Going through cartomizers like crazy!

[TVC70]

It seems drilling would leave a nice clean hole that might be more conducive to juice transfer into the carto, but I'm concerned about leaving metal shavings in the filler. Do people remove the filler before drilling or is it not really an issue? I have a dremel, so I'm all set in that reguard.

 

[Jeremy-WI]

I tried drilling some cartos and barely scratched them, the dremel worked better and cut nice slots. Hopefully I will have some time to make a jig out of a piece of 2x4 to make some punched cartos. I have used my dremel slot cartos with the chibi tanks and they work well. I did get my order of SS boge's rather than the ones with the black paper on them, so I will be playing with them as there is no glue to remove

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

It seems drilling would leave a nice clean hole that might be more conducive to juice transfer into the carto, but I'm concerned about leaving metal shavings in the filler. Do people remove the filler before drilling or is it not really an issue? I have a dremel, so I'm all set in that reguard.

I tried a few minutes ago on some old cartos. The drill left little bits of metal which could tear the rubber rings and on one the drill bit actually caught the stuffing and ripped it. Tried with a dremel and it worked perfect IMO.

 

[TVC70]

Thanks, guys.

 

[wyojoe]

I tried a few minutes ago on some old cartos. The drill left little bits of metal which could tear the rubber rings and on one the drill bit actually caught the stuffing and ripped it. Tried with a dremel and it worked perfect IMO.

That will happen all the time (caught the stuffing and ripped it). The best way is to punch a hole is with a Saddle Valve from a hardware store or TheHomeDepot. It works very well and you get the same sized hole every time. You just tighten it up on your carto and turn the handle until you hear it pop and turn it until it stops. Or you can use a sheetrock screw or Deck screw that has a pointed tip and put it where you want it and hit it with a hammer and after breaking thru tap it until you get the size hole you want. You want the saddle valve with a curved plate on both sides. Its made to use for a ice maker and you find a near by copper pipe, connect it and punch a hole in it and has a on/off valve with it to get water to your ice maker.

 

[TVC70]

Thanks, Joe. I may give that a try, as well, and see which I like better. Looks like I'll be able to pick up a 3/8-3/4" saddle valve for about $9 at Ace.

 

[pnc81498]

Lowes had them with a ice maker kit 4.99 picked 2 up today. Punched a carto just because I wanted to try easy as it gets.

 

[wyojoe]

Thanks, Joe. I may give that a try, as well, and see which I like better. Looks like I'll be able to pick up a 3/8-3/4" saddle valve for about $9 at Ace.

Is that the width of the saddle valve I don't understand the size. It should be a self piercing saddle valve. I went to the ace site on line and they don't show one but I'm pretty sure they have one. Homedepot has one for 6 Dollars on line. Look on the Homedepot site so you will know what to look for, type in saddle valve. Model # 92685, after seeing it just find one like it where ever you can find one, its the best and easiest way to punch holes.

 

[TVC70]

Is that the width of the saddle valve I don't understand the size.

Well, it's the size of pipe that the valve will work with: 3/8" od minimum and 3/4" od max. Cartos look to me to be around 3/8"od, so I figure that size ought to work. The one I was looking at at the Ace site was self-piercing, as well, with a little spike under the valve.

edit: I measured a couple cartos just now on a drill gauge and they fit the 3/8" hole fairly well (ever so slightly loose).

edit again: Disreguard that. I just saw they have a 1/4-3/4" self-tapping one for under $6. Cheaper and more leeway in size. Woot!

 

[tyeryann]

Ok I went ahead and ordered some new juice from Blue Mist Vaping, as someone suggested on this thread, and I've got to say it's pretty darned good stuff! I got maple bacon, sex on the beach, and they sent along a little bottle of buttery nipple and it's all really good. I've been switching back and forth between the three of them all day.

Also, yeah, I'm going to have to agree with the people who said it was probably the TV juice that was killing my cartos, because I've been vaping the BMV stuff pretty much non-stop since it arrived yesterday, and my carts are still going strong. My cartos would have already started tasting like crap and getting clogged up by now if I was vaping the TV stuff. It's a shame, because their juice is really awesome, but I just can't afford to go through a carto a day.

I'm really glad someone recommended BMV. Seems now I can have tasty juice (at a ridiculously low price) without killing my cartos! Win!

 

[BCurtis]

This is all great info (as usual). As others have mentioned, I've noticed that darker TV juices (80/20 pg/vg chocolate and/or coffee based) seem to burn through cartos rather quickly for the Mrs. She started with ST eGo megas, which lasted 2 days at most with dark TV juices. I recently switched her to ST 1.7 ohm "Resurrector" punched cartos in a tank with much better results. So far, she's getting around 4-5 days per carto (I'd say 15 - 20 ml of juice). The 1.7s are cheaper than the eGo Megas as well (per carto), bonus.

I mainly use lighter, fruity juices (also 80/20 vg/pg) and usually get 7-10 days minimum out of my Boge LR & SR cartos (also "tanked"), depending on vaping habits for that time period. I tend to run out of a specific flavor before I actually need to replace a carto. I just ordered some TV Cherry Cola, so I'll see how that holds up. I didn't have a problem with Juicy Vapor Cherry Cola -- Will be interesting to see if a specific vendor's juice can determine the life span of a carto.

 

[rephlex]

I use the Bloog's horizontal coil Carto's when I am not using the Fluxo's. I usually get around 4 weeks of cycling between 3 or 4 of them. I flush them out with water every few days and let them dry completely. Works like a charm.

 

[mynameisrob]

Glad to hear you like the BMV juice, I was the one that recommend it. They also have DIY flavors of all their juices so if you ever start making your own juice, you can make the juices you like from BMV, and then its even cheaper. I havent tried the flavors you got so Ill have to at some point. I use the Ressurector cartos and get avg 2-4 weeks out of one carto with juices I make with BMV flavors. The longest ive gone is almost 7 weeks with one Ressurector using BMV juice, and I never clean my cartos. Def makes it easy to get your moneys worth for your cartos, even without cleaning them.