Different Cottons for different wicks

[Herb3]

Kanthal should be here tomorrow so I went to the local Wally-World looking for cotton to make wicks. My store did not have any cheese cloth or 100% cotton guaze (it was all 80/20 cotton/rayon) and the cotton rounds did not looking too promising either. The rounds they had just said cotton but they looked to be 2 ply with a quilted like pattern so I passed on them.

I did pick up a roll of white #4 Peaches and Creme 100% cotton yarn so at least I found something that was mentioned here to try. I took about 10 yards and boiled it for 30 minutes changing the water a couple of time. It is hanging to dry so hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do my 1st coil and cotton wick.

I also want to say thanks for all the testing and research everyone in this thread shared.

 

[adeline]

Awesome! Glad you're joining the crew!

I think some folks are finding the 100% cotton rounds at dollar stores. And it's really not worth ordering online unless you buy in bulk.

Make sure you let your cotton wick soak for a while before you start vaping. Might be a good idea to have something else ready to go while it soaks up the liquid and expands!

 

[calpis]

I'm enjoying the peaches and creme #4 in my Terminator as I type this. I admit that I shot off a little too early, like after 2 min, and maybe ruined the moment by charring the wick a little but I'm on my 4th day or so and it's still going strong.

 

[JD1]

Kanthal should be here tomorrow so I went to the local Wally-World looking for cotton to make wicks. My store did not have any cheese cloth or 100% cotton guaze (it was all 80/20 cotton/rayon) and the cotton rounds did not looking too promising either. The rounds they had just said cotton but they looked to be 2 ply with a quilted like pattern so I passed on them.

I did pick up a roll of white #4 Peaches and Creme 100% cotton yarn so at least I found something that was mentioned here to try. I took about 10 yards and boiled it for 30 minutes changing the water a couple of time. It is hanging to dry so hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do my 1st coil and cotton wick.

I also want to say thanks for all the testing and research everyone in this thread shared.

Yeal, this is a great thread. There's some other good threads, but they've became so long and spread out it it's hard to find the good stuff in them. (Is for me, at least)

 

[veganvap]

I think I may have found the best cotton option and everyone keeps dodging my question about those raw cotton cigarette filters. You can buy em online anywhere for around $5 with shipping. I'd use them in bottom coils like Kanger T3 though so no need to join pieced together to make it longer. I'm gonna try and email the company to double check that they have zero addatives besides the pesticides that I'll hopefully boil out since they're not organic.

 

[Lakewell]

I saw some cotton rounds at CVS today, and according to the label they were 100% cotton. Unfortunately they were $3.79, which is cheap compared to silica, but I like playing $1.00 from Family Dollar. Mine have a quilted pattern as well, wouldn't worry about that too much.

 

[JD1]

I think I may have found the best cotton option and everyone keeps dodging my question about those raw cotton cigarette filters. You can buy em online anywhere for around $5 with shipping. I'd use them in bottom coils like Kanger T3 though so no need to join pieced together to make it longer. I'm gonna try and email the company to double check that they have zero addatives besides the pesticides that I'll hopefully boil out since they're not organic.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I haven't tried to answer your question because I don't know the answer. My opinion is that a simple boil should be enough to make bleached cotton safe to use. The cotton rounds I got at dollar tree are working great for me and I'll probably stick with those.

 

[JD1]

I saw some cotton rounds at CVS today, and according to the label they were 100% cotton. Unfortunately they were $3.79, which is cheap compared to silica, but I like playing $1.00 from Family Dollar. Mine have a quilted pattern as well, wouldn't worry about that too much.

Man after my own heart lol.

 

[mightymen]

I saw some cotton rounds at CVS today, and according to the label they were 100% cotton. Unfortunately they were $3.79, which is cheap compared to silica, but I like playing $1.00 from Family Dollar. Mine have a quilted pattern as well, wouldn't worry about that too much.

I picked up the squares 200 count, I get 5 wick per square X 200 sq = 1000 wicks. Easy to cut one streight even cut and done!

 

[xMackx]

I now use my cotton rounds exclusively. They're the strongest of the cotton wools, easiest to work with, have the least leaking problems out of all other cottons I've tried, and the most forgiving because of their absorbency.

 

[BearWolf]

I have found my new true love...cotton!! When I first read this I got so exited, I grabbed a pack from my bathroom and saw "100% cotton". Boiled, microwaved, cut, rolled, wicked, waited 30 min (exactly) and vaped. BLAHHH!!! 8-o !! Didn't read fine print "with aloe & ProvitaminB5"! 100% cotton with other stuff. Vaped pure handcream! So, I scrounged a bit more and found a bag of..yes, PURE COTTON cotton squares. Boiled, micrwaved.....bla, bla, bla, (2:30am) and vaped. OMG!!! I love the "cotton flavor" , and I get every last drop of liquid! I am pretty new and so far I love smok Redux (except for the whistle) and the dual coil iclear.
The silica wicks expand so much, they actually trap the juice on the bottom and start to taste burnt fast, if they don't fall apart first. I tried hemp and I actually like the woody taste, but as soon as the juice gets halfway down the wick, the hemp burns too. I tried using the hemp together, loosened up at the ends, and completely unwound (putting the loose strands together). Nothing.
Cotton is my new Beau!! At least until a better, easier and cheaper option comes along!! Thanks for the great info!!

