#5 in Kitchen utensils & gadgets
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Reddit mentions of Precision Digital Kitchen Weight Scale, Food Measuring Scale, 500g x 0.01g (Black), LB-501
Sentiment score: 81
Reddit mentions: 164
We found 164 Reddit mentions of Precision Digital Kitchen Weight Scale, Food Measuring Scale, 500g x 0.01g (Black), LB-501. Here are the top ones.
Buying options
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- LIGHTWEIGHT KITCHEN SCALE: This digital food scale measures 7.3" x 5.5" x 1.5" and only weighs 1.12 pounds. It's the perfect size for measuring ingredients for your baking and cooking creations.
- LARGE BOWL: With your purchase, you'll receive a large expansion bowl that can help contain your ingredients while measuring. The bowl can hold fruits, vegetables, coffee, and more!
- LCD SCREEN: The digital scale's backlit LCD screen makes numbers viewable and easy to read—even in dim lighting. Thanks to high-precision sensors, you'll get an accurate measurement every time.
- BUILT-IN COVER: Keep your electronic food scale safe with the built-in plastic cover. It will keep your scale looking like new and protect it from scratches, bumps, and everyday wear and tear.
- HEAVY-DUTY PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION: Our portable scale has a durable surface that's easy to clean. Place your items directly onto the plastic or place them in the expansion bowl for measuring.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Gray |
Height | 1.5 Inches |
Length | 7.3 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 500x0.01g |
Weight | 1.1243575362 Pounds |
Width | 5.5 Inches |
Thank you for posting this. I think they've assumed their users already know how to use it.
If I were a winner (which I am, actually, but do know what I'm doing) I would make some test batches with 0 nicotine, using the drop method. It's not even close to 100% accurate, but with what they're sending you, it's enough to get a feel for if you like DIY or not.
Mix up some 0 nicotine juice with what they send you. If you like it, order more. At that point, you'll want to invest in some actual equipment because by drops is inaccurate, but acceptable so long as you aren't using nicotine.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482206345&sr=8-4&keywords=american+weigh+scale is a great scale for small scale users. I remember it being much cheaper when I started than what I've linked, so maybe you can find it cheaper somewhere else, but that scale is what you need.
These are good pipettes for measuring with your new scale: https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Plastic-Graduated-Transfer-Pipettes/dp/B00W4QJNYW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482206554&sr=8-1&keywords=disposable+pipette
You can, as OP said, measure by volume, using syringes, but it's messy. It's hard to convince someone who hasn't tried mixing by weight to actually invest in the equipment, but trust me, if you're even somewhat interested in DIY, you want to do it by weight, not volume.
Also, really visit the forum OP linked. I never posted much there at all but I promise you VIAB wouldn't be around without the knowledge from that forum. Read, read and read some more.
Here's the short and dirty list:
That's the quick run down. It's a blast to do, and a helluva lot cheaper than buying at your local B&M! The up-front cost is a little steep, but for about $100 you can get to making some great juice.
Propylene Glycol - From Lubrisolve
Vegetable Glycerine - from Lubrisolve
Nicotine - From Pink Mule
Concentrates
HDPE Bottles - For PG/VG Base
HDPE Bottles Boston - For PG/VG Base (If you prefer Boston type)
American Weigh Scales LB-501 - Scale
Graduated pipettes - I use these to transfer my nicotine to the E-liquid bottle. I also use these for flavor bottles that doesn't come with a nozzle. These are extremely cheap, and you won't feel bad about tossing them after.
---
Use Natural Nozzle and Captive Cap 28mm or Natural Nozzle and Captive Cap 24mm for you VG base. These nozzles are designed to be cut, and the more you cut, the wider the bore will be which is perfect for VG since VG is a very thick base.
For E-liquid bottles, whatever you prefer. iBottles has LDPE and PET bottles in various different sizes.
You definitely don't need syringes.
Get this scale, learn mixing by weight and thank everyone who suggested it later.
You will have no mess, mix faster, mix much more accurate, be able to reproduce your results exactly (consistent), and have better tasting mixes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005UGBG20/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479593220&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=AWS-LB501&dpPl=1&dpID=41M3TE8qG8L&ref=plSrch
Here's a protip: don't even bother with mixing by volume. Using syringes, cylinders, pipettes etc are a huge messy pain in the ass. Buy a scale and mix by weight. Here's a good one.
I'm a fan of Bull City Flavors- http://www.bullcityflavors.com/
They have pretty much every flavor from all of the major companies, plus pg and vg for a fair price. Also have a 6% discount code - VU6.
You'll also need some nicotine from either Nude Nicotine or Vape Clarity. I like getting it in 100% VG to help cut down on VG usage.
You'll also need a scale accurate to .01 gram - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Mixing beakers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU6Y6X6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
PET bottles - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plastic-Squeezable-Dropper-Bottles-5-10-20-30-50ml-Liquid-Juice-E-Eye-PET-USA-/182439458891?var=&hash=item2a7a3d384b:m:mzrhDE22jYZfB8vMJhsQZiA
And very importantly, a milk frother that will mix your juice in under 30 seconds and save your sanity vs trying the shake method- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0158P72L6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Then go find yourself some juice recipes that look tasty to you- http://e-liquid-recipes.com/
And install the "ejuice me up" program to do all of the calculations for you-
http://ejuice.breaktru.com/
And you'll need the weights from this thread to put into the ejuice me up settings- https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/
This is also a great starting point to read how to mix by weight. Or if you're a visual person here's a fan-freaking-tastic guide on it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RdboUVCROs
So yeah, you're looking at a $100-150 investment to start off with, depending on how many flavors you order. But then the juice is a few cents per ML instead of like, a dollar+. Most of your cost from then on will be replacement bottles and VG and flavoring.
Easier, cleaner, and quicker to get a scale and mix by weight. I use the American Weigh Scales LB-501. It has the 0.01g resolution you need for mixing by weight, and it's a steal at $23 rather than cleaning a bunch of syringes every time you mix up a batch of e-liquid.
You want a scale that can read down to .01 grams. Check out the American Weigh Labs LB-501, it's on amazon as well, runs about $24.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Tips.
If you do it like that, I can see your math. However, if you do it like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WUPUYCC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YptHxb7EHCH6V
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005F5OJG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KqtHxbP3G3QW7
http://www.carolinaxtract.com/#!product/prd12/3738421821/120ml-sample-100mg-ml-nic-html
http://store.flavorah.com/All-Vaping-Flavors_c_8.html (Or Bull City or ECX or Gremlin, etc. - let's call it $50 in flavoring)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TxtHxbBFM078P
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B9V20W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NBtHxb23GQ99V
You can make ~4L/4000ml of 3mg/ml for ~$150 or a little under $0.04/ml, so ~$4.50 per 120ml with supplies left over.
Maybe I'm mistaken in thinking ~$150 isn't large scale but I'm sure many people on here spend at least that much in a six month period (five 250ml of Blue Dot will run you $187).
http://amzn.com/B005UGBG20
No timeout when it's plugged in.
Here's a link to one that a lot of us use. The LB-501 link
I always charge friends $5 per 30ml, which seems to be the norm around here. I will sometimes lower the price a couple bucks if they get a 120 or larger, just so i dont have to make them juice as often lol.
For the scale, get the AWS LB-501. It is the most commonly used around here and for good reasons.
Hope this helps.
You will need one that measures down to .01 gram increments.
And don't do as suggested and "throw everything else away". That would be incredibly stupid.
You WILL find yourself needing a syringe with a blunt tip or pipettes every once in a while. Not all bottles from all flavor companies come with a dripper top.
EDIT [This] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) is the scale that most of us use.
A scale will make your life a lot easier. It is a expense, but will the money saved by making your own liquids it will pay for itself after a batch.
I for one got sucked up a bit. You find a million different recipes and you want to try a good 30-50'ish or so but you need one or two different flavorings that you don't have and it piles up. Now I have so many TFA flavorings that most will last me 6-9 years with how little I use some of them. Don't get sucked into deals too as I have quite a bit of 30ml's also. WTF am I going to do with 30ml of papaya flavoring???
At 3% flavoring, 70/30 VG/PG, PG Nic, which is common, It'd take me literally 1,000 ml to finish the bottle.
Here's a protip, stick with very few and go through gremlinDIY as you can get it in 5ml bottles cheap. 5ml will go A LONG way and if you run out then you know that's your profile and then step it up to 10 or buy it in bulk cheap at nicotineriver.com as they have the best price when you want a lot.
Go ahead and get the VG/PG from Amazon and not from a DIY place as it's too expensive and all their shipping prices are out of control. The Essential Depot versions are the ones to get which are proven and will save you money.
For nicotine you don't want to skimp out. Go through either or vaportek or nudenicotine at 100mg (know what you're doing first) in PG as VG can be hard to work with, but go VG if you have an allergy or want max VG for example and 120ml of it will last you ages. Take that bottle, spread it out in 3 different batches and throw those bitches in the freezer.
Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RdboUVCROs - Order the 501 scale: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01
Go to http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ - Register, then set your preferences to grams.
