Premium Carto filling Blues-Your best method?

[MechTechVpr]

OK ...I know there has been much discussion about filling cartomizers in general, but I am having a heck of a time trying to get my premium soft caps to top off or fill from new (or washed out and dried ).

I have tried every method I have found here but just have no luck at effectively filling these things (condom fill, cap off direct drip, Taryn spin etc) and a QUICK top-off is even harder (usually drip in the battery end ...not with the premiums though... juice just sits there)

Would like to here what methods (or modified methods) others have found to work best for them ....

Thanks in advance for your time and opinions

 

[Sherrick]

Hello MechTech! I can't claim to be any authority on this, but I haven't had a great deal of trouble, either. The first time I am ready to refill a Premium carto, I dip the mouth end in boiling water for about 15 seconds or so. After that, the cap pops off pretty easily. From that point, I use a 1ml syringe and an 18 gauge needle. I usually put between .8ml and 1.0ml in a carto, and I do this by pushing the needle down along the side of the filler, and get it all the way to the bottom. I slowly depress the syringe plunger and work my way to the top slowly, trying to fill at every level as I extract the needle. When I'm done, I put the top back on the carto and let it set for a few hours before vaping. It's worked pretty well for me so far.

Hope this helps.

Sherrick

 

[MechTechVpr]

Hello MechTech! .............. I dip the mouth end in boiling water for about 15 seconds or so. After that, the cap pops off pretty easily.

I haven't had a problem with the hard cap premiums, but the soft caps have a denser filler in them ... takes juice way slower in my experience

From that point, I use a 1ml syringe and an 18 gauge needle. I usually put between .8ml and 1.0ml in a carto, and I do this by pushing the needle down along the side of the filler, and get it all the way to the bottom. I slowly depress the syringe plunger and work my way to the top slowly, trying to fill at every level as I extract the needle. When I'm done, I put the top back on the carto and let it set for a few hours before vaping. It's worked pretty well for me so far.

Hope this helps.

Sherrick

I did actually try a needle once but it was so hard to get in I thought I was going to mess up the carto (I only have a blunt tip needle, and you cant buy needles in PA without an Rx) I may have to revisit this method though, it seems to make more sense ... the problem is getting the juice to soak down into the dense filler and this method spreads the fill out over the length of the carto so it may work better....thanks for the reply !!

 

[Jeff78]

Here is what I have been doing. I do the condom refill method with the cap off, but I do it in reverse. I put the battery end in the condom and watch the juice come up the center. I never let it go over the center. It seems to work pretty well. It will soak it in, and I get about 20-30 drops in at a time. I'll do a video in the next couple of days and show ya.

 

[MechTechVpr]

Here is what I have been doing. I do the condom refill method with the cap off, but I do it in reverse. I put the battery end in the condom and watch the juice come up the center. I never let it go over the center. It seems to work pretty well. It will soak it in, and I get about 20-30 drops in at a time. I'll do a video in the next couple of days and show ya.

Thanks Jeff... that would be great!!!
I have tried this method but maybe im just too impatient ...I seem to get juice pooling on top almost instantly ... starting to think its operator error here ...not so much the difference in the carto filling ...LOL

 

[Sherrick]

I haven't had a problem with the hard cap premiums, but the soft caps have a denser filler in them ... takes juice way slower in my experience

I haven't had any of the soft caps yet, so I can't speak to that.

I only have a blunt tip needle, and you cant buy needles in PA without an Rx

Buying a needle here isn't supposed to be a problem, but it became one locally for me. What I ended up doing is going to a Tractor Supply Store. At the pharmacies here all the needles are locked up and they acted like I was going to start shooting up right there in the store. At the Farm Supply, they have the needles and syringes out on the shelves next to the dog food and horse supplies. They're vet / animal syringes and needles, but they're sterile. I walked in, picked out what I wanted and started to pay for them. The girl at the register said, "Oh, wait, just a minute...."

And I thought: Oh, boy. Here we go.

She looked at what I had and said, "I think you're going to want to pick up the screw-on type and not the clip type. The clip type just doesn't work as well." She then leaves her register, goes to the back of the store, gets what she thinks is a better needle and checks me out.

In and out in 10 minutes tops.

 

[sonnetjie]

I had blunt needles too. I got my hubby to grind the tips at an angle to form a sharper point with his dremel. Works great now. Before that, I inserted a needle on the side of the filler, gently pulled the head back and inserted the needle on the gap created.

 

[MechTechVpr]

I had blunt needles too. I got my hubby to grind the tips at an angle to form a sharper point with his dremel. Works great now. Before that, I inserted a needle on the side of the filler, gently pulled the head back and inserted the needle on the gap created.

