OK soo imma throw this out there see if it sticks.. i found the sweet spot wattage wise on these cotton wicks... its like 7 watts or so for my 2.2ohm protank stock head... which is a little lower then what i was running it nicely at with silica... does going down in wattage sound about right in difference from silica to cotton?
- Status
I usually vape at around 7 watts but that's by preference. I would think you should be able to go higher if you want to, but I'm not familiar with the protank. My experience is that cotton wicks better than silica, so I would think it's just a matter of getting the right amount of cotton in there..not too tight, not too loose.
I must revise my original observation. I was young and inexperienced back then .
After going through many incarnations of cotton wicks, I actually think cheesecloth is the best. P&C yarn from Walmart not bad but doesn't wick as well and flavor not as good. Gauze OK but a little finicky and not as durable. Crochet thread OK but thin and doesn't wick quite as well either. Cotton balls and rounds good but not terribly durable (like cotton balls better).
My initial reaction to cheesecloth was when I was a cotton noob and didn't realize there is a weird taste for the first little bit of vaping when using a cotton wick (all cottons, not just cheesecloth). But cheesecloth seems to wick the best and hold up the longest before needing to be rewicked. I've used both the Walmart cheapie cheesecloth as well as the unbleached variety from Bed Bath & Beyond. I prefer the latter since it's more durable and easier to work with, though the cheap stuff is still darn good. The cheap stuff seems to get rid of the "cotton taste" a little quicker, but not enough to be of great significance.
I boil and dry first then roll and wick. I have 2 IGO-L's so one gets wicked and an overnight (sometimes 24 hour) soaking begins while the other is in use. Then when I'm ready I switch to the one that's been soaking and the other gets rewicked and wetted and soaks till I'm ready to use it.
I will change out my wicks once every day or so. A lot of it depends on the juice. Darker juices are rough on cotton wicks and if I'm vaping a dark one (like BB) I'll probably change it out after 24 hours just to keep it fresh and wicking well. The HHV juices, even though they're not terribly dark, are MURDER on my cotton wicks. Cheesecloth has fared better with HHV juices than with the other forms of cotton, but they still seem to diminish faster than with other juices.
Cheesecloth is the winner for me (P&C yarn in second). Hope this helps anybody looking for a good cotton wick.
I agree with toothboy, I have also been experimentiing with various cottons for several months now, and i find that cheesecloth seems to hold up the best. when i was running a 100% cotton U-wick in an AGA, i prefered the yarn for repeatablity, but the wicking just wasn't as good as i wanted.
I am now running a SS rope hybrid wick, with a cheesecloth tip in the coil area. Wire Rope for Wick?
The cheese cloth holds up the best, i typically only have to re-wick once a week, or sometimes i can get away with a good PGA rinse after the first week and re-wick after the second week.
I am now running a SS rope hybrid wick, with a cheesecloth tip in the coil area. Wire Rope for Wick?
The cheese cloth holds up the best, i typically only have to re-wick once a week, or sometimes i can get away with a good PGA rinse after the first week and re-wick after the second week.
I've also went back to cheese cloth. About all my vaping anymore is on my dream 804s with cheese cloth wicks. I'm using the cheap loose weave from walmarts and I just measure about 3/4th of an inch and cut along the thread for consistent strips to fold and roll into a wick. I then use two in my 1/16 diameter coil and get very consistent results. The only time I get a little of a singed hit is when I don't pay attention to the juice level and vape the things bone dry lol.
Almost all my mixes that I love are coil gunkers though and I do change the wicks quite often. It only takes a couple of minutes though and it's like having a new atty every 6 or 7 ml or so. Love it.
Almost all my mixes that I love are coil gunkers though and I do change the wicks quite often. It only takes a couple of minutes though and it's like having a new atty every 6 or 7 ml or so. Love it.
Ok I know this thread kinda went dead, but was looking for some input. I have rebuilt several coils now, so far with no sucess on my wicks. My coils are kind of hit and miss- they look good, but my multimeter I got is evidently a bit wonky. The coils are somewhere in the 2-3 range I believe though. Anyhow- I tried the cotton rounds several different times, letting them sit anywhere from 3 hours to overnight, and ended up with either pitiful vapor or a nasty taste (not really burnt- don't know how to describe it.)
