Hey guys I'm thinking about switching back to mixing by volume (mainly because my order at TPA came in glass bottles without an option to meter the flavors drop by drop).
One reason why I started mixing by weight in the first place was the amount of needles and syringes I burned every time. My question now is, do you guys reuse the same syringes or a new ones every time? Or do you even just reuse the ones for the flavors?
Or - which I seriously just about now that I'm writing this - do you use the same needles and syringes and just wash them out afterwards? Might be the much cheaper option, but still an annoying thing to keep one syringe for every single flavor in my stash..
I'm aware of the fact that I can also just fill the flavors from the glass bottles into plastic ones with a dripper on top, but I'm not sure that I want that.
I've been using the same 1ml and 10ml syringes for going on 2 months now. Between each flavor I suck some warm water in to the syringe and squirt it out, 3 times. At the end of my mixing session, warm water with dish soap 3 times, then rinse thoroughly and let them air dry disassembled. Haven't had any flavor cross contamination issues thus far.
I assume you use one syringe for each bottle.
Isn't there always some residue left in the syringe? I just can't imagine that warm water is enough to clean them out totally.
Just wondering how the dried residue of a flavor would affect a new mixture.
Nope, just those 2 syringes. The flavorings are all PG based, thin, and easily rinsed. A quick water rinse is quite adequate. After over 5000ml made, not a single instance of ghost flavors, odd ball results, or anything remotely "yucky". As with everything on this side of vaping, do as you see fit. All comes down to preference. Me, I'm a cheap fuck. In bulk these syringes might cost $1-2 per item, I just don't see the need to toss a perfectly usable item.
FWIW, you can meter the flavors drop by drop using a standard disposable pipette -- cheap enough to throw away after each measure.
This is the way to go right here. You can even be a cheap ass like I am and use one pipette per flavor, give it a quick rinse and store it in a labeled snack baggie. I've got a lifetime supply of the things but I just can't bring myself to throw them out after one use.
I think since I have them at home - and mixing by weight is so much more convenient imho - this is what I will try. Hope I can work precise enough with that method
I used to use some tiny tiny pipettes that work great for when I was mixing by weight.
i use an Erlenmeyer flask and dirt cheap vodka. add some vodka, about 10 ml into the Erlenmeyer flask, stick the needle but don't let it hit the bottom other wise capillary effect will force alcohol through the needle, unless you're cleaning it. swish it around, and then wipe the needle with a clean cloth in between flavors.
make sure to use clear tape on the syringe itself other wise the numbers will get wiped out.
First thing you do with syringes is wrap them in scotch tape so the numbers and lines don't rub off. Then they'll last for ages. One thing to watch out for is flavors like TFA Ripe Banana. That stuff will trash a syringe in the blink of an eye. I grabbed a couple of glass syringes for that particular brand of evil. I just rinse them out good in hot water. Plus what BigTed said.
Considering going this route myself. After a bit of use the plastic ones get "sticky" inside. Have you noticed this sort of thing from glass?
For every person here that washes needles between flavors and such there are 10 who dgf like me an use one fucking needle and syringe for our entire session. I never switch or clean between flavors, I have a 10 and a 1. I wash them after I am done. Even mixing small batches like 30ml bottles, how the fuck much flavor will be stuck in that syringe after? Seriously I'm putting them all into the same vape anyway.
It's like freaky kids who don't like their foods to touch on the plate. The internet makes everything you do wrong. There will be some anal retentive asses who freak the fuck out because you dipped the needle into the strawberry then the cream without washing.
When I first started, a few years ago a number of people would mix right in the syringe.
I used to be really anal about using individual syringes for every single component, but I've since quit giving a shit. I'm only mixing for myself, so I don't particularly care if I get half a drop of another flavor mixed in. The one thing I make sure to give its own syringe is nicotine, because I don't want to cross-contaminate flavorings with it. Same for PG and VG, I'd rather keep those "pure" as well. Everything else just kind of depends on how many syringes I felt like cleaning before I sat down to mix ;).
Some flavors I usually give their own syringe, just because they're so strong and may ruin another flavoring (blueberry and strawberry come to mind, especially because I use them so much.) But I'm not to particular about double-dipping between creams and marshmallow, or things like that. I just keep a paper towel at hand and wipe off the needle before I use it for another flavor.
I have quite a few 30ml bottles around since I sell to friends and co-workers. My larger bottles of flavour or PG/VG and nic all get transferred to smaller 'working' bottles with drip tips. I just reuse the 30ml bottles and keep refilling them with the same flavour.
Honestly I use the same syringe for every flavor and a separate one for nicotine. I've never had any problems and have been using the same syringes for my entire mixing career. To each their own, it's never created any problems for me though.
You should at least rinse them in between with warm distilled water.
Seems really inefficient to go back to syringes. Grab some disposable pipettes and your life will be much easier. Just toss them after using, or tape it to your flavor bottle for future use. Much better.
100 for $6.10 - http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Transfer-Pipettes-Gradulated-Pack/dp/B005IQTSE0
Somebody gave me the tip of having a seperate syringe for each flavor here on reddit, and that's what I've been doing. I have them rubber banded to the bottles and when I use them I still rinse before I store the bottle away.
When I sit down to mix I have one paper cup with water and one empty to rinse the syringes right at my table. Then I have separate needles for the nic but I always do nic last, and wash that in the sink.
I wash all my needles and syringes after mixing and I'll reuse my syringes until the lettering rubs off enough that I can't reliably read it. I haven't had to throw out a Luer Lock needle yet, they seem to pretty much last forever as long as you clean them. I can get at least a couple months out of a syringe before the numbers rub off (or the rubber on the plunger breaks), so I get my money's worth.
I used to have a fuckton of various syringe sizes, but these days I use 1ml and 3ml almost exclusively. I do keep a couple 20ml around for transferring large quantities, but that's mostly just when I cut my main nicotine down to a smaller bottle and weaker nic strength for mixing purposes.
I'll need to order more 1ml syringes in the next month or two, but I haven't had to order for a good six months. I usually get mine from Amazon, it's around $15 for 100 syringes (not including needles.)