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How much cotton? - Trying to settle on a standard

Fragility

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I've been rebuilding for a good few months now, and one thing that I just can't seem to come to a consensus on is how much cotton to use in the coil itself. I'm talking about the diameter of a cotton pad vs the ID of the coil (2.5mm/3mm are all I use). I only use RTA's that are single coil, where wicking even in the coil itself tends to matter a lot more than with dual coil/drippers. I was using Kendo gold but switched to pads (I own Muji and Puff/cotton labo) as it's far easier to stay consistent since you can measure in mm the amount you're using, which I much prefer. I hear a lot of people say 2x the ID of the coil which feels like too little to me, but then conflicting opinions say as tight as you can get but without moving the coil.

At times I've thought that using more cotton reduces spitback, but this could be down to the nature of the coil or even the juice. I've noticed that using more cotton can prevent dry hits in small single 2.5mm contact coils, as they burn through juice so fast and any air pockets in the coil/cotton become more noticeable.

Another aspect is the density of the cotton pad. I've noticed that muji is a lot more dense and feels tighter in the coil with the same size strip than puff/cotton labo. Muji also doesn't tend to fluff as cleanly and has a lot more white specks throughout the cotton.

On another note - has anyone been able to establish a difference in taste between Muji and Puff?

Basically I'm just looking for a consensus of opinions from people who have experience using these two cottons. And yes, I know I probably think too much about these things. :D
 
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KingPin!

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Still figuring this out myself lol however last wick I made was spot on. I watched a vid and guy in it said when pulling it through it shouldn't be moving the coils but there should be some resistence to it

and for good measure when I set the cotton in place I got a pin and stuck it through the centre of the cotton from one side of the coil to the other ... no dry hits for me and was chain vaping like a gooden:D

Using cotton bacon myself pretty fluffy straight out the pack
 

Fragility

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Still figuring this out myself lol however last wick I made was spot on. I watched a vid and guy in it said when pulling it through it shouldn't be moving the coils but there should be some resistence to it
The trouble with that is the aspect of rolling the cotton into a loose tube beforehand or not - it creates a different amount of resistance when pulling it through i've found. There's also the fact that the cotton expands when saturates, so a more compacted cotton may slide through more easily but expand to a bigger size. So many variables!
 

Not Sure

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Still figuring this out myself lol however last wick I made was spot on. I watched a vid and guy in it said when pulling it through it shouldn't be moving the coils but there should be some resistence to it

and for good measure when I set the cotton in place I got a pin and stuck it through the centre of the cotton from one side of the coil to the other ... no dry hits for me and was chain vaping like a gooden:D

Using cotton bacon myself pretty fluffy straight out the pack
that sounds good. ill be trying that today. i dont get flooding or dry hits, but i see some choke spots on one side of the wick sometimes.
 

KingPin!

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Why use a tube Just twist the end? You can feel the resistence when feeding through better that way
 

r055co

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Varies between each device. Generally with RDA's I pack the cotton fairly tight between the coils, comb out the legs and just enough to touch the deck. But then there are some like my Baal V4, Prophet 30mm and 24mm along with a couple of others require much more. Tanks are also the same way and I also have to mention the VG level in Tanks also affect.

So bottom line, varies with each device and type of juice for there really isn't one method that fits all.
 

Not Sure

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I've been rebuilding for a good few months now, and one thing that I just can't seem to come to a consensus on is how much cotton to use in the coil itself. I'm talking about the diameter of a cotton pad vs the ID of the coil (2.5mm/3mm are all I use). I only use RTA's that are single coil, where wicking even in the coil itself tends to matter a lot more than with dual coil/drippers. I was using Kendo gold but switched to pads (I own Muji and Puff/cotton labo) as it's far easier to stay consistent since you can measure in mm the amount you're using, which I much prefer. I hear a lot of people say 2x the ID of the coil which feels like too little to me, but then conflicting opinions say as tight as you can get but without moving the coil.

At times I've thought that using more cotton reduces spitback, but this could be down to the nature of the coil or even the juice. I've noticed that using more cotton can prevent dry hits in small single 2.5mm contact coils, as they burn through juice so fast and any air pockets in the coil/cotton become more noticeable.

