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Cotton for Geekvape Zeus X RTA?

lak611

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During the COVID-19 quarantine, I decided to try my hand at coil building and got a Geekvape Zeus X RTA. I also ordered the Coil Master DIY Kit V3 and some Kanthal A1 24 gauge wire. Since I'm brand new to coil building, I have no idea what kind of cotton to use for wicking or if the cotton even matters. Can I simply use cotton balls from the drugstore, or is a special kind of cotton needed?

To all experts at coil building, what cotton do you recommend? I'd prefer something inexpensive if possible.

Thanks in advance.

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Wb80

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Can't go wrong with cotton bacon.
 

Wb80

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Not bad at all. And available most every site selling gear.
 

MrMeowgi

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You can goto your local drugstore and pick up a bag of organic cotton balls for about $4. I used about half a bag for a long time before I started using cotton bacon. Just unroll the cotton ball, cut off how much you think you'll need and install. The truck with the cotton is to get it snug in the coil but not tight enough where it moves the coil when trying to pull the cotton through. With the Zeus x make sure to not trim 5oo much cotton of the ends before putting it in the juice holes. If you don't get enough cotton it will flood the deck and gurgle. With the x I really don't thin the cotton tips at all. Just stuff them in there. YouTube vids for that rta mat be able explain better

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lak611

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You can goto your local drugstore and pick up a bag of organic cotton balls for about $4. I used about half a bag for a long time before I started using cotton bacon. Just unroll the cotton ball, cut off how much you think you'll need and install. The truck with the cotton is to get it snug in the coil but not tight enough where it moves the coil when trying to pull the cotton through. With the Zeus x make sure to not trim 5oo much cotton of the ends before putting it in the juice holes. If you don't get enough cotton it will flood the deck and gurgle. With the x I really don't thin the cotton tips at all. Just stuff them in there. YouTube vids for that rta mat be able explain better

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Thanks! I just picked up those cotton balls today. I've already watched a few YouTube videos about the tank, but I'll make sure I don't comb the cotton too much on the ends before trimming it.

I'll do the same as you did and use the cotton balls first before trying cotton bacon, since the cotton balls are so cheap that I'll be able to practice and learn before trying more expensive cotton bacon.

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MrMeowgi

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Thanks! I just picked up those cotton balls today. I've already watched a few YouTube videos about the tank, but I'll make sure I don't comb the cotton too much on the ends before trimming it.

I'll do the same as you did and use the cotton balls first before trying cotton bacon, since the cotton balls are so cheap that I'll be able to practice and learn before trying more expensive cotton bacon.

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Cool deal. Yea the organic cotton balls aren't bad. Some say the break in period for the cotton takes a little while. Like half a tank. But I never noticed any odd tastes. I think it's great taking a step forward into rebuildables. It really opens up a lot of option in the vape world.

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Wb80

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Cool deal. Yea the organic cotton balls aren't bad. Some say the break in period for the cotton takes a little while. Like half a tank. But I never noticed any odd tastes. I think it's great taking a step forward into rebuildables. It really opens up a lot of option in the vape world.

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And down into the abyss of the rabbit hole another vaper goes. Lmao
Its fun down here. Enjoy your stay
 

MrMeowgi

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And down into the abyss of the rabbit hole another vaper goes. Lmao
Its fun down here. Enjoy your stay
Definitely another one down the hole. Hell though some people can build and just don't find it worth it so they stick with stock coils. But it's definitely worth learning even if you decide to stay with drop ins. They won't always be around I'm afraid

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Wb80

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Lmao. I just had the long ongoing argument with my wife of how diy save us $. Lmfao
All she sees is the 200+$ i dropped in the last week on flavs, bottles, nic and pg vg. I don't feal she understands that my daily vaping cost is like 60 cents. Or that i have nic for the next 15 yesrs on hand. Lol
 

Wb80

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Back to the op. If you need help building and wicking the zues x go over to the builders corner on vu. You will find any needed help and then some there.
 

Bigrick

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Idk about everyone else but I vape on a budget and although balls and such are less expensive than Cotton Bacon. The $5 is worth it as it lasts long time and is VERY easy to work with. I just do not waste it.
 

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Idk about everyone else but I vape on a budget and although balls and such are less expensive than Cotton Bacon. The $5 is worth it as it lasts long time and is VERY easy to work with. I just do not waste it.
I use rayon. Performs well and cheap.
 

Bigrick

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I have a bit of rayon I want to try but haven't. I understand you wick tighter as it contracts when saturated, correct? Also how do you tell the difference between cotton and rayon by sight? I have some of each in identical baggies and have lost track of which is wich.
 

