starting diy?

galsvapetoo · Jan 17, 2015

Everyone here has really talked me in to diy. Honestly I wouldn't and don't even know where to start. This probably wouldn't happen till months down the road so I have tons of time to discuss it and get a good feel for it.how much does it cost to get started up? Where do I go to get set up? How much does this run yall monthly after initial set up? I vape a lot mostly fruits or menthols so I need it to let a good while. Let me know my fellow undergroundians

BigNasty · Jan 17, 2015

Honestly you can get in on it for the cheap.
MFS has nic for a liter is damned good priced.
VG and pg is cheap.
What flavors are you going for?

galsvapetoo · Jan 17, 2015

Really menthol would be my main vape but I could definitely dig some fruit or different dessert vapes

And I have yet to find a menthol that is just right. Like I've had strong and ive had light. But I'd really like something between the middle of the middle and strong if that makes sense

Huckleberried · Jan 17, 2015

I'm going to share this link, posted by my pal @RocketPuppy http://vapingunderground.com/threads/what-do-i-need-to-begin-diy-simple-guide-with-links.2303/
It's easy to go overboard when buying the first time.

My first go round, I bought nicotine in 48mg strength to use til I got more comfortable with mixing. Then moved on to 100mg. I bought syringes, empty bottles (also saved up the ones from previously purchased pre-made juices) PG and VG, and flavorings. Most of them were crappy flavors, lol.

I spent time reading through various flavoring threads to see what people liked most about different brands. Each brand has star flavors, and some that are not so great. I also read about how to use those flavorings. Some flavors play interesting tricks together! Recipes are great teachers, too. When I looked through recipes, I could see that some flavors were required to enhance others. But, that's not what you need in the beginning.

Flavors you like are important! You like fruits, menthols, mints? FlavourArt (FA), Capellas (Caps), Inawera (INW) and The Flavor Apprentice (TFA) all have good fruits. FA is better for fruits, imo, but everyone is different. I can't speak about menthol. Mints, FA and TFA are good.

If you're going to spend some time researching, read about working with nicotine, too. There are a lot of great reads in the tips and tricks section, the reviews section and the general section. Questions are always welcome. Amazing group of people here.

I recently started mixing by weight, which is much easier than I ever thought it'd be and I'm easily intimidated.

galsvapetoo · Jan 17, 2015

Huckleberried said:
I'm going to share this link, posted by my pal @RocketPuppy http://vapingunderground.com/threads/what-do-i-need-to-begin-diy-simple-guide-with-links.2303/
It's easy to go overboard when buying the first time.

My first go round, I bought nicotine in 48mg strength to use til I got more comfortable with mixing. Then moved on to 100mg. I bought syringes, empty bottles (also saved up the ones from previously purchased pre-made juices) PG and VG, and flavorings. Most of them were crappy flavors, lol.

I spent time reading through various flavoring threads to see what people liked most about different brands. Each brand has star flavors, and some that are not so great. I also read about how to use those flavorings. Some flavors play interesting tricks together! Recipes are great teachers, too. When I looked through recipes, I could see that some flavors were required to enhance others. But, that's not what you need in the beginning.

Flavors you like are important! You like fruits, menthols, mints? FlavourArt (FA), Capellas (Caps), Inawera (INW) and The Flavor Apprentice (TFA) all have good fruits. FA is better for fruits, imo, but everyone is different. I can't speak about menthol. Mints, FA and TFA are good.

If you're going to spend some time researching, read about working with nicotine, too. There are a lot of great reads in the tips and tricks section, the reviews section and the general section. Questions are always welcome. Amazing group of people here.

I recently started mixing by weight, which is much easier than I ever thought it'd be and I'm easily intimidated.

Thank you a bunch I am definitely going to do a lot of research first and ill probably be asking a million questions so be patient with me

Huckleberried · Jan 17, 2015

I forgot to address monthly expenses. There really aren't any necessary ones on a monthly basis. The flavors I've used enough to replace have been 2 in one years time. Vanilla, cookie and cheesecake I've purchased twice. 2nd time was a 30ml bottle of flavoring. That bottle cost me under $6. I still have sample sizes of some I purchased months ago that get used.

