Where can I order DIY ingredients from?

[JCinFLA]

Ps I have the same order confusion when it comes to flavors. Im thinking to pick 3-5 recipes and have enough flavor to cover 240 ml ideally (unless budget constrains lol)

And I agree about the diy with single or multi flavors but I read somewhere that to build the skill it might help to make single flavors and see how each turns on its own blah blah so it made me feel like im taking a shortcut instead of gaining skill. But looking at how complex the recipes can get I dont think I have the patience for make single flavors and see which would fit best with what lol.

I'd find 4-5 recipes that you'd definitely like to make, and write down the flavorings needed for just those 4-5. Then browse through more recipes and see what others you might be able to make using some of those SAME flavorings! You might be surprised how many more. It depends on how common the flavorings are in the first 4-5 recipes.

For example, I make a NannerBerry that only takes TFA Strawberry Ripe, TFA Strawberry, TFA Banana Cream (I use the DX version), and TFA Cotton Candy. There are many other recipes that take Strawberry or Strawberry Ripe, also many that take Banana Cream, and Cotton Candy is a common Sweetener used in lots of them, too. By adding only maybe several additional flavorings to my initial flavorings list for the 4-5 recipes...I could probably make another 3-4 or more!

I never taste tested individual flavorings when I started DIY, either. Might not be the way other people DIY, but the following works for me. I waited to taste anything, until I had about a 3-5mL little test batch of the recipe made up. Then I taste tested a drop or 2, and test vaped a few drops. If it needed alittle "tweaking", I did it, wrote down what I changed, and taste tested and vaped a few more drops. Kept doing that until it was exactly what I wanted. I then input everything, including the changes I'd made, into an eliquid calculator, and it spit out a recipe according to MY OWN tastes! And to be absolutely honest...doing it that way, I've never had a bad batch yet that got flushed or poured down the drain! Every single 1 of them has been vaped and enjoyed by me.

One of my neighbor's even has me make his eliquids, too, and he works at a vape shop that sells hundreds of eliquids! He likes mine better! So I must be doing it the right way.

 

[JCinFLA]

OH, forgot this: Since you're only using 1.5mL of your Nic Base to make a 50mL bottle needed about every 6 days...I'd definitely rebottle that 120mL Nic Base from WL into smaller bottles and freeze many of them. If you don't...even if you make a month's worth of eliquids at a time, you'll have opened that 120mL bottle of Nic Base 20 times...and exposed all of it to oxygen every time. If you made less than a month's worth at a time, you'd be opening it even many more times.

I'd personally break it down into (4) 30mL bottles. At least that way you could make (20) 50mL bottles from each one, which is about 4 1/2 - 5 months' worth of eliquid. The rest would stay in the freezer, unopened until needed.

 

[Avid Vapor]

I'd find 4-5 recipes that you'd definitely like to make, and write down the flavorings needed for just those 4-5. Then browse through more recipes and see what others you might be able to make using some of those SAME flavorings! You might be surprised how many more. It depends on how common the flavorings are in the first 4-5 recipes.

For example, I make a NannerBerry that only takes TFA Strawberry Ripe, TFA Banana Cream (I use the DX version), and TFA Cotton Candy. There are many other recipes that take Strawberry Ripe, also many that take Banana Cream, and Cotton Candy is a common Sweetener used in lots of them, too. By adding only maybe several additional flavorings to my initial flavorings list for the 4-5 recipes...I could probably make another 3-4 or more!

I never taste tested individual flavorings when I started DIY, either. Might not be the way other people DIY, but the following works for me. I waited to taste anything, until I had about a 3-5mL little test batch of the recipe made up. Then I taste tested a drop or 2, and test vaped a few drops. If it needed alittle "tweaking", I did it, wrote down what I changed, and taste tested and vaped a few more drops. Kept doing that until it was exactly what I wanted. I then input everything, including the changes I'd made, into an eliquid calculator, and it spit out a recipe according to MY OWN tastes! And to be absolutely honest...doing it that way, I've never had a bad batch yet that got flushed or poured down the drain! Every single 1 of them has been vaped and enjoyed by me.

One of my neighbor's even has me make his eliquids, too, and he works at a vape shop that sells hundreds of eliquids! He likes mine better! So I must be doing it the right way.

