Wick Material Question

[Bubo]

I was going to start my own silica business.. Y'know corner the market and all.. But noooooo... you have to go and try candle wicks.... Sheesh.....
(Honestly, the shipping was the same for both pieces and each piece was only a couple bucks as I recall!)

 

[asdaq]

I could get from the local hardware store a kit that has 2m of black fiberglass rope and some sort of glue (doubtfully Thermeez) for about $10 that is for lining the door of a fireplace. The labeling says fiberglass and color which I suppose is colored fiberglass and not some paint or die.

Anyone care to point out why I shouldn't try it for a wick? I'm doubtful already, but...

 

[lexi60]

I think braided is the key, not like #6.

This is what im using, geting a foul taste. Am I supposed to be using the core? Or is it all the same?
Dan posted "It should not break apart easily"
The outer stuff tears just by unbraiding it, but the core is very hard to tear.
Pardon my stupidity.

 

[roadrash]

I could get from the local hardware store a kit that has 2m of black fiberglass rope and some sort of glue (doubtfully Thermeez) for about $10 that is for lining the door of a fireplace. The labeling says fiberglass and color which I suppose is colored fiberglass and not some paint or die.

Anyone care to point out why I shouldn't try it for a wick? I'm doubtful already, but...

After reading about 11,000 post on atty rebuilding, I came across this by Crazy horse.

I have some stuff I've been thinking would work for wicking. I used it years ago to replace the door gaskets on an airtight wood stove. I still have some and just dug it out to check it. It's called "Grapho-Glas" and it's made by Rutland. It's graphite impregnated fiberglass stove gasket. It comes in the form of a very soft-braid rope. It looks like continuous filament and very easy to clip off a packet of strands of any length.

I tested it in the open flame of a butane lighter. This eventually heats it red hot but it does not burn or char in any way. Within a fraction of a second after removing the flame, you cannot even tell it was heated. Not sure how high the temperature of a butane lighter would be. If you like I can put a 2000° torch on it to see what happens.

The cement that came with the gasket kit is rated to withstand 2000°. The rope itself doesn't appear to be rated.

Edit: I forgot to mention the purpose of the graphite impregnation is to help prevent the buildup of creosote on the gasket. This may make it especially appropriate for atomizer wicking since gloppage is a problem we have. end of quote.:>)

I bought some of this at the local hardware store, I washed it a couple times and tried it. All I can say is it doesn't taste any worse than the silica or a manufactured wick. works as a wick.
i have also tried Manila Rope as a wick because of its natural properties. Kind of hard to work with as it is constantly fraying, Pieces all over the place. Capillary wicking action is fair. The best pro about it is, If you dry vape the taste is not horrible. Being a hemp like product the taste is a little woodsie and bearable. Cotton is next on the list.:>)

 

[KYFlyer67]

I was going to start my own silica business.. Y'know corner the market and all.. But noooooo... you have to go and try candle wicks.... Sheesh.....
(Honestly, the shipping was the same for both pieces and each piece was only a couple bucks as I recall!)

I dunno, maybe I jumped the gun. I was changing out the coil & wick in an atty yesterday and I wanted to see what would happen to a piece of dry candle wick when I hit the battery button. Poof - the wick disappeared in about half a second. But it does hold up pretty well if it's soaked in eliquid. Silica may still be the best solution... IF you clean if well be soaking in alcohol or similar. However, I'm going to keep testing candle wicks for the time being.

 

[Krythis]

I dunno, maybe I jumped the gun. I was changing out the coil & wick in an atty yesterday and I wanted to see what would happen to a piece of dry candle wick when I hit the battery button. Poof - the wick disappeared in about half a second. But it does hold up pretty well if it's soaked in eliquid. Silica may still be the best solution... IF you clean if well be soaking in alcohol or similar. However, I'm going to keep testing candle wicks for the time being.

Zippo wick I can understand, but why a candle wick? After all they are designed to burn slowly, right?

 

[WillyB]

I'd like to know what these folks use. Looks more like a yarn rather than a pieces from a rope.

 

[asdaq]

Glasfaser is fiberglass, not sure what the e4 stuff is.

 

[WillyB]

Glasfaser is fiberglass, not sure what the e4 stuff is.

Glass fiber is formed when thin strands of silica-based...

The basis of textile-grade glass fibers is silica, SiO2...

pure silica is a perfectly viable glass and glass fiber

As you see the line is quite blurry.

I guess I should have said where can I get some of what they are using. It looks like it could be this.

http://www.glassfiber-fabric.cn/Silica_sewing_thread-14777.htm

Notice they call it glass fiber.

 

[asdaq]

Sorry I meant R4 e2, not e4 in above.

The thread also gets used sometimes as roving in weaving, or as that link notes, safety fire blankets like they have at gas stations.

 

[roadrash]

I picked up some large weaved, bleached wick, no zink from Michaels craft store. I finally got a wick with no taste per say. I am using it on a rebuilt E2 v4 @ 1.8 Kahomies. w/3.7 volts w/ plenty of vape and no burnt taste. If this wick last the night (6mil) i'm sold on it. Been so frustrated with the crappy taste of silica and fiber glass.