Huckleberried · Jan 17, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Thank you a bunch I am definitely going to do a lot of research first and ill probably be asking a million questions so be patient with me

Anytime!

nightshard · Jan 17, 2015

Start with small batches, label everything, have patience, don't expect your first try to be amazing, learn that with flavors too much is too little, learn what needs steeping and how long, hold your head saying why didn't i start doing it sooner.

Huckleberried · Jan 17, 2015

That reminded me. Notebook. Take notes. Before and during. I filled up one notebook, halfway through a 2nd.

JXN · Jan 17, 2015

One area I wish I had known more on is how I would eventually end up using bottles. I wasted some money on big large mouth glass that ended up leaking. I'm very happy with 50mL glass with euro stoppers for freezing my 100mg nic and just recently got some 120 and 240 mL squeeze bottles to mix with that are great. I bought 50 each 3, 6 and 10mL plastic bottles that I use all the time and mix small samples and many different flavors that last me a couple weeks at a time. Just starting to use 30mL glass for my favorites or for juice that needs to age like Vanilla Custard. Fruits are usually good to go and don't need steeping.

Edited to add; The 3 and 6 mL bottles fit very nicely in a couple shotgun shell trays. I know you do some shooting.

BigNasty · Jan 17, 2015

I got a a few 4 packs of Roth's scotch a while back... 100ml round glass bottles..
They make NICE mixing bottles, able to heat in the crock pot and fit my hand nice for rolling mixing.

freemind · Jan 17, 2015

Well. I'll tell you where I started.
A gallon of VG and a liter of PG. Those together with shipping was like 50 bucks IIRC.
Nic was a 250 ML of 100 MG and PG based from RTS.
Then I bought bunches of flavors. I have bought from Wizard, RTS, and ECX. I will buy the bulk from now on from ECX. I prefer to buy 30 ML of flavorings because of the savings. No way I need bigger bottles for two people. But 10's and smaller I can use quick.

My wife vapes menthol, and is just fine with THAT as the only flavor in her vape. She likes it STRONG, so hers is at 5% menthol flavor. 1-2% is probably going to be good for you. Who knows though.
If you plan to vape a lot of menthol, I'd buy the crystals and dissolve your own in PG. That's next for me. My wife doesn't like Koolada, so I wasted my money on it at this point. It's a lot cheaper to make your own, then to buy it done up for you.

I have no experience yet with making the menthol flavor. So maybe someone here does have, if that's the route you plan to go.

I bought a box of pipettes on Amazon (for flavors only) and bottles also came from here (Glass). I've saved my plastic bottles from purchased juice.

One note to you. Menthol seems to contaminate what it touches. So I use menthol juice bottles and pipettes ONLY for menthol. Every bottle is marked, as well as anything else it has touched.

Slicknic · Jan 17, 2015

Start simple, and grow as you go. Eventually you'll re-stock essentials like vg, pg and nic when you find deals.
For me the biggest ongoing cost is buying new flavorings, a collection that is always growing.

Kent B Marshall · Jan 17, 2015

Menthol is going to be fun if you don't get discourage. If you don't own an rda I suggest you consider one. I found my rda a valuable tool to determine if my first attempt needed adjustments. Many menthol's diy's concentrations are mixed with mint or are mint. There are so many it can be overwhelming. I use menthol crystals I mix with pg. but, you can purchase menthol crystals premixed in pg. Would suggest single flavor mixing at first. Explore with small batches and start with low percentages. I don't use drops because I can't duplicate larger mixes accurately. As suggested keep good records. Easier to add flavor percentage to a weak attempt. Suggest vaping your unflavored mix first, this will provide you the baseline taste of your pg vg and nicotine. Lastly, If it doesn't taste good don't force yourself to vape it. Suggest Inawera mint mix which has good menthol cooling with mint and menthol crystals as a starter. Have fun

Bobx · Jan 17, 2015

Huckleberried said:
I recently started mixing by weight, which is much easier than I ever thought it'd be and I'm easily intimidated.

Could you explain how to do this, or at least point me in the right direction as to instructions. I have seen this once a while back and never gave it much thought, but now I am interested. Would be good for making large batch's.

