Please allow me to introduce myself

[PaulaNG]

Welcome Spawnsharks I lurked for a few weeks before I entered as well. I smoked 28 yrs with a few breaks myself. Been vaping since Feb and never once looked back at the nasty habit of cigarettes. To me this is so much "cleaner" and I'm getting the nicotine my body craves without all the carcinogens, etc...Not having my family have to smell those nasty cigarettes is a major plus as well. I wish you the best of luck. I do believe you will continue to vape for life!

 

[*paige*]

My old brand did lose it's luster after the vaping started... and I was kind of sad about it- despite liking vaping so much better. I loved analogs more than eating before switching. After I turned the nostalgia off, though, I was really very pleased with myself (or at least, my tastebuds) for making it easy to stop with the burning of tobacco.

 

[retrox]

I get easily obsessed with new hobbies, and this one has already started to take hold. Luckily for me, my local smoke shop doesn't have very many PV options

Stay off the internet. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I like to mix it up, but my favorite so far is equal parts Dulce de Leche, Cinnabun, Espresso and Chocolate Malt. I buy a bottle of each, and go through a process of mixing them using an empty bottle and filling parts at a time in a 'round robin' pattern, then hot water steep all 4 bottles. It is outstanding.

These are the words of a man who is destined for DIY. There's a great DIY forum here with tons of useful info and helpful people to get you started if (when) you decide to take that particular plunge. Making your own juice on the cheap comes in really handy when you're saving up for the next vape toy.

Welcome to here!

 

[Rickajho]

I know you! => I have no sympathy!

Welcome! lol

 

[BigCatDaddy]

I shop at Smoke ATX on S. Lamar @ Goodrich. I bought my tobacco there when I was smoking as well... They carry "Austin's E Cig" juices. They are made locally in Austin with a 70/30 mix (70VG/30PG), and many flavors are organic.. and those not labeled as such are still natural.

Ironically, I just bought a car off Craigslist, and the guy I got it from is friends with the e juice guy... I might be able to get wholesale pricing!!! Fingers crossed....

I too love the 'darker, sweeter' flavors.. I like to mix it up, but my favorite so far is equal parts Dulce de Leche, Cinnabun, Espresso and Chocolate Malt. I buy a bottle of each, and go through a process of mixing them using an empty bottle and filling parts at a time in a 'round robin' pattern, then hot water steep all 4 bottles. It is outstanding.

I know that area pretty well. Next time I'm down that way, (it's right near the shop where my buddy takes his VW bug to get repaired) I'll check it out. Thanx for the tip, always on the lookout for better juice!!

 

[dice57]

Welcome and congrats!! I smoked for 27 years and have been smoke free for 6 months and counting!! Have a bit of the obsessive hobby disorder my self. Start with cig-a-likes, then egos, the Provari and rba's, now Mechanical mod kick 2 and more rba's and DIY juice too!!! It's all good.

 

[Anjaffm]

Hi and welcome!
Great intro
And do take it slowly when reducing the nicotine, please.

Happy vaping!

 

[spawnsharks]

And do take it slowly when reducing the nicotine, please. Happy vaping!

Oh, I'm already comfortably down to 8mg. I decided that, while this was a nicotine replacement, it was still possible to trick myself into lowering the level easy enough. Also, I rolled my own high quality shag tobacco, usually pretty thin, maybe half to a third the diameter of a regular tailor made, so I don't think I was getting as much as most smokers... one pouch would last maybe 70 or 80 rolls, whereas, other handrollers in my life would get maybe 40-50. I think I was already ahead on that one.

Thank you for the welcome, and advice... more will be needed as this sets in.

 

[spawnsharks]

These are the words of a man who is destined for DIY. There's a great DIY forum here with tons of useful info and helpful people to get you started if (when) you decide to take that particular plunge. Making your own juice on the cheap comes in really handy when you're saving up for the next vape toy.

Welcome to here!

I have already lurked there. Hoping to get my post count high enough to participate... Will be looking for flavorings and nic liquid this week. I have (5) 10ml bottles of my favorite all mixed up, and hopefully that's the last premixed stuff I buy... I already do my own cooking, make cheese, bake my own breads, make my own yogurt.. on and on and on.. time to add ejoose to the list.

 

[Anjaffm]

Well, dear, all I can say is "please take it slowly with reducing the nicotine". Please do yourself a favor and take it slowly.

Hey there! I am relatively new to vaping.. one month into it, and no reason to look back at analogs.

I hate to break this to you, but you are not over tobacco cigarettes yet. Not by a long shot.
At about 3-4 weeks after the complete switch from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes, a kind of withdrawal will usually set in. Withdrawal for the other stuff in tobacco cigarettes, which has been slowly metabolized away by your body. At about this time, it is gone. And you will feel it. With me, it was a feeling of "I am not quite myself". Cranky, tired, just not myself, like I was coming down with something. That feeling.

Vaping enough nicotine at such a time does help a lot.

The nicotine is not the enemy. The nicotine is the least harmful substance in tobacco smoke. By a long long margin.
And when making the switch from smoking tobacco to vaping, the nicotine actually helps you to stay with vaping.

From my experience in the German vapers forum, the biggest mistake that beginning vapers can make is to lower the nicotine too fast.
You will be missing something. Very soon. The withdrawal for that other stuff in tobacco smoke (the stuff that actually causes the addiction, when combined with nicotine) will set in. And then... if your vape does not satisfy you... there is something that does. Something that just beckons to you.. something that can give you all that you want... - the tobacco cigarette.

Please be careful. That is all I can say.

 

[upsetter21]

+1 to what @Anjaffm said. I made such mistakes early on and found myself back on analogs the minute my first e-cigs wore out (way back when).

I'm consistent on 6mg vape these days, analog free and can't stand the smell of regular smokes now, but it doesn't hurt to store a bottle of 12 or 18mg for a rough moment. Your ahead of the game since you rolled your own - considering less tobacco than a taylor made and less other stuff such as urea. The usual smokes have chemicals such as this to increase the blood transfer and keep you more hooked. I think you'll find you can deal much better as a vaper between sessions of not vaping - you won't be nearly as dependent.

Best wishes and glad you found ECF! Hope you can arrive at enjoying a nice little hobby here also. I recently heard a phrase I liked: "vobbits" to mean vaping-hobbyist. I've always liked working with my hands and find great pleasure in modding a building coils and wicks. It's not unlike tying flies and is good for practicing overall patience and relaxation which gets undermined by smoking. It's great to rediscover an old self.