# I am interested in DIY juice, where do I begin?



## Waine (3/9/16)

The whole DIY juice making has piqued my interest. But I don't know where to start. It seems a bit daunting actually. I am a relatively experienced vaper and want to take it up a notch. I have watched a few You tube tutorial clips and I get the basic idea. Can anyone recommend a vendor where I can order a complete starter pack with good instructions that will allow me to get going? Although its not "Rocket science", I would really appreciate it if someone can "hold my hand" on this new journey and just help me. Thanks up front...

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## Gareth Friedmam (3/9/16)

@Waine Blckvapour.co.za has it all

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## WianGuse (4/9/16)

I second blckvapour. Very good service. To start off, you obviously need to get some VG, PG and nicotine (I used VG based nicotine) and then concentrates. 
Check out e-liquid-recipes.com to find some recipe ideas and buy concentrates accordingly. 
I mix using ml and not weight, which means I use syringes to measure the amount of flavourings added instead of using a scale. 
Another useful site is steam-engine.org. I use their e-liquid calculator.

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## The_Ice (4/9/16)

Hi @Waine I am a diy apprentice and I could share some early lessons I've learned. I'd recommend that you start simply and first see how you get on.

1. I use Blckvapour. I did once order in-house concentrates from vapeowave, this is only recommend once you know what you're doing.

2. Don't worry too much about a starter kit, here's what you NEED just to start if you don't want to make a too big 1st investment:
Nic 36mg/ml in PG
PG
VG
Flavour concentrates*
HDPE bottles 30ml
Syringe 10ml
Pipettes 3ml

3 go to e-liquid-recipes.com or use an app to determine the ml of each ingredient to use and mix it in the bottles, shake and steep as recommended.

*To start off with, find a recipe/clone recipe (s) from http://www.ecigssa.co.za/forums/e-Liquid-recipes/
Or
1 with a high rating from
http://e-liquid-recipes.com
And order the concentrates needed to make said recipe (the brand is important, the potencies and flavour varies)

If I could do it all over again, that's what I would do. After doing this, you can see what else you need to improve/facilitate your mixing experience. I also recommend having a look/scan through http://www.ecigssa.co.za/calling-all-diyers.t10799/ it's a long thread but there are some golden ideas inside.

Good luck and enjoy

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## SAVaper (4/9/16)

There are a few suppliers for a kit if you want but you could start as suggested above.

1. Find a recipe you like (or 3 or 4)
2. Order only the flavours specific to those recipes (+ VG, PG and Nicotine)
3. Get bottles and labels(put a mixing date on so you know how long they have steeped)
4. Buy Syringes from you local pharmacy. (10ml x 5, 5ml x 10, 1ml insulin x 20) Insulin works great for the very small volumes of flavour if you start making 10ml testers. The more you have the fewer times you have to wash them in between recipes.

When you find that you like the whole idea of DIY, then invest in a decent scale and start mixing by weight. It is much faster, easier and cleaner. (Less syringes to clean after each recipe)

Most important enjoy the experimenting and learn from your disasters (always keep notes of what you mix and tweek so you can replicate the great ones)

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## Slick (4/9/16)

I used to dread mixing by syringes,but after I bought a scale I look forward to it,its so much easier and you don't feel like your calculations are abit off,im using a scale from Valley vapour and it's awesome,as most concentrates come in dripper bottles nowadays,if you use syringes you gona have to pop open the drippers on each bottle that you want to use,just the thought of that drives me insane,get a scale,ul love diy even more

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## Viper_SA (4/9/16)

Get some VG, PG, Nic, a scale, some concentrates, read a few threads and most important, throw yohr sanity out tbe door and start mixing

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## Silver (4/9/16)

Great thread you started @Waine
Am watching it with much interest


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## NewOobY (4/9/16)

hey man the first kit i bought was the top-up 250 from skyblue, but I agree with everyone here the blckvapour kit is awesome for the mere fact that you get a scale included. You can't go wrong with it. But also the other options of getting everything separately is also good, but to start a kit is easier and less daunting. In my humble opinion...

