Rayon wick, better flow, flavor, saturation and Nic Hit!

[PaulBHC]

Thanks for the replies about the coils but I still ask, do any of you wash and reuse your coils or do you wash and rewick them?

I posted this weekend that I had done around 20 kanger and aspire coils so I'm not top coil only. I just happened to wash those and it is easy to see/feel with the rubber cap off.

 

[cindycated]

I dry burn, wash and rewick the ones that I've rebuilt. The stock coils I pull out and rebuild. I find them too hard to rewick. I've never had any luck removing the crud with just washing - the only way I've been able to remove the crud is to dry burn, and it's easy enough to just rewick from there. Sorry, missed your question.

 

[tmcase]

Thanks for the replies about the coils but I still ask, do any of you wash and reuse your coils or do you wash and rewick them?

I posted this weekend that I had done around 20 kanger and aspire coils so I'm not top coil only. I just happened to wash those and it is easy to see/feel with the rubber cap off.

Coils that are easy to change wicks on I just dry burn. Some of my attys, like the Penelope, I have to start over with a new coil. I don't wash any of my wicks.

 

[JeremyR]

I actually tried two more rayon wicks with less and it wasnt holding enough to keep up. Dry hits pretty quick. It sure looks like scorching, but I didnt get a single dry hit with either the cotton or the rayon pics I posted. Im still happy with the rayon though, like I said it performs consistently to the end rather than slowly getting worse and worse like cotton. I make my own NET with pipe tobacco. Super cheap but probably 'dirtier' than the commercial ones.

Maybe it's the juice burning that's staining the wick and not really the wick burning? Have you tried more air flow or lower power? More air would probably keep the net from burning so fast and allow it to vaporize more.

Ahlusion makes a couple clean burners. Caramel wild wood and their vanilla wild wood are very good.

Thanks for the reco but it sounds like I need a dirty net to test out - like eases.

 

[Jerms]

I've vaped mainly NETs for a while now, and have vaped juices from most of the NET vendors. Some NETs can be fairly clean, such as the steam distilled NETs made by Ahlusion and Heather'sHeavenlyVapes. Most NETs though are macerations, which pipe, cig, or cigar tobacco is soaked in a solvent (usually PG and/or VG, or PGA), either heat assisted for a shorter duration or not heat assisted for a longer time. That maceration is then filtered to separate the resulting extract from the plant matter. The resulting extract is then used as a flavoring ingredient to make vape juice.

Some NETs are filtered more than others, but even finely filtered macerations have particulates. You may not be able to see those particulates, but you notice how much quicker they gunk a coil! Most of the NETs I vape can only be vaped for a couple ml before the flavor is effected. Crud builds up on the coil, a carbon build-up that effects the flavor. NET vapers tend to change wicks and dry burn much more frequently than people who don't vape NETs.

 

[Blind Owl]

I've vaped mainly NETs for a while now, and have vaped juices from most of the NET vendors. Some NETs can be fairly clean, such as the steam distilled NETs made by Ahlusion and Heather'sHeavenlyVapes. Most NETs though are macerations, which pipe, cig, or cigar tobacco is soaked in a solvent (usually PG and/or VG, or PGA), either heat assisted for a shorter duration or not heat assisted for a longer time. That maceration is then filtered to separate the resulting extract from the plant matter. The resulting extract is then used as a flavoring ingredient to make vape juice.

Some NETs are filtered more than others, but even finely filtered macerations have particulates. You may not be able to see those particulates, but you notice how much quicker they gunk a coil! Most of the NETs I vape can only be vaped for a couple ml before the flavor is effected. Crud builds up on the coil, a carbon build-up that effects the flavor. NET vapers tend to change wicks and dry burn much more frequently than people who don't vape NETs.

Pardon my ignorance, but 'NET' doesn't produce a quickie-query-type "?", except in my head. Googling on 'net' doesn't seem likely to bear fruit, but given the context I assume they're tobacco derivatives. Would tobacco absolute be a NET, by any chance? If so, you may have fingered the culprit in the Case of the Carbonized Coil.

Anything but negligence on my part, criminal or not.

 

[Jerms]

Pardon my ignorance, but 'NET' doesn't produce a quickie-query-type "?", except in my head. Googling on 'net' doesn't seem likely to bear fruit, but given the context I assume they're tobacco derivatives. Would tobacco absolute be a NET, by any chance? If so, you may have fingered the culprit in the Case of the Carbonized Coil.

Anything but negligence on my part, criminal or not.

