Carts, Cartomizers And Dripping......

[kitsune]

After 16 months of vaping--carts, atomizers and fillers have been the biggest challenge. Just thought I would share some

of my opinions. Key word--opinion.

The straw mod and Pyramid Tea Bag mod became obsolete for me with blue foam.

I know this post is really, really long-- carts, cartomizers and dripping all put together is a long subject.

using 510 atomizers, 510 battery, Ego, VP/passthrough, 5V passthrough.

carts with standard filler--works well for a couple days then I switch out to the blue foam.

replacement for standard filler--fluval 2 plus aquarium filter. The 2 plus is closest to standard filler and can be found

at many pet shops.

____

Blue Foam

In the last 16 months I have tried soooo many different cart fillers and cart mods with varying degrees of success.

I got some blue foam filler (pre-cut) from strictly e-juice--took me a bit to figure out what to do with these tiny bits

of foam. as it didn't come with directions.

The Blue foam Works!!!

1. The blue foam filler pieces are 1cm x 1cm and 1/2 cm deep.

2. best to have a cart that fits snuggly on the atty.

3. filled an empty (510) cart with 12 drops of liquid.

4. Using tweezers, I pushed the foam into the liquid to saturate it, filled the cart with another couple drops of liquid.

5. using the tweezers, pulled the foam back to the top of the cart (level with rim).

6. added another drop to the top of the foam

7. attach to atty and vape.

The blue foam keeps the liquid from leaking out of the cart/atty, but wicks great to the atty. keeps the atty nice and

moist. no leaking.

This has significantly decreased my need to drip and/or top off the carts.

With Moderate Vaping, the carts are lasting me 2-3 hours without adding more liquid.

When I do refill, I push the filler down into the cart, add the liquid, pull the filler back up, top off and vape

Wash or change the filler every couple days.

----

Catomizers:

I am new to cartomizers (about a month)--

For me The flavor is off.

Filled the carto using the condom method with 20 drops of liquid. The condom method is so easy and painless.

Good vapor production and throat hit, but the flavor is muted with the standard white filler.

I vape for about 2-3 hours before I feel the need to add a bit more liquid. The vapor production starts to slow down.

Since I can never leave things alone--after a couple days I pulled out the white filler and replaced with blue foam.

Much better !!! 2 pieces of blue foam and a drip tip.

filled with 15 drops added drip tip--lasts about 2 hours before I need to add a couple more drops.

_____

With carts(blue foam) and cartomizers There is always the need to add more liquid after a couple hours for me. I know

there is plenty of liquid in the cart/carto but I am usually vaping more often and the liquid doesn't really have enough

time to wick to the atty. If I let it sit for 10-15 minutes--the liquid wicks to the atty and I don't have to add liquid

as often.

______

Of course, then there is dripping.

Which over all provides the best flavor, vapor production and throat hit. usually add 2 drops at a time. good for about

6 or so draws before adding more liquid

________

1. Carts with standard filler---good for a day or two. add more liquid every couple hours. usually just top off the

cart. usually just pull out filler and add blue foam. don't even bother with the white filler.

2. Carts with Blue foam--still my personal favorite. Good vapor and throat hit. carts hold about .5ml of liquid.

usually have to top off the carts every 2-3 hours. Great for times when dripping isn't convenient. change or clean foam

every couple days.

3. Cartomizers with standard filler--lose too much flavor. weaker throat hit, good vapor. last about 2-3 hours before I

feel the need to add more liquid.

4. Cartomizers with blue foam/drip tip-- much better flavor. Good vapor and throat hit. add more liquid after couple

hours. easier to add liquid with a drip tip, but can leak if drip tip is placed down.

5. Dripping--best flavor, vapor production and throat hit. add more liquid 3-4 times/hour.

6. Atomizer/cart(blue foam) vs cartomizer(blue foam)-- 50/50. will probably stick with atomizers--currently longer

life. Jury still out on life of cartomizers (haven't been using them long enough).

for me--atomizer life is about a month or two. have a couple that are 8 months old. usually have about 6 atomizers in

rotation and have 2-3 units in use through out the day--Ego, and a couple passthroughs.

