Wick materials. Safe vs dangerous.

[TomCatt]

I'm still stuck on the rolled cotton . I tried cheesecloth once and Auntie Ls once, so haven't given them a good trial. I can twist out 6 inches of rolled cotton wick in like 30 seconds. I've had the rolled cotton wicks in my CE9/Splitfire for 10 days now and they're still fine. I've vaped all free flowing liquid out of my tanks and was still getting as much vapor as with free flowing liquid just from the juice soaked up by the wicks.

 

[Quigsworth]

My buddy has been jamming rolled cotton wicks into his SS Line from day one (yes, I said "his SS Line"...finally made him buy it ) and I have one of my chids set up that way...wick set-ups with a fair amount of vertical rise is something baton cotton excels at over the Lydia's, in fact it beats just about anything, the sponge effect of baton is amazing, but 10 days out of it? wow, that's pretty good...it's getting hard for me to tell these days as I have so many devices/mods that I hop around to, figuring out just how long a run time I would get if I just vaped that device exclusively is hard...one thing I do know is that baton isn't a big fan of a super hot coil (anything over say 9-10 watts) it starts going from an earthy taste to a woody taste so maybe that should have been another point:

4. Even though Lydia's seems to have a higher heat threshold, when it comes to wicking up a vertical rise, rolled/baton cotton is still the king.

 

[MISTer E]

Yep but I am running out, trying to get a co-op going for grommets...

A co-op may not be needed. I went searching for some of the clear grommets I like due to my extreme distaste for the scent of rubber(even @ mild room temps, Yuck!).

The bigger ones on my AGA Hydra are what I sought.(They fit Vivi heads nicely for mE.)

I came up with this search:
Amazon.com: Metric Nylon Screw Insulator: Industrial & Scientific I ordered some of the m2 & m3 semi clear ones(some in the link are solid) & will make a post about them here when they arrive.

I have a somewhat strange feeling these NYLON & not really silicone insulators are what is being commonly used in ecig manufacturing. *The soft weak little one in my pic is very siliconey jelly like & is the most silicone-like grommet I have encountered in my limited experiences.

I do know some forms of nylon(not sure of this form) are said to be somewhat safe when thermal decomposition happens. Example:"Section 11 Toxicological Information
Chronic toxicity: Nylon type 6 does not appear to possess any toxicological properties.
Medical conditions prone to aggravation by exposure: Thermal decomposition
products of nylon have been reported to be irritating to the mucus membranes and
respiratory tract.
Carcinogenicity: None known."Souce"http://www.cityplastics.com.au/pdf/nylon%20msds.pdf

Heat testing may be needed

*additional note: Do rubber & nicotine mix well?(I see lots of 4s = Not Recommended on their chart for nicotine)
Marco Rubber | Fluid Compatibility Guide
Rubber, YUCK!

 

[TomCatt]

Let us know what you find "Spin DrE" . Excellent find on the rubber compatibility chart!

 

[asdaq]

Good find on the chart Mr. E, probably most of the 'rubber' that WE use, not factory production, is NBR or silicone and maybe PTFE, which is on the chart but probably not used more than as an insulator, not a sealant. Nicotine is NA for them, and PG and Glycerine fare quite well. Some alcohols that surely find their way into flavorings don't do so well however. Viton ETP does look to resist many of the baddies however.

 

[thatick]

I agree with Quig, Lydias for the WIN!!

 

[blackwater]

I agree with Quig, Lydias for the WIN!!

I keep trying other materials but in the end Im always back to Lydia's. Love it.

 

[damthisisfun]

Tired em bunny balls - dang - easy and great.......but busted 3 of my CE2 coils trying to get it through - finally just draped it on top.....

 

[MISTer E]

Apparently amazon is out of whack due to the storm & only the M2 X 4mm showed today.
Metric 6/6 Nylon Screw Insulator M2 x 4mm Length (Pack of 100): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
These are not rubbery soft & are hard semi clear nylon, thus not likely what BJ43 sought in a co-op. What they do replace (by cutting them down a tad) is the post insulator to the AC7.

Nylon 6/6 melting point of 265°C & other info @ Nylon 6-6 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I figure the ones in the AC7 stock could be teflon/ptfe & if I had to choose which one on fire I had to inhale, I would choose nylon. I inhaled tons smoke off of toy green army men, I set on fire as a kid. I burned all warring factions & was the neutral party. It was worth the risk for neighborhood peace

Here are some pix

The one post sits a little higher now, but simple filing or sanding to the top of the insulator could be done if wanted.