I also have some Tex 80 NOMEX natural 100% spun thread. Will not burn, But will Decomposes at 700 F.

If you have a look, let me know what you think.

Nomex Specifications

 

[roadrash]

Update. The candle wick has minimal capulary action for Ecig use. Also the 36 gauge nichrome wire seems to fire up way to fast to sustain any constant wicking action. May have to change nichrome wire for wire with less kahomies per inch and retest all the wicks.

 

[Bubo]

(Naaahhh... Give up on the candle wick!)

 

[roadrash]

I also have some Tex 80 NOMEX natural 100% spun thread. Will not burn, But will Decomposes at 700 F.

Although this thread has the best overall taste for a wick. it does not have any capillary action at all. more the opposite, Water and the ducks back scenario.

Seems like the candle wick and fiber glass are definitely out, may have to buy some mega E 2s to get the wicks out.
Back to the drawing board. :>)

 

[illuxion]

I'd like to know what these folks use. Looks more like a yarn rather than a pieces from a rope.

Maybe this stuff? Silqar Silica Yarn 170 Tex High Heat Composite Filament - eBay (item 120641508996 end time Nov-07-10 15:01:31 PST) I don't have the cajones to blow $100 for some ungodly amount to find out though lol.

I just spotted this place. http://www.firesleeveandtape.com/silica-high-temperature-rope.html Click on the catalog, like $2 for a foot of the insulmax 1/4" rope, 2000F constant 3000F(1650C) fail. It must be very very high silica because strangely enough 1650C is the melting point of pure silica dioxide. Curious how it wicks, going to give them a call tomorrow and see how small of an order I can make claiming the "testing for now, possibly a larger order"

 

[roadrash]

Maybe this stuff? Silqar Silica Yarn 170 Tex High Heat Composite Filament - eBay (item 120641508996 end time Nov-07-10 15:01:31 PST) I don't have the cajones to blow $100 for some ungodly amount to find out though lol.

I just spotted this place. High Temperature Rope: Heat & Flame Resistant Silica Rope - Knitted Twisted Braided Click on the catalog, like $2 for a foot of the insulmax 1/4" rope, 2000F constant 3000F(1650C) fail. It must be very very high silica because strangely enough 1650C is the melting point of pure silica dioxide. Curious how it wicks, going to give them a call tomorrow and see how small of an order I can make claiming the "testing for now, possibly a larger order"

Any answer on a small order?

 

[illuxion]

I already got it and I can't tell any difference between firesleeve rope and the stuff I got from mcmaster carr(#3). I separated some strands(like wick amount) then hit them with the torch and they both do the same. With a butane torch they happily glowed red then returned to white and still plyable. Determined to destroy them I brought them into the garage and hit them with the mapp torch and they both happily melted and splattered around on the concrete. I don't have anything that can measure that hot so I don't know the melting point, but it seemed similar. I've tried both in attys and both had a strange taste at first. 2nd round I heated them both with the butane torch until glowy then cut off the part that was being held since it didn't get glowy. I used 32gauge kanthal and before winding it connected it to a power supply and got it super hot. This time no taste. Looking back I'm not sure if it was the silica or the kanthal that had the odd taste, but if I remember correctly the kanthal smoked a little bit at first and I don't remember any from the ropes if I get bored over the weekend I might repeat the process and try to figure out who is the culprit.

 

[Bubo]

I'm not sure I want to know what a "Mapp Torch" is.. Or why you have one!

 

[illuxion]

mapp gas is just a name brand acetylene MAPP gas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, just a big oxy-acetylene torch, a lot hotter than a butane torch.

 

[roadrash]

I already got it and I can't tell any difference between firesleeve rope and the stuff I got from mcmaster carr(#3). I separated some strands(like wick amount) then hit them with the torch and they both do the same. With a butane torch they happily glowed red then returned to white and still plyable. Determined to destroy them I brought them into the garage and hit them with the mapp torch and they both happily melted and splattered around on the concrete. I don't have anything that can measure that hot so I don't know the melting point, but it seemed similar. I've tried both in attys and both had a strange taste at first. 2nd round I heated them both with the butane torch until glowy then cut off the part that was being held since it didn't get glowy. I used 32gauge kanthal and before winding it connected it to a power supply and got it super hot. This time no taste. Looking back I'm not sure if it was the silica or the kanthal that had the odd taste, but if I remember correctly the kanthal smoked a little bit at first and I don't remember any from the ropes if I get bored over the weekend I might repeat the process and try to figure out who is the culprit.

I have tried both also and find the fire sleeve rope has less of a under taste than the silica rope.
I wind the nichrome coil first and dry burn it. some times it takes a while to get it to stop smoking. Although that May be from residue on my hands also. Then I thread the FG rope and do a dry burn again. usually just a little smoke if any at this point.
this morning I tested the FG rope and the wick from a E2. Same atty mod, same juice, same voltage and same coil spacing for wick and coils. For me the FG rope was a lot better in the taste dept than the E2 wick. this is in no way a lab test, as the E2 wick is more dense than the FG wick. so size comparison is by eye only.
My next test is to take apart a brand new E2 and change out the wick with FG and see if it works or taste any better than oem