Another aspect is the density of the cotton pad. I've noticed that muji is a lot more dense and feels tighter in the coil with the same size strip than puff/cotton labo. Muji also doesn't tend to fluff as cleanly and has a lot more white specks throughout the cotton.

On another note - has anyone been able to establish a difference in taste between Muji and Puff?

Basically I'm just looking for a consensus of opinions from people who have experience using these two cottons. And yes, I know I probably think too much about these things. :D
ive seen very different results with thicker/ thinner id of wick vs higher/ lower vg ratios. with a 2.5 id coil and thick juice id say less cotton thickness and vice versa always comb it out either way that always seems to help
 

KingPin!

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that sounds good. ill be trying that today. i dont get flooding or dry hits, but i see some choke spots on one side of the wick sometimes.

Remember to fluff up the ends and I rake them to take some of the material away ...how much you cut away...angles you cut the ends very much depends on the deck
 

Roadtrip635

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I use Muji pads most of the time, bought a ton of it cheap. The amount of cotton, for me, varies some depending on tank as well as coil. I peel off a thin layer from the shiny top and bottom first, then gently spread the cotton apart, similar to the Scottish roll method, just with much less cotton. I spread it out evenly about 4-5 times the original width, should be thin enough to read through, then gently roll it back together. I put it through the coil, it should be slightly snug, not too tight or too loose. Then fluff and trim as needed. The spreading apart, imo, has helped to loosen the fibers and wicks much more consistently.
 

brandon555

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You really can't use too much cotton. If it fits through, its good and if its a typical rda like a kennedy, velocity, etc just trim the tails to where they just reach the bottom of the juice well. "Less is more" doesn't really apply to the current RDA that we have with massive amounts of airflow and large juice wells. Using less cotton was more important on some of the older RDAs where using too much cotton would choke off the airflow. I also get a better vape with more cotton vs. less. Too little and you start getting more spitback.
 

Fragility

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Thanks for the responses. I was looking for the tightness in the coil itself, ideally in mm for a specific cotton. For RTA's i've always just cut the cotton going into the juice channels after it's in, rather than using a specific thickness for a certain tank.
 

KingPin!

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Coils is coils

Cotton is cotton

why do you believe the inner diameter of a coil would be better suited to certain brands of cotton?

You cut them all to size? Sure that's what the replies so far have referred to are are you after exact measurements here cause your probably gonna struggle to get that most do it by eye or feel I would have thought
 

Synphul

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My coils tend to run closer to 4mm and I use the muji brand pads. I generally cut them into 5 or 6 strips, depending. Most of the time 5 so 1/5 of a pad for a wick. I peel the outer layers off, lightly pull/brush my fingers to remove the loose fly away stuff. Give it a slight roll making sure to actually roll and not twist the cotton. It fits snug but not tight. Seems to work for me. Nothing scientific, I don't measure out to the mm or anything. Mostly by sight/feel. If it feels wrong it's a tiny strip of cotton that's worth hardly $0.01 so I toss it and grab the next one.
 

KingPin!

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Ok, newb question time. Why remove the outer layers?

No question is nooby buddy ;)

Because the cotton is pressed the outer layer strands won't wick as well as the inner fluffy section
 

xpen

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I'm using the Muji pads as well for drippers, since some time I've started using more and more the 'Scottish roll' method
You don't cut the pad, just peel off a very thin layer of cotton, roll it and use it.
This way I've had good results even with the external layers of the pad, which I used to discard in the past because the fibers were too pressed in fact.. By rolling them you get sort of a straw, very resistant to scorching yet still with good liquid transfer capabilities.
Note: the Scottish roll method applied to pads makes easier to reproduce the same cotton quantity for a given coil size, making the process more reliable IMO
 
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bobnat

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No question is nooby buddy ;)

Because the cotton is pressed the outer layer strands won't wick as well as the inner fluffy section

Thanks. I've seen it done on Youtube, but never heard the reasoning.
 

KingPin!

