READYxWICK for non cotton people

[BlueSnake]

It's difficult for me to understand why some of us are having so extremely different results with the r/w. I really don't understand the disintegrating thing since none of my wicks do that and I've been using them for weeks. I do know that once they are in place you do not want to move them around. Just leave them in place and dry burn when the coil gets gunky.

I just keep pulse burning until they quit smoking and they are good as new. I also never rinse them in water. Even when the get gunky they don't taste bad. I just dry burn for cosmetic reasons and thinking the coil will be more efficient without the gunk.

 

[MacTechVpr]

It's difficult for me to understand why some of us are having so extremely different results with the r/w. I really don't understand the disintegrating thing since none of my wicks do that and I've been using them for weeks. I do know that once they are in place you do not want to move them around. Just leave them in place and dry burn when the coil gets gunky.

I just keep pulse burning until they quit smoking and they are good as new. I also never rinse them in water. Even when the get gunky they don't taste bad. I just dry burn for cosmetic reasons and thinking the coil will be more efficient without the gunk.

I agree. I've done more than a few of these to notice a few things. But I've yet to ever see one dismember except under extraordinary handling and re-handling (e.g. extensive reinsertion into non-confirming coil sizes, repeated torchings along with that). Really would love to know the circumstances. I know what I had to do. So curious. The stuff's practically indestructible. And it begs the question...what is that material?

Dry burning if the taste doesn't bother you (residual refractory traces are often released, harmless but detectable) is perfectly adequate. Pigments and other large solids get pushed out to the edges of the wick. They build up on the surface. It continues to flow more than adequately but I realize the appearance is not aesthetically pleasing to some. Pigments start to extrude and agglomerate at the surface of the weave and after repeated dry burns and/or torching become like interwoven rock strands that won't torch out.

If the look bothers I'd say, rewick. It's a minimal cost in a small dripper. The buildup does progressively affect heat transfer somewhat at the location of accumulation though just like the same buildup on the coil surface.

I migrate or rotate the wick around in some atty's to avoid this. However, letting the wick saturate in cool water for a time then transfer to hot water (I use two small recycled 3"candle cups for this) helps first dilute then expel impregnated juice solids before they're burned into the wick. So quick washes may not be that beneficial but soakings like this can help prolong the best flow rate and flavor output when followed by torching for any remainder. In fact this works so well with most juices you don't need to dry burn at all. Dry burning can actually harden the residues even more. A light overall torching may suffice if that.

End of the day, you're not going to avoid the eventual buildup of solids to some degree in any wick. And you can't do some of the stuff I'm suggesting in any other material with as efficient and predictably good outcome.

Wish I could just dry burn. LOL

Good luck blu.

 

[MasterofNone]

So I built my first Rene 41 coil- without stabbing myself and only a minor burn lol Should have tension wrapped around the wick- it's too loose now and I keep getting dry hits even though the atty is overflowing. It's a balancing act with this wick. I'm going to have to try again... lol. Back to the one I was using til than.

I had to fire and plier compress the coil to get it tighter though... So I'm going to try annealing the wire first, see if it will stay in place


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BlueSnake]

I agree. I've done more than a few of these to notice a few things. But I've yet to ever see one dismember except under extraordinary handling and re-handling (e.g. extensive reinsertion into non-confirming coil sizes, repeated torchings along with that). Really would love to know the circumstances. I know what I had to do. So curious. The stuff's practically indestructible. And it begs the question...what is that material?

Dry burning if the taste doesn't bother you (residual refractory traces are often released, harmless but detectable) is perfectly adequate. Pigments and other large solids get pushed out to the edges of the wick. They build up on the surface. It continues to flow more than adequately but I realize the appearance is not aesthetically pleasing to some. Pigments start to extrude and agglomerate at the surface of the weave and after repeated dry burns and/or torching become like interwoven rock strands that won't torch out.

If the look bothers I'd say, rewick. It's a minimal cost in a small dripper. The buildup does progressively affect heat transfer somewhat at the location of accumulation though just like the same buildup on the coil surface.

I migrate or rotate the wick around in some atty's to avoid this. However, letting the wick saturate in cool water for a time then transfer to hot water (I use two small recycled 3"candle cups for this) helps first dilute then expel impregnated juice solids before they're burned into the wick. So quick washes may not be that beneficial but soakings like this can help prolong the best flow rate and flavor output when followed by torching for any remainder. In fact this works so well with most juices you don't need to dry burn at all. Dry burning can actually harden the residues even more. A light overall torching may suffice if that.