You're welcome for this btw:
EcigExpress - 10% off code: ELRECIPES
Bull City - 6%, discount code: ELRECIPES
Nicotine River - 10% off code: ELR
Gremlin DIY - 5% code: ELRECIPES
Those are the places to hit and what most use. If anybody else has a better code or another place they go through feel free to share. That's just a simple little guide as there's a lot more, but soon you'll be busting out the 'nana cream clone in no time. All the info you need is in the DIY sidebar, and yes, it's really that easy, especially when doing it by weight. Also, when you order plastic or glass bottles, get double of what you think you need. That might be the most important tip of them all :-)
These are two sites I would recommend you take a look at. I would also recommend you check out this scale that is recommended in Botboy141's guide if you are gonna want to be mixing by weight. I'm an amateur mixer and everything I know is from the great people of this subreddit or my limited experience.
EcigExpress:
(Nicotine over 60mg limited to ground shipping.)
This site's prices bother me because I mostly use Bull City Vapor but to my knowledge Jungle Flavors are sold here exclusively so I've been pushed into making a purchase (for that Sweet Strawberry). I haven't received my recently made order and do not have much to say of them.
Bull City Flavors:
This place is a little cheaper than EcigExpress but doesn't have free shipping unless there's some sort of event. I've ordered from this place more often than other sites because they have great processing times and customer service.
Both sites can be have products to mix by weight if scale is purchased separately.
To give you a representation of how their prices differ here's an example of one flavor's two prices:
EcigExpress TFA Strawberry Ripe: $1.49 10ml $3.95 30ml
Bull City Flavors TFA Strawberry Ripe: $1.29 10ml $2.99 30ml
Starter kit pick up from /u/TheBrokeVaper. Best deal by far. It makes a ton of juice. Recipes can be found in many places but the most popular is [ELR]
(http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/a-beginners-guide-to-making-the-most-highly-rated-recipes/83612)
That is a good starting point!
EDIT: [and you'll want this scale for mixing]
(https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20)
When I first got into DIY 2 years ago, my first goal was to craft a green tea recipe from scratch. I've probably put more study into green teas than any other type of flavor, but this was the verdict in the end:
After a ton of experimentation, I came up with this recipe: Shinto
If you're planning on creating a new green tea recipe, stay at or below 1% FLV Eisai Tea. It is very strong.
--On your question when it comes to flavor retailers, one of the very best is bullcityflavors.com. They stock nearly everything and at very competitive prices. If you ever can't find a particular flavor you're looking for, there, check ecigexpress or the flavor manufacturer's own website.
--On nicotine: the most cost-effective and simple to use mix is 100mg/ml nicotine in a 100% PG base. You'll find this mix on most nicotine retailer's sites. Nicotine does not mix well in VG, so you end up with a lot of hotspots if you get it in a VG base. The best nicotine comes from Carolina Xtracts, period. Second best is Liquid Nicotine Wholesalers.
--Stop mixing your flavors at 10% or some arbitrary number, or you're going to end up with a lot of shitty mixes. Every flavor has a particular percentage that works best, either by itself or in a particular recipe. FW Blueberry, for example, is great at 6%, but if you put 6% FLV Eisai Tea in a bottle you would probably throw up.
On that note, the greatest thing that changed everything about how I mixed was getting a scale. A huge amount of people on this sub are currently using this scale.
The next best thing was finding the best recipe calculator available, which is EjuiceMeUp. Free, offline software that simply works.
This is the version of the "blade" scale that you would want... 0.01g resolution... but it's only good for mixes up to 100g.
Unless you're ok limiting yourself to batches of like 80mL at a time, you should consider a different scale.
The typical scale used around here are 500g limit with 0.01g resolution, like this one.
The thing is, VW is fucking stupid. They offer a DIY flavor pack, some pg, and some vg with no real way to mix. Now, you may be thinking that winning this giveaway is super cool, but let me tell you why it might not be all peachy.
First, you need bottles to mix liquids in and they didn't provide any of those. You can reuse empty glass bottles you have lying around if you'd like. Remove labeling, take pipette out of the cap, boil the bottle and pipette in distilled or filtered water for about 10 mins and then let dry. If you want to buy some cheap plastic bottles, you can get them on amazon for any size you'd like.
Second, no one uses VW flavorings because they are either Flavor West flavorings, VW specific flavorings, or they are just given a VW name despite being a Flavor West flavoring. I think it's the latter of what I listed. The reason this sucks is because the majority of us here have never used VW flavorings so we cannot help with recipe suggestions.
Third, they didn't provide any pipettes or syringes to accurately measure out flavorings that you'd like to mix with. You have two options here. Buy some syringes or disposable pipettes to mix by volume or buy a scale to mix by weight. If you feel that you want to go further into DIY, then I'd suggest getting a scale with a resolution of 0.01g and a 500g capacity. If you just want to mix with the flavors that you won, then buy something similar to this
Fourth, this may not be a big deal to some, but most people that vape want their liquid to contain nicotine. This flavor pack does not contain nicotine so you're gonna have to buy some if you want your mixes to contain nicotine. Here is a guide that is all about nicotine.
So as you can see, if you want to be able to properly use what VW gave you, you will need to either already have items that will allow you to mix liquids or you will have to purchase additional necessities.
I'm sure we will all help as much as we can, but the knowledge and use of the VW flavorings is lacking and we all prefer to use flavor concentrates from the more popular and widely used companies.
Fuck you, VapeWild!
This is a good video to watch as it goes over most details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L18sa1DJJw
I would highly recommend against mixing by eye sight. You should write down your recipe and use weights. This way if you make something you like you can repeat it. Also while adding nicotine you're going to want to be really fucking exact with how much you're adding, as you can give yourself too much.
A scale like this is super helpful and is accurate to 0.01 grams:
https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Depending on how much you're making you could be adding 0.12 grams of a flavor. The only way to do that reliably is with a scale.
get a scale like the LB501 you need a scale that weighs down to .01g
also it helps that it has a plug and wont turn off on you
I would recommend not upgrading to a graduated cylinder, but to a scale. This is what I use and I can mix about a batch up in about 2 minutes. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463618218&sr=sr-1&keywords=digital+scale
>Bonus* She just squirted the syringe to hard, juice shot everywhere and in her eye.
if you love her, get her a scale. no messing around with with syringes means less steps, less time, and less clean up.
This is not meant to be snarky. To get accurate syringe measurements - buy a scale.
This is the usual recommendation
or spend >$30 and get this. Makes DIY life soo much easier than syringes IMO.
You want this one. The one you linked has a 2min auto off. It can work as I used it for a short period of time but you have to be fast and you can't do very large batches with it either.
This is the one I use. It was recommended by a large number of DIY e-juice mixers. I use it for both that and kratom. Also for kitchen needs. I've had it for about a month and its great so far. Rarely becomes offset but is easily corrected. Has an AC adapter as well as battery power. Previously I'd used something crummy like you're describing that needed to be turned off and on repeatedly to get a good read. Check it out and see what you think.
American Weigh Scales on Amazon
Maybe lost, but [this](American Weigh Scales LB Series Precision Digital Kitchen Weight Scale, Gray 500 x 0.01G LB-501 is the one I was recommended for mixing vape juice. It's been great for two years now for me. If you need higher precision, I think their 3000 series is more accurate at the same price. I didn't look like it came with calibration weights like this one does though.
nic river has a pretty great starter kit, but since you seem like you are already mixing I would suggest looking into mixing by weight rather than mixing by volume.
the lb-501 is probably the most popular. good capacity for large batches, but still accurate down to .01 g's. You can mix right in the bottle and cut out a lot of other steps.
I was looking for a similar scale a couple years back for making e-juice. The issue that I had with local places is that most scales only display 1 decimal place (when weighing in grams), you need two. Also any scales I found locally had very limited weight capacity at that sensitivity level.
I know you are looking locally, but the one I settled on was from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Thing works like a champ! It does not weigh directly in mg but will weigh in grams with two decimal places.
Prices from one shop to the next are usually fairly similar. If you're making a big order, standard shipping will be free. Since you're in BC, go with http://www.diy-ejuice.com/. They are rock solid, have a great selection of flavors and fantastic customer service. I buy from them and I'm in Ontario, even here, packages arrive super quick.
Also, buy a scale! Don't even question this logic, just buy it, here's the exact one you need. https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1465740631&sr=1-1&keywords=American+Weigh+Scales+LB-501+Digital+Kitchen+Scale
If you can't find a flavor, here's a complete list of all the verified vendors in Canada. Sometimes you have to shop around to get obscure flavors.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadian_ecigarette/comments/4rhj6h/complete_list_of_canadian_diy_ejuice_vendors/
I diy too, I get my flavors from either bull city or gremlin diy, the bottles under 120 are dropper bottles so they're nice for mixing by weight.
nicotine from nude nicotine, their time from order to ship is rather long, about 4-7 days for both orders I placed. You can get a 15ml sample for a few bucks from them, which is enough to make 500ml at 3mg. I recommend a small dropper bottle for nic if mixing by weight, and keeping it in the freezer when not in use. I've heard vaperstek and carolina xtract nicotine are also good quality, and there are cheaper options but I've had a pretty bad experience with liquid barn so I spent a little more on nic. Some nicotine vendors have their own line of flavors as well, I wouldn't recommend getting them because they're usually hit or miss and aren't really used in any recipes you will see posted in various places.
I don't recommend full vg nic, especially for a first timer. It's hard to work with and needs to be shaken VERY well because nicotine will separate from vg more easily, leading to pockets of higher nicotine. A 50/50 or 100% pg nic base won't add much to the end product at 100mg if mixing to 3mg, 1.5% and 3% pg respectively.
I split my nic into 60ml glass bottles with normal caps that I got from bull city, and top it off with this inert gas spray to displace the oxygen since 100mg will oxidize pretty fast.
