RBA(dripping) silica wick issue? Please read if you can spare a minute.

[Insomaniac10]

First off, please excuse me ahead of time, as the symptoms I'm experiencing are very tough to describe in words.

I have been using this rba for the last couple of weeks ( OKC Vapes - Oklahoma's Premier Supplier of Electronic Cigarettes, E-Liquid, and Accessories! ) and I have been thoroughly satisfied. Wrapping a good coil can be a pain sometimes, but once you get it right it performs like a champ. I have been using 32 gauge kanthal wire that I have from assorted vendors, and 2.5mm silica wick from Mr. Wick on EBay ( Silica Wick 2 5mm Fiberglass Fibreglass 2 5mm Free Bonus | eBay )

I recently had to stop using my wick ^^ because I had it stored openly (not in a bag or anything) in my coffee table drawer along with other things, including a scented trash bag. After a few days, the powerful fragrance from the trash bag soaked into the wick and made my vapor taste absolutely disgusting. Kind of funny actually. i switched to cartos temporarily while waiting for my new wick order to arrive. So I received my new wick from Mr. Wick yesterday, and now my rba experience has changed.

It's one of those things where I really can't pinpoint the cause, but I'm assuming it's the wick just based on the timing. I wrapped about 10 coils last night, and I got the same result everytime. the flavor/throathit seems much more muted since using the new wick. The vapor also seems much cooler than before, even at the same voltages. I'm not getting any hotspots and the coil is evenly wrapped and tightly connected, so I firmly believe it has nothing to do with the coil (I also used all the different wires I have from different vendors that I was previously having repeated success with). One other thing I'm noticing is the appearance of the vapor as it's coming off the coil. Previously when everything was going well, the vapor was more transparent, and was crackling/popping/spitting when coming off the coil. Now since using the new wick, it seems much more hissy/steamy/opaque. it's tough to describe but the overall quality of the vape has just decreased. It doesn't necessarily taste bad; there's no burning or anything. It's just cooler, with less flavor/throat hit.

Sorry for the long explanation, and I post this knowing full well that it will be very difficult for someone to give a solid opinion on what might be happening. But if anyone else has experienced this, or has any ideas...i'd love to hear from you. thanks for reading!

 

[martinc]

1-Stay away from fiberglass wicks,read more threads in here about RBAs...please....its for you.

2-Cooler vape overall mean its a higher ohms coil or a lower voltage that is used compared to previous...cant be anything else really...or maybe your coils are too tight around your wicks,when we get too familiar whipping one,we can tend to overlook those details.

 

[Insomaniac10]

Is silica always fiberglass? If not, do you know where I can get a non-fiberglass silica wick in a larger quantity?

 

[Cjax]

Yes, by definition it is always fiberglass. I find that a new wick, whether it be silica or cotton, has a break in period. You just have to kinda suffer through it for the first hour or so and then it levels out. You may want to try using 100% cotton. There are many threads discussing what types and such. I find flavor to be better with cotton, but the life of the wick is MUCH shorter since you can't clean it with a dry burn.

 

[WinchellNomNom]

Is silica always fiberglass? If not, do you know where I can get a non-fiberglass silica wick in a larger quantity?

I use silica with ss mesh so the coils wont touch the silica. I get longer life from setups in this configuration and the taste is improved substaintially from silica alone.

I get my silica from silicawicks. Com or okc vapes. Not the cheapest but the wick i get from them is consistant.

Everything mr. Wick sells is garbage.
Even the mesh he sells comes dented and creased.

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[Insomaniac10]

I get my silica from silicawicks. Com or okc vapes. Not the cheapest but the wick i get from them is consistant.

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$16 for 20 feet is a fine deal. OKCvapes does not sell in large enough quantities for me. I'm constantly re-wrapping and wasting a lot of wick, so I need to know that I have a large amount on hand to be able to live comfortably.

 

[WinchellNomNom]

$16 for 20 feet is a fine deal. OKCvapes does not sell in large enough quantities for me. I'm constantly re-wrapping and wasting a lot of wick, so I need to know that I have a large amount on hand to be able to live comfortably.

Okc vapes is nearly the same price if not a little cheaper. You just have to order 7 to get 21 feet for 15.75 total. But i only order silica from them when im buying mesh or something else along with it.

