I'm about to start DIY, supplies are ordered. I've been seeing stuff about needing a scale for mixing base, but is there some reason I can't mix by volume? I was going to order a 500mL graduated jar for mixing my base. I know graduated jars aren't totally accurate for measurements but I figured it would be close enough for mixing in such a large quantity. Am I wrong? Do I need to buy a graduated pipet/syringe as well?
There's nothing wrong with mixing by volume. I did it myself for a long time. You're definitely going to need syringes/pipettes though. Every batch you make is not going to be big. You're going to want to experiment and you should only do that in small amounts. That's where they'll come in handy. You'll need to be precise and it's impossible to measure small quantities by eye using a 500 ml jar.
Even though I recently got into mixing by weight there's still a need for pipettes and syringes. Some of my flavors aren't in dropper bottles. Get yourself at least some 1ml and 3ml pipettes and a few 1ml, 5ml, and 10 ml syringes. Here's a place to start:
http://wizardlabs.us/index.php?route=product/category&path=71_73
Edit. If you want to find them in bulk then check amazon.
Why do you need syringes when mixing by weight? I can understand pipettes, because like you said, some flavors don't have drip tops. I've been mixing by weight for a long time now and have never needed a syringe
For me that depends on the nicotine. Pipettes suck for thick (heavy VG) nicotine and syringes are so much easier. Lately though I've found a way around that buy lucking my way into a hard, thick dropper bottle for my nic. I haven't been using syringes lately but I still think they're good to at least have around.
Also, if I have to use more than 3mls of a certain flavoring without a dropper for a 60ml or 120ml container (I rarely mix that much) then I'd rather just use a 5ml syringe and get it over with, rather than double or triple dipping a 1 or 3ml pipette.
I plan on mixing up unflavored 3mg 70vg/30pg base and then putting it in different bottles to add flavor. Would this be ok? And would I still need to do this in a small batch? I did figure I'd need some pipettes still so I'll go ahead and order some. Thanks!
Sure. I've read about people doing that. I've never done it myself though, so maybe someone else needs to weigh in on that subject. Just remember that adding flavor to an already mixed base will change those numbers. In other words, you'll be diluting your mix by adding flavor after the fact.
Oh I hadn't though of that. I believe all the flavors I ordered are PG based and I'm not too worried about the VG being a little lower than 70%. I will probably mix my base to be 4mg-5mg nic. 3 has always been a little too low for me, 6 a little too high. Somewhere in between would be great. I'm still going to try mixing by volume because it seems to make the most sense to me but if it proves to be too difficult I'll invest in a scale. Thank you for the help!
http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/how-do-you-mix-by-weight-or-by-syringes/15459
This has a pretty good discussion on different styles of mixing, and it convinced me to try mixing by weight. It makes the process much easier than trying to do it with syringes or graduated markings. You can get a good scale on amazon for less than $20. And a 500 pack of pipettes for $13