Wick materials. Safe vs dangerous.

[weisner]

So I'm a long time Vapor but pretty new to rba and have been using the wicks that came with my eternity vision rba. I'm looking for safe alternatives, can someone sum up whats being used right now (A lot of material on here). I've seen a lot of options, though if there are any types of wicks that are safe and ok to dry burn I'd prefer that type of material (though I don't know if that is a option). So whats the scoop?

Stainless Steel, Cotton, Hemp, Bamboo

SS is ok, still not done figuring that one out. (dry burn ok)
Cotton wicks well but burns too easily for me. (no dry burn)
Bamboo burns less easily and wicks great. (no dry burn)
Hemp burns even less easily and wicks well. (no dry burn)

I stay away from silica whenever possible. Hope this helps.

 

[Quigsworth]

It's interesting, the more rba's infiltrate the vape scene the less and less you read about peeps dry-burning...I still run the odd silica wick if only to get a certain flavour (I'm not an "absolute" purest ) but even then I don't dry burn beyond the initial build, when it's gunked, I change it.

Depending on your device, once you get better and more comfortable with re-coiling/wicking your dry-burning will be a thing of the past...don't let the fact that you can't dry-burn organics be an issue, your scratchy, irritated throat will thank you...

 

[Creniker]

Stainless Steel, Cotton, Hemp, Bamboo

SS is ok, still not done figuring that one out. (dry burn ok)
Cotton wicks well but burns too easily for me. (no dry burn)
Bamboo burns less easily and wicks great. (no dry burn)
Hemp burns even less easily and wicks well. (no dry burn)

I stay away from silica whenever possible. Hope this helps.

Where are people getting there hemp from nowadays, and is there anything you need to do it before using it?

 

[weisner]

Where are people getting there hemp from nowadays, and is there anything you need to do it before using it?

I Purchased mine at Michael's (the craft and hobby store), boiled it out, boiled it out again and let it dry fully before using it. I'll have to give credit to Quigsworth, EvilGrym, BJ43, TomCatt and a bunch of others for sharing their information with me on these forums:

• This one
• AGA-2 problem
• Inside the Drunker tank

All these people helped me get my information together.

 

[TomCatt]

Where are people getting there hemp from nowadays, and is there anything you need to do it before using it?

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/atomizer-mods/378875-just-hemp.html

 

[Creniker]

I Purchased mine at Michael's (the craft and hobby store), boiled it out, boiled it out again and let it dry fully before using it. I'll have to give credit to Quigsworth, EvilGrym, BJ43, TomCatt and a bunch of others for sharing their information with me on these forums:

• This one
• AGA-2 problem
• Inside the Drunker tank

All these people helped me get my information together.

That is very useful. Thank you very much. One last question if you don't mind. I'm looking at picking up some Kanthal Wire off of ebay:

Resistance Heating Wire Kanthal A 30 AWG 100 Ft | eBay

This will work correct? I saw some small conversations going on about aluminium content in Kanthal and was unsure of what that meant to me as a vapor.

 

[weisner]

That is very useful. Thank you very much. One last question if you don't mind. I'm looking at picking up some Kanthal Wire off of ebay:

Resistance Heating Wire Kanthal A 30 AWG 100 Ft | eBay

This will work correct? I saw some small conversations going on about aluminium content in Kanthal and was unsure of what that meant to me as a vapor.

I use kanthal and purchase it from temco I am not so worried about the aluminum content. Not that you should not do your own research, YOU SHOULD. I recall and I could be wrong but the temp. required to cause the problem with aluminum would likely melt your 510 connection. So I determined that it would be unlikely that I would have any such problem.

If you are going to do a lot of RBA I would suggest having 28, 30, 32 AWG on hand. Additionally the Temco documentation on resistance wire is very technically detailed including resistance per foot of each and the content of the product you are buying. The delivery was prompt and they made sure to contact me and checked to see that a.) I received my materials and b.) I was happy with my order. This is an industrial supply outlet and I think I got 25ft of 28,30 AWG for $3 each plus shipping but that is only a couple bucks. 100ft may be a bit much unless you are planning to re-sell it.

 

[TomCatt]

I was working on a project with a FeCrAl alloy that attempted to form aluminum oxide on the surface of the metal (the aluminum coming from the alloy). This required holding the alloy at ~1000^oC for hours for the aluminum to migrate to the surface and form an oxide.

 

[Tium]

Hello, everyone I read this thread about 150 pages in and decided to skip to here. As of right now what is the best material for a cotton wick in my build (Old links are old now =[ )? Please link straight to where I can buy it. Thank you so much! I'm using fiberglass and I think that's why my throat has been acting up after chain vaping! Possible?

Smoktech Natural 18350
Pheonix Rebuildable Atomizer (Original)
-Dual coil with one coil on either side of the two posts running horizontally.
--32 AWG kanthal
--Fiberglass 1mm wicking material

 

[TomCatt]

Check out the 'Cotton Wick Wiki' in my signature for a basic coverage of 'organic' wicks


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

 

[Quigsworth]

I use kanthal and purchase it from temco I am not so worried about the aluminum content. Not that you should not do your own research, YOU SHOULD. I recall and I could be wrong but the temp. required to cause the problem with aluminum would likely melt your 510 connection. So I determined that it would be unlikely that I would have any such problem.

