Zen~ Family Reunion

[BlackBag]

Good info. However, I find it curious that mike sends only one size wire (32 ga) but two different mesh wicks with his Zens. I think one is 325 and the other is 400 (but I could be wrong). I am still experimenting myself but I've found the stock 325 wick from Zen with a 3 wrap 32 ga or 4 wrap 30 ga (which I bought) both work very well.

I did buy a few HUGE sheets of 325, 400 and 500 mesh. I've rolled some really fat wicks with the 400 which also worked very well with the insulator out. I've also tried my own rolled wicks various other gennies, some which work ok but none that work as well as the Zens or zAttys (although the DID is very close).

I tend to build setups on the weekends and then vape 4 or 5 different setups during the week. This weekend it is the diver. So far really nice.

I'm going to stick my two cents in here on this one.....

There have been "tests" done by many people on which mesh is the "best".
My favorite one was done by Mike himself.

What he did was had a few of his workers test different pieces of mesh he had labeled 325, 400, 475, and 500.
He had them make note of which was best for taste, wicking, etc. regardless of the PG/VG ratio of their particular juice.

Across the board, they ALL chose the 475.
The result? There is no 475. In fact, all of the pieces of mesh that they tested were all the same, cut off of the same large sheet of mesh.
There was no difference what so ever between any piece of mesh given to them to test.

That said, your oxidation process and the thickness of your wick is what is going to make the most difference to you.
The insulator is there for beginners and advanced "rollers" alike, to make the wrapping processes easier.

I use the same mesh in all of my gennies. The "fatter" the wick, the better it wicks. For me.
Regardless of the PG/VG ratio.
There is no "better" mesh for higher VG or higher PG.

The fatter the wick, the less wrap of wire you will need, it's basically the same amount of wire, just going around the fatter wicks less often. In other words, if you wrap 5 times around a skinny wick and 3 times around a fat wick, you're basically using the same amount of wire.

The ONLY gauge of wire Mike recommends for the Zen products regardless of mesh or ceramic, is 32g.
And the red AW IMR batteries.

Get yourself some 32g.

If your juice is literally catching fire, I would try adding or dropping wraps until you get a wrap that isn't catching fire.
If by burning you mean boiling or bubbling around the wire, your wire isn't tight enough.

If by burning you mean "dry" hits, it's not wicking fast enough to keep up with your vaping style.
Try tipping more or attempting to take less consecutive hits until the ceramic breaks in.
(I haven't really tried the ceramic so I don't know much about it)

And let us know how you're doing.....

 

[BlackBag]

Hmmm, I LOVE taking these things apart and re-doing them...

ummmm question..............if I am not using mesh is the insulator nec.? wth is that faceplant smiley
I am not freaking taking this thing apart again!

 

[UnFettered_Soul]

Good info. However, I find it curious that mike sends only one size wire (32 ga) but two different mesh wicks with his Zens. I think one is 325 and the other is 400 (but I could be wrong). I am still experimenting myself but I've found the stock 325 wick from Zen with a 3 wrap 32 ga or 4 wrap 30 ga (which I bought) both work very well.

I did buy a few HUGE sheets of 325, 400 and 500 mesh. I've rolled some really fat wicks with the 400 which also worked very well with the insulator out. I've also tried my own rolled wicks various other gennies, some which work ok but none that work as well as the Zens or zAttys (although the DID is very close).

I tend to build setups on the weekends and then vape 4 or 5 different setups during the week. This weekend it is the diver. So far really nice.

And in the same class/conversation as the mesh story, I believe he said why he still send the 2 sizes..... but I don't recall it right now.
My point though, is it doesn't really matter what size your mesh is, if it's working for you.
You would get more of a difference in the oxidation and size of the piece you're rolling up than you will in the "thread count".

 

[tyleris12]

Good afternoon, has anyone heard from Kevin (ksmith) yet today? Worried about him, as I know he was getting some very bad weather last night!

 

[Projectguy]

The oxidation of the wire mesh is to REDUCE conductivity. It will still always be there, it is metal after all, but it will help reduce it.
Same with the insulator. It helps reduce points of conductivity to make it easier to avoid/eliminate hot spots and shorts.

While it is not strictly necessary to make the PV work... Mike and very few others have included it to make the process easier.

If you are using something other than wire mesh through the wick hole, and it happens to be a non/less conductive material, the insulator, as a way to reduce the conductivity, is not needed.



On a side note... for those of you using the nextel and/or silica, do you find any juice darkening?
I will still, on occasion, get the dark juice.
Usually, I have the wire a little too loose or something along those lines, but now and then, even with a "perfect" wrap, after a week or so, I'm looking at dark juice.
I usually just rewrap, but thought I would ask about that when using nextel.

I just love when you talk technical......... Honestly you should write a technical guide

 

[hotrod3539]

Good Afternoon everyone! taking a small WoW break and thought i would stop by!

