How to get started with DIY?

[kartoffelfaust]

I skimmed through quite a few threads, but just looking for pointers on where to buy base supplies: nicotine and VG specifically.

Is the stuff off amazon OK, or are there preferred places to pick this stuff up?

for example:

Amazon.com - DR 100mg/mL Nicotine Solution in 100% VG for Gum or Lozenge 750 Pieces of 2 Mg 375 Pieces of 4 Mg (15mL) -

http://www.amazon.com/Glycerin-Vegetable-Kosher-USP-43/dp/B004C7MTLA/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_y

All the amazon stuff is presented as food grade vs pharma grade. Is high desert vapes a more trustworthy vendor to go through? Just looking to draw upon the experiences of those who have been there done that.

 

[Alien Traveler]

Double post

 

[Alien Traveler]

VG is good at Amazon (it is USP grade, good brand name, as in your link), nic - very overpriced.

You can get about 12 ml nic for $2 as a "free" test specimen for new customers from Nude Nicotine. Anyway, it is best to get nic from vape suppliers (see thread about nicotine).

 

[Ablonz]

VG you can get at Walmart if your in a pinch but personally I go through www.myfreedomsmokes.com for all my stuff.

 

[WillyZee]

$350 for 960ml ... this guy Dr. Liquid and his lozenge business will also be roped in by the FDA regs.

even in the comments ... the talk is all about eJuice.

I would buy from anywhere but there.

 

[Liquidkam]

I get mine from wizard labs. You can buy it by the gallon there and it's not too expensive. On top of that they ship international for free when you order over $65 worth of goods from them. Good company.

 

[Tmebs]

Essential depot has 1gal. PG and VG shipped free for under 60$ right now

Bullcity, wizardlabs,Rts, Nudenicotine and many more have most everything you would need to start.

Can keep it simple when starting and mix directly into used/saved old e-liquid bottles and use syringes from Walgreens

Use a calculator...find recipes you think sound yummy...order those ingredients and give it a go....can be frustrating and rewarding...

Good luck, and as someone once told me have fun!!!

 

[Train2]

That's bizarre - the nic stuff...
I, too would go with known nic vendors:
WIzard Labs
MyFreedomSmokes
Nude Nic
There's a dozen of them most DIY folks use.

PG and VG, it depends - for a small startup order, go with whoever you're getting nic or flavor from.
For volume, go with Essential Depot - available direct or on Amazon.

 

[Alter]

I got my PG and VG both out of amazon at the best price. I just made sure both were free shipping and along with other items they usually were. There's lots of nic suppliers in the US but I refuse to bring it over the border since I don't want a black mark and jeopardize all my other online US buys so I resourced my nic in Canada. There's plenty of trustworthy nic vendors, I saw that listing too and was leery about the nic.
RTS, bull city, buyhangsen are the 3 I've delt with and got my stuff and happy with them. I build myself a magnetic mixer and got my beakers and assorted from china through eBay. I got my syringes from our local vet, and waiting on some glass ones out of china. I'm in no hurry so waiting a couple weeks for shipping is no biggie, just be sure you calibrate the syringes, read lately how inaccurate syringes can be but mine are vet bought and spot on.
I find the K.I.S.S method even with DIY, I'm making single flavors just to see before building some complex formula without knowing what to expect. I'm more interested in ADV tobacco and thats a long steep process so I've gone more into tobaccos than the other flavors. I just read, jot in a notepad for the tobaccos that sound promising to what I'm looking for and document everything in that Juice Me Up calculator.

 

[MiamiMom63]

I have been getting my nic from MyFreedomSmokes for a few years. I get my VG from my local grocery store and it is USP Grade. Getting flavors would depend on what types you like. I get my all day vape flavor from Mount Baker Vapor, but other sites like OneStopDIYShop are good. Or I have bought my flavors directly from the manufacturers also. I personally would be too nervous about buying nic from Amazon. I prefer a well known vendor like MyFreedomSmokes, Wizard Lab or RTS Vapes.

 

[Rat2chat2]

Did not take me long to get into the whole DIY thing. At first it was to save money but the it turned into a hobby and I found out I liked what I made better than what I had been purchasing. As far as starting out. . .

I prefer calculators here and they have some good information as well as recipes.

Do It Yourself E-Liquid (E-Juice) Recipe Mixing Station!

Good places to get nic.