Best! I was just going through this delimma and pop comes the answer. Awesome!

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[Avid Vapor]

Scratch that, SCRATCH EVERYTHING!!! The shipping charges are outrageous!!! They are charging 66$ for 88$ of goods! This is after I reduced my order from 120$~ when shipping was 80$.

I thought I had a rough idea of their shipping but they just increase it at a very steep rate. I guess my diy days got behind me before they even had a start!

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[Avid Vapor]

Either way I appreciate all the help I got. I know there is a vendor out there somewhere for me but I'll have to let the idea steep for now

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[JCinFLA]

Perhaps there are places in Pakistan, or at least much much closer to Pakistan, where you could get the heaviest of the ingredients shipped from...which is the PG and the VG? I wouldn't think the 120mL of Nic Base, and 15 or so small vials of flavorings would cost anywhere near that S/H to you. IMO it's the 500mL of PG and 500mL of VG. Those 2 things definitely weigh more than other liquids do.

Do you have pharmacies that may have VG? Or livestock feed stores that may have the PG? Here it's also sold in those types of stores.

 

[Avid Vapor]

Yea I just checked and even if I ordered 120ml Nic I have shipping of $21 & $43 for first class and priority respectively. I did send em an email about it and am so hoping this turns out to be a website bug. Bc the rates they are quoting I have not seen the likes of before.

And yes I can get the pg/vg locally as well. I can even get some flavors from 2-3 shady resellers but im sure the quality and condition would be far far off

Edit: the shipping charge is for a 16$ nic bottle. Does that sound normal by any standard?



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[JCinFLA]

@Avid Vapor - I just dug out the cleaned, empty, plastic, 120mL bottle that my WL Nic Base came in when I started DIY. I filled it with VG (which is alittle heavier than PG), and also got 14 of their 8mL vials of flavorings that I have. I put those things in a box with a bunch of bubblewrap and weighed it on my scale. It weighed 19.4 ounces.

Going to go to the USPS website to see what International Shipping costs would be from their location in Altamonte Springs, FL to yours in Pakistan. Will post back when I find out.

 

[Eskie]

Just out of curiosity I checked international shipping. Lot of options available, but I went with a 2 pound package (19 ounces, so being generous on weight) and International first class shipping (not any of the priority faster services) came in at $22.25 from the US to Pakistan. Of course, with priority mail the rates do jump up quite a bit.

 

[JCinFLA]

It looks like they're being fair with their S/H prices that you obtained from them. Here's what the USPS website shows:

International Services

Package, weight 1 lb 4 oz (0.567 kg) to Pakistan
(It weighed 19.4 ozs., so I input a 1 lb. 4 oz. package. So it's rounded up by them to a 2lb. package. Might as well order a few more flavorings to get it closer to 32oz. since you'd pay the same shipping.)

First-Class Package International Service -
For contents valued at less than $400
Expected Delivery Time Varies by Location
$22.25

Priority Mail International® Small Flat Rate Box -
Maximum weight 4 lbs.
Expected Delivery Time 6-10 Business Days to Many Major Markets
$33.95
(The diameter of the Nic Base plastic bottle is too big though, for it to fit in this size box. So, this option won't work.)

Priority Mail International® -
Expected Delivery Time 6-10 Business Days to Many Major Markets
$49.70

Personally, I'd go with the 1st option, and get your 120mL of 100mg Nic Base + probably 20 of the sample size vials of flavorings. (I could reweigh and see how many could go within the 2lb. weight.)

EDIT: So...for about $16 (for Nic Base) + $29.80 (for 20 8mL vials of flavoring) + $22.25 shipping = about $68. You'd need to figure your additional cost for obtaining your PG + VG somewhere closer to you, but you'd still in the longrun be saving a bunch of $$ by DIY instead of buying finished eliquids.

IF you choose your flavorings wisely, and use no more than 10% max. flavorings in your eliquids, you could make (16) 50mL bottles with those 160mL of flavorings! At your usage rate, those would last you about 4 months. If your flavoring % was lower...could obviously make even more.