---

This bugger with the fibrous hanging rasp jagged edges I imagine would not settle nicely in ones lungs. Until or unless coughed up, such metal tooling remnants would stay lodge & likely fester in a lung, if inhaled. Always inspect & clean (I use ultrasonic) new RAs!

Vape safe

 

[nahuelarg86]

Ok, I tried to go through this whole thread but it's too long!!
I'm new here, or discovering my options. I just got a vivi nova and love it, but being the meticulous person I am, I could not stop noticing that people say that the wick that comes with the vivi novas is dangerous, and that bamboo or cotton wicks are safer. So I have some questions, I hope some can guide me a little bit:
1. Which wick should I buy? Aunt Lydia or cotton?
2. If I buy Aunt Lydia, should I buy size 10 natural color?
3. If I buy cotton, what is exactly cotton? Something like this? :http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Staples/s0171393_sc7?$splssku$
Or what?
4. I read that these "cotton" wicks cannot take heat or they burn. Then how do I clean (dry burn) the coils then when they gunk up?
5. How long will one of these wicks last? Will I have to be rebuilding the heads every week?
6. Is there a simple "tutorial" on how to rebuild the vivi novas that is up to date? The ones I found look kind of old and talk about "ody wick" which I don't exactly know what is that.
7. Is there anything else I should consider about this topic?
Thanks!

 

[TomCatt]

Ok, I tried to go through this whole thread but it's too long!!
I'm new here, or discovering my options. I just got a vivi nova and love it, but being the meticulous person I am, I could not stop noticing that people say that the wick that comes with the vivi novas is dangerous, and that bamboo or cotton wicks are safer. So I have some questions, I hope some can guide me a little bit:
1. Which wick should I buy? Aunt Lydia or cotton? Both , you may like one more than the other.
2. If I buy Aunt Lydia, should I buy size 10 natural color? Yes
3. If I buy cotton, what is exactly cotton? Something like this? :http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Staples/s0171393_sc7?$splssku$
Or what? Just make sure it's 100% cotton and undyed.
4. I read that these "cotton" wicks cannot take heat or they burn. Then how do I clean (dry burn) the coils then when they gunk up? Remove the wick, dry burn the bare coil, thread new wick through the coil.
5. How long will one of these wicks last? Will I have to be rebuilding the heads every week? Some users report a few days, others are good for a couple of weeks, ymmv. ETA: As long as your coil is good, there's no need to re-build it, just insert new wicking.
6. Is there a simple "tutorial" on how to rebuild the vivi novas that is up to date? The ones I found look kind of old and talk about "ody wick" which I don't exactly know what is that. Rebuilding of a Vivi Nova should be the same as it's always been - 'ody wick' is wick sold for the Odysseus atty, usually silica wick.
7. Is there anything else I should consider about this topic? Like what?
Thanks!

Check out the "Cotton Wick Wiki", link in my signature.

 

[BJ43]

Ok, I tried to go through this whole thread but it's too long!!
I'm new here, or discovering my options. I just got a vivi nova and love it, but being the meticulous person I am, I could not stop noticing that people say that the wick that comes with the vivi novas is dangerous, and that bamboo or cotton wicks are safer. So I have some questions, I hope some can guide me a little bit:
1. Which wick should I buy? Aunt Lydia or cotton?
2. If I buy Aunt Lydia, should I buy size 10 natural color?
3. If I buy cotton, what is exactly cotton? Something like this? :http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Staples/s0171393_sc7?$splssku$
Or what?
4. I read that these "cotton" wicks cannot take heat or they burn. Then how do I clean (dry burn) the coils then when they gunk up?
5. How long will one of these wicks last? Will I have to be rebuilding the heads every week?
6. Is there a simple "tutorial" on how to rebuild the vivi novas that is up to date? The ones I found look kind of old and talk about "ody wick" which I don't exactly know what is that.
7. Is there anything else I should consider about this topic?
Thanks!

I would use the silica wicks until they go bad. A small cotton overwick on the original silica wicks like in the pic helps a lot. When the need comes to recoil and wick I recommend the Lydia's #10 natural.

