I'll try to keep this long story short as possible, for the background info. I am new to DIY, but have studied a fair amount, including lurking around this sub, before jumping in. I am not new to vaping, but I am a low/no nicotine vaper. Like many others I rotate through various juices on different devices. I don't need nicotine in my ADVs, but when I go out socially, drinking, parties, etc is when I really crave a cigarette, and this is when I want a (preferably tobacco flavored) juice with nicotine in it. To this end, I am planning to buy a pocketable pod device that is best with 50/50 VG/PG ratio. I'd rather go 60/40 (I have reasons, doesn't matter)
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I am fully stocked on finished juices accumulated prior to my DIY path, some with (low) nic, but all 70/30. On my 1st DIY supply order, I ordered VG, PG, and a small selection of one shots. On my 2nd order, I took what I learned from the one shots and ordered individual flavors. I still didn't order nic because I was mainly thinking about ADVs and the pod thing wasn't even on my radar. Short sighted I guess.
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Where I am located, there are no DIY suppliers and the shipping for online orders kills me. I don't need anything else, just nic salt, in a small qty. But there are a few B&M vape stores where I can buy a bottle of tobacco flavored juice 50/50 ratio as high as 55mg concentration. So my thought is to buy say 60ml of that, and then portion some out for smaller batch experimentation, dilute the strength down with VG and PG in the correct ratio, and add flavorings to make it more interesting (custards, hazelnut, maybe some fruits, etc), making it work out to 60/40 VG/PG and around 6-12 mg nic salt concentration, which is where I want to be for my new device. I just can't wrap my head around the math, and it seems a little more complicated in this case than just using a DIY calculator tool.
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TL/DR: How do I calculate diluting a finished juice that is 55mg nic salt 50/50 down to 12mg 60/40, then adding DIY flavors to compensate? It's probably not hard, just makes my old brain hurt.
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Edit: I realize the easier way is to just buy 12mg juice from the B&M, vape that and forget about any experimentation. But I'm looking at making more cost efficient use of what I already have on hand to stretch it out longer, until my next DIY order, and dabbling in some of my own flavor creations or blends in the meantime. Also the B&M stuff is 50/50 and I prefer 60/40.
You have 55mg nic per 1ml, you want 12mg, which is approximately 22% (55/12=21.81%). If you're okay with 11mg, the math is easier (20%)
So for 5ml of juice, 1ml of the nic + 4ml of no-nic will give you 5ml of juice with 55mg nic, or 11mg/ml.
Apply similar math for the PG/VG... At 50/50 the 1ml of juice has 0.5ml of each. You want your 5ml to be 60/40, which is 3ml/2ml, so add 2.5 ml VG and 1.5 ml PG (totaling the 4ml you're adding to bring the nic to 11).
Most flavorings are PG-based, so I would include those in the 1.5.
Adjust accordingly for the final amount you're going for (e.g. multiply everything by 6 if you want 30ml of juice, so 6ml nic salt, 15ml VG, 9ml PG/flavoring).
Lol it's probably cheaper just to pay for the shipping
You're not wrong. From what I can get online (in Canada) I'd be at about $38 delivered for the smallest amount of 12mg/ml nic that I can get. I already have all the other DIY stuff. The 60 ml bottle of 55mg/ml juice for $21, and it's at the same place I plan to buy the Caliburn from. I'm not really looking long term, because as I mentioned I don't vape nic juice all the time, and I understand it has a shelf life.
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Edit: grammar and wording
You need higher concentration nic for juice because you dilute it with flavouring VG/PG
Understood. I'm going to grab a bottle of 55mg, which is the highest I can get locally, and dilute it down to somewhere in the 10-20mg range. That was where I needed help with the math. To dilute it down and to change the VG/PG from 50/50 to 60/40. The nic salts I can get locally are all 50/50 but I like higher VG, less leaking, smoother throat hit,etc.
Just order online and diy everything. Mixing flavours in an already juice not a good idea. You can ruin it.
But here the math.
PART #1
If you have a 120 ml ejuice with 55mg nic ml and want 12mg nic.
120x55 = 6600mg nic total!
6600 mg / 12 = 550ml needed
You already have 120 ml from the default ejuice.
550ml total - 120 = 430.
You need to add more 430ml of base/flavouring.
PART #2
Now you need to know how much VG and PG to add.
The 120ml at 50/50 contain 60ml vg and 60ml vg.
If 550ml = 100% then 60% is (60x550/100) 330ml. From the 330 ml you remove the 60ml (330-60), so you need to add 270ml to get 60%
If 550ml = 100% then 40% is (40x550/100) 220ml. From the 220ml you remove the 60ml (220-60), so you need to add 160ml to get 40%.
Yeah, I concur.
Bite the bullet and order the nic unflavored, pay the $10 shipping and toss in some flavours you want/need for good measure.
I'm up north too, I am not a fan of waiting until I need $100 of stuff before I order, but it is what it is. First order, when you are not sure what you want is a killer. It gets easier.
You know the deal, if you're in Canada. Fewer choices, more spread out, higher shipping cost. Though the only 2 DIY websites I've shopped are closer to $20 shipping, even small orders. So yeah, just like you said, wait until I need $70 - 100 of stuff so I can throw the nic on my next order. In the meantime I want to mess around with what I've got, and just grab a bottle of max nic this Friday when I'm in town buying the Caliburn.
You ask the wrong question.
It's possible to give you directions to get 12mg/ml finished juice, and even fit your desired ratio (assuming it's possible) but... You need to know what you are adding for flavor to get the numbers right.