You said you would be buying more supplies next month? The stuff will keep in the original bottles until you eventually buy more glass. Steeping in glass is better than plastic IMO so I'd go with just enough glass for that. Order more glass when you know for sure what you will need. I got more glass than I ended up needing when I first started. I know someone who needed glass for their herbal holistic stuff so it went to use and I still have backups.
New shiny or start DIY. Budgets are kind of disapointing
- Thread starter Keeferes
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
You said you would be buying more supplies next month? The stuff will keep in the original bottles until you eventually buy more glass. Steeping in glass is better than plastic IMO so I'd go with just enough glass for that. Order more glass when you know for sure what you will need. I got more glass than I ended up needing when I first started. I know someone who needed glass for their herbal holistic stuff so it went to use and I still have backups.
Also, I'd start with single, simple, flavors to begin with and work up to other more complicated mixes.
I've found spearmint/menthol is forgiving and even what I consider a bad batch is vapable. Same for vanilla (or so I'm led to believe)
I've found spearmint/menthol is forgiving and even what I consider a bad batch is vapable. Same for vanilla (or so I'm led to believe)
I am definitely starting with simple recipes. Single flavor, maybe some sweetner if needed. I like 50/50 juice, so is it more beneficial to get my nic in pg or vg? I also like a smooth light th. I looked at the starter kit from naked nicotine mentioned earlier, seems to be a pretty decent set to start off with, but I think I'm better served peicing my own. I do know I want a couple of mbv flavors, because their cinnamon roll and moo juice are a couple of my adv. Other flavors will be simple fruits mostly. Watermelon, strawberry, orange, and raspberry. Those are on every juice order I place.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Save your existing bottles and clean them out they will come in handy when you start diy. You need only a few things.... nic in your choice of pg/vg, extra plain pg and vg., syringes in 1/3/5ml to start plus luer lock needles in 14/16/18 gauge , droppers from walmart , a few bottles, the flavors of your choice and the ejuice me up calculator. Start small and add to your base equip as you progress. You will be surprised how cheap it can be done.
I suppose it depends on the vendor you go for - the last batch of nic I got was 100% VG (I prefer a higher percentage of veg 
)
Some will sell 50/50 nic base though, that's on order for next month.
I guess a 50/50 base and PG/VG to add would make sense, but when mixing with 100% VG nic base I just adjusted the levels to what I was aiming for (my PG will last a while!)
If you've not already seen it, ejuicemeup is a nice little program that will help you mix - you tell it what you have and what you want and it does the math
The original vendor I bought my DIY from only sold the nicotine solution in VG, so I was kinda limited with that choice initially. It worked out for me though. I'd say a 50/50 mix if you can get it would be a better starting point, especially if you are trying to achieve an overall 50/50 end product
* Edit - just noticed a lot of online vendors will offer nic base in either VG or PG - maybe the vendor I've ordered offers more choice, no idea. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter really. The volumes of nic base going into your mixes is small compared to the volumes of VG/PG going in, so you just adjust accordingly
)Some will sell 50/50 nic base though, that's on order for next month.
I guess a 50/50 base and PG/VG to add would make sense, but when mixing with 100% VG nic base I just adjusted the levels to what I was aiming for (my PG will last a while!)
If you've not already seen it, ejuicemeup is a nice little program that will help you mix - you tell it what you have and what you want and it does the math
The original vendor I bought my DIY from only sold the nicotine solution in VG, so I was kinda limited with that choice initially. It worked out for me though. I'd say a 50/50 mix if you can get it would be a better starting point, especially if you are trying to achieve an overall 50/50 end product
* Edit - just noticed a lot of online vendors will offer nic base in either VG or PG - maybe the vendor I've ordered offers more choice, no idea. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter really. The volumes of nic base going into your mixes is small compared to the volumes of VG/PG going in, so you just adjust accordingly
Last edited:
VG is much thicker than PG, and, IMO, more difficult to use. It's slower to pour and harder to suck up into syringes. I chose PG based nicotine for this reason. Other than that, it's a toss-up.
Also, 14ga needles for VG are the way to go if you're using syringes. I use 18ga or even 20ga for PG and flavors (which are usually PG based).
OMG
I wish they shipped to the UK....
I want, no, -need- a chemical splash hood. How cool is that!!