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I'm using the Muji pads as well for drippers, since some time I've started using more and more the 'Scottish roll' method
You don't cut the pad, just peel off a very thin layer of cotton, roll it and use it.
This way I've had good results even with the external layers of the pad, which I used to discard in the past because the fibers were too pressed in fact.. By rolling them you get sort of a straw, very resistant to scorching yet still with good liquid transfer capabilities.
Note: the Scottish roll method applied to pads makes easier to reproduce the same cotton quantity for a given coil size, making the process more reliable IMO

Link to the vid from the guy (cheesebananna) who came up with the Scottish roll method

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronic...w_to_effectively_wick_an_rda_to_last_20_hits/

This method works well with muji or other similar cotton doesn't work so well with cotton bacon V2 at least for me anyway as it's fluffy out the pack already
 

xpen

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I use this method for rayon too, even though its fibers come already aligned, for it helps me in achieving the right compactness (differently from cotton, rayon shrinks some after positioning/wetting)
My rayon comes in long stripes from undoing balls, so rolling it definitely helps
 

KingPin!

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Another good cotton method and full write up below

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/rda-wicking-method-w-japanese-cotton.64969/

Things missing from here I do on top which I said above ...rake the ends of the cotton once through the coil to remove some mass... whether you juice before or after you place them in the canals is subjective, some like doing it that way others dont.
Some position it dry (me inc) juice it and further play with it to position cotton as it expands when juiced so you don't want it obstructing the air vent (you'll get leaking this way as well if it's touching the air vent)
 
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KingPin!

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@PhantomOp

Phantom has made some really good wicking guides for specific tanks as well helped me for sure

Looped in to post his links ;)
 
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wheelie

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Every tank is different so there is no one size does all I find. Merlin and Ammit wick totally different from one another even though tanks are based on the same principle. If not wicked exact they can leak or dry hit.
 

Fragility

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Coils is coils

Cotton is cotton

why do you believe the inner diameter of a coil would be better suited to certain brands of cotton?

You cut them all to size? Sure that's what the replies so far have referred to are are you after exact measurements here cause your probably gonna struggle to get that most do it by eye or feel I would have thought
I was after exact measurements. I mentioned the two different brands of cotton because they seem to have different densities, so the same width of a strip in one would result in a different amount of cotton than the other.
 

Garemlin

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I use Puff pads. I typically cut the width of the OD of the coil and then peel off the two outer layers. Twist the end and pull through. There should be resistance but not enough to pull it over. The funny thing about peeling the outside layers is there is also one in the middle. So it theory I should be cutting wider and peeling the layer in half. I don't because what I do works.

I have tried the cotton bacon stuff and honestly can't tell much of a difference in taste. And it is more difficult to get a consistent amount. This the main reason I started using the pads.


Tap'd from my 7+
 

KingPin!

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I was after exact measurements. I mentioned the two different brands of cotton because they seem to have different densities, so the same width of a strip in one would result in a different amount of cotton than the other.

Ok sorry didn't mean to come across as an ass wasn't my intention buddy just I don't think it's an exact science from my research is all ....if in your DIY journey you do find an exact ratio that offers gauranteed success let us know id be happy to try it :D
 

UncleRJ

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I like my wick to pull easily through the coil keeping in mind that when it absorbs E-Liquid it will expand slightly.
 

gpjoe

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I've tried pads, bacon, native cotton, and recently went back to plain old organic cotton balls. I unroll the ball into a long flat strip which is the width of the ball and about 6" long. I either cut the strip in half and end up with two pieces about 1" x 3", or three shorter lengths, and use it like cotton bacon.

I have found it easier to get a consistent amount of cotton, which for me is a snug fit after rolling it a bit. Works great and it's cheap - but I mainly use it because I like it, not because of price.

Pads are ok because you can cut strips of the same size for consistency once you figure out what works best for your tank/RDA.

No matter what you use, the beauty is that you can buy a pile of cotton cheap and experiment.
 

