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RDA wicking method w/ Japanese Cotton

scarecrowjenkins

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Good day!
I have been seeing quite a few questions here lately as to wicking methods, so being new here I thought perhaps it would benefit some folks who are having problems with this necessary aspect of dripping and contribute to this forum which i like so much. I feel that there are a couple points that i often see overlooked that i believe are important. I hope it helps, because i pulled a perfectly good wick to make the illustration haha. Enjoy!!

7025d087cf453f719fba3278323c7446.jpg


1. Cut a strip of japanese cotton ALONG it's natural "grain". I generally cut about 3 times wider than whatever tool i wrapped the coil around. If i need to i'll trim it a little later on. It's of utmost importance to cut along the grain, or it will fall apart when inserting through the coil. And even if you managed to get it through the coil-the juice wouldn't really go anywhere.

2. Roll the end between your fingers tightly, make a section a little longer than the coil. You may have to do it a few times as the cotton will probably puff back out after you let it go. It doesn't hate you-I promise.

3. Gently slide the rolled out end through the coil. It should have a tiny bit of friction, but you shouldn't have to fight this too hard.

4. Pull your wick through straight. By that i mean do NOT twist the wick as you're pulling it through, take care to leave the grain of the cotton as parallel to the coil as possible. Just pretend that the wick is a bundle of drinking straws, if you want the juice to travel through it, you're gonna want them as straight as possible. Trim the ends. Generally i trim at a slight angle, so the part that lays against the post is a little shorter than the part that touches the front of the juice well.

5. I find this step to make a HUGE difference in wick performance. Juice the coil and the adjacent wick BEFORE tucking the tails under. This keeps the cotton fibers from kinking and collapsing-thus allowing them to cheerfully pull your juice from the deck to the coil. It's much harder to kink a garden hose while the water is running, same principle. It will keep the tiny channels in the cotton open during the next step.

6. The biggest reason (IMO) that a wick fails to perform is because of an obstruction in it's path from deck to coil. Hold a tiny tool of your choice under the cotton next to the coil and support it while you tuck the tails under. If your cotton is kinked where it touches the coil, the juice will come to a dead stop right before it reaches the finish line. This has been associated with dry/burnt hits, anxiety, depression, loss of enthusiasm etc. Your significant other/dog/cat/therapist will appreciate the care taken during this crucial step. Leave a nice smooth path for the juice to travel, and let physics handle the rest. If your tails touch one another then you need to trim them. Leave enough cotton for it to sit on the deck, but not so much that they are touching. You want the juice to creep as evenly up the wick as possible, this cannot happen if the tails are laying on top/under/in front/behind one another.

7. Fire that sucker up and admire the ease with which your device will perform!

When this is all done properly you should be able to drip ANYWHERE through the top and wick will instantly soak up all the juice and bring it straight to the coil by the time you set your juice down. I am well aware of the various schools of thought on the subject of wicking, and this is what happens to work best for me, so i thought it would be nice to share it with the community. Cheers!

Ps-i used the Dotmod Petri RDA for this demo, with a parallel fused/stapled clapton coil. It's not my prettiest coil, but it vapes all kinds of heavenly. Just look at the wick :p
 

travanx

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Member For 4 Years
I also take the top and bottom off of the cotton. Also hold one side in one hand and twirl the other side once each way in the other hand. This seems to fluff out the cotton more.
 

Neunerball

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@V4P3R eMAG mentioned he peels the top and bottom layer off his Jap cotton. I do this as well now, as I can tell like he said, it wicks better with the top and bottom layer off.
Do you do this as well?
I also take the top and bottom off of the cotton. Also hold one side in one hand and twirl the other side once each way in the other hand. This seems to fluff out the cotton more.
Just like a lobster. It's much better without the shell. :)
 

FinerVapor

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Came to see cotton wick, stayed because of Coil porn avatar. Thanks op! I came twice.
 

scarecrowjenkins

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@V4P3R eMAG mentioned he peels the top and bottom layer off his Jap cotton. I do this as well now, as I can tell like he said, it wicks better with the top and bottom layer off.

Do you do this as well?

Yeah, i peel it in half. I haven't found any advantages to leaving it in one thick piece. I fold it in on itself with the "nice" part facing outwards and then open it back up once it's through
 

scarecrowjenkins

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I'm guilty of tucking before juicing. Nice little write-up.
Thanks! It's a weird little thing that seems to make a huge difference. I will vape on it for about 10 mins or so, then take the cap off and drip onto the deck and see how well it wicks. If it doesn't wick all the way up to the coil in a couple seconds then i know i did something wrong. The bottom line for me is when i get it all done right then i don't have to mess with it at all while i'm going about my day. I can just mindlessly drip and vape haha
 

zaroba

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Nice write up.

Looks a lot denser then my cotton wicks.
Mine probably aren't half as thick or dense as yours, but they wick perfectly from filling the deck until it it goes dry.
 

danl2633

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One of the best post about wicking I have read. Very well written and informative. I am as well guilty of "dry tucking" This should be a must read for anyone new to dripping, rebuilding etc. But not just for starters. I have been vaping 2 years and found it to be a very good reminder of the pro's of a good wicking setup. Very much worth the read.
 

