The Silica Wick Thread

[johan]

My go to for "years" on silica wick:

• push a paper clip (big one) through the center of 3mm silica wick (use 2 x 3mm silica wicks + 2 paper clips if you want to go serious low ohms);
• burn the living shite out of the silica wick/s over gas flame (note: need to burn the silica wick/s red hot);
• trim to size with sharp scissors / side cutter;
• whilst paper clip/s is still in center of silica wick/s, tightly wind +/- 8 turns or less (spaced) with 26G Kanthal wire or 1 x 0.9 ribbon;
• remove paper clip/s once coil/ribbon is screwed down;
• saturate silica wick/s 100% with e-liquid;
• flavor will fully develop after +/- 3ml.

Once every +/- 30ml of e-liquid just press fire button until coil is burned "clean" with silica wick/s in tact (you can light an analog cigar with this flame) - squonk and enjoy a "fresh" vape.
a Coil + wick like this can last 4 months+ without re-wicking.
Work excellent in Hadaly / RM2 and NarDa RDA's.

 

[Shatter]

will silica make a comeback like squonking?

 

[Raindance]

will silica make a comeback like squonking?

That would not be a bad thing. Many of us have not tried it and as preferences vary some may actually prever it over the other options. So for the sake of making an educated choice in terms of icking material everybody should at least try it once.

Regards

 

[Raindance]

Rewicked the engine as @johan described above. The coil is not a perfect build as the ohms are too low to my liking but the flavor is all there. Even the most suptle notes are clear and crisp. I'm starting to like this material.

Regards

 

[Raindance]

View attachment 114168
Rewicked the engine as @johan described above. The coil is not a perfect build as the ohms are too low to my liking but the flavor is all there. Even the most suptle notes are clear and crisp. I'm starting to like this material.

Regards

Some more pictures of the above.

Regards

 

[Genosmate]

I'm pleased you like the silica and it's maybe ok to pulse that coil On a regulated mod but I'm not sure it's the best idea on a mech,rather take the paper clip out first

 

[Shatter]

Keen to know your findings @Raindance after a day or two, what was the reason that the industry and most vapers chose cotton over the silica? The silica looks much easier to rewick....

 

[Raindance]

Keen to know your findings @Raindance after a day or two, what was the reason that the industry and most vapers chose cotton over the silica? The silica looks much easier to rewick....

Not exactly @Shatter. It is hard and stubborn. If i need to rewick every two to three days I would think twice of using this on my ADV devices. It may be pardoned if it can be burnt clean as indicated by @johan and actual wick replacement is not needed for months.

My main motive for purchasing it was for use in my DIY juice testing dripper based on the assumption that I can burn the coil and wick clean between flavors. Something that does work as I have tested it. But those tests did not occur on gunked up coils so I have not really tested the performance after a proper clean.

Regards

 

[BumbleBee]

This is too funny, a few weeks ago I was just thinking what I'm going to do with some Silica I found in a box. Maybe we're seeing a comeback, I mean MTL and squonking is getting popular again. What's next, techno music?

 

[Raindance]

This is too funny, a few weeks ago I was just thinking what I'm going to do with some Silica I found in a box. Maybe we're seeing a comeback, I mean MTL and squonking is getting popular again. What's next, techno music?

As long as the 80's men's hairstyles remain in the past. Damn! what were we thinking!

 

[Shatter]

lol i'm still listening to techno. To use it for tasting DIY juice like @Raindance says, and then burning it clean sounds pretty good to me. Where can i buy some of this silica wicks?

 

[BumbleBee]

lol i'm still listening to techno. To use it for tasting DIY juice like @Raindance says, and then burning it clean sounds pretty good to me. Where can i buy some of this silica wicks?

lol, I'm still listening to GnR, Metallica and Iron Maiden

I think I saw some silica at Vapemob a little while ago

 

[Raindance]

lol i'm still listening to techno. To use it for tasting DIY juice like @Raindance says, and then burning it clean sounds pretty good to me. Where can i buy some of this silica wicks?

Seems I grabbed Vapour Mountains last packet. Not something one often comes across but then I have not really been looking either.

 

[BumbleBee]

It may also be worthwhile checking at eciggies

 

[Shatter]

Cool cool, found some.. and Rayon, will get both for a test drive. now to search for hemp and Egyptian cotton haha. Thanx @Raindance @BumbleBee

 

[BumbleBee]

Cool cool, found some.. and Rayon, will get both for a test drive. now to search for hemp and Egyptian cotton haha. Thanx @Raindance @BumbleBee

Where did you find @Shatter?

Oh and there was also bamboo yarn, I think that was only available from a fabric shop in some obscure little town somewhere, if I recall that stuff was also pretty good.

 

[Shatter]

Where did you find @Shatter?

Oh and there was also bamboo yarn, I think that was only available from a fabric shop in some obscure little town somewhere, if I recall that stuff was also pretty good.

Found both at https://www.vapemob.co.za/ cheap as chips, Will have a look for the Bamboo yarn , hopefully i can find them also

 

[johan]

Don't waste your money, time and effort with Bamboo yarn, it might work on a 1.8+ Ohm "tiny" coil, but I doubt that you guys tootle-puff.

 

[Shatter]

Don't waste your money, time and effort with Bamboo yarn, it might work on a 1.8+ Ohm "tiny" coil, but I doubt that you guys tootle-puff.

ja agree, had a look online for some and could not find any, most suggest to get from arts and crafts shop. and that sounds like effort.

 

[antonherbst]

You guys are going to make me spend money of this stuff. Sounds amazing easy to wick with and a crisp taste. Can only imaging what it will be like to vape it with a ss coil. Crisp clean taste

 

[Raindance]

Three or four tanks later and loving my ceramic wick in the OBS. Vaping at a lower temp than usual as well.

Regards

 

[Shatter]

Three or four tanks later and loving my ceramic wick in the OBS. Vaping at a lower temp than usual as well.

Regards

Ceramic? @Raindance , you gotto slow down, I thought your were on silica. i cant keep up with all the wicks lol

 

[Raindance]

Ceramic? @Raindance , you gotto slow down, I thought your were on silica. i cant keep up with all the wicks lol

Lol, its past my bed time. Silica is what i meant.

 

[Silver]

Where did you find @Shatter?

Oh and there was also bamboo yarn, I think that was only available from a fabric shop in some obscure little town somewhere, if I recall that stuff was also pretty good.

Lol, @BumbleBee
I recall the old bamboo yarn "rush"
Apparently the woman from that fabric shop couldnt figure out why so many males were suddenly calling her to order oodles of her bamboo yarn! Hehe

 

[Raindance]

Time to bring this thread out of the archives. My intention was to use silica as an easy clean wick in my dripper but have now ended up using it in all by devices. So here are my final thoughts on this material.

Juice conductivity is on par with any other material I have used. The taste is clean and pure right from the start and even after two weeks in the OBS Nano seems to remain spot on. The ability to burn coil and wick clean without the need to rewick is a bargain making this good value for money. It shines with fruity menthol juice where a crisp vape is most desirable.
It is not the easiest material to work with and when using the braided strand as supplied the coil diameter is restricted by the braid diameter. This can be overcome by "unbraiding" and building the desired thickness in loose strands.

I will be on the lookout for more of this wick as it has become my standard in wicking material.

Regards