Help filling cartos

[gpx114]

Hi,

3rd day vaping here (besides crappy kr808 clones), so be gentle.

I've watched several YouTube videos on how to fill cartos -- but, I'm just not sure if I'm doing it right.

I bought some cartomizers from vaporescence (local store) for my ego-C battery. From the website, they appear to be Boge 2.0 ohms.

Rather than use the condom method, I'm just popping my tip off and filling directly down the cartomizer. From the videos, they say to fill it by dripping juice down the side until it just begins to pool above the filler. But, whenever I fill a blank carto, even the first drop just pools on top and doesn't get absorbed by the filler.

I started blowing into the top, which causes the juice to settle down into the filler. Then, I'd drip some more in, and repeat. But, I found that I can seemingly fill an indefinite amount of juice down into the carto that way. Of course, some of it starts coming out the other end as I blow; and that's usually when I stop.

When I try smoking, I hear a little gurgling and maybe a small crackling & popping. I typically get a few good throat hits, but then it gets really muted after that. If I put it away for a bit, the first couple hits are good again; so, I don't know if its just my throat getting attuned to the hit.

I also don't really know if the flavor is "correct" or not, because I have pretty poor taste buds (maybe from smoking 15 for years). In fact, trying flavors as the store, I barely taste any of them -- I actually smell them more than I can taste them. I'm using RY4, so that's a pretty neutral/light tasting liquid.

I don't know if I'm putting in too much juice, or too little. I'd say, typically I put in anywhere from 12-15 drops, but at this point, I don't even know if I'm filling when its anywhere near empty.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!
gpx

update: I just picked up my ecig again after a few seconds, and the only hear a very faint gurgling/popping. I got a good throat hit again for the next 5-6 hits, and then it has muted again.

 

[s14sher]

What juice are you using? It's harder to fill with thicker juices. When I fill a carto, I usually put in a few drops, then shake it down like a thermometer. I repeat until it won't shake down any more. Since you're checking out youtube, search for the taryn spin.

 

[Corn410]

do you know if your juice is PG or VG? VG is thicker so it will take longer to sink into the filler. Most of the time it is mixed. you should let all your refilled carts set for about 5min to fully soak in before you start vaping

 

[Baditude]

What you are experiencing about perceived muted flavors is common amongst new vapors. You are correct that your taste buds have been damaged from years of inhaling hot burning tobacco smoke and endless chemical substances. But rest assured, once you stop the analogs, the taste buds return, good as pre-analog new. The time period for this varies greatly, from a week or two, to two to three months.

There are a couple of variables involved concerning your carto filling issues. Thicker juices, such as those found in higher ratio or all vg recipes, will be more difficult to wick thru the polyfill material. Only solution to that would be to thin or dilute it down with either more pg or water.

The are differences in the materials used as the polyfill in different brands of cartomizers. Boges are known to have more densely packed cartos, making them a little more slower to absorb or wick juice. Smoktek on the other hand has less dense polyfill, a nd are more likely to flood.

Just a tip on the method I use. When dripping juice into the top of a carto, I place a broken wooden tooth pic into the airhole. This prevents any unwanted juice to accidentally get in there. I rarely need to blow juice out of the air hole with this method.

 

[gpx114]

The guy at the store said it varies, but typically about 50/50. The particular liquid I'm using is their RY4, so its a clear liquid.

I'm never getting juice in my mouth, so I assume that I've never really filled too much. Does the gurgling/popping indicate that I've flooded the atty?

 

[s14sher]

The gurgling does. Some cartos will crackle and pop. It's normal.

 

[yzer]

50/50 should work easily in a carto. Maybe it it's improperly mixed. 100% VG (and I mean 100% Glycerine USP not thinned with anything) is too viscous so soak into wick or filler materials.

I thin down nicotine and 100% VG with about 5% water. Although very thick it works great in cartos.
Learn how to fully saturate a carto when filling. I remove the carto from the PV before filling or refilling. I hold the carto and a piece of wadded paper towel or Kleenex in one hand with the carto base resting on the paper. I drip e-liquid into the carto, rotating it 1/3 turn with each drop. I use 30 ml plastic dropper bottles for this job. Don't drip into the carto air passage in the middle of the carto. The carto is filled when e-liquid begins to drip from the carto base onto the paper. I put a drip tip onto the carto and blow a puff of air into the carto, clearing any liquid that has collected in the air passge near the carto base. Press the carto base onto the paper until the base is dry. The carto is now filled and ready to use.

Cartos can take a lot a juice before the filler is fully saturated. I use Smok Tech single coil 1.7 ohm or 2.0 ohm LR XL cartos in stainless steel. The Smok Tech XL will hold at least 1.8 ml of liquid. In practice this is 50 to 70 drops of fluid depending on individual carto differences. The average is 60 drops.

The fluid in the carto acts to cool the coil and filler material. If you let the carto filler get too dry it will burn. Once burned a carto is ruined and will never taste well. Although the Smok Tech LR XL carto will hold a total of 1.8 ml I refill the carto before it reaches the half-way mark and usually add 14-20 drops of liquid for each refilling.

Gurgling usually means an over-filled carto. Blow it out.

 

[Boosted]

The method I have used with cartos for a long time is as follows...

1. pop the rubber cap out
2. get a round toothpick and snap one of the sharp ends off
3. gently slid the toothpick down the center of the carto
4. fill liquid from the batting to the top of the carto(bout a quarter inch for most cartos)
5. repeat 3 times after liquid has soaked down.

This method does take time but it will ensure that your carto is totally full when you notice liquid coming out the bottom. that is how it is done. However you will not be able to get as much liquid in that same carto again if reusing so be aware of that as well.

 

[mcgaughey1]

I fill the little rubber cap half full and stick the carto down thread first and push the juice up.

 

[adamshanklesreo]

When I used cartos I would put five or six drops in and spin the cartos in a homemade necklace sling for a few seconds an repeated it about three times. Its quick and easy I'm a on the go person so if my cartos wasn't filled right I would be in trouble didn't carry any juice with me. Its called terren spin method

 

[Strigoi]

You should be putting in more than 12-15 drops on a fresh carto. I usually end up doing 25-30 before it's full when I've done it just by putting in drops.

I use a syringe 95% of the time. It's much quicker and you know they're full that way.

 

[18SixFifty]

I second the spin technique. I think they used to call it the Taryn Spin. Basically you fill the condom with juice place it in something so you can spin it around in a circle. The centrifugal force works to drain the juice into the carto. You can probably use the search engine on the site and type it in and fine a video. It's super simple and works.