End of the day, you're not going to avoid the eventual buildup of solids to some degree in any wick. And you can't do some of the stuff I'm suggesting in any other material with as efficient and predictably good outcome.

Wish I could just dry burn. LOL

Good luck blu.

When I said "us" I wasn't referring to me. I'm having no problems at all with Ready-Wick. I was just trying not to point the finger at any one in particular with the "us". Sorry if I confused you.

 

[ltrainer]

I agree. I've done more than a few of these to notice a few things. But I've yet to ever see one dismember except under extraordinary handling and re-handling (e.g. extensive reinsertion into non-confirming coil sizes, repeated torchings along with that). Really would love to know the circumstances. I know what I had to do. So curious. The stuff's practically indestructible. And it begs the question...what is that material?

Dry burning if the taste doesn't bother you (residual refractory traces are often released, harmless but detectable) is perfectly adequate. Pigments and other large solids get pushed out to the edges of the wick. They build up on the surface. It continues to flow more than adequately but I realize the appearance is not aesthetically pleasing to some. Pigments start to extrude and agglomerate at the surface of the weave and after repeated dry burns and/or torching become like interwoven rock strands that won't torch out.

If the look bothers I'd say, rewick. It's a minimal cost in a small dripper. The buildup does progressively affect heat transfer somewhat at the location of accumulation though just like the same buildup on the coil surface.

I migrate or rotate the wick around in some atty's to avoid this. However, letting the wick saturate in cool water for a time then transfer to hot water (I use two small recycled 3"candle cups for this) helps first dilute then expel impregnated juice solids before they're burned into the wick. So quick washes may not be that beneficial but soakings like this can help prolong the best flow rate and flavor output when followed by torching for any remainder. In fact this works so well with most juices you don't need to dry burn at all. Dry burning can actually harden the residues even more. A light overall torching may suffice if that.

End of the day, you're not going to avoid the eventual buildup of solids to some degree in any wick. And you can't do some of the stuff I'm suggesting in any other material with as efficient and predictably good outcome.

Wish I could just dry burn. LOL

Good luck blu.

agglomerate..it really is a word. I know because I thought someone here was blowing some smoke. So I looked it up. Never heard it before and I think I'll probably never hear it again but thanks.

 

[MacTechVpr]

agglomerate..it really is a word. I know because I thought someone here was blowing some smoke. So I looked it up. Never heard it before and I think I'll probably never hear it again but thanks.

Sorry iTrain, I must have been elucidating.

Good luck.

 

[MacTechVpr]

When I said "us" I wasn't referring to me. I'm having no problems at all with Ready-Wick. I was just trying not to point the finger at any one in particular with the "us". Sorry if I confused you.

Now I am confused. I think I agree with you.

Good luck blu. We are on the same page.

 

[ltrainer]

Sorry iTrain, I must have been elucidating.

Good luck.

Hey I'm a happy guy with my 28 gauge wrapped on a 16 gauge luer and 2mm RxW screwed through. Working great as long as I don't get too much agglomerate which hasn't happened with my unflavored ejuice. I'm a fan.

 

[Filthy-Beast]

Here's a coil and wick I've been running for 7 weeks. I dry burned it last Friday.

And here it is after dry burning until clean.

 

[jifjifjif]

FB, you hand wrapped that around the 2mm ReadyxWick with something inside the wick? Or did you wrap the coil, then insert the wick? If I can figure out how yours was made, maybe I can duplicate your results.

Thanks.

 

[super_X_drifter]

My concern with the Nextel ceramics is that they are coated with a hazardous to inhale sizing to aid in the manufacturing process. Remember, it's made as a heat resistant shield for wires passing thru or in a high heat zone. That's why it's hollow.

So when you buy it, your relying on the vendor (vape shop) to treat it with a specific amount of heat for a specific amount of time to remove the hazardous if inhaled sizing.

That last paragraph is the part I have a BIG problem with.

I also noticed, when I tried, bought and ultimately gave away several feet of this product early last year, that if you look closely at your fingertips under a bright light after handling this stuff you will see tiny crystals.

Just FYI. I know, I know. We used to smoke, we used to inhale all kinds if stuff when we smoked and didn't care. I know. But for me, vaping is about minimizing inhalation of known toxins. Id speculate that burning tobacco is probably better for us than industrial sizing on this stuff and the crystalline substance it leaves in your hands.

Read the MSDS at the manufacturers site. I did and got rid of it.

 

[Big Hitter]

It's difficult for me to understand why some of us are having so extremely different results with the r/w. I really don't understand the disintegrating thing since none of my wicks do that and I've been using them for weeks. I do know that once they are in place you do not want to move them around. Just leave them in place and dry burn when the coil gets gunky.