Dont know why i didn't think to do that ... would be pretty easy, thanks ... guess I was just not sure if I could trust myself with a sharp needle ..LOL

I ended up doing is going to a Tractor Supply Store. At the pharmacies here all the needles are locked up and they acted like I was going to start shooting up right there in the store.

Know what you mean...first time I went looking to get needles for this ...I asked the girl at the Pharmacy (at walmart even), she asked if I had a script ...told her I didn't need it for medicine and tried to explain, briefly, what I was using it for. Needless to say she looked at me like I was speaking in gibberish or something and went back to the pharmacist before I could stop her... then the pharmacist gives me the third degree and tells "we cant sell needles to Just anyone...you need a prescription" then they all watch me as I scurried away feeling like a junky or something ...

hell, Ive bought handguns with less trouble ...lol

will have to try the Farm store though ...may not give me the third degree there anyway!! thanks for the idea

 

[StormFinch]

When filling premium cartos via condom method you definitely have to go slowly. If you push down too fast the juice just shoots up to the top and out the other end. I refill via the battery end and stop every little bit to allow the juice to soak in before pushing farther down. I've also found I prefer the thermometer shake to the spin because I tend to overfill with spins. I'd rather refill a little more often rather than leak juice.

 

[MechTechVpr]

When filling premium cartos via condom method you definitely have to go slowly. .................

I've also found I prefer the thermometer shake to the spin because I tend to overfill with spins. I'd rather refill a little more often rather than leak juice.

Thanks Storm, How much are you getting in then... from my experience I only get a 1/4 condom in before it starts coming out/pooling on top ... do you do the shake in between filling (ie: fill a bit > shake > fill more> shake) dont mean to be totally ignorant ...I just cant seem to get the full ml in that way ... Ive even tried letting it soak in for 20-30 min between attempts ... have to admit i haven't tried the thermometer shake since I started using the T-spin ...would be quicker ...and that's what I'm looking for ...It sucks being so lazy and impatient ...lol... have to work on that I guess

Ill give that a try see if I can get more in, in a reasonable amount of time !!

 

[CES]

I'm with Storm on this- with the premium hard caps I use the condom fill very, very slowly from the battery end. If I go too fast air bubbles push juice through the top before much goes in. Then I have to pull the carto partway out and back in very slowly (DON'T say it!). I also let it sit for a smidge before removing the condom. I don't get a full ml in, usually a half ml, but i haven't gotten these totally empty or washed them either either.

I use a syringe fill for any carto with an easily removable cap.

 

[Mickirette]

If you do the condom fill from battery end do you still need to shake or spin it down? Looks to me like it would already be where it needs to be. I am sorry, to throw in another question, hope the OP don't mind. Micki

 

[Sherrick]

If you do the condom fill from battery end do you still need to shake or spin it down? Looks to me like it would already be where it needs to be. I am sorry, to throw in another question, hope the OP don't mind. Micki

I don't think the spin or shake is so much about getting the liquid where it needs to be, as much as it is about getting it out of the way of the incoming refill juice. If the battery end is full and you try to put more in via that battery end, it doesn't push the existing liquid up toward the top. The existing liquid in the carto just stays in place and repels any new incoming fluid. The shake or spin would move it away from the end you are refilling so that more liquid can be taken in by the carto and ultimately absorbed.

 

[AngusATAT]

I usually just take off the white cap, drip into the filling until it pools, shake it down, fill more, shake, rinse and repeat until the carto can't take any more juice. Seems to work pretty well for me.

I guess I'm old fashioned.

 

[Sherrick]

I don't think the spin or shake is so much about getting the liquid where it needs to be, as much as it is about getting it out of the way of the incoming refill juice. If the battery end is full and you try to put more in via that battery end, it doesn't push the existing liquid up toward the top. The existing liquid in the carto just stays in place and repels any new incoming fluid. The shake or spin would move it away from the end you are refilling so that more liquid can be taken in by the carto and ultimately absorbed.

My response to Mickirette's question brought up a question for myself. If you know that the cart is dry and can hold...say...20 drops. Could you not do the condom refill method with 10 drops from the battery end and then flip the carto over and do the CCRM with 10 drops from the mouth end? Would this not make sense and remove the need for shaking and / or spinning? I don't know, I'm just asking because it seems logical to me. Do half a fill from one end, then flip it over and do the other half from the other. No muss, no fuss....

