non silica wicks and wick boiling questions

[Tspringer34]

Hello all,

I'm about to purchase some wicks and I need recomendations and a question answered.

First the question, when boiling wicks, how long do you boil them for? Just in water? Do you stir them or let them just sit against the bottom/sides of the pot? Would using an induction stove make a difference? Sorry, I am terrible at cooking and anything involving the kitchen scares me!

Next wick suggestions! I have used organic cotton balls and enjoyed them but did not like how often I had to change them. Mind you they are easy to change but occasionally its just too much hassle on a bad day. I have used bamboo and cotton wicks and liked them to an extent but I am wondering if their performance would improve if I knew how to boil them properly. I would prefer to stay away from silica wicks or any other wicks that likely contain unhealthy ingredients and or fibers that will go into my throat lungs etc.

Also this just occured to me, what is the point of torching kanthal etc before building the coil? Maybe doing this would help the performance of my RM2 as well.

For the record I am currently using unflavored vg and occasionally some dark honey tobacco WTA juice as well.

Thanks very much for any help!
Tyler

 

[Justice]

Hello all,

I'm about to purchase some wicks and I need recomendations and a question answered.

First the question, when boiling wicks, how long do you boil them for? Just in water? Do you stir them or let them just sit against the bottom/sides of the pot? Would using an induction stove make a difference? Sorry, I am terrible at cooking and anything involving the kitchen scares me!

Next wick suggestions! I have used organic cotton balls and enjoyed them but did not like how often I had to change them. Mind you they are easy to change but occasionally its just too much hassle on a bad day. I have used bamboo and cotton wicks and liked them to an extent but I am wondering if their performance would improve if I knew how to boil them properly. I would prefer to stay away from silica wicks or any other wicks that likely contain unhealthy ingredients and or fibers that will go into my throat lungs etc.

Also this just occured to me, what is the point of torching kanthal etc before building the coil? Maybe doing this would help the performance of my RM2 as well.

For the record I am currently using unflavored vg and occasionally some dark honey tobacco WTA juice as well.

Thanks very much for any help!
Tyler

Im using bamboo and love it. I dont bother boiling and notice no difference in taste with it not boiling it

 

[JC Okie]

Hi, Tyler. I have done both....boiled and not boiled. With some of my cotton threads, I think it helped get rid of the cotton taste a little earlier, but I don't always boil it. I have been using bamboo without boiling it and it works just fine....about the same as the cotton. When I do boil, I just put it in a pan on the stove and let it boil away. It won't stay on the bottom....the boiling action will keep it moving through the water constantly. I got some distilled water to use when I boil. Oh, and I boil it for maybe 10 minutes or so. May make a little difference since there's so much *crap* in our drinking water these days. Also, you'll have to make sure it's completely dry after you boil it....that'll take some time.

The reason I torch my wire before I wrap a coil is that it makes it a little less "springy" and more manageable. I think you can do it either way. I don't usually torch it again after I've wrapped a coil....just before.

Wick suggestions: I like cotton balls, and they're really easy to change, but I agree they don't last that long. I've gone back to using 100% cotton embroidery thread as my wicks. I get DMC-5 Perle Cotton embroidery thread at either Michael's or Hobby Lobby. That's my favorite. I make a small coil by wrapping around a little screwdriver that's about the size of a round toothpick, then I use a needle threader (go to the sewing section of any store) to pull a strand of thread through. I fold it once before I put it in the needle threader, so when it's pulled through, there are 4 strands inside the coil. I can go for almost a week before I have to change it out. Then I leave the coil on, pull out the old thread with tweezers, dry burn the coil, and put new thread in. FAST and EASY.

Jan

 

[Plumes.91]

Just a little tidbit I picked up was that your afraid of silica being potentially hazardous. I just wanted to pop into this conversation and say that I've done a bit of reading on the subject of silica wicks being dangerous and from what I've read, silica has been found to be pretty much as harmless as cotton would be to our lungs and insides. There are threads here on ECF where scientists have posted that silica does not break off into hazardous shards and it poses no more risk of lung damage compared to other wick materials. Of course I highly doubt this paragraph will persuade anyone already against using silica to begin using it.. I just wanted to say that I do trust what I've read and I believe that silica is pretty darn safe to use in our e-cigarettes. I use silica and cotton and I like both for different uses. Silica in my clearomizers and sometimes my genesis devices, and most recently ive been using cotton in my A7s for my Reo. Love the cotton in the A7. I roll a strand from cotton "rope" that I acquired from a beauty salon. It works very well in my A7s. And I haven't tried boiling the cotton just yet. I have just been using it the way it comes. Seems to work and taste fine though Im going to boil some soon.

 

[nerak]

Just a little tidbit I picked up was that your afraid of silica being potentially hazardous. I just wanted to pop into this conversation and say that I've done a bit of reading on the subject of silica wicks being dangerous and from what I've read, silica has been found to be pretty much as harmless as cotton would be to our lungs and insides. There are threads here on ECF where scientists have posted that silica does not break off into hazardous shards and it poses no more risk of lung damage compared to other wick materials. Of course I highly doubt this paragraph will persuade anyone already against using silica to begin using it.. I just wanted to say that I do trust what I've read and I believe that silica is pretty darn safe to use in our e-cigarettes. I use silica and cotton and I like both for different uses. Silica in my clearomizers and sometimes my genesis devices, and most recently ive been using cotton in my A7s for my Reo. Love the cotton in the A7. I roll a strand from cotton "rope" that I acquired from a beauty salon. It works very well in my A7s. And I haven't tried boiling the cotton just yet. I have just been using it the way it comes. Seems to work and taste fine though Im going to boil some soon.

