So long story short. I'm in college on a fixed income and into sub ohm so if I decide to buy decent juice from my b&m I can't afford new hardware. If I buy hardware (like I did this month) I can't afford any juice. What supplies beyond VG pg nic and flavoring would I need glassware syringes and the like? How much would it cost to get started with making my own juice?
- USP PG 250ml 6.95
- USP VG 250ml 6.95
- 24MG Nic Base 125mil $7.99 (fyi, I recommend 60MG if you ever plan on mixing high nic. IE: 18mg or so).
- 3 x 30ML Glass Bottles $6.81
- 1 x 3ML Syringe $0.95 (for Nic - measured in small amounts)
- 2 x 30ML Syringes $2.98
- 2 x 10ML Syringes 2.58 (2 of these or the 30ML syringes for PG/VG measurements, depending on how large of an amount you need to measure)
Total: $35.21
The nic will last quite a long time. I recommend the glass bottles, because you can easily clean them and use them again when using them for yourself.
Then buy any flavors you would like (about $2-4 for a 10-13ML) from EcigExpress, Bullcity or other sites. Make sure you put scotch tape around the syringes so the ink doesn't come off.
Pick up Recipe Calculator here. It is the calculator to have.
Unless you're selling to someone other than friends, you have no reason to be super accurate. Syringes are accurate enough.
A few flavors you can't go wrong with (don't bother with additives and things like that until you learn the basics). Flavoring lasts a really long time. Mix these at about 2-5%, give or take a few percent and start from there.
- TFA - Juicy Peach
- TFA - Ripe Banana
- TFA - Watermelon
- TFA - Strawberry
- FA - Strawberry
- FA - Tutti Frutti
- Capellas - Strawberry (Sweet Strawberry)
- Capellas - Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble
- Capellas - Apple Pie
- Capellas - Banana
Pick up a few of those and after shipping you are probably looking at about $60 for everything you need to start. Then for each 30ML your costs are at less than 50 cents (likely closer to $0.20-0.30).
5% ripe banana? Lol I agreed with everything but that. Solid post
I personally start from 2% with most everything. People would love to have you to believe that it's normal to go with 10-15% for most flavorings, but they are out of their mind and have no idea what they are doing.
What do the abbreviations stand for in front of the flavorings?
I would make this same recommendation with two minor adjustments.
Scrap the syringes and get a scale instead. ahundredths of a gram accuracy. $12
Get a bottle of 4 oz. TFA strawberry if you are more interested in saving money than making recipes. It's five bucks and great as a single-flavor recipe. 4oz. will last a LONG time. Flavoring is the most expensive part of the juice, but it's not that bad if you can get the bulk discounts. 4 oz is 120 ml. That's like getting 15 small bottles off Wizard Labs, which would run you over $22.
There is no need for a scale, whatsoever, for new DIYers or anyone not selling their liquid. Suggesting that they do so is kind of elitist. No offense. It's just getting kind of old people suggesting something that is overkill for most of us.
That said, I've sold plenty of bottles and no one ever complained about consistency or quality - without measuring by weight.
I don't think it's elitist at all. If you're DIYing you have two options weight or measurement. Each has it's pros and cons. I only use syringes but then again I've been doing this for a week. That being said, if i could I would be doing weight. I hate the cleanup weight is so much more neater in my eyes and when the opportunity comes Ill probably have my scale set up running.
DIYing by weight is by no means elitist it's simply an alternative not only for the sake of accuracy but for a newbie looking for the least hassle way to free his mind and get to mixing, without the pain in the ass that is cleaning your blunt tips, your syringes. When you could easily just count drops and overall weight well shit the weight mixing seems pretty hassle free doesn't it.
Counter-argument: There is no need for syringes.
You sound like you have a misplaced resentment.
It's not about elitism or needing ultra-precision.
It uses less equipment, takes up less space, and takes less time to combine ingredients.
You're right that you don't NEED a scale. You're wrong to label is as overkill. Scalez are cheap... what are you avoiding?
Link to the $12 scale? Does it auto-turn off?
Yeah, auto turnoff if you want the budget model for $12
http://www.ebay.com/itm/500g-x-0-01g-Milligram-Precision-Digital-Jewelry-Diamond-Scale-ACCT-500-01-gram-/361020684118?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item540e827756
Can always up the cost to $20 for a plugged unit though :)
I would get a cheap precision scale instead of syringes (must have 0.01g precision!). Then a big pack of disposable pipettes.
And bottles. Many bottles. LDPE dripper bottles. Or glass.
I have to agree with daath here. I just got a scale in the mail from amazon, and it makes mixing SO much easier, and you don't have to fiddle around with a bunch of syringes. You just use a bunch of pipettes, which are insanely cheap (like $3 for a pack of 100).
I don't understand the constant suggestions for people to buy syringes when they start out diy-ing. A scale ends up costing a tiny bit more and it makes mixing 100x easier and more consistent.
Syringes satisfy the little mad scientist in the back of our minds. Scales may be easier but even with blunt tips syringes are more fun. If only I could justify the glass tubing with food dye running through it with a faithful Igor raising the lightning rod by my side I could be doing !SCIENCE! even when just prepping a store bought doubler. :D
And most of the time you don't need the pipettes - dripping from the bottle is usually fine :) I use the pipettes for nic and PG - the VG I just pour in, when everything else is measured off :)
Wizardlabs.com
I'd say you could get started out relatively cheaply.
Rough pricing:
Vg $5.50 Pg $5.50 Nic $16
Each flavor $1.50
Syringes .70 Needles .60 Bottles .50
So ...... Maths ends up at about $38 for 2 flavors with a syringe and needle for each flavor as well as PG VG and Nic with 2 bottles to start out.
I'd guess you could make around 10 bottles with that depending on which flavors you picked.
If you want to keep the start up costs cheaper, find some recipes that you want to try and that have been vouched for and just buy those flavorings first. Clone recipes are a good bet. If you just buy random flavors that sound good you're going to be going back for more pretty quick.
Get a scale, VG, PG, nic, and a 4oz of TFA strawberry.
About $40 to make 20 OUNCES of strawberry vape juice... and have a scale forever!
That's 66 cents per 10ml!
If you don't include the cost of the scale, that's 46 cents per 10 ml!
Can always buy other flavors at $1.5 for 8ml from Wiz Labs to start experimenting... but this woukd get you vaping good quality juice at a rock bottom price.
Just juice making considered (no hardware):
Late november I spent about $65 online for nic VG PG and a ton of flavorings, since then I've spent probably another under $50 on a few fluid supplies. I'm just reordering now in March. Still have a ton of flavorings, just need more nic and VG.