For vg and pg, I just get essential depot pg and vg from amazon, 1 liter bottles of each are around $12 with prime shipping. I use large hdpe squeeze bottles from liquid barn for dispensing pg and vg, but any large squeeze bottles that are air tight when sealed will work fine.
I use this scale to mix by weight, but any scale with .01g resolution that is fairly accurate can be used. Mixing by weight is easier for smaller batches, and you don't have to deal with syringes and other measuring equipment.
e liquid recipes will give you both weight and volume measurements when you input a recipe, I enter recipes on my pc and bring it up on my phone for mixing since I usually mix in the kitchen.
There's tons of great information on the sidebar on the DIY ejuice subreddit including a mix by weight tutorial, just make sure you read before posting anything that isn't covered there. The up front investment for DIY can be high, especially when buying a scale, but it's way cheaper than even budget ejuice companies in the long run.
if you have been buying juice commercially then save your old bottles and you can wash them out to start. If you pick up a scale (lb-501 comes recommended) you can use an online calculator like https://alltheflavors.com/ or https://e-liquid-recipes.com/ to figure out how much to add of everything by weight.
​
definitely read the information in the sidebar if on desktop or in the 'about' if on mobile.
It's not so much that they're "for 50/50 pgvg blends with high nicotine" as it is they include a bit of everything you'd need with the idea that you'll reorder only what you go through as needed instead of simply buying another starter kit - basically if you're hardly using any PG or nicotine but use a lot of VG, just order more VG by itself when you start running low!
If you just want to buy the products individually, that's fine, too, and will get you farther IMO. Here's what I'd recommend for a high VG-mixer:
100mg/mL nicotine base in VG: once you get it, dilute it down to ~25mg/mL and break it up into smaller glass bottles, storing all but the one you're currently using in the freezer. 250mL of this base will last you 2+ years if you're vaping 10mL of 3mg/mL a day, so this is about the cheapest way to go for you! Personally I'd recommend Nude Nicotine's, and if you're a first-time customer you can order a 15mL sampler of their nic base for basically the price of shipping ($2) to see if you like it.
USP Vegetable Glycerin, >99.7%: a gallon can be had for under $40 if you know where to look. Can be had off Amazon, I can personally attest to the one sold by DudaDiesel as having no negative affect on flavor but if you want something basically guaranteed to be good hit up Nude Nicotine for this as well.
USP Propylene Glycol, 99.9% can be had for about the same price but I'd get a smaller amount - if you don't have a sensitivity you might want to use a tiny bit to help carry flavors better, but you can skip this if you like.
Flavors: I would not recommend tons of TFA flavors but a variety of theirs, Capella, FA and others just to see what's out there. Hit up Bull City Vapor and eCigExpress for some good deals on smaller quantities of these.
Miscellaneous supplies: this will depend entirely on how you want to mix. I prefer and recommend mixing by weight, and at that rate I'd recommend a scale like this one, but many people for whatever reason get started mixing by volume with syringes. Either way you'll need bottles and labels, and you'll want to keep a notebook or some other method of tracking what recipes you've tried, how much you actually used vs. how much you meant to use, et cetera.
Hope this helps!
Awesome. Now all you need is this scale to do your mixing on. It's great. Reads down to 0.01g increments, and all the way up to 500g. Also doesn't auto-shutoff when it's plugged into the wall (which is VERY annoying when you're taking your time to mix).
I was amazed when I started to mix by weight at the difference in my consistency. I use an AUS LB-501 scale I found on Amazon and it is what was recommended on the /r/DIYeJuice site. You can get one [here] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00) for $26.95. I hope you can recreate your recipe. Good luck.
Getting all your stuff from one place is hard, flavorings tend to run outta stock from different vendors at different times. If you are serious about doing it right get a scale. This was the one most recommended for this kind of application.
It is a decent initial investment but worth it in the long run. Steeping is real and I do not like any "speed steeping methods", I just rely on time.
Enough ranting, long and short of my experience has been trial and error. I found the flavorings I enjoy, then I experiment pick the winners, mix larger batches, steep, wait, vape, enjoy!
I'm using this one which does have an auto shutoff after around 20 seconds. Very annoying but you can get around it by just tapping the scale to wake it up before you add a new ingredient.
I've seen this one recommended a few times over on /r/DIY_eJuice as it has a long timeout but I haven't found a similar one in Europe yet.
HAHA i do the exact same thing with the exact same bottles and get the exact same results. I use this scale
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
With those same bottles in 4oz from sks. i still need to get a few of the smaller ones for nicotine though. I've used the 4oz just fine but i would rather have something smaller, and keep the bulk in the freezer. You wouldn't have a couple spares i could buy off of you would you? If i recall the shipping through sks was quite expensive.
EDIT:
Here's what I've done with my so far.
https://i.imgur.com/8u4GJQa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VPvybSA.jpg
This is the one I have which was recommended by someone on ##vaperhangout on IRC.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used to go to amazon to get mine. I started to run into the same issue you are running into. I have since moved on to Pipettes and have started measuring by weight. Here is the scale i use :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And disposable Pipettes are cheaper than syringes.
If you are adding fluid in small amounts, a drop or so at a time, the scale may not register the change. If it continually shuts off with this happening, you are guaranteed to eventually add the wrong amount of liquid to a mix.
Cheap and easy and does what you need it to:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
most popular scale among us mixers
Scale 30
PG 13
VG 13+7Sh (Price is different from when I bought it, recommend difference source)
100 Pipettes 5
Lorann Sampler 15
Various bottle options, take your pick.
At some point, you'll want some CAP Sugar Cookie. Other than that, some might recommend a scale rather than syringes. It will definitely pay for itself in terms of time and less stuff to clean.
This seems to be the scale of choice for most mixers.
I believe this is the one I use, cost less than $10. Only drawback is with the 100g capacity, I can't use my beakers, but it works fine for mixing 100mL or less in a plastic bottle.
Scale. You need a scale to be accurate when mixing. A scale and some pipettes have been doing me just fine. I also have 3 clear squeeze bottles that I fill with PG/VG/NIC from my larger containers.
It's so fast to mix juice now, clean up is a breeze. I love it.
The scale I use
3ml Pipettes
Sourcing everything in your first order from the same vendor will save on shipping costs.
I don't know your budget, but I recommend getting the AWS-LB501 Digital Scale from Amazon, currently $35 USD. This way, you never have to touch pipettes, syringes, beakers, cylinders, etc. and just pour everything into the bottle you'll end up carrying the juice in. You can easily exceed $35 buying all that other mixing crap so just start off mixing by weight using the scale. Super easy.
Bottles: Get whatever size you like to buy in store. I like 30mL bottles but that's because I'm constantly switching flavors (which you might start doing too once you see how fun DIY is!). Having said that, I'd also recommend getting a set of 10mL "tester" bottles. This lets you try out recipes and experiment without wasting too much flavoring / nic / VG / PG.
Also as /u/chewymidget saidbuy flavorings for specific, well reviewed recipes instead of random flavorings. I didn't do this when I started out and regret it. This helps make the initial mixing experience more enjoyable since you'll be making good juice right off the bat.
Here's a quick list: ###
I hope this helps out. Good luck and above all else, have fun with it!
Ask Santa for a scale. No more cleaning syringes as well as being easier. This is what I got and seems to be the most often recommended.
First, watch this, then come back: How to make your own E-Liquid : Mixing by Weight - DIY Tutorial I hate youtube tutorials, and I still recommend this, so seriously, watch it.
Now, a warning. You can spend a tiny amount to start DIY, or you can just take the plunge and spend a good chunk, but be set for a while and the cost per ml drops even more.
So you'll need supplies. Other than nicotine and flavorings, Amazon works pretty well.
I put my PG and VG into some squeeze bottles I found at wal-mart for $0.97. Makes dispensing them super easy (just like in the video). You can also find them on Amazon for slightly more, but Walmart is on the way to work, so I just stopped there.
I put my flavors into dripper bottles, which I got from Heartland Vapes, but that only works if you want 100+. Free shipping is at $75, so I also threw flavors into my orders, since I'd need them anyway. Personally, I started with single flavor juices that I knew I'd like. I ordered a lot from MtBakerVapor, and most of their flavors are just single flavor FlavorWest (FW) stuff, so I grabbed them. I made those for a month, then I started buying more flavors (like my favorite, TFA Chai). Now I'm adding more flavors into my juices, judging on what I think would work well (it doesn't always). Start simple, then build on what you learn.
Buy some nicotine from your preferred vendor, if you want nicotine in your juice.
Then wait impatiently while USPS loses your package in San Diego, CA, during which you can download the calculator and experiment with it. The bottom calculator on the side bar is amazing. Now you're going, "Crap, I gotta weigh my liquids!". Well, not really. You can take the specific gravities off the manufacturer data sheets (sometimes there, sometimes right, don't trust the ones from FW), google them, or ask here and someone probably has them. Or, you can use the built-in weights for PG and VG, and then set your flavors to 1ml = 1g. It's close enough.
Most of all, remember to have fun.
Quick tip: Better not enough flavor than too much. Too much flavoring mutes the flavor, not enhances, and spearmint burns your lips when you add too much. You can always add more, you can't take away.
LB-501 found here
I absolutely second mixing by weight. Trying to suck VG through a syringe was an extremely tedious process. After thinking I'd like to make larger batches, and then remembering that pain, I gave in and got the scale. After my first time mixing on that I was kicking myself for ever trying to do it the other way.
