wick preferences?

[Trayce]

I picked up 5 ceramic wicks from a co-op a while ago; but haven't done anything with them. Maybe when/if I ever get my Scuba-Gen Mini, I'll give them a shot.

I think BJ43 used a ceramic wick in a Vivi Nova, with hemp or bamboo to wick the juice up to the ceramic.

With the bcc's it might be possible to 'shape' a ceramic wick to fit; most likely someone has already done this

[...]

I'm thinking that before I invest in more standard devices and heads, I need to stop and learn more about what's required to use ceramic wicks, cause they sure sound better.

 

[TomCatt]

I'm thinking that before I invest in more standard devices and heads, I need to stop and learn more about what's required to use ceramic wicks, cause they sure sound better.

Ceramic wicks have been mainly used for Genesis-style atties.


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[Trayce]

Ceramic wicks have been mainly used for Genesis-style atties.

So is it the price point of the Gennies that has kept ceramic wicks from being a bigger thing (so far) than they are, do you think? Or availability? Or is it all hype? Looks like their only downfall is being fragile.

 

[TomCatt]

Most likely availability. It wasn't all that long ago that the modders came up with it . They were cutting and shaping fish tank air stones to make ceramic wicks.


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[Trayce]

Most likely availability. It wasn't all that long ago that the modders came up with it . They were cutting and shaping fish tank air stones to make ceramic wicks.

Wow! Who thinks of this stuff?? I happen to be a fish keeper myself and last night when I got impatient with my new IGO-L clone for having such a tiny airhole, I drilled it out larger, but then it was TOO large. Argh! Aquarium supplies to the rescue! I have aquaria compound you smash together that cures in air or water, dries like cement and is totally inert. Plugged the airhole with it on the inside of the cap, cleaned the excess away, let it set up a little, then pierced a new airhole through it with a needle before it hardened. Now it hits perfect. But I never would have thought of using air stones for wicks!

 

[TomCatt]

Initially it was one specific type of air stone that was being used; haven't visited that thread in a while. Last I read, IIRC, they were using some type of whet stone.




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[GirlyPantz]

ScottP, great tutorial and pics earlier in the thread! I have been all over and no local WalMart has P&C yarn in stock in Ecru. Went to JoaAnne's and found "Sugar & Cream" 100% cotton yarn that looked undyed but was not organic. Then they had Lion's brand organic cotton yarn, but it was dyed Almond colored! Can't win! Tried cotton balls couple weeks back and didn't like it at all. Tasted like the stream that comes off the iron when steaming a cotton shirt. However, I'm curious why you have not tried nor mentioned ceramic wicks. They are supposed to last forever unless you break them. When they get gunky, they dry-burn clean, and some people claim they taste better the longer you use them. Am referring to this thread: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/362182-next-big-thing-porous-ceramic-wicks.html Since I'm new to all this and can't even find organic, undyed yarn at this point, I was thinking ceramic wicks would be my next venture... maybe they'll be easier to find! Have you tried these? ...Anyone else? EDIT: Never mind! I know why only a few people have tried them... they aren't available yet!

Disclaimer - I have no idea about this but was just thinking about unbleached/raw cotton and my craft box came to mind lol

What about the cotton used for candle wicking it is the same unbleached colour as as the calico it is embroidered onto? (just to be really clear its a ball of yarn from craft shops for sewing not for candle making hehe)

 

[roasted]

For what it's worth, the 2nd cotton wick I've been using from P&C yarn has proven to be much better. I'm on day 3 and it's still going strong. I think it was good I experimented back and forth with cotton vs silica. At first, the cotton seemed like it gave me a strange-ish taste, but I couldn't really pinpoint it. Then I fired up silica again and vaped on that. In about a day (2.0 ohm 7 watt) I began to experience the ever so slightest burnt taste. It was enough that I noticed it, and enough that I was like "meh, let's try cotton again." When I built another cotton head and dropped it in, I began to experience the same taste as before. It wasn't burnt at all, it just felt a little off. I began to realize it was probably due to the liquid, as the 2nd go around it dawned on me it seemed super sweet. Well, the liquid is "sweet caramel." Either way, it's a good problem to have I suppose, and the cotton is doing a much better job this time around.

 

[xtreme101]

This was posted in another thread in regard to Sugar 'n Cream Cotton Yarn.

