sounds like those cottons balls are still the leader in the clubhouse...............
RM2 Wick & Coil Setups
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Really, really liking this Nextel. The flavor of the hits of unflavored nic base are amazing. After vaping since early AM, The wick looks EXACTLY the same as when I built it. I like it. It's been mentioned by others, but I'm reiterating that dry hits are not a punishment with this stuff either. Just a little warning shot whistling by your head that says squonk me big daddy, rather than a lung ripping cotton dry hit.
So, since I'm out whoring around on cotton (and since the 6"of this stuff that p-dibby gave me will last for many builds at 1/4" per build), I just ordered some ecowool from stormys vapor cellar (right here in GA) because I wanna see if its the same. The ecowool (Russia) website says it has similar properties to Nextel but safer chemistry. They even mention ecig users on their website. Buying direct would be costly though cause of their minimums quantities.
So, I thought me and cotton were lifelong mates. I can say that cotton has been very good to me, we'll always be friends and it has a very special place in my vape drawer - (it's not you cotton, it's me), but i guess I'm just a big time vapor Ho.
Edit, once the ecowool arrives, im'o do a little head to head comparo pitting the journeyman black wrinkle grand / RM2 / Nextel vs the new kid hammertone silver grand /RM2 /ecowool vs the unstoppable silver VV grand / chalice / cotton for a cage brawl.
Lets get ready to rumble
Reedit - thanks to ahreekeeteeke for informing us of the ecowool
RE Reedit - ecowool is $3.99 for 2 feet. thats like (90) 1/4" wicks + a little waste factor, so roughly 5 cents a wick that could (and probably would if i'd leave them alone) last weeks. I like it.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been
I've been using the same coil/wick for 2 weeks now. No difference I can detect. So far so good.
Jack finding some wick he had forgotten that he had reminded me that I have a small piece of unidentified wicking material that came with some random item I bought in the classifieds soe time back. it looked to big to use so I threw it in my vaping junk drawer and never even thought to ask the seller what it was. Anyone recognize this? Hard to do from a photo I know but doesn't hurt to ask.
I've got some 3.5mm silica that looks pretty much like that. The 3mm Ekowool looks like two, 2mm silica strands welded together and it's hollow.
I just posted a review on it up in the lounge. (I don't like to hang around down here... it makes me feel dirty.)
Jack
I just posted a review on it up in the lounge. (I don't like to hang around down here... it makes me feel dirty.)
Jack
I keep switching between cotton balls and bamboo thread. Bamboo I think has a slight edge over organic cotton, but requires tools to be threaded through the coil. Cotton ball can be replaced when out and about.
Don't nobody distract Russ here, ↑. One wrong move and that wick is slipped out n' on the floor.
The nextel called 1/32 (@ bigtexvapor) can easily fit 1/16 on the inside; but not more. I'm given to understand that the "organic sizing" is pink/red, and that part of the indication of proper treatment is no hue (just white). I've read the fact sheet at bigtex and had e-mail contact with SnG and am personally confident that their wick is "conscientiously" treated. Here's mine on the RM2. This is the fat Nextel (3mm outside dim.). 26g Kanthal ~.7Ω. On the REO Grand, = heaven.
When you cut the fat nextel this short, it doesn't hold a braid, But in this application, it doesn't need to.
EDIT: You know, just looking at that, I'm realizing, . . I've got just about more coil than wick there.
And one good squeeze gives me three full toots (2 if I go PBusardo style: mouth puff, nose honk, then a deep inhale touk). Hadn't thought about that. . . . . .amazing stuff!
When you cut the fat nextel this short, it doesn't hold a braid, But in this application, it doesn't need to.
EDIT: You know, just looking at that, I'm realizing, . . I've got just about more coil than wick there.
And one good squeeze gives me three full toots (2 if I go PBusardo style: mouth puff, nose honk, then a deep inhale touk). Hadn't thought about that. . . . . .amazing stuff!