Nicotine river for VG, Carolina Xtract's or vaportek for nic, the scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_X-5SzbGZGCSSP
For flavorings, just go on all the flavors and buy for recipes you think you'll like.
To add to what u/juthinc said:
Don't get a kit.
LB-501is pretty much the standard for scales. 500g max. .01 increments, and no auto shutoff.
I use essential depot for vg and pg, but it's more or less the same thing you'll get from diy shops if that makes you more comfortable. As long as you get the kosher shit you'll be good.
I find chemnovatic nicotine to be the highest quality, I get mine from vaperstek. I buy the 120ml 100mg nic in PG, then divide it into 4 amber glass dropper bottles when I open it. Keep it in the freezer.
For bottles you can search Amazon for 30ml / 1 oz ldpe dropper bottles for a smaller quantity, I buy in bulk from heartland vapes.
/r/diy_ejuice
Go to Amazon and get this scale:
American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_YCC2wb86TX4A5
You can also get PG and VG from Essential Depot on Amazon. Get a 500 pack of disposable pipettes and nitrile gloves (not latex). Get some dripper bottles if you need them.
Find two or three recipes on diy_ejuice that sound interesting and buy the flavorings from Bull City Vapor, Wizard Labs, Gremlin DIY or another website. Pick up nicotine while you're there. Start with 40mg/ml potency and always use nitrile gloves when handling. This shit is poisonous af.
All you have to do is enter your recipe into a calculator such as dot1ml.com and input your PG/VG ratio, nicotine level and amount.
You'll save so much money in the long run after the initial investment. I've gone from worrying about running out, milking the last few drops out of a bottle and buying terrible juices to giving away 240ml bottles for free to friends.
Sorry I forgot how buried it is in there. Here it is I guess any scale will work but I know I've read that people who didn't calibrate first got some funky tasting juice and liquid running out of the bottle. If you believe it to be accurate enough go for it
USA is a good place to be for concentrate and nicotine.
The scale alone will take away 33% of your $100.
Buy this scale: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495800540&sr=8-2&keywords=american+500+scale
It has to be the 500g one as it goes down to 0.01g.
Other than to buy that scale, I'll say you'll need a recipe to go for.
You'll need a few different things, like a recipe.
Remember to get a recipe you want to follow before you start and run it by the DIY folk as you don't want to buy a lot of concentrates you can only use for one recipe.
Recipe, nicotine base, concentrate, PG, VG, bottles, pipettes if your concentrates don't have dripper caps, patience for "steeping"/aging.
Do some reading, don't mix by volume, do mix by weight, keep notes.
Post in the running new mixer's thread over at /r/DIY_eJuice and read the sidebar.
I mentioned a few things a few times because I think they are important.
You'll be mixing in no time.
Sept 3 marked 10 years of my personal freedom from tobacco thanks to vaping.
(Slighter on ecf - don't post much in years)
Been mixing and wrapping coils for 4-5 years. Nic availability is also about my only concern.
After the initial investment my costs per year are dirt cheap compared to commercial liquid & coils.
Check out pg and vg on amazon by the gallon - the only way to go with - no shipping - that can kill ya elsewhere.
Still buy a few from Centerfold - they have some good sales on a few I haven't figured out yet - for now.
Bull City flavors - my go to for flavors - can't go wrong.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20, you want this scale.
Just do it - I wish I had started diy long before I did. So easy and after awhile - you never run out.
In 2009 I never thought we would now still be dealing with all this narrow minded bullshit.
fuck the taxman - fuck the fda - fuck trump
cheers
LiquidBarn will also sell you 500ml of 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, or 24mg salt premixed. I think it’s going for $8 - $15 depending on strength.
Edit: It's going for $9 - $17 before shipping/tax, just google "LiquidBarn Unflavored eLiquid ReFill". You can mix your own cheaper but I prefer to just buy premixed. On LB you can't change the PG/VG ratio, but Nicotine River will also sell you 3mg but then jumps to 48mg, but you can select the PG/VG as either Max VG, 50/50, or Max PG.
Once you have the premixed base you just need some bottles, a scale, and some flavors. You can get away without the scale, but mixing by weight is a lot faster and more accurate thanks to our sad naked caveman eyeballs. The LB-501 is the scale I see recommended most - you can get a cheaper and less accurate scale, but the LB-501 isn't exactly prohibitively expensive at $36 and is very accurate. There's a big list of flavor vendors here and reviews here. You can get the bottles super easy and cheap. LB will sell you 5x 60ml bottles for $5 if you're ordering base from them anyway. You can also get bottles suuuuper cheap on FastTech if you don't mind waiting a few weeks..
All in, the up start cost is kinda high but considering the price of "premium" juices within a few weeks you'll be saving mad cash.
I really like Gremlin for my flavorings (for their 15ml offerings, which for me is great, a bit more than a 10ml and not a commitment to a 30ml), as well as their PayPal integration.
For VG / PG, I always go to Amazon now and go with Essential Depot, a lot of folks do. You can also order direct as they often have deals on a 3gal VG / 1gal PG combo.
For Nic, my last order was from Nicotine River and I've been really happy with them. I would strongly recommend 50/50 or 100% PG, it's just so much easier to work with than 100%VG and you're barely increasing your PG content (if you're using a high enough concentration).
Lastly, AWS-501 for the scale, Amazon, this one for $25 reading to the two decimal places in the 500g version - you won't regret it :)
Dont mess with syringes and the like. Buy a scale and mix by weight. Kits are useless: find a few highly regarded recipes and buy what you need for them. bull city, ecigexpress, heartland vapes are all vendors that I will vouch for.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20 the best $25 you will ever spend.
Yeah, American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale I have that scale and it works great!
As for the mixing equipment, see below:
The pipettes are good to have just in case you only need to transfer a little bit of PG or get a flavoring that doesn't come in a dripper bottle. If you purchase from one of the three flavor vendors I referenced in my post, they will come in dripper bottles. You may never use the pipettes.
Already got you covered bro.
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/45ccfd/the_unofficial_list_of_flavors_for_beginners/
Just pick whatever you think sounds good on this list and you CANNOT go wrong.
To add to what duds said, read over this. Having started with syringes, I can tell you weight has many advantages.
If you still want to mix by volume, Bull City Vapor has syringes and graduated beakers. An assortment of sizes plus a funnel or two should get you started.
Or this if you decide to go by weight.
Welcome!
The first thing you're going to want to do is mix up some Koolada (10% + 90% PG) and WS-23 (30% + 70% PG) to make those easily usable.
Then try this:
Frozen Fruit Fiesta
Edit: You're going to need a scale. Like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It really is, I'll be getting a scale eventually for personal use, it's just easier, but I'll be using syringes for now. Graduated cylinders for vg and pg will be OK for now though. If you plan on selling definitely look into mixing by weight for consistency.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've seen this be recommended a few times on this subreddit, it's cheap and does the job apparently.
https://godofsteam.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/getting-started-diy-101-mixing-your-own-eliquid/
Here is a good diy guide, there's a part to mixing by weight as well. I haven't read that part yet but judging from the quality of the first part it's probably a good read.
Have fun on your diy journey! I know I will.
First and foremost, mix by weight not by volume, its more accurate and its cheaper in the long run.
Second, a gallon of VG, thats way more than you need to start. 500 ml is more than enough. I mix at 60/40 and 120mls lasted me and my wife over a month.
As far as your flavors go I would sub out the V2's for originals(especially sugar cookie and cinnamon danish swirl), but I love me some acetoin.
Also, with all the Banana's you have you must have TFA Banana Nut Bread, by far the best imo. I'd also sub out Vanilla Cupcake for Vanilla Bean Gelato.
I would also suggest picking up Juicy PeachTFA, Citric Acid Crystals(local grocer), and Double Chocolate(Dark)TFA.
As far as lab equipment....beakers....lots of beakers, no bigger than 50ml at first, and at least a six. Also, since you are going to mix by weight, pick up a few hundred disposable pipettes or a dozen or so glass pipettes. Buy the scale that's in the sidebar, there is a reason it's there, for the price it is fantastic.
edit-----
The link you need to mixing by weight and the scale is actually in the beginners guide, here is a direct link to the scale and to Botboys guide.
while both of those should do just fine, you really dont have to have something that expensive. amazon has a cheap one that is pretty much the diy standard around here.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A scale is a one time, $23 expense.
Look at this thread. Everyone is suggesting mix by weight.
Easiest way by far is measuring by weight. Even though it's all ready in the sidebar, heres a good quality scale http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01
Then go here and make an account http://e-liquid-recipes.com/
From there, go into your settings and set it to show grams, not milliliters. Then you can make a new recipe where you set the strength of your nicotine and you can add every flavor you're using for that particular recipe at its percentage. And thats it, it'll do all the work and give you every measurement you need.
I would suggest adding a scale to your list. This one works great and is accurate to .01 grams which is what you want.
As far as flavors go i would look at this for some of the most used flavors. That link can also be found in the side bar. I would highly suggest your friend reads everything in the side bar a few times as its a wealth of information.
