# New to DIY



## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

Ok, so i want to diy.

But i prefer vg heavy juices and high nic levels.

And becos i am running cloud beasts, my usage is pretty high.

What would a good starter kit consist of?



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## craigb (27/12/16)

1L VG
200 to 500mls pg (optional)
500mls nic
A scale
Bottles ranging from 10ml to 100mls
Batteries for scale
Use one of the 100ml bottles to store VG for mixing. Make sure it has the witches cap (pointy) because pouring from the big 1litre bottle will be cumbersome.

Concentrates, concentrates and more concentrates.

No mess, no fuss.

The upfront cost will frighten the crap out of you, but after the first month, it is paid off (kinda)

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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

Thanks, i have been browsing around a lot, and reading up, and figure that this will help me keep cost down.
I dont know exactly what would be considered a good setup to start with, or recipes or which concentrates to buy.

The downside of too much choice is always decision paralysis!



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## Silver (27/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> Thanks, i have been browsing around a lot, and reading up, and figure that this will help me keep cost down.
> I dont know exactly what would be considered a good setup to start with, or recipes or which concentrates to buy.
> 
> The downside of too much choice is always decision paralysis!
> ...



Hi @Hardtail1969 
Make use of the DIY recipe threads which Andre meticulously maintains
He posts an index at the first post of all the recipes in the thread which is a massive timesaver
Pick the ones you like and go from there

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## craigb (27/12/16)

Don't be afraid to spend money, but also don't buy something just because.

2 - 3 months in and I don't have an ADV partially because I'm too cheap to buy the Intl flavours, even though they cost effectively the same as the Clyrolinx concentrates.

If you have regular commercial juices you like, maybe start by trying to recreate those flavour profiles.

I started DIY before I understood all the profiles and that is now holding me back.

*edit not to insult the CLY flavours, I really enjoy them, but this forum is the only place to find recipes


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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

@Silver, i will definitely do so, and attempt to purchase what is recommended in these recipes.

One other question though: 

I see a lot of concentrates, like butterscotch or coffee or energy drink... i take it that these are already a premix intended for use on their own? 

Unlike flavours like apple, or banana, which must be mixed with others in order to create a flavour?

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## craigb (27/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> @Silver, i will definitely do so, and attempt to purchase what is recommended in these recipes.
> 
> One other question though:
> 
> ...


A lot of flavours can be used solo, but even the complex ones can be enhanced with a bit of ice cream flavour or other "stretching" base concentrates.

Actually, pick any flavour, simple or complex and I bet you will find at least one person happy to use it solo and another that uses 0.5% of it to make another recipe shine.

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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

@Craig

Yes that is my fear, starting and buying before i understand.

I do not like wasting money, but conversely will buy what is needed, if they are the "right" things to buy.

And by that i mean quality over cost

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## Silver (27/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> @Silver, i will definitely do so, and attempt to purchase what is recommended in these recipes.
> 
> One other question though:
> 
> ...



I am a total DIY noob, so dont rely on my feedback - lol

But i think most of the flavours from the likes of TFA, FA, Capella etc are to be used in a recipe with other flavours. You do get some of them which members report are nice on their own, but many need a bit of something else to compliment them.

There is a great recipe thread (also maintained by Andre) which has great 1 or 2 flavour recipes. Go have a look at that. Quite informative to see which flavours work well as standalone 

There are some concentrates which are actually "pre-mixed recipes" on their own. But not many of them. I dont have much experience but maybe the other guys can chime in here to help you out.

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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

craigb said:


> A lot of flavours can be used solo, but even the complex ones can be enhanced with a bit of ice cream flavour or other "stretching" base concentrates.
> 
> Actually, pick any flavour, simple or complex and I bet you will find at least one person happy to use it solo and another that uses 0.5% of it to make another recipe shine.


That does make sense.

It is a process then, more of a taste and retaste game.

I just hope that i manage a decent one without missing some flavour that i dont have to make a recipe shine then.

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## craigb (27/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> That does make sense.
> 
> It is a process then, more of a taste and retaste game.
> 
> ...



One reason Im glad I don't follow recipes...

Rule 1, 2, 3, 13 & 69 of DIY ... You will always be missing at least 1 flavour.

Reactions: Can relate 1


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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

craigb said:


> One reason Im glad I don't follow recipes...
> 
> Rule 1, 2, 3, 13 & 69 of DIY ... You will always be missing at least 1 flavour.


Lol, iant that always thestory

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## craigb (27/12/16)

Also, I think its flavour mill, amongst others, that let's you buy by recipe. So you will be guaranteed to have all the ingredients need to make, for eg, bronuts.

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## Mr. B (27/12/16)

I've been diy mixing since the beginning of November so I'm definitely no pro, but I like to think I've gotten good at it considering I've only been doing it for 2 months. So far I've made about 1.5 litres in total and my batches were only 100ml each. 

My advice to a fellow beginner is:

1. Don't try your own concoctions yet. Stick to fixed recipes and only do between 10 - 30 ml batches. Once you have a feel for the flavours and how they work together you can try your own stuff. For example you'll find that most recipes with Bavarian Cream only use 2% because anything more would result in you not tasting the other flavours.
2. The smooth additive from Blck Vapour makes a huge difference. It reduces steep time and removes the harshness.
3. Learn about steeping, breathing, streathing and warm water baths.
4. To speed up the process, I've invested in a milk frother and this works better than shaking the bottle up for a few minutes everyday.
5. I don't disagree with buying scales and mixing kits, though personally the only equipment I use are two syringes(5 and 20ml), a beaker for mixing, 10 - 30 ml bottles for storage and a milk frother.
6. Nicotine is harmful so make sure you don't spill it or get any on your hands. Most people suggest using gloves when working with it but I personally don't, though I am extra careful with it.