Bobx · Jan 17, 2015

@ galsvapetoo
I am new to DIY myself.....VERY new. I have only made 3 small attempts. They are sitting there collecting dust. I got discouraged but I will get back into it. Trust the people when they say to start small. That was the only thing I did right. 5 ml was my target to start. The big thing I found was the flavor. I used to much and screwed up. Start off very small 1% or 2% and start with only 1 flavor at a time. Mixing too many Flavors at once can screw up the taste and then you will not know which one to leave out on the next try. You can always add more as you go, but you can't take away. Sure the nic strength will drop a bit from your target nic by adding more flavor but at the start you are trying to find the taste that is good for you. Once you have the taste you can perfect it.
One thing is for sure. If you think that you are going to try and copy your favorite vape juice, it's not going to happen. You may come close, but that is it, and it will not happen overnight.
As for pricing I would say that it is pretty cheap. I bought 50/50 48mg in 120ml for for $23.95 CND, PG and VG in 120ml each at $6.95 CND each, and flavors at $4.49 for 10ml. Your biggest cost when starting out is going to be in flavors. That can and will add up quick when your trying to find your favorites. I am paying $17 CDN right now for 30ml ejuice, and if I can perfect my DIY it will only cost me $3.30 for 30ml.
There is an online calculator that you can enter all your information as what you want to make and the cost outlay that you spent on the ingredents and it will tell you what your cost will be. The link is bellow. Get some pricing of your stuff you are thinking of buying and use the calculator to see what your end cost per bottle is. Have fun and good luck.

http://ecigvape.com/e_liquid_calculator.php

glassgrl · Jan 17, 2015

+1 (2?, 3?) on the menthol crystals and making own concentrate. Then to branch out easy, ask which fruits (and from which companies) might go good with menthol. You'll be off to the races after that.
I bought this http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-e-li...nd-crystals/menthol-crystals-select-size.html because I thought my son might like menthol, he smokes menthol cigs and vapes (he didn't like a menthol vape). Lots of good tips right there in the reviews too. Even if you just get that to start, the act of mixing something with PG will be good practice. If you just add a few drops to the pre-made that is too weak for you, it's a baby step and a good start.

galsvapetoo · Jan 17, 2015

Thank everyone so much this is all really good tips and I wouldn't have thought even half this stuff. Also I smoked menthol cigs and I absolutely love a menthol vape really anything menthol. I really look forward to starting this journey

RocketPuppy · Jan 17, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Everyone here has really talked me in to diy. Honestly I wouldn't and don't even know where to start. This probably wouldn't happen till months down the road so I have tons of time to discuss it and get a good feel for it.how much does it cost to get started up? Where do I go to get set up? How much does this run yall monthly after initial set up? I vape a lot mostly fruits or menthols so I need it to let a good while. Let me know my fellow undergroundians

Huck mentioned it, but I just updated this post. If you still have questions, continue asking. This place has some awesome people.

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/what-do-i-need-to-begin-diy-simple-guide-with-links.2303/

RocketPuppy · Jan 17, 2015

This thread also has costs for individual sites.

RocketPuppy · Jan 17, 2015

Here's another thread with a cost comparison: http://vapingunderground.com/thread...-quantities-price-comparison-with-links.2883/

galsvapetoo · Jan 17, 2015

RocketPuppy said:
Here's another thread with a cost comparison: http://vapingunderground.com/thread...-quantities-price-comparison-with-links.2883/

Thank you for both of these anything that can help me in the adventure is awesome I really appreciate it. If anyone else has any tips on menthol if they are a menthol diyer that would be awesome as well

Rock Hunter · Jan 18, 2015

I just started as well, ordered 75 bucks worth of flavors & PG/VG from Bull City Vapor.
No nic
I've made 4 attempts at it so far, 1 was not so good the other 3 I like. They seem kinda weak as I have yet to figure out this % thangy..I never did pay attention in my high school or college math classes and I'm paying for it now..dowloaded the "ejuicemeup" calculator, and still confused. Science..
It is a wonderful thing.
Drop here, a drop there... so far, it's alot of fun.

