Learning how to use a cotton wick...

[BlackCanvas]

Hi everyone. I've been a member for a while but have mostly been lurking and reading before I opened my mouth. Right now I'm doing micro coils with cotton. I'm using 32g wire. So far, here's the best way I've been able to make a good coil and wick. I started out using a drill bit, but ended up using a nail that was a little bigger. When through wrapping, I put the coil onto the drill bit and put it into the wick hole, and wire it up.

I'm wondering if others use cotton and would share some of their success stories with me. The micro coil is really working good for me, but I'm open to other ideas. The point here is to learn from more experienced users. I've been vaping since January and I'm having a wonderful time doing it.

So, if you would, tell me how you do your cotton wicks. I used the nail to make a bigger hole to thread the cotton into the tank. My thinking is that more cotton inside the coil is a good thing, but I could be wrong. I only have a T2 now, but have another RBA on the way.

Would love to hear your ideas!

 

[edyle]

Hi everyone. I've been a member for a while but have mostly been lurking and reading before I opened my mouth. Right now I'm doing micro coils with cotton. I'm using 32g wire. So far, here's the best way I've been able to make a good coil and wick. I started out using a drill bit, but ended up using a nail that was a little bigger. When through wrapping, I put the coil onto the drill bit and put it into the wick hole, and wire it up.

I'm wondering if others use cotton and would share some of their success stories with me. The micro coil is really working good for me, but I'm open to other ideas. The point here is to learn from more experienced users. I've been vaping since January and I'm having a wonderful time doing it.

So, if you would, tell me how you do your cotton wicks. I used the nail to make a bigger hole to thread the cotton into the tank. My thinking is that more cotton inside the coil is a good thing, but I could be wrong. I only have a T2 now, but have another RBA on the way.

Would love to hear your ideas!

Somebody posted a pic or vid about orienting the coil VERTICALLY, leaving the center of the coil clear for AIR, and padding the wicking material AROUND the coil. I don't suppose it matters whether its cotton coil or not but if you are rebuilding those small coils it sure looks like something worth trying

 

[Bosco]

I waited for the longest time to try cotton and, now that I have, I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner. I guess I was just comfortable with silica so I decided to use up what I had and then try cotton. My first cotton wick was a total success - far easier to work with than silica, in my opinion. The taste is much better, too.

I've only built about half a dozen cotton wicks but I've just been using a 5/64 drillbit to shape and install my coil and then threading the cotton through. I try to make the wick about as fat as I can pull through the coil without making it move. Seems work great so far. I've only been making micro coils so far. Funny story . .I accidentally wrapped a micro-coil using non-resistance wire. It came out to .3 ohms. I vaped it a few times. The cotton did just fine. No more silica for me.

 

[edyle]

I have found cotton certainly has a taste; not a bad taste.
But since cotton can get burnt whereas silica can't, I'm wary of using cotton.

On the other hand I'm still trying to figure out what's in the silica wick; it cannot be just silica alone I don't think; unless it's like glass fibre? And if it's glass fibre, that *would* be a bit scary. maybe more than a bit; actually the way those flavor wick seem to fall apart is worrysome.

 

[Bosco]

I was also afraid that the cotton would burn - but, like I said, I vaped cotton at .3 ohms and if that didn't burn it then nothing will. The thing is cotton wicks a lot better than silica so it stays wet and doesn't burn. Obviously, you have to keep it wet.

I just removed a 2 day old cotton wick from my Kayfun. It was 2.2ohm and I've been vaping it for the last 2 days straight at 15watts. The cotton was still pristine - looking like I just installed and primed it for the first time. Even after only 2 days, my sillica wicks would usually show signs of gunking and mild scorching (I know silica is not supposed to burn but the silica I got from AvidVaper definitely burns).

 

[JeremyR]

Less is more , flavor of cottion comes through when it's too tight. In. COil

 

[folkphys]

The key with cotton, as I've found it, is density and not so much overall size. Just like Bosco said, the size of your wick should be such as to slide through your coil snugly while not dragging on the coil. Now if you're using thicker gauge wire like say 28g, you wouldn't see the coil move as much with an overly thick wick, but the cotton will likely start coming apart as you drag it through. This means that it is too big. However, when it comes to performance, or how well it wicks, there is a fine line between too much and too little in terms of density. Cotton will swell a lot when juice is applied, such that too much of it leads to choked off juice flow and then dry hits, while too little yields flooding. This is especially true in the more finicky RBA's like the Fogger. I tend to aim for the less dense fluffy side of things and usually spread out and loosen up my piece of cotton before squishing it gently into a tube-like shape.

