I think this is a wicking issue

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Electro108

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help me out with this one. I am trying to get more consistency. I have a couple of juices that are old school 50/50 types and currently using a MTL rda system with them. Whenever they are freshly built, they are giving the best results but as the wicks get heavy saturated, they aren’t tasting as good. Not burnt, just not as intense. Let it set for 10-15 mins, and that first hit is great again. Dripping directly on the coil doesn’t improve it. I have used 2.5-3mm id coils(usually spaced) and use cotton bacon, pretty tight. The coil materials are SS or NI80 26-30ga, and have used Vandyvapes superfine MTL Claptons and they all have the same effect.

High VG, another story. Dump it on and they always perform well. Just trying to get these two juices to behave.
 
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Baditude

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The longer the wick is used, the decline in flavor becomes progressively worse. I knew some drippers who changed their wick 2 - 3 times a day and made a new coil everyday. I on the other hand wasn't so particular; I changed my wick every 3 - 4 days and would go months on the same coils.

You may be using too much or too little wick material. Experiment.

Also, you might try different wick materials. I learned early on that Rayon worked better for me.
 

MacTechVpr

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Don't get this whole thing of thinning things. Just can't get more juice or flow going with less media. You do want to maintain the density of cotton that produces the result you want at the power and surface area you like. Then, how then do you regulate the flow? Well I guess you can thin the tails some and deprive the coil of flow, certainly. Think about this. But you can't get more! Not without a boat to float it on. At least it's not logical to me.

How about this? You want to maintain the density but flow more juice, you'll need more media. Solution: Notch the wick at the element. Think hourglass. Adjust in millimeters not half the wick diameter. Baby steps. You use the thickness or density that you're accustomed to but you trim or cut down to that from a wider section of cotton (easier to do with measured KGD). Double the wick over and trim the bend, one way. And do make sure to tug that wick in both directions so that the density is consistent end to end…not one end tighter than the other. In other words, center the notch; then, trim. You want bouffants at either end.

In this way you're presenting a lot more media at the tails. As much as you need. Fill the device just don't pack it with some care to avoid blocking airflow.

@Baditude, have to differ with you here. Whether organic or other media like Nextel, the longer the wick, the more tugs you can take (and somewhat cooler with a wetter availability). The additional difference which is often centimeter fractions doesn't add much resistance whatsoever to the flow in my experience. That is, unless you're wound too dense at the coil (too tight). It happens.

A notched wick let's you maintain the density and contact>wick relationship while providing more media (juice availability, like a longer wick). This may aid in some flow issues.

However, @Electro108 what you describe is pretty common for cotton. To the extent it sits after warming some juices may tend to congeal more and the wetted cotton attains a jelly like consistency. Getting that to flow again and deliver on flavor takes some repair meaning…you need to reduce that viscosity. Dabbing some light cotton tissue sometimes can draw enough off after a few times rewetting to get things going. Sometimes, if too thick it's fatal. Once drawn off though if you add some straight VG to the wick you may be able to re-prime some of those capillary spaces and start that engine up again. So in a pinch, some tissue and some VG may save you some re-wicking or a rebuild.

Or simply, unless you're living in a Northern tundra, up that VG folks. Nothing delivers like VG for flavor or vapor.

Good luck. :)
 
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Sugar_and_Spice

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help me out with this one. I am trying to get more consistency. I have a couple of juices that are old school 50/50 types and currently using a MTL RDA system with them. Whenever they are freshly built, they are giving the best results but as the wicks get heavy saturated, they aren’t tasting as good. Not burnt, just not as intense. Let it set for 10-15 mins, and that first hit is great again. Dripping directly on the coil doesn’t improve it. I have used 2.5-3mm id coils(usually spaced) and use cotton bacon, pretty tight. The coil materials are SS or NI80 26-30ga, and have used Vandyvapes superfine MTL Claptons and they all have the same effect.

High VG, another story. Dump it on and they always perform well. Just trying to get these two juices to behave.
This one line stands out to me---
"Let it set for 10-15 mins, and that first hit is great again.".. This tells me you are not allowing the juice to properly saturate the wick in the coil by either chain vaping or the juice is just way too thick for the number of hits you are taking. I would lessen the amount of wicking inside the coil. Not by much, but enough so that the juice flow isn't choked off.

Just my 2 pennies.

