eRolls with SS wicks...

[AegisPrime]

One word: *awesome*

Finally got around to re-wicking my eGo heads with SS mesh and the difference is great - definitely more flavour and the mesh seems to last for ages - for anyone considering this, I highly recommend it.

Also, damn those eGo-C coils last!! I'm still on my first two coils that came with the eRoll after nearly three months now (silica wicks died on them a while back) - I don't even soak them any more - just dry burn, rinse the ash off then leave them to dry - I'm going to be shocked when one of them finally does crap out on me

Keep on (e)rolling

 

[rico942]

I'm convinced. Gonna drop off some burnt atomizers with a buddy who winds his own coils and such ...

His hands are steadier than mine ...

 

[telsie]

Okay I really have to try an SS wick again I tried it once before and thought it tasted kind of funky/metallic. But my biggest problem with these atomizers is that the juice I use + one accidental dry hit = silica wick fused to the coil. Even when I pull it apart, clean the wick, clean the coil, the atomizer just never works as well or tastes as good after that. So the SS wick is may be my only hope for getting some decent life from these atties!

 

[AegisPrime]

I haven't noticed a metallic taste at all (although that may just be me) - the tutorial I watched advised oxidising the wicks at least three times with a blow torch (I used a gas hob) and then dripping some e-liquid on them and letting that burn - I used 400 grade mesh if that's of any use

 

[chefkeith]

I just quickly oxidize with a Bic lighter being careful not to let the mesh glow red for fear (maybe unfounded) of CrVI production. I don't seem to have any shorting issues.

 

[rico942]

The pre-rolled wicks I bought from VaporKings were oxidized, not sure exactly what method. There was a little black soot on the outside, so I soaked them in alcohol first ...

Started putting a twist of cotton inside the stainless steel tube, to fill any gap at the center. Seems to be preventing the juice from dumping through the wick onto the coil and flooding it ...

I expect that the rebuilt attys will last much linger than the stock silica wicks, without burning on the first dry hit ...

 

[jav74]

Could someone put this tutorial video what kind of mesh and dimensions for eroll?

 

[chefkeith]

There's one on YouTube somewhere.

 

[Hermit]

There's a few... search for ego-c mesh rewick or ego-c mesh wick. I followed this one. Used 400 grade, about 28x7mm, IIRC.

 

[Nyght]

He changed from pulling the cone of the atty with pliers to a jewelers screw driver. But, here's one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkcxJnIgLNo

Also there's a few others. I found that by searching eroll stainless and it was the first hit.

Guess I'll have to 'kill' a good atty, since they last so long and I was waiting for mine to 'dump' before trying this. Hmm... am I confident?

 

[Hermit]

Worst case, you could fall back to just fitting a replacement silica wick (2mm), which is still a good maintenance option. The Joyetech coils are pretty robust - you'll see

I find the most frustrating part to be getting the cap back on at the end - I use pliers (with smooth / non-serrated jaws) for that, to help keep it going in straight (there's no need to grip the tube bit of it tightly then, so not much risk of scratching).

We'll listen out for you shouting 'Help!'

 

[rico942]

Worst case, you could fall back to just fitting a replacement silica wick (2mm), which is still a good maintenance option.

I tried rewicking with silica, but burnt them within days. This was in the Elips, though, which does fry attys faster than the eRoll ...

Something I noticed just last night. I was replacing attys in two Elips units, one a new Janty with a silica wick, the other with a Joytech atty that I had just rewicked with stainless steel mesh. I primed them both as always with about 10 drops of juice, dripping it from a needle tip bottle directly onto the end of the spike ...

The silica wick would cause the juice to bead up, and I had to wait between drips for it to slowly absorb into the spike. But with the SS mesh wick the juice was absorbed instantly, as fast as I could apply it ...

The steel mesh just gets the juice to the coil faster, that's gotta help prevent dry hits and that horrible burnt taste ...

 

[Hermit]

I only tried with silica a couple of times, then moved onto mesh - much better! IIRC, it didn't like the wick splayed at the end against the coil at all, so it was a bit tricky to get it the right length. No such problem with mesh

 

[Nyght]

We'll listen out for you shouting 'Help!'

LOL LOL I'd love the little ico that shows rolling laughing. Um... will you be ready to give that hand?

I think I will invest in those jewelers pliers that have the little rubber wrapped barrels if nothing else. I can't imagine they're too expensive. But, I have some replacement attys coming finally, so it wont be so 'scary'. Yay, I'll be trying it in a bit. Though, most of my rewicking projects fail miserably

Speaking of which, I need to get more silica.. went to rewick a drip tip and all I had was stainless and ecowool. Tried to do it with that, but that was another wonderful fail. LOL, just don't seem to have the light touch for that ecowool. (Then again doing a short tiny little quarter inch probably doesn't help when you don't have an inch or so of stainless already within a gen atty.)
-------------------------------

Rico, with your notation of the silica wick... that brought another little thought up. I have a prewicked i30 coil... it refuses to absorb liquid or wick it. (brand new too, needless to say, it's annoying to waste money LOL) Do you happen to have any suggestions on that to get it to work? (Besides rewicking it, cause, I could... but, yeah, as I said, need to purchase more. )

Errr... looks like you both have way more experience than I do, so.. either of you. Does ecowool actually wick, or well, what is it's purpose? (I should look this up I imagine.)

