Wicks wicks wicks!!!

[Loldathe]

NOTE : I have no experience with rebuilding except watching videos at least 5 hours out of every day.

So, when I get home from Texas, I'll have a mech mod, batteries, a charger, a kayfun, an igo-w and 100ft of wire waiting for me.

No wick.

I haven't ordered any because I don't know what to get...
I've heard silica has a weird taste, and mutes flavor.
I've heard Ekowool is better, but hollow and a bit tougher to work with.
I've seen cotton threaded Ekowool (KP is out of stock or I would order a ton of this stuff)
And I know about using cotton.

My question is, what do you guys find best for you and why, and where do you get it for the best price?

Inb4 just get a bag of organic cotton balls, I'll get a bag when I get home, but I feel as if rope-type would be easier to start off on.

 

[Loldathe]

Also, beginner tips/methods would be nice.

 

[Phone Guy]

I personally think silica taste fine. It's also what most all companies use for their default retail wicks...like kanger, aspire, the novas,...I'm sure there's others..but those are the big ones I can think of.

I'll admit I've used cotton...yarn and cotton balls. It's easy to work with, cost pennies, seems fairly durable. And when it wicks, it taste great. I personally think it wicks slower than silica? But that's my opinion.

Ultimately I think it matters on your personally preference...

I've used ekowool, it frays easily. You must torch it before you cut it to keep it from fraying.

I've not received my kayfun, so can't comment on it yet. But I've liked cotton in my protanks, Fogger (taifun clone), and drippers.

Good luck.

Sent using my typewriter

 

[Loldathe]

I know my Kayfun comes with a bit of silica so that's the first I'll try while I wait for the cotton I'll get to dry after I boil. Any recommendations on vendors for wick? Ekowool seems to be expensive everywhere I look, but I feel like I could get it for a tad cheaper if I find the right vendor.

 

[_sidekick_]

If cotton is wicking slower than silica for you, you're doing it wrong. It's not even close in every silica/ekowool build I've tried. It can't keep up with micro coils, where the cotton has no issue at all. In my RSST, I can SEE the juice re-wicking while it is firing. I'm a strong believer in cotton. There have been some concerns about inhaling fibers from the silica and personally, I don't want to take that risk. Cotton imparts no flavor if setup correctly/boiled, where as silica/ekowool always has for me, despite torching.

 

[turbocad6]

cotton is very good when wicked correctly, bigest thing to be aware of is not to wick it too dense, less is more when it comes to cotton. lately I've been using hemp fiber though, all the benefits of cotton but can stand to be a bit denser and I think it wicks a bit better once it gets going, and another benefit over cotton is with cotton one misjudgment and it burns a bit and your done for but hmp can gert burned a little bit and then once youy saturate again it can keep on going without adding burnt taste so you can continue to vape through the day even with slightly burnt wick where cotton will make you suffer until you change it out. hemp is the best wick so far to me and I've tried just about everything

 

[Phone Guy]

Hemp seems like too much prep to me?
I think I read you've got to boil it 3x or 4x drying in between each boil to get it clean properly....how much better can it really be vs cotton, thread the coil and vape. Simple as that.

I don't boil the cotton...in the words of pbusardo - "I never boiled a cigarette before I smoked it"
And I never have smoked cigarettes..LOL. I'm a cigar smoker my self.


Maybe I'm using too much cotton? I'm not sure either. I'm still learning, and around every thread there's some new wick that's the end all be all...better than sliced bread.

Silica, ekowool, cotton, ss mesh, xc-116, ceramic sticks, hemp fibre, stainless rope.... I'm sure there are more!
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[turbocad6]

Yeah I know, I've tried them all. Hemp is a pita to get and prep but it's one afternoons work for a lifetimes supply. Cotton is to hemp as paper is to wood, yes they can still burn but paper burns easier and more complete in a short time. Hemp is better wicking and less likely to burn up, it the best to me out of everything ive tried hands down, zero flavor added if it's prepped well, it's like cotton on steroids

 

[turbocad6]

Oh and cotton is ok not boiled but boiling it gets rid of the cotton taste

 

[turbocad6]

Oh nd you left out bamboo that I havent tried

 

[trouble1000]

Cotton is my favourite by far.
Start off with silica, cos it's easy to use at first. Then move up to ekowool or cotton or hemp.

