wire wool?

[smokindeuce]

This thread has meandered a fair bit (in a good way), but I think regardless of whether liquid causes the atomisers to clog or something else I think the main point of this thread is finding an alternative wicking solution to the current polyester wool.

A lot of what is being discussed here has been talked over many times before on this forum in a similar fashion without getting very far, but I certainly feel that this is an issue that needs addressing. It's obvious that enough people are concerned about it judging by the amount of times the topic is recycled.

Are we comfortable with loose strands of plastic fibre being heated up on our atomisers and then inhaling those fumes? I doubt it...

So keep on experimenting - this is the only way we'll move on - if we accept our fate we'll only end up with something that has few advantages over analogues and that isn't why we're here.

For now, I'll continue to drip smoke as usual and carry on searching for an alternative wick material. The atomiser material that someone on this thread is testing definitely sounds like a better bet so keep us updated with that!

 

[Doostin]

What about braided oil-burning candle wicks? They don't seem to burn that easily. Maybe cut one half the length of your filler, stuff the top, and then use the rest of the cart as a reservoir...

 

[exogenesis]

@ smokindeuce

I think it's been demonstrated above that any burnt taste is not due
to the cart wool melting on the mesh bridge.
It's the build up of carbonified liquids on the coil/wick that does that.

However a better cart wool is a goal, ie something that:

A doesn't 'catch' on the bridge mesh
B doesn't go discoloured & begin to taste wrong - due to small amount of carbonifying liquid building up near the bridge
C doesn't deform with squashing & twisting like the wool does.
D is easier to rinse/clean (eg to change flavours)

The wire mesh from a dismantled atomizer seems to work well for TribbleTrouble

Here's an alternative :
About 1 metre of 0.15mm diam stainless steel gently squashed into a 'cone',
been using this today & it's very effective, retains the liquid against gravity,
but easily allows the liquid to migrate to the mesh bridge:



And no worries about shedding bits off

 

[Kate]

I bet my pot scourers would do the same job. I'd try them out but I don't like cartridges, I just drip.

If anyone in the UK wants me to send them send me a message.

 

[surbitonPete]

I bet my pot scourers would do the same job. I'd try them out but I don't like cartridges, I just drip.

If anyone in the UK wants me to send them send me a message.

you can come around and scour my pots any day Kate..

 

[exogenesis]

Goal 2 is to be able to clean the carbon off the coil/wick:

Here's a coil that tastes burnt & acrid:


Here it is after IPA (rubbing alcohol) soak, than very hot water flush & soak & dry-off:




i.e. pretty much no change.
Next step is trying a sonication water bath (not expecting much),
then heavy duty cleaning agents : conc.sulphuric acid,
then if that doesn't work, maybe strong sodium hydroxide.
More pics to come (I hope).

That was a struggle to post!, swear filter kept taking the t w a t
out of Hot Water

 

[Sun Vaporer]

I think it's been demonstrated above that any burnt taste is not due
to the cart wool melting on the mesh bridge.
It's the build up of carbonified liquids on the coil/wick that does that.

However a better cart wool is a goal, ie something that:

A doesn't 'catch' on the bridge mesh
B doesn't go discoloured & begin to taste wrong - due to small amount of carbonifying liquid building up near the bridge
C doesn't deform with squashing & twisting like the wool does.
D is easier to rinse/clean (eg to change flavours)

The wire mesh from a dismantled atomizer seems to work well for TribbleTrouble

Here's an alternative :
About 1 metre of 0.15mm diam stainless steel gently squashed into a 'cone',
been using this today & it's very effective, retains the liquid against gravity,
but easily allows the liquid to migrate to the mesh bridge:



And no worries about shedding bits off

Nice going there Exogenesis--could you describe for us a little more what you used "About 1 metre of 0.15mm diam stainless steel" ??? Thanks--Sun

 

[Kate]

you can come around and scour my pots any day Kate..

Do you think I'm a scrubber or something


Black Stuff in Atomisers - *E-Cigtest, the ultimate electronic cigarettes review site* - Le site de la cigarette électronique

Das Innenleben der Verdampfer

 

[smokindeuce]

Exactly Exo.

That looks like a better alternative but perhaps something slightly finer/more concentrated to allow more surface area for the liquid to cling to would be good also.

I like the idea of the ultra fine stainless steel wire wool that you can pick up in hardware shops, but it's making sure that all the oils and other possible contaminants have been removed. I've emailed storz and bickel (volcano vaporizer manufacturers) a number of times about their stainless steel liquid pads, but never get any response.

A fine stainless steel wool like this would probably be even better, and they also have copper, brass, bronze and aluminium types.... although the corrosivity etc would obviously have to be considered.

 

[exogenesis]

@sun
It's just 'hobby' wire, 100 metres for about £5 to £10:

No real trick, just gently folded/rolled a metre length until it was the right shape,
probably could do with 50% more length.


@Kate - well, after your Nora Batty self portrait ......