Fragility

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Ok sorry didn't mean to come across as an ass wasn't my intention buddy just I don't think it's an exact science from my research is all ....if in your DIY journey you do find an exact ratio that offers gauranteed success let us know id be happy to try it :D
No worries, and thanks for the links.
I'm still trying to decide between puff and muji. I feel like I get slightly better taste from puff, but muji seems to be a lot more popular which is making me think it's the amount i'm using. I have a hard time trusting my own instincts in general, which is making me determined to find the right amount with muji. At the moment I tend to go for around 1cm for 2.5mm and 13mm for 3mm with puff, but with muji anything over 3x the ID of the coil feels way too tight. (both with the outer strips removed).
 

rocketveg

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Just to expand on this thread a bit - I made a post on reddit with a bit more detail on exactly what I'm trying to figure out. I'd like to hear your thoughts/experiences.
https://www.reddit.com/r/electronic...ng_how_tight_looking_for_a_definitive_answer/

I like this whole thread, so thanks for starting it and framing it so clearly. The most helpful tips I've gotten were: 1) the cut from the Japanese organic cotton pad was about 1/4" wide for a 2.5mm coil, and 2) roughly 2x the width of the coil. The wicking technique has also been confusing: 1) Scottish roll, 2) sushi roll, 3) remove both skins of the cotton pad, 4) remove the skin on one side, 5) don't remove the skins. And I think I'm confusing myself trying different things at the same time without controlling the variables. So maybe I'll use one RDA and try different ways of wicking, using one coil and one ejuice so I can finally figure out "what works".

But yeah, like I said, thanks for starting the thread.
 

Fragility

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I like this whole thread, so thanks for starting it and framing it so clearly. The most helpful tips I've gotten were: 1) the cut from the Japanese organic cotton pad was about 1/4" wide for a 2.5mm coil, and 2) roughly 2x the width of the coil. The wicking technique has also been confusing: 1) Scottish roll, 2) sushi roll, 3) remove both skins of the cotton pad, 4) remove the skin on one side, 5) don't remove the skins. And I think I'm confusing myself trying different things at the same time without controlling the variables. So maybe I'll use one RDA and try different ways of wicking, using one coil and one ejuice so I can finally figure out "what works".

But yeah, like I said, thanks for starting the thread.
It's something you don't hear being discussed very often. Most people are more concerned with builds, but for me the nature of my vaping style (simple single coils) it's probably the most important variable I have to work with.

The parameters you quoted (twice the ID of the coil) always seemed too little to me, even though this is what the vast majority of people recommend. The trouble with that is also that japanese cotton pads are all slightly different, and when your talking in mm measurements, a slightly thicker pad can make a big difference. I actually weighed puff & muji pads today, since puff is thinner but I wasn't sure if this was just due to the pad being more compressed. Muji weighed 20% more than puff. I really want to use muji since it seems the most popular and would make it easier to follow the 'twice the ID of the coil' guidelines, but I just can't help feeling that puff tastes better. I'm still experimenting to find out if this is actually the case or if it's due to the amount i'm using (signifying less is preferable).

One thing that's important to consider, for me at least, is that single coils in rta's don't have the access to airflow (or another coil to help take the slack) like drippers do. I've found this is especially important with contact micro-coils since they're vapourizing so fast and producing a lot of heat, inadequate air around the coil can actually cause the wick to contract inside the coil and lead to dry hits (the build up to which is going to just mute the flavour, sometimes you can tell when this is happening by the length of the sound of the coil cooling after you stop vaping). This is why I think single coils in tanks need more cotton than even single coil drippers. The trouble with this is that I'm starting to agree with the consensus that less = more in terms of flavour. It's all about finding the sweet spot for a particular cotton/coil i guess. Spaced and twisted don't seem as bad as they allow more air to get to the wick. RDA's are just overall so much more forgiving in the wicking from what I hear.

I stay away from using the scottish roll and cotton that doesn't come in pad form for the sake of consistency. The only 'strand' cotton i've used is kendo gold, which I found had good flavour but doesn't work as well in tanks since it isn't as absorbent as pads. I wouldn't mind trying koh gen do pads but they're too expensive for me to use considering the amount of rebuilding I use.

Thanks for taking an interest and reviving this thread. I just wish there were more people who are concerned with such seemingly small details to the extent I am.
 

xpen

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The Scottish roll method is the best way I've found to consistently control how much cotton goes into a coil, making it a repeatable process
 

Swerved

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I use Drago almost exclusively. Unfortunately, it has the consistency of dryer lint, so it can be a challenge to work with, especially when pulling it through a coil and trying to get it fairly snug.The end result is I probably waste a bit more than everyone else, but it is worth it. The stuff almost will not ever give you a dry hit, has great flavor, and lasts forever.