I just keep pulse burning until they quit smoking and they are good as new. I also never rinse them in water. Even when the get gunky they don't taste bad. I just dry burn for cosmetic reasons and thinking the coil will be more efficient without the gunk.

It is weird and I wish I knew what was going on as well.

I had one 3/8 piece of wick that was torched 3-4 times ..... dry burned maybe 5 times and completely recoiled around the times it was torched. It was handled quite a bit off the atty and it did not begin to come apart at all. Very strange. Mine was a 3mm though so perhaps the 2mm handles a bit different.

I do remember the RBA supply guy saying that the heat treating (kiln) job could have been better on his first batch of 2mm that was for sale..... I wonder if the offending piece was from the first batch?

 

[ltrainer]

My concern with the Nextel ceramics is that they are coated with a hazardous to inhale sizing to aid in the manufacturing process. Remember, it's made as a heat resistant shield for wires passing thru or in a high heat zone. That's why it's hollow.

So when you buy it, your relying on the vendor (vape shop) to treat it with a specific amount of heat for a specific amount of time to remove the hazardous if inhaled sizing.

That last paragraph is the part I have a BIG problem with.

I also noticed, when I tried, bought and ultimately gave away several feet of this product early last year, that if you look closely at your fingertips under a bright light after handling this stuff you will see tiny crystals.

Just FYI. I know, I know. We used to smoke, we used to inhale all kinds if stuff when we smoked and didn't care. I know. But for me, vaping is about minimizing inhalation of known toxins. Id speculate that burning tobacco is probably better for us than industrial sizing on this stuff and the crystalline substance it leaves in your hands.

Read the MSDS at the manufacturers site. I did and got rid of it.

Your post made me take my RxW and handle it. First I handled it roughly in the middle away from the cut end. I examined my fingers very closely with my 18650 flashlight and I didn't see one crystal. I then handled the cut end and I saw two fibers that had come loose. I'm fairly confident, not 100% confident, that this wick has been treated well.

Cotton has it own issues as well. Is there a guarantee that the cotton we use is as advertised? Is it handled after being grown in a safe fashion? What about inhaling cotton fibers? What happens if you burn and inhale it? I don't know. We have to, to some degree, take it all faith.

I think what I'm saying here is that if we want to be informed about vaping then we gather up as much information as we can then we make our choices. Same thing applies to batteries, juices, brass etc.

 

[rudy4653]

My concern with the Nextel ceramics is that they are coated with a hazardous to inhale sizing to aid in the manufacturing process. Remember, it's made as a heat resistant shield for wires passing thru or in a high heat zone. That's why it's hollow.

So when you buy it, your relying on the vendor (vape shop) to treat it with a specific amount of heat for a specific amount of time to remove the hazardous if inhaled sizing.

That last paragraph is the part I have a BIG problem with.

I also noticed, when I tried, bought and ultimately gave away several feet of this product early last year, that if you look closely at your fingertips under a bright light after handling this stuff you will see tiny crystals.

Just FYI. I know, I know. We used to smoke, we used to inhale all kinds if stuff when we smoked and didn't care. I know. But for me, vaping is about minimizing inhalation of known toxins. Id speculate that burning tobacco is probably better for us than industrial sizing on this stuff and the crystalline substance it leaves in your hands.

Read the MSDS at the manufacturers site. I did and got rid of it.

I used to use the Nextel as well. I have switched to the Rxwick noting that it is Kiln treated MUCH higher than 700 degrees that the Nextel claimed so that makes me feel better.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Here's the heat cleaning instructions from 3m.
http://www.3m.com/market/industrial/ceramics/pdfs/heat_clean_treat_instructions.pdf

I highly doubt that any vape shop has the equipment (including fume hood / specified ventilation rates) to remove the burnt off sizing biproducts from the material. They may be removing the physical presence of the sizing but if not properly ventilated, it's essentially marinating in the vapors of it.

Cotton is in many products that are in constant contact with our lives. I believe it was also in cigarette filters (not sure) but yes your right, we really don't know.

But it's pretty clear that this product, Nextel ceramic, is not natural and not produced as something to be in contact with.

Who knows, the next time I go to the hospital with a large wound, I'll see if they wrap me up in Nextel ceramic

 

[MacTechVpr]

It is weird and I wish I knew what was going on as well.