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## Hardtail1969 (27/12/16)

Mr. B said:


> I've been diy mixing since the beginning of November so I'm definitely no pro, but I like to think I've gotten good at it considering I've only been doing it for 2 months. So far I've made about 1.5 litres in total and my batches were only 100ml each.
> 
> My advice to a fellow beginner is:
> 
> ...


This helps more than you know... thanks!

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## Andre (27/12/16)

Buy a proper scale!!!! It makes for a much more pleasant DIY experience for 99.9% of DIYers, @Mr. B excluded.

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## RichJB (27/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> What would a good starter kit consist of?



http://blckvapour.co.za/apps/cart-loader?cff_crt=1e516f0a19be403e5c04c2993017cace

With that, you will be able to make Enyawreklaw's:

Chocolate Milkshakes
Cuprian
My Dude (My Man clone)
Pistachio RY4U
Strawberry Cheesecake Remix
Funfetti
SVBICC Remix
Bronuts
Rhodonite
Casino Pier
Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookie
Blackout
Boardwalk
Cereal Milks

You would also need to pick up the following flavours which Richio doesn't have in 10ml atm:
TFA Graham Cracker Clear
Cap NY Cheesecake v1
Inw Biscuit
TFA Banana Cream

Yes, the price is ouch. But you will have the basis of a DIY kit that is extremely versatile. With these, you could also make a bunch of other top recipes, including skiddlzninja's God Milk and several of the world's top rated recipes here.

Edit: also compare the price to what you'd be paying for the same amount of commercial juice. With these ingredients, you'd be able to make about 1100ml of 3mg nic juice before running out of nic. You'd still have VG, PG and lots of flavouring left over. If you vape commercial juice @ around R150 per 30ml, that 1100ml of juice would cost around R5400. You're spending less than half of that and many of the costs (scale, bottles) are once-offs. Plus you'd have ample leftovers from this initial purchase. So subsequent batches become even cheaper.

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## The_Ice (28/12/16)

Hi @Hardtail1969 welcome to the club! here is a link to what I wish I knew before I started my diy journey especially with regards to concentrates


I still have a bunch of concentrates that I wish I never bought from my first escapades

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## Hardtail1969 (28/12/16)

Wow guys, thanks for the help, i love this kind of assistance, because in the end it means far fewer false starts, and also helps one to stay on the main path, and avoid all those expensive mistakes that are so common when one starts doing anything DIY.

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## Polar (28/12/16)

Have a look here too

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/first_order_flavors

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## PsyCLown (28/12/16)

Sorry for the thread hi-jack.

@Mr. B how do you measure the small amounts of concentrate accurately if you only have a 5ml and 20ml syringe?
For example, if you need to mix say 0.14ml of a certain concentrate? The 5ml syringe will show increments of 0.1ml if I am not mistaken - do you just guestimate the 0.04ml ?


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## Hardtail1969 (28/12/16)

Polar said:


> Have a look here too
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/first_order_flavors


Thanks!!

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## Silver (28/12/16)

Polar said:


> Have a look here too
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/first_order_flavors



Thanks @Polar, thats a great link indeed!

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## Polar (28/12/16)

Basically, get a scale.

Also do research on which e liquid calculator you like... Once you've put in effort adding all your flavours and stock and stuff you aren't going to want to redo.

I use https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/new-calculator-to-try.480587/

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## NewOobY (28/12/16)

Hey man, another DIY-er to join the family - can't wait to see what you come up with .

The threads by @Andre are amazing - and they are indexed so well. If this fails to tickle your fancy then searching https://e-liquid-recipes.com/ for profiles you like, is also a great starting point. The best thing about it is you can sort by rating's hence finding recipes that have been reviewed basically. Pretty cool in my opinion.

I started with syringes(cheapest option), but this can be very cumbersome - I would get a scale right off the bat man, they really make things easier. Initial cost will always be high in DIY, but you save almost instantly when you make your first ADV juice. Plus that is a freaking awesome feeling when that happens.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Hardtail1969 (28/12/16)

NewOobY said:


> Hey man, another DIY-er to join the family - can't wait to see what you come up with .
> 
> The threads by @Andre are amazing - and they are indexed so well. If this fails to tickle your fancy then searching https://e-liquid-recipes.com/ for profiles you like, is also a great starting point. The best thing about it is you can sort by rating's hence finding recipes that have been reviewed basically. Pretty cool in my opinion.
> 
> I started with syringes(cheapest option), but this can be very cumbersome - I would get a scale right off the bat man, they really make things easier. Initial cost will always be high in DIY, but you save almost instantly when you make your first ADV juice. Plus that is a freaking awesome feeling when that happens.


Yes, that is what i hope happens for me..

I like diy myself in all kindsa things

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## NewOobY (28/12/16)

Hardtail1969 said:


> Yes, that is what i hope happens for me..
> 
> I like diy myself in all kindsa things
> 
> Sent from my SM-A700FD using Tapatalk


The first juice I made was the old time favorite DIY Mustard Milk: 
TFA: VBIC 6%
TFA: Strawberry 1%
TFA: Strawberry Ripe 5% 

Super easy and tastes good, make this first man trust me - it is instant gratification cause it tastes great and is really easy. Further to that it is a great base for your own StrawB milk concoctions. So from there you can evolve it and add: custard's, other creams, other fruits and biscuits etc.

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## Hardtail1969 (28/12/16)

NewOobY said:


> The first juice I made was the old time favorite DIY Mustard Milk:
> TFA: VBIC 6%
> TFA: Strawberry 1%
> TFA: Strawberry Ripe 5%
> ...


I will give it a go and see what i come up with!

I like soft and smooth dessert flavours, but stay away from sweet ones

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