I do have some Muji and when I use that I will cut a pad into thirds for a coil with a 3mm I.D... Quarters if smaller. Then I just remove the "skin" and roll it up until it's got a consistent shape and no voids. Once I get it in the coil I fluff the cut ends a bit and tuck them and it's good to go. Basically, I try to aim for just shy of enough tension to move the coil.
 

Fragility

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I do have some Muji and when I use that I will cut a pad into thirds for a coil with a 3mm I.D... Quarters if smaller. Then I just remove the "skin" and roll it up until it's got a consistent shape and no voids. Once I get it in the coil I fluff the cut ends a bit and tuck them and it's good to go. Basically, I try to aim for just shy of enough tension to move the coil.

That's interesting. I've come across a few people who use what I would consider the maximum amount. From some experimenting I've done with contact coils, I can say that increasing the amount of cotton in the coil itself is reducing the build up to a dry hit. I've tried a 7.5 wrap 24ga ka1 3mm build in 3 tanks with varying amounts of cotton, using more I can get the build to 40 watts without getting the inclines of a dry hit that I get with using a few mm less.

The majority of people seem to be in the 'less = more/better flavour' camp. Can I ask what your past experiences were with using less, in what tank, and how you can to decide on that amount? Muji seems so dense to me that I don't understand how you even manage to get a third of a pad through the coil.
 

Swerved

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That's interesting. I've come across a few people who use what I would consider the maximum amount. From some experimenting I've done with contact coils, I can say that increasing the amount of cotton in the coil itself is reducing the build up to a dry hit. I've tried a 7.5 wrap 24ga ka1 3mm build in 3 tanks with varying amounts of cotton, using more I can get the build to 40 watts without getting the inclines of a dry hit that I get with using a few mm less.

The majority of people seem to be in the 'less = more/better flavour' camp. Can I ask what your past experiences were with using less, in what tank, and how you can to decide on that amount? Muji seems so dense to me that I don't understand how you even manage to get a third of a pad through the coil.

I also have found (for me) that if I have more cotton in the coil, the chance of a dry hit is decreased somewhat. In my mind it seems to be why the Scotch Roll method works so well for people. You are basically rearranging the cotton to make it more dense, allowing you to put more in the coil. Of course, as with anything there is a point of diminishing return so you have to find that sweet spot. I also find that if I use too little cotton, the coils seem to pop and sputter more than they do with more cotton. Too much, and the wick can get choked off. Also I do kind of twist the cotton as I feed it through, which causes it to constrict a little so you can get in in there, and once you get it where you want it you can kind of work it back and forth to let it expand again a bit.

Right now I'm using 22 gauge ss316L with 8 wraps around a 3mm diameter.. I suppose that the thicker wire helps a bit since it can take a little more tension without moving around much. No problems with flavor though for me; I'm using a tugboat RDA right now with a single coil in it and the flavor is great. Not using Muji at the moment; using the Drago..
 

brandon555

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I stay away from using the scottish roll and cotton that doesn't come in pad form for the sake of consistency. The only 'strand' cotton i've used is kendo gold, which I found had good flavour but doesn't work as well in tanks since it isn't as absorbent as pads. I wouldn't mind trying koh gen do pads but they're too expensive for me to use considering the amount of rebuilding I use.

I felt the same way about Kendo Gold. I usually just use Cotton Bacon in my tanks, but Kendo works pretty good for drippers. It's sort of a weird cotton though, it's more resilient than the organic cottons or Cotton Bacon and doesn't just collapse if you use too little. It's also pretty hard to get a dry hit off of it also. It seems to withstand heat a little better. However, I'm still not sold on spending that kind of $ on premium cotton. I still tend to re-wick every 30mls or so whether it's the cheaper organic pads or the premium stuff.
 

Fragility

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I'm starting to discover that wicking in an RTA is a completely different beast to rda's - which most people seem to base their experiences on. The airflow i've found plays a big role, having the coil closer the the airflow slot reduces the air around the coil itself and is giving me a dry hit even though I have the exact same amount of cotton in the coil/wicking slots.