 

[edyle]

I was also afraid that the cotton would burn - but, like I said, I vaped cotton at .3 ohms and if that didn't burn it then nothing will. The thing is cotton wicks a lot better than silica so it stays wet and doesn't burn. Obviously, you have to keep it wet.

I just removed a 2 day old cotton wick from my Kayfun. It was 2.2ohm and I've been vaping it for the last 2 days straight at 15watts. The cotton was still pristine - looking like I just installed and primed it for the first time. Even after only 2 days, my sillica wicks would usually show signs of gunking and mild scorching (I know silica is not supposed to burn but the silica I got from AvidVaper definitely burns).

Thanks.

With so much testimony about cotton and especially claims that the cotton hasn't turned black (of course you have to keep it wet), I ought to keep experimenting with cotton. I just checked one I have with a cotton flavor wick, and no sign of black so far.

 

[JeremyR]

The pristine cotton I think is when its loose enough that the cotton isn't bedding in the coil and the liquid film outside the cotton is what's feeding the coil. So the cotton doesn't get burned, the juice on the outside of it vaporizes and the cotton keeps replenishing that.

 

[keenanmcfar]

What i find works best is really loose paced cotton. The more touching the coil the better so a cotton cloud of some sort is something i do every time. Doing it this way you can easily do some pretty insane wattage w/o cotton taste. If you taste cotton at all, it's too dense imo.

 

[JeremyR]

I agree with that keena - loose = fluffy for me

 

[Kemosabe]

one thing to look for to judge if youve got too much cotton in your coil is "shoulders" on the wick. if your wick swells to a larger diameter than the coil when wet, youve got too much wick. the coil gets choked by the excess cotton and proper wicking is stunted. what you want to aim for is a wick (when wet) that is the same diameter of your coil. no shoulders.

 

[ancientgeek]

I tend to go light on the cotton too. Here is the first build on a brand new Kayfun Lite +. Vertical, 8 wraps, 1/16" ID, 30ga Kanthal. Metered out at 1.7 ohms, perfect for my eVic and Vammo.



Minimal cotton...

 

[edyle]

hmmm... but in the case of a BCC,,, if the cotton coming out the hole into the liquid is just loose and fluffy, the tank's going to leak, right?

course i could just keep it upside down like i normally do anyway.

 

[JeremyR]

Good looking build ancient. Glad your rockin the vertical coil! .. That's about how much wick I use in my oddy. Very light... But then there's people who pack the chamber. Never worked for me. But for some it does..

 

[edyle]

I tend to go light on the cotton too. Here is the first build on a brand new Kayfun Lite +. Vertical, 8 wraps, 1/16" ID, 30ga Kanthal. Metered out at 1.7 ohms, perfect for my eVic and Vammo.

View attachment 285850

Minimal cotton...

View attachment 285851

That coil looks like it will short out.

Is that a bottom coil? Does the liquid feed down that nick in the threading?

 

[mavric]

I've only tried cotton once, and got the worst flavor ever. I didn't boil it, which is why I think it was tasting funny. Wasn't organic cotton or anything, just regular CVS pharmacy brand 100% natural cotton balls. Is boiling it prior to use a necessity? I want to try it again, but man that was a taste that will just turn somebody away forever...

 

[Phone Guy]

I don't boil...I've used cotton balls and cotton yarn. I've had excellent results from both. No odd taste unless you get a dry hit, then you'd get a cotton-e taste.

I think fluffy seems to work better, I think. Tonight I did a 1.9 ohm micro of 32ga around a 1mm precision screwdriver...the smallest thinnest one in the set...freaking tiny. 9 wraps, came to 1.9 ohms.

I threaded it with a single stand of the yarn... untwisted the yarn and used a single string. Worked great.

I usually vape at high wattage (9 to 11 watts on my evic) but with this tiny coil which got hot instantly, I was getting comparable vapor and flavor at 6 watts! Amazing!

 

[JeremyR]

I've only tried cotton once, and got the worst flavor ever. I didn't boil it, which is why I think it was tasting funny. Wasn't organic cotton or anything, just regular CVS pharmacy brand 100% natural cotton balls. Is boiling it prior to use a necessity? I want to try it again, but man that was a taste that will just turn somebody away forever...

I had similar experience. Time in the micro coil thread broke me through to the other side.

Here's the video that did it....

http://youtu.be/RtN0Sg4XZbo



This was 2 weeks after I got 40ft of high grade silica. Now it just sits..

 

[ancientgeek]

That coil looks like it will short out.

Is that a bottom coil? Does the liquid feed down that nick in the threading?

Doesn't short out 'cus the I'm running the positive connection from the bottom of the coil and the deck the coil is sitting on is also on the positive side. Just sort of consider it a really short leg.

This on a Kayfun Lite + and the liquid actually flows up that channel to where the wick is lying.