DIY Lab gear?

[Puffindor]

So i finally received VG/PG/Nicotine liquids and concentrated flavors to try out diy mixing.... now all i need is some mixing gear to get this show on the road however after searching through the forums I cant seem to get a good idea on whats actually needed? I dont want to buy equipment i will not need so any inputs will be greatly appreciated! btw when i say gear i mean graduated cylinders? test tubes of some sort? what size syringes? etc. also some great reputable websites would be awesome as well? I know i read wizardlabs sells a great kit but seems like its always sold out

 

[yzer]

Here is lab gear I find most useful for DIY. I linked some suppliers I've used with excellent results.

I recommend inexpensive but decent grade lab gear for DIY. I can always buy better grade stuff but for DIY for my own juice and bases these recommendations works fine.

-Graduated cylinders. I use two 100 ml, one 25 ml and one 5 ml cylinders. Polypropylene single scale graduated cylinders are fine. 1 ml graduation interval for 100 ml cylinder. Bel-Art Scienceware 284550000 Polypropylene Single Scale Graduated Cylinder, 1.0" ID x 1.2" OD x 10.0" Height, 100mL Capacity, 1.0mL Graduation Interval | AmazonSupply.com

-3ml Graduated Polyethylene Pipettes. Great for a lot of things. I also use these for mixing chemicals used in boat maintenance. 3ml Graduated Polyethylene Pipette

-Graduated hypodermic syringes. Useful for a lot of things and available as sharp or dull point anywhere. I like 5 ml sizes.

-Amber glass Boston round lab bottles with phenolic caps and Poly-cone seals. Good for freezer storage of bases. Home Science Tools | Microscopes, Chemistry Supplies, Biology Supplies

-30 or 50 ml plastic drip bottles. Find these anywhere. I'm reusing bottles from pre-made juice I purchased a while ago.

-Disposable plastic gloves. Hardware store item.

-Protective goggles. Hardware store item.

-Thermometer. Good for using with water baths to heat Glycerin for mixing. Local stores work fine for these.

-Paper towel.

-Antibacterial dish washing detergent.

 

[cskent]

All I really use are syringes in a few sizes, 3 ml, 5 ml, and 20 ml. I just measure my ingredients directly into a bottle. I usually mix either 30 ml or 120 ml at a time, and have bottles in both sizes. Once I've measured all my ingredients into the bottle I just shake it for a few minutes and I'm ready to vape, or let it steep depending on the mix.

 

[Interpim]

When I started I had only a few items. What I have found I keep going back to are 1ml syringes for flavor and nic base. 10ml for vg and water (I don't use pg) and a small plastic measuring cup to hold my vg for mixing (my syringes don't reach the fluid in the bottle) other than that, paper towels, gloves and eyewear if you are using higher concentration nic. I would recommend getting a lot of the 1 ml syringes as the graduations come off after a few uses and the plungers start getting looser. You can get a box of 50 on some sites for around $10 or so.

 

[FinallyQuit]

I use the graduated cylinders in plastic, I have a glass one but you can't get the pg/vg out of the darn thing! It rolls off the plastic like rain on a glass window.

I use 1ml syringes to measure flavors, and 3/5/10/20/30/50 or whatever you find to measure pg and vg.

Amber glass bottles in whatever size you find convenient for storing nic. I got a great deal on 4oz. bottles a while back from American Science and Surplus, but there are links all over the forum for bottles.

I use 5 ml plastic bottles to test flavors, and keep 10 and 30 ml on hand for liquids. Also have some glass bottles for liquids, but compared to plastic, they're expensive so I stock up a little at a time.

Eyewear and gloves for handling nic, you could wear a plastic apron but I just wear jeans and an old long sleeved shirt.

Paper towels are a must! I also use puppy pads to protect my desk thanks to a tip I read on the forum, or sterile pads if you want.

I don't have beakers or test tubes or erlenmeyer flasks or anything else, and I manage just fine.

Get what you feel comfortable with!

 

[aikanae1]

I wish I'd seen this earlier. I just got a few glass pieces expecting they would be easier to use. Live and learn.

This was also an interesting set up. Probably best for making more than one bottle at a time.
http://nudenicotine.com/?product=conical-vial-rack

 

[awsum140]

I use the KISS principle - Just syringes, 1ml, 3ml, 5ml, 10ml and 10ml with lots of 18ga and 14ga blunt tips and measure right into either 30ml or 60ml bottles. The 18ga needles work fine for flavors and the 14ga is handy for PG, VG and nicotine solution. If you want to get fancy, use a mixing calculator that also calculates weight and a gram scale to measure by grams, down to the hundredth of a gram. It's also a good idea to get a label maker so you can keep track of the mixes in the bottles.

 

[Steamix]

If your syringes or cylinders don't have engraved scaling you could stick some clear scotch tape over the scales. As most syringes are meant to be disposables, it'll make the grad-scale last longer---

 

[Puffindor]

Thank you all sooo much for all the inputs! Now gears have been ordered waiting very impatiently by the mailbox

 

[ghola1was]

I'm very new to the DIY scene, so take this as IMHO.

A large, raised edge baking pan as a work surface for containing spills.

A piece of foam or cardboard with holes cut to hold smaller vials and bottles in place.

 

[awsum140]

I recently added a plastic dish drain board to my desk and it works well for both DIY and rebuilding coils.

 

[Thunderball]

I use the KISS principle - Just syringes, 1ml, 3ml, 5ml, 10ml and 10ml with lots of 18ga and 14ga blunt tips and measure right into either 30ml or 60ml bottles. The 18ga needles work fine for flavors and the 14ga is handy for PG, VG and nicotine solution. If you want to get fancy, use a mixing calculator that also calculates weight and a gram scale to measure by grams, down to the hundredth of a gram. It's also a good idea to get a label maker so you can keep track of the mixes in the bottles.

Wow.... This to the "T" for me. ....... You can get 50 10 Ml plastic bottles on Ebay for 8 bucks, good for sampling and mixing 5 ml batches ( they shake up well). Get 30Ml Glass Boston bottles with glass dripper for your stuff you find that are your regular juices you like. Amber color 30 ml Ebay for 12 @ 12 bucks or Cobalt Blue bottles 12 @ about 14 bucks.

If you get 60 MG nic or less... its not gonna hurt you when getting on your skin, just wash it off.....eyes are a different matter. My Two Cents...

 

[Train2]

I got some stuff I haven't used yet.
What I use EVERY time: 1 ml syringes (get a bunch, they're cheap), 3 ml and 5 ml syringes, empty bottles.
Also - since i didn't see it mentioned - I got my startup stuff, and was VERY happy with it - from RTS Vapes.

 

[DetraMental]

To keep the markings on your syringes use a couple of coats of clear nail polish, this has worked great for me! Make sure to let each coat dry, reapply, do this about 3 times.

 

[awsum140]

I don't buy bottles for mixing samples, I just save and clean the 8ml bottles of flavors from WL. Personally, I prefer all of my liquids in glass rather than plastic.