New to DIY, check out my first order please

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vaper1960

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I changed my order to 500ml 250mg nic, got 500ml each PG an VG and can get it all from RS (with bottles, syringes and flavors) for the same $100. Nice. Thank you all for the great advice!
I have to say... you are so set! No worries... you will be doing DIY for a long time before you need to restock anything. Many newbies get the standard little DIY "kit" and are basically getting ripped off. Next order should be just flavors (I'll get back to that later) Go for it... don't look back, you have taken a huge step forward. Make an unflavored base first (much easier than mixing each small batch each time) Find a container (I was going to recommend something but doesn't matter) mix your basic (unflavored base) and go from there. Keep in mind that most flavors are PG so could be up to 10% extra PG (really, don't obsess over exact measurements at first, just keep that in mind) Have fun (that's really the point of this... kinda like cooking, try different things and enjoy the learning process) there are no rules... everyone's tastes are different. It's all subjective.
 

Letitia

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Have to disagree here. Get your measurements on the nic close when working with the 250. Before I started mixing by weight I always put my nic in first so if I over poured it was any easy fix. Keep it simple at first and do single flavor tests and a couple simple pairings. For example do a single mango and split the mix in half and add 0.5% cactus to the second one. You should be able to pickup on the cactus adding some juiciness to the mango.
 

Coyote628

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If you are going with 250mg/ml nicotine, be sure to wear latex gloves and dont spill only on your bare skin. This is very strong and requires care. But it will stretch a long way for you as you will use very little in any given recipe. Economically, it's the best choice due to that fact.
 

Frenchfry1942

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To find the best single flavor version, I bought 3-4 of the same single flavor, peach for example, and made 5ml testers of each brand. Let them all steep for equal time and then tried them to see which was the most natural.

they were just 10ml purchases, but it made a big difference down the road when I was mixing for certain effects.

Good luck.
 

vaper1960

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I love happy endings! Those 4 oz (120 ml?) bottles with spouts are great for mixing "base". I just use a "sharpie pen" and a ruler and mark off 10 ml lines... don't even need to measure your ingredients, just "eyeball" it (people are too obsessed with accuracy) The tricky part of all this is getting your VG/PG ratio AND nic strength right (at the same time) I know everyone uses a "calculator" but I've never needed one myself (but I've always been good at math) I think I said this, but keep in mind the flavors are in PG so figure about 10 % PG for those.
 
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vaper1960

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To find the best single flavor version, I bought 3-4 of the same single flavor, peach for example, and made 5ml testers of each brand. Let them all steep for equal time and then tried them to see which was the most natural.
Very good advice! Like I said, small batches at first. Someone recently posted about making a 100 ml batch of some DIY and didn't like it (much easier to dump 5-10 ml down the drain that 100 ml)
OK, so I say this all the time (and maybe have a bad reputation for it) but I buy "mini-bar" bottles of vodka ($1) and use some of it for cleaning and drink the rest... the empty bottles are great for making small test batches. I just write on them with a sharpie pen... nothing fancy. Otherwise, you can order a bunch of small bottles (even on Amazon) Remember you need some "headspace" (not full) so you can shake the mix... shake it very well the first time!
 

DLKnives

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    I went out of my way to give advice... for two reasons: 1. you did everything right form the start :thumb: and 2. to help others that might read this thread. Could be many people wanting to learn DIY soon ;)

    And I thank you! I've gotten some really good advice in this thread and I'm way ahead of where I would've been otherwise. I can't wait to get my supplies and mix something!
     

    Coyote628

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    And I thank you! I've gotten some really good advice in this thread and I'm way ahead of where I would've been otherwise. I can't wait to get my supplies and mix something!
    I think you'll do fine. It's really not hard to make good juice. Start out following other people's recipes before you try to make up your own recipes. One other thing, keep written notes on everything. Nothing is worse than making an awesome mix and then forgetting how ya made it. And be prepared for a not so awesome mix occasionally as there is a small learning curve. There is, I think, a thread on here somewhere about not so great DIY attempts or the worst juice you ever made or something like that. Mine was a black cherry cheesecake that tasted like perfume. Just pay attention to what you're doing, dont overthink everything and have fun with it. And do let us know how it works out for you.
     

    DavidOck

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    We all do :)

    That's why new flavors and even new recipes get done only in small batches. While I've been fortunate in that even most of my "misses" are vapable for a tank or two, if it's not, not a big loss to dump 10 mls.

    Like Coyote said, DO keep notes. Essential. Both so you can duplicate a winner and to NOT duplicate a loser ;)
     
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