# Wicking



## MeirTaitz (27/11/20)

Hi guys

When u remove your cotton after a little while, should the entire piece be the colour of your juice? I find that the centre is pretty much white. Does this mean it's too tight?


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## Paul33 (27/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Hi guys
> 
> When u remove your cotton after a little while, should the entire piece be the colour of your juice? I find that the centre is pretty much white. Does this mean it's too tight?


Mine is often white in the middle. 

if your coil moves around when you pull the cotton out then I reckon it’s too tight.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## MeirTaitz (27/11/20)

I find it very challenging using the cotton bacon since you need experience on the size of strip. I think I'll go get the firebolt ones for now

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Stew (27/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> I find it very challenging using the cotton bacon since you need experience on the size of strip. I think I'll go get the firebolt ones for now


Judging the thicknesses is a challenge to me still as well.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## MeirTaitz (27/11/20)

Oh w


Stew said:


> Judging the thicknesses is a challenge to me still as well.


Oh wow, that is the last thing I wanted to hear  lol

Reactions: Winner 1 | Funny 2


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## Paul33 (27/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> I find it very challenging using the cotton bacon since you need experience on the size of strip. I think I'll go get the firebolt ones for now


You should definitely try different cottons. 

I personally don’t like cotton bacon, i use fibre n cotton. I find it’s easier to handle and tear. 

TFC is also nice and easy to use. 

the agletted cotton thread like fire bolt take all the guess work out of cotton and wicking completely.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Stranger (28/11/20)

I like to use these as the laces are pre done for 3mm ID, for my 2.5's I just tear a little off. Pack comes with both laces and strips. the other thing to try is to get some flat cotton and make some Scottish rolls, they are very easy to work with once you have done the roll bit.

https://blckvapour.co.za/collections/wick-wire/products/one-cloud-cotton

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Dooky (28/11/20)

That’s why I still used these... cutting a ~4mm strip is a lot easier than trying to tear out a consistent quantity from a bag of fluff.

Reactions: Like 2


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## MeirTaitz (28/11/20)

I'm truly amazed that shops recommend me Cotton bacon prime as a complete beginner. It does my head in honestly!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Silver (28/11/20)

Hi @MeirTaitz 

It does take a bit of time to get better at judging how much cotton to put in but if you practice a few times one gets the hang of it. 

also what can help is pinch it on the one side and slightly roll it a bit. So it goes from being narrow to a bit wider. Put in the narrow side and pull through till the tightness is right. Not perfect but has helped me a few times. 

Wick should be snug but not so tight that the coil moves when pulling it through. At least that’s how I do it. 

another tip which might help. When I tear a piece of wick off from the wick pack and I find it’s just right, I try keep the rest of it for the next wick or two. I just put that wick aside in a small plastic bag and write on it which mod that ‘belongs to’

one also needs to experiment a bit because some setups prefer or can tolerate a slightly tighter wick than others. 

I use Cotton Bacon V2 in many of my devices. Not those shoelace wicks.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Winner 2


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## zadiac (28/11/20)

Stew said:


> Judging the thicknesses is a challenge to me still as well.



I got the hang of it sometime last year. Now I pinch off just the right thickness everytime. It's not something you can teach. Just like pouring a double without a tot measure. I get it right every time. Years of practice....lol

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 7


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## Adephi (28/11/20)

In the beginning I use to get dry hits galore to the point where I wanted to just chuck the whole lot of gear in the garbage.

In the end I went to a vape shop and asked to show me how. Took about 3 trips and tutorials to finally get it in the right direction.

Cotton Bacon is not bad to learn on. It's all about experience. Some prefer the cotton to just slide through the coil. I myself prefer to wick it hard and jam that cotton into coil. With RDA's a light fluff of the tails, RTA's I comb the tails to the point of no more cotton coming out. 

My goto cotton has been TFC for the last 2 1/2 years. I just know how to work with it and how to feel when its the right thickness. The shoelace cottons are too thin for me personally.

Just hang in there. You will get it right. We all had to push through that phase.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3 | Thanks 1


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## MeirTaitz (28/11/20)

Adephi said:


> In the beginning I use to get dry hits galore to the point where I wanted to just chuck the whole lot of gear in the garbage.
> 
> In the end I went to a vape shop and asked to show me how. Took about 3 trips and tutorials to finally get it in the right direction.
> 
> ...


