Quick wick advice please.

[chadsmo]

I know there's a million threads and youtube videos and I've read or watched half of them, it's all kind of a big blur now.

I'll be grabbing my first rba soon, the IGO-L dripping atty. I know there's a bunch of different ways to do your wick and coil etc, and I"m totally game for experimenting, I just thought I'd get some quick advice here from the pros.

I read/saw somewhere the idea of a hybrid wick, SS wrapped around silica just where the coil will be wrapped. The site I'm buying from has 400ss and 32g Kanthal and 1,2 or 3mm silica. I'll be running this on an evic and i'm enjoying 1.7ohm - 1.9ohm at 8.5w to 9w right now and I'd like to try to stay somewhere in there. If I go this route is there a benefit to it, is the taste more pure because of the SS where the coil is wrapped? Also do I need to oxidize this if it's not going to be touching anything but the coil? I've watched a ton of videos on oxidizing and rolling SS wick and I"m pretty sure I can pull that off with little issue. Also would 1 2 or 3mm silica be best.

Secondly, I could just go straight up silica or cotton for wicking.

Thanks a ton if you have any insight.

 

[supertrunker]

I use a hybrid wick and i use cotton - just because i think it wicks better, but it makes it tough to dry burn. I make a decent sized roll - say 5 inches of ss mesh and oxidise it. then i cut a small bit off once it has all been rolled up and blowtorched, a piece about 1/4" that will fit in my RBA.

I unroll this and then drop in the wick in the center. Then i let the SS roll/spring back and roll it back tight over it. That way the wick thickness does not matter.

Finally i make a coil on top of the mesh and fit it in the RBA; you can cut off any excess cotton/silica as you like to get it to fit ok. Then i drip some juice on it and measure the resistance. <<< That last bit is important!!!

I use 500 SS mesh and 32g A-1 Kanthal, typically 4 or 5 wraps. I find it lasts maybe 2 weeks - but the mesh is reusuable a few times.

T

 

[chadsmo]

The sheet of 400ss i'm getting is 4.5cm x 4.5cm (1.77inch). I get that it only needs to be about 1/4 inch or so wide for the coil. Are you saying to just roll and oxidize the whole sheet and then cut off the little 1/4 inch pieces as I need them?

 

[supertrunker]

yes - since you are buying such small pieces! My method is buy a sheet - cut off a small piece say 5-6 inches and make a roll of mesh from that, and oxidise it all.Then cut it off as you need it - all you then have to do is wrap a coil on top.

i go with (my mesh is 12" square) 6 inches x 1 inch. Rolling that - for stock if you like. Cut little bits off that.

btw your 400 will work just as well, there is little difference in the wicking - in my case that it done by the cotton, or silica but wrapping a coil on a mesh is a lot easier than messing with pins - drill bits - just because it is stiffer.

T

 

[supertrunker]

As a brief aside - you can use a totally SS mesh - but then your best bet is to roll it against the grain. Because then you can bend it without putting 90 degree bends in it, it will curve smoothly as you roll it down to the size you need.

I no longer do this cos my mrs says it is a harsh vape with too much throat hit with just SS as a wick, hence my hybrid wick arrangement.

you will need more than 4.5cm btw. Buy a sheet of it - it will run you maybe $9 and last ages.

T

 

[SteveW]

Porous ceramic. Quick enough?

 

[chadsmo]

As a brief aside - you can use a totally SS mesh - but then your best bet is to roll it against the grain. Because then you can bend it without putting 90 degree bends in it, it will curve smoothly as you roll it down to the size you need.

I no longer do this cos my mrs says it is a harsh vape with too much throat hit with just SS as a wick, hence my hybrid wick arrangement.

you will need more than 4.5cm btw. Buy a sheet of it - it will run you maybe $9 and last ages.

T

I have not seen whole sheets in Canada yet, and shipping from the ecig vendors in the US is typically crazy to Canada. Not gonna mention the website but I wanted a few things, a cool drip tip and a tank .… 23$ shipping to Canada…