DON'T FORGET to boil it! The recommended is 20-minutes of boiling... I did it for 5-minutes though (b'coz I feel 5 or 20 should do the same job!), but boil you must.

 

[TomCatt]

Boiling is recommended for formed cotton - yarns, candle wick, string - due to sizing ( an additive that helps the material retain shape IIRC). This should be removed, by boiling, prior to use.


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[ScottP]

Boiling is recommended for formed cotton - yarns, candle wick, string - due to sizing ( an additive that helps the material retain shape IIRC). This should be removed, by boiling, prior to use.

Yes always boil formed cotton. I will say that at first I did not boil my yarn and while it works just fine, there is a bit of a weird taste that lasts about 1 tank full. I guess that was the sizing being boiled out in the juice. Once that was gone, the taste was fine. Now even after boiling, cotton still takes a few hits to get the flavor coming in fully but it's still better than unboiled.

 

[Trayce]

Disclaimer - I have no idea about this but was just thinking about unbleached/raw cotton and my craft box came to mind lol

What about the cotton used for candle wicking it is the same unbleached colour as as the calico it is embroidered onto? (just to be really clear its a ball of yarn from craft shops for sewing not for candle making hehe)

I have read people here using candle wick cotton (yes, the kind used for candle making) but not the type of which you speak. However, if it seems like people are using all kinds of cotton, trying to lean towards those with the least amount of processing/manufacturing additives. <?> If that's how you'd say it.

I ended up with Lion's brand organic cotton yarn as the dyes are natural, so got the lightest color, Almond. Then I got Sugar & Cream undyed 100% cotton yarn (not organic), both from Joanne's.

The Lion's organic yarn is worsted, which I didn't want but didn't have a choice. This means it is twisted in a puffy way that makes the string of yarn uneven in thickness. It also has a smell to it, but it's the only organic cotton yarn I could find locally.

The Sugar & Cream is the equivalent of WalMart's Peaches & Cream, undyed cotton, but not organic. A nice, even yarn. (A sewing forum said the P&C is softer and fuller than S&C, but could not get P&C, so...)

I got so excited to try it, I cut a length of each and boiled in the microwave using distilled water in a pyrex bowl (some people reported a metallic taste after boiling in a pot). Boiled a couple minutes, discarded the water, refilled and boiled again a few minutes (impatient).

Hated the result, so will try boiling for 20 minutes later and try it again. The taste was exactly like the cotton balls I tried.... tastes like I'm vaping the steam off an iron while steam-pressing an old musty cotton shirt that's been hanging in the closet forever. BLEH! Couldn't even taste the RY4 at all. Tried to keep going thinking it just needed a few minutes, but NOPE! Threw that sucker out.

Meanwhile the good news is I made the coils perfectly.

I sure hope boiling 20 min makes a difference or I will be looking at high-resistance silica... which I'm not crazy about only b/c nobody really knows how safe it is. But it seems like silica has less taste to it than cotton. At least until I do the cotton right.

 

[Trayce]

For what it's worth, the 2nd cotton wick I've been using from P&C yarn has proven to be much better. [...] When I built another cotton head and dropped it in, I began to experience the same taste as before. It wasn't burnt at all, it just felt a little off.

Did you boil? How long?

 

[ScottP]

The first few hit off of cotton always seem to taste bad to me, so I don't inhale them. Boiling for 20 min on the stove (be careful not to boil your pan dry like I almost did once) seems to shorten the time until the bad taste goes away. Also after boiling you have to let the cotton dry. If it is still wet you will be vaping water at first and it will DEFINITELY taste like an iron.

 

[roasted]

Can I ask a dumb question?


...why? I want it to retain its yarn-like shape for ease of building new heads. Is there something else about the need to boil it I'm unaware of?

EDIT - Post #20 is a bit disturbing...

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/436007-cotton-wick-boil-not-boil-question-2.html

I wonder if you can get organic cotton yarn at a Walmart or something? Or is simply boiling the cotton yarn I have is all I'd need?

 

[Burnie]

Can I ask a dumb question?


...why? I want it to retain its yarn-like shape for ease of building new heads. Is there something else about the need to boil it I'm unaware of?

EDIT - Post #20 is a bit disturbing...

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/436007-cotton-wick-boil-not-boil-question-2.html

I wonder if you can get organic cotton yarn at a Walmart or something? Or is simply boiling the cotton yarn I have is all I'd need?

I won't use cotton myself, burns too easy, heck I burn silica wick in just a few hours.