Honestly, you should have him give diy a try or even try it yourself! What he's wanting should be super easy to replicate and he could even tweak it to his liking. The start up costs should be fairly minimal (should be under $50) since you would only be buying a single flavor, a cheap scale and the other components (vg/pg/nic). This is the flavoring to use (wintergreen by flavor west) and visit /r/diy_ejuice to do some sidebar reading. A 30ml bottle of flavoring should make around 400-800ml depending on what % flavoring he likes it at. I would recommend starting low on the flavoring (1-2%) and working your way up from there. It may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Once you learn the ways then it becomes quite fun and also it's nice to experiment vape your own creations 😄
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
will work fine
Hey man, I would love to help you quit smoking and didn't notice the first time I commented that you didn't have any experience with vaping. So I'm going to try to put together a list here of what you need to do to start vaping for very little money.
https://www.vapordna.com/Joyetech-eGo-AIO-All-In-One-Starter-Kit-p/egoaio.htm
This is another option for you.
https://www.vapordna.com/Eleaf-iCare-All-In-One-Ultra-Portable-System-p/icaref.htm
I love my Icare, but you will need to use high (24-36) mg ejuice with it, whereas with the ego you would need 12-24 mg/ml.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005UGBG20/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488210602&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PSGWHIO/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1488210630&sr=8-2&keywords=vg
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01K8UB5VO/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1488210666&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pg
https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/500ml-100mgml-100-pg-nicotine-base-for-mixing-only/?attribute_size=120mL&attribute_solvent=100%25+PG
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0081SRRFO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488210749&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=dropper+bottle
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005IQTSE0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488210793&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pippettes+plastic+droppers
OPTIONAL: flavoring. If you want flavoring just ask in a reply I'll let you know what to get based on your tastes, but it's not necessary and you're trying to go cheap.
This is the recipe for making flavorless, 12 mg juice.
http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/1240996/For+cheapos
You can make an account at that site and adapt that recipe to be higher or lower nicotine if you want.
I know this seems a lot more expensive than the Ryo cigarettes, but trust me, this makes like a year or two worth of liquid and the mods I suggested have really cheap coils. Please believe me, this is worth every penny of the investment, you will never regret it. If you need help with mixing your first batch of eliquid, go to r/diy_ejuice and look at the new mixer thread in the sidebar. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me, but comment it cause I don't get message notifications on my phone app.
Thanks for the reply, but I literally just ordered this scales from amazon... It might be a little overpriced on the UK amazon, but it has good reviews from other people on this sub so I thought it would be worth it.
Thanks again though!
This is the one I use, and it's pretty awesome.
I just want to chime in to say this because I don't think it was said in any of the replies...I don't think anyone mixes by teaspoons. Some people mix by drops, but it's not very accurate unless you use the same size syringe needle for each ingredient. Most people mix by volume or by weight. I've gone to mixing by weight because I do it for other things (I make lip balms and stuff like that, and have for years), it makes inherent sense to me, and I don't have to buy/clean a billion syringes/pipettes. There is also a good site that you can create/save recipes and use weight as your mixing preference: http://e-liquid-recipes.com
Here is the scale that I have, that also seems to be the most popular at the moment: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
the easy resolution is to mix less than the bottle. So if you are mixing in a 10ml bottle, mix 8-9ML of juice. reason why I asked what bottles you are using is to make sure ur using proper mixing bottles. Reason I asked what scale you are using is because cheaper scales tend to skip 1-2 grams, cheaper scales are sometimes not sensitive enough to detect 1-2 grams. This is industry standard scale
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The upfront cost can be a little high depending if you just get the bare essentials or if you wanna go all out and get a ton of flavors to experiment with.
If you start small and get just the essentials, you'll probably spend between $75-100. Once you get going it really starts to pay off, the long run savings are huge.
I used to spend between $30-50/month on e liquid and I've been making my own for about 10 months now and I initially spent about $150 on supplies when I started, but I got a few unneeded items and way too many flavors, I haven't even tried about 1/2 of the flavors I bought yet. I've probably saved at least $400-500 in those 10 months of making my own.
If you do try it, I recommend mixing by weight, it's super easy and you can get a good proper scale for it online for like 25-30 bucks. Other than that you really just need Nicotine, vegetable glycerin (and propylene glycol depending on your ratio preference), flavorings, and bottles.
Find some popular well reviewed recipes and buy the flavorings needed for those to save yourself the trouble of having to experiment on your own which can be very tedious.
edit: and I'm still using the same supplies I bought about 10 months ago, haven't had to reorder anything yet.
The /r/DIY_eJuice subreddit has tons of good info and links that is a lot more helpful and informative. Heres a few good links to check out:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/diy_beginners_guide
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/index
https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/
I got this scale, recommended by another redditor. It has 0.01 gram accuracy, updates the display quickly, comes with calibration weights, and has a long auto-off timeout (5-10 minutes instead of 10-20 seconds like some cheaper scales), so it doesn't shut off while you're working, which can be really frustrating.
Mine was $18.50, but I managed to snag a refurbished unit.
Would this be the tutorial by Botboy you are referring to and this the scale in that tutorial?
I don't see any information in the description that it includes an AC adapter...
I did find this one which explicitly states it includes an AC power adapter. Thoughts on this one or should I just put Botboy's suggestion in my cart? Thanks for the tips!!
You need a scale, currently $22 on amazon
You need something to transfer the flavors/nic into your bottle, I prefer buying 30ml flavor bottles from BCV or Gremlindiy as you can drip straight from them, but if you are working from open-top bottles you'll need pipettes or syringes. The price can vary, the last batch I got was ~$10 for 500, also from Amazon.
Learning how to do it? I use the calculator on the sidebar which converts percentage based recipes in both weight and volume. I measure the bottle I'm mixing in while dry, write down the value, then tare (zero) the scale. I pick the first ingredient on the list and add drops until I hit the required amount. When I get to the number I stop adding juice, write down the recorded weight of what I added, tare (zero) the scale, and cross the ingredient off the list. Repeat this step for each ingredient in the juice.
As you get more comfortable with the process, you get better and faster at mixing this way. My first batch by weight took me a good 30 minutes, my most recent batch took me around 10 from setup to clean-up.
Try the kit from Nicotine River. It is excellent. I just started, too, a couple of months ago. Like you, I was using the syringes.
Buy this scale and you definitely won't regret it!
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/
I still save all of my recipes on LNW, but be careful with that, too, because if you modify one and save it, it will overwrite the first one, even if you give it a different name. I lost an original version of one of my recipes that way, and it turns out that the modifications I made to it weren't so great... lol
Oh honey, no. Mix by weight. Don't be silly.
_____
This scale has been hella dece for me, and I think it's recommended on /r/DIY_eJuice. Get yourself some griffin beakers, fuck graduated cylinders. And then get yourself one of these babies. I was a little skeptical about the milk frothers and the viscosity of VG, but no, the frothers can probably deal with liquids at least twice as viscous as VG. Works like a hot damn. For recipes and batch tracking, I use alltheflavors[.com] myself, I never have to do any sort of math. You can just find any old recipe people have shared on there, and then just buy the flavours you need and go to town.
this is the standard -
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Does up to 500 grams so plenty for most mixers,
This wil do the trick if you're on a budget:
https://www.amazon.com/GDEALER-Digital-Kitchen-0-001oz-Stainless/dp/B01E6RE3A0/ref=pd_sbs_79_img_1/141-3920562-3263221?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01E6RE3A0&pd_rd_r=b5a19e60-565b-42df-a4ef-791fb50ad983&pd_rd_w=zUs07&pd_rd_wg=d0GOB&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=BQ3QCABE2TVMX1TR91EK&psc=1&refRID=BQ3QCABE2TVMX1TR91EK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_L5.KDbDQ8P455
This thing is cheap and pretty damn solid. Just imagine, never having to clean out those syringes again! You just drip the flavors and pg/vg/nic in and zero put the scale once you reach your target weight with that ingredient. It's ez pz
Get some of these for pg and vg. Makes it much easier on bigger batches. Other than that I think you should be good to go!
Wilton Set of 2 6-Ounce Mini Melting Decorating Squeeze Bottles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VMBF6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_PEFQub048W01T
This scale is widely recommended on this site. It works great and is cheap.
American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_XGFQub1Z148CF
Edit: Also something bigger to mix in on big batches like beakers or mason jar. Something like that.
This is one I was looking at: http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410453758&sr=8-1&keywords=aws+lb-501
Here's another writeup on mixing by weight that I had saved. https://godofsteam.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/getting-started-diy-102-mixing-by-weight/
Oops - I stand corrected - you're right.
 
Is this where I'm supposed to insert the obligatory link to the American Weigh Scales LB-501? grin
This is the one I have. Works pretty well, but it's not portable.
American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_jnuPBbADCGWBE
Have had pretty good luck with these.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500148607&sr=1-1&keywords=lb501
From the looks of it that scale doesn't have a calibration weight with it. This scale does come with two 200g weights for calibration. It's a tad bit more expensive but it does have an AC adapter as well as battery options so you don't need to use batteries.
You're very welcome! I will say, out of all the commercial juice I've tried, BDV is among the best. They are really accurate and inoffensive juices, I find. And I think you're right that the asterisks are NicRiv's popular flavors (or frequently ordered, or something) but most of those flavors need to be supported by others to really shine. Oh and most of the flavors on my WCIM list are strawberry too so don't feel bad about that. There's just a ton of them and it really sucks as a non-taster.
> I need to find some popular flavors that I like. I enjoy tangy and sharp fruit flavors or dense sweet/fruit with tobacco flavors. Not a big cream or vanilla guy. Custard leaves a nasty aftertaste on my tongue. Anyway, find those flavors. Order some new flavoring and add the sweetener.