I'm working on the ammit with a 7.5 wrap 24ga ka1 3mm coil. I've noticed I get better flavour with the coil closer to air the air holes (further down/back), but I have to use more cotton in the coil to compensate for the extra heat and prevent air pockets, which I feel in itself mutes the flavour. Ugh.. switching between muji/puff isn't helping, since that's just another variable I can't settle on.
 

Swerved

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Yes, and no.. Airflow is indeed paramount for both IMO. If you don't have airflow set up right in either device if will adversely affect vapor and flavor. However in the midst of all this, I didn't make the connection that you were talking RTA and not RDA.. Not paying attention I guess. The only rebuild-able tank I have is the Cthulhu v2.0, and I do use much less cotton with it. First, because it's hard to put a 3mm coil in that thing. It's got a velocity-style build deck for the dual coil deck and a from underneath airflow for the single coil setup as well, but the decks are small compared to a dripper. Secondly, there is this little retainer ring you are supposed to stuff the ends of your wick down into... If I were to use 1/3 of a Muji pad for that I'd never get it in there and even if I did it would be packed way too tight and probably wouldn't wick.

I usually make much smaller diameter coils for that setup, somewhere between 1.5mm and 2mm, and 24 gauge is about the biggest size wire I have used in it. The amount of wick I use is less too, however I still try to get it pretty snug in there because the principal is the same as with an RDA. More cotton, less spitting and dry hits. Also with this particular RTA, if you don't have enough wick and have it properly installed, it will leak like.... like..... something that leaks a lot. But once you get it right, it's a beautiful tank.

As far as the flavor and what not, I usually just try to make sure that the airflow is uniform over the entire surface of the coil. But if I am understanding you correctly about where you position your coils and adding cotton to compensate for extra heat, that may be where your issue is. I don't believe the cotton is muting your flavor....I don't think of it as airflow causing extra heat since it's not an actual fire in there. The air actually cools the coil down... A good example of this is when I use Escribe to monitor my mod, I can fire it without me pulling air into it and it takes X amount of wattage to maintain the temperature. But when I pull air through it and fire, it takes X+more wattage to sustain that temperature. The air is cooling the coils, so it has to put more power to them to compensate and hold the temperature. So actually, you're cooling your coils a little more with them closer to the airflow and directly in the path of the air. That cooling may be what's muting your flavor, not the extra cotton you put in. Try bumping it up a couple of watts at a time when you have the coils getting maximum air, or try restricting the airflow a bit. That may bring the flavor back somewhat for you.


Hmm, I'm rambling. It would appear my first cup of coffee is working. Let me know how it turns out. :luck:
 

MWorthington

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My daughter just moved next door to a couple of huge cotton fields. This fall I'll try picking some "organic" cotton and see how it works in an RDA right off the plant. Shouldn't be a lot different than using cotton balls, huh?
 

Swerved

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My daughter just moved next door to a couple of huge cotton fields. This fall I'll try picking some "organic" cotton and see how it works in an RDA right off the plant. Shouldn't be a lot different than using cotton balls, huh?

Should work just fine.. Are you absolutely sure that it is not treated with any pesticides?
 

Swerved

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My point exactly. I'm sure @MWorthington was just fooling around, but I find it is always best to ask. I know in North Louisiana where I spent a good deal of my childhood there were crop dusters above the cotton fields almost all the time.
 

MWorthington

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In all honesty, cotton is so cheap it's not really worth the effort. It's a lot easier to just click on a link and have it delivered to the front door. I got enough tromping around in the field when I was a kid - don't really care to do it now. :)
 

rocketveg

Member For 4 Years
In my case, it isn't so much the cost of the cotton as it is my compulsion to not waste anything. I want to use as much of the cotton as possible for wicking. I guess that's where my desire for a rule of thumb for cutting the cotton comes from. Actually, I keep a stash of the excess cotton I cut from the wick and use it to clean my attys or anything vape related. I even use the layers I peel off the muji pads by stretching them out Scottish roll style and then using them as wicks. They actually work.
 

quadraginta

Member For 3 Years
My Rule of Thumb so far has been to make sure that there is some resistance when I pull the cotton through the coil.

