For wire, I’d recommend starting with Kanthal or Nichrome—both are easy to work with and pretty reliable. Cotton-wise, I’ve always used organic cotton—never tried shoestring, but it’s worth looking into. As for a buildable platform with adjustable airflow, I’d say check out RTA’s that are known for being beginner-friendly but also customizable—something like the GeekVape Z Nano or the Vaporesso GTX could be good options.