MrMeowgi

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I have a bit of rayon I want to try but haven't. I understand you wick tighter as it contracts when saturated, correct? Also how do you tell the difference between cotton and rayon by sight? I have some of each in identical baggies and have lost track of which is wich.
Yes you need to wick rayon a little tighter. To me rayon looks more fibrous than cotton. I'll get a look in a bit when my wife goes to work

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Wb80

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I have a bit of rayon I want to try but haven't. I understand you wick tighter as it contracts when saturated, correct? Also how do you tell the difference between cotton and rayon by sight? I have some of each in identical baggies and have lost track of which is wich.
Compare them to some cotton that you know is cotton. You will be able to differentiate them.
 

lak611

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Idk about everyone else but I vape on a budget and although balls and such are less expensive than Cotton Bacon. The $5 is worth it as it lasts long time and is VERY easy to work with. I just do not waste it.
I'll probably try Cotton Bacon eventually. I just figured that I'd start with the cotton balls whilst learning, then I can try something better.

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lak611

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Yes you need to wick rayon a little tighter. To me rayon looks more fibrous than cotton. I'll get a look in a bit when my wife goes to work

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Does the rayon look different enough from the cotton to tell which is which from a photograph?

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MrMeowgi

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Cotton strip on the left. Rayon on the right
38dabd5105b6ea52865e569a35a24d8b.jpg


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lak611

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I'm loving the Zeus X tank. The flavour is so much better than with my subohm tanks with disposable prebuilt coils. I'm even using only half airflow.

The cotton balls worked well. I'll look into other cotton at a later point. I already built several coils so I'll just have to dry burn them and wick them when this build is done.
86fb2729c85a625cc54a2e98516b5d54.jpg


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MrMeowgi

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I'm loving the Zeus X tank. The flavour is so much better than with my subohm tanks with disposable prebuilt coils. I'm even using only half airflow.

The cotton balls worked well. I'll look into other cotton at a later point. I already built several coils so I'll just have to dry burn them and wick them when this build is done.
86fb2729c85a625cc54a2e98516b5d54.jpg


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Awesome. Glad you're enjoying it. Always an extra enjoyment when you build it all yourself.

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lak611

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Awesome. Glad you're enjoying it. Always an extra enjoyment when you build it all yourself.

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Thanks! I can't believe I waited this long to try it. I've been vaping for two years. It wasn't all that complicated. I did watch a few YouTube videos where they showed how to install the coils and wick the cotton.

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Wb80

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I'm loving the Zeus X tank. The flavour is so much better than with my subohm tanks with disposable prebuilt coils. I'm even using only half airflow.

The cotton balls worked well. I'll look into other cotton at a later point. I already built several coils so I'll just have to dry burn them and wick them when this build is done.
86fb2729c85a625cc54a2e98516b5d54.jpg


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What did you go with on the build?
 

Bigrick

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So happy you are enjoying your rta. You know it only gets better. Simple round wire builds are great in the X but pop in a couple of good fused claptons and it really sings.
 

lak611

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So happy you are enjoying your rta. You know it only gets better. Simple round wire builds are great in the X but pop in a couple of good fused claptons and it really sings.
Do you make your own or build from fused clapton wire that is already on a spool?

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lak611

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Glad to see this fella squared away and off and running into the brave new world of rebuildables. :)

Just to throw in here, there are many options for wicking material. Another is the trusty ol ORGANIC JAPANESE PADS
Thanks! BTW I'm a woman. My name is Laura.

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Bigrick

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Do you make your own or build from fused clapton wire that is already on a spool?

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Do you make your own or build from fused clapton wire that is already on a spool?

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I have a spool of clapton wire I use when I need to. I have aquired a taste for American made hand wrapped fused clapton and aliens. We have some amazing coil makers here on VU. Which is my perfered source.They are imo far superior to pre-made spools. Do not get me wrong a high quality pre made spool is good but an American artisan made coil made with passion and knowledge is un matched by something made in a Chinese factory. Just my personal opinion as well as experience. Thanks and peace and love to all.
 

lak611

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I have a spool of clapton wire I use when I need to. I have aquired a taste for American made hand wrapped fused clapton and aliens. We have some amazing coil makers here on VU. Which is my perfered source.They are imo far superior to pre-made spools. Do not get me wrong a high quality pre made spool is good but an American artisan made coil made with passion and knowledge is un matched by something made in a Chinese factory. Just my personal opinion as well as experience. Thanks and peace and love to all.