I'll start by admitting my experience is a bit limited. I started out rebuilding Kanger/Evod coil heads for use in glassomizer tanks. (Favorite has been the Anyvape Davide) on Ego twist style batteries. I've gotten an 8 wrap 28ga. on 2.0mm into them, although it's tricky. 1.40+/- ohms, which the egos can handle okay. I shoot for between 1.4 and 1.5. ohms It's great at that diameter because I can burn off the coil and re-wick easily. Not quite an RTA, but sorta close.

My first (and up until yesterday) only honest-to-goodness RTA is the Augvape Merlin. Love, love, love it. I build for both myself and Mrs. qg. (Yeah we got her one almost the instant she tried mine.)

I found that if the wicking was not tight enough there would invariably be popping, spitting, and sucking juice. Kanger/Evod and Merlin both the same.

I've only used (organic) cotton balls so far. Getting the fibers aligned and a feel for the right amount takes some practice. But once you do it seems to get fairly instinctive to gauge the right thickness (Practice makes sorta nearly almost perfect? ).

I tease out what seems to be maybe a bit more than thick enough, pulling gently as I do, which seems to align the fibers. Then I twist one end into a point to start it through the coil, and let the twist relax once I've got a firm grip on the other side. I pull through enough so that the thickness is consistent, and the fibers in the coil are untwisted.

If the wicking starts to pull apart as I slide it through then it is too much. When it bunches up just a tiny bit on the starting side as I pull, and offers a bit of resistance, I seem to get a good wick almost every time. Learning how much resistance is part of the experience, I guess.

I just got a UD Goblin v1.2 yesterday, and the same procedure worked great the first time. Loaded it with two 2.5mm, 8 turn spaced, 28ga. round Kanthal. Hit the sweet spot the first try. Great vaping tank. PITA to build.

So far the same RoT has seemed to hold true, and erring on the side of more has kept me out of trouble. (Not quite as true when rebuilding Kanger /Evods. They aren't quite as forgiving.) Every time I try a bit thinner it ends up popping, spitting, and sucking raw juice.
 

AndriaD

Yes, I DO wear a mask! I'm vaccinated, too!
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Member For 5 Years
I've been rebuilding for a good few months now, and one thing that I just can't seem to come to a consensus on is how much cotton to use in the coil itself. I'm talking about the diameter of a cotton pad vs the ID of the coil (2.5mm/3mm are all I use). I only use RTA's that are single coil, where wicking even in the coil itself tends to matter a lot more than with dual coil/drippers. I was using Kendo gold but switched to pads (I own Muji and Puff/cotton labo) as it's far easier to stay consistent since you can measure in mm the amount you're using, which I much prefer. I hear a lot of people say 2x the ID of the coil which feels like too little to me, but then conflicting opinions say as tight as you can get but without moving the coil.

At times I've thought that using more cotton reduces spitback, but this could be down to the nature of the coil or even the juice. I've noticed that using more cotton can prevent dry hits in small single 2.5mm contact coils, as they burn through juice so fast and any air pockets in the coil/cotton become more noticeable.

Another aspect is the density of the cotton pad. I've noticed that muji is a lot more dense and feels tighter in the coil with the same size strip than puff/cotton labo. Muji also doesn't tend to fluff as cleanly and has a lot more white specks throughout the cotton.

On another note - has anyone been able to establish a difference in taste between Muji and Puff?

Basically I'm just looking for a consensus of opinions from people who have experience using these two cottons. And yes, I know I probably think too much about these things. :D

The proper amount of cotton should slide pretty easily thru the coil, while still touching the coil all the way around; there should be no "bunching." If you get too much, you'll get dry hits. If you use too little, you'll get a different sort of icky tasting hit, which tastes like hot metal.

My way of solving this dilemma was to figure out the correct amount for one size (the inner diameter, the size I wrap the coil around) of coil... and then stick to that inner diameter like glue. Since adopting this approach, I've rarely had any problems with the amount of wick.

The type or brand of cotton you use is strictly down to personal preference; a lot of folks swear by Ko Gen Doh, but I didn't care much for it; I prefer Shiseido. My preference is based on 4 aspects: 1) it seems to break in faster than KGD; 2) it's pure white rather than off-white with specks; 3) it's just slightly cheaper than KGD; and 4) it's exactly the right length for the long wicks I require for my Achilles.

Andria
 

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