DIY Questions

[Stownz]

Its like dominoes falling. Knock over a PV, then 3 cartos go down, 2 tanks start rollin off the desk and 6 attys that were air dying start rolling through juice that leaked out of the Vmod... ect... ect.. ect.. More stuff you start trying to save, the bigger the wave of dmg.

Everything I own does 2 things: Fall over or Roll.

We used to have ashtrays and ashes all over our homes. Now we got cartos and attys and bats and PVs and unlabled mystery juice bottles everywhere. I'm hard pressed trying to decide which was more of a mess.

Someone could definately make an e-business out of Giant organizers, because as the years go by, the collection just grows and grows. New vaper's look at our collections, and go "No Way", as if this is not going to be a picture of your own office in a few years, hahahahahaah.

 

[cookiebun]

Best advice I can give is to spend hours reading the stickies and all the other great info already posted here. You'll learn a lot if you make use of the "search" button on the forum as well.
You don't need tons of equipment or flavorings etc.

 

[salemgold]

My only advice to you would be to maybe figure out what type of flavors that you might like first. Or you may end up like me and have tons of flavoring that you will not like or use. Once you narrow your likes down it is easy to narrow down which flavors you will like. Then it is just as easy to mix ahead of time as it is to buy premix ahead of time.

The savings are quite considerable too. I figured out that it costs me about 15- 20 cents per ml to make as opposed to the 50 cents and up that most vendors charge.

I have not read the entire thread so I am sure that you have already figured out that you don't need alot to start out. I do not have excel on my computer and find this calculator very easy to use
eJuice Recipe Calculator

Good luck to you and happy mixing

 

[KrisBKream]

My only advice to you would be to maybe figure out what type of flavors that you might like first. Or you may end up like me and have tons of flavoring that you will not like or use.

Great argument for a DIY swap thread

 

[markfm]

Pif has a diy trade a flavor thread

 

[salemgold]

Agreed! PIFers ROCK

 

[carpedebass]

Pif has a diy trade a flavor thread

I LOVE PIF! Have to look for that thread for sure!

My only advice to you would be to maybe figure out what type of flavors that you might like first. Or you may end up like me and have tons of flavoring that you will not like or use. Once you narrow your likes down it is easy to narrow down which flavors you will like. Then it is just as easy to mix ahead of time as it is to buy premix ahead of time.

The savings are quite considerable too. I figured out that it costs me about 15- 20 cents per ml to make as opposed to the 50 cents and up that most vendors charge.

I have not read the entire thread so I am sure that you have already figured out that you don't need alot to start out. I do not have excel on my computer and find this calculator very easy to use
eJuice Recipe Calculator

Good luck to you and happy mixing

That's an awesome calculator! Much better than messing around with WINE on Linux.

Thank you all for the wonderful advice and encouragement. I'm seriously thinking about just diving in and, rather than spending this month's juice allotment on juice...getting some DIY stuff and mixing my own. Hey...necessity is the mother of invention.

 

[Spazmelda]

carpedebass- go ahead and dive in. As a former chemist you should have a lot of fun. You don't need rooms full of stuff, although I can see it getting that way eventually. I have a locking cashbox right now, that holds everything I've got except the PG and VG. Since they are not dangerous I just store them in the bathroom closet. I mix in my bathroom.

I've figured that most of the vendors, even buying a large volume, like 50 mls) I'd pay about $0.30/ml. Smaller volumes are more like $0.40-$0.50/ml. DIY I can get it down to $0.10/ml or lower (depending on the volumes of flavorings and nic I use), and it doesn't matter what quantity I make. So, I can make 3 ml just to try out a flavor and if I don't really like it I haven't paid a premium price for it.

Someone gave me the tip of looking for LorAnn flavors at local cake and candy supply stores, and I found one about 20 minutes away where I could buy anywhere from 2 drams to 16 ounces of LorAnn flavorings without paying shipping. That really helps out. Many people seem to prefer other flavor companies over LorAnn, and I will probably branch out once I get more comfortable with what I'm doing, but for now the local availability of flavors is allowing me to try a lot of flavors without constantly ordering online and paying lots of shipping costs.