 

[trog100]

has anybody tried de-soldering wick.. just something that came to mind..

not as the burn taste is something i get.. keeping the carts topped up and wet stops that easy enough.. with a 901 atomizer its very similar in action to direct drippng.. just dosnt need doing quite as often..

in my book simply popping a cart in and trying to smoke it dry simply does not work... so i never do it.. life would be easier if it did work.. but once you accept it dosnt the problem goes away..

trog

 

[smokindeuce]

Trog wrote:
'in my book simply popping a cart in and trying to smoke it dry simply does not work... so i never do it.. life would be easier if it did work.. but once you accept it dosnt the problem goes away..'


It's funny you say that because, I never felt that you could get much life out of a cart and constant topping up was always necessary until recently when I tried the lady pipe.... in the first few days you could literally go for hours on one cart without topping up, but as time wore on, topping up became more and more necessary at regular intervals.

I'm guessing this must link with the fact that the atomiser after a few days use isn't as effective at heating up and drawing liquid out of the cart due to all the crud that builds up. So it is my feeling that the atomiser efficiency correlates directly with how well liquid is drawn out of the filler and thus how often you need to top up. Can anyone else compare efficiency of cart life when using a new ecig/new atomiser vs after say a week of use?

Regarding the burnt taste - I don't experience this much, because like you I tend to be over generous with the juice. But my concern is that all you're doing by adding more liquid is covering up the potentially toxic gases with your chosen flavour. So although the burnt taste is muted if you like, the nasty gases are still inevitably there...

 

[kinabaloo]

you highlight the forum problem.. "i have read".. which was no doubt is simply a pass on or copy and paste from the original false information.

the term "atomizer" is based on false information.. high tech sales talk

read something.. pass it on.. the way the internet works.. sadly 90% of whats written is wrong.. but if it sounds "good" its accepted as fact and becomes "Fact"

the e cig scene is loaded with false information..

air flow into an e cig start off from a very small hole.. with a 901 its in the side of the atomizer.. it then finds it way thru the very wet wire wool and into the little heater pot thru holes in it.. it wets the little coil.. the little coil heats up and boils the liquid..

the cart wool just keeps the wire wool nice and wet.. or at least it should do.. sadly half the time it dosnt which is why direct dripping works the best..

the rest is high tech sales bullsh-t..

trog

Trog - I am still wiating to hear what part of my post is 'wrong' in your eyes. I didn't state any facts anyway - actually asked your opinion because i want to understand this better. But you just gloss over how the juice get to the coil to be boiled. So that the airflow pulls tiny droplets (a mist) from the wicking to the coil still seems to stand as true.

ps : later in reply to Pete, you said "there is no mist the whole lot just gets soaked in neat e liquid.." The vapor comes from the coil (i have seen that). how does the juice get to the coil - that my question? If the coil is flooded with liquid it does not work until the excess drips off or is blown off (tried that).

I know the original patent talked of high tech mist creation. The metal wicking is a low tech alternative that made the final production, but it is a way of creating a mist nonetheless.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

@sun
It's just 'hobby' wire, 100 metres for about £5 to £10:

No real trick, just gently folded/rolled a metre length until it was the right shape,
probably could do with 50% more length.

Thanks my friend--will give it a try--Sun

 

[Nuck]

I just grabbed some of that stainless steel volcano mesh. I stopped using cart because of worries about breathing in plastic vapour. If this stuff works, I'm good to go on carts again. Thanks for the links.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

I just grabbed some of that stainless steel volcano mesh. I stopped using cart because of worries about breathing in plastic vapour. If this stuff works, I'm good to go on carts again. Thanks for the links.

Hi Nuck--what is Volcano Stainless Steel--Thanks in advance--Sun

 

[Nuck]

Hi Nuck--what is Volcano Stainless Steel--Thanks in advance--Sun

It was a link posted by SmokeIndeuce:

Volcano Solid Valve Liquid Pad Set - Volcano - Store - Vaporizers

Figured it was local and cheap so worth a shot. Plus it was made for vaporizing liquid so how bad can it be?

 

[Sun Vaporer]

Volcano Solid Valve Liquid Pad Set - Volcano - Store - Vaporizers

Figured it was local and cheap so worth a shot. Plus it was made for vaporizing liquid so how bad can it be?

Thanks Nuck--going to give it a try--Sun

 

[Terraphon]

Well, since those of us who are actually trying to get to the bottom of some of these issues are, apparently, idiots who can't tell their ....... from next Christmas and this forum is, apparently, just here to put butts in the seats and not...I don't know...educate people and try to enhance the community...I'm going to just bow out of this whole thing and let people come to their own conclusions.

I'll go ahead and do research and testing and engineering on my own...If anyone wants to know what I come up with drop me a PM...I'll be around just not in this thread.

 

[Kate]

I've appreciated your experiments and theories Terraphon, thanks. I'm sure a lot of others will learn from them too.

Sometimes the social skills of particular posters is lacking, please don't let them drive you away.