I got some cheesecloth, and decided to try it. I boiled it, and once boiled I couldn't figure out how to even it all out to get a good consistent cut like JD1 described, so I tried using the thread method I read somewhere. The instructions said to use 15 strands of it, doubled for 30. It also used a 30 strand helper wick, but I am wicking a ce5 so I think that would be too much. I did the 30 strand, and it was a pretty snug fit, so I was worried that after expansion it would be too much, so I pulled out about 10 of the strands. Let it sit, vaped, and got major gurgle with no vapor at all. Opened it up and added 10 strands of a helper wick (didn't want to rebuild and I am not good enough to rewick a coil while its on the head already). Let it sit, vaped, no gurgle, but majorly pitiful vape.
Suggestions?
I got some cheesecloth, and decided to try it. I boiled it, and once boiled I couldn't figure out how to even it all out to get a good consistent cut like JD1 described, so I tried using the thread method I read somewhere. The instructions said to use 15 strands of it, doubled for 30. It also used a 30 strand helper wick, but I am wicking a ce5 so I think that would be too much. I did the 30 strand, and it was a pretty snug fit, so I was worried that after expansion it would be too much, so I pulled out about 10 of the strands. Let it sit, vaped, and got major gurgle with no vapor at all. Opened it up and added 10 strands of a helper wick (didn't want to rebuild and I am not good enough to rewick a coil while its on the head already). Let it sit, vaped, no gurgle, but majorly pitiful vape.
Suggestions?
Guys i have just now switched to cotton after getting really really mad at a hot spots on my ss mesh genny wick.
a few min ago i got so mad at my meah setup i said f it with this and tore it apart and in the trash it went. I thought what to do now make a silica wick.? Then i thought about how slow silica wicks in a genny and said what the hell am i going to do now? Well people rave about cotton guess i Will try it. So i went into my bathroom and grabbed a q tip and pulled it of and rolled it into a long wick that would fit a genisis atty and wrapped a 4-5 wrap coil of 28g kanthal around a 4-40 machine screw and set the coil up on my agi via the dripper posts and slid the cotton through and into the tank.
Wow i am impressed guys! aside from a slight cotton taste that i am shure Will fade in a little wile its hitting better than ever and taste imho better than ss mesh! best of all the cotton is keeping up with my genisis wicking wize! i did not expect that at all as i only have half an inch in the tank.
I think i Will run this same coil for a few days and keep popping new q tips in when needed and see how this cotton genny works out
I am jumping on the cotton band wagon you guys were right! i take back all my doubts. Just need to remember not to dry burn lol
a few min ago i got so mad at my meah setup i said f it with this and tore it apart and in the trash it went. I thought what to do now make a silica wick.? Then i thought about how slow silica wicks in a genny and said what the hell am i going to do now? Well people rave about cotton guess i Will try it. So i went into my bathroom and grabbed a q tip and pulled it of and rolled it into a long wick that would fit a genisis atty and wrapped a 4-5 wrap coil of 28g kanthal around a 4-40 machine screw and set the coil up on my agi via the dripper posts and slid the cotton through and into the tank.
Wow i am impressed guys! aside from a slight cotton taste that i am shure Will fade in a little wile its hitting better than ever and taste imho better than ss mesh! best of all the cotton is keeping up with my genisis wicking wize! i did not expect that at all as i only have half an inch in the tank.
