RTA: wicking the "sweet spot"

[Mr.Zander]

Hello all. Brand new member, very first post.

I'm only three months vaping and it's so great to be here. Smoked cigarettes my entire adult life. Now I'm using an Ammit 25 and an Augvape Merlin MTL (using as DTL - it's just great that way). Now I have a Zesthia on the way because I can't help myself. Coiling stainless 26 or 28 gauge to .5 to .8 ohms @2.5 to 3mm ID (the smaller is for the Merlin). For a while I was doing a new rebuild almost every day.

Pretty much got the hang of wicking. Too tight in the coil and it runs a bit dry. Too much in the wick holes gives dry hits. Too little and it leaks, at least a drop or two internally with the top cap off. There's a pretty sensitive sweet spot in the middle. I've figured out the build for both these RTAs for normal use at home.

We do a lot of walking here in NYC even with the subway and all. As I travel on foot I've had a device in my coat pocket with a bit of cloth in case of a drip through the air intakes. As we move into summer I have only my back pocket. When I build one of these tanks it can perform perfectly, juicy vape and dry as a bone for a couple days, but then traveling with it I'll start to get leaks. I guess it's all that jostling around. I'm having a real problem here. I want the same convenience as carrying a pack of Marlboro lights. I don't want sticky fingers. I don't want to try to baby a dry-ish-hitting burnt-tasting tank.

Anyone faced the same issues? Any thoughts or remedies? Sympathy? I'm fearing it's just the geometry of the system/mechanism and there's nothing that can be done...

 

[Letitia]

Welcome to ECF Mr. Zander. Top fill rta will fix your out and about leaking. Do you prefer dual or single coil?

 

[stols001]

Welcome to ECF. As Letitia said, there may be RTAs that fix that issue for you and etc. If you say more about what you like/don't like about your current setup and your vaping style, that may help. Most of all though, welcome

Anna

 

[Mr.Zander]

Welcome to ECF. As Letitia said, there may be RTAs that fix that issue for you and etc. If you say more about what you like/don't like about your current setup and your vaping style, that may help. Most of all though, welcome

Anna

Hey thank you both for your replies! But I'm not sure what you're referring to -
These are all three top-fill designs (including the Zesthia that's in transit). I prefer single coil until I learn otherwise. I prefer wicking holes on the deck as opposed to wicking channels - I think they just exacerbate the wicking challenge. These are all three basically common standard build setups. Well it's a fancy airflow on the Augvape Merlin MTL but that doesn't apply here. As for style, well I guess I like the thing to perform for me as much as I want to hit it. Repeat hits or long draws. If I wick it just a bit tighter I think I can stop any leaking, but then I feel I need to be delicate with it - if I overtax the device it'll run a little dry. Maybe I'm asking too much of the thing?

 

[Mr.Zander]

I sure don't mind clouds (and I'm getting plenty). But each of these three RTAs has been rated tops in the flavor category.

 

[bsidb]

obs engine and geek vape zeus and the new zeus dual are top air that wont leak

 

[Mr.Zander]

obs engine and geek vape zeus and the new zeus dual are top air that wont leak

bsidb - That's a bit of valuable info the hear. Thanks and I believe you but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it! They're all a closed tank sealed with o-rings that do what they're supposed to do, with only two holes to let juice through - and air bubbles to satisfy the pressure loss. We put cotton in those holes. I just can't see what would be different. (!!!) I might not be as bright as I thought.

 

[Mr.Zander]

OOOOOOH. Top AIR flow. Gotcha'all! Yeah that makes sense. Damn I didn't want to look at any fancy top airflow... Damn.

 

[Eskie]

I can wick a Merlin and have it stay dry. However, when I'm walking around, on the subway, wherever, I use my Engine RTAs to virtually guarantee a dry pocket. No matter how well you build and wick an RTA, top air is the closest to a dry pocket you can assure. Also easy to build on, and works well with good flavor and decent clouds.