 

[JCinFLA]

To put the Wizard Labs shipping rates (actually the USPS) to you into perspective, I pulled out some of my invoices from when I've ordered flavorings and such from them. Remember, I'm only about 45 miles from Wizard Labs, too!

To send me the same stuff, I'd pay $6.71 S/H, plus I have sales tax at 7% in my county, so about $2.99 tax...means I'd pay $9.70 for Shipping + Tax to get it here! The USPS shipping charge to you would be...only $12.55 more to get it all the way to Pakistan to you!

 

[JCinFLA]

I just checked to see what shipping would be if you went up to about 2lb. 14oz. package (USPS 3lb. rate then). Would mean you could add probably another (10 or more) vials of flavorings at 8mL each = 80 more mL of flavorings for $11 more in shipping cost. With that additional flavorings amount, you could make another 8 50mL bottles of eliquid, taking you to about 6 months worth of eliquids for you.

 

[Avid Vapor]

@JCinFLA You are a Godsend! Seriously Im a bit embarrassed to thank you this many times on a single page but truth be told you are incredible and I humbly appreciate the help you provided me. I admit, I think i found it hard to wrap my head around the S/H prices at first especially bc how the PG/VG affected the whole weight or the bigger box thing. I think it was also on part bc of the fact that I had a few lab equipment in my first order (120$~) which is a bit embarrassing.

But finally I have seen the light that you shown, I nailed down 5 recipes that I really want a go at, got my Nic and flavors in the cart (16 8ml & 2 30ml) and my S/H is 21$ on a 51$ parcel. Hopefully I would have around 710ml of juice from this flavor supply which if I consume at 6ml/day would get me around 4 month. I also got a local hook up for PG/VG so the excitement is back on!!

Sorry if I reacted a bit dramatically earlier and again I really appreciate everything you did to make me understand shipping!!

 

[JCinFLA]

@Avid Vapor - You're more than welcome, believe me. Was happy to pass along anything that might help you with this. I think it has something to do with me being a teacher for 30 years, until I retired. Never could stand to see anyone struggle with something, if I thought I possibly could make it easier to understand or somehow make more sense to them.

Don't worry about your first reaction to the shipping costs. I'd have had "sticker shock", too, I'm sure! That 500mL PG & 500mL VG is most likely what caused that $66 initial shipping cost. Glad you found a local source for them. Just be sure that they're both of a high quality. Over here, we don't use any that's less than USP grade to vape with: "A chemical grade of sufficient purity to meet or exceed requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP); acceptable for food, drug, or medicinal use; may be used for most laboratory purposes." Yours won't have USP Grade on it, obviously, but it should be rated somehow to show that it's above simple Food Grade, which should not be used for vaping.

So, have you "pulled the trigger" on buying what was in your cart yet? Care to share what recipes are you planning on making? How about the flavorings you decided to buy...which ones? Some of us on here may have additional recipe suggestions that you could make with them, too, if you want any more ideas.

Last, about the help you get here on the ECF - Every single one of us who DIY now, have been just beginning DIY before, like you are now. We've all had numerous questions, doubts about DIY, things we didn't understand, steps that needed further explanation, etc. and it was others on here who helped us, too! I'd bet that at least 95% of us are still learning things about DIY even now! Never feel badly or embarrassed about asking questions or seeking advice from others...about anything in life. (See...there's that retired teacher coming out in me again. Sorry!)

 

[Avid Vapor]

@JCinFLA Yes "Maam" I understand it now! Just kidding it is awesome that you were a teacher, those kids were lucky to have you! However you do give me a "Breaking Bad" vibe if you're familiar with the show

You either have a great spidey sense or maybe its the years of teaching but you address/question regarding the exact thing that I am usually going to ask you. Bc I was going to ask you if you could review my recipe and order selection and make suggestion (if it isn't too much) but you and your impeccable teaching skills beat me to it. Ill put the recipes and the order list on the next post so it doesn't get cluttered here. Oh and I didn't pull the trigger bc I am waiting for the 15th so this gets billed next month (this month is already loaded bc I ordered a bunch of e liquids)

As for the PG/ VG I did hook up with a local supplier he claims to have USP grade supplies and not the industrial one and gave me a bit of a lecture on the differences but im still not very convinved. Sadly I dont have many choices so ill have to roll with it.

