Weight vs. Volume ?

[DaveP]

If in doubt about the accuracy of a DIY scale at low end weights, use a new coin to check it out. A new penny should weigh 2.5G. That's closer to the DIY ingredients we use.

My scale came with 500 gram calibration weights, but I often wonder how accurately it measures at low gram weights.

Coin Specifications | U.S. Mint

 

[zoiDman]

If in doubt about the accuracy of a DIY scale at low end weights, use a new coin to check it out. A new penny should weight 2.5G. That's closer to the DIY ingredients we use.

My scale came with 500 gram calibration weights, but I often wonder how accurately it measures at low gram weights.

Coin Specifications | U.S. Mint

FYI:

A Brand New, Crisp, 100 Dollar Bill weighs 1 Gram.

 

[score69]

FYI:

A Brand New, Crisp, 100 Dollar Bill weighs 1 Gram.

Spend that $100 bill on a good scale and you won't have to worry about accuracy as much.

I've not been really pleased with the few 'kitchen scales' I've bought. As was mentioned above, they don't seem accurate for lower gram weights, and none of the ones I purchased will show an increase in weight until you add a 'sufficient' amount more. The only way to get the increased weigh if not adding 'enough' is to remove the pan from the scale, and set it back on.

Perhaps I've just made bad choices in the lower end scales I've bought, but all I ever intended to use them for was herbals and the like. Never planned on using them for DIY as I'm a fan of working by volume.

I have an analytical balance (max capacity of 120gm), that weights accurately to 0.2mg. I check it with an expensive callibration weight a few times/year, but it stays spot on. No fluctuations when weighing, TINY amounts register correctly. It's great for sub-milligram amounts. If I could find a good gram scale that worked well I would pick one up. Again, not really for DIY, just something to have in the kitchen for weighing bulk supplements, herbals and the like. Not really appropriate to have an analytical balance set up in my kitchen. Anything I've bought in the past either was junk, or didn't last more than a few months before having issues.

Guess I haven't really gotten serious about shopping for a new gram scale yet, perhaps it's time. I don't trust my current one at all, so there's not much point to having it.

 

[zoiDman]

Spend that $100 bill on a good scale and you won't have to worry about accuracy as much.

...

Really Doesn't matter what type of Measuring Tool you have. If your goal is Accuracy, at Any Level, you Need a way to Reference Measurements to a Known Standard.

I would Always recommend that anyone who has a Scale to do DIY also have a Decent Set of Standards to verify their Scale.

But in the absence of a Set of Standards, a new US Federal Reserve Note, a new Penny, and a new Nickel could be used.

 

[Capt.shay]

Spend that $100 bill on a good scale and you won't have to worry about accuracy as much.

I've not been really pleased with the few 'kitchen scales' I've bought. As was mentioned above, they don't seem accurate for lower gram weights, and none of the ones I purchased will show an increase in weight until you add a 'sufficient' amount more. The only way to get the increased weigh if not adding 'enough' is to remove the pan from the scale, and set it back on.

Perhaps I've just made bad choices in the lower end scales I've bought, but all I ever intended to use them for was herbals and the like. Never planned on using them for DIY as I'm a fan of working by volume.

I have an analytical balance (max capacity of 120gm), that weights accurately to 0.2mg. I check it with an expensive callibration weight a few times/year, but it stays spot on. No fluctuations when weighing, TINY amounts register correctly. It's great for sub-milligram amounts. If I could find a good gram scale that worked well I would pick one up. Again, not really for DIY, just something to have in the kitchen for weighing bulk supplements, herbals and the like. Not really appropriate to have an analytical balance set up in my kitchen. Anything I've bought in the past either was junk, or didn't last more than a few months before having issues.

Guess I haven't really gotten serious about shopping for a new gram scale yet, perhaps it's time. I don't trust my current one at all, so there's not much point to having it.

I think you "can" be just as accurate with either method but I am a strong supporter of weight based mixing.