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Jack posted a very informative review in the lounge on the ECOwool. It appears to have the same properties as the Nextel XC-116 (except ecowool claims safe chemistry and has ecig users in mind on their website). Since i am an ODB, i'll post here
Everything Jack says, I echo 100% - flavor - best ever, wicking capability, like something out of a sci-fy movie, but theres more. The flavor, vapor quantitity and temperature is EXACTLY the same every hit. I think i can explain that. If you look at that picture above, that is the same wick i have been using since like Monday after midnight. You will notice that the wick is wet, but there is no buildup of juice on it or pooled around it like cotton gets. The wick seems to take on the exact optimum moisture and "repel", if you will, excess moisture. Imagine a smart wick, that soaked up and retained EXACTLY the optimum amount of juice for the perfect vape? Well this stuff is it. That is a pretty minimialist wick i run and I hardly have to swonk. The wick seems to "manage" the liquid between soqonks and its a damn good manager - producing hit after hit of the best vapor i have ever had.
I would describe it as unreal. Cotton is good, but "sophmoric" with no technical skills. These "synthetic" wicks are in a whole league I never even thought about.
Damn glad I got a lifetime supply of ecowool coming.
Im going to go let cotton know that were thru.
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One more ??? what size ? TY
I have Nextel in 1/32" (the 1/32" is the diameter of the hollow). I like small bore coils, like the one in the picture - use the juice hole as a reference point. For me, the 1/32" is perfect.
That said, I ordered the smallest ecowool available, the 1.0 mm and the 1.5 mm (remember, those are the dimensions of the hollow part). I trust that will be roughly the same size wick as the Nextel.
The wick itself is probably roughly double the dimension of the hollow part
I have Nextel in 1/32" (the 1/32" is the diameter of the hollow). I like small bore coils, like the one in the picture - use the juice hole as a reference point. For me, the 1/32" is perfect.
That said, I ordered the smallest ecowool available, the 1.0 mm and the 1.5 mm (remember, those are the dimensions of the hollow part). I trust that will be roughly the same size wick as the Nextel.
The wick itself is probably roughly double the dimension of the hollow part
OK, you sold me.
So for a guy like me who uses a toothpick to wrap my coils, which is about 2.0mm across, do you think the 1.0mm or the 1.5mm would be a better bet?
EDIT: Don't worry about it... like you, I'm just ordering both.
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Well, had the showdown, but the cotton took one look at the other two contenders and faked a headache. Spend the whole, abeit short, opening ceremony watching the others from his perch in a chalice atop my VV Grand. Heres how it went down:
opened up the eKowool envelope and noticed that it was very frayed - like stringy. No problem, let me trim it, stick it on a needle and wrap it. did that too (its was still very "stringy") and found it very difficult to wrap at the size coil i wanted to make. I was using the 1.5. The 1 seemed even more stringy. Long story short, i couldnt wrap it, it just kept turning on my needle and fraying. I dont have the patience for that shi t. So the Nextel Ceramic XC-116 (1/32") psyched out the eKowool so bad that he fell apart before the brawl even got under way. So i pulled out the nextel, (much denser and stiffer) and wrapped some of the ribbon I got from NormNutz around a little piece, metered it at 1.35. Havent even vaped it yet, but we already know it kicks ... vape wise. Here it is:
So the key is, for me atleast, the nextel won because I could build my style coils with it. Easily. I'm sure that anyone used to doubling it over and wrapping around their wick coil around it (silica style) is gonna love the eKowool, but for me, a patienceless perfectionist lacking in mechanical abilities, the Nextel XC-116 (1/32) is the only contender.
I couldn't believe this, while I was typing this, the Nextel clad RM2 in the picture above bit chslapped the cotton laden chalice off my VVG and mounted it, like it OWNED my VVG. Well, actually it does now - see below
opened up the eKowool envelope and noticed that it was very frayed - like stringy. No problem, let me trim it, stick it on a needle and wrap it. did that too (its was still very "stringy") and found it very difficult to wrap at the size coil i wanted to make. I was using the 1.5. The 1 seemed even more stringy. Long story short, i couldnt wrap it, it just kept turning on my needle and fraying. I dont have the patience for that shi t. So the Nextel Ceramic XC-116 (1/32") psyched out the eKowool so bad that he fell apart before the brawl even got under way. So i pulled out the nextel, (much denser and stiffer) and wrapped some of the ribbon I got from NormNutz around a little piece, metered it at 1.35. Havent even vaped it yet, but we already know it kicks ... vape wise. Here it is:
So the key is, for me atleast, the nextel won because I could build my style coils with it. Easily. I'm sure that anyone used to doubling it over and wrapping around their wick coil around it (silica style) is gonna love the eKowool, but for me, a patienceless perfectionist lacking in mechanical abilities, the Nextel XC-116 (1/32) is the only contender.