Thanks, Rick! I agree that anything craft made is better than mass produced. I'll send you a PM in the future when I'm ready to try those handmade coils you enjoy so much.

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Bigrick

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Thanks, Rick! I agree that anything craft made is better than mass produced. I'll send you a PM in the future when I'm ready to try those handmade coils you enjoy so much.

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I am not the guy. You need VAPOROXX, zephyr, and shredtravolta are just a few or our best resident builders. There are others though. Just put out the word when ready. They can find you if needed.
 

Wb80

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A pair of 3 core aliens in the zues x will blow your mind in comparison.
 

lak611

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I can't believe I waited this long to try an RTA. I already discovered a money saving use for it. I had only about 10 ml of a juice left. No problem: use it up, clean the tank and discard the cotton. Then dry burn, rewick and use a different juice. No waste of a coil just to use up a juice. This is easy peasy.

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MyMagicMist

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To all experts at coil building, what cotton do you recommend?

Idk about everyone else but I vape on a budget and although balls and such are less expensive than Cotton Bacon. The $5 is worth it as it lasts long time and is VERY easy to work with. I just do not waste it.

Get thy selves some lovely Muji Cotton. It wicks very well and you'll nay fear to "wasting" any. I bought a huge 180 some piece pack when they still had that bulk size in stock. PM with address, I'll ship a small hand full out for you try.

I use rayon. Performs well and cheap.

Concur rayon does quite good too.

Also how do you tell the difference between cotton and rayon by sight?

I go by feel. Rayon being synthetic feels "slicker" as you mash it together in your fingers. There's less friction to it than cotton which feels denser and rougher, more bound up together. Rayon's fibers all run one direction too, where as cotton can go crisscrossing itself.
 

Bigrick

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Get thy selves some lovely Muji Cotton. It wicks very well and you'll nay fear to "wasting" any. I bought a huge 180 some piece pack when they still had that bulk size in stock. PM with address, I'll ship a small hand full out for you try.



Concur rayon does quite good too.



I go by feel. Rayon being synthetic feels "slicker" as you mash it together in your fingers. There's less friction to it than cotton which feels denser and rougher, more bound up together. Rayon's fibers all run one direction too, where as cotton can go crisscrossing itself.
I have seen folks use pads. They just cut the size needed rather than the pinch and pull I do with Bacon. Yes maybe I would like to try it.. Thank you.
 

MyMagicMist

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I have seen folks use pads. They just cut the size needed rather than the pinch and pull I do with Bacon. Yes maybe I would like to try it.. Thank you.

Well PM me an address to ship to ya? I'll give you 20 pads of Muji Cotton for nothing. Won't cost us anything to ship it to you either so, yep I can mail you a little batch. :)

Who knows, you might get 30 or 50 pads, all depends on how quick my hand can get out of the bag. *chuckles* Not like I don't have it to spare. And I keep buying it.

I also buy rayon too. Not as much because it seems to last longer. I cannot decide upon which I prefer as wick. I don't decide on much anyway. If I did people might get the wrong idea about me. "Ha, he has to stand for X not Y!" Truth being I might only stand for G.

Careful though, Truth like quicksand ever shifts around. ;) But yeah I'll get ya some muji out, not a problem. Piece o' Cake! :)
 
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Freyja

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Lmao. I just had the long ongoing argument with my wife of how diy save us $. Lmfao
All she sees is the 200+$ i dropped in the last week on flavs, bottles, nic and pg vg. I don't feal she understands that my daily vaping cost is like 60 cents. Or that i have nic for the next 15 yesrs on hand. Lol
Saw a post somewhere in which someone said that 30 ml of DIY e-liquid costs him about 80 cents. Shared that with hubby and that's what got him to agree to let me use a freezer drawer for a lifetime supply of nic base. :cheers:
 

Wb80

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Saw a post somewhere in which someone said that 30 ml of DIY e-liquid costs him about 80 cents. Shared that with hubby and that's what got him to agree to let me use a freezer drawer for a lifetime supply of nic base. :cheers:
Awsome. Way way cheaper and rewarding doing diy. I have a good 15 years of nicotine in my freezer. And thats 15 yrs of not having to ration it or cut down. I vape 18mg juice and prob will up that to 20 mg soon.
Generaly 120ml bottles of juice costs me in the 4$ range to make and i am heavy handed with mixing.
 

