How to feed wick through coils?

[Decidion]

I've seen a few videos of people making some nice micro coils, but they use cotton for the wicking. I tired it myself, but something with the cotton wicking gave me an adverse reaction when I use it to vape (I was like puking!).

I went back to making the coils using silica wicking and its a great vape, but wrapping the wire around something stiff like a paper clip AND the silica wicking it just a pain trying to get it just right. If I could create the coil around a drill bit or blunt needle and then thread the silica wick through, I would have the best of both worlds.

Anyone have a good way of getting the silica wick through the coils?

Also, when I used the cotton, I just used regular cotton balls...was that the right stuff, or should I be using a different kind of cotton? The packaging said 100% cotton, but who knows what they may process the stuff with. It really tasted kind of funky the first hit or two.

Last, why do I see people pre-heating the Kanthal wire? I haven't done this before (and been using an original RBA for quite awhile now). Is the NiChrome wire better?

Thanks

 

[Dturp]

I used silica for a while with micro coils ( I assume you are using a micro coil?). If so wrap your coil get it mounted in the RM2 then take a piece of silica wet it with the juice you are going to use and twist it tighter. Then start pushing it through twisting as you go so it maintains the tight twist.

As for cotton organic is best cause it has no additives and isn't bleached clean.

Heating the wire for the most part on smaller gauges only cleans any residual oil off them nothing more needed. And you can do that by dry burning the coil before wicking it once installed on the mod.

 

[Decidion]

...As for cotton organic is best cause it has no additives and isn't bleached clean...

Wow...maybe some bleach residue was what I was puking. I'll have to search out some organic cotton.

 

[Dturp]

You can get organic from cvs or probably most health stores. Cotton has a very distinct taste that I find very unpleasant. If your wick is to thick that taste will never go away. You want it to be just about the size of the coil without smashing it as you shape it. It's a trick for sure, I still wick one then take it back out cause it's to thick every once in a while but it's cheap to practice.

Edit: I should say a perfect wick will still need to be well saturated with liquid before the taste will go away. I usually get about 3 puffs before it's completely gone. Although I have had wicks that never had any cotton taste at all. So I guess it's just about getting it just right.

 

[Crash Moses]

Silica is royal pain in the patootie to get through a micro-coil. I've just had some success with an IGO-L I was playing with though. I made a hook out of some 28 awg and pulled four pieces of 1mm silica through a 1/16 28 awg micro-coil. I wouldn't try with a higher gauge coil as it's too easy to deform the coil. Others have had success unwinding 3mm silica and doing the same thing.

 

[Crash Moses]

Wow...maybe some bleach residue was what I was puking. I'll have to search out some organic cotton.

100% sterile cotton is what you want. Cotton balls or rolled cotton from CVS is popular.

 

[Dturp]

Silica is royal pain in the patootie to get through a micro-coil. I've just had some success with an IGO-L I was playing with though. I made a hook out of some 28 awg and pulled four pieces of 1mm silica through a 1/16 28 awg micro-coil. I wouldn't try with a higher gauge coil as it's too easy to deform the coil. Others have had success unwinding 3mm silica and doing the same thing.

I can get 2.5mm through a 1/16 drill bit coil with my technique but it's time consuming thus the reason I switched to cotton.

 

[bushmaster]

I get the organic cotton balls from Walgreens in Spokane, Jeff. Still taste funny for the first few drags and need to be replaced about every other day but it's really easy to re-wick with cotton. Takes about a minute.

 

[Decidion]

I get the organic cotton balls from Walgreens in Spokane, Jeff. Still taste funny for the first few drags and need to be replaced about every other day but it's really easy to re-wick with cotton. Takes about a minute.

Thanks Roger...but you really replace it every other day? The silica wicks last me a couple of weeks...

 

[Dturp]

I think that depends on what you're vaping. My last one lasted me 5 days and I only changed it because I was changing coils for fun.

 

[bushmaster]

Thanks Roger...but you really replace it every other day? The silica wicks last me a couple of weeks...

Yeah, but it sounds worse than it is. I mean....a single cotton ball lasts for weeks. I wouldn't have to change that often but just do because its so easy. You know how it is...you question whether the last vape was quite up to par and think--maybe its time to re-wick?
Furthermore, it gives you a chance before re-wicking to dryburn the crud off your coil. Depending on your juice, that stuff tends to accumulate and looks/tastes a little ucky.

 

[Decidion]

BTW... what is the difference between the Kanthal and NiChrome wire? What is the general preference around here?

Thanks

 

[Dturp]

BTW... what is the difference between the Kanthal and NiChrome wire? What is the general preference around here?

Thanks

I use Kanthal I really can't comment to much on NiChrome cause I haven't used it. I do know that it has slightly different resistance I want to say it's slightly lower but don't hold me to that. Both can be used equally as well for vaping it's just a preference thing mostly I guess.

 

[Matthee]

I went back to silica, Decidion. Just less hassle for me. A few rough wraps around doubled 3mm silica and I'm set for some time. Getting the thickness of the cotton right was just too finicky for me. Vape wise could not really tell a difference. But many others have great success with micro coils and cotton. And make works of art, but just function is fine by me. Not to say I won't try it again.

 

[Vapeaddikt]

I just pinch less cotton than I would think could possibly be enough and it somehow just ends up right. I was rolling my cotton to thick initially...once you get the pinch right the rest is cake.

 

[cioranes]

Not enough cotton does exist though. But you have to try hard to get there.

 

[aarhus]

Thanks Roger...but you really replace it every other day? The silica wicks last me a couple of weeks...

As dturp said, it depends on what you're vaping. I vape unflavored, and the wick lasts a week or more (depending on whether I've built a new coil or whether I've burnt it by forgetting to squonk). I'm actually at the point where the wick lasts as long as the coil

 

[malkuth]

I replace and dry burn my coil daily.

 

[unsure]

My eyes and fingers are not like they used to be so I look for easy shortcuts and here is one.
Get a luer lock blunt tip needle. Wrap your micro coil around it then stuff your cotton into the hole on the end. Then just slide the coil over the cotton... eezy peezy!

 

[MamaTried]

My eyes and fingers are not like they used to be so I look for easy shortcuts and here is one.
Get a luer lock blunt tip needle. Wrap your micro coil around it then stuff your cotton into the hole on the end. Then just slide the coil over the cotton... eezy peezy!

if i could actually see the hole in my luer lock, i'd be able to count the number of angels dancing in it...

but there's probly some variation on that which would be peezy for me as well. thanks!