RocketPuppy · Jan 18, 2015

galsvapetoo · Jan 18, 2015

Rock Hunter said:
I just started as well, ordered 75 bucks worth of flavors & PG/VG from Bull City Vapor.
No nic
I've made 4 attempts at it so far, 1 was not so good the other 3 I like. They seem kinda weak as I have yet to figure out this % thangy..I never did pay attention in my high school or college math classes and I'm paying for it now..dowloaded the "ejuicemeup" calculator, and still confused. Science..
It is a wonderful thing.
Drop here, a drop there... so far, it's alot of fun.

Math was never my forte. And honestly figure it's gotta be like cooking which I am good at. And just find the right amount of everything

galsvapetoo · Jan 18, 2015

Ok so another question glass bottles of plastic or both? & I was reading on one of the calculators about vodka base? Like does anyone ever use vodka in their e juice or am I just not understanding that part correctly

Huckleberried · Jan 18, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Ok so another question glass bottles of plastic or both? & I was reading on one of the calculators about vodka base? Like does anyone ever use vodka in their e juice or am I just not understanding that part correctly

Some do or have. I don't. I hear different reasons, one being throat hit. I get the throat hit I need from the PG. Bottles - either. I use both. My everyday stuff is in plastic. I use glass for speed steeping in a crock pot, but that's a whole other discussion, lol.

galsvapetoo · Jan 18, 2015

Huckleberried said:
Some do or have. I don't. I hear different reasons, one being throat hit. I get the throat hit I need from the PG. Bottles - either. I use both. My everyday stuff is in plastic. I use glass for speed steeping in a crock pot, but that's a whole other discussion, lol.

I think the only reason I would mainly do glass and I just thought this is because my boys(my dogs) would get to the plastic much quicker and it would be safer with glass but then again I did learn my lesson when they ate one of my plastic bottles from the vape shop not a lot left in it but it scared me so I moved everything to the second bedroom. Do you feel it makes a difference in taste at all

Huckleberried · Jan 18, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
I think the only reason I would mainly do glass and I just thought this is because my boys(my dogs) would get to the plastic much quicker and it would be safer with glass but then again I did learn my lesson when they are one of my plastic bottles from the vape shop not a lot left in its but it scared me so I moved everything to the second bedroom. Do you feel it makes a difference in taste at all

Not in the way it's stored. But I do only use pyrex tanks. I've always thought the flavor was muted in plastic. Not everyone feels this way. That's my experience at least. Some prefer glass over plastic, some prefer cotton over silica, or rayon, vice versa. Make sense?

Absolutely, do what you feel is safest for the furry ones. I have critters, too.

galsvapetoo · Jan 18, 2015

Huckleberried said:
Not in the way it's stored. But I do only use pyrex tanks. I've always thought the flavor was muted in plastic. Not everyone feels this way. That's my experience at least. Some prefer glass over plastic, some prefer cotton over silica, or rayon, vice versa. Make sense?

Absolutely, do what you feel is safest for the furry ones. I have critters, too.

Makes a lot of sense

and I might get both but keep the plastic in the second bedroom where they wouldn't have access.

Huckleberried · Jan 18, 2015

I still have some empty bottles from pre-mades I bought some time ago. I just wash and re-use those that were 30mls. I've bought several in 10 and 15mls. I need more, lol. Seems like I never have enough, but have way too much stuff. It all gets used at one time or another, though.

Mommay · Jan 18, 2015

I use glass at home. I find it great for steeping and storage. But use plastic for out & about - it's lighter weight and easier to use on the go. If you plan on everything having menthol, it won't matter to you - but, the menthol taste will remain in most plastic, but will not permeate into glass. Just a consideration, should you decide to try your hand at other things.

Bobx · Jan 18, 2015

Don't get to carried away when you are first going to start out, KISS (Keep it simple silly). It's not hard to spend lots of money on all the latest and greatest things. Buy small quantities,(nic, flavors), use bottles you have already from store bought, (just wash then out) If everything starts to click for you with DIY, then yes go for the upgrades.
You don't want to spend big bucks and find out that DIY is not for you.