:)
 
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Baditude

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The longer the wick is used, the decline in flavor becomes progressively worse. I knew some drippers who changed their wick 2 - 3 times a day and made a new coil everyday. I on the other hand wasn't so particular; I changed my wick every 3 - 4 days and would go months on the same coils.
@Baditude, have to differ with you here. Whether organic or other media like Nextel, the longer the wick, the more tugs you can take (and somewhat cooler with a wetter availability). The additional difference which is often centimeter fractions doesn't add much resistance whatsoever to the flow in my experience. That is, unless you're wound too dense at the coil (too tight). It happens.Don't get this whole thing of thinning things. Just can't get more juice or flow going with less media. You do want to maintain the density of cotton that produces the result you want at the power and surface area you like. Then, how then do you regulate the flow? Well I guess you can thin the tails some and deprive the coil of flow, certainly. Think about this. But you can't get more! Not without a boat to float it on. At least it's not logical to me.
I think perhaps you misunderstood what I said. By the "longer the wick is used", I meant in the context of time, not physical dimensions.
 

MacTechVpr

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I think perhaps you misunderstood what I said. By the "longer the wick is used", I meant in the context of time, not physical dimensions.

Ah gotcha. Yeah you're right. :facepalm: Foggy sinus moment there thx to our marvelous weather over the weekend. Humidity is redic this year. But you're dead on regarding saturation in time. Especially with the flavorful, savory and darker juices we most of us love. Price we pay, and gladly. No gunk is junk far as I'm concerned. Can't scorch a good steak without some char in the pan.

Good luck. :)
 

Electro108

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Thanks for all this info. This juice is 50/50, btw. I think this cotton is indeed likely too tight within the coil. Also, perhaps the long tails may be working to pull juice *out* of the tightly compressed cotton? Idk. Perhaps a different wick material would work better? Also, side note, with a dipper or squonker, would not a physically shorter wick be much better?
 
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MacTechVpr

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Thanks for all this info. This juice is 50/50, btw. I think this cotton is indeed likely too tight within the coil. Also, perhaps the long tails may be working to pull juice *out* of the tightly compressed cotton? Idk. Perhaps a different wick material would work better? Also, side note, with a dipper or squonker, would not a physically shorter wick be much better?

Yeah, with thinner juices you'll tend to dry out more if it sits. If you're too tight, you'll see a slightly harder draw. That should be a tip-off. Much tighter and you'll junk up faster. But don't be afraid to use enough. Too thin and you'll spit, cook juice, be tempted to use more power, have a hot vape and likely sacrifice flavor. Seems to be something that's been popularized in recent years. That hot diffused vape. Especially by coil producers. But better vaporization, enough wick and yes even with less power you can make great vapor just by adding a bit more air. Win-win all around.
Keep workin it, and,

Good luck. :)
 

Vapefiend

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Vandy Vape berserker MTL RDA. Either with Vandy Vape superfine Claptons or regular SS 28ga. Lightly spaced, 2.5 ID
Hmm I can’t really comment on that one. I run my rayon with 2mm contact coils 28g Kanthal @ 1.0 ohm and wick them super tight until I can hear them squeak! I saturate my rayon. On my small 14mm squonk attys I cover the airhole and fill the whole chamber up with liquid and pulse it a couple times submerged in liquid. (Think of it as underwater). I usually give my rayon 20-30mins to break in before vaping it and it’s bliss.
 
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DaveP

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Vandy Vape berserker MTL RDA. Either with Vandy Vape superfine Claptons or regular SS 28ga. Lightly spaced, 2.5 ID

I vape all my attys with 28ga SS316L wicked with rayon, and 2.5mm spaced or contact coils depending on whether I might want to vape in TC mode. Vapor and flavor are fine with either. Rayon does have to be really snug because it tends to shrink a bit as it breaks in. If you can get the wick through the coil without twisting a little it's probably not tight enough to survive when it shrinks and compacts. It should have puffed up shoulders on either side of the coil when it's first installed.
 
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MacTechVpr

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I vape all my attys with 28ga SS316L wicked with rayon, and 2.5mm spaced or contact coils depending on whether I might want to vape in TC mode. Vapor and flavor are fine with either. Rayon does have to be really snug because it tends to shrink a bit as it breaks in. If you can get the wick through the coil without twisting a little it's probably not tight enough to survive when it shrinks and compacts. It should have puffed up shoulders on either side of the coil when it's first installed.

Yep, always a good reminder on rayon shrink. Gravity sag exposing those end-turn tops can be a killer to performance and send res hi making for a hot dusty one.

Shame about Robi. Will miss seeing her on the forum. We really, really need some good news for a change around here.

Good luck. :)
 
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