Wick materials. Safe vs dangerous.

[l3oertjie]

Has anyone tried to make porous ceramic yet?

I’m playing with potters clay and various kinds of organic fillings. It appears that ground coriander does not work too well but ground cloves of all things shows some potential.... Ordinary salt also looks promising although the crystal sizes are a tad too big - we'll see I guess.

Anyone else played with this yet?

 

[subver]

I tried the cheesecloth. First I boiled it for a couple minutes - I don't think I needed to as it's already meant for food, but wanted to be sure.
I removed 7 strands of the cheesecloth and loosely twisted them together. I threaded this into a wire-needle and folded the wick over, essentially making 14 threads. I pulled this through my SS wick.
At first there was a different taste, but it quickly went away. Still using it and it's working great! I will probably continue to use this method. I may try a 100% cotton wick in my line at some point, though. I have another one coming, so when I get that i will experiment on it so I don't have to keep disassembling my usable one

Great thread, thanks everyone!

 

[toto1013]

Awesome video RR!

Spent hours yesterday reading through this whole thread -- lots of great information!

I know it may be a stupid question -- but just wanted to be sure I can use this cotton material to replace a wick in my Joyetech ego-c. I made some stainless steel ones and I'm not 100% happy with them.

I just used some 100% cotton rug yarn for an ego-c that is wicking.

 

[Paulette]

Thanks toto. So, do you like the new wick? And you only used the yarn, right (not with any wire mesh wrapped around the yarn)?

 

[toto1013]

Yes, Paulette. I have an ego-t type A atomizer that has the mesh around it. My son bought the ego-c att'y. He did not like it and gave it to me. I noted that the ego-c heads did not have the mesh holding the wick, so I just used the yarn. I did not use it that much as the little poly piece at the bottom pulled apart from the top and pulled the wire loose. This was the original one that when he went to clean the wick it stuck to the coil, etc. I haven't needed to replace another one as of yet. Just trying to get the "c" to work well in general. When I need to clean my "a's", I plan on using just the cotton. It may well be that the 2-3 strands of the smaller yarn will wick better. I had the rug yarn on hand, and just used one piece. It spreads out at the bottom looking like the regular wicks when fluffed out.

 

[roadrash]

No braid, I just rolled it up till it would just fit into the slots on the ViVi Nova.
Thats the best way to do it. No fiddling around braiding. Just roll and cut to length.

I just thought it taste a bit better. Here is a look at the gauze wick after a week of 5ml/day and no cleaning, just added juice when the tank got down to about 3/4 empty. This wic has been washed before the pic with just some running water.
http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/14205000/14205468_9fc4.jpg
I posted this as a link to the site because it is a rather high rez pic and would take a long time to load (specially for those on portable devices). You can see that the kanthal has oxidized a lot. it had began to turn my normally clear juice (100%pg) a dark brown and taste yucky. I do want to try some nichrome wire to see if it slows this down a bit.

The only ones I had turn dark in the first new batch are the ones I boosted. I think you have to watch your voltage and ohms and make sure it doesn't get to hot. I run most of my E-2's @2.2 ohms on a single 18650 bat with 80/20 juice and I still have 3 going strong and the juice is nice and clean. The wick/coil is black, But there's no burnt taste. I'm betting it's gunk.
The next one I take apart I'll try and clean it. See what happens, if it's gunk it should clean off. If it's burnt it won't.

PS; I did notice that the ones I just rebuilt after dry burning, the juice is turning dark right away. May be because of the chrome being burnt off the coil with the dry burn.

 

[Malduk]

My sterile gauze tastes weird, like medicine. Figured it would go away after a few minutes of vaping, but its so horrible, I had to throw it out. Do they treat these with something nasty prior to packing?
Anyway, I boiled it twice now to try to get rid of the taste, gonna try again later today. Hopefully the taste will be gone...
But... it wicks GREAT. I was seriously impressed. Rolled two very thin wicks, and coiled them together.