I think i Will run this same coil for a few days and keep popping new q tips in when needed and see how this cotton genny works out
I am jumping on the cotton band wagon you guys were right! i take back all my doubts. Just need to remember not to dry burn lol
Alright i am amazed. . . . I am liking this! how long till that slight cotton ball taste goes away though or should i have boiled it first. ? I was in a hurry to vape lol
A lot of people do taste the cotton and because of that have moved onto other ideas. I guess I am lucky as I don't taste it and it wicks so well for me. I have been using it for a while now. I don't think cotton lasts as long as silica but only takes a minute or so to setup again so the trade off is worth it for me
Anyone want to help with my cheesecloth problem? (Few posts back) I REALLY want to use it, and I jut had to order some new heads today bc I can't figure out where I am going wrong with the cheesecloth (or the cotton rounds, for that matter). I want to be on the bandwagon too!!! Lol
Ok i can taste it but then again i can taste silica even more and i could deal with that. Its not so much as a bad taste its like a fluffy pillows taste thats hardly there but just noticeable. It sort of changes the flavor but only slightly and adds a pillowly texture to it.
I actually kind of like it
it taste better than silica and wicks better also. 1000% easyer to use than ss mesh. I will be sticking with q tips for a wile lol
I actually kind of like it
it taste better than silica and wicks better also. 1000% easyer to use than ss mesh. I will be sticking with q tips for a wile lol
I would assume the cotton flavor will lessen over time and since you are like me its not that bad we have another cotton wicker....lol
i bought a bag of cotton balls going to last forever.... you might want to try them. Just cut off a small piece and roll it small enough to thread through your coil
i bought a bag of cotton balls going to last forever.... you might want to try them. Just cut off a small piece and roll it small enough to thread through your coil
I'll help if I can lol. I looked through a couple of your posts and it looks like you're rebuilding a ce5 with 34ga kanthal, correct? This is how I set up my reduxes which should be the same. I use wally world cheese cloth and 32ga kanthal, but 34ga kanthal should be just fine and in fact might be better.
I wrap close or touching coils around a tube that's about 1/16th inch diameter. I also twist one end first and make that the positive leg. It's not necessary but I do it to both stiffen the leg and to lower the resistance in the leg. I then pull a loose cotton slug in the coil and slide in a pin at the bottom to slide down in the slots and hold the coil for easier installation. I also push the negative side of the coil over against the head so that it will short out there, then install the grommet and center pin as normal. I then slide out the pin and cotton to install the cheese cloth.
The cheese cloth I use has two different thread counts, and I cut my strips so that the higher count becomes the length and the lower count becomes the cross threads. You'll need to experiment a little to find how wide to make your strips. Staying between two threads will give good enough results. I'd also suggest using two small wicks through the coil and a small wick on top as a helper wick. The helper wick is there to fill the gap and prevent flooding when you put the top part of the head on as much as anything else. I also do not notch that part as the wicks are small enough they won't be choked when you slide it down against them.
I'd suggest counting 12 threads or about 9/16th inch and making a couple of two and a half inch strips. Hold first one then the other tight about half an inch back and rake out the cross threads then fold and roll (not twist) them into wicks, then put them together, moisten the ends and twist just the ends together for easy threading.
Thread through in the direction of positive to negative leads so that the drag is keeping the negative end of the coil against the slots. There should be very little drag. The wicks should be barely snug, not tight. If they're too loose or too tight, cut another strip a little bigger or smaller to put with one of the originals until you get a good fit.
The cheese cloth doesn't expand as much as the rounds or cotton balls but it does expand and I'd suggest a soak time of at least two hours before vaping. Overnight is better.
I hope this helps some and if you have any questions ask away. I'll try to find some pictures later this evening if I get the chance.
Vape on.
Yeal, I call it the 'fresh linen' taste lol. For me the cheese cloth from wally world looses that taste pretty quick. I think it's bleached and that might be the reason.
Nice post I am sure that will help some users having problems setting up !!
I'll help if I can lol. I looked through a couple of your posts and it looks like you're rebuilding a ce5 with 34ga kanthal, correct? This is how I set up my reduxes which should be the same. I use wally world cheese cloth and 32ga kanthal, but 34ga kanthal should be just fine and in fact might be better.
I wrap close or touching coils around a tube that's about 1/16th inch diameter. I also twist one end first and make that the positive leg. It's not necessary but I do it to both stiffen the leg and to lower the resistance in the leg. I then pull a loose cotton slug in the coil and slide in a pin at the bottom to slide down in the slots and hold the coil for easier installation. I also push the negative side of the coil over against the head so that it will short out there, then install the grommet and center pin as normal. I then slide out the pin and cotton to install the cheese cloth.