Awesome looking vendor. Well jealous now
I've actually been just doing 6ml batches until I become better at it. I made a 30ml batch that didn't come out good and now 30mls of my supplies are gone. A nice 6ml batch is good for two good sized tanks full and if it goes wrong you're only out 6ml.
I do my recipe creation in 1 mL NO Nic batches. Once I got the flavors where I like them I do a small batch with nic. If I still like it after the small batch is gone I do 2 50 mL bottles and make a new 50 mL bottle when the first one is gone. One always steeping while the other is being used.
Start small with 10ml batches at the most. Add to your mixture one drop at a time, it can take months to get a perfect flavor.
Think about mixing your DIY juice by weight.
I read this thread here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/492182-mixing-weight-you.html
And purchased a scale shortly after. My glassware now sits unused. Mixes are done into the dropper bottles I keep my juice in. Nothing to clean up when I'm done other then the 2 syringes I use for transferring pg/vg and nic.
There is a very nice Calculator that works with weight/volume/percentages/drops here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/480587-new-calculator-try.html
A good scale is a bit more on start up costs then the glassware, but the time savings and ease of use have made up for it.
I read this thread here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/492182-mixing-weight-you.html
And purchased a scale shortly after. My glassware now sits unused. Mixes are done into the dropper bottles I keep my juice in. Nothing to clean up when I'm done other then the 2 syringes I use for transferring pg/vg and nic.
There is a very nice Calculator that works with weight/volume/percentages/drops here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/480587-new-calculator-try.html
A good scale is a bit more on start up costs then the glassware, but the time savings and ease of use have made up for it.
I use the KISS method for mixing.
Grab the measuring cup from the kitchen. Put 50ml of 100mg base, 150ml of additional PG, and 200ml of VG into a pint canning jar, and you have 400ml of ready to go unflavored 12.5mg base to work with.
No way am I going to mess around with that 100mg nic base every time I want to mix up 10ml of juice!
Grab the measuring cup from the kitchen. Put 50ml of 100mg base, 150ml of additional PG, and 200ml of VG into a pint canning jar, and you have 400ml of ready to go unflavored 12.5mg base to work with.
No way am I going to mess around with that 100mg nic base every time I want to mix up 10ml of juice!
Last edited:
I bought the beakers but never use them. I use 2 1ml syringes for flavoring & 100mg/ml nicotine. I have a 6ml & 12ml syringe for PG & VG. It's easier to suck up the VG by pulling the needle off no matter what gauge needle but if you warm the VG a little first in hot water and draw it up slowly, a 16 gauge needle will work fine. I buy my nic from Wizard Labs or Nude Nicotine. I have bought PG from both before but now prefer to use Essential Depot. VG I get from Walmart but Essential Depot has good prices on it, too. I'm a 70PG/30VG mixer so I don't use much. I make 5 ml test batches without nic when figuring out my preferred flavor percentages. Once I find the magic percentage, I'll turn the 5ml into a 10ml batch with nic. If I haven't tired of it before it's gone, I'll make a 20ml batch. Only a few have made it to 30ml batch status.
The plastic bottles your store bought liquids came in should be fine for anything you mix up. They should be made out of the type of plastic that is not affected by the alcohol & acids of the flavorings. I can't remember if it's LDPE or HDPE or both. The cloudy/milky plastic is the good kind--think milk jugs.
Flavorings at Wizard Labs come in 10ml glass vials @ $1.49 each. I use TFA and only a few need more than 10% flavoring and I am not a super-taster by any stretch of the imagination. Some flavors are exceedingly potent--anything that has coffee in it, many tobaccos, blackberry--I have no idea why it's so strong, the tiramisu is so strong it scares people when they take the cap off as is the caramel cappucino. I haven't had to mix any over 15% and some of those, I have since backed down on because they develop more as they age--Juicy Peach & Strawberry Ripe specifically but taste is subjective so you may like them stronger/weaker than I do.
The plastic bottles your store bought liquids came in should be fine for anything you mix up. They should be made out of the type of plastic that is not affected by the alcohol & acids of the flavorings. I can't remember if it's LDPE or HDPE or both. The cloudy/milky plastic is the good kind--think milk jugs.