I couldn't believe this, while I was typing this, the Nextel clad RM2 in the picture above bit chslapped the cotton laden chalice off my VVG and mounted it, like it OWNED my VVG. Well, actually it does now - see below
Poor poor vvgless chalice. Maybe someone can make some tiny rba boxing gloves for the next round
OK, you sold me.
So for a guy like me who uses a toothpick to wrap my coils, which is about 2.0mm across, do you think the 1.0mm or the 1.5mm would be a better bet?
EDIT: Don't worry about it... like you, I'm just ordering both.
I could send you some if you haven't ordered yet?
I've used both XC-116 and ekowool.
My observations:
Nextel Ceramic:
I really like the XC-116. I know it's supposedly safe, assuming you're vendor treated it correctly. However, I just can't get over the glittery little fibers that completely cover my fingers after I handle it. In my experience, depending on how it's treated, it flakes just as much as silica.
I bought several batches from SNGVapor. When they started selling it, they were treating it with a MAPP torch. I liked these batches more, because they seemed to flake less, supposedly because the MAPP torch gets very hot.
Lately, though, they've been kiln treating it, and while it may be more convenient for them, it doesn't get as hot as the MAPP, and frays all over the place.
Furthermore, people are starting to get denied by Omega for XC purchases. Omega does *not* want people using it for vaping, and they are starting to call purchases up to get a statement of use. If they don't like the statement, they'll cancel your order. I think it'll be a short time before XC is no longer available to anyone who can't prove what they are going to use it for. I'd hate to get all attached to the stuff and then have it taken away.
EkoWool:
I bought the 1.5mm (which is the non-hollow one) from stormy's vapor cellar. To me, it's just like a good quality silica, with a few differences. If you don't torch it, it frays a lot when you cut it. Torching it takes care of this.
It comes with all the pluses and minuses that silica comes with, including that sickly sweet flavor that you sometimes get when you run it dry (the XC-116 doesn't seem to have this).
For my money, though, nothing yet has dethroned bamboo thread for me. It has an extremely short breakin period (one or two hits), it's extremely easy to replace without dorking up your coil, it's super cheap, produces clouds, can fit into almost any size coil, recovers a lot better from an accidental scorching than cotton does, and *seems* much safer than these cable sleeving solutions.
My observations:
Nextel Ceramic:
I really like the XC-116. I know it's supposedly safe, assuming you're vendor treated it correctly. However, I just can't get over the glittery little fibers that completely cover my fingers after I handle it. In my experience, depending on how it's treated, it flakes just as much as silica.
I bought several batches from SNGVapor. When they started selling it, they were treating it with a MAPP torch. I liked these batches more, because they seemed to flake less, supposedly because the MAPP torch gets very hot.
Lately, though, they've been kiln treating it, and while it may be more convenient for them, it doesn't get as hot as the MAPP, and frays all over the place.
Furthermore, people are starting to get denied by Omega for XC purchases. Omega does *not* want people using it for vaping, and they are starting to call purchases up to get a statement of use. If they don't like the statement, they'll cancel your order. I think it'll be a short time before XC is no longer available to anyone who can't prove what they are going to use it for. I'd hate to get all attached to the stuff and then have it taken away.
EkoWool:
I bought the 1.5mm (which is the non-hollow one) from stormy's vapor cellar. To me, it's just like a good quality silica, with a few differences. If you don't torch it, it frays a lot when you cut it. Torching it takes care of this.
It comes with all the pluses and minuses that silica comes with, including that sickly sweet flavor that you sometimes get when you run it dry (the XC-116 doesn't seem to have this).
For my money, though, nothing yet has dethroned bamboo thread for me. It has an extremely short breakin period (one or two hits), it's extremely easy to replace without dorking up your coil, it's super cheap, produces clouds, can fit into almost any size coil, recovers a lot better from an accidental scorching than cotton does, and *seems* much safer than these cable sleeving solutions.
Damn, I haven't checked my fingers after wrapping but that sounds not cool. I just snapped up some from Bigtexvapor too. 1/32.
Also had a brainstorm : perhaps I can twist the frayed ends of the eKowool and thread it thru my coil like I did with cotton?
Have you given that a shot yet synic?
Awesome info on the 2 mediums. Thanks Bro.
This is a great thread, thanks for all the work. I've been using hemp and have been very happy with it. Is there a reason for hemp not being invited to the cage match?
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