2ndInCommand · Jan 18, 2015

@galsvapetoo , I got my initial supplies off amazon, such as pg vg pippettes etc.
Got nic from VT. I bought bulk upfront on these items to save some and because I would need these supplies with any mixes and they last for years properly handled. Get bottles from Amazon also, 120 size or 60. They will make your life easier for a bunch or reasons. Glass bottles in 30 or 15 ml from ecigdisplays.com are the cheapest. Get a bunch. Bull city, ecx both do a good job with flavors. If you got any questions or are looking for 2¢ shoot me a pm. The thing you need most you can not buy. PATIENCE. Your first mix will probably suck. Your second, well that will suck too probably. But eventually, you'll be banging out ADVs like it's your job.

Try to avoid recipes that have a lot of weird ingredients that you may only use once in something you may not like. There are like 20_30 flavors you can get that are in damn near everything, so at like 3 bucks or less each, that's not bad, and then you can supplement from there with more specialized stuff. The initial investment can run a bit, but I haven't bought juice in like 8 months at 30 bucks or so a week I was spending, and have enough supplies to last for a few decades or so. Also, while I won't take money, friends like to give me wine and beer for juice, so there's that.

CgS_Drone · Jan 18, 2015

The wife and I are fairly new to DIY. We took the advice and read about as much as we could in the tips sections.

My two cents as a beginner: And most of this has been mentioned above, and only my opinion.

1. Small batches, say 5ml

2. Start with single flavor recipes

3. Don't use nic for testing when figuring out flavors

4. Glass bottles for speed steeping. I also use plastic for on the go. If I had to start with just one then glass 15ml or 30ml size with droppers.

5. Read #1 again. It's easy to want to make larger batches stay small.

6. Play around with a calculator of your choice until you are comfortable with it. We use EJuice me Up

7. 1ml, 5ml and 10ml syringes, 1ml-18ga needles for flavor is what we use 2" long. We keep them dedicated to that flavor and rinse immediately after use. We use a plastic cup full of water next to mixing and pull the syringe full of water in then press it out into a second empty plastic cup about 3 or 4 times. Some flavorings will act on the syringes very fast so they will be difficult to rinse. Rubber band the syringe and needle to the flavor it goes to. Small 150ml beaker from grocery store for fast PG/VG mix on 30ml batches.

8. We started off with TFA flavoring, VT Nic (100mg) from BCV and Essential Depot VG/PG 1 liter from Amazon, ED sells direct as well. Most seem to prefer FA flavoring we haven't tried it yet.

9. Read #1 again. Should be getting the hint by now.

10. Do all your mixing on a cookie sheet or tray with edges in case you spill, haven't had it happen yet but I have a feeling it's just a matter of time. Keep some paper towels close for wiping down.

11. We use a twisted wire single coil about 1.2 ohms RDA without cotton in it for a fast easy two hit taste sample. We don't close the coil tight together so it holds just a bit more juice for sampling.

12. Some like to pre-mix Base. We did but once it is all used up we will only mix the PG and VG at the time we make the juice up.

13. No rushing or distractions. Take a lot of notes.

14. Mark bottles with numbers and associate that number in your notebook, easier to change there than on the bottle.

15. Small plastic funnel that fit your bottles make it handy

16. Plastic measuring devices. We got a few glass in the beginning but I have traded over to plastic that looks like the little translucent 10ml bottles you get juice in. Juice doesn't stick to it as much as glass so it drains faster.

17. If you want to speed steep use a small 2 quart crock pot and a cooking timer. this is a nice one that is priced cheap

18. Do a search on coupon codes and see if any specials are on, every bit helps.

19. Buy quality Nic, VG, PG and flavoring.

Everything I have listed has all been recommended to us by people on here and youtube video's. We thank them for all their advice.

vaperature · Jan 18, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Everyone here has really talked me in to diy. Honestly I wouldn't and don't even know where to start. This probably wouldn't happen till months down the road so I have tons of time to discuss it and get a good feel for it.how much does it cost to get started up? Where do I go to get set up? How much does this run yall monthly after initial set up? I vape a lot mostly fruits or menthols so I need it to let a good while. Let me know my fellow undergroundians