Saddletramp1200

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Member For 4 Years
The inside diameter of a coil can make a lot of difference in cloud production. More juice to heat, better the cloud.
 

ggvaper

Member For 4 Years
THANK YOU.. I cant tell you how much that helped me with my coils... apparently i have been doing exactly the opposite and had my cotton flat up against the deck... wat a diffference... my little tiny screw driver is wat i use to keep that cotton up off the deck.... thanks again
 

Grego

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Nice tips my drippers thank you so much better performance
 

RedFive420

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just finished a build.......wish i would have read this first...........great post thanks much
 

decisively_unsure

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I always roll my cotton strip in one direction, gently with my palm, until it becomes a nice worm-like shape.

I always take the padding off the cotton too & use the Muji organic pads. Works for me. :)

Great guide by the way especially the bit about juicing the wick before tucking.
 
Last edited:

danblas

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Good day!
I have been seeing quite a few questions here lately as to wicking methods, so being new here I thought perhaps it would benefit some folks who are having problems with this necessary aspect of dripping and contribute to this forum which i like so much. I feel that there are a couple points that i often see overlooked that i believe are important. I hope it helps, because i pulled a perfectly good wick to make the illustration haha. Enjoy!!

7025d087cf453f719fba3278323c7446.jpg


1. Cut a strip of japanese cotton ALONG it's natural "grain". I generally cut about 3 times wider than whatever tool i wrapped the coil around. If i need to i'll trim it a little later on. It's of utmost importance to cut along the grain, or it will fall apart when inserting through the coil. And even if you managed to get it through the coil-the juice wouldn't really go anywhere.

2. Roll the end between your fingers tightly, make a section a little longer than the coil. You may have to do it a few times as the cotton will probably puff back out after you let it go. It doesn't hate you-I promise.

3. Gently slide the rolled out end through the coil. It should have a tiny bit of friction, but you shouldn't have to fight this too hard.

4. Pull your wick through straight. By that i mean do NOT twist the wick as you're pulling it through, take care to leave the grain of the cotton as parallel to the coil as possible. Just pretend that the wick is a bundle of drinking straws, if you want the juice to travel through it, you're gonna want them as straight as possible. Trim the ends. Generally i trim at a slight angle, so the part that lays against the post is a little shorter than the part that touches the front of the juice well.

5. I find this step to make a HUGE difference in wick performance. Juice the coil and the adjacent wick BEFORE tucking the tails under. This keeps the cotton fibers from kinking and collapsing-thus allowing them to cheerfully pull your juice from the deck to the coil. It's much harder to kink a garden hose while the water is running, same principle. It will keep the tiny channels in the cotton open during the next step.

6. The biggest reason (IMO) that a wick fails to perform is because of an obstruction in it's path from deck to coil. Hold a tiny tool of your choice under the cotton next to the coil and support it while you tuck the tails under. If your cotton is kinked where it touches the coil, the juice will come to a dead stop right before it reaches the finish line. This has been associated with dry/burnt hits, anxiety, depression, loss of enthusiasm etc. Your significant other/dog/cat/therapist will appreciate the care taken during this crucial step. Leave a nice smooth path for the juice to travel, and let physics handle the rest. If your tails touch one another then you need to trim them. Leave enough cotton for it to sit on the deck, but not so much that they are touching. You want the juice to creep as evenly up the wick as possible, this cannot happen if the tails are laying on top/under/in front/behind one another.

7. Fire that sucker up and admire the ease with which your device will perform!

When this is all done properly you should be able to drip ANYWHERE through the top and wick will instantly soak up all the juice and bring it straight to the coil by the time you set your juice down. I am well aware of the various schools of thought on the subject of wicking, and this is what happens to work best for me, so i thought it would be nice to share it with the community. Cheers!

Ps-i used the Dotmod Petri RDA for this demo, with a parallel fused/stapled clapton coil. It's not my prettiest coil, but it vapes all kinds of heavenly. Just look at the wick :p
Great write up! Very Helpful as I am a newbie to coil building and wicking gives me the hardest time. THANK YOU!!!
 

decisively_unsure

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Oh and an interesting side effect it stopped the bit of leakage I had stone dead. Thanks to this thread!
 

Flightmedic76

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I use this method when I am building 2.5mm or smaller and it works excellent! I started using the "Scottish roll" on my 3mm Claptons and it works really well. I can easily add 16-18 drops to my velocity. It just goes and goes...
 

VapeS1000r

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Such a good write up.
I'm new to building and wetting before wicking tip is something I'll try next bulb re-wick.

Qwick question (did you see what I did there):
My wick isn't as bulbous as yours at either end of the coil.
They sorta droop into the chamber.
I do fluff up the wick before inserting into chamber.
Maybe not enough fluffing?

Info:
RX200s & avocado 24
vape between 32 & 38 watts
My second or third build ever


20160904_181945_zpsqmate0eq.jpg
 
This is great advice. If you having problems with the wick unwinding after twisting. You can add juice to the coil before attempting to push it through. When the cotton is but wet it holds that twist better, enabling easy push through.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Zohmbiebuilds

Silver Contributor
Member For 3 Years
These read as examples of what I do squonking for my wicks. I might look at using the pressed padding for something, seems a bit shameful to merely bin it. Hm, possibly use it for cleaning up mods and RDAs? :)
I use it for really small micro nano coils. It's the perfect amount. Or bunch it up and use it for cloud builds

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk
 

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