Exactly! Unfortunately, we have pretty dissimilar tastes as I love cream, vanilla, custard, bakery stuff. I don't do tangy or sharp often and I've never tried any tobaccos so I can't be too much help but there are a couple I know of you might like:
Prickly Victory
Bare Necessities
Apple Raspberry Cordial
Water Malone
Hawaiian POG Remix
These are just some of the highly rated ones on my list because I can't actually think of anything off the top of my head.
I mix by weight and highly recommend everyone mix that way. It's just so much more simple, accurate, mess-free, and quick that it's hard to make an argument for mixing by volume. I worked at a gelato factory for about a year (before I even started vaping), and they have to add liquid flavoring (very similar to what we use but not safe to vape) after pasteurizing the rest of the ingredients. They told me when they first started up, they were mixing by volume until they had a guy from another "frozen treat" company come in as a consultant and showed them how to convert their recipes to mix by weight and they never looked back. You just turn the scale on, put an empty bottle on it, tare, first ingredient, tare, second, tare, third, tare, etc. till you've added everything then cap it and you're done! As long as you're scale can do 0.01g and up to like 500g iirc. This is the most recommended one so if yours does that then you're golden.
I highly recommend getting a scale. I recently started DIY (2 months or so) and started with syringes. Within a couple weeks had moved to a scale. It is so much quicker, and leaves so little cleanup. I can mix up 3 or 4 flavours in varying sizes in under 15 mins if I have the recipes on hand.
i bought [this scale] (http://canadianweigh.com/collections/precision-scales/products/triton-t2-400)
[This Scale] (https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458315874&sr=8-2&keywords=american+weigh+scales) has also been recommended by other DIY'ers.
edit - formatting
This is the one I use
American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yxf6ybRSY1D82
Honestly it’s easy as fuck to do, especially one shots mixed by weight or mixing other people’s recipes. It gets tricky when you decide you want to mix your own custom flavor, but even after a while that gets pretty easy because you’ll get to know the flavors and what they’ll be good with, what they probably won’t go with, etc. It can be overwhelming at first but it gets easy.
If you need links for the nicotine I recommend I’ll PM it to you, you can get the scale I recommended right here
My biggest piece of advice for if/when you decide to create your own recipe though is to make sure you try the flavors solo mixed in a 15ml tester bottle with no nic at different flavoring percentages on an RDA that has good flavor to really get a better understanding of them before you mix them with other flavors.
I’ve been mixing for the last 3 years, it’s definitely a lot easier now than it was when I started, it could be pretty frustrating at times but now I can usually come up new recipes like it’s nothing at this point lol.
>AWS-LB-501
It is ok, but the 60 sec. auto off drives me nuts!
For the same price I have this one with the USB capability: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Kitchen-Weighing-Precision-Electronic/dp/B07WVRFNXP/
for a little more as /u/EdibleMalfunction says the AWS-LB-501 is the way to go (although for travelling the one before is great!): https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/
Got ya and yeah bull city does a great job and you'll figure out what you use often enough to stock up on. Like IIRC you doubled down on TFA Dragonfruit, which is a solid move since it pops up a lot.
Also mixing by weight is noticeably faster. This is a really common choice for that.
If you have money to spend on the front end, dropperbottles (dotcom) is a great place to get good-quality unicorn bottles for cheap. Just have to buy them buy the 100.
Also if you enjoy grapefruit, get the flavorings for this.
Nah just get on ecigexpress or bullcity vapor. You can buy literally everything you need in one place. Minus the scale, get that from amazon, This is the one pretty much everyone uses.
I got this one from Amazon from someone else on this subreddit's recommendation (sorry I forgot who!)
It's 500g @ .01 resolution, 10 minute auto-off. Also comes with calibration weights which is nice to make sure everything is in good working order.
I use this one and so do many other on this sub. You just have to have it plugged in and it will stay on. Without plugging it in it will auto-off. You even get a free shitty bowl thing! lol
https://smile.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20?sa-no-redirect=1
this one:
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1510978369&sr=8-5&keywords=american+scale&dpID=41N%252BAqXNP%252BL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
but honestly I am too ignorant of how sensitive your kitchen scale is to know if this is much of an upgrade! I imagine it is... probably like one drug dealers use! ;)
Hi! Here is the shopping list I have compiled after days of reading here on this sub. If you wouldn't mind looking it over and telling me if I have forgotten anything or if I'm being dumb about anything, that would be awesome!
Vegetable Glycerin: Bulk Apothecary 10lbs - $25 shipped.
Nicotine: Carolina Extract 100mg/ml 120mL - $30 shipped. I already bought this, it delivers tomorrow. I used the Dada1 code at checkout for an extra $1.26 off!
Scale: American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale from Amazon - $30 shipped, already bought.
From Wizard Labs
Nicotine test kit
Safety glasses
Menthol crystals 15g
10 pairs of nitrile gloves
(4) 30mL amber bottles with polycone lids for nic storage
set of glass droppers for same
(15) 10mL ldpe bottles for juice since unfortunately they don't have 10mL glass. I have a whole bunch of empties I can use, too.
Cart is about $38 shipped with the above
Pipettes [500 from Amazon - $11.24] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CD2I50)
Argon Spray from Amazon - $10
Flavors from Bull City Vapors about $35 for the below
TFA Wild Blueberry
TFA French Vanilla
TFA Sweet Raspberry
TFA Ripe Strawberry
TFA Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
TFA Vanilla Swirl
TFA Pear
FA Coconut
INW Raspberry Concentrate
FW Cherry Crush
TFA Cherry Blossom
TFA Dragonfruit
FA Lemon Sicily
LA Watermelon
FA Fuji
FA Forest Fruit
TFA Bavarian Cream
TFA Pineapple
INW Grape
a funnel
Other things I am forgetting: ___. I do have on my list to get some plastic applicator bottles from a beauty supply place or condiment containers to hold my VG in.
A note about me: I started vaping 5 months ago, I use an MVP 20W with an Aspire ETS tank, I vape at 5.3 volts and that is perfect for me. All of the vaping terminology about mods and attys (whatever they are) is completely foreign to me, but I am willing to learn. I like fruity flavors as you can tell by my list. I don't even like chocolate irl. Yes, I realize that potentially makes me a psychopath. I have tried a few dessert juices but did not like them at all. They were just weak tasting. My favorite juices have been Unicorn Poop by TVC, and Dragonfruit and Cereal Crunch by Cloudberry Vapors. To start out I got mostly fruity juices so I can basically get the feel for what on earth I'm doing and for how the flavors all work together.
So that's it, I will embark upon placing tons of orders tomorrow after work if I've got everything correct. Thank you SO MUCH to this subreddit, it's really an amazing resource!
Most of the stuff is from a recent measure by weight guide posted here, here's the amazon link. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wow going at it whole hog I see, Ha, I'm the same way. I see on your list a lot of syringes, my suggestion would be to mix by weight, so much easier and much more accurate. You will sooner or later anyway...here's a link to one that most on this forum use https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When it comes to flavors I'd suggest buying for Recipes that you'd like to mix and just buy those flavors, that way they will get used at least once. I made the mistake of buying dozens of flavors I thought I'd use, 5 years later a number I've never opened and need to throw out. Let me know what flavor profiles you like and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction. Quite a few flavors are strong so a 10ml bottle will last a long time. Also the best calculator in my opinion is one made by a guy over on ECF....a bit of a curve to get to speed on it but once you do it's great. I probably have 300 recipes on it with notes ect....here's the link http://diyjuicecalculator.com/
I love that thing and have it backed up on 3 drives!
worth every penny imo. i can mix some complex shit in 2 minutes now.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just read about your method OP... I'd seriously have to consider suicide if I had to mix like that! ;)
Get yourself this SCALE as recommended by Botboy141 and quickly learn to mix my weight. It's a life changing event! Trust me on this!
I keep my VG in a big squeeze bottle I purchased at Walmart. Like the kind you see mustard or ketchup in at a summer picnic or in some diners. I purchase 90% of my flavors in squeeze bottles from Bull City Vapor and have small fully disposable plastic pipettes for the few flavors I can't get in squeeze bottles.
I'll mix 3 30ml bottles inside of 10 minutes and have exactly ZERO clean up!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is plenty for getting started.
reddit!
I bought this lb501 scale at the recommendation of fellow reddit users. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005UGBG20/ref=ya_st_dp_summary. Seems good so far if your willing to wait for the shipment. What led me to buy this is the recommended accuracy but most importantly that damn auto-shutoff feature plagued by so many scales. This scale will auto shut off if there is no activity (weighing or pressing of buttons) In 10 minutes. The scale I was using shut off so many times during mid-weighing I almost had a stroke.
I'm still using this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
I do pretty significant amounts of liquid using the TARE function and at a certain point I'm just making flavor base to mix later.
Yeah, if you can wait a couple days for delivery then this one from Amazon is the cat's fucking balls:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/
I bought it to weigh pipes I'm selling and got this one that measures to hundredths of a gram to mix my DIY ejuice. I'm really impressed with it.
The head shop ones are toys in comparison.
He probably got a small vial of nic and 250ml or so of PG&VG.
Nude Nic is HIGHLY recommended, it's all I use. I started w/ Wizard Labs nic and had a harsh peppery taste. None of that w/ NN.
I recommend skipping syringes and grabbing a decent scale and just doing it by weight. This scale weighs to two decimal places, has a 5 minute auto-off (60 seconds is TERRIBLE) and is very robust.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20
This scale (the 500g model) is highly recommended around the electronic cigarette community for measure very small amounts (drops or grams) of liquid in e-juice production. It measures to the hundreths for grams, in my experience is extremely accurate, and it comes with two 200g weights so you can verify it's accuracy.
