for those who own and use orchids (daily if possible)

[defdock]

would you be so kind to take the time to upload a few photos for me? specificaly i want a picture of how the wicks look before and after juiced - how they "sit" on the channels more or less - and possibly a picture of how the wicks look after one day use - or whenever you change the wicks.


i have got an orchid in the last few weeks, and despite many many many rewicking and build attempts - i keep feeling like im smoking/burning my wick.

when i take apart the orchid and rewick it (only 2 tanks of juice between wicking) the coils and cotton are completely black and cruddy - as compared to my evods i get many many tanks before it ever gets ANYTHING like that bad.


please and thank you - im very paranoid


ETA: info on my build - .7 dual coil, 28G, 3mm id, cotton wicking. running at 25W on the istick30

 

[roxynoodle]

I just gave mine to someone yesterday. I did write him up a build tutorial though. I can show you those pics, but the wicks aren't juiced.

 

[defdock]

i would appreciate that.

after this tank is done, im going to take it apart and get pics and update the OP.

 

[roxynoodle]

Let me tell you the whole build. Never had a leak or dry hit.

Coils are 3/32" (2.4mm). 26g, 9 wraps, 0.5 ohm.

I cut the ends of the wicks to fit the curve of the top of the deck. This prevents liquid from getting past it, and nothing sticks out for the chimney to grab and dislodge when you screw it on. No tails.

From top:

From the side:

When I juice them I use the tip of the bottle to push any stray parts back onto the top of the deck.

 

[defdock]

at first, thats kinda how i was building it.





28G, 3mm id - with that build it would leak all over the place, AND burn everytime i took a toot.


someone yesterday mentioned to leave the tails a hair longer, and to fold/tuck them under the coil like you would a dripper - so far no leaking issues besides going outside to shovel the driveway and comin back in the warm house. - but ive rewicked twice since i tried that, just to look at the wicks, and its the same as previous build - very burnt crud and black wicks/coils

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm sure many people have builds that work for them. I admit, I haven't seen others wick like I do. I wick the Aquas, Silverplay and Estia the same way, except for with tails.

 

[TXBiker]

If you'd have only posted this earlier today. I changed flavors and rewicked around noon. I run the same build but use 26g wire. It's easy to over wick the tank it took a couple of try's for me to get it right. I cut a strip of kgd cotton long enough to extend a little past the chimney threads then split it in half for each coil you should be able to pull the wicks back and forth in the coil without it moving your mod there should just be a light drag. When you juice the cotton it absorbs it and the cotton fibers swell. I pick at my tails with the tip of my xacto blade to fluf them a bit before the juice. Once the wick is good and wet I'll start tucking it under the coil and around the deck make sure the air holes are clear and I don't extend the tails in the channels at all I make sure the channel is covered good on the deck. Once I have everything in place the way I like and clear of the threads I run the chimney down to the bottom then back it off a turn and a half put it together and fill. If I need to adjust my juice flow I can pop the driptip and use a tool to adjust the chimney up or down. I did however modify mine a little recently. I opened the airholes front to back and opened the juice channels for better flow now I can just screw down the chimney and not worry about having to adjust the flow all of the time. Sorry I didn't have any pic's and unfortunately it'll be a few weeks before another rewick. My wick stays pretty nice with my favorite local juice but it will darken and gunk up after a week of heavy use. If I'm vaping my boba's which is real dark it dirtys up pretty quick usually by the end of a week. If your getting a old dirty t shirt taste with good vapor there's too much wick. If there's not enough you'll get a metallic taste and unvaporized juice will run out of the airholes constantly.

 

[defdock]

It's easy to over wick the tank it took a couple of try's for me to get it right.
you should be able to pull the wicks back and forth in the coil without it moving your mod there should just be a light drag.


Once the wick is good and wet I'll start tucking it under the coil and around the deck make sure the air holes are clear and I don't extend the tails in the channels at all I make sure the channel is covered good on the deck.


If your getting a old dirty t shirt taste with good vapor there's too much wick.

had to sit here and extensively read this as i rebuilt - best advice yet on this orchid.





only a few puffs in and no leaks yet.

 

[duc916]

KGD cotton with tails works best for me.... just did this today with some Wakonda. Excuse my oxidized coils. I was in a hurry.

 

[UncleChuck]

How much of a gap do you have between the tank tube and the chimney? I've purchased several Orchid clones with the kayfun tank tubes and there was noticeable difference in the thickness of the clear plastic tank section.

The last two I purchased would give my dry hits after 3 puffs or so, I rewicked and fiddled around with everything I could think of but couldn't understand why I couldn't get them to work right. Then i realized that the tank sections were extremely thick compared to my other Orchids and kayfuns, to the point that one side was nearly touching the chimney. There is precious little space there to begin with, and with the extra-thick tubes there wasn't enough space for the air bubbles to escape and they refused to feed properly.