 

[carpedebass]

carpedebass- go ahead and dive in. As a former chemist you should have a lot of fun. You don't need rooms full of stuff, although I can see it getting that way eventually. I have a locking cashbox right now, that holds everything I've got except the PG and VG. Since they are not dangerous I just store them in the bathroom closet. I mix in my bathroom.

I've figured that most of the vendors, even buying a large volume, like 50 mls) I'd pay about $0.30/ml. Smaller volumes are more like $0.40-$0.50/ml. DIY I can get it down to $0.10/ml or lower (depending on the volumes of flavorings and nic I use), and it doesn't matter what quantity I make. So, I can make 3 ml just to try out a flavor and if I don't really like it I haven't paid a premium price for it.

Someone gave me the tip of looking for LorAnn flavors at local cake and candy supply stores, and I found one about 20 minutes away where I could buy anywhere from 2 drams to 16 ounces of LorAnn flavorings without paying shipping. That really helps out. Many people seem to prefer other flavor companies over LorAnn, and I will probably branch out once I get more comfortable with what I'm doing, but for now the local availability of flavors is allowing me to try a lot of flavors without constantly ordering online and paying lots of shipping costs.

Great stuff! I'm in! Getting some DIY stuff and having a go at it. MarkFM was kind enough to PIF me some graduated beakers and I'll likely just use a large syringe for now until I can find some graduated cylinders and what not. Now if I only had my old magnetic stir plate from the old lab...

 

[Spazmelda]

Great stuff! I'm in! Getting some DIY stuff and having a go at it. MarkFM was kind enough to PIF me some graduated beakers and I'll likely just use a large syringe for now until I can find some graduated cylinders and what not. Now if I only had my old magnetic stir plate from the old lab...

There's all sorts of old lab stuff I'm wishing I had. I'd rather have a platform rocker or a vortex mixer than a stir plate. Better for small volumes. While I'm wishing, I'll wish for my old set of micro pipettes! LOL!

I'm using 3 and 5 ml syringes as well as 15 ml falcon tubes for measuring my stuff. Probably not the most accurate, but close enough I figure.

ETA: If I had $80 extra dollars laying around I'd really get this: http://www.amazon.com/Variable-Volume-Pipette-P1000-100-1000ul/dp/B002VUDK4U

But honestly, the syringes might actually be better, since some of the liquid is pretty thick. The syringe allows you to recover most of the thick liquid, where a with a large pipette a lot of it might get stuck in the tip. Just thinking out loud here...

 

[carpedebass]

There's all sorts of old lab stuff I'm wishing I had. I'd rather have a platform rocker or a vortex mixer than a stir plate. Better for small volumes. While I'm wishing, I'll wish for my old set of micro pipettes! LOL!

I'm using 3 and 5 ml syringes as well as 15 ml falcon tubes for measuring my stuff. Probably not the most accurate, but close enough I figure.

ETA: If I had $80 extra dollars laying around I'd really get this: Amazon.com: Variable Volume Pipette P1000(100-1000ul): Office Products

But honestly, the syringes might actually be better, since some of the liquid is pretty thick. The syringe allows you to recover most of the thick liquid, where a with a large pipette a lot of it might get stuck in the tip. Just thinking out loud here...

Micropipetters...lol!! My old pipette was really nice. I bought it and kept it hidden from the other chemists. It was one of those adjustable ones...good enough for DIY for sure. I don't even know where it ended up...lol

I really wouldn't worry about stuff sticking in the tip. We used to use them for all kinds of viscous materials at the lab...oils and such. You'd just have to be sure to get the right tips. We used to do oil and grease analysis with freon. We had a huge shake...man I miss that thing. But that would be overkill I suppose.

 

[Spazmelda]

I actually have a set of 'vintage' pipettors in the basement. I acquired them when a neighboring professor was retiring and doing a lab clean out. They are not adjustable volume though, and I'd guess they haven't been calibrated in 20 years.

