Wick It into Gear

Vaping has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Whether it is vaping for pleasure or to kick smoking, people everywhere are enjoying it. To a beginner, vaping may be a little overwhelming at first. There are batteries and volts and juice and replaceable parts; no wonder there are so many instructional web sites and videos out there today. But with a little basic maintenance and know-how, anyone can pick up a device and start blowing delicious clouds. The main thing I'll be writing about (and one of the most important) is wicking. What is wicking? And why is it important?

It is easier to really understand wicking if we briefly talk about the two main types of vape coils and how they work. The two types are sub-ohm coils, and RDA's. Sub-ohm tanks utilize dispensable coils that are pre-built. Each coil has a casing and wick already inside it, you just pop it in and vape until it's time to put a new one in. An RDA (Rebuildable Drip Atomizer) is a build-it-yourself coil for greater customization. Here is where knowledge of wicking becomes important.

Building an RDA takes mainly three steps. Building, wicking, and dripping. Building the coil only takes some wire and wire cutters to bend into loops (coils). Wicking is the process of installing cotton for juice absorption into your coils. Many vapers prefer to build RDA's specifically to control how much power the coils can take, and how much wick they wish to use. The system is like an oil lamp where the wick is doused is oil and the flame keeps it lit. But here instead of flame, we're using electricity running through the coil to keep the wick lit. But unlike an oil lamp with a large supply of oil to stay lit for a long time, wicks in vapes need to be replenished as juice is used up so we do what's called dripping. Dripping is simply applying more e-juice to your cotton wick.

Now, why's wicking that important? Because it will make the difference between a great tasting, satisfying vape and a poor one. When wicking, it is important to insert the correct amount of wick in between the coils. Too much wick and it won't absorb your juice quickly enough when applied and result in the cotton burning which tastes awful. Too little wick and your cotton will be oversaturated, causing your tank to gurgle and not produce much vapor. Fortunately, to get the right amount of wick in your RDA you only need one technique and some practice.

The best method to wick is to simply roll your cotton loosely and measure it in the coil. Cotton usually comes in layers or pads that are rolled or shaped into your wick. Just grabbing a piece and rolling the ends to fit your coil will do. After this, we'll pull the rolled end through the coil and see how much resistance it's putting up. The cotton should pull through smoothly and feel snug. Not too tight where it gets stuck, but not too loose where it goes straight through. This process takes some practice but once learned, you'll know how to wick perfectly any time for any coil.

Once the wick is inserted simply cut off any excess cotton, tuck the ends under your coil (ends should be just long enough to be firmly tucked under), drench them in your favorite juice and you're good to go.

With a little doing, proper wicking will come naturally and ensure a great vape every time. Vape away, friend!

Tags: wicking, wicks vaping, cotton, juice, vapor, tips