There is also the single coil Zeus, and a new dual coil Zeus being released, but can't vouch for ease of build or performance. I have read lots of good stuff on the single coil version. I believe the dual coil is on pre-order.

 

[Mr.Zander]

I can wick a Merlin and have it stay dry. However, when I'm walking around, on the subway, wherever, I use my Engine RTAs to virtually guarantee a dry pocket. No matter how well you build and wick an RTA, top air is the closest to a dry pocket you can assure. Also easy to build on, and works well with good flavor and decent clouds.

There is also the single coil Zeus, and a new dual coil Zeus being released, but can't vouch for ease of build or performance. I have read lots of good stuff on the single coil version. I believe the dual coil is on pre-order.

Thanks a lot Eskie. I'm YouTubing that Zeus right now. The build looks really fussy, but the 4ml capacity is fine, and the flavor's supposed to be great, and at the end of the day stop whining and get the right tool for the job. That or similar just might solve it all. On the street. Or Marlboro. (KIDDING!)

 

[stols001]

I gotta be honest, many of my RTAs have bottom airflow. They do not leak, even with the airholes open, even (turned off, but still with the airflow open, surfing inside my purse.) So, IDK if top airflow is different for RDAs and will cause less leakage (I imagine they WOULD) but with the right wicking, (at least for me) they are totally, totally fine. The only time I get leaks is if my wicking is on its last legs, and it will let me know via seepage it's going to die, about a half tank before it turns foul.

With that said, you wouldn't have told me I'd ever take an RTA out of the house... Until rayon. Rayon solves EVERY and ALL leaking problem I've ever had, and it did so spectacularly. If leaking is your issue (and flavor's okay) with what you have, (IMO) you may do yourself a favor by trying rayon as a wicking material before giving up on the atomizers you have.

There is a long thread on rayon, it may be worth a look: Rayon Wick - Better Flow, Flavor, Longevity, and Nic Hit!! - Pt.2

You don't have to read the whole thing, but I will say that rayon is now my "preferred" wick and the folks on that thread solved ALL my wicking problems with like, 3 questions and a few answers.

Rayon plays to my strengths, as it shrinks when wet and basically you want it tight in the coil and it can be thinned considerably as you deal with the tails. There's something "magic" about this wick for me, and it's also able to withstand higher wattages without burning, and will last a lot longer between wicks. If you don't particularly LOVE wicking (and I don't, really) that's a huge bonus in my book (although now that I'm more proficient, that probably plays a role). It might be worth a try is all I'm saying.

I don't vape "like" you in terms of wattage and etc., so I really can't offer up on new setups, although I will say the Engine gets RAVES as far as not leaking. It's probably a great RDTA to have around, if you have leaking issues and etc. But I've never vaped it (although its users seem highly satisfied).

But if you want, as a longer term project, to see if anything you have now, well, you can get it wicked well with Rayon, you may be pleasantly surprised. I actually find with rayon, with the right wick placement, less can actually be more. You really wouldn't have been able to tell me that I could get RTAs out of my house without a major flood until I started using rayon. It's also crazy cheap you can get it on Amazon or any Sally's as "Graham Cellucotton" and enough to last forever for about $11. Just make sure you get the one that says 100% rayon as they also sell a cotton "cellucotton" version and you want the rayon one.

Best of luck,

Anna

 

[Mr.Zander]

I gotta be honest, many of my RTAs have bottom airflow. They do not leak, even with the airholes open, even (turned off, but still with the airflow open, surfing inside my purse.) So, IDK if top airflow is different for RDAs and will cause less leakage (I imagine they WOULD) but with the right wicking, (at least for me) they are totally, totally fine. The only time I get leaks is if my wicking is on its last legs, and it will let me know via seepage it's going to die, about a half tank before it turns foul.

With that said, you wouldn't have told me I'd ever take an RTA out of the house... Until rayon. Rayon solves EVERY and ALL leaking problem I've ever had, and it did so spectacularly. If leaking is your issue (and flavor's okay) with what you have, (IMO) you may do yourself a favor by trying rayon as a wicking material before giving up on the atomizers you have.