NET is an acronym for naturally extracted tobacco which, yes, is flavoring derived from tobacco leaves. Tobacco Absolute (TA) is also derived from tobacco leaves, but in a process quite different than macerated NETs. TA is a very concentrated commercial ingredient, and a very small amount is used to make a TA flavored juice compared to a macerated NET. A tobacco flavor that uses TA is usually no more gunky than a synthetic tobacco or non-tobacco juice.

There's a lot of info in the first post of the Natural Tobacco thread found here.. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=0

 

[reeftivo]

Maybe it's the juice burning that's staining the wick and not really the wick burning? Have you tried more air flow or lower power? More air would probably keep the net from burning so fast and allow it to vaporize more.




Thanks for the reco but it sounds like I need a dirty net to test out - like eases.

I hear ya! The virus is a tasty dirty one

 

[Angel Eyes]

These dental brushes work wonders for cleaning the inside of a coil, especially smaller ones.
Just don't get the flavored ones.

I can buy beautiful machine rolled Kanthal A-1 coils, ready to mount, on ebay at 12 for less than $10 - that's like 85 cents each!

I am cheap, but rolling coils out of spooled wire or cleaning them with dental brushes (or any other way) just isn't worth my time to save 85 cents!

besides, using rayon batting as the wicking seems to keep the coils clean and pretty for a really long time!

 

[tmcase]

I can buy beautiful machine rolled Kanthal A-1 coils, ready to mount, on ebay at 12 for less than $10 - that's like 85 cents each!

I am cheap, but rolling coils out of spooled wire or cleaning them with dental brushes (or any other way) just isn't worth my time to save 85 cents!

besides, using rayon batting as the wicking seems to keep the coils clean and pretty for a really long time!

You can get them even cheap here $2.16 Pre-Coiled Welded Wires - NR-R-NR (50-Pack) 50-pack - 32 AWG / 1.5ohm / 30*30mm at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

 

[bsoplinger]

Great post!!
I would love to get into this later, and yes on all points. The vapor is even more like smoke. I used to be able to see mist droplets in the sun now I don't seem to see that.

As I've commented, the extreme humidity is very hard on me, so for the last few days I've been mostly just reclining and listening to audio books. While vaping away. And as I lie there with the bright sunshine filling the room and the AC running almost constantly creating air currents I realize I'm staring at wisps of vapor that look just like cigarette smoke. I've filled the room with vapor before using silica and cotton but it just isn't the same. Those clouds don't have the little streamers just floating around outside the cloud. I've been seeing them for a few days but the realization that they looked more like smoke than the vapor I'm used to didn't hit until an hour or so before I posted.

Changing subjects... I've been using rayon in a Fogger, built with 2 coils exactly like the single coil I use in my Kayfuns (0.8 vs 1.6) and the Fogger is a warmer (not hot) more flavorful vape with just a bit more vapor than the Kayfun. So to answer the does it work for the Fogger, I can say it does for me.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[PaulBHC]

For anybody interested, I reassembled the i30 top coil with the used wicks, filled with a home made NET, and it vapes just fine.

The NET mix is the color of American beer. Organic American Spirit purchased in a 1.4oz pouch. I put about an ounce in a half pint Mason jar and covered with PG. Let it sit for 3 weeks. Dumped the contents into an old gold screen coffee filter, draining the liquid into an unbleached coffee filter. The liquid is then funneled into a 60ml syringe with a gumball size wad of cotton inside. Then plunger pressed through the cotton. The result is mixed at 15-20% with a base.

 

[HolmanGT]

For anybody interested, I reassembled the i30 top coil with the used wicks, filled with a home made NET, and it vapes just fine.

The NET mix is the color of American beer. Organic American Spirit purchased in a 1.4oz pouch. I put about an ounce in a half pint Mason jar and covered with PG. Let it sit for 3 weeks. Dumped the contents into an old gold screen coffee filter, draining the liquid into an unbleached coffee filter. The liquid is then funneled into a 60ml syringe with a gumball size wad of cotton inside. Then plunger pressed through the cotton. The result is mixed at 15-20% with a base.

Paul,
How do you know the Nic content of the NET?

 

[PaulBHC]

Almost nothing. Same with regards to WTA. Soaking ready to smoke tobacco in pg or vg doesn't result in much of anything but the flavoring.

Edit to add, I bought the Nic test kit for less than $10 from Wizard Labs.

 

[HolmanGT]

Almost nothing. Same with regards to WTA. Soaking ready to smoke tobacco in pg or vg doesn't result in much of anything but the flavoring.

Edit to add, I bought the Nic test kit for less than $10 from Wizard Labs.

Thanks Paul,

Now I am off to find Wizard Labs.