 

[hotrod3539]

Good afternoon, has anyone heard from Kevin (ksmith) yet today? Worried about him, as I know he was getting some very bad weather last night!

Havent seen or heard from him......maybe he has no power and cant pop in??

 

[tyleris12]

Havent seen or heard from him......maybe he has no power and cant pop in??

I believe he can access from his phone tho. Hopefully he'll pop in soon or else I may just have to text him...he knows us girl's worry about him.

 

[UnFettered_Soul]

I just love when you talk technical......... Honestly you should write a technical guide

Ha!
I'm afraid any manual I write would be full of "doo-hickey", "thingy", "whatsit" and crude hand drawn diagrams that look more like ill cats than what it's supposed to be.
And possibly boobs anywhere I could fit them in. There's always room for boobs.

 

[Projectguy]

Ha!
I'm afraid any manual I write would be full of "doo-hickey", "thingy", "whatsit" and crude hand drawn diagrams that look more like ill cats than what it's supposed to be.
And possibly boobs anywhere I could fit them in. There's always room for boobs.

I'll supply the crayons

 

[RDY]

Hello Hawaiiboay,

I use 100% vg juice in my Zens. I might get whipped for what I'm going to tell you but it works. I don't use insulators. I roll a fat tight wick with open ends. Not pinched off. I've used 325, 400 and 500 mesh. I find they are all similar in wicking capabilities.

Try using your 400 mesh rolled tight with no insulator and a 3/4 wrap of 30awg. It should ohm out around 1.0 to 1.2ohms. I usually tilt the PV to about 3 or 4 o'clock. I think you'll be happy with this set up.

I haven't used ceramic wicks so I can't help you with that.

Hope this helps.

What, no insulator


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BlackBag]

EVERYONE likes boobs..

Ha!
I'm afraid any manual I write would be full of "doo-hickey", "thingy", "whatsit" and crude hand drawn diagrams that look more like ill cats than what it's supposed to be.
And possibly boobs anywhere I could fit them in. There's always room for boobs.

 

[tyleris12]

Okay, I'm not a very patient person...lol...so I texted Kevin & he's okay, survived the storms & just been super busy. Now I feel much better!

 

[Paradisevap]

Good morning all



Somebody said I won the contest so I got stuck with the bill. How much is it?

That would be Me


dang they put me back in the box again .......

 

[Projectguy]

Cactus is giving away "samples" of the Nextel ceramic rope/silicalike wicking material! No Bill for you! Just send him a big thank you!

 

[Paradisevap]

Love at first Hump

 

[Hawaiiboay]

Good Morning everyone!

Hawaii, Welcome!! By burning do you mean catching fire or just giving you a burnt taste? With 100% VG it sounds to me like its not wicking fast enough to meet the "vaping demand" (if it is catching fire thats a sure sign it is not wicking fast enough as VG will flame if it gets too hot due to a lack of wicking) If i remember right, 325 SS mesh was what people were using for the thicker VG juices. Are you tilting the device up with the wick on the bottom (facing the floor) as you vape to help with wicking? Is your air hole lined up with your wick?(i only mention these last two things as you stated you were new to the rebuilding world and Genesis style atomizers and may not know these two things)

I am by no means an expert and these are my opinions in hopes to help a fellow vaper out. (Wheres Andy when you need him lol)

Hey there. That's for the welcome. If i tilt the juice the top coils still burn hot red but won't catch fire. If i don't tilt it at all it'll catch fire almost instantly. N yah, I have the wick and air hole lined up. I tried the 325 SS mesh and was having the same issue. I actually started with that and I think what I read after that point was that for vg it was recommended to use 400 ss mesh. But I could be wrong by that also. Thanks for your opinion. I'll try the 325. I also have a noble 1 tucked away that's having the same issues so I'll try play around d with the ss mesh on that one)

 

[ksmith]

Good evening everyone. I'm still kickin. Darn near got blown off of the road a couple of times last night while doing transfers in the rain in a squad with a broken air conditioner.

 

[Hawaiiboay]

Mahalos for all your input and knowledge to everyone. I have a few things to look at doing to help. Currently at work so when j get home I'm gonna a drive my gf mad trying to figure some of this out. Haha. I did have one more question I forgot to ask about last night, I was having an issue with my wick breaking apart. It was 400 ss mesh and after it was wrapped and oxidized I used it for a few days and after pulling g the top piece off I seen little black pieces everywhere n noticed that it looked like the kenthal (30 gauge at the time) was burning the mesh. Is that at all normal?

 

[Hawaiiboay]

A great solution is to pull apart an old carto. Inside there is a sleeve that can be trimmed and used as an insulator. It fits the wick hole perfectly? And allows a much wider wick then the stock zenesis insulators. Best of both worlds, fat wicks and still insulated. 

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that it fit. It makes sense though. I just bought insulators cause mine burnt to the point that my wick was stuck on it