 

[BearWolf]

Oh, did I mention NO burnt taste...down to the last drop?

 

[JD1]

.......I am pretty new and so far I love smok Redux (except for the whistle) and the dual coil iclear. ...

I have three of the smok reduxes from mad vapes and luv 'em. They don't leak a drop and when rewicked with cotton, vape and taste great. I can give you a couple tips I've got from the forum here if you want.

Is the dual coil iclear rebuildable? Back when I tried the first duel coils from smok, they vaped a little too cool to suit me but I admit I never tried them with higher voltage and that's what a lot of posters said they needed.

If you've got your eye out for some new equipment, take a look at the 'inside the drunker' thread. It's fairly new on the market and several of us are liking it.

 

[BearWolf]

Any tips would be great! Every single time I search for something, I get sidetracked and spend hours looking through a gazillion tabs..about everything! I currently use a smore xpower with adapters i got when they came out . First attempt at vaping but the cartos and atomizer it came with just weren't enough. Too light. Not enough vapor. Love my redux and iclear!
Yeah, the dual coil is like the redux, with a replaceable head/coil. Only it has two coil/wicks, one on top of the other(separated one above the other and not touching) forming a cross. It is a bit cooler, but lots of vapor. Still trying to recoil..no victories yet. But i can rewick them till the coil dies. With cotton of course! Now they vape like a beast!
Sorry if I got sidetracked from the cotton..love cotton!!.....
Anyway i'm off to see "inside the drunker". Another sleepless night.

 

[JD1]

Any tips would be great! .........

I've settled in on a main wick through the coil and a helper wick over top. Cotton wicks really well and this arrangement has been working really well in my reduxes. I got the idea from these posts. (except I don't drill out the slots). look at pic 4 and 5. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...t-cottons-different-wicks-10.html#post8342057 and http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ivi-nova-rebuild-tutorial-18.html#post7074093

I spend some time on my coils. I think it's worth it because I can replace the wick and use them until they pop.

for my reduxes, I use a small nail that's about 1/16 in. diameter. Find a nail, drill bit or something that all but fits down the slots and you should be good. Wrap your coil on this, then slide in a small cotton plug, then a needle at the bottom to slide down the slots for installation.

I start by twisting the end of my wire and this is going to be my positive leg. I do it to stiffen the leg as well as reduce the dry heat from the leg. I don't twist the negative leg. I slide it over against the slots until it makes contact there so that it doesn't heat anyway. Then I place the wire to the nail right where the twist ends and wrap 6 close spaced turns. (32 ga Kanthal-about 2.1 ohms) I squeeze them together and they pop back apart a little for close spaced coils.

Then I grab the coil with my tweezers about half way down the nail, right where the wire comes of the nail and fold the wire back at a 90 degree angle. I do that for both legs. Then install in the head, break of the wires by bending up and down, not twisting, and make sure they've broken off flush.

I then remove the pin and cotton plug in the direction that keeps the negative side of the coil pushed toward the slots, and slide in a very small wick, again in the same direction. I want the wick to slide in easy enough and just make contact with the coil. It'll swell up and fit snug.

Hope this helps and I'll try to find some more links. Any questions just ask away.

 

[BearWolf]

Thanx!
So, what type of cotton are you using? rounds, cheese cloth.. and how does the "helper" wick go exactly. Does it lie directly on the coil? Won't that drown it?
Oh and i'm glad you clarified the whole positive negative thing. I was just doing this blindly..carefully, but blindly none the less. Took one apart and put it together as I saw it.

 

[BearWolf]

I'm liking the cotton pads (mine are square) so much that I can't imagine it being better. It's a bummer when you loose precious juice and time (waiting for the soak)! I do have the cheese cloth ready tho.

 

[BearWolf]

Is the dual coil iclear rebuildable? Back when I tried the first duel coils from smok, they vaped a little too cool to suit me...

Actually, the iclear is pretty warm at lower ohms, but it does go through juice quicker, and now with the cotton wick, the redux is just as good.

 

[JD1]

I'm liking the cotton pads (mine are square) so much that I can't imagine it being better. It's a bummer when you loose precious juice and time (waiting for the soak)! I do have the cheese cloth ready tho.

I honestly can't tell any difference in wicking between cheesecloth and the makeup rounds, but the rounds seem easier to work with for longer wicks. I got my rounds and a pair of tweezers from dollar tree. (Mack shows them on page 3.)

Cheese cloth isn't hard to work with either. Square it up and measure with a ruler, then cut between the little threads as a guide. Fold it up first then roll between thumb and finger. I fold up about 1/2 inch for the main wick in my reduxes.

 

[Herb3]

I finally got a chance tonight to make my first coils and rewick a Vivi Nova Mini and a Kanger T3 with the cotton yarn. My coils looked a bit ugly but they both work and ending up right at 2.5 ohms. The cotton is working great in the Vivi but I think I used too much yarn in the T3.