throk" data-source="post: 16725373" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">The Japanese cotton pads (Ko Gen Do, Muji, etc.) are made of thin, layered squares of cotton. The thin, outermost layers - top and bottom - have an "ironed" appearance, and seem to hold together a little better than the "in-between" layers. These thin, outer layers can usually be carefully peeled off the pad, and work fairly well as the "surround" of the rebuilt coil. I used to use 2 wraps of the "skin" as the surround.
However, I've taken to splitting a pad in half (1/2 thickness) and using a strip of that as the surround, with the "ironed" outer layer facing out toward the outer barrel. Once around the inner barrel. This seems to deliver juice to the wick more efficiently than double wraps of the "skin".
The cotton fibers in the Japanese cotton pads all run in the same direction (unlike the fibers in cotton balls). This characteristic makes it great wicking material, imo, because eliquid flows very well between the cotton fibers. Always cut the pad in the same direction as the fibers - I.e. with the grain, not across it.
