Smok tfv12 prince rba issues

[PeterKay]

I haven't read this whole thread, but I have 3 Prince tanks with the rba deck in them and ton of experience with it.

See this illustration which I made for somebody else last year. The deck is open behind that red mark you see there. You must have your wicking filling that space (yellow mark) or juice will sneak up between there. Somebody else may have brought this up and if so I apologize.

It's possible that this is not your problem, but that's usually it. This RBA is not sooper easy to wick, but it's not terrible either. Once get it, you got it and it won't give you trouble after that.
View attachment 884555

I also have an airflow hack that closes off that canyon in the middl turning it into a dual port setup with one on each coil. Why go through all this? Why not
View attachment 884557

If you scroll up you will see 3 pictures that I posted. Indeed, there appeared to be small empty spaces- the juice intake holes weren't covered, they looked ok when wick was dry but it shrunk.

I see you are keeping the coils spaced there, I tried to compress them tighter (again, picture)- was this a mistake?

 

[PeterKay]

Cellucotton 10 Metre Length | eBay

this is advertised as rayon wicking material. I saw it getting sold in US as well so you guys might be familiar with that particular brand. Is it falsely advertised or will it work well? thanks

Also- maybe you've seen this particular brand getting used? @stols001 @gsmit1

 

[PeterKay]

Also- maybe you've seen this particular brand getting used? @stols001 @gsmit1

Please forget that question, I just found a video by Phil Busardo where he uses exactly the same celucotton brand to test different wicks

 

[gsmit1]

If you scroll up you will see 3 pictures that I posted.

I am almost promising you that the space I have highlighted in red is your problem. You need more wick in there and it MUST go all the way across behind that threaded collar.

I see you are keeping the coils spaced there, I tried to compress them tighter (again, picture)- was this a mistake?

Spacing your wraps or not is personal preference. However, if spacing them were to pull your wicking away from the ports, that MIGHT contribute to leaking.

Also- maybe you've seen this particular brand getting used? @stols001 @gsmit1

AHA!
HERE is another contributing factor. Rayon is a great wicking material, BUT it shrinks when it absorbs juice, which is the opposite of cotton which expands. If you want to use Rayon in a fairly finicky deck like this, you have to use more than you think you'll need. In other words it will have to seem like too much so it can shrink down to enough. If that makes sense.

 

[gsmit1]

If you have cotton on hand, try rewicking it with cotton first.

 

[PeterKay]

I am almost promising you that the space I have highlighted in red is your problem. You need more wick in there and it MUST go all the way across behind that threaded collar.

I get you now. I just remembered that I actually spread the wick to uncover that red area behind the thread as I thout it was wrong haha When I first inserted the wick this was pretty much covered, no idea why I did that lol

AHA!
HERE is another contributing factor. Rayon is a great wicking material, BUT it shrinks when it absorbs juice, which is the opposite of cotton which expands. If you want to use Rayon in a fairly finicky deck like this, you have to use more than you think you'll need. In other words it will have to seem like too much so it can shrink down to enough. If that makes sense.

I might be asking a stupid question but what if I got the rayon wet in e-juice before wicking? Then I'd know it's final size and exatly how much spaces it is going to take after flooding the tank?

 

[gsmit1]

Just don't get discouraged. It CAN be done and you'll soon be laughing at yourself for having trouble with this. It'll be a valuable learning experience. I won't tell you about some of my early learning experiences with building and wicking LOL!

 

[PeterKay]

If you have cotton on hand, try rewicking it with cotton first.

I don't have any rayon just yet, it seems to be harder to get here in UK, I'm just searching for some online and trying to order the right stuff

 

[gsmit1]

I get you now. I just remembered that I actually spread the wick to uncover that red area behind the thread as I thout it was wrong haha When I first inserted the wick this was pretty much covered, no idea why I did that lol


I might be asking a stupid question but what if I got the rayon wet in e-juice before wicking? Then I'd know it's final size and exatly how much spaces it is going to take after flooding the tank?

Hmmm. You can try it, but that would be a juicy mess my friend. I would recommend just getting it tight in the coils and much more in the ports. You don't want it bunched up in the bottom though either.

 

[gsmit1]

I don't have any rayon just yet, it seems to be harder to get here in UK, I'm just searching for some online and trying to order the right stuff

Oh, I thought you meant you were using rayon now. If you're actually using cotton, it shouldn't shrink when wet. Just try getting more in the ports. You'll get it. I promise. I've wicked mine I don't know how many times and I never get leaking or dry hits.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Anybody have any recommendations? I have the Prince TFV12 RBA in reserve for when I run out of drop-in coils, but I hadn't had much luck using it. I got one good build, then with the second one, nearly fried my mod. I've had that crackling issue too.

I would say you should probably start a new thread about your problem since it is unrelated to this problem.

However I have to reply to this

Without knowing what you did, it would be hard/impossible to diagnose. Also, "almost fried my mod" is quite strange and not clear. How do you know, what happened? I don't know how you could fry a mod unless it is a mech mod and you had a short in your build. That is my guess, you had a short in your build. A regulated mod "should" not "fry" from a short, as it "should" have protections for that.