If you want a cotton that's easy to work with, look out for some cotton make-up removal pads - that's what I use. Their basically a 100% cotton, untreated, unbleached compressed cotton pad. I just cut them up into 2mm strips insert into my mini-coils and I'm good to go. I can make at least 6 wicks from each pad. No need to boil them either. You should be able to get them in packs of about 200 for about $5.00. I paid about £6.00 for some here in the UK, from a beauty products supplier. Or rather the Wife did and I pinched them

 

[erawk]

tried them all... Hemp wins. Wicks better than cotton and its durable. best to worst.... hemp fiber, hemp twine, cotton, eko, SS, silica. The thing the previous poster said about burning in cotton vs hemp has been exactly the same experience for me as well.

 

[jwat82]

Where can you get the wicking appropriate hemp? Is it just the stuff you buy for necklaces and such?

I've got some xc-116 on the way, I'm curious about being able to torch it clean.

 

[ta2dave76]

I used hand picked cotton myself.

 

[turbocad6]

you can't torch hemp clean, it's disposable, change it out ever few days

F-DG1

that's like 20 times a lifetime supply... you do need to wash it first (oxyclean) and then boil and rinse but it's totally worth it, it's not that difficult, I've seen people spend more prep time just cooking a meal that's gone in a day, this will be an effort that lasts literally years, only you can determine if it's worth the effort to you I guess, vaping is more work than opening a pack of smokes and flicking a bic but with some effort it can be worth it...

 

[ambientech]

Can't stand silica due to the muted flavor and the flavor of silica. Silica doesn't wick as well as hemp or cotton. I have found both hemp and cotton to wick about equal. What sets them apart for me is cotton is no fuss easy, and adds no discernible taste for me even without a boil (i do not boil cotton). Hemp has to be cleaned, and even with properly cleaning I can still taste the hemp and the TH is weaker. If you are burning your wick you need to figure out your liquid feeding issues because they all wick good enough.

 

[mocha_jo1]

I personally like ekowool. It wicks well, and I am able to dry burn to get my coils perfect.

 

[Loldathe]

I think I'm gonna start off cotton until I can get cotton threaded ekowool. I guess if I learn on cotton everything else will come ridiculously simple to me down the line.


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[_sidekick_]

Hemp seems like too much prep to me?
I think I read you've got to boil it 3x or 4x drying in between each boil to get it clean properly....how much better can it really be vs cotton, thread the coil and vape. Simple as that.

I don't boil the cotton...in the words of pbusardo - "I never boiled a cigarette before I smoked it"
And I never have smoked cigarettes..LOL. I'm a cigar smoker my self.


Maybe I'm using too much cotton? I'm not sure either. I'm still learning, and around every thread there's some new wick that's the end all be all...better than sliced bread.

Silica, ekowool, cotton, ss mesh, xc-116, ceramic sticks, hemp fibre, stainless rope.... I'm sure there are more!
Sent using my typewriter

I would suggest boiling, because most organic cotton is bleached with hydrogen peroxide which can be toxic if inhaled.

 

[Phone Guy]

I want to try the xc116 myself. Very heat resistant, supposedly wicks better than most anything? I'm willing to try that.

As for hemp, I dunno. I'd like to try it, just.....I dunno- lazy I guess (Hint hint)....And there again, every time I turn the corner, something new in wicks hits the forum....foam nickel! Let me say it again......FOAM NICKEL!

Played around with my AGA T2 last night, used ss rope....wicked like crazy! Best wicking I've had in that tank! Honest!

Now, how come fibrous material has a hard time vertical wicking, but put a freaking piece of Steele cable rope in there, wicks like no tomorrow! ?

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