 

[Cool_Breeze]

1) A lot of people have success with Aunt Lydia's. Some prefer Cotton...usually batton.
2) Yes, I think that is preferred.
3) Square Cotton Candle Wick is also an option...available on eBay. 2/0 is commonly used.
4) Right...one can't do much as far as dry burning fabric wicks.
5) Cotton wicks typically last 3 days to 2 weeks. Variables include the makeup of the juice and overall heat. Clear juices allow the wicks to perorm longer.
6) There's probably a video tutorial somewhere. I'm not up on Vivi Novas.
7) Some have gone to Stainless Steel Mesh for wick a la Genesis type attys.

 

[TomCatt]

I spun up a long piece of Rolled Cotton wicking. Just pulled a hunk of cotton off the roll and started spinning until it was all a wick.

Here you can see a thin portion, if this happens - don't despair...

REPAIR!! I took the small clump of cotton above the wick in the previous picture and spun this into the thin spot. The pen is pointing to the repaired length.

 

[TomCatt]

Just measured the full length of the above wick - 38". Took about 5-10 minutes

 

[TomCatt]

Was seriously considering getting a "drop spindle" for 'spinning' cotton wick; but then said, 'Nah, that's prolly overkill'


The Joy of Handspinning » Spinning Yarn With a Drop Spindle

 

[MikeE3]

Ok, I tried to go through this whole thread but it's too long!!
I'm new here, or discovering my options. I just got a vivi nova and love it, but being the meticulous person I am, I could not stop noticing that people say that the wick that comes with the vivi novas is dangerous, and that bamboo or cotton wicks are safer. So I have some questions, I hope some can guide me a little bit:

1. Which wick should I buy? Aunt Lydia or cotton?
Aunt Lydia's is likely the most popular, cotton a close 2ndf

2. If I buy Aunt Lydia, should I buy size 10 natural color?
Size #10 - white

3. If I buy cotton, what is exactly cotton? Something like this? :http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Staples/s0171393_sc7?$splssku$
Or what?
for cotton, a popular choice is Peaches & Cream cotton yarn as well as cotton balls from CVS or some other pharmarcy

4. I read that these "cotton" wicks cannot take heat or they burn. Then how do I clean (dry burn) the coils then when they gunk up?
Correct, you can not dry-burn clean these nor test the coil once the wick is installed. You can remove the wicking, dry burn the coil, then re-thread the wick. This can be done w/o removing the coil from the VN's head.

5. How long will one of these wicks last? Will I have to be rebuilding the heads every week?
If you're vaping just one all week, likely it will need re-wicking/dry burning weekly. But it really depends on how much you vape.

6. Is there a simple "tutorial" on how to rebuild the vivi novas that is up to date? The ones I found look kind of old and talk about "ody wick" which I don't exactly know what is that.
Actually the original post is still the basics, primary change is the wick material

7. Is there anything else I should consider about this topic?
Patience and a willingness to experiment 'till you find what works for you - Like pre-wrapping the coils around a small screw, drill bit or even a toothpick.

Thanks!

Hi - I tried to answer within your quoted post.

 

[nahuelarg86]

Wow! Thanks for all the answer! I'll try to see what is the easiest thing to do. Seems like the Lydia's thread is the way to go.
On a side note, does anyone know why the wicks that come with the tanks already break apart so fast? I mean, after one use they are loosing fibers like crazy. On a stardust, after the second wash the wick just fell from the head, just like that!

 

[Bourbonman]

I had my monthly safety training today at work, and one of our topics was hazardous materials. The training video lumped silica into the same class as asbestos as an "organ specific hazard", obviously targeting lungs.

Keep rocking' the cotton and bamboo is what I took away from it.

 

[TomCatt]

Wow! Thanks for all the answer! I'll try to see what is the easiest thing to do. Seems like the Lydia's thread is the way to go.
On a side note, does anyone know why the wicks that come with the tanks already break apart so fast? I mean, after one use they are loosing fibers like crazy. On a stardust, after the second wash the wick just fell from the head, just like that!

"Silica" wicks are basically ceramic fibers.

"A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling.[1] Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous (e.g., a glass). Because most common ceramics are crystalline, the definition of ceramic is often restricted to inorganic crystalline materials, as opposed to the noncrystalline glasses." - Wikipedia

This is for their heat resistance. But because of what they are, they are fragile.