The strange part is I don't get any dry hits at all. I am determined to get this wasp rta to taste good like everybody says it should, and at this point I'm almost certain it's not the coil/s so it must be how I am wicking. I will try make it alot thinner than I have before and see if that helps. Maybe it's too thick and it's not absorbing as it should

Reactions: Like 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (29/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Maybe it's too thick and it's not absorbing as it should



If this is the case you will be getting dry or semi-dry hits. Take a few consecutive puffs. If you don't get a dry hit you are good to go.

Coil position is also a very important factor for flavour.

Reactions: Agree 4 | Informative 1


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## Paul33 (29/11/20)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> If this is the case you will be getting dry or semi-dry hits. Take a few consecutive puffs. If you don't get a dry hit you are good to go.
> 
> Coil position is also a very important factor for flavour.


Agreed. Coil position is key. 

post a pic of your build here. I’m sure we can help. The wasp is a flavour machine.

Reactions: Agree 4 | Thanks 1


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## CJB85 (29/11/20)

Stranger said:


> I like to use these as the laces are pre done for 3mm ID, for my 2.5's I just tear a little off. Pack comes with both laces and strips. the other thing to try is to get some flat cotton and make some Scottish rolls, they are very easy to work with once you have done the roll bit.
> 
> https://blckvapour.co.za/collections/wick-wire/products/one-cloud-cotton


This is pretty nice, very much like Firebolt laces, but a little more “dense”.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2


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## CMMACKEM (29/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> I find it very challenging using the cotton bacon since you need experience on the size of strip. I think I'll go get the firebolt ones for now



Cotton bacon is bad to average in my opinion even when wicked correctly, use Kendo or Mavaton.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## MeirTaitz (29/11/20)

Are these decent? 
https://www.cloudloungevapery.co.za...s/products/coilology-classic-cotton-10-pieces
https://www.cloudloungevapery.co.za.../products/coilology-shoelace-cotton-20-pieces


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (29/11/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Are these decent?
> https://www.cloudloungevapery.co.za...s/products/coilology-classic-cotton-10-pieces
> https://www.cloudloungevapery.co.za.../products/coilology-shoelace-cotton-20-pieces


`
There is absolutely no agreement on the forum as to what is the "best" cotton. 

Some only like one cotton and swear by it. Others like two or three. Still, others find almost any cotton acceptable. There is no objectively superior cotton. If we discovered one that was the best we would all use it. 

It's kind of like running shoes. There are several main brands. Some find a particular brand to be the best and yet marathons have been won by people wearing all the different brands.

Find one that you like and stick with it. If ,in the future, a consensus develops as to a winner stick with the one you have chosen until this happens.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 7 | Winner 1


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## Paul33 (29/11/20)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> `
> There is absolutely no agreement on the forum as to what is the "best" cotton.
> 
> Some only like one cotton and swear by it. Others like two or three. Still, others find almost any cotton acceptable. There is no objectively superior cotton. If we discovered one that was the best we would all use it.
> ...


Couldn’t have said it better. Find what works and stick to it. 
There’s a learning curve with different cottons and it’s a pain in the rear.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Thanks 1 | Can relate 2


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## Intuthu Kagesi (30/11/20)

Be honest ... how many 'Forumites' use these

Reactions: Winner 1


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## CJB85 (30/11/20)

Intuthu Kagesi said:


> Be honest ... how many 'Forumites' use these
> 
> View attachment 215408


I think many of the veterans started there!

Reactions: Agree 2 | Winner 2


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## Stranger (30/11/20)

Just a Q

how many break in the cotton first before they draw on it. I do every time now with the caps or tanks off and not just a little bit. I blow on the coil at the same time and saturate 3-4 times.

It is rare now that I get that new cotton taste, no matter what I use. @MeirTaitz may also be experiencing that new cotton taste which overpowers the juice taste.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Winner 1 | Informative 1


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## Rob Fisher (30/11/20)

29th June 2014 and this was my wicking material! Bazinga!

Reactions: Winner 1 | Funny 1 | Can relate 1


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## Stew (30/11/20)

Intuthu Kagesi said:


> Be honest ... how many 'Forumites' use these
> 
> View attachment 215408


For mesh I use them.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## DougP (30/11/20)

Rob Fisher said:


> 29th June 2014 and this was my wicking material! Bazinga!
> View attachment 215411


Skipper, that was the good old days, sub tank mini and cotton balls.