 

[nicotime]

You guys using cotton may want to be sure of what your using is certified organic. Here are a couple interesting links that I have run across for example. The two things that pop up in most searches is that cotton is the most heavily pesticides treated plant there is.....and it cant be washed out of it completely. Not trying to freak anyone out...just beware of what yer shovin in that pipe!!

Environmental Justice Foundation EJF: Press Release - The Deadly Chemicals in Cotton
pesticides « O ECOTEXTILES

 

[Malduk]

You guys using cotton may want to be sure of what your using is certified organic. Here are a couple interesting links that I have run across for example. The two things that pop up in most searches is that cotton is the most heavily pesticides treated plant there is.....and it cant be washed out of it completely. Not trying to freak anyone out...just beware of what yer shovin in that pipe!!

Environmental Justice Foundation EJF: Press Release - The Deadly Chemicals in Cotton
pesticides « O ECOTEXTILES

Wouldn't sterile 100% cotton gauze be safe?

 

[subver]

Hopefully this for-use-in-food 100% cotton cheesecloth is ok! I would assume so, but eek!

Also, I had a hard time even finding cotton gauze... everything seems to be some rayon polyester garbage...

 

[nicotime]

Wouldn't sterile 100% cotton gauze be safe?

I have no idea...I didnt get in to it that much...but sterile doesnt mean non-toxic either.

 

[roadrash]

I'm going with this.

Gauze is a cotton fabric which is loosely woven compared to the regular material for clothing. When used for clinical purposes, it is referred to as medical gauze, of which there are two types: sterile and non-sterile. Sterilized gauze has been treated with irradiation, chemicals, or heat to kill micro-organisms to make it suitable for dressing wounds and for absorbing body fluids. Non-sterile gauze, which is primarily intended for bandaging to hold sterilized gauze in place, does not go through the same process because it is not meant to have direct contact with exposed body parts. In order to have added tensile strength, bandages have a tighter weave than sterilized dressing.
As a wound dressing, sterilized gauze does not only stop the bleeding, but it also protects the wound from additional physical damage and infection. For this reason, a person's hands must be clean and sanitized before using sterilized gauze. Since its primary purpose as wound dressing is to promote healing, sterile gauze is non-adhesive, non-toxic, and non-allergenic to avoid additional trauma. It is also common to find sterilized dressing that is treated with an antibiotic or antiseptic. An added convenience is that pre-cut sterilized dressing pads of various sizes are readily available.

If it's good enough for using in open wounds in a hospital. it's good enough for me.

@ Nico, I have read your links and I understand your concerns about raw cotton. Be as it may I think the final product is safe for us to use.

There are a lot of products that start out in a undesirable state and end up safe for human use.
From sewage waste water to drinking water.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/s...tewater-used-for-drinking.html?pagewanted=all

 

[wolcen]

My sterile gauze tastes weird, like medicine. Figured it would go away after a few minutes of vaping, but its so horrible, I had to throw it out. Do they treat these with something nasty prior to packing?
Anyway, I boiled it twice now to try to get rid of the taste, gonna try again later today. Hopefully the taste will be gone...
But... it wicks GREAT. I was seriously impressed. Rolled two very thin wicks, and coiled them together.

I used cheesecloth as well because it's what I had 100% cotton I had available. While at Walgreens yesterday though, I did look around for a while at all the gauze and could only find those with non-stick, self-adhering, etc "features" and no PLAIN, UNTREATED cotton. Seemed everything had something added to it.

I don't think I'd use any gauze that I can't see the box for - it says right on the box to keep it for reference, so I can only imagine what might be missing from the gauze package itself. Do you have the box for this gauze you've tried? I don't think I've read anyone getting a medicine taste - I'd suggest skipping that wick until you find something else.

 

[Malduk]

I got that one from the pharmacy, in its own package that says sterile, Ph.Eur. 100% cotton - for treating open wounds.