 

[PaulBHC]

They are closed while they move.

Maintenance

 

[HolmanGT]

They are closed while they move.

Maintenance

I discovered that... just my luck. I'll hit them again on the 14th.

 

[Blind Owl]

For anybody interested, I reassembled the i30 top coil with the used wicks, filled with a home made NET, and it vapes just fine.

The NET mix is the color of American beer. Organic American Spirit purchased in a 1.4oz pouch. I put about an ounce in a half pint Mason jar and covered with PG. Let it sit for 3 weeks. Dumped the contents into an old gold screen coffee filter, draining the liquid into an unbleached coffee filter. The liquid is then funneled into a 60ml syringe with a gumball size wad of cotton inside. Then plunger pressed through the cotton. The result is mixed at 15-20% with a base.

Thanks, Paul. I may have found a use for the +/- $200 worth of tobacco (cigarette & pipe) we'd probaly throw away otherwise. Like most recent converts to e-cigs, I've been searching for that old-time tobacco flavor I remember so fondly from my gasping days. No use lighting one for old times' sake, I know it would taste like something a sick whale puked up on the beach.

Ecigexpress also carries nic test kits…oops, maybe I should have kept it to myself until I score one…could be a run on them soon…

 

[Blind Owl]

By way of apology for straying off the topic:

Seattle Vapor Co. has seen the error of its ways and now has rayon wick ('Premium Org,' whatever the h**l that means) on sale! Only $1.69 for 2 ft. instead of $2.89! A whole $1.20 off! No picture of the box, but the brand is alleged to be C.C. Co. Enough to make a fella wonder, ain't it?

 

[michaelvapors]

Those of you thinking about trying Rayon as a #wick . Here is how Rayon is made - from wikipedia - with lovely caustic chemicals. Several folks are saying it wicks better and tastes "cleaner" than cotton. I say wear it, don't vape it Rayon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Production method
Regular rayon (or viscose) is the most widely produced form of rayon. This method of rayon production has been utilized since the early 1900s and it has the ability to produce either filament or staple fibers. The process is as follows:

Cellulose: Production begins with processed cellulose
Immersion: The cellulose is dissolved in caustic soda: (C6H10O5)n + nNaOH → (C6H9O4ONa)n + nH2O
Pressing: The solution is then pressed between rollers to remove excess liquid
White Crumb: The pressed sheets are crumbled or shredded to produce what is known as "white crumb"
Aging: The "white crumb" is aged through exposure to oxygen
Xanthation: The aged "white crumb" is mixed with carbon disulfide in a process known as Xanthation, the aged alkali cellulose crumbs are placed in vats and are allowed to react with carbon disulfide under controlled temperature (20 to 30 °C) to form cellulose xanthate: (C6H9O4ONa)n + nCS2 → (C6H9O4O-SC-SNa)n
Yellow Crumb: Xanthation changes the chemical makeup of the cellulose mixture and the resulting product is now called "yellow crumb"
Viscose: The "yellow crumb" is dissolved in a caustic solution to form viscose
Ripening: The viscose is set to stand for a period of time, allowing it to ripen: (C6H9O4O-SC-SNa)n + nH2O → (C6H10O5)n + nCS2 + nNaOH
Filtering: After ripening, the viscose is filtered to remove any undissolved particles
Degassing: Any bubbles of air are pressed from the viscose in a degassing process
Extruding: The viscose solution is extruded through a spinneret, which resembles a shower head with many small holes
Acid Bath: As the viscose exits the spinneret, it lands in a bath of sulfuric acid, resulting in the formation of rayon filaments: (C6H9O4O-SC-SNa)n + ½nH2SO4 → (C6H10O5)n + nCS2 + ½nNa2SO4
Drawing: The rayon filaments are stretched, known as drawing, to straighten out the fibers
Washing: The fibers are then washed to remove any residual chemicals
Cutting: If filament fibers are desired the process ends here. The filaments are cut down when producing staple fibers[1]
High wet modulus rayon (HWM) is a modified version of viscose that has a greater strength when wet. It also has the ability to be mercerized like cotton. HWM rayons are also known as "polynosic"[clarification needed] or can be identified by the trade name Modal.[9]

High-tenacity rayon is another modified version of viscose that has almost twice the strength of HWM. This type of rayon is typically used for industrial purposes such as tire cord.[9]

Cupramonium rayon has properties similar to viscose but during production, the cellulose is combined with copper and ammonia (Schweizer's reagent). Due to the environmental effects of this production method, cupramonium rayon is no longer produced in the United States.[9]