I think I'd like to try this but....

[jxc0175]

I'm kind of nervous. I have handled dangerous chemicals in high school and college lab courses, but the thought of handling nicotine does worry me. I guess I'm on here just looking for some people to talk to about diy and safety. I plan on using rubber gloves that cover the entire forearm, a visor that covers my entire face, and attire that would not allow liquid to penitrate to the skin. What kind of precautions do you folks use when handling nicotine? Any other info you can give me would help in my decision as well. Thanks!

 

[buffaloguy]

Read, read, and read the stickies in the diy forums above. Be smart, have some sense about safe handling and then HAVE FUN.

I started with those stickies and literally everything that is major is covered there. Yes, read every post, every word, its all valuable and you have the time to learn.

My grandpa always said, " if you are gonna do something right... learn first and do it right the first time so you dont have to do it again. But remember, when you do fail its only a step closer to success."

 

[Tracey1]

What mg juice are you using now?

 

[jxc0175]

I have read most of those and will read the rest. Do I understand correctly that if you buy 36 mg it's only 3.6% nicotine? In other words, it's a diluted nicotine? That would ease my mind a bit.

 

[jxc0175]

What mg juice are you using now?

18 mg at the moment

 

[Tracey1]

Well then, you could get a bottle of 36 mg nic then cut it 50% with VG or PG. That would give you your 18 mg nic base. Then you can add flavorings from there. Although you can try vaping it unflavored. It's very clean tasting.
Working with 36 mg should take some of the fear of working with nicotine down for you. I use syringes and a paper towel. However, I am careful to put the top back on the bottle as soon as I get what I need out of it.
Once you get used to handling the 36 mg, you can move to a higher level when you get comfortable with it. I would say the most important safety issue is to keep it far out of reach of children and pets.

 

[Tracey1]

And yes. 36 mg is 3.6% nicotine. The rest has been cut with PG or VG. It's really not hard to mix. Just set up a place to do it and keep kids and pets away. Rinse out the syringes when you are done. Wipe up your work area and Viola! You're done.

 

[buffaloguy]

As you probably know you can buy nicotine base in many different levels. Personally Ill handle up to 36mg base without gloves. I have glasses so my eyes are protected regardless. Above 36 mg I use gloves, and have a clean and clear OPEN area to work in with no distractions.

Most often when I recieve 60mg to 100mg juice I break it down to 24mg for storage the day it is recieved. It works for me. Over time, youll find your zone too.

Best tip, start where you feel comfortable. I wouldnt break it down to 18mg. Rather 24mg. If you break it to 18mg upon reciept then adding flavoring, dw, or other things will reduce it below 18mg. Thats fine tho if you want to reduce your nic intake.

If you vape 18mg now then buy 36mg to practice safe handling then work up the skill and confidence to go higher. Thats what I did. Now handling 100mg nic is a breeze but that being said NEVER get too comfortable. Just be smart and aware and youll be fine.

 

[Racehorse]

I'm kind of nervous. I have handled dangerous chemicals in high school and college lab courses, but the thought of handling nicotine does worry me. I guess I'm on here just looking for some people to talk to about diy and safety. I plan on using rubber gloves that cover the entire forearm, a visor that covers my entire face, and attire that would not allow liquid to penitrate to the skin. What kind of precautions do you folks use when handling nicotine? Any other info you can give me would help in my decision as well. Thanks!

It doesn'st have to be this complicated. You can just start out ordering the nic level you already vape. Let's say I'm between 15-18, I buy 18mg nic already mixed up into my PG/VG solution. Then, I just add my flavorings. Easy peasy.

Once you get more comfortable then you can get 100mg nic. I'm not ready for that. Or you can get 36mg and cut to what you need.

You will still save $$.

 

[jxc0175]

It doesn'st have to be this complicated. You can just start out ordering the nic level you already vape. Let's say I'm between 15-18, I buy 18mg nic already mixed up into my PG/VG solution. Then, I just add my flavorings. Easy peasy.

Once you get more comfortable then you can get 100mg nic. I'm not ready for that. Or you can get 36mg and cut to what you need.

You will still save $$.

I am in the process of reading and taking in the info on the stickies, but I figured I'd ask. If I get 18mg and add flavoring won't that dilute the nicotine even further?

 

[albcig]

i use 100 mg/ml nicotine with no protection whatsoever. just a syringe to pull the liquid out of the bottle. after finishing with putting the liquid in the mixing jar i rinse the syringe without touching the part that has liquid in it. 20-40 seconds operation

believe me you face far greater danger going out in the city traffic than mixing nicotine liquids at home

 

[jxc0175]

I can't find what they are talking about when say "cartridges". Apparently, I need fluval and poly-fill for these cartridges. Can anyone tell me what the cartridges are and what they are used for?

 

[cricque]

You could also start off with like 18mg nicotine and mix that down to the desired level or something. Just make sure you have time and do not need to rush the first times you make something. Set up a "mixing area", layout everything. If you plan on using higher nicotine levels, cut that down first into smaller bottles. I stopped ordering higher nicotine levels. I order 11/12mg now in 50/50 and I just add flavor. For myself I do not care if the mix turns out to be 11/10 or 9mg nicotine, I just vape it. No hassle, very easy. Yes this might cost a bit more. But I get 50/50 thin enough to vape in everything, it can't get much easier than that. Can I save a couple of €€, yes I might, but I am already saving a fortune (well supposed to be ) and you can not have any accidents at all. This might be worth thinking about

 

[Hoosier]

I can't find what they are talking about when say "cartridges". Apparently, I need fluval and poly-fill for these cartridges. Can anyone tell me what the cartridges are and what they are used for?

Carts are what you take off the atomizer so you can put a drip tip on.

I'm guessing that cart use has fallen way off in the last 3 years. I know it has for me.

 

[vernhall]

If I get 18mg and add flavoring won't that dilute the nicotine even further?

Yes, it will... I'd start with 24mg so adding your flavoring won't dilute you too far below 18mg unless you're trying a fancy recipe that has lots of diff additives... I'm new too, but doubt that working with 24mg would be much diff than working with 18mg as far as safety precautions go... That being said you should always employ 'all' your standard safety precautions regardless of what concentration you're working with...

 

[serenity21899]

I am in the process of reading and taking in the info on the stickies, but I figured I'd ask. If I get 18mg and add flavoring won't that dilute the nicotine even further?

Let's say you want to make 30ml. You can use 30ml of your base plus the flavorings, which would dilute the nic a bit.
Or use an online calculator to make 30ml, including the flavoring which would stay at 18mg and whatever PG/VG ratio you want.

 

[Dougiestyle]

A lot of DIYer's heads would explode if they saw the "careless" way I mix. No gloves, no protection. Just a syringe. The 100mg never touches me on my skin. I have never had nic poison.

100ng/ml works to 10% suspended in PG or VG. The accepted lethal dose of nicotine for average human is 1000mg. This means you would have to allow 10ml of 100mg/ml to sit on your skin until it was completely absorbed. I'm sure I will wash it off immediately, but a close attention to detail is neccessary when mixing and caution is all I rely on for safety.

Basically, don't be scurred!

 

[jxc0175]

Thanks everyone! I'm gonna start at 36 mg or 24 mg. I found a couple of videos so I can actually see the process. It seems easy enough, but I will not let that stop me from being careful. Thanks for all your help!