stainless steel mesh as cartridge medium

[Bertrand]

The one I was happy with continued to work just as well for about three days. Unfortunately it then pretty suddenly stopped working in a strange manner:

1. It would only absorb about half as much as before.
2. The vapour became "thin". Not that it wouldn't produce a lot of vapour, but its nicotine and taste were minimal.

I gave it a ride in an ultrasonic cleaner with some vinegar, and a bunch of gunk came out. I thought it was just some PG or glycerine, but when I pulled it out, it appeared polymerised. This may have been a red herring - there could have been some glue left in the cartridge from the old cartridge filler, which dissolved into the eliquid.

To try to test this, I mixed some of the PG and glycerine fluids I had been using together, put them on some mesh (in case it acted as a catalyst) and used the vinegar. Voila: mystery goo. I have not been able to replicate this, though - perhaps the mesh had been coated in something(?) I will try, though, because whatever it is would explain how JC liquid kills atomizers. (Why they don't employ a chemist to figure that out themselves I have no idea.) If I can get it to do it again I will report back. (I've tried all combinations of the liquids I was using, so there might have been something else on the mesh - I can't figure out what variable I'm missing.)

PS. Just went to clean out the ultrasonic cleaner, and the bottom of it was filled with sludge.. hehe. must have been looking in the wrong place or water is necessary for the reaction. Clearly there is something going on though. Once I figure it out, I'll let you know.

 

[parapo]

i was thinking using something like in the pic,with only liquid in it and some sort of sponge in front of the vial touching the atomizer,and a tiny hole on the side for "breathing".

ideally fitting this kind of cartridge directly in the e-cig,like in a dentist syringe. a small needle in front of the atomizer would draw as much liquid as it needs.......

 

[Bertrand]

i was thinking using something like in the pic,with only liquid in it and some sort of sponge in front of the vial touching the atomizer,and a tiny hole on the side for "breathing".

ideally fitting this kind of cartridge directly in the e-cig,like in a dentist syringe. a small needle in front of the atomizer would draw as much liquid as it needs.......

Try it, but you would still need to use a syringe, which is less than ideal. You will also need to stop the sponge from getting pushed too far down by the atomizer over time. People do report that the sponges "wear out", but I suspect this is just because they have been pushed down too much.

 

[MagusSteele]

Been a while, had to find this thread again.

I had a Brainstorm this week.
The Janty KBC has been giving me fits
It only wants to take fluid from the first couple of mm's of cart stuffing.
SO,
I figured, how can i only give it a couple total.

I Tested Stainless steel mesh, used for a strainer, real thin tube of woven wire.

I cut off a length of tube of about 15mm, and rolled it tightly around itself.
Stuck it in the end of the cart.
Then cut about 1cm of stuffing, and pushed it on top of the mesh, so just the stuffing touches the atomizer.
Turns out,
It Works Perfectly.
however, the metal is Wrong.
Got a Sucky metal taste from it.

I then had a Gold plated spring about the same size.
6mm x 13mm, put that inplace of the mesh, that worked too, but it must be filled with some crap metal, i got a metal taste to that too, a brass taste, not good.

I have worked with Sterling Silver wire before, so I am ordering a foot of Solid Silver 20gauge wire, to make a new spring and try again. Pure Silver shouldnt give a metal taste.
The spring i used is not, well, Springy, its just wound up like a spring, so its basicly a tube.

The back of the cart is basicly a hollow chamber, the Spring was just a spacer to hold the tiny bit of stuffing to the end, so it wont push in.
No Leaks, No Flooded atomizer, AND, it was able to use 80% of the fluid.
Syringe is the easiest way to fill, but you can drip/top it off as well this way.

Just wanted to add some findings i have had. This is over all a good idea, just have to get a good combination together to get it to work right.
The mesh didnt work for me.

