Freehand, the mesh is rigid enough, I just temp. stick a needle through it for something to hold...torch the kanthal to take the spring out of it, a lot easier...
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Freehand, the mesh is rigid enough, I just temp. stick a needle through it for something to hold...torch the kanthal to take the spring out of it, a lot easier...
The main issue I have using any of the threads/wicks other than silica is that I absolutely have to clean (few minutes soak in PGA) and dryburn my coil wick every day. EVERY DAY!!!! (I'm not changing juice as I spent many months, many dollars, sampling hundreds of juices, first year vaping and I can't stand all but about five; all with butterscoth base.) I just don't have the time nor inclination to do much fiddling and I can take RBA off pat excess juice off, drop in tiny container of PGA, all in 30 seconds. Then take out, pat, blow, and back on REO, in 30 seconds. Torching any wick that is not too close to posts and then dryburning takes a couple of minutes. I can't do that with cotton, bamboo, etc.
I would be thrilled if there were other wick materials that could be regularly torched and dryburned taking <5 minutes EVERY SINGLE DAY. Open for suggestions.
Hugs, Feisty Alice
I would be thrilled if there were other wick materials that could be regularly torched and dryburned taking <5 minutes EVERY SINGLE DAY. Open for suggestions.
Hugs, Feisty Alice
This is no doubt going to open a huge can of worms here but...the biggest issue with dry burning is that it takes a very fragile material (silica) and makes it even more brittle by subjecting it to intense heat...every pop and crack that comes out of our atty's is fracturing and spalling silica fibers...at the same time we are inhaling (usually with great vigour and zeal) these shards into our throats and lungs...
Folks are gonna do what folks are gonna do, fair enough but you have to think whether 5 mins out of your day is worth the long term risk, there's a lot of myth and lore when it comes to vaping, however, Silicosis is real.
Just saying
Folks are gonna do what folks are gonna do, fair enough but you have to think whether 5 mins out of your day is worth the long term risk, there's a lot of myth and lore when it comes to vaping, however, Silicosis is real.
Just saying
Thanks. That's exactly why I want to stop using the silica!! And you are so right. I don't have to do any rethinking about it. I just need to get myself more organized so rewicking will go faster. I have a "helping hands' with magnifier and lighted jewelers magnifier but I just need to get all things together and located near best lighting. So far I've been making wick/coils while in recliner, while watching TV, using a great elbow lamp and doing it just with reader glasses and minimal tools. It was really funny when I had all on lap tray, including some built wick/coils that I'd soaked in PGA but didn't dry thoroughly, in a little metal condiment cup, and hit them with a torch. Nice blue flamed "burner" in my lap. DH was freaked but I knew it was going to happen. I've spent a "bit" of time in labs.
I have some natural cotton yarn boiled and dried. I'm going to try my hand at rewicking. I'll pull wick out, do the coil dry burn, and then reinsert fresh wick. I've been keeping up, here and there, on what people are doing for wicks.
Hugs, Feisty Alice
{edit} We keep a Dissecting Microscope in kitchen to look at interesting things all the time. It's easy to see what happens to the silica wick and what we are inhaling.
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So good to hear!...I've been using ERA's and A7's almost exclusively for a while now and I've about gotten re-wicking them down to where I can do it at a red light while driving (well almost 
)...I have 2 different methods, my original, and by far most easiest (may involve some material purchases but well worth it) and a more advanced, boutique type (involves mesh)...
Been thinking of putting up a vid on the easy method but you'll need:
Kanthal A1 wire 30 Gauge 100 FT (0.39oz) Resistance Resistor AWG A-1 | eBay
and
Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 10-Natural | eBay
...about $15 worth of stuff for over a years worth of coil and wick...here's a pic of the final product:
The beauty of this build is you only have to make a new coil about once a month (or less), the 30 awg is rubust enough where you can slide new Lydia's in and out without disturbing the coil (and while the Lydia's is out give it a good burn and clean with a toothbrush before re-wicking).
The coil is wrapped 6 times around two "round toothpicks", an idea I got from a fellow ecf'r BJ43...it makes an "oval" shaped coil that:
1. makes slipping the wick in super easy
2. gives a bigger surface area for the air to interact with from your airhole very well, incredible vape
The wick make-up is super easy to reproduce every time...wrap the Lydia's #10 yarn around an 18650 batt and a small 2" piece of the 30 awg kanthal 10x, use the Kanthal to pull the Lydia's through the coil and with the same piece of Kanthal, tie the loops together on the back side of the ERA's posts...done
)...I have 2 different methods, my original, and by far most easiest (may involve some material purchases but well worth it) and a more advanced, boutique type (involves mesh)...Been thinking of putting up a vid on the easy method but you'll need:
Kanthal A1 wire 30 Gauge 100 FT (0.39oz) Resistance Resistor AWG A-1 | eBay
and
Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 10-Natural | eBay
...about $15 worth of stuff for over a years worth of coil and wick...here's a pic of the final product:
The beauty of this build is you only have to make a new coil about once a month (or less), the 30 awg is rubust enough where you can slide new Lydia's in and out without disturbing the coil (and while the Lydia's is out give it a good burn and clean with a toothbrush before re-wicking).