 

[rico942]

Rico, with your notation of the silica wick...

I'm afraid I have huge gaps in my "vape awareness", went from disposables to Ego with ce4s, to the Elips (still my favorite) to the eRoll, never rewicked anything but the Type A attys ...

But in trying to imagine why a wicking material would refuse to absorb, I'd guess it could be some residue from the production process that prevents the e-juice from wicking into the fibers ?

Maybe try a thorough alcohol soak and dry burn, it brings the Type A attys back to life almost every time ...

I just ordered some Ekowool wick stock from VaporKings, both 1mm and 2mm, gonna try it just 'cause I love to tinker. But I'll be amazed if it outperforms or outlasts the 350 mesh ...

 

[Hermit]

LOL LOL I'd love the little ico that shows rolling laughing. Um... will you be ready to give that hand?

Hehe, yeah, but I hope you worry too much

Actually, these little heads were the first time I used mesh. Getting a genny working nicely afterwards was harder! Oxidising a tiny wick that entirely fits inside a lighter flame is very quick and consistent.

I used full-sized pliers, but it is better to use a small screwdriver to get the cap out. Whatever you use, what you need is control rather than delicacy - I reckon the risk from using pliers is more from them slipping and scratching the post, than from the serrations pressing a mark into the post.

Dunno about ecowool much, I haven't got round to using it yet (I bought a couple of sizes, but none seemed right for where I might use it - the sizing is strange on that stuff).

 

[Nyght]

But in trying to imagine why a wicking material would refuse to absorb, I'd guess it could be some residue from the production process that prevents the e-juice from wicking into the fibers ?

Maybe try a thorough alcohol soak and dry burn, it brings the Type A attys back to life almost every time ...

I just ordered some Ekowool wick stock from VaporKings, both 1mm and 2mm, gonna try it just 'cause I love to tinker. But I'll be amazed if it outperforms or outlasts the 350 mesh ...

I'll give that alcohol bath a shot. Tried the vinegar, and no go. :/ Lemme know how ekowool wicking attempt comes out. I sorta doubt it'll outperform, though it does seem as if the ekowool doesn't have the burn problems silica does.

Hehe, yeah, but I hope you worry too much

Actually, these little heads were the first time I used mesh. Getting a genny working nicely afterwards was harder! Oxidising a tiny wick that entirely fits inside a lighter flame is very quick and consistent.

I used full-sized pliers, but it is better to use a small screwdriver to get the cap out. Whatever you use, what you need is control rather than delicacy - I reckon the risk from using pliers is more from them slipping and scratching the post, than from the serrations pressing a mark into the post.

Dunno about ecowool much, I haven't got round to using it yet (I bought a couple of sizes, but none seemed right for where I might use it - the sizing is strange on that stuff).

Oh, I probably do worry too much Though, it's also having my eyes hating to work at micro sizing

It is strangely sized and I think the non hollowed would work better. I also think it's got sorta a strange aftertaste. :/ As for the carbonizing in small sections, so far I just utilize needle nose and probably crimp the ends a bit while doing it.

Okay, I think I ended up hijacking the subject, sorry op! (though, to find out if the ekowool does work, I don't imagine that's too far off subject (Save the little ss in the title LOL)

 

[rico942]

Dunno about ecowool much, I haven't got round to using it yet (I bought a couple of sizes, but none seemed right for where I might use it - the sizing is strange on that stuff).

I played it safe and ordered the 1mm and the 2mm ekowool , for $1.95 each (for a foot long piece). Not sure which will fit better, it should be delivered this week sometime ...

With the pre-rolled SS wick stock (from VaporKings), the diameter varied enough that some had to be unrolled a bit and excess trimmed off, still easier than "rolling your own", and pre-oxidized too ...

 

[Nyght]

I'll have to look into the vaporkings stuff. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[rico942]

Well, the ekowool wick stock came in the mail yesterday, a foot long piece for $1.95 (from VaporKings) ...

It looks like shiny white string, its braided, and the ends unravel a lot, but its manageable. I used the 1mm size on the Type A attys, the 2mm looked a bit too big to thread through the spike, although it could be done with patience ...

I tried twirling it between two fingers to tighten the end, but this stuff wants to unravel too much. So I did what you do to thread a needle, stuck the end in my mouth to wet it, then twisted the end to a point. That worked, and apparently its not toxic, I'm still here today ...

The 1mm seems loose in the spike, but it expands when you cut it with sharp scissors. The bottom end flares out like a feather duster, even more than the silica wicks. Maybe this is good, it will cover the entire length of the coil ...

Anyway, I noticed when I primed the ekowool wick that it absorbs the juice as quickly as the stainless steel, instantly slurps up the juice, a drop disappears the moment it touches. This has to be a good sign for avoiding "wick burn" ...

Taste is good, meaning no alteration of the juice taste that I can detect, unlike the silica, which has a faint taste for the first few hits when its new. I tried my best to get it to burn in the Elips, chain vaped until I could feel the heat through the case, and it didn't gunk up ...

I can't say ekowool is better than the stainless steel yet, I'll try it for a few days and see how durable it is. But I do think its a bit easier to work with, and the fact that it spreads out to cover the coil should avoid hot spots and burning. Supposedly the ekowool can stand higher temperatures than silica. Time will tell ...