I recently ordered an ego twist (my first vv device) and a smoktech dct 6ml tank. Only options were 1.5 or 3 ohms. Figured 3 might be a little much but already had 3 lr tanks. Anyway, with the factory hole I was not satisfied (using 100% VG juice) so I ordered two 2.5 ohm replacement carto's and a hole punch. Well, I wanted it to wick thoroughly so I put two at the bottom, one in the middle and one about 3/4 to the top. Well, all it does is stay clogged and leak so I replaced it with the other one and put only one hole just above the factory one. Is my other carto ruined or do I just need to let it dry out? If it is ruined, what did I do wrong? Just put the hole in a bad spot or is it possible I put a hole in the center tube? If I put a hole in the center tube is there a punch I can buy that doesn't go in that far? Any advice will help, thanks.
Hole punch question, dct tank
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Yeah think it's went through centre or to high up.
I prefer to use a junior hack saw and cut my cartons as I to found the pre hole not enough,with the saw you get a good cut over near half the circumference of the carto never had a prob since,worth a bash maybe ? As soon as you see the white inner that's deep enough.
I prefer to use a junior hack saw and cut my cartons as I to found the pre hole not enough,with the saw you get a good cut over near half the circumference of the carto never had a prob since,worth a bash maybe ? As soon as you see the white inner that's deep enough.
I'm guessing you over did the number of holes, you could try putting a paper towel or napkin under the battery end of the carto and blow GENTLY into the carto, this should clear out excess juice. If it continues to flood and leak, then I would trash it.
Never used more than 25% VG myself, but some who use a high percentage VG add distilled water to the mix to thin it, I think I have seen up to 10% mentioned, but I would start low.
I would do the same type of thing with the holes, add one at a time until it wicks good, and make sure to give the cartos some time to soak when using a new carto. As for the punch, I really doubt if they can even reach the center tube, I use a line valve to punch mine, got it from Amazon, no way it can punch that deep. Amazon.com: Line Tap Valve by Sealed Unit Parts Co., Inc.: Everything Else
Never used more than 25% VG myself, but some who use a high percentage VG add distilled water to the mix to thin it, I think I have seen up to 10% mentioned, but I would start low.
I would do the same type of thing with the holes, add one at a time until it wicks good, and make sure to give the cartos some time to soak when using a new carto. As for the punch, I really doubt if they can even reach the center tube, I use a line valve to punch mine, got it from Amazon, no way it can punch that deep. Amazon.com: Line Tap Valve by Sealed Unit Parts Co., Inc.: Everything Else
The above diagram is a cutaway of a single coil cartomizer to display its anatomy and to show liquid (red arrows) and air flow (blue).
The action of drawing, pulling, or puffing pulls juice not only through the hole in the carto from tank, but also from the top of the filler in the carto. This is why after vaping for a few minutes the top of the filler seems to appear dry. Under normal situations the filler doesn't wick completely to the top of the carto from the lower holes; this is normal and doesn't matter. What does matter is to keep the filler surrounding the heating coil(s) wet with liquid to prevent burning.
Since the heating element in a single coil carto is near the bottom of the carto, one or two holes in the lower third of the casing should be perfectly adequate for most e-liquids.
It is with dual coils where I have had issues, and I have stopped using them. The second coil is located in the middle third of the carto. Since the juice level in a carto will fall due to suction while vaping, there's a likelihood that the top coil may not get enough liquid around it and burn its covering or surrounding filler, leading to a burnt taste. And we all know it's impossible to get rid of that burnt taste once it happens. That carto needs to be trashed and replaced.
I know there are people who place multiple holes in their cartos, including ones in the middle or upper third of the casing, and they get decent results. Where I see a problem arising with this method is as the level of the liquid falls in the tank, the upper hole(s) become exposed to air. A cartotank functions because of negative pressure in the tank -- both liquid and air. When you add a hole in the upper third of the casing and it becomes exposed to the air in the tank, the negative pressure in the tank is disrupted as air is allowed to leave the tank through the carto.
Perhaps this is a more complicated explanation than required, but long story short I don't think its a good idea to have holes in the middle or upper third of the carto, unless you are going to top off your tank before any holes are exposed. Your results may and likely will vary from mine.
Just as a burnt carto is ruined for life, a flooded carto is also doomed for the most part. Once the fluid barrier has been breeched, even after blowing out the center hole, it will never work as well as before.
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I'm a firm believer that cartotanks require a specific type of draw to work properly. Too hard of a pull forces too much liquid into the carto and can lead to flooding issues. A cartotank needs a minimum of time to rewick itself. A slow - deliberate - gentle - patient - draw of 3 - 6 seconds seems to work best.
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I stopped punching my own holes in my cartos a long time ago. I never found a punch tool that didn't deform the casing from round to oval at least a little. This deformity causes unneccesary wear and tear on the o-rings in the end caps each time the carto is moved through them. Of course, it is the o-rings which hold the tank snuggly on the cartomizer, and prevents the tank from leaking. They are very important. Using laser-drilled or pre-punched cartos eliminate this issue, and in my experience they wick juice as well as tool-punched cartos.
While we are on the topic of o-rings, I think it is important to mention using a tank accessory tool. The best one is the Slap Yo Moma tool from Big Daddy Vapor. Not only does it make filling and assembling a cartotank much easier and faster, it will protect the o-rings from the sharp top edges of a cartomizer which can cut pieces away when you pass it through the end caps.
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You can get the Kir Fanis carto punching tool, its pretty legit and won't let you over do the hole. I have the best luck just punching the hole right where the factory one is. When you put one up top as soon as you slide the tank to fill it, you will have a flood of juice on your hands.
Thanks for the feedback. I think I might have to replace my tank now because the carto I punched only once was working great, then I left it in my truck long enough for my liquid to thin some and it leaked. Its vaping great tho, guess I just messed up the o-rings. I probably will put a hole in a paper towel and screw my tank in through it. They should make drip shields for tanks.
Yeah, you probably should throw away that tank. The holes are punched near/at where the coil is in the cart. Any additional should be punched around the circumference along the same line as the original (which will put then near the bottom of the tank).
I usually just drill out the existing hole. Dunno how big it is to start with, but its somewhere around 3/16ths ot 1/4" when I'm done. Wicks great!
Got some new cartos, just patiently waited for the small holes to wick and its working great. Also got a 3.5 ml tank, the smaller room inside made it wick quite quickly. Not gonna use the punch anymore. They should make the bolt on those smaller, and the tip should be sharper and more tapered. The ideal way would be to have a bic sized oxyacetylene torch to burn a small hole in it but that'd be impossible and/or implausible.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the new carts and tank.
With any juices that are not super-high in Vg (thick), one or two laser-drilled holes in single coil cartomizers should be plenty to be able to wick enough juice.
Just make sure not to draw too forcefully or hard while you vape. A long, gentle draw of 3 - 6 seconds long works best with a cartotank. When refilling the tank, it doesn't hurt to also top off the carto also. Again, make sure to not get juice in the center air hole of the carto when refilling the tank or the carto. A tank tool works great for this.
With any juices that are not super-high in Vg (thick), one or two laser-drilled holes in single coil cartomizers should be plenty to be able to wick enough juice.
Just make sure not to draw too forcefully or hard while you vape. A long, gentle draw of 3 - 6 seconds long works best with a cartotank. When refilling the tank, it doesn't hurt to also top off the carto also. Again, make sure to not get juice in the center air hole of the carto when refilling the tank or the carto. A tank tool works great for this.
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