RBA W/Silica wick

[ricks]

Stop using SS Mesh. Try Silica or Ekowool. It wicks great. I hate dripping.

minimalsaint, have you tried the ss wicks? i see you have a top coil rda/RBA .. For the life of me, I can't get enough wicking out of my ss wicks on my i-Atty or on AGA T2s .. ss wicks just don't wick enough juice and keep giving burnt taste.

I'm nearly sick of ss mesh wicks lol .. For now, I'm just using my i-Atty/AGA T2s like a dripper. Pop the juice in from top and enjoy for 5 minutes, again do the same .. I don't understand what should I do to get my SS wick work properly ..

 

[ricks]

I've broke my share of them both. I think the AO wicks are a little stronger tho. I also find that they don't need any break in time. With my Silica wicks, I'm leaving the fill screw in and I'm getting too much liquid in the air chamber. I might be tilting or sucking too much. As i'm vaping right now, I have to have the wick facing up to keep it from being drowned. It works great tho.

I gave up on SS wicks a long time ago- couldn't stand the fiddling to get them working and the taste was never that great for me when I could get one going. As for wicking, there are a lot of different factors... What pg/vg is your liquid? Solid or hollow wick? Fill screw in or out? Do you hold the device more vertical or horizontal? What resistance are your builds? Are you wrapping directly onto the coil or using something like the drill bit method?
I love the ekowool and cotton for simplicity when wrapping coils and wicking has never been a problem with either in the genesis as long as the fill hole is open. I'm also not a fan of the SS dry hit (welding fumes, anyone?) whereas silica or cotton will give a "warning taste" before running dry.
I have also used ceramic, but never the AO wick like those that ricks makes-
Ceramic was great but finicky as well (coils need to be tight on the surface and need some break in time) but I liked them a lot and have been thinking I need to get a bubble stone and make some. Wicking was great, flavor was awesome, but the price was unjustifiable and don't sneeze or the damned thing will snap like a cheeto. Maybe AO is a bit more sturdy, ricks?

 

[ricks]

Is that one string just folded in half? I have my 3mm Silica in my RBA's just like I do with ceramics, vertically. I have to try your way next.

Just rebuilt with 1.5mm hollow ekowool so I could get the coils a little smaller- here are some better pics from the top:

View attachment 263526
View attachment 263527

 

[minimalsaint]

Is that one string just folded in half? I have my 3mm Silica in my RBA's just like I do with ceramics, vertically. I have to try your way next.

Yep. A single strand doubled over. I tried leaving the loop on the wick end but it seems to wick better after I snip it off. I'm thinking I will try wrapping one with just the single strand running through the coil and the tail back into the tank. Micro coils have spoiled me and I think it may work better than this fat honker. What gauge / resistance is your build with the 3mm vertical? My pictured build is 29g 5/6 wraps for 1.3 ish ohms.

 

[minimalsaint]

I've broke my share of them both. I think the AO wicks are a little stronger tho. I also find that they don't need any break in time. With my Silica wicks, I'm leaving the fill screw in and I'm getting too much liquid in the air chamber. I might be tilting or sucking too much. As i'm vaping right now, I have to have the wick facing up to keep it from being drowned. It works great tho.

Interesting that it wicks like that with the fill screw in, although I have found with silica it is either "sink or swim". Not enough or too much wicking. I would imagine that your wick hole is probably drilled out also for the ceramics? I have another AGI with a 1/8 bored wick hole and it seems to flood my silica builds quite often, but the one with the original threaded wick hole doesn't. Maybe the threads have something to do with that.... I don't know.

 

[ricks]

On my my AGI and AGA-T I'm using 30g with 8 micro wraps at 2Ω. My liquids are 100% PG. My wick hole are at 1/8".

Yep. A single strand doubled over. I tried leaving the loop on the wick end but it seems to wick better after I snip it off. I'm thinking I will try wrapping one with just the single strand running through the coil and the tail back into the tank. Micro coils have spoiled me and I think it may work better than this fat honker. What gauge / resistance is your build with the 3mm vertical? My pictured build is 29g 5/6 wraps for 1.3 ish ohms.

 

[MrStik]

Why use a cotton that has to be boiled? I use sterile cotton balls. No bad flavor at all.