However, if you are using a mech mod or even a semi-mech mod (aka unregulated mod), you should NEVER build/test a build on a mech. You should use a regulated mod as a build platform/ohm reader or use an stand alone ohm reader.

Once your regulated mod or ohm reader have confirmed that your build is good with no shorts, only then should you put that build on your mech and use it.

 

[gsmit1]

I get you now. I just remembered that I actually spread the wick to uncover that red area behind the thread as I thout it was wrong haha When I first inserted the wick this was pretty much covered, no idea why I did that lol

There ya go

Yep, you do not want to do that. It must be filled in that area.

 

[PeterKay]

Sure it's cotton? I think cotton is supposed to expand but it may just be how it looks.

Or you may have gotten a polyester-cotton blend .

I like overstuffing my coils and wick so rayon (which shrinks) plays to my strengths. I just find it overall easier to deal with, honestly. Etc.

Just keep at it, you are gonna be fine but I am afraid.....
…….. it sounds like you are MADE for...…..;

…………….squonking.

Anna

Looks like muji cotton, pretty much the same as the muji pads I've got (ordered some online a short while ago. Except looks battered and expanded 3 times thicker, kinda like someone put it through a tumbe dryer lol. Together with his house keys and a couple of coins lol. It came with this cheap coil making set and it wasn't even wrapped in anything, just loose. So i decided to utilise it for my first wicks as I was expecting to get it wrong and having to throw some away.

 

[PeterKay]

Hmmm. You can try it, but that would be a juicy mess my friend. I would recommend just getting it tight in the coils and much more in the ports. You don't want ti bunched up in the bottom though either.

tried it already, a bit of leaking after vaping a full 8ml bubble but not too dramatic. Mostly where the tank touches the mod but the 510 port was clean and dry. I imagine though that if I kept going it would eventually end up inside though....

 

[PeterKay]

Oh, I thought you meant you were using rayon now. If you're actually using cotton, it shouldn't shrink when wet. Just try getting more in the ports. You'll get it. I promise. I've wicked mine I don't know how many times and I never get leaking or dry hits.

Sorry for that, I should have said that. stols001 earlier on, as well as some folks in my different thread, suggested using rayon instead of cotton so I thought I could ask about what I found online before I order something useless

 

[gsmit1]

Looks like muji cotton, pretty much the same as the muji pads I've got (ordered some online a short while ago. Except looks battered and expanded 3 times thicker, kinda like someone put it through a tumbe dryer lol. Together with his house keys and a couple of coins lol. It came with this cheap coil making set and it wasn't even wrapped in anything, just loose. So i decided to utilise it for my first wicks as I was expecting to get it wrong and having to throw some away.

Can you post a pic of what you're using? Good Japanese pads are perfectly fine wicking material. IF they're good quality, new and in good shape.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I never understood what is the difference between Muji and other Japanese organic cottons, like Koh Gen Do. I always thought they were the same just different brands.

 

[stols001]

Yes, cellucotton from Sally's is what most of us use for rayon although there are, I hear, higher end options.

I was kind of joking about the blend. A lot of folks prefer cotton for RDAs anyway. Since that's what you have learn to wick it that way first. If you want rayon it sounds like you are going to have to stuff even harder.

I do actually juice up my rayon but only AFTER I'm sure I've gotten it right in the coil dry and more or less cut to what I need, length wise. Then I juice it after I stuff it and fire it as I tuck the ends in, as by the a wetter wick is easier to handle and I know if I need to think my tails any or whatnot. Doing this like, also eliminates the rayon wick break in taste as some hate so much.

If wicked an RDA or few with rayon but I have had a metric ton of practice now in how rayon behaves. I also prefer it because it will withstand high heat and last longer. Etc.

But the principles OVEALL are the same as far as what areas need to be full or empty in each and every rebuildable ever made. You just need to remember that with cotton less is more, and with rayon, more is LESS.

You can get good with cotton while you are waiting for rayon if you would like. Rayon, in and of itself, will not solve your "at root" problem. There are a few rayonistas who have just found to their delight, they can do what comes naturally (overstuff) and it comes out right,

I am quite sure I could learn to wick properly with cotton now I have had enough experience although I don't tend to bother as I find rayon overall superior. You may not, some people hate the stuff.

Good luck!

Anna

 

[gsmit1]

Sorry for that, I should have said that. stols001 earlier on, as well as some folks in my different thread, suggested using rayon instead of cotton so I thought I could ask about what I found online before I order something useless

I do not know everything and there are folks around here with much more experience than myself. In my opinion though, trying to troubleshoot a leaky rta, which is essentially what this is, is much easier accomplished with cotton. At first, I thought all you had was Rayon.

I have tons of Rayon, but have never used it in my Prince RBAs. Not because I don't think it will work, but because this is a tank that will leak for the reasons I've given. I've just always used cotton with it for the sake of simplicity.

 

[gsmit1]

cellucotton from Sally's

Is also what I use.

I was kind of joking about the blend.

If you mean something like wrapping cotton around a Rayon core, I do it all the time

I find rayon overall superior. You may not, some people hate the stuff.

Personally I love it, but not for everything all the time. That of course has nothing to do with what anybody else prefers

I do think cotton is easier to learn with though. For most people anyway. Maybe not everybody.