Three main reasons:

Ease of use: Once you are set up it is just plain quicker and easier.
Repeatablility: There is no reading a meniscus or left over in the syringe or cylinder. There is no guess work with a decent scale.
Clean Up: I mix from my flavor/base bottles directly in to the final bottle. NO clean up. Just shut the scale off.

The bottom line is that both methods work. I just find weight based much easier and faster with a scale.

In case you may not have seen it, I have a sticky on the top of this page outlining the way I weigh: Mixing By Weight: Basics 101

 

[DaveP]

FYI:

A Brand New, Crisp, 100 Dollar Bill weighs 1 Gram.

I wonder if a hundred dollar bill weighs more than a one dollar bill.

 

[zoiDman]

I wonder if a hundred dollar bill weighs more than a one dollar bill.

No. They All weight the Same. But the Style Factor is Ginormously Higher.

Remember...

There's Only Two Types of Class.
1st Class. And No Class.

 

[DaveP]

This one has served me well for a couple of years. When I measure out four 100ml bottles of unflavored juice and set them side by side, all liquid levels are equal. That's repeatable enough for my application. Double digits to the right of the decimal point.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Wei...00+gram+scale&qid=1554392926&s=gateway&sr=8-5

 

[score69]

This one has served me well for a couple of years. When I measure out four 100ml bottles of unflavored juice and set them side by side, all liquid levels are equal. That's repeatable enough for my application.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Wei...00+gram+scale&qid=1554392926&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Thanks, I'll check this out.

Won't be using mine for DIY, I mix minimum of 1L up to 1 gallon of unflavored for my DTL use. Much easier for me to measure by volume in those kinds of batches.

This thread has gotten me shopping for a new scale now though, lol. I just need something I can trust for grams to 0.xx accuracy. Doesn't need to be capable of more than 100gm either. Primarily looking for something I can weigh a few grams or less and feel like I'm getting a relatively consistent weight/accurate weight each time. I buy/use a lot of bulk herbals, so looking for something to keep in the kitchen.

 

[charlie1465]

This whole thread is about ratios really....in practical terms we could apply any value to the ingredients in terms of molecular weight as long as the differing ingredients reflected the correct quantity ratio as in reality.

As long as you get the ratios correct then the recipe will be fine. And actually small discrepancies in the quantities will not have a profound effect on the recipe.

Hope that makes sense

 

[DaveP]

Just weighed a penny I had in my pocket. It was an older penny. The features were slightly worn. It weighed 2.47 grams (brand new penny is 2.5g) on the AW scale above. That's probably a good indicator that it's in range with the DIY ingredients we use, especially with small amounts like nic and flavor.

 

[score69]

Just weighed a penny I had in my pocket. It was an older penny. The features were slightly worn. It weighed 2.47 grams on the AW scale above.

Thanks for $25, this one is on my list. Will be doing more research today. Don't want anything too expensive sitting out in the kitchen either, so this is a contender. I've got a nice set of calibration weights I can use to check it. As long as it's reasonable accurate, I'm looking more for precision/consistency.

 

[zoiDman]

Just weighed a penny I had in my pocket. It was an older penny. The features were slightly worn. It weighed 2.47 grams on the AW scale above. That's probably a good indicator that it's in range with the DIY ingredients we use, especially with small amounts like nic and flavor.

What does 10 Pennies weigh?

 

[DaveP]

Thanks for $25, this one is on my list. Will be doing more research today. Don't want anything too expensive sitting out in the kitchen either, so this is a contender. I've got a nice set of calibration weights I can use to check it. As long as it's reasonable accurate, I'm looking more for precision/consistency.

Buy the American Weigh Scales LB-501. The LB-3000 that looks just like it weighs higher ranges, but the accuracy is .1 gram. The LB-501 is accurate to .01 grams. Both might appear in your search for American Weigh Scales.

 

[DaveP]

What does 10 Pennies weigh?