The coil is wrapped 6 times around two "round toothpicks", an idea I got from a fellow ecf'r BJ43...it makes an "oval" shaped coil that:
1. makes slipping the wick in super easy
2. gives a bigger surface area for the air to interact with from your airhole very well, incredible vape
The wick make-up is super easy to reproduce every time...wrap the Lydia's #10 yarn around an 18650 batt and a small 2" piece of the 30 awg kanthal 10x, use the Kanthal to pull the Lydia's through the coil and with the same piece of Kanthal, tie the loops together on the back side of the ERA's posts...done
i haven't tried it yet myself, but the pyrex glass tube wick sounds pretty interesting (i think, it's worth to try it with silica or cotton):
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/355145-new-dans-scubaqu-only-4.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/355145-new-dans-scubaqu-only-4.html
So good to hear!...I've been using ERA's and A7's almost exclusively for a while now and I've about gotten re-wicking them down to where I can do it at a red light while driving (well almost
Been thinking of putting up a vid on the easy method but you'll need:
Kanthal A1 wire 30 Gauge 100 FT (0.39oz) Resistance Resistor AWG A-1 | eBay
and
Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 10-Natural | eBay
...about $15 worth of stuff for over a years worth of coil and wick...here's a pic of the final product:
View attachment 157828
The beauty of this build is you only have to make a new coil about once a month (or less), the 30 awg is rubust enough where you can slide new Lydia's in and out without disturbing the coil (and while the Lydia's is out give it a good burn and clean with a toothbrush before re-wicking).
The coil is wrapped 6 times around two "round toothpicks", an idea I got from a fellow ecf'r BJ43...it makes an "oval" shaped coil that:
1. makes slipping the wick in super easy
2. gives a bigger surface area for the air to interact with from your airhole very well, incredible vape
The wick make-up is super easy to reproduce every time...wrap the Lydia's #10 yarn around an 18650 batt and a small 2" piece of the 30 awg kanthal 10x, use the Kanthal to pull the Lydia's through the coil and with the same piece of Kanthal, tie the loops together on the back side of the ERA's posts...done
Wow and thanks. I just ordered a big spool of 30 Kanthal. I'm thinking it's the most versatile. I'm hoping to someday soon take some time out to do just coil/wick with different wicks and not do any multitasking other than music in background.
My current coil building station. Tray in lap. Paper towels, PGA, spool Kanthal, torch, drink and REO on side table.
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@ westamyx: the idea of the pyrex glass tube is to keep building up gunk away from the coil ... and it makes it easy to replace any wick.
Thanks. I'll look into that. Ever since we discovered and stuck with our base juice, late 2010, all my attys have needed cleaning after a day or two. The coil gets really gunked up no matter what atty it is. If the pyrex tube works out it will be a major improvement for our vaping pleasure. DH can go longer as he likes less TH than I do and his aged tasting facilities aren't as acute as mine. He even vapes flavorless sometimes. He gets a lot more use time on the ViVi Nova attys (atty tank system). Not sure why but he does. I haven't used a ViVi Nova enough to know how it would be for me.
Hugs, Feisty Alice
So good to hear!...I've been using ERA's and A7's almost exclusively for a while now and I've about gotten re-wicking them down to where I can do it at a red light while driving (well almost
Been thinking of putting up a vid on the easy method but you'll need:
Kanthal A1 wire 30 Gauge 100 FT (0.39oz) Resistance Resistor AWG A-1 | eBay
and
Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 10-Natural | eBay
...about $15 worth of stuff for over a years worth of coil and wick...here's a pic of the final product:
View attachment 157828
The beauty of this build is you only have to make a new coil about once a month (or less), the 30 awg is rubust enough where you can slide new Lydia's in and out without disturbing the coil (and while the Lydia's is out give it a good burn and clean with a toothbrush before re-wicking).
