Dud cart and Filling blanks

[Rappel_Welch]

First: I've never run across one myself, but one of hubby's co-workers got a dud cart and sent it back to me to see if I could fix it. I tried a post adjustment, tried blowing some juice out, and sucked on it 'till my eyes hurt, but to no avail. I took it apart ('cause that's what I do) and it looked as though the inner wrapping material was wrapped too tightly around the air tube and was blocking it.
Has anyone else seen this before? I wouldn't think it could be repaired, but some of you experts might have a suggestion in case I run across it again. Or, if there's something else to try other than the aforementioned attempts at repair, please let me now.

Next: I filled my first blank (yay me, I'm gettin' bolder). The first few hits were unbearable. It mellowed after that, but there was a hint of chemical taste. Is this normal? Also, is it better to fill and immediately vape, or fill and let sit for a few hours.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SnowDragon]

Rappel if you held the carto up to the light could you see through the air tube? If not, all you need to do is simply take a paper clip, bend it out, run it through the air tube past the polyfill. If that doesn't work...build altar, place some fruit in front of it and start burning incense....it's a dud.

"First few hits were unbearable" How many drops did you use and what method was employed? Sounds like the Carto was a little dry. I wait, oh....I don't know....I'd say at least a good 3 seconds before I use freshly filled carto. Like everything some folks will say you need to wait 18 hours and 23 minutes...it's not that complicated...fill and vape.

 

[Rappel_Welch]

Snow (I knew you'd come to my rescue), I couldn't see light through the airhole, so I tried pushing a needle through it from the top (opposite the battery end) and it wouldn't go through. I tried from the battery end and the fill started to push up with it (I figured that was a bad sign). I do have some really nice insense. Luckily I purchased extra carts for my recent converts.
As to filling, I used the drip method, 6 drops, then the Taryn spin, then 3 or 4 drops more and another spin). I waited about 6 seconds longer than you suggest (I guess I need to work on my approach speed).
Thanks very much.

 

[SnowDragon]

25 drops........you've probably seen the vid.

 

[Rappel_Welch]

I've seen the vid (very nice by the by) but I was too chicken to push the limits on my first run with my new blanks. Baby steps.

 

[N2rock]

Snow (I knew you'd come to my rescue), I couldn't see light through the airhole, so I tried pushing a needle through it from the top (opposite the battery end) and it wouldn't go through. I tried from the battery end and the fill started to push up with it (I figured that was a bad sign). I do have some really nice insense. Luckily I purchased extra carts for my recent converts.

Push paperclip up thru the battery end. Only thing you need to be careful of is hitting the coil- if you hit it, you'll know just by feel. If you hit is just wiggle the paperclip a bit and you will find your way thru it. The fact that you started pushing the filler tells me that the filler was probably just over-lapping the hole. I have had a couple cartos like that. I simply twist the paperclip and it eventually pushes thru. Once it is thru, you now know where the hole is (the hole is not always dead center btw). Now you can just take tweezers and move the filler out of the way.

FWIW- I have been thru probably 50-75 cartos and have not had a dud yet. Maybe I'm just lucky.

As to filling, I used the drip method, 6 drops, then the Taryn spin, then 3 or 4 drops more and another spin). I waited about 6 seconds longer than you suggest (I guess I need to work on my approach speed).
Thanks very much.

Way too complicated. I know I went thru all that stuff too in the beginning. Now I just simplify. Drip in a few drops, wait a moment for it to soak in, drip in some more, just keep doing- the entire time I'm doing it I'm looking down thru the hole. As long as I can see thru the hole I know everything is fine. Eventually I won't be able to see thru the hole- that means it is full. I usually count out the drops so that I know when I'm getting close- the minimum I have gotten was 28 drops, and once I got as high as 40 drops... Now I just stand it (battery end down) on a paper towel and allow that excess juice to flow out (takes about a minute to get it all out). Total time spent filling the carto is about 3 minutes. Even with my jumbo cartos (which require about 60 drops).

 

[wader2k]

For someone just getting their feet wet with filling by drops I recommend just sticking to 20 drops the first time or 2 to get a feel for it. That's enough that it's plenty wet but not so much it might be overfull and gurgle.

Go slow...3-4 drops at a time and turn.

 

[SnowDragon]

Rappel you'll be fine with 25, what can and often does happen is burning a cart right on the first draw if there isn't enough juice in the cart, especially when combined with a spin. The metal air tube sticks up about 5/16th of an inch...so if you spin those first 10 drops to the base it leaves the upper half of the wick dry. 30 is the definitely the max, so 25 will keep you in good shape.

Of course there will always be the mythical "this one time in band camp" I put 40 drops in a Cool Carto, to which I say, let's see the video please.

 

[Morandir835]

What if I use teeny tiny drops Snow sir? Does that count?

 

[N2rock]

Of course there will always be the mythical "this one time in band camp" I put 40 drops in a Cool Carto, to which I say, let's see the video please.

LOL.... I would rather not add to the plethora of youtube videos that no one will ever watch

 

[SnowDragon]

This one time I put 200 drops into a single Carto. It's easy I just stand it up on a couple of paper towels then drip 200 drops into it. The trick is you have to keep changing out the paper towels because for some reason they get pretty saturated with juice.

Muskrat

 

[Rappel_Welch]

nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!
Y'all are very helpful. Okay, Snow, I'll live dangerously and go for 20 drops next time.

Morandir, dear, I love the new avitar; very, um, well, Alice Cooperesque. I'm having flashbacks of Dead Babies. On a technical note, how does one make teeny tiny drops? I suppose I could use a razor blade and halve my regular-sized drops, but then I'd have to suck up all those teeny tiny drips ('cause surely a teeny tiny drop would be a drip, no) and put them in my cart. I'd be ever and a day filling one cart. And I'm not reallllllly supposed to play with sharp objects come to think of it.

 

[N2rock]

This one time I put 200 drops into a single Carto. It's easy I just stand it up on a couple of paper towels then drip 200 drops into it. The trick is you have to keep changing out the paper towels because for some reason they get pretty saturated with juice.

Muskrat

Amateur! I did 400 drops without ever changing out a paper towel! Pro's use ShamWow. Learn the right way would ya!

 

[Morandir835]

It requires a syring Ms. Rappel, and a lot of paitence...

garlic muskrat

 

[keelalagirl55]

This is just a thought mind you....I believe it was luma who put out the vid for changing the draw on the cartos by twisting the post....my first thought was that it changed the circumference of the air hole....now it is too hard for me to twist the post and watch down through the top of the carto, but before tossing that carto, try taking either some forceps or a screwdriver and twist the post counter clockwise...dunno if it will help or not, but that does loosen the draw on cartos.

Hey Moradir....am I smelling a wild cookout

 

[N2rock]

keela- I have never heard of that. You don't by chance know where that video is? I have some dual coil cartos that I think are too tight of a draw and would love to try that trick out

 

[keelalagirl55]

It's here in this forum somewhere....he used a screwdriver in the indentations and twisted 1/4 turn till he got the desired effect. It was just a few days ago.....


Edit: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vapor4life/175391-firm-up-your-draw-increase-vapor-video.html