The perfect thing would be hard for a general home tinkerer to get, it would be a glass tube that would fit in where i had the spring, that would be perfect.
I thought about plastic, but i cant think of one that wouldnt be effected by the juice and eather get soft, or melt all together. Maybe I could find a glass bead in a craft store, not sure, would have to look. It would need a thin wall to work, so it dosent take up to much room, after all its just a spacer.

 

[Di]

talk to your local avon lady,
I remember they used to have perfume samples
in tiny skinny glass vials - 1-2ml.
with a tiny glass wand to wipe it on your wrist.

any good ..... Di ......

 

[MagusSteele]

If that was to me, about the Sample Tubes?
I have had some of those in the past, and may even have a couple around the house here somewhere. It would be Way to long to use.
If there was a way to cut it down and melt the ends so there are no shards/glass particles, then maybe.
I have seen labratory tubes for samples, that are cut and melted useing a burner, to seal in samples.
I just never used them before, thats what i pictured when i said an average person may not be able to use it.

 

[Di]

Hi Magnus,
yes that last was for you,
well if that is no good,

I got an idea after reading your post --

I have been trying this ---
I am working with an 801 penstyle.....

pull the stainless steel spring out of your ball point pen....
pull the poly fibre out of your cartridge......
put the spring into the cartridge,
make sure it is right down into the bottom ......
pull it out and squish it till it is about 10ml
from the top of the cartridge, keeping it straight.....
now drop it into the cartridge, as centred as possible,

take your polyfibre and cut a lump off - about 10ml
long, put it to one side for the moment.....

fill up your cartridge with e-liquid, to the level of the top of the spring.....

push the polyfibre in on top of the spring to be level with the top of the cartridge shell......
top off with a couple of drops....
and there you go......

I can smoke this for 120 puffs, against 80 puffs with the regular poly cartridge.
so far - touch wood - no leaks or flooding -
no bad taste, I am smoking marlboro.....

I can get 1.2ml into the spring -cartridge
against 0.8 ml in the regular one.

any good,
maybe you can work out a better way,
maybe glue the fibre onto the end of the spring,
but this works, it is just a bit fiddly to get it made,
but easy to fill and refill.
lasts longer by about 1/2 again.

Di .......

 

[MagusSteele]

Di,
Thats the Idea i was talking about.
I am surprised your not getting any metal taste with the Pen Spring.
I can try one tonight.
The only reason your haveing a problem is because its to thin is all, once you get the small piece of stuffing on top of it, you should be good.

Over all it sounds like your getting the same results i had, which is good, means it wasnt a Fluke

Once i get the Silver wire, ill let you know how that goes.
a Foot of the silver wire was only $4, it should be enough for 2 springs, i think, not sure.
But good thing is it should be totally reuseable.

Good work Di, let us know if things are still working after a while. Maybe the metal taste will come after useing it a while. Hope not, that would be a cheap way to go.

 

[Di]

magnus
this is your idea,
everyone must realise this,
I am not stealing it, I am trying to help you
by testing and expanding on your ideas,
think of me as your lab assistant.....
just call me Igor......

after reading your post,
I thought maybe a ready made spring,
and maybe stainless steel,......
so I tried the ball point pen spring.

this is stage 2 of the pen-spring cartridge,
now have smoked and refilled it 5 times,
it is still ok.
no leaking / flooding into attomizer,
no metallic taste.
when it stops smoking, - less vapour -
the cartridge is totally empty- fibre is moist -
so it is successful in utilizing all liquid.....

refilling is easy with slim pointy instrument -
syringe - or - gnome bottle -
poke end in, gently push polyfibre to side a bit,
squeeze and fill cart. when bubbles up to top of polyfibre, stop.
extract instrument and suck back a bit of liquid,
pat fibre gently to spread evenly accross top.....
and go again ......

I look forward to hearing your experience with this method.

Di ........