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[LongDraw]

I have only used Clouds of Vapor silica which I really like, I believe 12 dollars for 15 ft. or more. I cut the amount needed then take a torch to it which I have read, and based on use it appears, to help reduce break in period.

I have also heard Vaporbase silica is reallly good, I believe it is on ebay. Haven't gotten to try it myself but want to.

Edit: Sorry if I missed this above, but if the silica you are using is larger in diameter this could lead to using more resistance wire and without knowing lead to higher ohms because now the coils would be a little biger/longer.

 

[WinchellNomNom]

I have only used Clouds of Vapor silica which I really like, I believe 12 dollars for 15 ft. or more. I cut the amount needed then take a torch to it which I have read, and based on use it appears, to help reduce break in period.

I have also heard Vaporbase silica is reallly good, I believe it is on ebay. Haven't gotten to try it myself but want to.

Edit: Sorry if I missed this above, but if the silica you are using is larger in diameter this could lead to using more resistance wire and without knowing lead to higher ohms because now the coils would be a little biger/longer.

Cov is as good as the others i listed. Only thing with cov, i dont order from there often and when i do, they are out of stock like the current status of their silica.

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[Jimi D.]

I've had no problems with the silica wick from OKC vapes. I use 28, 30 and 32 Kanthal. I wrap my coils on a tiny screwdriver or drill bit. Then I twist and slide the wick in the coil.

 

[Jerms]

I'm finding I like silica after it breaks in. Easy to use, neutral taste, wicks well in my drippers, and able to dry burn. Only problem is the stuff I've been using breaks apart rather quickly, so I'm going to get some higher quality silica. What size are people using? I've just tried the 3mm, wondering if there's any reason to try smaller.

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[WinchellNomNom]

I currently have 2, 2.5, 3, and 3.5mm silica although i dont plan on restocking 2mm. Size of silica depends on what atty im building.

I like 2.5 for my phoenix rba's. Its all i can fit with a nice sized piece of mesh. I also use 2.5 on my terminators since the ceramic channel is fairly limiting. For atty's like the igo-l or s, i use 3.5 and 3.

 

[Jerms]

All depends on the area you have to work with. I have 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, and 3.5mm on hand. I plan on letting the 2mm go unreplenished. I use the largest i can possibly use in the given situation. More wicking is a good thing for me.

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I was kind of thinking the larger the wick the better it would wick juice.

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[WinchellNomNom]

I was kind of thinking the larger the wick the better it would wick juice.

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True, but some attys wont fit larger wick. The terminator is a prime example. The ceramic channels can fit maybe 3mm if you cram it in there, but it reduces wicking in the confined space.

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[Jerms]

True, but some attys wont fit larger wick. The terminator is a prime example. The ceramic channels can fit maybe 3mm if you cram it in there, but it reduces wicking in the confined space.

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I see, makes sense. Hence, largest wick possible depending on atty.

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[unloaded]

I vote for CoV wick too. I use the 3 and 3.5mm I torch the wick and wire before before making mine. It seems to help a lot.

 

[LongDraw]

I use 3.5 in both my odys and peny. Right where the wick starts to go down channels I trim off 3 strands (was suggested by another forum member). This works great, 3.5 at the coil to hold juice and a little less down the channels so wicking isn't affected. I have heard others that will use 2 strands of 2mm or more at the coil, and then trim that excess in the channels.

 

[Insomaniac10]

Going back to my OP, I've noticed something today that may be related to what I've been experiencing.

Everyone who uses RBAs know that after a day or so of use, your coil will no longer have a metallic appearance, but rather have a more blackened appearance after being broken in - due to heat, and juice gunk.

However, this is my third day of use with this coil, and here is what it looks like. You'll notice that the coil all the way to the leftl (the one closest to, what I believe is, the negative post) looks good as new, while the other 3 look nice and broken in. What could cause this. At first glance, my guess would be a short, but as I stated in the OP I've experienced these symptoms with about 10 coils in a row, using the same wrapping methods as I have in the past without any issues:

 

[Jimi D.]

I just built a ss wick with a silica sleeve. This set up is juice city !

 

[TheToxic_jon]

I just built a ss wick with a silica sleeve. This set up is juice city !

interesting, i would like to see a vid or write-up on that