So I got my new rdta tank and put the mesh bottom piece(base) on. I watched a video on youtube and followed all of the steps but Im getting a burning taste when I get to 60 watts(coil is rated to go to 85 watts). I mean I juiced the hell out of it…
Steps I took:
Put the mesh coil in, turn down wattage to 15w, fired coil for 3 seconds 3 times.
Put the cotton in and trimmed it and poured juice all over it
Filled the tank up with juice and vaped it on a lower setting 40w and kept going up.
When I get to 60+ it just burns, if I had hair I would probably be pulling it out right now.
Are you using just cotton? I tried just cotton in the Profile Unity and I also got the same result as you. I fixed it by taking some rayon then wrapping it with cotton. The rayon will draw up juice faster. The burning is most likely from the cotton not keeping up with the demand. Since I began I don’t get any burning at all.
It took me awhile to learn how to really wick a mesh coil. What Ive found is that 1) pack that sucker with cotton. If it looks like too much, it’s probably just right. When you insert the cotton , pull and twist gently. This will allow the wick to glide in and keep the cotton from snagging on any little bits of wire that may get caught. 2) trim your cotton at a diagonal from outer edge towards center (stop at about 5mm from the coil. (think of the basic shape of a handlebar moustach) 3) place your long end into place on the deck and trim off any excess from the tips. The tips need to be touching the bottom of the deck but not so long that they may get caught on threads and the like. 4) Make sure not to bend the entire length of the wick ends downward. This will actually slow juice flow to the top of your coil (probably why you’re getting the dreaded dry hit)
I’m sure this isn’t the only way, but it’s the way that works for me. Now I only get dry hits when I’m too dumb to look through the glass to see there’s no juice in the tank.
BTW, I’ve never used rayon wicks with a mesh coil. Seems too risky since rayon absorbs but doesn’t expand like cotton. You want zero gaps between the wick and coil surface at all times.
Also, the above is for the Profile tank. If you’re using a Doom then it’s different because you want the cotton to just sit on top of the juice hole and not in it (excet for a few, very few, little hair strands). Otherwise you’ll damn the juice flow going under the coil and it’s dry-hit-city!
Don’t have experience with other makes so can’t help but it 's probably one of these two methods.
I have to ask one question. Did your “dry hit” taste like burnt paper? That’s what cotton tastes like. I once wicked with a fine tiny piece of hair/lint hiding in the wick bundle …didn’t taste like paper [cough].
Also the mesh itself needs to be 100% free from manufacturing oils, and pre-firing without any wicking should end without any smoke comming off the mesh …without frying it. I see you understand that, but my point/question was how that burnt taste …tasted (metallic/oily?)
One of the factors stopping me from buying one of these type mesh attys is exactly what you’re experiencing (seems very common), but I assure you, you are getting advice (above) from actual Pros.
Just because the coil is rated for a high wattage doesn’t mean they work there. I vape .13 mesh coils at 45 watts. Plenty of clouds and it tastes better.
Packing in rayon or cotton tight enough is a skill that you’ll get eventually. There are many mesh users who get great performance from mesh. I haven’t used a coil in at least 1.5 years.
Oh, the dreaded Steam Crave Plus V2 mesh deck, must say, I am not a fan. I did put up a wicking tutorial on the steamcrave fan club FB page for that deck. It is really finicky in the way it wicks, not much wiggle room, either you get it spot on or it sucks.
Steamcrave does have a mesh strip cotton laces now which work pretty good. Much better in the Titan dual series mesh deck, that mesh just rips and is one of my favorites.
The new Aromamizer Supreme V3 mesh deck works good as well but that Plus V2 mesh deck…blah. you can get excellent performance but it is a PITA. I have 2 other local loyal Plus users just toss the mesh deck for it and they are experienced builders. I built it for both of them and they enjoyed it but when they went to build it themselves they had the same problem as you, 40 to 60 watts tops before they got dry hits. I can rip it at 80 to 100 watts but hardly use it myself anymore. The Kylin M is SO much easier to wick and just as good IMO.
Funny thing is the Plus V2 mesh deck works better in the Ragnar. The chamber reducer you put on the mesh deck makes it easier to adjust your wicks from underneath so the bottom juice holes are not blocked.
If your on Facebook I can try and find my wick tutorial but warning, I suck at finding things on FB lol.
The simple of it…the wick needs to be super tight under the mesh, if it is not any cotton not making contact with the mesh completely will cause a burnt taste. This is why SC made a mistake not using a ceramic spring loaded block under the cotton to keep constant contact. You then have to thin out your wick like crazy, more than you would think before putting them into the juice wells. You will have to use a damming technique, that is the wick is barely covering the wicking slots, if the wicks go down too far then your screwed.
I have 4 or 5 of the Plus V2 mesh decks and they pretty much gather dust now. The Titan dual series mesh deck gets used everyday, has given new life to my Titans.
I think I just figured it out. I wicked it again and pretty much double layered the cotton over itself and stuffed as much under the coil as I could. Now it is hitting at 70 with no burn but the taste isnt that flavorful. Its amazing how something so small can affect it. Im going to swap juices to see if the juice itself is just getting old.
I am currently looking to buy one of these mesh RTAs. Watching a review today on YouTube I learned that airflow needed to be matched with the wattage setting on your battery Mod. If you choose to partially close the airflow on your atomizer (which is everyone) then you needed to lower the wattage. Click on this link to hear it from a respected Reviewer.
Without max airflow it seems mesh can more easily overheat and deliver a devastating dry hit at high wattage. Your solution long-term could be to simply lower the wattage on your Mod. Of course, once the cotton gets burned, you could have a bad taste (not a dry hit per se) and rewicking is needed or surgical removal of any small spot of blackened cotton.
So there really may be no problem! Crank the power way down if your airflow is partially closed down and work your way upward incrementally on the Mod wattage till your satisfied. If you re-wick start low and work your way up (Watts) because if you start at max watts it’s all over …ya burnt before you can work your way down
Any opinions from you other peeps about me buying a GeekVape Zeus X Mesh?