 

[roadrash]

My sterile gauze tastes weird, like medicine. Figured it would go away after a few minutes of vaping, but its so horrible, I had to throw it out. Do they treat these with something nasty prior to packing?
Anyway, I boiled it twice now to try to get rid of the taste, gonna try again later today. Hopefully the taste will be gone...
But... it wicks GREAT. I was seriously impressed. Rolled two very thin wicks, and coiled them together.

It is also common to find sterilized dressing that is treated with an antibiotic or antiseptic.

Looks like what you used. Read the label and see if it says that it is treated. I must have got lucky with mine. I bought the cheap stuff so no extra treatment.

You could try the 100% cotton thread or the bamboo thread.
Like everything else we mod. nuttins easy. LOL

 

[nicotime]

I'm going with this. If it's good enough for using in open wounds in a hospital. it's good enough for me. @ Nico, I have read your links and I understand your concerns about raw cotton. Be as it may I think the final product is safe for us to use. There are a lot of products that start out in a undesirable state and end up safe for human use. From sewage waste water to drinking water. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/s...tewater-used-for-drinking.html?pagewanted=all

Right RR...non-toxic is the word you need to look for...not sterile. Mercury is sterile also...would you put it in your atty? Dont know if they still do it but I had read something that womens sanitary items were made with the gin trash from cotton...the leftovers so to speak...the items were "sterile"...but they still had toxins in that cause some kind of shock syndrome...cant remember. I agree...I would use something medical and not just any old stuff used to weave rugs or knit socks.

 

[Malduk]

Looks like what you used. Read the label and see if it says that it is treated. I must have got lucky with mine. I bought the cheap stuff so no extra treatment.

You could try the 100% cotton thread or the bamboo thread.
Like everything else we mod. nuttins easy. LOL

Eww
Thanks, that makes sense. It doesn't say anything like that on the package, though since its made locally, I could call a manufacturer and ask. Well, rolling the coil with boiled gauze as I type now, so I'm gonna go have a few puffs and see if the taste is still there.

 

[Malduk]

One puff was enough... Still tastes like medicine. Throwing these away.

 

[roadrash]

Right RR...non-toxic is the word you need to look for...not sterile. Mercury is sterile also...would you put it in your atty? Dont know if they still do it but I had read something that womens sanitary items were made with the gin trash from cotton...the leftovers so to speak...the items were "sterile"...but they still had toxins in that cause some kind of shock syndrome...cant remember. I agree...I would use something medical and not just any old stuff used to weave rugs or knit socks.

sorry Nico, I didn't underline it.

Gauze is a cotton fabric which is loosely woven compared to the regular material for clothing. When used for clinical purposes, it is referred to as medical gauze, of which there are two types: sterile and non-sterile. Sterilized gauze has been treated with irradiation, chemicals, or heat to kill micro-organisms to make it suitable for dressing wounds and for absorbing body fluids. Non-sterile gauze, which is primarily intended for bandaging to hold sterilized gauze in place, does not go through the same process because it is not meant to have direct contact with exposed body parts. In order to have added tensile strength, bandages have a tighter weave than sterilized dressing.

As a wound dressing, sterilized gauze does not only stop the bleeding, but it also protects the wound from additional physical damage and infection. For this reason, a person's hands must be clean and sanitized before using sterilized gauze. Since its primary purpose as wound dressing is to promote healing, sterile gauze is non-adhesive, non-toxic, and non-allergenic to avoid additional trauma. It is also common to find sterilized dressing that is treated with an antibiotic or antiseptic. An added convenience is that pre-cut sterilized dressing pads of various sizes are readily available.

I would agree the sterilized non treated 100% gauze would be the best. I remember trying the cotton yarn a couple years ago and I could never get the carpet taste out. So we gave up on it.

I would imagine the gauze web sites are wondering what the heck is going on with so many hits lately.LOL

 

[roadrash]

One puff was enough... Still tastes like medicine. Throwing these away.

ROFLMAO.

Whats that old saying? Once burnt, twice umm burnt.

Good luck trying to find the right stuff.