I've ended up primarily using it for macro counting for my meal preps.
Edit: And that's why you read the post text and not just the title. Sorry, I was overly excited to offer my recommendation.
Sometimes you gotta read the reviews.
No auto shutoff.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220974943011
60 second auto shut off, but I've yet to run into problems :)
Edit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5-10minute auto shut off, little bit more
Few recommendations that will save you time and frustration, and ease replication. Understand that you're going to make some mistakes, and some hits while you go through the learning curve.
Get a scale This one comes with calibration weights, so you won't need to buy them separately. Check the sidebar for information on how to measure by weight.
Once you have the scale, get some pipettes that amount to $0.02/ea and can be rinsed and re-used, but for that price, I'd rather not hassle.
Third, get rid of the open beaker(s) and get an Erlenmeyer flask set. Much easier to swish liquid around in, and you don't have to worry about it splashing around when you swirl it (voice of experience). For under $60 you could be set up for repeated success!
Good luck. And I just checked the prices on the stuff I linked, and I'll be damned if everything didn't drop in price by $4-5 on all the items! Get them while they're cheaper.
.01g is all you need. 200g limit is good enough if you're just mixing by the bottle. If you plan on making large batches maybe 500g or more is better. More expensive though. Mine is this one . Works great for me. It plugs into the wall instead of battery so I don't have to worry about it shutting off in the middle of mixing! Shop around and you'll find a good scale cheaper I'm sure.
You want this scale, or equivalent:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
for anyone who just wants to click on one link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Contend that weight is almost as cheap as by volume. Buy beakers and syringes and you will be almost to the cost of a scale.
That and you will be able to follow recipes much closer leading to a better tasting juice. Here is the one I ordered not the cheapest by far but accurate and glad I did.
edit: I mix directly in final 30/60/120 e-juice containers.
ATTENTION NEW DIYERS
Please listen to my story.
I, like you all, started measuring drops. I got each flavoring in it's own dropper bottle, so just counted drops straight from each individual bottle. It was easy. I created more than 15 recipes that were pretty good, but I found the consistency sadly lacking. It was a little frustrating to make 2 bottles of banana pudding and have each bottle taste different, but I lived with it for awhile.
Eventually, I tired of counting 120 drops of a single flavor into a 30ml bottle, and after reading all the more experienced mixers on this forum (and others) talk about how easy and quickly they made juice by weight, I decided to take the plunge and ordered this AWS LB-501 scale, (on sale for $29.99 right now).
Using this scale was now causing me a problem. My banana pudding now tasted like plastic. NONE OF MY RECIPES WORKED ANYMORE. Everything was way overflavored. All my recipes called for 20%+ flavoring. I had to go back to the drawing board with Every. Single. One. The problem was twofold. First - every dropper tip is a little different, so the same flavor with two different tips gets slightly different results. Second, the surface tension of each flavor is different, so different flavors produced different drop sizes. TPA Ripe Banana, for example, has lower than average surface tension, so drop sizes are smaller. On the other end is VG, where drop sizes are huge. By measuring by weight, you eliminate the inaccuracy of your individual bottles or syringes, ultimately producing a superior, easily replicated juice.
That was 4 weeks ago. Now I can whip up a 10ml bottle in under 10 minutes. I no longer tediously count drops, I just try and hit my targets. Things are far more consistent, quicker and easier than ever now. Start mixing by weight as soon as possible. You won't regret it!
This seems to be the most popular scale http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but its gone up in recent days from ~34 bucks to 44.
I was looking at this one personally http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ME8VI34/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It has a 2 minute auto shutoff which is the only thing that worries me, but would it take 2 minutes to add one ingredient? :P
This is the last one I was considering, but this one is into cheap-ass territory http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QFCG5ZQ?psc=1
Nobody that mixes regrets buying the scales. American Weigh Scales LB-501 and Here's a quart of vg for $13. Get your pg there, too. Here is What you need to know about nicotine. Don't want to research recipes? Gremlin has ready to mix. A calculator. And get lots of bottles: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D1GV8LU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's great for just about everything in my opinion
[aws lb-501]
(https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20)
Honestly, don't. Skip any starters as they are all generally over priced. Just buy things separately.
Amazon:
VG
Scale
30mL Bottle if you need some for concentrates, nicotine, VG, PG, etc. Or just to put your juice in.
Cheap Pipettes
i bought this one for mixing but i also use it for coffee. https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=lb-501&qid=1569889566&sprefix=lb-501&sr=8-3
I've been making my own for about 3 years. While I've made both terrible and awesome juices; I've really narrowed it down to 5 or 6 great recipes that I rely on. I keep a stock of flavorings based on those alone.
Nothing is faster than mixing by weight and having a great calculator and recipe list like ELR
I use this scale it's only 23 dollars and it works great for DIY liquid: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
(edited because I had the wrong price on the scale)
You'll have to spend a hair over $30 USD.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Most cheaper scales are indeed crap.
This AWS LB-501 is a great scale, accurate to 0.01g/0.001oz, is powered via batteries or AC adapter, and comes with calibration weights. I use mine for e-liquid recipes, weighing hops for homebrewing, and (ahem) other herbal items closely realated to hops. No shill, just a satisfied end user.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20 $21.52 on prime. It's what I use as it was recommend on /r/DIY_eJuice works great
It's a big one but the American Weigh LB501 is a really nice scale, so nice I have 2 of them (one for DIY e juice and the other for kratom). They can run on AC or batteries and it comes with a nice big bowl you can weigh in without making a mess. If you want cheaper I'd get this one. I use one of those for a backup when I don't feel like pulling the big one out.
I have one, but it turns off every 30 seconds or so, even when in pouring or dripping drops, bought the 500 and it plugs in to the wall so it doesn't shut off
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1418158909&sr=1-14&keywords=Aws+500
My upfront costs were about $150 with shipping. Scale, flavors, nic, PG, VG, pipettes and gloves.
I have a spare scale in box I can sell for $25 shipped. It's the one commonly recommended:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1417846838&sr=1&keywords=American+weigh+scale
That's it!! https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Just remember to plug it in or else it has auto off
Yes.
Measuring by weight is much more accurate, and most people agree with me on this.
You'll need a scale that measures to 0.01g accuracy though. I have this one.
American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale is highly recommended.
Drops also vary in size depending on the bottle spouts. CAP bottles have big drops, FA bottles have small drops.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Basically like everyone else said get a scale, cleaning syringes after everytime you make juice just sucks, the American weigh scale LB 501 is most often reccomended for mixing juice, it's an awesome scale for diy juice purposes. Also if you need help getting started, drop by /r/DIY_eJuice, the sidebar has an awesome beginers guide that should answer most of your questions. You're also really gonna want a juice calculator to make sure you get proper nic/flavour/pg/vg ratios, the one I linked calculates in MLs, by weight and also by drops from your dropper bottes, though drops are not terribly accurate, it's good enough until you get a scale. Honestly don't even bother with syringes, they really are a pain.
AWS LB-501. $25. 500 g capacity. Don't bother with anything cheaper. It can mix up to ~360 mL of high VG juice, and has no shut-off when plugged in and a generous 2-minute shutoff on batteries. http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
This is the one I bought, and see most often reccomended.
Here is Amazon.com link
.01 is fine :)
The link in the guide does go to a page with options, here. 500g, 1kg, and 3kg. As I'm sure you're aware, the 1 & 3 kg versions have a 0.1g resolution.
^^And ^^I ^^have ^^no ^^idea ^^why ^^the ^^link ^^is ^^displaying ^^that ^^way. ^^:(
Hmm some of those things aren't really necessary and there isn't enough VG/PG to last a while. I would recommend you piece together yourself everything you need and mix by weight. At first I tried mixing by volume but that was inaccurate and my mixes sucked. Here are most of the supplies you'll need.
VG
PG
Nic - I use Vape Clarity nic myself but their warehouse is being rebuilt after a fire so they're not operational until the end of the month. Here's an alternative I saw in the DIY subreddit.
Scale - Make sure to get the 500g one so that it measures out to the hundredths place.
I use www.bullcityvapor.com to get all the flavors I need in one place.
For bottles, I've just been rinsing out empty bottles my friends give me.
I don't bother with gloves but I use very diluted nic so that's not an issue for me (might want to use them if you have anything over 36mg/ml nic).
Here's the calculator I use and a tutorial.
To follow up, here’s something’s I grabbed to get started with mixing.
American Weigh Scales LB-501...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20 ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This scale has worked amazingly. I don’t think I’ve had to change the batteries yet. Just make sure you calibrate it when you get it and always make sure it’s set to grams when you start mixing.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GUIMD9Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These bottles work great with storing premix. I buy it buy the gallon, so four of these bottle will hold that. Keeps the nicotine fresh. Also be sure to store in a cool dark place.
510 Central Boston Round LDPE... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FSMJWG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These bottles are good priced and fairly leak resistant. My pre mix is 10/90 pg/vg, since the flavoring is all pg based. Anything with a smaller nozzle is a huge pain to get out so the wider nozzle helps here. It can be a bit tricky depending on your tank. Most newish ones seem have a big enough hole though.
Anymore questions feel free to ask! You found the right place. Everything I know about DIY I learned off this subreddit. Good luck!
https://www.amazon.ca/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=lb501+scale&qid=1568427460&s=gateway&sprefix=lb+5&sr=8-1
This one has a higher capacity, with the same resolution. A little more expensive though.
