Join in Rob… but, I’m gonna jump in here and give my 2 cents.
“Better” is kind of a relative term. As the saying goes, “to each their own”. With rayon, there are a few things you will have to get used to… as with cotton.
Rayon is super forgiving of dry hits… it doesn’t scorch as easily as cotton; this is a plus.
With rayon, you need to use a bit more in the coil than you do cotton. The rayon has a tendency to deflate a bit when hydrated. You’ll almost hear and feel the rayon squeak in the coil when you have used enough rayon. This is a suggested technique, or one can expect the sensation of/or possible dry hit, due to the coil being exposed away from the rayon. Basically, in the case of rayon, more is better.
Ive been using the cotton version, very fluffy and absorbent, and almost completely tasteless, very very slight taste off the bat but it soon goes, im a fan
On the Griffin that I rewicked, didn’t really have that cotton break in taste that I would get from using the pads I had used in the past… that was nice.
Sorry I’m late in answering. They’re not super thick. I suppose you could always stack them up if you wanted them thicker. They stick together pretty well. I usually cut it, pull one of the flat layers off, roll em up, and wick. I keep the flat layer pieces together cuz I combine them all and use them too. LoL.
Here’s a pic of a stack of them, a single, and an 18650 box for comparison:
I’m a Rayon user also and, for me, it’s easier to work with than the organic pads. Not that I mind sitting there trying to hone my Scottish rolls into perfection
With Rayon I’ve found that it’s better to cut your strips as opposed to just ripping a hunk off. Tearing creates sort of a Rayon “dust”, along with wildly flayed fibers. Maybe it has something to do with being synthetic as opposed to organic. Cutting the strips avoids this.
Additionally, if you’re like me and slide the wick back and forth through your coils to get a good even fit, wet it down first to avoid creating any extra “dust”. (was that an R-rated sentence?)
Rayon users probably already know this, so this is for anyone curious about trying an alternative to cotton.
well… fluffy or not, being in pads, balls or whatever it doesn’t really matter… if it’s not fluffy you will make it…get a sharp scissors or smthing and “open” the acres of the wick to be fluffy…
the quality of the wick for the job you want to use it… some wicks are just getting easier wet than others… i would suggest you for example try Cotton Candy or UD Muji or Koh Gen Do… (the UD ones are in PADS…)
your deck etc… find the right amount of cotton you need… if you don’t… well… taste will not be so great, lower amount of wick = leaks… higher amounts of wick = dry hits, burnt taste, strange taste (because wick gets dry or very dry, or can’t drain the juice fast enough)
another thing… that you haven’t give any info… for example what wires are you using, Ohms and Watts you’re working with and what RTa/RDA are you using
I started by alternating a regular cotton ball (which had to be used and patted dry a couple times to remove fragrance) and then the rayon from a tampon (which is very fluffy and plentiful but obviously synthetic and a bit too slick to make scottish rolls with dry hands) when I read about cellucotton from Sally’s.
I called ahead to make sure they had it in stock, but I only wanted a 10 foot bag which is a couple dollars cheaper). I also shopped around on Amazon & it’s currently priced $6-7/40 ft box.
I decided to get the regular 100% cotton vs. 100% rayon, just in case there’s any health risk from using rayon. Like you, @TorturedZen, I can see the fine particles fly when cutting the rayon tails and I do NOT want to inhale it. It does seem to be based on the synthetic nature of the material.
I’ve since found that blowing hard on fluffed wick of rids it of particles and also further fluffs up the wick very well, so I’ll continue to do so. That’s my tip for today.
Anyway, my point was to mention that my Sally’s didn’t have the Graham brand (box or bag) but only the “Salon Care” brand of 40 ft box. Two kinds of which were labeled as 100% cotton but “Reinforced Cotton” and “Non-Reinforced Cotton.”
Neither seemed to be as synthetic as the rayon I’d used – it’s hard to describe the way rayon looks – almost as if the threads are woven together more intricately and compactly compared to cotton which is woven more randomly and therefore I think more naturally. Rayon seems to have a more slick feel, more like polyester does when you get down to it. Cotton is just standard fluffy and soft as you’d expect it to be, and just a bit more… tactile?
I googled and found nothing.
Does anyone know the difference?
On a lighter note, I adopted a long-hair white cat whose furballs collect in the corners of my house; can I wick with that?
LOL! Oddly enough, though, this may not be as weird as it sounds… he is a very special breed called a Turkish Van from a lakes region. He has the softest, silkiest fur ever. Very much like down. The breed has only one coat – no undercoat – because they are often in or near water (called the Swimming Cat) and I presume they need to dry quickly. Also, the hair is ever so slightly kinked to retain heat, I believe.
If you think it’s wickable, I’ll start the bidding at $5/square inch. He does not mind being bald since summers are extremely hot here in New Orleans!
Just kidding. Please do not try down for a wick, nor Angora! I don’t want to encourage anyone to use animal products of any type because they are almost always so terribly and cruelly treated. Seriously – please don’t. Thanks.
Edited to add that I LOVE making Scottish Rolls. It’s so meditative/therapeutic. Zen