Liquid Nicotine

Wholesale Nicotine 100mg Heartlandvapes Wholesale

Essential Depot is where I prefer getting my pg/vg. They happen to have a 15% off sale this week because they are moving.

http://www.essentialdepot.com/product/GLYERIN-1-PLUS-PROPYLENE-1.html?

As far as my tips to a new DIY'er. . .

I love the Vaping Zone's Gourmet and Super Concentrated flavorings because you use 1-3% in a recipe and I find it more economical than other flavorings that recommend 10-15%.

If you are going to be trying different flavorings it is also nice to have a dripper to test. I still use the igo-L dripper and it is super easy to use. Like $7 at Fasttech.com and you can get pre wrapped coils if you are not interested in building your own.

Start out make smaller testers. You don't even have to add the nic to your juice until you are sure it is something that your taste buds will dance over.

A graduated glass cylinder is probably the most used supply I have purchased for my DIY'ing.

Graduated Cylinder Bomex Glass - 100ml

You can get very inexpensive syringes from you pharmacist. I get mine at Samsclub. I rarely use them anymore though. I do however use disposable pipettes (wash out and reuse)

Start out with a lower than recommend percentage on most flavorings. I find most are very strong and had rather build up to my preference rather than dilute it down.

Keep meticulous notes because you don't want to create a juice that knocks your socks off and not be able to produce it again.

This is all I can think of off the top of my head. Just remember to have fun. (and share with other DIY'er)



Good luck to you on your new adventure.

 

[Mroutlaw]

I skimmed through quite a few threads, but just looking for pointers on where to buy base supplies: nicotine and VG specifically.

Is the stuff off amazon OK, or are there preferred places to pick this stuff up?

for example:

Amazon.com - DR 100mg/mL Nicotine Solution in 100% VG for Gum or Lozenge 750 Pieces of 2 Mg 375 Pieces of 4 Mg (15mL) -

http://www.amazon.com/Glycerin-Vegetable-Kosher-USP-43/dp/B004C7MTLA/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_y

All the amazon stuff is presented as food grade vs pharma grade. Is high desert vapes a more trustworthy vendor to go through? Just looking to draw upon the experiences of those who have been there done that.

Best place and cheap prices is wizard labs http://wizardlabs.us
Pg and vg are $9.50 for 500ml. 500ml of 36mg nic is $30

If your new to diy get 36mg nic base to cut down (unless you're vaping high nic). 100 mg is dangerous to work with

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[kartoffelfaust]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply - great info here.

My initial goal is just to make a simple unflavored concoction of mostly VG at about 3mg. The advice above about getting more diluted nic sounds like a good idea for a quick trial and error - less downside. NETs, my preferred flavor, don't last long in an RTA or even my drippers before the coils are scragged. I dislike fruity, dessert, and other such flavors. The few flavors I like that go decent in an RTA I'm getting tired of and need to lay off them for a while.

 

[Alien Traveler]

If your new to diy get 36mg nic base to cut down (unless you're vaping high nic). 100 mg is dangerous to work with

No, it is not dangerous, unless you spill it on carpet. But 36 mg on carpet is not a nice thing either.

But I agree, for the first try diluted works better. I started with 48 mg nic, now I use only 100 mg.

 

[Cheechako]

Fantastic advice above!
I too started at the lower mg when I first started mixing and it's good advice.
Another thing you might want to look at is Farm Supply stores (Tractor Supply) are great places to pick up
various sized syringes and needles for mixing. I just grind off the point as they had no blunt nosed needles.

 

[kartoffelfaust]

Just wanted to close the loop on this thread.
I ended up ordering everything from wizard labs. As was mentioned above, $65 for free shipping, otherwise, it was $18+ for shipping (sigh). So I just ordered everything from them to get started. Will do next VG order from essentials depot.

I went with 60mg/ml nic for the following reasons:
- reasonable margin for rookie error (+/- 0.05 to 0.10 ml not a show stopper)
- keeps PG down, as I prefer heavier VG.
- I didn't want VG based nic, due to the hassle of the thicker liquid.

Been at this a week or so now. Some of the flavorings I threw in for the heck of it from wizard labs are not very good. But, unflavored hits the spot and is simple enough to do. Some of the ones I picked up from MVJ are quite good, and I can mix them lighter than the norm.

High VG (say 93/7) liquids are a pain to shake & mix thoroughly though.

 

[b.m.]

High VG (say 93/7) liquids are a pain to shake & mix thoroughly though.

A cup of hot water is an easy fix for that.Just sit the bottle in a cup of hot water for a few minutes,it will thin out enough to make it very easy to shake up.