throwing out a guess ...... possibly you are pulling the fibers apart to much when you wick your coils and the popping is taking some cotton particles along with it?

 

[Rickajho]

1. Yeah, I love that about cotton. I can get coils to last much longer.

2. I'll look into it.

3. Yeah, I clean it, but that stuff is still going into my lungs, which is what I'm trying to sort out.

I really can't see how you can get wet, soggy, liquid saturated cotton in the bottom of a clearo to transform into dry flaky stuff at the top of a drip tip, let alone into something you think you are inhaling at that point.

 

[ckquatt]

i think that it is your mod that is ....ing everything up . Get a VW VV mod and you should be fine

HUH?!? Please...

 

[The Torch]

1. What kind of sick? Like the flu or more like bronchitis?? Do you have seasonal allergies?

2. What type of wire are you using? Most people use kanthal.

3. How often do you change your wick?

4.What juice brand do you use and what's the PG/VG/nic content of your juice?


I've been rebuilding for about a year and no problem. I did get the flu twice and it felt quite different than when I smoked, but granpa's remedy now gets me off the flu in one evening. I find that Japanese organic cotton is sooooo much better; easier to work with since the fibers are aligned and I barely ever get a dry hit unless I'm really pushing the bottom of the tank and even that is much less unpleasant than drugstore cotton, which made me cough so bad I almost puked.