Lastly, maybe its because its my first time joining a vape related forum or idk but the support im seeing here is just incredible (mostly you though on this post) Im actually very happy we already have such a strong community in place and am looking forward to the days when I may be able to contribute myself to it (yes!).

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[Avid Vapor]

Okay so these are the recipes I have so far along with all the details I could muster

Recipes

1. Kiberry Yogurt Clone - (70VG/30PG)
(http://..................../recipe/227181/Kiberry Yogurt Clone)
Fresh Cream (FA) 2%,
Greek Yogurt (TPA) 3%,
Kiwi (TPA) 3%,
Strawberry (Ripe) (TPA) 7%

2. Nannies Titties - (70VG/30PG)
(http://..................../recipe/303316/Nannies Titties)
Apple Pie v2 (CAP) 5%,
Cake Batter (CAP) 5%,
Cinnamon Danish Swirl v2 (CAP) 5%,
Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) 5%

3. BUST-A-NUT - Max VG
(http://..................../recipe/99179/Bust-a-Nut)
Bavarian Cream (FW) 3%,
Butter Pecan (FW) 3%,
HazelNut (FW) 7%,
Sweet Cream (FW) 5%,
Sweetener (FW) 1% (<<This I am skipping though)

(These 2 following use almost the same ingredients)

4. Bearded Smooth 05 (v2) - 70VG/30PG
(http://..................../recipe/221927/Bearded Smooth 05 (V2))
Butter Cream (CAP) 2%,
New York Cheesecake (CAP) 5%,
Sweet Cream (CAP) 3%,
Sweet Strawberry (CAP) 8.5%,
Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) 2%

5. CuttWood Unicorn Milk - 70VG/30PG
(http://..................../recipe/255064/INTERNAL LEAK OF CUTWOOK UNICORN MILK)
(Flavors all CAP)
Butter Cream 1.5%,
Graham Cracker 0.5%,
New York Cheesecake 0.5%,
Sweet Cream 1.5%,
Sweet Strawberry 8.5%,
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 1%,
Vanilla Custard v1 3%

Planned Quantities:
Bust-a-Nut 100ml
Nannies Titties 160ml
Kiberry Yogurt 100ml
Bearded Smooth 05 150ml
Unicorn Milk 200ml

Flavor List In term of need:

Flavor Art:
-Cream Fresh 2ml

TPA:
-Greek Yogurt 3ml
-Kiwi 3ml
-Strawberry (Ripe) 7ml

CAP:
-Apple Pie v2 8ml
-Cake Batter 8ml
-Cinnamon Danish Swirl v2 8ml
-Vanilla Custard v1 17ml (ordered 30ml here)
-Butter Cream 6ml
-New York Cheese Cake 8.5ml (rounded to 8ml)
-Sweet Cream 7.5ml
-Sweet Strawberry 29.75ml
-Graham Cracker v1 1ml
-Vanilla Bean Ice-cream 2ml

FW:
-Bavarian Cream 3ml
-Butter Pecan 4ml
-HazelNut 7ml
-Sweet Cream 5ml

I tried to best of my abilities to make such volumes that utilizes most of the flavor however I have a lot of side or undertone flavors that will be remaining. I hope I did not make this confusing. Looking forward to your suggestions!!

 

[JCinFLA]

A couple of questions for you first, before I say anything about your recipes, or make possible suggestions: (1) Have you already submitted your order? (2) What PG/VG ratio is your nic base in? Or is it in 100% VG or 100% PG?

 

[Maestro]

Bust-A-Nut is one of my favorites. I always have some of that on hand.

 

[Avid Vapor]

@JCinFLA Yea sorry it was a long post so I just re-edited the details I missed.
1. No I did not place my order and will not till the 15th bc I want it billed next month
2. I was of mind to make 100% PG but now Im not too sure. Bc if I want max VG then maybe I should make it 100% VG. Point is I'm not sure and open to suggestion
3. Fire away and pick those recipes apart, I don't mind bc Im a newbie lol

 

[Avid Vapor]

Bust-A-Nut is one of my favorites. I always have some of that on hand.

Thanks Maestro that is a relief to hear bc it can get quite confusing just looking at the recipes!