I still use these cotton balls today. Works like a dream in my Zeus X mesh RTA's.

Sent from my LM-G900 using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 4


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## DougP (30/11/20)

Stew said:


> For mesh I use them.


Me too, my default wicking material.

Sent from my LM-G900 using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## MeirTaitz (5/12/20)

Hey guys

Just got my Drop Dead this morning, here's how I wicked it. I know the coils aren't 100% symmetrical but I did make sure they are both firing at about the same time and are glowing inside out. I used the 2.5 firebolt in these 3 mm coils since I don't want it too tight inside. Does it look decent? 
It doesn't taste amazing but I do have Covid and my sense of smell and taste is up to shit so I won't judge it too harshly

Reactions: Winner 6


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## Stew (6/12/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Hey guys
> 
> Just got my Drop Dead this morning, here's how I wicked it. I know the coils aren't 100% symmetrical but I did make sure they are both firing at about the same time and are glowing inside out. I used the 2.5 firebolt in these 3 mm coils since I don't want it too tight inside. Does it look decent?
> It doesn't taste amazing but I do have Covid and my sense of smell and taste is up to shit so I won't judge it too harshly
> ...


I am guessing that the Covoid isn't hitting to hard. You are lucky. Speedy recovery.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 4


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## MeirTaitz (6/12/20)

Stew said:


> I am guessing that the Covoid isn't hitting to hard. You are lucky. Speedy recovery.


Thanks Stew, my mom and dad are in pretty bad shape but I'm managing with it.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Stew (6/12/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Thanks Stew, my mom and dad are in pretty bad shape but I'm managing with it.


Wishing your folks all the best.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 5 | Thanks 1


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## DarthBranMuffin (7/12/20)

Good luck with the Covid 19, your parents and yourself!

As for your Drop Dead build: if it tastes good (even with Covid in your system), then imagine how good it is going to taste when you are feeling better!

Reactions: Agree 3 | Thanks 1


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## CMMACKEM (7/12/20)

MeirTaitz said:


> Hi guys
> 
> When u remove your cotton after a little while, should the entire piece be the colour of your juice? I find that the centre is pretty much white. Does this mean it's too tight?



Yes it can be. Is the flavor muted?

Have a look at Crafted Coils facebook page for his Reload wicking tutorial.

Are you using cotton bacon?

Reactions: Like 4


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## LeislB (7/12/20)

You may want to push your coils closer to one another, I think they are too far apart.

All the best for your and your parents recovery!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3 | Thanks 1


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## MeirTaitz (7/12/20)

DarthBranMuffin said:


> Good luck with the Covid 19, your parents and yourself!
> 
> As for your Drop Dead build: if it tastes good (even with Covid in your system), then imagine how good it is going to taste when you are feeling better!


Thanks bud, I wouldn't say it tastes good but it has a little flavour and for now I'll take that!

Reactions: Like 4


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## MeirTaitz (7/12/20)

LeislB said:


> You may want to push your could closer to one another, I think they are too far apart.
> 
> All the best for your and your parents recovery!


Thanks 
All the reviewers I've watched say the closer the coils are to the airflow the better the flavour will be, so I put them as far apart as possible. I will try put them closer tho...

Thanks for the well wishes

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## DarthBranMuffin (7/12/20)

Definitely better with the coils closer to each other.

Reactions: Like 4


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## ShowMeTwice (10/12/20)

As folks have already said... the more you wick any RBA the better you will get.

Wicking is a total "feel" thing. Generally speaking, you want to feel some resistance (cotton) as you pull a wick through the coil. Also, moving the wick side-to-side in the coil you want to feel some resistance. Proper trimming of the tails plays a role as well, all depends on the specifics of the build deck of the atty.

A general rule of thumb is...
if a wick is too tight in the coil = dry hits
if it's too loose = (possible) flooding

I use Cottonman's Mavaton's Select, Carolina Blend and Mavaton X. And I also use the Tidi rayon balls (medical grade). Like several folks here I have multiple RBA's and mods (6-8) in rotation all the time. I like switching off between cotton and rayon.

If using rayon you want to use ~1/3 more in overall thickness versus cotton. Rayon contracts when saturated while cotton expands when saturated.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Winner 1


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