Flavorings at Wizard Labs come in 10ml glass vials @ $1.49 each. I use TFA and only a few need more than 10% flavoring and I am not a super-taster by any stretch of the imagination. Some flavors are exceedingly potent--anything that has coffee in it, many tobaccos, blackberry--I have no idea why it's so strong, the tiramisu is so strong it scares people when they take the cap off as is the caramel cappucino. I haven't had to mix any over 15% and some of those, I have since backed down on because they develop more as they age--Juicy Peach & Strawberry Ripe specifically but taste is subjective so you may like them stronger/weaker than I do.
If I decide to go this route with my budget this month, how does this list look? I left flavors off, and I have some other bottles already I have been saving, but I think this should be a pretty good start, based on the suggestions, to get me through a month or two. By the way I am around a 3-5ml a day person. I will be targeting 50/50 18-24 nic.
1ml Luer Lock Syringe (2)
14ga Blunt Tip Luer-Lock Needle 1.5" (2)
10ml Luer Lock Syringe (2)
30ml Cobalt Blue Glass Bottle w/ Glass Dropper Top (5)
60mg Nicotine solution - 120ml (1)
18ga Blunt Tip Luer-Lock Needle 1.5" (2)
Propylene Glycol USP - 120ml Propylene Glycol USP (1)
Vegetable Glycerin USP - 120ml (1)
Griffin Beaker Bomex Glass - 50ml (1)
Glass Stir Rod 10" (1)
1ml Luer Lock Syringe (2)
14ga Blunt Tip Luer-Lock Needle 1.5" (2)
10ml Luer Lock Syringe (2)
30ml Cobalt Blue Glass Bottle w/ Glass Dropper Top (5)
60mg Nicotine solution - 120ml (1)
18ga Blunt Tip Luer-Lock Needle 1.5" (2)
Propylene Glycol USP - 120ml Propylene Glycol USP (1)
Vegetable Glycerin USP - 120ml (1)
Griffin Beaker Bomex Glass - 50ml (1)
Glass Stir Rod 10" (1)
Last edited:
When mixing small test batches, I use 100% pg since it's so much thinner and easier to work with. VG adds a little sweetness to the mix, but not enough to matter to me in the early stages of a recipe.
Finally, I find the plastic beakers shed liquid slightly better than glass, but the measurement lines are a little harder to read / less accurate. It's a trade off, so I went with the plastic since I use the syringes to measure in the components.
ETA:
I like the syringe, needle, and bottle choices.
I rarely stir stuff. The only exception is when I'm diluting 100mg nicotine, and then I use a small spoon. I have a glass stir rod, but only use it across the top of the beaker when pouring (surface tension makes the liquid "grip" the rod, keeping it from dribbling down the side of the original container).
Last edited:
Def go with DIY ...I love it! I get my flavorings from the same place I use to get my juice. I don't try to mix complex flavors I just mix single flavors and just combine with them together when I get ready to vape.
Equipment wise I am very simple I have 1 30 ml syringe I use for everything. I make sure to have a glass of hot water and just make sure to flush it a few times in between flavorings. I mix up my nic base seperatly so all I have to do is add the flavoring and fill the rest of the bottle with my base. But I like the same PG VG ration so this is possible.
Now I used clear finger nail polish to cover the numbers on the syringe cause they do wear off if you don't.
Equipment wise I am very simple I have 1 30 ml syringe I use for everything. I make sure to have a glass of hot water and just make sure to flush it a few times in between flavorings. I mix up my nic base seperatly so all I have to do is add the flavoring and fill the rest of the bottle with my base. But I like the same PG VG ration so this is possible.
Now I used clear finger nail polish to cover the numbers on the syringe cause they do wear off if you don't.
A 30ml will work for PG and VG in big batches, but if you're mixing smaller batches a 30 isn't going to give very repeatable results... order a few 1ml's and 5ml's and I think you'll thank me
Initially, there is some waste due to experimentation. That's why I stay with 2 ml batches then count flavor drops until I find something that works. My issue is wasting the cartomizers to sample each recipe. I probably went through $40 worth. Could've bought 2 dripping atomizers for that.
Oh well. My "lab" days at Mrs. Kodiak's kitchen table are now over. What a joy not to hear, "God help your sorry ... if that stuff stains my oak!" anymore. I got lucky early I guess because I've got something now that vapes just wonderfully for me. My mixing kit only contains base nic juice and 2 flavors.
- Status
Similar threads