The cheese cloth I use has two different thread counts, and I cut my strips so that the higher count becomes the length and the lower count becomes the cross threads. You'll need to experiment a little to find how wide to make your strips. Staying between two threads will give good enough results. I'd also suggest using two small wicks through the coil and a small wick on top as a helper wick. The helper wick is there to fill the gap and prevent flooding when you put the top part of the head on as much as anything else. I also do not notch that part as the wicks are small enough they won't be choked when you slide it down against them.
I'd suggest counting 12 threads or about 9/16th inch and making a couple of two and a half inch strips. Hold first one then the other tight about half an inch back and rake out the cross threads then fold and roll (not twist) them into wicks, then put them together, moisten the ends and twist just the ends together for easy threading.
Thread through in the direction of positive to negative leads so that the drag is keeping the negative end of the coil against the slots. There should be very little drag. The wicks should be barely snug, not tight. If they're too loose or too tight, cut another strip a little bigger or smaller to put with one of the originals until you get a good fit.
The cheese cloth doesn't expand as much as the rounds or cotton balls but it does expand and I'd suggest a soak time of at least two hours before vaping. Overnight is better.
I hope this helps some and if you have any questions ask away. I'll try to find some pictures later this evening if I get the chance.
Vape on.
Thanks mgmrick. Yeal, the threads get so big and rambling it's hard to sift through them sometimes. I probably rebuilt my redux eight or nine different ways until I settled on the above. I got one of them back out while I was writing the above and it vaped great, albeit the draw is a little stiff to suit me as I now prefer the loose draw of my 804s.
There's some good info and pictures on the smaller coils in the 'Micro Coils to increase Vapor, flavor & TH' thread and it's worth browsing through imo. I've wrapped them as small as a large needle, but they're too hard to get the wick in correctly imo. The tube I use is probably more like 5/64th inch.
I'll help if I can lol. I looked through a couple of your posts and it looks like you're rebuilding a ce5 with 34ga kanthal, correct? This is how I set up my reduxes which should be the same. I use wally world cheese cloth and 32ga kanthal, but 34ga kanthal should be just fine and in fact might be better.
I wrap close or touching coils around a tube that's about 1/16th inch diameter. I also twist one end first and make that the positive leg. It's not necessary but I do it to both stiffen the leg and to lower the resistance in the leg. I then pull a loose cotton slug in the coil and slide in a pin at the bottom to slide down in the slots and hold the coil for easier installation. I also push the negative side of the coil over against the head so that it will short out there, then install the grommet and center pin as normal. I then slide out the pin and cotton to install the cheese cloth.
The cheese cloth I use has two different thread counts, and I cut my strips so that the higher count becomes the length and the lower count becomes the cross threads. You'll need to experiment a little to find how wide to make your strips. Staying between two threads will give good enough results. I'd also suggest using two small wicks through the coil and a small wick on top as a helper wick. The helper wick is there to fill the gap and prevent flooding when you put the top part of the head on as much as anything else. I also do not notch that part as the wicks are small enough they won't be choked when you slide it down against them.
I'd suggest counting 12 threads or about 9/16th inch and making a couple of two and a half inch strips. Hold first one then the other tight about half an inch back and rake out the cross threads then fold and roll (not twist) them into wicks, then put them together, moisten the ends and twist just the ends together for easy threading.
Thread through in the direction of positive to negative leads so that the drag is keeping the negative end of the coil against the slots. There should be very little drag. The wicks should be barely snug, not tight. If they're too loose or too tight, cut another strip a little bigger or smaller to put with one of the originals until you get a good fit.
The cheese cloth doesn't expand as much as the rounds or cotton balls but it does expand and I'd suggest a soak time of at least two hours before vaping. Overnight is better.
I hope this helps some and if you have any questions ask away. I'll try to find some pictures later this evening if I get the chance.
Vape on.
Ah! There you are!
thank you- I will sit down tomorrow and give that a whirl and get back to you!- Status
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