If you are going to do a lot of RBA I would suggest having 28, 30, 32 AWG on hand. Additionally the Temco documentation on resistance wire is very technically detailed including resistance per foot of each and the content of the product you are buying. The delivery was prompt and they made sure to contact me and checked to see that a.) I received my materials and b.) I was happy with my order. This is an industrial supply outlet and I think I got 25ft of 28,30 AWG for $3 each plus shipping but that is only a couple bucks. 100ft may be a bit much unless you are planning to re-sell it.

Can't add any more to this ...I got one 50' roll of 28 from Temco, I got it in days, finally said screw it and ordered a 250' of 30 and a 250' of 28, (I rarely use 32 and have tons if I change my mind)...I'm with BJ, I wish they made a 29...the ability to hold a coil shape if all you want to do is re-wick, long lifespan...but also heated a little faster like the 30, ah well, I'm just being picky.

 

[SloHand]

Stainless Steel, Cotton, Hemp, Bamboo

SS is ok, still not done figuring that one out. (dry burn ok)
Cotton wicks well but burns too easily for me. (no dry burn)
Bamboo burns less easily and wicks great. (no dry burn)
Hemp burns even less easily and wicks well. (no dry burn)

I stay away from silica whenever possible. Hope this helps.

Why isn't the ceramic wick listed here?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Quigsworth]

Why isn't the ceramic wick listed here?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Nextel XC116 or FC2000?

I've used the XC116 and honestly, I put it in the same category as silica...even though it does taste better than silica (I ran it in my Ody for a long time before I found this thread), the PITA factor of torching off the coating (what ever that stuff is?, did you get it all?) and then having to work with something sooo fragile, it fractures and shards as much as silica so I just gave it up...

Having said that...I'm getting a real itchy left click finger for a chunk of that FC2000...just to see???

 

[SloHand]

Nextel XC116 or FC2000?

I've used the XC116 and honestly, I put it in the same category as silica...even though it does taste better than silica (I ran it in my Ody for a long time before I found this thread), the PITA factor of torching off the coating (what ever that stuff is?, did you get it all?) and then having to work with something sooo fragile, it fractures and shards as much as silica so I just gave it up...

Having said that...I'm getting a real itchy left click finger for a chunk of that FC2000...just to see???

Fragile yes but "torching off the coating"?? "fractures and shards"??

The XC116 is heat treated Aluminum oxide bonded with a vitrified ceramic. That's it. No coating, it's heated to a specific temperature so that it can be formed and bonded to itself. Like any wick it's always a good idea to boil before use to remove anything that shouldn't be there.

Can't get much more inert than vitrified ceramics, note though that ceramic materials do vary widely. Here is a good book on ceramics (open access book). Of all the materials used for wicking thus far, I would think ceramics are the least likely to harm.

Lots of great stuff going on over on this thread regarding ceramics. The latest testing that ScubaBatDan is doing may well change vaping for us all

Don't discard ceramics too quickly. Give the FC2000's a go.

 

[TomCatt]

I believe that the XC116 that comes from the source, has a coating or sleeve that needs to be burned off at very high temperatures. Re-sellers for ecig wicking do this before selling it, IIRC.

 

[weisner]

Why isn't the ceramic wick listed here?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Two reasons; a) its is expensive and fragile b) fragile and me don't really get along.

 

[weisner]

damn the duplicate post

 

[jamesd1628]

Can't add any more to this ...I got one 50' roll of 28 from Temco, I got it in days, finally said screw it and ordered a 250' of 30 and a 250' of 28, (I rarely use 32 and have tons if I change my mind)...I'm with BJ, I wish they made a 29...the ability to hold a coil shape if all you want to do is re-wick, long lifespan...but also heated a little faster like the 30, ah well, I'm just being picky.

Quigs, temco has some for sale that claims to be 29. I have some but haven't tried it yet (I really like the 30). Link: Kanthal A1 Wire 29 Gauge 25 ft 0 12oz Resistance Resistor AWG A 1 | eBay

 

[Borednl]

Just wondering, but has anyone tried adding a filter to their tank w/silica to see if it absorbs the silica particles? I've added some medical grade balls of gauze to my mouthpieces after read this thread, lol.

 

[Quigsworth]

Quigs, temco has some for sale that claims to be 29. I have some but haven't tried it yet (I really like the 30). Link: Kanthal A1 Wire 29 Gauge 25 ft 0 12oz Resistance Resistor AWG A 1 | eBay

You know, as soon as I clicked "post" I seemed to recall seeing 29 awg somewhere and dismissing it as a conversion error between the metric and awg system (the American wire gauge system tends to stick to even numbers, even though the table shows odd numbers, buying the odds is a different story )...it might be worth trying...currently my coils are just below 1 ohm which is just a bit too hot, but one more wrap and pfft...but the 29 (if it actually is) may just be the ticket...good find