I usually use cotton as wicking.

Last week I did my RBA's for work with silica. Used them for one day and noticed I was coughing. Also had a dry and scratchy sensation in my throat. The cough continued until I came home a couple days later and started using my home REO's with cotton. No longer scratchy and dry.

Now I can't say if a weather change had anything to do with my symptoms. My environment had changed during those days.

I might try the silica again in a couple weeks and see if I notice similar results.

 

[QusieQ]

Hi, Tyler. I have done both....boiled and not boiled. With some of my cotton threads, I think it helped get rid of the cotton taste a little earlier, but I don't always boil it. I have been using bamboo without boiling it and it works just fine....about the same as the cotton. When I do boil, I just put it in a pan on the stove and let it boil away. It won't stay on the bottom....the boiling action will keep it moving through the water constantly. I got some distilled water to use when I boil. Oh, and I boil it for maybe 10 minutes or so. May make a little difference since there's so much *crap* in our drinking water these days. Also, you'll have to make sure it's completely dry after you boil it....that'll take some time.

The reason I torch my wire before I wrap a coil is that it makes it a little less "springy" and more manageable. I think you can do it either way. I don't usually torch it again after I've wrapped a coil....just before.

Wick suggestions: I like cotton balls, and they're really easy to change, but I agree they don't last that long. I've gone back to using 100% cotton embroidery thread as my wicks. I get DMC-5 Perle Cotton embroidery thread at either Michael's or Hobby Lobby. That's my favorite. I make a small coil by wrapping around a little screwdriver that's about the size of a round toothpick, then I use a needle threader (go to the sewing section of any store) to pull a strand of thread through. I fold it once before I put it in the needle threader, so when it's pulled through, there are 4 strands inside the coil. I can go for almost a week before I have to change it out. Then I leave the coil on, pull out the old thread with tweezers, dry burn the coil, and put new thread in. FAST and EASY.

Jan

I am trying this!! I like the cotton ball, but I get one day of use before it gets all gooey and useless.

 

[QusieQ]

Hi, Tyler. I have done both....boiled and not boiled. With some of my cotton threads, I think it helped get rid of the cotton taste a little earlier, but I don't always boil it. I have been using bamboo without boiling it and it works just fine....about the same as the cotton. When I do boil, I just put it in a pan on the stove and let it boil away. It won't stay on the bottom....the boiling action will keep it moving through the water constantly. I got some distilled water to use when I boil. Oh, and I boil it for maybe 10 minutes or so. May make a little difference since there's so much *crap* in our drinking water these days. Also, you'll have to make sure it's completely dry after you boil it....that'll take some time.

The reason I torch my wire before I wrap a coil is that it makes it a little less "springy" and more manageable. I think you can do it either way. I don't usually torch it again after I've wrapped a coil....just before.

Wick suggestions: I like cotton balls, and they're really easy to change, but I agree they don't last that long. I've gone back to using 100% cotton embroidery thread as my wicks. I get DMC-5 Perle Cotton embroidery thread at either Michael's or Hobby Lobby. That's my favorite. I make a small coil by wrapping around a little screwdriver that's about the size of a round toothpick, then I use a needle threader (go to the sewing section of any store) to pull a strand of thread through. I fold it once before I put it in the needle threader, so when it's pulled through, there are 4 strands inside the coil. I can go for almost a week before I have to change it out. Then I leave the coil on, pull out the old thread with tweezers, dry burn the coil, and put new thread in. FAST and EASY.

Jan

Found the embroidery thread in my craft stash, actually found it easier than the cotton ball. Now hope it last me more than one day too

 

[Sterno]

im enjoying some hemp wick

 

[QusieQ]

Hey Sterno where do you buy ur hemp wick? Got a brand name, I'm interested but don't know where to get any.

 

[Sterno]

i ordered from ebay be sure to get the natural and not colored
Hemp Twine Cord 1mm 20 Test 5 10 or 25 Yards Color Selectable | eBay

 

[QusieQ]

i ordered from ebay be sure to get the natural and not colored
Hemp Twine Cord 1mm 20 Test 5 10 or 25 Yards Color Selectable | eBay

Thank you!!!!

 

[Sterno]

its pretty durable im going 3 day on my current wick but you still cannot dry burn it

 

[QusieQ]

I'll keep that in mind. I read the eBay page and it said to loosen fibers. Will boiling loosen? Or do u have to manipulate it to loosen em?

 

[Sterno]

I'll keep that in mind. I read the eBay page and it said to loosen fibers. Will boiling loosen? Or do u have to manipulate it to loosen em?

i dont know Jan sent me some she said she boiled i have not got my order from ebay yet and havnt tried boiling it yet

 

[QusieQ]

Let me know what you think and do when u get it

 

[Sterno]

Let me know what you think and do when u get it

no problem hon

 

[StereoDreamer]

One of my hobbies that I picked up on grad school is paper making. I have bags of ALL kinds of raw fibers--hemp, thai kozo, flax, abaca--and I'm going to start experimenting with it for making wicks. Since most of it is raw and unbleached, and NONE of it has any sizing or wax in it (like most threads, string, or yarn do), I probably don't even have to boil it, but I might rinse it off a bit.

I'll be starting a thread and posting pics once I get this project up and running, and test some wicks...