I am sure I will rotate through carts, cartomizers and dripping--like to change things up, get bored with same routines.

For me the best filler is the blue foam from strictly ejuice. Need to take another look through the aquarium filters.

None of the ones I found were quite the same.

Looking forward to other opinions !!!!

Happy vaping

[LoriHNC]

Since I can never leave things alone--after a couple days I pulled out the white filler and replaced with blue foam.

Much better !!! 2 pieces of blue foam and a drip tip.

How do you get the filler out of the cart without destroying it? I'm curious cuz this seems like something I would try to get better and extended use from cartos.

I know people clean them and I have tried that, but they still don't perform like new after, in my opinion.

Great review Kits

[kitsune]

using a pair of tweezers I just pulled the filler out. I figured I at the most I would lose the cartomizer, but no damage done. putting the blue foam in was a bit trickier. I cut the 1x1cm square in half and gently pushed the foam in along each side of the coil, making sure it wasn't packed in tight. then placed a 1x1cm square loosely over the top of the coil. when I was filling I just dripped in 15 drops a little at a time to let absorb.

working great so far.......

[JayH503]

using a pair of tweezers I just pulled the filler out. I figured I at the most I would lose the cartomizer, but no damage done. putting the blue foam in was a bit trickier. I cut the 1x1cm square in half and gently pushed the foam in along each side of the coil, making sure it wasn't packed in tight. then placed a 1x1cm square loosely over the top of the coil. when I was filling I just dripped in 15 drops a little at a time to let absorb.

working great so far.......

I just got into using cartomizers recently. I've been vaping a month now. Was direct dripping most of the time. (I don't like cartridges and filler at all) 510 cartomizers work pretty well IMO. I'm going to give this blue foam a try. Sounds like it works even better than the rolled filler. Thanks for the info!

[owutaqt]

The Blue foam Works!!!

1. The blue foam filler pieces are 1cm x 1cm and 1/2 cm deep.

2. best to have a cart that fits snuggly on the atty.

3. filled an empty (510) cart with 12 drops of liquid.

4. Using tweezers, I pushed the foam into the liquid to saturate it, filled the cart with another couple drops of liquid.

5. using the tweezers, pulled the foam back to the top of the cart (level with rim).

6. added another drop to the top of the foam

7. attach to atty and vape.

The blue foam keeps the liquid from leaking out of the cart/atty, but wicks great to the atty. keeps the atty nice and

moist. no leaking.

How does this stop the liquid from coming out of the top?

[kitsune]

When using in a cart it acts as a type of plug. I haven't had a problem with it leaking from the atomizer or the mouth end of the cart.

using it in the cartomizer--I only add enough liquid to be absorbed by the foam.

[LoriHNC]

thx Kits. I'm gonna try this. I'll let ya know how it works for me

[BEERCITYVAPRZ]

Great advice, Ill have to get some of the blue foam and give that a try, I like standard 510 cartomizers with a drip tip on my tornado its all that I can ask for to keep me away from analogs and its working like a Electro spliff nic stick, I love it!

Edited September 14, 2010 by BEERCITYVAPRZ

[BEERCITYVAPRZ]

using a pair of tweezers I just pulled the filler out. I figured I at the most I would lose the cartomizer, but no damage done. putting the blue foam in was a bit trickier. I cut the 1x1cm square in half and gently pushed the foam in along each side of the coil, making sure it wasn't packed in tight. then placed a 1x1cm square loosely over the top of the coil. when I was filling I just dripped in 15 drops a little at a time to let absorb.

working great so far.......

That would be cool if someone did a video on replacing the filler with blue foam on a cartomizer and a mega cartomizer, I dont think Ive ever seen one, I bet it might taste/vapes way better?

[LoriHNC]

thx Kits. I'm gonna try this. I'll let ya know how it works for me

Okay, perhaps you can only do this with certain cartos. I just tried it with a low res carto from Madvapes and when I took the first draw, I coughed my head off. lol

It was very harsh. Then the atty died. It was a quick, painless death though.

Are you doing this with regular 510's Kits?