I had one 3/8 piece of wick that was torched 3-4 times ..... dry burned maybe 5 times and completely recoiled around the times it was torched. It was handled quite a bit off the atty and it did not begin to come apart at all. Very strange. Mine was a 3mm though so perhaps the 2mm handles a bit different.

I do remember the RBA supply guy saying that the heat treating (kiln) job could have been better on his first batch of 2mm that was for sale..... I wonder if the offending piece was from the first batch?

Short answer: I ordered material from that first batch Tim as I've been testing versions of Nextel from every source I encounter for quite some time. Having that particular batch through dozens of tanks I'm aware of the issue. The run material lacks firmness limiting its potential for wick ability. However, as delivered it was very good. Typical of well prepared Nextel product.

The process of preparing Nextel can substantially enhance the firmness of the weave and so the wick's wall. Precisely what makes ceramic weave an awesome media for threading particularly small diameters. I've tested samples in microcoils going all the way back to last summer when BTV was still around (very good quality at the end) and aware of the performance of the wick after various stages of cleaning and treatment. The quality of this first XC-132 based run is about as good as it gets. However, from the perspective of perfecting it...potentially there is some headroom based on known past performance of such media. I applaud RBA for making that effort.

I undertook a prolonged study of Nextel's viability as a consumer wick product precisely because of its apparent performance potential, ease of wicking, prospective safety if properly prepared by vendors, it's durability and flavor neutrality. It's an outstanding wick compared to others like Eko and cotton which I thoroughly enjoy for specialized uses in every day use where consistency and durability matter. A lot less fiddly. So I encourage support for all producers undertaking to seek improvements of this product for the vaping community. Especially those willing to certify their process for our better appreciation of its suitability and safety.

Bottom line Tim, I've seen no deficiencies in RBA's first run in no less than 36 Protank runs (tank runs) by myself or other testers in my study group. I'm about to order a sizable quantity of the weave for long term test. I'll report down the line but will look particularly at threading. Try and get back here with that as we get to it.

Meantime have at it and enjoy the vape.

Good luck.

 

[rudy4653]

I used to use the Nextel as well. I have switched to the Rxwick noting that it is Kiln treated MUCH higher than 700 degrees that the Nextel claimed so that makes me feel better.

Just rechecked info and it's kiln treated @ 1850 degrees for 12 hours!! Big difference over the Nextel that I got last year from another vendor treated at 700 degrees for who knows how long. I definately noticed a big difference in fraying. The old Nextel did not fray as much as silica but did fray a bit when cutting but this new readyx has virtually no fraying when cut. Only frays a little if you mess with it after cutting and mounting. I assume this would also apply to very little to no "crystals" or loose fibers being inhaled. With all the types of wicking out there I believe this to be the safest. Just my 2cents.

 

[ltrainer]

I read that too. And I don't know about the ventilation used if any. I thought about asking him but never got around to it.

ETA. I did ask. See my post below.

 

[rudy4653]

Just rechecked info and it's kiln treated @ 1850 degrees for 12 hours!! Big difference over the Nextel that I got last year from another vendor treated at 700 degrees for who knows how long. I definately noticed a big difference in fraying. The old Nextel did not fray as much as silica but did fray a bit when cutting but this new readyx has virtually no fraying when cut. Only frays a little if you mess with it after cutting and mounting. I assume this would also apply to very little to no "crystals" or loose fibers being inhaled. With all the types of wicking out there I believe this to be the safest. Just my 2cents.

Sorry , meant 700 degrees Celsius which is around 1250 degrees F, which is still 600 degrees less than the ReadyX wick.

 

[BlueSnake]

My concern with the Nextel ceramics is that they are coated with a hazardous to inhale sizing to aid in the manufacturing process. Remember, it's made as a heat resistant shield for wires passing thru or in a high heat zone. That's why it's hollow.

So when you buy it, your relying on the vendor (vape shop) to treat it with a specific amount of heat for a specific amount of time to remove the hazardous if inhaled sizing.

That last paragraph is the part I have a BIG problem with.

I also noticed, when I tried, bought and ultimately gave away several feet of this product early last year, that if you look closely at your fingertips under a bright light after handling this stuff you will see tiny crystals.

Just FYI. I know, I know. We used to smoke, we used to inhale all kinds if stuff when we smoked and didn't care. I know. But for me, vaping is about minimizing inhalation of known toxins. Id speculate that burning tobacco is probably better for us than industrial sizing on this stuff and the crystalline substance it leaves in your hands.

Read the MSDS at the manufacturers site. I did and got rid of it.

Read all the information on the RBA Supplies site and you might change your mind. That's the only place I would buy from. A lot different than what was available last year.