Questions from an Experienced n00b

[WyattDerp]

First off, I'm still interested in the whole DIY thing as I can save me some money, potentially find some of my favorite flavors and add to my ecig experience. I know some of the basics of DIY, including the excel calculator and all but my questions are these:

How much does DIY usually set you back per batch? How much liquid do you make per batch? Who are some of the best vendors for unflavored niquid? What are some of the best recipes you have come up with?

Thank all of you for the help in advance.

 

[Spazmelda]

I'm doing 60 ml for about $5 (about $0.08/ml). Could be better if I ordered my nic in larger bottles, but it's low enough for me.

I make anywhere from 5 ml to 120 ml at a time, depending on whether it's a new flavor or my favorite.

I use RTS for my liquid.

My all day vape is Caramel Apple Pie (8% LA apple, 4% PA pie, 1% LA caramel + sucralose).

 

[WyattDerp]

I'm doing 60 ml for about $5 (about $0.08/ml). Could be better if I ordered my nic in larger bottles, but it's low enough for me.

I make anywhere from 5 ml to 120 ml at a time, depending on whether it's a new flavor or my favorite.

I use RTS for my liquid.

My all day vape is Caramel Apple Pie (8% LA apple, 4% PA pie, 1% LA caramel + sucralose).

Awesome, I could definitely go for only paying $5 for 60 ml. Also what strength eliquid are you using?

 

[Spazmelda]

I use 100 mg/ml base and make my liquids at 16 mg/ml.

 

[wendallb]

You won't save much money as you are getting your flavors, nic and everything together but once you are set up you will save a lot of money. You will spend some money experimenting to find what you like and once you do you are good to go.

And 1 more thing, Dang it is fun!!

WendallB

 

[Nunnster]

According to the excel calc I spent 8 cents (9 rounded up) to make a ml of juice. I got my nic today (been making nicless batches for a few days now) from void mist. I got 60/mg nic in a 120 ml bottle for 10 bucks to try it out. Right now I am vaping on a clove blackberry that I just mixed up and its tasty.

 

[WyattDerp]

Sweet. A lot of great information so far. Keep it coming.

 

[Kurt]

I calculated that my DIYs are about $0.50 for 10 mL. this includes the VG-nic, VG, and flavorings. Flavorings I USE, that is. We in DIY tend to buy a whole bunch of flavors and end up using or liking only a fraction of them. I buy my nic unflavored liquid in bulk on sale, and then store it in small glass bottle in the freezer. Lasts virtually forever that way. Flavor cost is comparable to nic cost, BTW.

 

[WyattDerp]

I guess one of the main things I'm confused about is websites offering 30mg and 60mg and 100mg unflavored niquid. Which is preferred as you would have to use more of less of different unflavored niquid?

 

[ThatJoeGuy]

There is a site with a series of calculators that allow you plug in the costs for each of the compnents, and will calculate the cost of the batch as well as the percentages and such. I can't tell you how well it works or vouch for the accurace as I have only found it, haven't used it yet:

DIY E-Liquid (E-Juice) Mixing Station!

 

[Hoosier]

I use 100mg due to it being easy for me to do a double check on the nic level math in my head. (I have wide fingers and have been known to it multiple keys at a time and not notice.)

But when calculating mg/$ 60mg is, in a number of instances, less expensive.

 

[WyattDerp]

Okay awesome information so far.

 

[orachel]

I'm just getting started, but as for % of nic in my niquid, here's my thinking. First of all, I won't ever be comfortable working with plain base vg/pg and adding pure nicotine liquid. I'm just too clumsy, and that stuff is dangerous. What I do is use the highest % of nic liquid that I'm comfortable with, about 48%. I might go up to 60% once I get a little more adept and on firmer footing with the DIYing process. The higher you go with nic %, the cheaper the diying will be, since plain VG/PG is cheaper than that with nicotine. With high nic, you add less liquid with nicotine (the expensive stuff) and more plain PG/VG (the cheap stuff) when you dilute down to your chosen nic percentage. But i'm rather uncomfortable working with anything with higher percentage than 48nic, since I figure if I happened to make a stupid human error and somehow dilute it incorrectly, at least it won't kill me at that percentage. Plus, 48% nic makes sense for me just starting out because I'm vaping at 24 these days, so a half and half blend is hard to screw up! lol

