Wick materials. Safe vs dangerous.

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Bourbonman

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"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.
Fragile, and a lung irritant. Not a good combo.
 

damthisisfun

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Some folks are using 3m ceramic wick - googled it - it has aluminum oxide, Broia (have no idea what that is) and Silica - WT? Why change from standard silica wick to 3M? Bunny balls are best - but last night I dropped my PV - after a while I hit the button to vape - Pfttttt - CE2 coil shorted out and kinda small bunny flame - lol............my fault for dropping it....
 

gdeal

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Had to retire the wicks in my CE9 after 12 days, was getting harsh hits. The top wick, laying on top of the coil, was fine. The wick running through the coil was shot. Actually switched over to my second CE9 and checked out the coil on the first one later. Coil was shot too.

Twelve days? On Cotton? How many mls of juice do you think you went through?

Please share your technique here, because my Vivi grommets look like bald tires from all the rebuilds.
 

TomCatt

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Twelve days? On Cotton? How many mls of juice do you think you went through?

Please share your technique here, because my Vivi grommets look like bald tires from all the rebuilds.

I don't keep track of my 'mLage' :D I prolly go thru 5-6mLs a day of my DIY peppermint. The CE9 is basically a Vivi Nova with a separate juice and air chamber. Four holes for the double wick to go into the juice tank. I use cotton batton (CVS rolled cotton) and vape at ~6-7 watts.
 

nahuelarg86

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cricque

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No-resistance wire or just doubling and twisting together the 'legs' of the coil. Otherwise you could burn the grommet that holds the positive post.


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Well I understand why, but can someone explain me why for instance on a vivi nova it's a single coil when you buy the heads (or the original ones). They do not twist, they have no NR wire , so they must use another type of wire or so ?


Anyway I can't decide on the cotton/silica. No matter what I try I am getting a funky taste, so must be the kanthal, which is 0.20. I read about giving it a burn before actually using it. So going to try that. The taste is the same on my phoenix RBA as in a Vivi/Stardust. NO matter what wick. But the main advantage I always see is the cotton wicks so damn well. Using 1mm cotton mysel
 

Cyrus Vap

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Well I understand why, but can someone explain me why for instance on a vivi nova it's a single coil when you buy the heads (or the original ones). They do not twist, they have no NR wire , so they must use another type of wire or so ?


Anyway I can't decide on the cotton/silica. No matter what I try I am getting a funky taste, so must be the kanthal, which is 0.20. I read about giving it a burn before actually using it. So going to try that. The taste is the same on my phoenix RBA as in a Vivi/Stardust. NO matter what wick. But the main advantage I always see is the cotton wicks so damn well. Using 1mm cotton mysel

Not sure at all. Seems the newer releases are still coming out without NR wire or a grommet that doesn't burn. I tried to ask about it in the GV forum and got a few sets of adrenals squirting adrenaline.

What's funny is, I have other vivi style units (the Iturbo for 808s) that DO come with NR wire stock on the heads.

I imagine the thinner your juice, the lower your watts, the more you tip, and the more time you leave in between vapes....the more likely you are to be able to use the stock set up without issues.

Unfortunately I'm at the other extreme of all of the above, thick, hot, vertical and relentless...:p
 

TomCatt

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For Vivi Nova rebuild discussion, check out this thread - http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ystems/295410-vivi-nova-rebuild-tutorial.html




cricque said:
Anyway I can't decide on the cotton/silica. No matter what I try I am getting a funky taste, so must be the kanthal, which is 0.20. I read about giving it a burn before actually using it. So going to try that. The taste is the same on my phoenix RBA as in a Vivi/Stardust. NO matter what wick. But the main advantage I always see is the cotton wicks so damn well. Using 1mm cotton myself.

What's the ohms on the coils you are making? Is the wick (silica or cotton) fitting snugly in the coil when wetted with juice? Are there any glowing coils when you vape?

[For this last question it's important to check your coil/wick setup with juice and air flow. I've put together a new wick/coil and fired it up and everything looked fine. But when vaping, was getting a harsh taste. Expose the wick/coil, activate it and blow across the wick/coil to simulate taking a vape. If a coil glows during this test, that could be the cause of the off-taste. Just adjust your wick to make sure all parts of the coil are being touched by the wick.]
 

BJ43

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Well I understand why, but can someone explain me why for instance on a vivi nova it's a single coil when you buy the heads (or the original ones). They do not twist, they have no NR wire , so they must use another type of wire or so ?


Anyway I can't decide on the cotton/silica. No matter what I try I am getting a funky taste, so must be the kanthal, which is 0.20. I read about giving it a burn before actually using it. So going to try that. The taste is the same on my phoenix RBA as in a Vivi/Stardust. NO matter what wick. But the main advantage I always see is the cotton wicks so damn well. Using 1mm cotton mysel

The original Vivis have a silica sleeve that goes down around the legs. This sleeve gets wet from the wick that goes thru it and keeps the legs wet and cool so they don't burn the grommet. We usually discard the sleeve when we rebuild.
 

Cyrus Vap

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My cotton/bamboo Penny/Ody friends

Is there any real reason to leave that ring on the assembly?

I have a thicker than usual juice in my Penny right now, and its not keeping up with the bamboo wicks, even with the flow control cranked.

I recall having a similiar juice viscosity in there a few weeks back, when I had forgotten to put that ring on, and I wasn't having issues.

Without the ring, the flow control can be 'more open' right? So what purpose does it really serve if you're not using it to pin your negative connection to the wall?
 

roadrash

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Anyway I can't decide on the cotton/silica. No matter what I try I am getting a funky taste, so must be the kanthal, which is 0.20. I read about giving it a burn before actually using it. So going to try that. The taste is the same on my phoenix RBA as in a Vivi/Stardust. NO matter what wick. But the main advantage I always see is the cotton wicks so damn well. Using 1mm cotton mysel

Thats been happening to me also. Every now and then I get a carpet taste. New coils, old coils, Cotton, bamboo, same joose it doesn't matter. The last time it lasted a couple days. It got so bad I even tried silica again. Yuck. That was a waste of time.
With all things being equal it has to be something like. My taste buds, sinus congestion, dehydration, Humidity, barometric pressure, to much coffee, not enough beer. Something that we haven't figured out yet. I just hung in there and now today steaming is well. :>)
 

BJ43

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Kanthal will taste funky until it breaks in, but it only takes 2-10 vapes for me to do so usually...hmmm

are you guys sure you don't have your girlfriends, socks, or shrimp with garlic sauce on your assemblies? :)

Girlfriend is one of my favorite flavors, keep trying to repeat it, over and over again.:laugh:
 
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