Stainless Steel mesh, Oxide discussion.

[Uma]

I use 316 ss mesh (L grade I believe), and heat it over the blue flame on my kitchen stove too. Using needle nose pliers, I rest in each area until it's orange, and then move on, being sure to cover it's entirety on both sides and all edges. The Frayed edges glow red hot, and I clip those off.

Then I fold the far edge over a little, crease it tight, then roll the near edge to the far edge, with a stiff straight needle inside. This tucks in the edge, to assure there are no frayed areas. After it fits the wick hole, I'll clip off the tank's end to a 45% angle, and retorch that cut edge and cut off any frays. I also run the entire wick through the blue flame, to remove any finger oils.

From here I either just put it in the wick hole, or go through the 3x quenching steps. It depends on my mood. I usually quench though, mainly because it stiffens the wick and shocks off debris. (okay, you got me, I just really really like the sound it makes! lol).

Sometimes I'll season, by dripping flavored juice on it, then lighting it with a bic lighter and letting the fire die naturally. Repeat a few times. Sometimes I skip this, because this is where it gets sooty. But if my wick doesn't wick as well as my last wick, I'll season it for sure. Seasoning seems to help fast-forward the wicking process.

Blue flame, orange hot mesh. No crumbles, no soot. (unless I haven't cleaned my range lately lol)

 

[kiwivap]

Thanks y'all for the levity, It was getting a little tense in here. Definitely my fault.

I agree with the above statements stating that keeping the heat on the low side (not glowing) is the way to go.

That's what I was thinking too.

 

[silentdoom]

I want more progression in this thread. I read through it too fast! Let's figure this out and stop acting like SS is our newborn.

I've never been too fond of SS mesh. Frankly, I feel that all of our methods so far have just been stepping stones. If stuff is getting gunked up, it's not working as efficiently as possible. I know this is from the continued use of juice touching the coil, I just think there's a better method all together...

 

[Atlantisboy]

I want more progression in this thread. I read through it too fast! Let's figure this out and stop acting like SS is our newborn.

I've never been too fond of SS mesh. Frankly, I feel that all of our methods so far have just been stepping stones. If stuff is getting gunked up, it's not working as efficiently as possible. I know this is from the continued use of juice touching the coil, I just think there's a better method all together...

Especially gunked up with Pluid bro

 

[EDO]

I can't contribute too much to this thread other than sharing my experience with Hybrid wicks (SS mesh with cotton insulation). After reading Ninja's post in the RBA forum I decided it is better to be safe than sorry.... so I slid out my SS wick and slid a new hybrid wick in its place.

I had forgotten how great hyrbid wicks really taste and vape. With a hybrid wick you don't need to torch your SS mesh at all. The set up is a breeze compared to ss mesh alone, since you don't ever have hot spots and you never need to adjust the coils. The cotton actually wicks very well and never gets burned up as far as I can tell. The cotton insulates the mesh so the mesh doesn't change color and is not over heated. But you can't have your cake and eat it too...everyday you have to slide out the wick and roll it in a paper towel to get all the gunk off the cotton and slide it back in (takes about a couple minutes). And you have to change the cotton probably every 5 days or so(takes less than 5 minutes).

I have used the hybrid wicks with 32 and 30 awg kanthal and it works flawlessly. I will try it out with a low resistance set up using 28g wire and see if it can keep up...I will let you guys know if you are interested.

If you want to try it out...I have a tutorial post in the modders forum.

 

[Envithyx]

Sorry my reply will be a little OT, but

... I just think there's a better method all together...

Sure there is. Direct overhead vapor injection into a chamber enchanced by a piezoelectric transducer, and warmed by a variable amperage mechanism that is control by user selectable 1 or 3 button system. Draw would be controlled by an auto calibrating throttle body with a variable speed motor. This would allow for superior vapor inhalation response whether it be direct lung, mouth only, or an advanced technique involving both.

Especially gunked up with Pluid bro

I thought Pluid melts any gunk on the coils. If not, I want my $ back. I've been using it to clean out my engines.

 

[StaircaseWit]

I found it interesting that the person generally credited with the invention of the Genisis (yes, he spelled it with an "i") atomizer, a gentleman by the ECF name of Raidy, suggested only a three-times pass with a lighter:

1) It's a stainless steel mash with 37-57Micromters.
2) It's oxidated with a lighter, for 3 times.

Link to the post.

It makes me wonder where the "torch red hot, quench x3, juice burn x3" procedure originated.

Strange that we're now getting back to much less "oxidizing" than that procedure, and basically returning to the roots of the Genisis/Genesis atomizer.

 

[Projectguy]

Sorry my reply will be a little OT, but

Sure there is. Direct overhead vapor injection into a chamber enchanced by a piezoelectric transducer, and warmed by a variable amperage mechanism that is control by user selectable 1 or 3 button system. Draw would be controlled by an auto calibrating throttle body with a variable speed motor. This would allow for superior vapor inhalation response whether it be direct lung, mouth only, or an advanced technique involving both.