[kitsune]

It was a regular 510 carto. new to using cartomizers, so not sure about any anatomy differences between the regular and the LR's. Sorry it died.... The one I pulled the filler out of has been working fine....

But your right--the LR must be built different than the regulars.

[Brian]

Good stuff Kit! I've tried to pull the filler out of a few cartos, but it never just pulls right out and I always end up destroying it. You must have a magic touch.

[LoriHNC]

The filler came out pretty easily and there was also a paper (wrap?) piece that came out after it. But then again, this was a low res carto.

[AimeeG]

Catomizers:

I am new to cartomizers (about a month)--

For me The flavor is off.

Filled the carto using the condom method with 20 drops of liquid. The condom method is so easy and painless.

Good vapor production and throat hit, but the flavor is muted with the standard white filler.

I vape for about 2-3 hours before I feel the need to add a bit more liquid. The vapor production starts to slow down.

Since I can never leave things alone--after a couple days I pulled out the white filler and replaced with blue foam.

Much better !!! 2 pieces of blue foam and a drip tip.

filled with 15 drops added drip tip--lasts about 2 hours before I need to add a couple more drops.

_____

With carts(blue foam) and cartomizers There is always the need to add more liquid after a couple hours for me. I know

there is plenty of liquid in the cart/carto but I am usually vaping more often and the liquid doesn't really have enough

time to wick to the atty. If I let it sit for 10-15 minutes--the liquid wicks to the atty and I don't have to add liquid

as often.

______

Ok, so I use cartos. I love the condom filling method. I start with 20 drops, then after about an hour, have to put more in, usually 10 at that point. I also find that I get juiced a lot. Thankfully, I'm using only 11mg juice. I could be filling it too often? Or maybe I don't know when it is the right time to add more? When it seems to get a bit hot, I feel the need to add more. Maybe it's just that the carto is hot from being used? I probably drag on it about twenty times.

I really appreciate your tips. I'm getting a drip tip and some more attys. I think the break in period didn't pass yet on the one I used because I thought it tasted terrible... harsh like someone wrote.

[kitsune]

Good stuff Kit! I've tried to pull the filler out of a few cartos, but it never just pulls right out and I always end up destroying it. You must have a magic touch.

Beginners Luck??? Could it be that I had been using the carto and the filler was still wet???

The filler came out pretty easily and there was also a paper (wrap?) piece that came out after it. But then again, this was a low res carto.

mine didn't seem to have anything else in there....but then again this was the first time I had pulled the filler out...

Ok, so I use cartos. I love the condom filling method. I start with 20 drops, then after about an hour, have to put more in, usually 10 at that point. I also find that I get juiced a lot. Thankfully, I'm using only 11mg juice. I could be filling it too often? Or maybe I don't know when it is the right time to add more? When it seems to get a bit hot, I feel the need to add more. Maybe it's just that the carto is hot from being used? I probably drag on it about twenty times.

I really appreciate your tips. I'm getting a drip tip and some more attys. I think the break in period didn't pass yet on the one I used because I thought it tasted terrible... harsh like someone wrote.

sounds more like the coil is getting too hot--that would be why the vapor was hot. usually when I need to add liquid it has a dry taste and the vapor production falls way off.

[Uma]

+1 for Kit!

sheesh, I'm still tryig to figure out how to put a drip tip on a carto lol

[kitsune]

+1 for Kit!

sheesh, I'm still tryig to figure out how to put a drip tip on a carto lol

LOL Uma !!!

[girldragon]

None of this is for the mega cartos right? I think the flavor of the mega cartos is still not quite as good as I have gotten from dd- but I have some mega atomizers with mega cartridges coming-so then I can dd with that(though no dd tip for the mega yet)

[kitsune]

Don't know about the mega carts--I have only just started trying the regular 510 carts. Pulling the filler out was just a random thought for me--I really wanted to try the blue foam in it, figured worst case scenario I would lose the cartomizer and would be out a couple bucks.

Honestly, I think I still prefer the standard carts with blue foam--easier to change the foam and the carts still hold about .5ml of liquid.