There is a long thread on rayon, it may be worth a look: Rayon Wick - Better Flow, Flavor, Longevity, and Nic Hit!! - Pt.2

You don't have to read the whole thing, but I will say that rayon is now my "preferred" wick and the folks on that thread solved ALL my wicking problems with like, 3 questions and a few answers.

Rayon plays to my strengths, as it shrinks when wet and basically you want it tight in the coil and it can be thinned considerably as you deal with the tails. There's something "magic" about this wick for me, and it's also able to withstand higher wattages without burning, and will last a lot longer between wicks. If you don't particularly LOVE wicking (and I don't, really) that's a huge bonus in my book (although now that I'm more proficient, that probably plays a role). It might be worth a try is all I'm saying.

I don't vape "like" you in terms of wattage and etc., so I really can't offer up on new setups, although I will say the Engine gets RAVES as far as not leaking. It's probably a great RDTA to have around, if you have leaking issues and etc. But I've never vaped it (although its users seem highly satisfied).

But if you want, as a longer term project, to see if anything you have now, well, you can get it wicked well with Rayon, you may be pleasantly surprised. I actually find with rayon, with the right wick placement, less can actually be more. You really wouldn't have been able to tell me that I could get RTAs out of my house without a major flood until I started using rayon. It's also crazy cheap you can get it on Amazon or any Sally's as "Graham Cellucotton" and enough to last forever for about $11. Just make sure you get the one that says 100% rayon as they also sell a cotton "cellucotton" version and you want the rayon one.

Best of luck,

Anna

Anna you're the best. Yup (not looking at RDAs, just single coil RTAs). Gotta visit my favorite vape shop and have a rayon discussion. Been looking for an excuse to go back there. Those guys are great but I'm finding in-store prices like double what I do online, so I buy absolutely everything online. But then I can buy a bit of wicking from them. Hehe. Wouldn't want to ditch my present tanks, they're great for home or at work, but if one is best for travel (top air intake) then I'm all there. But that different wick...

 

[stols001]

Don't let them sell you "Japanese Kabuki Dancer vaping rayon." LOL. You can get what you need really much easier. Some vape shops only carry cotton, too.

If you want to try it out, I'd be happy to send you some, all it will really cost me is an envelope and a stamp. Just PM me and I'd be happy to put some in an envelope and send it to you, so you can try it without risk. LOL. That's how I encountered rayon, and then promptly bought a box.

If you want to talk to your vape shop though, you can. IDK if every vape shop is going to know about rayon (although, by the time I was building I was not frequenting vape shops that much). They might, and they could be helpful.

But most everyone I know who uses rayon as a wick uses Sally's Graham cellucoton rayon, although I think one of the tampon manufacturer's also makes a 100% rayon tampon, which is perfectly fine to use, LOL although I find Sally's rayon easier to deal with because it already comes in "strip" form as it were, you just pick out the "width" you want to use for your coil, but the rayon strands are all arranged. Etc.

Good luck with it, either way. Sounds like you have several fruitful avenues to explore.

Anna

 

[Mr.Zander]

Don't let them sell you "Japanese Kabuki Dancer vaping rayon." LOL. You can get what you need really much easier. Some vape shops only carry cotton, too.

If you want to try it out, I'd be happy to send you some, all it will really cost me is an envelope and a stamp. Just PM me and I'd be happy to put some in an envelope and send it to you, so you can try it without risk. LOL. That's how I encountered rayon, and then promptly bought a box.

If you want to talk to your vape shop though, you can. IDK if every vape shop is going to know about rayon (although, by the time I was building I was not frequenting vape shops that much). They might, and they could be helpful.

But most everyone I know who uses rayon as a wick uses Sally's Graham cellucoton rayon, although I think one of the tampon manufacturer's also makes a 100% rayon tampon, which is perfectly fine to use, LOL although I find Sally's rayon easier to deal with because it already comes in "strip" form as it were, you just pick out the "width" you want to use for your coil, but the rayon strands are all arranged. Etc.