I thought Pluid melts any gunk on the coils. If not, I want my $ back. I've been using it to clean out my engines.

Glad you put that up now I know that my

Personal
Electronic
Nicotine
Inhalation
System

is such a refined piece of equipment

 

[chet]

Glad you put that up now I know that my

Personal
Electronic
Nicotine
Inhalation
System

is such a refined piece of equipment

and we suck on it all day long every day right?

 

[Bmays]

Glad you put that up now I know that my

Personal
Electronic
Nicotine
Inhalation
System

is such a refined piece of equipment

The wife'ie like the lil ones the best. Says those other mods are too big

 

[Projectguy]

and we suck on it all day long every day right?

Still thing about that

 

[Cloud Wizard]

I found it interesting that the person generally credited with the invention of the Genisis (yes, he spelled it with an "i") atomizer, a gentleman by the ECF name of Raidy, suggested only a three-times pass with a lighter:

It makes me wonder where the "torch red hot, quench x3, juice burn x3" procedure originated.

Strange that we're now getting back to much less "oxidizing" than that procedure, and basically returning to the roots of the Genisis/Genesis atomizer.

A little further down in Raidy's thread: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/132663-all-my-mods-part1-2.html#post2097584

This was probably its "genesis" (sorry couldn;t resist the pun) and then folks just kept adding steps...
"The screen is cut to 14 * 40 mm (~ 1/2 inch * 2 inch) and rolled to 1,8-2.3 mm. Now it is boiled at least 5 minutes. The top is oxidized with the lighters. Two drops of liquid on top and again oxidize - done"

 

[meatsneakers]

I decided to try minimal oxidizing with SS. Washed and boiled some 500#, rolled a fairly tight wick and hit it with a Bic lighter for less than 3 seconds, just enough to turn the section under the coil a bit blue. I used the Peter K method of making a coil on a drill and started firing the bare coil (Kanthal) - white hot for a bit then cool down. I added a few drops of juice once the iron-y smell burned off and did it a few more times. The coil was dark and oxidized. I dropped the wick in and started pulsing at 3v (2 ohm coil). A few tiny (really tiny) hot spots and after a poke with tweezers it lit up evenly, metering 2 ohms on my Zmax. Been vaping for the past few hours and it's stayed stable @12w.

I think that it's viable to not heat SS to get our oxidation - the Kanthal oxidizes just fine. As long as the coil isn't cutting into the wick (and you start at a low voltage), we can avoid the high temps that possibly release the nasty oxides that the OP was theorizing.

Here it is on an AGA-t2:

 

[Bmays]

You running kanthal 30? been wanting to try that.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

 

[Cloud Wizard]

I decided to try minimal oxidizing with SS. Washed and boiled some 500#, rolled a fairly tight wick and hit it with a Bic lighter for less than 3 seconds, just enough to turn the section under the coil a bit blue. I used the Peter K method of making a coil on a drill and started firing the bare coil (Kanthal) - white hot for a bit then cool down. I added a few drops of juice once the iron-y smell burned off and did it a few more times. The coil was dark and oxidized. I dropped the wick in and started pulsing at 3v (2 ohm coil). A few tiny (really tiny) hot spots and after a poke with tweezers it lit up evenly, metering 2 ohms on my Zmax. Been vaping for the past few hours and it's stayed stable @12w.

I think that it's viable to not heat SS to get our oxidation - the Kanthal oxidizes just fine. As long as the coil isn't cutting into the wick (and you start at a low voltage), we can avoid the high temps that possibly release the nasty oxides that the OP was theorizing.

I've found ribbon kanthan to be more tolerant to hot spots than round wire. I'll try your method next time I rebuild. I did try the no-ox, pulsing method (without the juice coating) and just a warning that if you're over eager like me you can super heat the atty top cap resulting in this:

 

[meatsneakers]

You running kanthal 30? been wanting to try that.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Yes it's 30. I find it's a good middle ground between the long heat up time of 28 and the 'fragility' of higher gauges.

And Cloud Wizard, wow it must have been scorching. Looks like thermal shock after being really hot.

 

[Cloud Wizard]

Was definitely user error. Not sure where my head was at but when I went to rebuild I threw a nicely run down batt (~3.6v) back on the charger and proceeded to wrap a 2/3 of .6 ribbon (~.8ohm) and stuck in a fully charged 18650 IMR. Not one of my brighter moments....

Add insult to injury, it was a brand new pyrex tank (literally just unpackaged it)

 

[Uma]

That sounds so nice, clean and easy. How long did you boil the Mesh for?

 

[junkman]

I am having some intermittent issues with my minimally oxidized wick (MOW) .

It worked great for a couple days, then it started to short, throwing Lo errors on the VAMO. I have to take off the cap and mess with the coil and or wick and it will be ok again for a while - sometimes a couple minutes, sometimes a couple hours.

Any ideas?

 

[cv96144]

take in mind that the vamo, along with the other 33hz mods, is one of the hardest on the coils, even at the RMS setting