Yeah, a big shaker would probably be overkill, and people would start to wonder what exactly you were cooking up.

 

[carpedebass]

I actually have a set of 'vintage' pipettors in the basement. I acquired them when a neighboring professor was retiring and doing a lab clean out. They are not adjustable volume though, and I'd guess they haven't been calibrated in 20 years.

Yeah, a big shaker would probably be overkill, and people would start to wonder what exactly you were cooking up.

Baha! indeed they would. My old RV would be a rockin' for sure!

I've heard you can buy PG or VG at Wal Mart or a pharmacy...any truth to that?

 

[Iffy]

PG or VG at Wal Mart or a pharmacy...any truth to that?

VG at Wal Mart/pharmacy and PG at your local feed store (i.e. Tractor Supply). While you're picking up your PG, grab some syringes also.

 

[markfm]

For VG, it will be a clear, squat, 6 ounce bottle, likely labelled Glycerin USP Skin Protectant, near the bandaids. Ingredients should only state Glycerin 99.5%, possibly followed by "(anhydrous)";. $5 - $6. I've had good luck with the RiteAid and TopValue branded liquid -- apparently Humco makes much of it in the US, it's VG.
Apparently Tractor Supply stores sell PG USP by the gallon, about $22. It's used to treat a cattle condition. That's a huge amount, I pick up smaller bottles with my DIY flavorings -- costs more per ounce (about $1/oz). If you buy the gallon, definitely use a smaller container for actual DIY (dollar store ketchup squeeze bottle, or a 4 ounce dropper bottle from a Hobby Lobby).

 

[carpedebass]

Perfect!! Thanks again! I'm on it!

 

[salemgold]

Great stuff! I'm in! Getting some DIY stuff and having a go at it. MarkFM was kind enough to PIF me some graduated beakers and I'll likely just use a large syringe for now until I can find some graduated cylinders and what not. Now if I only had my old magnetic stir plate from the old lab...

markfm is one of the very finest PIFers IMO

 

[carpedebass]

markfm is one of the very finest PIFers IMO

I have to agree with that!! So on the DIY PIF, if you take an offer, you have to immediately put something else up to PIF also, right? I think that's a terrific idea...just wish I had someting DIY to offer so I could take part in it. Soon, Im sure, I'll have plenty of stuff to offer up.

 

[markfm]

Yes. The DIY PIF is oriented towards DIY stuff. It can be bottles, pipettes, flavors, nic base, nitrile gloves, plain PG or VG,... Any component that someone uses for DIY. A new offer should be posted within about 30 minutes from when you accept the last one. For example, I may have some Vanilla Malt, spare 60 mg nic base, some Seedman Commercial tobacco flavoring, use that as a counter-offer if I accept a PIF of some flavorings that I wanted to try.

Again, like the big PIF thread, offers can be asymmetric -- people understand that you may have less to put back on the table than you accept, whether you are new to DIY or just hit a tight spot. The mods keep an overall eye on things, make sure people aren't accepting back-to-back offers or just generally being a bit too much of a taker. Unlike Treasure Chest, there is no 30 day restriction on how often someone can accept things.

 

[carpedebass]

Yes. The DIY PIF is oriented towards DIY stuff. It can be bottles, pipettes, flavors, nic base, nitrile gloves, plain PG or VG,... Any component that someone uses for DIY. A new offer should be posted within about 30 minutes from when you accept the last one. For example, I may have some Vanilla Malt, spare 60 mg nic base, some Seedman Commercial tobacco flavoring, use that as a counter-offer if I accept a PIF of some flavorings that I wanted to try.

Again, like the big PIF thread, offers can be asymmetric -- people understand that you may have less to put back on the table than you accept, whether you are new to DIY or just hit a tight spot. The mods keep an overall eye on things, make sure people aren't accepting back-to-back offers or just generally being a bit too much of a taker. Unlike Treasure Chest, there is no 30 day restriction on how often someone can accept things.

Wow! So grown ups can really act grown up on an online forum! Imagine that! This is awesome news Mark! Just awesome!