 

[roasted]

I won't use cotton myself, burns too easy, heck I burn silica wick in just a few hours.

I never really had a problem with cotton burning. Silica gives me a hinted burnt flavor after a few hours... something I can't shake no matter how much I clean, wash, dry burn, etc. Cotton on the other hand hasn't really done that, despite its lack of ability to dry burn to extend any more life out of it. So far I'm on day 3 of the same wick and I've had no issues with it. Plus, the ability to pull out a cotton wick and put in a new one is braindead easy and fast. Different strokes, so whatever works. For me, I like cheap, convenient, and good taste/vapor, which I've obtained via cotton yarn.

The real question is, what do I need to do to cotton for it to be deemed safe. I just boiled a bunch of my Peaches and Cream yarn for about a half hour, but so far I haven't dug up or heard of any information that boiling is 100% enough, or if I need to ditch it and really get some organic cotton yarn instead. Either way, I'm sure it's far better than smoking, but if I can one-up any health factors, I'd like to.

 

[TomCatt]

One of the reasons I've stuck with the CVS Rolled cotton is that it's labeled as sterile and USP, no boiling no additives to worry about.


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[Burnie]

I never really had a problem with cotton burning. Silica gives me a hinted burnt flavor after a few hours... something I can't shake no matter how much I clean, wash, dry burn, etc. Cotton on the other hand hasn't really done that, despite its lack of ability to dry burn to extend any more life out of it. So far I'm on day 3 of the same wick and I've had no issues with it. Plus, the ability to pull out a cotton wick and put in a new one is braindead easy and fast. Different strokes, so whatever works. For me, I like cheap, convenient, and good taste/vapor, which I've obtained via cotton yarn.

The real question is, what do I need to do to cotton for it to be deemed safe. I just boiled a bunch of my Peaches and Cream yarn for about a half hour, but so far I haven't dug up or heard of any information that boiling is 100% enough, or if I need to ditch it and really get some organic cotton yarn instead. Either way, I'm sure it's far better than smoking, but if I can one-up any health factors, I'd like to.

Well I really never tried cotton, but I will now, but it will be organic only. You CAN NOT BOIL OUT PESTICIDE (well with enough rinses you might could, but not just boiling). I know, I own a Pest Control Company. If I sprayed it, I would not vape it. IF I understand correctly, Organic DOES NOT USE PESTICIDES, am I correct? If so that is the way to go, IMHO. Vape On...

 

[Trayce]

The first few hit off of cotton always seem to taste bad to me, so I don't inhale them.

Right. Overall this is really a bit discouraging that there is no real "good" wick at this point that I can see. Only choices of lesser evils. (Sort of like having to pick a politician.) Even after prep it still isn't really 'good to go'.

Boiling for 20 min on the stove (be careful not to boil your pan dry like I almost did once) seems to shorten the time until the bad taste goes away. Also after boiling you have to let the cotton dry. If it is still wet you will be vaping water at first and it will DEFINITELY taste like an iron.

I chose to microwave-boil for 20min so I could use a pyrex bowl to avoid getting any metallic taste from a pot. Also used distilled water. And changed the water at the 10min mark. Then dried it.

To me it tastes the same as before boiling (though I'm sure it better to boil anyway to get any aforementioned additives off). But it's not something I can get used to. I tried vaping it for about 45min in an IGO-L dripper, being sure to keep the wick wet. Only inhaled every few times to see if the taste was improving. Everyone's taste buds are different but so far all cotton I've tried tastes like what I mentioned earlier. (Like vaping a steaming, musty cotton shirt.)

I built three coils (1.8, 2.4 & 3.0) that hit perfectly and tried both types of yarn, (organic and non-organic) up and down the power grid, relative to each coil. I think the organic had a slight edge: tiniest bit less 'flavorful' in the steamy-shirt dept., but not significantly less.

Here's what I don't understand. When I was using cigalikes the cartos always tasted great. (I happened to have a Bloog.) That is, I couldn't taste any filler material or wick or metal or other odd flavors... just juice. Yet they're made with a silica wick like any head we're using in the clearos. I really hope I am not becoming a problem child that's going to need to explore carto tanks... cartos are so much trouble... that's why I quit vaping. Really wanted to avoid them and all the boiling and expense of replacing them too. But they TASTED GREAT (to me).

Okay ScottP... time for you to design a rebuildable carto for a tank. You'll make gabillions!