New with rayon

[dfoster]

I’m fairly new to building and have had what seems like a long and slow learning curve with cotton. My main gripe is I just can’t seem to get the flavor I want and/or should be getting. Tried all sorts of different coil configurations and a number of different ways to wick. Figured I might as well throw in another variable...

My latest build on my Azeroth RTA is 3 coils, single strand 12 wrap at 3mm ID for a total resistance coming in about .42ohms. Using cotton I was only getting a day or two of decent clouds/flavor then noticed it dropping off rapidly after that. With that set up I was running around 50w anything more and clouds increased and it would taste a tad burnt, more so as the power went up. With the rayon I left the same build in for best comparison. I read you can take the watts up since it wicks better. Started at same wattage and flavor was better, cloud was about the same. Here’s where it got interesting. I kept creeping the power up and there’s no burnt taste, not even a tad. I ran it up over 100w with no burnt flavor. No doubt since this was my first try with rayon my wicking will improve and it’ll show even more benefits but for now, I’m sold

Question time, is this that much better than cotton or was my wicking skills just that bad? Also, I DIY my juice and lately have been trying to make a few sweeter flavors but there’s no sweetness coming through on the vape. They smell great. For the hell of it, I ran a tank in my crown 3 I haven’t used in months and it tasted great, but also very sweet. Is there something with my build/wicking that effecting the sweetness and causing it not to come through?

 

[DavidOck]

Question time, is this that much better than cotton or was my wicking skills just that bad?

IMO, the first, it IS that much better

Missing sweetness... might be the power level. Different flavors behave differently at different settings. May be just too high a setting and it's getting lost in the mix.

 

[dfoster]

Thanks for the reply! I have definitely noticed some flavors I need to adjust the power I’m running. Just doesn’t seem much of my sweetness comes through, though to be a tad fair it’s much improved with the rayon.

I put a new build in on Saturday with twisted 28g at just over .2ohms and this has been cool. Flavor is probably maxed out around 65ish Watts but there’s not much of a drop as I increase, but far denser clouds. I’ve been keeping it around 80w and flavor tastes just the same today as it did then. I always noticed a flavor drop after about two days with cotton. I can’t get over the ability to run as high as I want(within reason) on power and chain vaping with no more burnt taste.

Have some new wire for different builds as well as a Kensei coming, curious to see how that’ll compare

 

[JCinFLA]

@dfoster -

I agree with both statements made by @DavidOck. I'm a fairly new convert to rayon...maybe 4-5 months ago. The improved flavor, no dry or burnt hits, how long my wicks last before I rewick, the ease of working with rayon, etc., all made me a convert. I know I'll never go back to using cotton.

 

[stols001]

It's the rayon. I vape sweeter juices with my rayon, but at lower power settings. I do think wattage can play a role. Rayon does have a break in period, I find that the flavor really gets going after a couple of tanks.

Also, it is possible to overstuff coils (which I did in the beginning, coming from cotton). As I was less ah, forceful with it, I found a sweet spot where my coil was exactly not overstuffed (rayon shrinks when wet) but still a great, non-leaking build. Rayon really plays to my strengths, overstuffing the coil.

The only other thing I can think of is that with too much wick (although if you are getting up to 100 watts without burning, this might not be the case) inconsistent wicking can happen. Perhaps not enough to fry the rayon, but possibly enough to choke off "flavor" when wicking if it's too much. I thin my tails considerably and still watch building videos to make sure I am using the right length/amount etc. with each new build. Efficient wicking gives more flavor, or so I imagine, especially at high wattages. Coming from cotton, you may be overwicking slightly. At least, that was my experience.

Welcome to rayon, the best thing to ever happen to RTAs generally, (IMO).

Anna

 

[DavidOck]

One thing many of us do, after a re-wick, is to juice it up and fire a few times before putting the topper back together, blowing off the vapor. Fire a bit, rejuice and fire some more. The rewet the wick, close it up and fill. All or most of any "new wick" taste will be gone.

 

[dfoster]

Good stuff guys. I’ve been running my kensei for a couple days now. I twisted up some 28g ss wire spaced and 3.5mm ID and my first run I def over wicked the tails. After a couple tanks I pulled it apart and thinned and shortened my tails more and it really woke up. I used a tad less rayon in the coils, but it still squeeked too. Flavor is pretty darn good, I’m getting the sweetness I’m missing too. Weird thing is it seems to get better flavor with more wattage. I can run between 55w and 110w and it only gets better the higher I go. Any less than 55 and it just seems anemic at best. Can’t say enough how much I’m loving this rayon. Can’t wait till I get some different wire to try this week!

 

[stols001]

Rayon is great anytime but I do think it shines at higher wattage as it is less prone to burning. With that said, you don't necessarily have to go SUPER high, but it's nice to have that option.

Glad you are enjoying it. If I hadn't switched to rayon, I'm not actually sure that I would have had the kind of success with RTAs that I am having. It is the greatest stuff. I have one wick here (that I plan to switch out soon just because it's starting to get a little clogged, but it's not burnt) that has now lasted for over 2 weeks, with a fair amount of usage as it's my favorite RTA-- the 22 mm version Siren V2 .I can't put that vape down.

Anna

 

[dfoster]

The rayon definitely helps with both my wicking and vaping style, I’m still blown away. Even more so when I got my new wire and opened it up to try some different coils. My puff counter on the alien said I was over 1,000 and it looks like I just put the wick in.

And now with some fused Clapton’s in the flavor is blowing me away...

 

[Letitia]

You are now a Rayonite.

 

[DaveP]

Rayon beats cotton for flavor and long wick life. If you are losing flavor and vapor after a day or so your wick may be too loose in the coil. With cotton or rayon the wick has to completely fill the coil to the point where the part outside the coil billows up vs the part in the coil.

I like my wicks to be very snug in the coil, but not tight enough to prevent juice wicking. It's trial and error to get it right. Keep trying wick sizes until you find the one that performs best. If you can pull the wick back and forth easily when you install it it's probably too small. If you have to twist it to get it through the coil without bending the coil legs, you may be in the ballpark for the right wick size. Somewhere in the middle of the two lies the sweet spot.

I tried rayon a few times and didn't care for it before I got it right. Once you get the wick
sizing correct it's a superior vape medium and it's repeatable.

 

[DaveP]

Question time, is this that much better than cotton or was my wicking skills just that bad? Also, I DIY my juice and lately have been trying to make a few sweeter flavors but there’s no sweetness coming through on the vape.

After you rewick with rayon you might find that you have to turn the wattage down a bit. A freshly cleaned coil and a new wick take a little time to optimize. I just rewicked three Kayfuns and the one I'm vaping now was a little hot and slow to wick. I forgot that I turned the mod up to 15 watts to dry burn and clean coils. I dropped it down to 9 watts and all is well. I'm usually at 10w to 12w normally. With a new coil and wick I have to turn it down until the new wick breaks in.

As other have said, start low and find the sweet spot by incrementing wattage.