Some people I know in medicine, one of which is my wife, say that sterile means void of life. No bacteria, fungus, or virus living on the sterile environment. Although nothing is listed on the content of the cotton, sterile doesn't mean it is pure cotton with no additives. I too thought that sterile rolled cotton was just cotton and nothing more. There could be other elements in play that may have migrated to the cotton through the manufacturing process or even added to keep it sterile.

My proof and point is the difference in flavor that I get when I tried boiled cotton over unboiled cotton from the same batch of sterile cotton I bought. Other people may not taste it, but I do, and I boil now.. and I would recommend it to anyone who uses sterile cotton. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ricks]

Noted, I have tried other cottons and had bad flavor from them. Did the boiling to clean them up. The sterile ones I use now taste the same as boiled ones. I just wanted cotton that I don't have to boil.

Some people I know in medicine, one of which is my wife, say that sterile means void of life. No bacteria, fungus, or virus living on the sterile environment. Although nothing is listed on the content of the cotton, sterile doesn't mean it is pure cotton with no additives. I too thought that sterile rolled cotton was just cotton and nothing more. There could be other elements in play that may have migrated to the cotton through the manufacturing process or even added to keep it sterile.

My proof and point is the difference in flavor that I get when I tried boiled cotton over unboiled cotton from the same batch of sterile cotton I bought. Other people may not taste it, but I do, and I boil now.. and I would recommend it to anyone who uses sterile cotton. Just my 2 cents.

 

[minimalsaint]

On my my AGI and AGA-T I'm using 30g with 8 micro wraps at 2Ω. My liquids are 100% PG. My wick hole are at 1/8".

That makes a little more sense. I use 50/50 and lower resistance so flooding isn't a huge issue with silica builds, though I prefer to stay around 1.6.
Give it a shot and let me know how it works out for you- hopefully it isn't crazy flooding as a result lol.

 

[ricks]

I'm not worried about the flooding. I just turn it so the wick is up. I'm more curious about how it will taste with the double wick like yours. Do you use anything with the wick to wrap the coil? I use a thin paperclip.

That makes a little more sense. I use 50/50 and lower resistance so flooding isn't a huge issue with silica builds, though I prefer to stay around 1.6.
Give it a shot and let me know how it works out for you- hopefully it isn't crazy flooding as a result lol.

 

[minimalsaint]

I'm not worried about the flooding. I just turn it so the wick is up. I'm more curious about how it will taste with the double wick like yours. Do you use anything with the wick to wrap the coil? I use a thin paperclip.

I fold the wick over a long, thin needle- probably about the same diameter as your paper clip. The nice thing about doubling the wick is that it won't dry out as fast so I can take 2-3 puffs as opposed to 1 with a single strand.

 

[ricks]

I'm making one today for my daily flavor change. I use 2 flavors that I work with. Every night I change flavors. The one I will use tonight will be my AGA-T. I hope I can get it to work. I think the AGI would work better.

I fold the wick over a long, thin needle- probably about the same diameter as your paper clip. The nice thing about doubling the wick is that it won't dry out as fast so I can take 2-3 puffs as opposed to 1 with a single strand.

 

[Jazzi Mike]

I never made the jump to cotton. I like silica. It is sturdy/ekowool. I can wrap a silica coil in 5 minutes. No muss, no fuss. As far as taste goes, it holds up to me.

 

[Thrasher]

I'm liking the Silica so far. Where do you get your Silica?

I have been getting it at lightning vapes for some time now. a light torching before putting it in the atty and the taste has been very neutral
most of my builds. even in the kayfun, are double strands of 3mm. plenty of vapor and flavor.

I tried to like the whole micro coil/cotton thing but the only advantage I saw was more throat hit, and personally thats the one thing I really dont need more of lol. I like it smooooooooth

 

[ricks]

I like more flavor in mine. I'm trying the double 3mm wicks tonight in my AGA-T. Hoping it tastes better than a single wick.

I have been getting it at lightning vapes for some time now. a light torching before putting it in the atty and the taste has been very neutral
most of my builds. even in the kayfun, are double strands of 3mm. plenty of vapor and flavor.

I tried to like the whole micro coil/cotton thing but the only advantage I saw was more throat hit, and personally thats the one thing I really dont need more of lol. I like it smooooooooth

 

[Thrasher]

this ones getting a little rough but I do a loop as well
two weeks old now. cant remember but i think thats 30g for around 1.3 ohms.