I'm looking at getting this scale: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UGBG20/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1NQVPQTRMQQVN&colid=1GKV7SRA80OQ2&psc=0
And just taring every time I add a new liquid
I went for the AWS 501 but it was 10 dollars cheaper when I bought it. It is the recommended pick over on /r/diy_ejuice. Half of why I got it is so I can conceivably make well more than a 120ml bottle at a time if I choose to do so.
I think the one you linked is identical to what DJLSB uses for his mod weights. Should be fine.
I'm no pro by any means, but I'd say you'd be set with all this to start:
Yeah I was starting out and browsing a site and ordered stuff, and syringes seemed straight forward. It was awful, so get a scale. A scale that plugs in and does grams to 2 decimal places.
The AWS LB501 is (was?) a popular recommendation, because cheap, on amazon, and very adequate. It's sensitive enough that if you exhale onto it it'll register, or if you have windows open and the breeze changes pressure in the room. Just needs calliberation sometimes and the top cover flap is stupid. Anyway look around regarding scales.
> AWS LB-501
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AMERICAN-WEIGH-500G-01G-SCALE/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468181370&sr=8-1&keywords=AWS+LB-501
As far as I know you can rebuild them, but it may be tricky for a person new to rebuilding. What ecig are you using? The easiest rebuildable tank I have used is the Griffin. It's wide open and super easy to build on (wish I'd had it to start!), but if you're using a smaller ecig, it will look a bit odd ;) Depending on what you are using now, you might need to get a new ecig and tank - and honestly the Nautilus is really a good tank. If you're happy, stick with it - the Griffin's fantastic, but if you need to buy a new ecig as well, then it'll be a long time before you start saving money through rebuilding.
For mixing by weight you really need a scale that goes down to 001g and that can be plugged in - having it switch off while mixing would be terrible and you need it to go low down when mixing smaller batches (for trials). I bought this one and I love it. Mixing by weight is a lot simpler and less time consuming then using volume - especially if you use VG, that stuff is thick. This calculator will show both volume and weight. By volume you measure each out by ml in a syringe (normally) and add it the bottle. By weight the bottle is on the scale and after you drip the correct weight in, you press "tar" and then just add the next ingredient by weight. Less clean up too as no syringes to try and get perfectly clean. It has a higher entry cost - so that's up to you. I just prefer it, but I did start off by volume.
One hint for DIY - shake. Shake everything. Shake it when you put the ingredients out, shake them before you add them to your mix, shake after you are done. Shake everything all the time (flavours and nic can settle so things don't work out as expected).
It's higher capacity brother is only like $3 more.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20
Thanks all for the advice
As far as I can tell there's no airflow, it's on a hard surface, but the calibration might be wrong (but again I wouldn't have thought that would make the scale go up or down).
I may have to bite the bullet and buy the AWS
www.amazon.co.uk/AWS-American-Scales-Digital-Kitchen/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517352936&sr=8-1&keywords=American+Weigh+Scales+LB-501+Digital+Kitchen+Scale
Do yourself a favor and mix by weight. This is a popular scale. More startup cost but waaay more convenient than using syringes. That said you'll probably want a few syringes and pipettes on hand anyway just in case.
Don't just buy random flavors that sound good to you - they rarely turn out the way you'd think. Pick a few well-established recipes and buy specifically for those. Mustard Milk, 'Nana Cream Clone, and Honey Pearry Clone are a good place to start.
This is a pretty good beginner's guide that goes into recommending specific recipes. Here's another one that goes into a little more depth on popular recipes and efficient flavoring orders.
I like to use http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ for recipe calculation and storage. Plug and chug. I get my flavors from Bull City Vapor/Flavor. I get nicotine from Wizard labs. VG/PG from Essential Depot on Amazon, and bottles from Amazon too usually. There are lots of other options for all of these, it's just what I do.
Make sure to read the sidebar on /r/diy_ejuice. If (when) you have questions, search the sub first because it's probably been asked and answered many times before. There's also a weekly new mixer's thread if you can't find the answer or want more clarification on something. It can seem like an overwhelming amount of information sometimes but it'll get easier once you get your feet wet.
As far as the scale goes, I would pick up the American Weigh Scales LB-501 Digital Kitchen Scale from Amazon. It is a bit more, but worth it.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1485028405&sr=8-7&keywords=american+weigh+scale
Yep, was gonna say this. Just buy this scale and a 500 pack of transfer pipettes and you'll be set.
The only one I found in a search was this one -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20
Is that the go-to scale or is there something better for maybe a little more money? Would like to keep it under $50 if possible, but it just dawned on me if I wanted a scale all I have to do is ask Santa for one.
Spoke to Santa last night and she said to pick one out, so I'm looking for recommendations and pros and cons, pleaseandthankyou.
I mix my ADV in 240ml batches and make 5ml batches for testing. Would like something that can accurately measure both small and larger batches if possible.
Thanks in advance :)
This one is fantastic, and really affordable
I think a great majority of us utilize this very scale. It's nearly as accurate as my $200 Myweigh that I use for other purposes, just not quite as responsive. $30 though, can't beat it
Startup cost can be one of them:
1L VG: $13
1L PG (this will list awhile): $13
120ml 100mg Nic in PG (I use VapersTek/Heartland (seperated into 4 unicorn bottles and put 3 in freeze for long term storage): $15
30ml Unicorn bottles (pack of 100 (lasted me ~8 months but YMMV)): $30
Scale: ~$30
Alternative Scale: $14
Pipettes (pack of 100): $7
Flavorings can be gotten from ($2-$7 per 15 or 30ml):
heartlandvapes
BullCityFlavor
GremlinDIY
EcigExpress
so say 10 flavors (5 15ml (~$2.50) and 5 30ml (~$5) : ~$37.50
Grand total: ~$145.50 but YMMV (could start with less VG, PG, bottles, nic, flavorings).
Expect your flavor collection to grow quickly. (mine is in the 60s or so)
This is what you first replied to in this comment chain:
> So we're already at 50-70 dollars for one recipe (with some non-recurring costs like a scale), plus the research time, plus the fact you might not like a recipe, so back to the drawing board, order more flavors, more needles, spend more time figuring out if you might like it, mixing it and try it.
> I never said it wasn't a worthy endeavor, I'm saying that "not pictured" are a lot of extra costs, and whatever you value your time at.
This is what you first replied to. Let me break this down for you since you're telling me I'm "making things up."
50-70 dollars includes:
Nicotine - $16 at wizard labs for 120ml/100mg
Enough flavors for a few recipes you want to start with if you plan well, or one recipe if you find one you really like which is sufficiently complex: Let's be generous and say you order 10 8ml sample sizes from TFA for an average of $1.75 each - $17.50
We're bundling shipping here, so it's $6 for that.
Total Wizard Labs: $39 plus tax if applicable - flavors and nic covered
VG/PG: Amazon - 1L VG for about $12 prime - Let's be generous here and say we're going max VG, so no added PG.
Scale .01g resolution: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage - $25
Now, we can cheap out and go with a pack of 100 pipettes for $6 prime or we can get some needles with different gauge tips (to be more precise) as well for maybe another $10-15 - let's cheap out and just get pipettes
Total amazon: $42 prime shipped - scale, vg, dispensing implements covered
Now we're going to cheap out again and re-use bottles we have laying around, hopefully they're glass and not plastic because good luck really getting flavor out of HDPE or LDPE or even PET after it's been sitting there for a long time.
Grand total, BARE MINIMUM: $82
Non-recurring cost: the scale, at $24
Everything else will need to be replaced eventually, and the process of discovering what you like can be expensive, and frustrating. I can't tell you how many posts I've read from people who can't make anything they like. Using TFA flavors, if you like every single thing you can make with the materials listed above at an average of 10% flavoring (low end for TFA IMO) you can make 800ml of 3mg before you run out of flavor (and nearly out of VG) - this assumes no mistakes mixing and all flavors use the exact same amount per flavor, which is to say that some flavors will require 8% of one flavor and only 2% of another so the grand total will probably be lower because of the flavors. This is a decent amount, but if you don't like any of the flavors you made, or you can't vape them constantly, or they need time to steep, you need to get new flavors to try. Now you need more VG, more flavors, more pipettes, maybe more bottles, maybe storage space for all your stuff so you buy some plastic bins, eventually more nic, so on and so on.
The point is, it's not as inexpensive as people make it out to be, especially to find something that works for you. You can get 500ml from companies like Oasis Vapes for like 40 bucks on a tuesday right now.
DIY is involved. Very involved. OP is at the point where they are buying flavors in bulk. Their cost per 30ml has probably gone down to about 2 bucks, or at the HIGH wholesale level, maybe less, maybe $1/30ml depending on their recipes, meaning they're putting up BIG amounts of money upfront to get those sorts of rates. OP has gone far in their DIY journey.
That's not to say it's always that way for everyone. Some people in this thread have mentioned they tend to mix one flavor, reuse bottles, and really spend as little as they have to to get the job done. I have a friend who makes two recipes and that's all he ever does. Yeah, it doesn't cost much.
Regardless. I'm not making shit up. This is my experience with it. I've spent a lot of time evangelizing the merits of value of DIY. I still do. This thread, and the OP, is misleading. I, and many others in this thread, are simply balancing out the impression that the OP might give to people who see it and think "Oh, how easy and cheap!" and just dive in.
I got my plastic syringe replacements from amazon.
Since I got my replacement, cleanup has been a lot quicker and easier.