 

[Spazmelda]

Just to add a friendly correction to the last post 100 mg/ml nicotine isn't 100%, it's 10%. 60 mg/ml nicotine would be 6%. Pure nicotine (something like 996 mg/ml) is very dangerous indeed and I wouldn't recommend anyone work with it. 100 mg/ml requires careful procedures, but is not nearly as dangerous as pure nicotine.

 

[orachel]

BTW, you guys with smartphones... have you found the free app for eliquid calculations? I havent' played with it much, yet, but seems pretty handy dandy so far. If you search marketplace for 'eliquid' its the only one available. My buddy gr82cu turned me onto it, and i'm loving it so far.

And I forgot to answer your other two questions. I'm too new in the process to have fave recipes and so forth, yet, but I'm playing around a lot with organic flavor concentrates from Vaperite (awesome!!!) and they are terrific so far. I also don't know quite what its costing me per ml so far, as I'm making a lot of screwup batches just getting used to the process.

But I will say... I was amazed at how reasonably priced getting started with DIYing was. I went WHOLE HOG and got a master mixing kit at OneStopDIYShop dot com, and that really was a nice 'starter' kit with everything you need in terms of plastic ware, measuring devices, syringes, bottles, gloves, etc, plus enough VG or PG nic juice of your choice to get started, plain VG or pg and your choice of 8 flavors for about $36. They really treated me well at One Stop DIY Shop and even threw in a little gift and a basic mixing guide. I was highly impressed with their service and speed. Vaperite was fantastic too, and threw in a gift as well. Both shipped within an hour, which was outstanding. Plus i got a ton more flavors. Between the stuff I got there, the organic flavors I got at vaperite, the bunch of $1 flavors I got just to try at Healthcabin, and the little additives I wanted like koolada, sour drops and menthol crystals, and a slew of extra really nice cobalt blue glass bottles, I was in about $120, and ended up with about 48 different flavors (so i could really experiment with some recipes) and enough liquid to make about 10 oz of juice. Clearly it'll be way way cheaper when i figure out what flavors I love and buy juice and flavors in bulk quantities. But wanted to mention that since I'd always figured getting started with DIY would be really expensive in short run, but save me loads over time. Conceivably, if i hadn't been so picky and wanted a truckload of flavors, I could have done just with the $36 Artisan Master mixing kit at onestop just to get rolling. So anyone who's putting off trying DIY because of the initial expense, you can really try your hand at it for about what you'd pay for 2oz of gourmet juice. NOT shabby!

 

[WyattDerp]

Again, tons of great information.

 

[orachel]

Just to add a friendly correction to the last post 100 mg/ml nicotine isn't 100%, it's 10%. 60 mg/ml nicotine would be 6%. Pure nicotine (something like 996 mg/ml) is very dangerous indeed and I wouldn't recommend anyone work with it. 100 mg/ml requires careful procedures, but is not nearly as dangerous as pure nicotine.

Yep, I meant the PURE nicotine liquid, added to plain VG or PG. That just strikes me as a LUDICROUS risk to keep around the house! lol Thanks, though, for the correction! That didn't make much sense the way i had it phrased.

 

[ThatJoeGuy]

I'd go with 100mg, personally, because it makes it much easier for my math-deficient mind. Wouldn't even consider anything higher. But for right now, I have 48mg and 60mg, and I'm fine with that.

I received an 'Apprentice Kit' from OneStopDIY, and some great correspondence with Kim there. I'm totally a Kim fan now...what a generous person. OneStop will now be my FIRST stop for DIY. Breaktru's ejuicemeup rocks, too. And Wlad @ Ahlusion is an incredibly valuable person to know, as well.

 

[WyattDerp]

Okay, well I'm going to look into OneStop DIY. Thanks for all the help.