 

[ed_bollix]

Parker at one time made a pen called the 61. It had a capillary feed. I have one such pen and am not willing to dissect it but it sounds like someone put the design you guys are working on into effect. It is ink rather then juice but the fundamental idea is the same... Take a liquid and feed it to something in an orderly fashion.

and I quote from Richard Binder's website, RichardsPens.com ; Fountain Pens by Richard Binder

Parker 61. Design: Capillary action. An internal reservoir (the capillary cell) contains a sheet of plastic that has been perforated, embossed with a 3-D pattern resembling safety tread, and rolled up. The holes allow ink to ooze between the rolled-up layers, and the embossed pattern maintains space between the layers. In the center, running the entire length of the capillary cell, is the feed. The cell’s housing is metal, with a Teflon coating to repel ink easily. When the pen is not being filled, a spring-loaded valve in the back end of the barrel seals the end of the cell.

 

[Di]

dammit magnus,
missed out on ya patent,

but the parker does not have the magical
super technical part --
the spring !!!!

OH SH--
it has a spring loaded thinggy....
bugger!!!

DI .....

 

[MagusSteele]

I wasnt Ragging on you DI,
Or accusing, it was ment more like encouragement.
I ment you got the idea, and was doing it right. Never ment stealing, sorry if it came off that way.

Personally, i have to now find an old pen around here somewhere

 

[Di]

No No,
I know that magnus,
I just want everyone else to know that this is your idea,
I am just your assistant in trying stuff from your ideas.

I am still smoking the spring cartridge,
still good so far......
the only time it tastes a bit funny is when it is almost finished,
good really, -- a warning sign to refill.

you have to try it, and let me know
if it is good.

Di .....

 

[katink]

Surgical ss will be a safer way to go perhaps, if you want to continue on thinking metal?

Btw plastic is a good possibility... that won't be melting or anything, with a wad of wet wool between it and the atomizer.

 

[Di]

the next batch of cartridges -
6 in a batch -
have been made and prepped,
this next batch have a plastic spacer -
spacer = small length of hard plastic tube.
works same as spring one.

all this trialing.....
I have 2 801's going -
1 with pen spring cart
1 with plastic tube cart

Di ......

 

[MagusSteele]

Great minds

I cut a small plastic tube from the pen i took the spring from
and I am trying that first
I need to drill out the tube a bit, it has thick walls, but it seems to work ok.

 

[Di]

great thinking,
I figured the cart is plastic,
so why not......

still smokin' good,
no taste probs.....

time will tell .....

Di ......

 

[MagusSteele]

I had gotten the bad Metal taste after a couple hours, you must have gotten a really good spring. If you havent tasted it yet, you probably wont.
The spring is next on my list to try.

 

[katink]

You can use a simple drinking-straw (cut a small piece off it). That has thin walls. It will be a good idea though to make either the bottom part uneven, or make a hole in the straw somewhere near the bottom (you can just cut out a small piece with scissors for instance). Else the liquid doesn't automatically enter inside the straw. And a thick enough wad of wool on top, so the whole won't just slide into your atomizer (with all the liquid in one go, ugh... )

 

[MagusSteele]

Been a couple weeks since ive been on here.
I wanted to give an update.
I recieved the Silver wire.
A little over a foot of 20gauge solid silver wire.
It was enough to make 2 small "springs".
I have Only used One so far. But
I am Still useing it
I have been useing this same cart since my last post, so thats been about a month? sheese, didnt know it was that long. I had to rinse out the stuffing 4 times so far, because it got gummed up, but, its working GREAT.
Running it in my Janty KBC, and it is able to use almost All of the fluid before needing a refill. I use a syringe to refil it, its just easier to me.
I want to say again to clearify, I have been useing the Same cart for a month now
It will need a new piece of stuffing soon, but its going strong.

The pen spring i did try first. I had to trim it a bit to shorten it, but i got the metal taste from it too. Just my taste buds i guess.

The Silver spring does work, at least for me. I can go for about 5+? hours on one refill. I go through batterys faster then this cart, hehe
I am always hitting it too.
One tip, If production seems to be lacking a little and its still half full, just shake the E-cig a second, like you would a pen running low on ink. It seems to help me.