My initial set up cost me about $50 from Wizard Labs and included a beaker, a stirring rod, about ten flavors, some plastic bottles, some syringes and pg and vg. I still have everything I ordered including most of the flavorings and about a quarter of the pg and vg and maybe half of the nic left, and this from an order I placed about a year ago. I only diy occasionally but this still gives you an idea how long this stuff can last.

galsvapetoo · Jan 22, 2015

Okay another question what in the help is an e solid

galsvapetoo · Jan 22, 2015

Sorry another one. So a lot of people have said bull city for their like pg vg. What other places are good to buy from?

freemind · Jan 22, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Okay another question what in the help is an e solid

Typically, a substance that is only legal in a few states.

freemind · Jan 22, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Sorry another one. So a lot of people have said bull city for their like pg vg. What other places are good to buy from?

I got my PG and VG from duda diesel. But anyplace you buy flavoring sell it too.

nightshard · Jan 22, 2015

USP PG/VG you buy from lab suppliers is the same exact thing you buy from flavor/vaping suppliers, only it costs a lot less.

BigNasty · Jan 22, 2015

Use a good calculator.
Ejuicemeup is one I would suggest.
Keep hard copy notes and recipes in a note pad.

JXN · Jan 22, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Sorry another one. So a lot of people have said bull city for their like pg vg. What other places are good to buy from?

Essential Depot is a popular online source for VG and PG. They sell on Amazon by the quart which is where I've gotten mine. They have a sale now if you buy by the gallon. Too much at one time for me.

RocketPuppy · Jan 22, 2015

JXN said:
Essential Depot is a popular online source for VG and PG. They sell on Amazon by the quart which is where I've gotten mine. They have a sale now if you buy by the gallon. Too much at one time for me.

Yep yep =)

RocketPuppy · Jan 22, 2015

galsvapetoo said:
Sorry another one. So a lot of people have said bull city for their like pg vg. What other places are good to buy from?

Bull City purchases their PG and VG from Essential Depot.

freemind · Jan 22, 2015

JXN said:
Essential Depot is a popular online source for VG and PG. They sell on Amazon by the quart which is where I've gotten mine. They have a sale now if you buy by the gallon. Too much at one time for me.

True, their prices seemed ok. Great sale I thought, until I got a shipping quote of 24 bucks.

I'll stick to my source.

RocketPuppy · Jan 22, 2015

freemind said:
True, their prices seemed ok. Great sale I thought, until I got a shipping quote of 24 bucks.

I'll stick to my source.

You ordered the special 2 gallons and they charged you $24? Did you contact them?

Slicknic · Jan 22, 2015

Essential Depot is an excellent vendor. When you are ready to buy in bulk, you will love them. My last order was
two gallons of VG at 50 dollars shipped (free shipping).

It just might last my home of 3 max VG diy juice dripping
clouders until this comming fall.

freemind · Jan 22, 2015

RocketPuppy said:
You ordered the special 2 gallons and they charged you $24? Did you contact them?

I put a gallon of VG and a gallon of PG (both are on sale) in my cart. Total was 40 something.

Then I clicked the "accurate quote" for shipping, and it came up 24 and change for UPS (only option).

For that much, I'll stick to my source. Don't think I paid 50 bucks for my PG, VG, and FedEx shipping from Georgia.

Edit: No, I didn't contact them. Didn't think I should need to. That was their price.

RocketPuppy · Jan 22, 2015

freemind said:
I put a gallon of VG and a gallon of PG (both are on sale) in my cart. Total was 40 something.

Then I clicked the "accurate quote" for shipping, and it came up 24 and change for UPS (only option).

For that much, I'll stick to my source. Don't think I paid 50 bucks for my PG, VG, and FedEx shipping from Georgia.

Edit: No, I didn't contact them. Didn't think I should need to. That was their price.

Oh, I see the problem. If you put them in your cart separately, it will add the shipping. If you go to their specials where they're offered together, it includes shipping.

starting diy?

It's VG/PG not PG/VG

Bronze Contributor

Bronze Contributor

Bronze Contributor

It's VG/PG not PG/VG

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