Good luck with it, either way. Sounds like you have several fruitful avenues to explore.

Anna

Oh I can't put you out. Are all the people in Tuscon that cool?! For me NYC is where I'll stay put, but in my next life I gotta look into being a hippie in Arizona.
So funny, I always thought rayon was a plastic like nylon or dacron. Wikipedia tells me it's "regenerated cellulose fiber". Ok keep vaping.
It's most definitely on my shopping list. Thanks much!

 

[stols001]

I am not a Tucson native, but I've been here for about 10 years, I can most definitely attest that all Tucson folks are "not so cool" LOLOL.

We get snowbirds (they show up in the winter and many of them can't drive). Apparently, San Diego just sent all their homeless to US (it must have been planned, Tucson just built a "new" Greyhound station next to the park they have rounded them up into, and we get significant boarder crossings.

It's not really the folks, necessarily that are so bad, it's the education system (AZ usually float around near the bottom three, and well, the politicians are insane, etc. They really are, last year they decided that NON lawyers could be JUDGES. You should just "see" the prosecutors AND the defendants trying to "gently" inform the Judges without being outright insubordinate. My son's (last, thank god) court case, the judge got his file mixed up with another guy, I was worried he would go to jail "by error" LOL. That type of stuff can make life "interesting" for sure, but there are lots of good folks in Tucson, like anywhere. I'm actually "from" Oz, but my parents were geneticists and so I grew up all over the world. Most of my time in the US was spent on the East Coast (MD, and PA for the most part) so this little patch of dirt has taken a while to get used to.

I worked on a Native Reservation in Tucson too, for about 8 years, so that was a WHOLE world in itself and etc. Tucson's great to visit, and I'd probably well definitely choose it over say, CA or Flint (although I'm not sure our water quality is better, heh) but by a narrow margin.

Once the kid moves (this year) the husband and I may consider moving, or at least getting an RV so we can travel in the summers. That might help.

Anna

 

[Mr.Zander]

Wow you are definitely qualified to not be too impressed with Tuscon! Here, well pretty much everyone and everything is represented here, and you have to be alright with it or you'll wind up one of those old men who walks around muttering to himself all the time. Leave it alone. That filthy barefoot homeless guy sitting on the sidewalk begging is supposed to be there.
I love that you tell it like it is!
Carl
ps: I'll figure out how to pm. (chuckle)

 

[Eskie]

Anna you're the best. Yup (not looking at RDAs, just single coil RTAs). Gotta visit my favorite vape shop and have a rayon discussion. Been looking for an excuse to go back there. Those guys are great but I'm finding in-store prices like double what I do online, so I buy absolutely everything online. But then I can buy a bit of wicking from them. Hehe. Wouldn't want to ditch my present tanks, they're great for home or at work, but if one is best for travel (top air intake) then I'm all there. But that different wick...

In store pricing is about double online just about everywhere, not just NY. I have 2 stores I do go to which are good about hanging out at and juice tasting. I usually mix my own, but due to circumstances have had to go back to retail juice, and I'd rather pay a bit more but test it first, than order a new unknown juice online and hope it tastes right for me.

I just got back from a nice walk to the vape shop to enjoy this beautiful 80 degree day, and carried an Engine on my mod for the trip. Perfect for a sunny Saturday afternoon walk with no hassles.

 

[Mr.Zander]

I almost went and did the same. Would have bumped into you and not known it.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Welcome to ecf.

Here is a good price on the rayon at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Graham-Cellucotton-Beauty-Rayon-Fibers/dp/B00PBGJT5A

 

[mimöschen]

If you're not so much into top airflow atties, a tank with juice flow control might do the trick for you. Shut off the jfc and the juice is sealed inside the tank.

Something lke that one:
$23.52 (Free Shipping) Authentic OBS Crius II Dual Coil RTA Rebuildable Tank Atomizer (Crius II Dual Coil, 304 SS + Glass, Silver) at m.FastTech.com