That would be variable if they were previously in circulation.

 

[zoiDman]

That would be variable if they were previously in circulation.

That was what I was going for.

If a New Penny is supposed to weigh 2.5 grams, I was curious what a n=10 sample of circulated Pennies might weigh?

Was going to ask what 100 Weighed? But figured that might be a Little Extreme.

 

[stols001]

Man this is getting into flip a coin 100 times territory. Heads always wins, I think.

It's supposed to be some "mystery of science" but in my opinion there is probably a smidge more weight on one side or the other that tips the scale.

Disclaimer: I'm not entirely sure if this is an urban myth or not, but like, I could probably solve it on mythbusters.

If it's real, that's the explanation though. I'm fairly sure.

Anna

 

[DaveP]

Spend that $100 bill on a good scale and you won't have to worry about accuracy as much.

I've not been really pleased with the few 'kitchen scales' I've bought. As was mentioned above, they don't seem accurate for lower gram weights, and none of the ones I purchased will show an increase in weight until you add a 'sufficient' amount more. The only way to get the increased weigh if not adding 'enough' is to remove the pan from the scale, and set it back on.

Perhaps I've just made bad choices in the lower end scales I've bought, but all I ever intended to use them for was herbals and the like. Never planned on using them for DIY as I'm a fan of working by volume.

I have an analytical balance (max capacity of 120gm), that weights accurately to 0.2mg. I check it with an expensive callibration weight a few times/year, but it stays spot on. No fluctuations when weighing, TINY amounts register correctly. It's great for sub-milligram amounts. If I could find a good gram scale that worked well I would pick one up. Again, not really for DIY, just something to have in the kitchen for weighing bulk supplements, herbals and the like. Not really appropriate to have an analytical balance set up in my kitchen. Anything I've bought in the past either was junk, or didn't last more than a few months before having issues.

Guess I haven't really gotten serious about shopping for a new gram scale yet, perhaps it's time. I don't trust my current one at all, so there's not much point to having it.

I weigh my nic first and it's only 3g of 100mg/ml nicbase for a 100ml bottle of unflavored. Then I add the PG and VG. It always registers the first drop or two and continues to increment as I drip it from the dropper. There's a little settling time on a digital scale and you have to slow down as you reach target weight, but all that became second nature quickly.

I use pipettes to transfer nic, pg, and vg to the scale and the flavor bottles for flavor. Most flavor bottles create small drops and that's an accurate way to add flavor.

 

[DebbieNY]

I've not been really pleased with the few 'kitchen scales' I've bought. As was mentioned above, they don't seem accurate for lower gram weights, and none of the ones I purchased will show an increase in weight until you add a 'sufficient' amount more. The only way to get the increased weigh if not adding 'enough' is to remove the pan from the scale, and set it back on.

My scale has a lag with lower grams, too. I blow on it after I add drops to wake up the scale a bit. Then I wait a few seconds for the drops to register. If not to the gram level I want, drip some more, blow, and wait.

 

[ScottP]

We use percentage while mixing our liquids, but what would be most exact for the VG and PG ?

I personally use volume because I have a set of graduated cylinders (10ml, 25 ml, 50ml, and 100ml) but I don't have a decent scale.

I posted the following in another thread, but re-posting here because it seems to fit:

Everyone gets so hung up on accuracy, but I mix 236ml bottles at 6mg/ml which takes 14.16ml of 100mg/ml nic base. Even if my margin of error was a FULL + or - 1ml, which it isn't, that means the min possible nic concentration in the final solution is 5.5mg/ml and the max is 6.4mg/ml. To be off by a full 1mg/ml difference I would have to be off by about 2.5ml in measuring 14.16ml. That just isn't going to happen. Neither case would even make a noticeable difference much less make it suddenly unsafe or even mildly hazardous. I doubt even being off by that much with flavoring would be detectable by taste.

The point here is measure the best you can with what you have. It will be close enough.