I replaced one with the standard orchid tube and another with a full plastic tank meant for Kayfuns (which you'll need a V4 chimney for) and the issue went away completely and now they vape wonderfully just like my other Orchids, which are still using the kayfun tube sections but have much thinner walls on the clear part.

Just figured I'd mention it as it might not be a wicking issue at all, I brought it up to one of the guys at a local shop and he mentioned noticing the same thing, but I'm not sure how many/how common these tanks with the smaller inner diameter are.

 

[duc916]

UncleChuck makes a very good point. All four of my V4's have Kayfun m-tanks because of this exact reason. Anything beyond about 60%VG with the stock setup would result in dry-hits no matter how well I wicked it. Gravity is supposed to force liquid upward toward your wick.... that's how these tanks work.... but if liquid is locked between the two walls because it's too viscous for that narrow space, it ain't going anywhere. The thinner walled m-tanks give it just enough space to work as intended.

 

[Stosh]

+10 -- I've switched all mine to Kayfun M4 tanks to make it much easier to bottom fill them with a needle bottle or syringe. Now it's very easy to fill, and with the extra space, it would seem also easier for the juice to find it's way back out via the wicks.....

I never had problems with wicking, regardless of how badly trimmed they were, or what material I used for a wick. Sufficient space for the juice to get to the wick may be the difference.

 

[roxynoodle]

Mine was the Tobeco v3 running completely stock. I was able to vape 70vg all the way to empty with no issues ?? Its true there is very little room between the chimney and the tank.

 

[TXBiker]

had to sit here and extensively read this as i rebuilt - best advice yet on this orchid.





only a few puffs in and no leaks yet.

Looks good nice clean job. The biggest issue that I've seen around my area was over wicking. I tried to wick mine like my rda the first time, vapor production was great but that taste.

 

[TXBiker]

KGD cotton with tails works best for me.... just did this today with some Wakonda. Excuse my oxidized coils. I was in a hurry.

A friend of mine likes his the same way and it does work well. Sometimes I get in a rush and will get a tail or two in a channel. I wished they would have either slotted or hex stamped the top of the chimney, so I can use a better tool to adjust the juice flow. When it's warmer and my max vg isn't gear oil thick, I run mine down maybe a half turn off of the deck.

 

[TXBiker]

I used my v3 stock with max vg and didn't have any issues except for filling which was self inflicted. I got tired of playing the rta game. They all do something right for someone. I liked the look of the orchid and decided to mod mine. I opened the juice channels a bit and it flows a lot better. The draw was just a little tight for me so I opened the airholes one size. If it wasn't such a pita to fill It would be my perfect tank.

 

[defdock]

using a v2 orchid - i dont have a set of calipers here to borrow ATM to check the clearance between the walls of the chimney and tank.
i would have to assume its 2mm or wider clearence, i can stick the little blue screwdriver(1.96mm) between them and tilt it diagonal - maybe 2.5 or 3 mm.


my juice is decently thin, it wicks perfectly fine in an evod - thats why im so confused lol.


so far, after lastnights rebuild - im still on tank one - no leaks over night laying on its side - semi cottony tasting but guessing thats fresh wick and will dissipate soon. i cant taste the vanilla, but i can feel my menthol.

 

[defdock]

it seams i cant get this thing to stop leaking/burning.

ive checked the orings and made sure the vacuum is functional - everything checks out fine - so i have to assume its my wicking, wrong again it dont matter how i wick it.

no matter the build/wicking. if i fill the tank up, it leaks till it meets the "halfway point" of the plastic tank - syringe check, 1ml only left in the tank.
after it leaks half of the tank, it magicaly stops - every time - from this point, it starts burning and givving off horrible dry hits.


im at my wits end with this darn thing.


i even sealed the fill screw with plumbers tape thinking it was an airleak there, but apparently not.

 

[duc916]

ive checked the orings and made sure the vacuum is functional - everything checks out fine

How are you checking it? The right way is to put it together without liquid and plug the two intakes with your fingers, suck on the drip tip then plug it with your tongue or lip. After 10 sec or so pull your lip away.... was there still vacuum? If not, you're leaking.

 

[cwoodnola]

The wicking can be tricky too much cotton plus too much wick in the channel will cause the juice to not wick properly. I over wicked mine when I rebuilt last night and got the same burning wick taste. Have to re wick tonight. Unfortunately once I open it up to re wick the tank of juice is going to leak out. Live and learn. I will post a picture of my wick tonight. The key is to not have the wick block the channels. The Juice must flow to the wick.