 

[Kimmy]

Usually I save my cartomizers and just use them one time and put them aside for when something bad is going to happen. About a week and a half ago I started filling more often. I did experience some issues with cartos burning out rather quickly. I found a method that works for me! I had to tweak the carto condom fill method tho a bit

What they don't really emphasize in the vids is you have to go EXTRA, extra slow. Pausing here and there to let the juice soak. You can fill either way, through the mouth piece end or batt end...I used to do batt end, but now I find because the premium cartos have smaller holes down there, I use the cap end. After they are filled, I don't use the taryn spin method. I simply role the carto in my hands to get it evenly distributed. The videos also tell you that you can vape right away, which you can, but for some reason thats when the cartos burn out faster IMHO. I let them sit at least 10-15 mins. I take soft, short drags for the first 8-10 pulls. I top off every couple hours (Before the warning its almost done).

Havent had any problems filling since!

 

[StormFinch]

Thanks Storm, How much are you getting in then... from my experience I only get a 1/4 condom in before it starts coming out/pooling on top ... do you do the shake in between filling (ie: fill a bit > shake > fill more> shake) dont mean to be totally ignorant ...I just cant seem to get the full ml in that way ... Ive even tried letting it soak in for 20-30 min between attempts ... have to admit i haven't tried the thermometer shake since I started using the T-spin ...would be quicker ...and that's what I'm looking for ...It sucks being so lazy and impatient ...lol... have to work on that I guess

Ill give that a try see if I can get more in, in a reasonable amount of time !!

You're fine MechTech, we've all had to learn this at one point or another.

I'm not sure about actual amounts since I'm too lazy to measure,(see, not just you! lol) but I'm consistently getting 20 drops or 60 percent of a condom full of liquid on each premium, hard or soft cap. I refill when the happy crackling the cart makes when I draw on it is faint and starts becoming sporadic. Try filling your carts in front of the TV, it helps with the impatience factor.

To do it this way, very slowly push the cart down until juice starts to appear in the mouth cap hole, then take any pressure off the condom and wait a few seconds. Repeat the process until you've used up all the juice or continually see it rising up into the cap hole even after you've waited. If it takes the whole amount and you don't have any sign of the juice through the hole at the end of your fill you can try another 5 drops or so. I keep an extra empty cart in my kit to add any left over juice to so that I don't waste any.

When you take the empty condom off, make sure you do that slowly as well, or break the seal on it first by pulling one edge away from the cart since it can draw the juice back out again otherwise. Then put a .... cap/plug on it and shake like a thermometer for 15 to 20 seconds or so. Because you are filling from the battery end, which is where you ultimately want the juice anyway, you don't have to worry about shaking it more than the one time really. I mainly do it to clear the juice from the center.

Hope this helps.

 

[JenJen]

I haven't had any problems with refilling the soft cap premiums. Some of the hard cap premiums are almost impossible to get the cap off without wrecking them though. For he hard cap carto, I have been dropping 3 drops into the battery end every hour or so and that has been working nicely (I don't let them dry out) They will go in, but you have to make sure your finger is not covering the whole that you draw in from, or it won't go down...

 

[MechTechVpr]

Storm: Thank you very much for the detail ...your post is Very Helpful ... I will have to try the TV method, or maybe while I'M on the forum ( i can spend hours on here and completely loose track of time) Ill keep at it till I get the hang of it!

CES: thanks for the added info, and by the way ...
"Then I have to pull the carto partway out and back in very slowly (DON'T say it!)"
This process is much like sex (i think what you were hoping to avoid) you have to have impeccable finesse to get the desired result... and when you are successful, well maybe not the same aaaaahhhh, but closely related!!...lol

Mickirette: No problem what so ever ... more questions lead to more answers and we can all benefit from that ...thank you

Kimmy: thank you ...I'm starting to see the theme here ...the major "trick" appears to be... go as slow as you can tolerate !!...

do you top off the same way you fill on these ?? I have had zero luck with the dripping in the batt end with these ...

and I just got good at that too...boo hoo.... Ill stop whining now ... its just so hard to wait so long for the goodness that follows !!

You have all been very helpful ...hope I can get the hang of this ... like the benefits of refilling (obviously) and knowing that these will be the default carto soon ... it will be very important to figure this out

 

[MechTechVpr]

I usually just take off the white cap, drip into the filling until it pools, shake it down, fill more, shake, rinse and repeat until the carto can't take any more juice. Seems to work pretty well for me.

I guess I'm old fashioned.

this is what Ive been doing mostly ...but with the Taryn spin in the middle ... and when I get more than a 1/4 cap full in it seems to be too much ...get juice on vaping, hard to vape, etc .... do you notice how much you are getting in ...do these maybe just hold less i wonder ...anyone know if the 1ml spec applies here (from the factory at least)

Leaford, if you're out there (and not busy digging out of the snow, if you are in that region of china!!) can you confirm the factory fill spec on the newest premiums (soft caps) and maybe a tip on their fill method (is it the same as before??) thanks if you get a chance to respond ...understand if you cant...you still rule