Cotton wick only lasting a couple of days.

[LMP]

I am using a 1/16 rod wrapped with 8 or 9 turns of 28 GA Kanthal A-1 which gives me 1.1 + ohms and have been trying to use less cotton as I have read that this is the best way to do it but I only get two or three days until the cotton inside the wire coil is gone.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[sarahhonald]

I usually have to change my cotton because it gets gunky not because it's "gone". For me there is a balance of density and fluffyness. Too much of either too dense or too light can effect the taste/vaping experience. And took much cotton esp around the coils can affect airflow or temp interactions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ShariR]

A lot depends upon the juice you are vaping. The Net tobaccos and sweet juices will have you changing your cotton quicker. Some of the Nets have people changing wicks daily. If you are vaping dark juices the lifetime of wicks and coils is shortened.

You also can burn through a wick if you have too much cotton in the coil. I did that several times when I was learning how much cotton to use. But that will happen pretty quick. You will taste it before much time passes.

 

[williebb123]

if the diameter of the coil is only 1/16 that will be a problem also but depending what your using it on you might be restricted by size most rba's and rda's will use 3-4 times that size

 

[LMP]

I am using a REO Reomizer 2.0 RBA.

 

[Rickajho]

Have you checked this out yet? http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/reos-mods/413000-rm2-rba-2-0-reomizer-2-rebuild-tutorial.html

 

[Clark F]

Three things: juice type, to much cotton or to little and it will burn. I try to get the cotton so it pulls through but with some resistance, cut the tails so they are a little more than touching the deck. It works for me but I spent weeks learning, it just takes time. I get a week or more depending on use out of the wick. You'll get it after doing it a few times.

 

[Clark F]

Oh, height of the coil might come in to play. I have mine over the hole low to the deck.

 

[CreepyLady]

I thought my fiance was the only one with this vanishing cotton Reo/RM2 deal!! I have used Reos longer than he has and its never happened to me, super weird! Once in a while I would find it stuck to the top cap - sometimes the coil was super gunky and it was just GONE. I think the cause is to little cotton (which is actually hard to do on an rm2) make sure you have just a smidgen of resistance just like the tutorial Rickajho posted.

Otherwise my guess is that as it gets old and bleh it flushes out of the coil (or maybe it gets burned if you are still learning to squonk and it runs dry in there) when there is a hair to little.

 

[Bunnykiller]

up the dia of the coil a tad to 2-3 mm ( yes it looks huge but...) the small dia coil is heating the cotton to much and juice flow is at a minimum in small dia coils. Im amazed you havent been getting some pretty nasty dry hits on such a thin coil...

 

[Clark F]

Hmmm... I have been using the wire coil thingy from amazon the last few weeks and it is just a hair bigger than a 1/16. Actually, been using it with 27 - 30g in quite a few attys without any issues. I might have to test this out over the weekend, a have bigger coils already made.

 

[snow blind]

I too have been rocking 2-3mm coils lately. I'm over the 1/16" micros and nanos... i get MUCH better flavor, vapor with "macro" coils. And most importantly... super fast wicking and more surface are of the coil is in contact with the juice. Micro's and nano's just dont perform as well as a macro.

 

[Empress Dragonfly]

Snow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Empress Dragonfly]

Do you know of a tutorial where I could learn that type of macro wrap?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fir3b1rd]

I was getting 1 tank for every cotton wick- on a 2mm diameter coil with 30gor 28g wire. I switched to rayon and getting about 4 or 5 tanks (all in Kayfuns or taifuns.) some macro some micro coil depending on of its on a mech or regulated mod

 

[LMP]

I got a 1/8” (3mm) diameter coil working well at 1.3 ohms so I am going to try that and see if the cotton lasts longer. It seems to wick better and the coil is shorter so hopefully the middle will stay wetter. Thanks all!

 

[snow blind]

Do you know of a tutorial where I could learn that type of macro wrap?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All you need to do differently vs a micro is wrap around something with a larger diameter. You'll find it wicks much better because of the greater diameter and less "width" to the coil. There is a fine line however with how large you'll want to go per device. I've been finding that around 2.5 -3.5mm has been my sweet spot. for everything from Kayfun to Plume Veil to Patriot.

 

[Clark F]

Would that be like a 3/32 and 5/64? I tried that for a while using 27g wire and sorta worked but it taking to long for the coil to heat up in the rtas. Thinking about giving in another go with magma and vertias.

 

[Flt Simulation]

In my Kayfun Lite, I tried using a micro-coil. The problem I had with them is that the inside diameter of the micro-coil was just too small to effectively install a cotton wick.

So ... I went back to making coils with a larger 2.4mm or 2.8mm inside diameter. Much better!

2.4mm inside diameter = 3/32" drill bit
2.8mm inside diameter = 7/64" drill bit


The photos below show a wick made with cotton yarn inserted in a Kanthal 28 AWG wire coil with a 2.4mm inside diameter ... The problem with cotton yarn (or any cotton for that matter), is that it causes the juice in the tank to get very dark colored after a couple of tankfulls. Needs replacement all the time, and cannot be dry-burned.

Problem solved by replacing the cotton with braided silica (it resembles the cotton yarn, but WILL NOT burn, and lasts a looooong looooong time ). It also does not turn the juice a dark color like cotton.

Vapor production and flavor with a silica wick is just the same as cotton, but I get no flooding problems anymore on my Kayfun since changing over to silica.

 

[Clark F]

My goodness what big coils you guys have... I'm going to try a 5/64 wrap with 27g around 1.2 in a dripper and see if it's any better.