Wb80

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Saw a post somewhere in which someone said that 30 ml of DIY e-liquid costs him about 80 cents. Shared that with hubby and that's what got him to agree to let me use a freezer drawer for a lifetime supply of nic base. :cheers:
Also pleanty of mixers here on vu to help you start your diy journey. Some of the best juice recipes ive tasted are from vu members. Wich has helped me get my diy skills to the level it is now and making some damn tasty juice.
 

MyMagicMist

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Saw a post somewhere in which someone said that 30 ml of DIY e-liquid costs him about 80 cents. Shared that with hubby and that's what got him to agree to let me use a freezer drawer for a lifetime supply of nic base. :cheers:

I can do 60 ml for around $0.08. That is if I buy a $40.00 1 L of nicotine base, use only a single flavoring i pay $2.50 for a 10 ml bottle. I might use .25 ml of the flavoring. It works out to less than a penny per ml. Not built up a lifetime supply yet, probably ought to but not got there.
 

Freyja

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I can do 60 ml for around $0.08. That is if I buy a $40.00 1 L of nicotine base, use only a single flavoring i pay $2.50 for a 10 ml bottle. I might use .25 ml of the flavoring. It works out to less than a penny per ml. Not built up a lifetime supply yet, probably ought to but not got there.
Thanks. The person paying about $0.08 for 30 ml, rather than your 60 ml, uses more expensive nic base from NudeNicotine.com. It costs a little over $50 for 1/2 a liter. Guess the difference is there.

I got a bottle from them: The extra $ buys you a solid glass bottle w/ a special seal you don't have to remove to use the nic; instead, you insert a syringe -- included -- and extract what you need (like doctors do w/ medicines). I ordered from 4 places for my 1st round. All the rest use plastic bottles & ordinary caps. Nude's are made for long-term storage. The rest of the bottles I'm getting will be from them. While I don't relish spending more to stock up, it seems worth the $.
 

MyMagicMist

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Thanks. The person paying about $0.08 for 30 ml, rather than your 60 ml, uses more expensive nic base from NudeNicotine.com. It costs a little over $50 for 1/2 a liter. Guess the difference is there.

I got a bottle from them: The extra $ buys you a solid glass bottle w/ a special seal you don't have to remove to use the nic; instead, you insert a syringe -- included -- and extract what you need (like doctors do w/ medicines). I ordered from 4 places for my 1st round. All the rest use plastic bottles & ordinary caps. Nude's are made for long-term storage. The rest of the bottles I'm getting will be from them. While I don't relish spending more to stock up, it seems worth the $.

Not knocking your choice at all. Will only say some of use cannot make such a choice and we afford what we afford. We all find what suits ourselves and that's the right/best way for ourselves, though. Not sure if I could afford $50 per 500 ml, if I would actually afford it or not. I would still likely find the best quality low cost bulk I could already mixed up "base" I could.

Mine currently is maximum VG but I think I may get a 70/3 mix next time, that's the solvent/s with nicotine set at the strength I use. I also cannot afford a pristine ISO9000 "clean room" to mix nicotine and dilute 100 mg to my 18 mg, either. So, I buy premix "base" and then if I want to add flavors do so that way, or leave it flavorless and vape subtly sweet VG. :)

And again, not knocking your choice. Nor do I knock my own choice. I do as I can do, the same as you. :)


ETA: *ahem* Merely because I've no laboratory quality control or equipment does not infer I mix juice in pure filth. My wife knows per fact of a few of her nurse friends that if it is her and me only, I can keep her house cleaner by far than most American hospitals. This says a great deal in the lowering of standards for hospitals, not so much on how well I clean. I do clean well but know I could always do better. Still my juice is made as cleanly as I can make it, without a hermetic sealed environment.
 
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Wb80

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I stick with 250mg pg base, 1 liter for a lil over 100$. Plus i dont have the freezer space for lots of bottles. But thats just me
 

Freyja

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I stick with 250mg pg base, 1 liter for a lil over 100$. Plus i dont have the freezer space for lots of bottles. But thats just me
Oh, it's not just you; I have freezer space issues, too, and so do others. As more nic base comes in, it'll like playing tetris. :)

I got a 1/2 liter bottle of 250 mg, also. Someone said to be super careful with it because it's extra hazardous getting on your skin or in your eyes. Made me a little nervous, especially about transferring it to glass. But it will go much farther than 100 mg and there's that freezer space issue. I'll probably get another bottle or 2 even though they come in plastic. Anyone happen to know anyplace that sells 250 mg in glass? Liquid Nicotine Wholesalers and River Supply Company are the only places I've found that sell it and they both use plastic.
 

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