The coil is wrapped 6 times around two "round toothpicks", an idea I got from a fellow ecf'r BJ43...it makes an "oval" shaped coil that:
1. makes slipping the wick in super easy
2. gives a bigger surface area for the air to interact with from your airhole very well, incredible vape
The wick make-up is super easy to reproduce every time...wrap the Lydia's #10 yarn around an 18650 batt and a small 2" piece of the 30 awg kanthal 10x, use the Kanthal to pull the Lydia's through the coil and with the same piece of Kanthal, tie the loops together on the back side of the ERA's posts...done
This is perfect and I will be give this a try real soon thanks Quigs
So good to hear!...I've been using ERA's and A7's almost exclusively for a while now and I've about gotten re-wicking them down to where I can do it at a red light while driving (well almost
Been thinking of putting up a vid on the easy method but you'll need:
Kanthal A1 wire 30 Gauge 100 FT (0.39oz) Resistance Resistor AWG A-1 | eBay
and
Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread Size 10-Natural | eBay
...about $15 worth of stuff for over a years worth of coil and wick...here's a pic of the final product:
View attachment 157828
The beauty of this build is you only have to make a new coil about once a month (or less), the 30 awg is rubust enough where you can slide new Lydia's in and out without disturbing the coil (and while the Lydia's is out give it a good burn and clean with a toothbrush before re-wicking).
The coil is wrapped 6 times around two "round toothpicks", an idea I got from a fellow ecf'r BJ43...it makes an "oval" shaped coil that:
1. makes slipping the wick in super easy
2. gives a bigger surface area for the air to interact with from your airhole very well, incredible vape
The wick make-up is super easy to reproduce every time...wrap the Lydia's #10 yarn around an 18650 batt and a small 2" piece of the 30 awg kanthal 10x, use the Kanthal to pull the Lydia's through the coil and with the same piece of Kanthal, tie the loops together on the back side of the ERA's posts...done
Thank You Quigsworth your build works great. I wrapped the Lydias 10x around the battery and slipped it through the coil it may not be as pretty as yours but vapes just fine. No more worried about the silica. Do you do a dry burn with the Bamboo?
Thank you again
Thank You Quigsworth your build works great. I wrapped the Lydias 10x around the battery and slipped it through the coil it may not be as pretty as yours but vapes just fine. No more worried about the silica. Do you do a dry burn with the Bamboo?
Thank you again
You can't dry burn any organic (cotton, bamboo, hemp, etc...it'll burn) but seeing as you get about 8000 builds out of a roll of Lydia's and it only takes about 5 mins to do I just pull the old Lydia's out every 3-4 days (if I'm vaping it heavy) and build it again...this method may seem a bit fumblely at first but it gets easier and easier...
I tried the two toothpick method. Wasn't for me but maybe I need to play some more.
Just ordered the Bamboo from ebay. Thanks. I've had ERAs since first US co-op and I've been using 32 kanthal with silica until I got a spool of 30 in from RTD. 30 certainly is much more robust. 30 will still move a bit when inserting new wick if it's a tight fit but I haven't had any coils break first few times inserting new wick. Only played with the 28 a few times. It is harder to work with. 32 does get pretty fragile after use. Instead of torching the 30 before making coil I've been dryburning bare coil on REO before inserting first wick. The few times I torched the wire before making coil I must have over done it as the wire broke a few times tightening the post screws down. So dryburning bare coil, before inserting wick, while on REO, has worked the best for me.
Hugs, Feisty Alice
If anyone has fallen out of love with their ERA and is thinking of parting with it please let me know via PM. I can't afford a lot right now but would like to discuss.
Someone took pity on me and made me a nice offer so I think I will be set for a while.
Someone took pity on me and made me a nice offer so I think I will be set for a while.
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I noticed that both ERA and Hornet are bottom fed and the same price.
The Hornet is taller than the ERA.
Is there an advantage of one over the other for a Reo Grand?
Thanks in advance for your replies/suggestions.
The Hornet is taller than the ERA.
Is there an advantage of one over the other for a Reo Grand?
Thanks in advance for your replies/suggestions.
I just got done making two different coils with this method...one with the bamboo thread and the 1860 battery, two round toothpicks, it's awesome so far.
And then I made the same coil with the two round toothpicks, but I used a double strand of 3 mm. silica, it's awesome also, so far!
Thank you, Quigsworth!!
It's great to only change out the wick instead of building the whole setup!!!
And then I made the same coil with the two round toothpicks, but I used a double strand of 3 mm. silica, it's awesome also, so far!
Thank you, Quigsworth!!
It's great to only change out the wick instead of building the whole setup!!!
I'd say it's a total toss-up. The insides are the same....so it comes down to styling. I was thrilled when the Hornet became available because it fits my Mini REOs. So....if you intend to put your RBA on anything besides a Grand, then the versatility might be something you care about. I prefer the looks of the Hornet....sleeker...but that's just a personal preference.
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