BillP

Here's a newbie problem I'm currently having, if you can help I'd appreciate it.

I started with prefilled filler-type cartos from various sources. Which I assume are constructed and filled the same, or close enough. But in use, this one has good flavor and full vapor from the start, this other one not so much. A scorched taste that never goes away, or one that never had it. They all seem to vary. I just assumed it was a QC problem and saved the weak performers for when I was out of that flavour, and toss the burnt tasting ones.

Before I ever refilled one, I opened them up when empty. Not knowing that the melting of the wicking material to the coil was intentional, I noticed that none of the ones I opened were melted in the same way; this one more of a clump, another with more of individual strands fused, etc.

So here I am thinking this is what makes the difference in performance. And pondering hmm if so, could you do a "controlled burn" so to speak? Position the wick in the coil with the strands spread out or clumped or whatever is deemed best and hit it with some current? Maybe low current for a slow gradual melt or high for fast?

And then I run into that 500+ replies thread on that other forum.
Ah crap! This is bad? Maybe dangerous?

So how bad is it really? Many (all?) inexpensive prefilled cartos use this construction, but after reading that I'm a bit paranoid I should go filler-less cartos only. Fear of the unknown, and all...

Thanks in advance.

Steampunk

Well, here you aren't going to get 500+ replies, but of what you DO get, 75% are going to be off-topic and/or adult-content related...

And you have also just hit upon why, when a carto starts to gum up or taste bad, I toss it and open another one. They're a whole $1.75. Compared to a pack of ciggies, even if you used a new one every day, you'd still be ahead of the game....

Rocketman

Fuzzy filler cartos with a vertical coil do not intentionally melt filler. We have some photos of various carto cut open somewhere. If you do not keep the filler wet it will burn. Once the filler is scorched it over. You die.

Joking.

Most prefilled cartos suck
Juice them up.



Cartos with "wicKs" will build up crud but it's difficult to melt the wick.



here's some shots of the typical carto. The first 3 are a new carto. The 4th one the coil opened and has some crud build up around the heater. The last photo shows one that melted the filler (bad).

Attached Thumbnails

JohnnyJames

Yea those braided tubes seem pretty indestructible, wish a had a few feet of it. The stuff wrapped around them not so.



But as Steam pointed out these are disposable items, not meant for any long term use. When the flavor dulls and the draw stiffens... toss them.

I've been using these in my tank.

http://www.madvapes.com/Smok-Tech-17...s-_p_2917.html

They work surprising well at low volts and seem to last longer than the DCs which the the draw seems to stiffen up much faster on.

About the only maintenance I do is after a couple days, while hot, I flood the top with juice and blow them out a few times till it runs fairly clear again.

On these or the DCs I never get a burnt taste, just no taste and a tough draw.

BillP

And this is why I love it here.

Attached Thumbnails

Steampunk

I didn't go for the SMok-teks as much as the Boges. Can't remrmber why. I got some around...here...somewhere...

BillP

Cool, so it's obviously not the braided glass fiber yarn that's burning, it's when the poly gets smouldery we run into fun things like carcinogenesis and death? Good to know. :P

I'll unroll the batting in the next one that tastes funky burnt or makes a huge sizzling sound (although that's probably just too much liquid that's boiling into a gunk blob?)

I feel better, thanks.