Also a good place to find recipes is: http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ there is awesome functionality on the site - you can type in a flavour profile and search for recipes. Remember to always sort by rating. Happy DIY-ing.


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## StangV2_0 (4/9/16)

I am alse very interested in DIY and actually started a thread regarding vendor etc last night. 

Looks like black vapour the way to go. I also wondered if i really need a starter kit since most of the contents can be sourced locally or separately. 

I am wondering if its easier with a scale. And how so? If you mixing small quantities at a time I am sure a syringe is faster. But if mixing larger amounts? Can someone with some experience please elaborate on this a bit. 

All the juices I have bought in the past came in high mg/ml so I have been mixing down to my required nicotine preference (usually 1mg/ml) using VG (Bp glycerine) i get from nearest pharmacy. 

But I am now interested in mixing my own flavours. 



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## Mark121m (4/9/16)

My start was going to Clyrolinx.co.za 

Ordered
200ml , Vg
100ml Pg

4 small syringe 
2 medium syringe 

2 x 100ml bottles
Which I then put the vg and Pg into for easier poring into small 30ml bottles

Ordered 30ml bottles 3 per flavour I bought.

Found a 500g scale at home and used this to measure weight.

Website used was
E liquid recipe. 

Very easy site. 


Started 70/30
with 1.5% of flav then 2% then 2.5%

Fruit was quick 1 night ready to vape

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## Soutie (4/9/16)

StangV2_0 said:


> I am wondering if its easier with a scale. And how so? If you mixing small quantities at a time I am sure a syringe is faster. But if mixing larger amounts? Can someone with some experience please elaborate on this a bit.



Definitely get a scale, one that goes to tenth of a gram. They are sold by Blckvapour too.

When using syringes you need to have a dedicated syringe per concentrate to not cross contaminate, you clean up becomes huge due to this.

Mixing with a scale is a pleasure, most concentrates come in plastic dropper bottles now days and makes it super easy, add a drop and watch the scale go up. The tare function will be your friend, hit that and resets your scale to 0 regardless of what is on the scale, allows you to be very precise and you will be doing this in your final bottle rather than buggering around with beakers and pippets or the like.

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## StangV2_0 (4/9/16)

Soutie said:


> Definitely get a scale, one that goes to tenth of a gram. They are sold by Blckvapour too.
> 
> When using syringes you need to have a dedicated syringe per concentrate to not cross contaminate, you clean up becomes huge due to this.
> 
> Mixing with a scale is a pleasure, most concentrates come in plastic dropper bottles now days and makes it super easy, add a drop and watch the scale go up. The tare function will be your friend, hit that and resets your scale to 0 regardless of what is on the scale, allows you to be very precise and you will be doing this in your final bottle rather than buggering around with beakers and pippets or the like.


Ah ok..

So just know the ml/gram conversions and keep hitting tare. 

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## Soutie (4/9/16)

StangV2_0 said:


> Ah ok..
> 
> So just know the ml/gram conversions and keep hitting tare.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk



Precisely, 

E-liquid recipes does all the hard conversion work to grams for you too. You literally need to keep track so you don't add the same concentrate twice. It's happened to me when the wife wanted to have a conversation half way through mixing and I lost track

Reactions: Funny 1


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## StangV2_0 (4/9/16)

Soutie said:


> Precisely,
> 
> E-liquid recipes does all the hard conversion work to grams for you too. You literally need to keep track so you don't add the same concentrate twice. It's happened to me when the wife wanted to have a conversation half way through mixing and I lost track


Lol. Ok cool. Thanks man! 

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## Glytch (4/9/16)

Perhaps I can add something different.

I've ordered from Blckvapour and they were brilliant but the other concentrate vendors are also very good. I settled on e-liquid-concentrates.co.za due to their prices being lower and their shipping quicker to my location. Shop around.

I got some GREAT advice from the more experienced members when I was starting out with my DIY about 2 months ago. Here's some of the better advice:

1. Get a scale
2. There is no replacement for steeping the old-fashioned way (dark cool cupboard)

However, many told me that I would need to get at least 10 different concentrates as I might mix something horrible. I ignored this advice and did this instead:

1. Look REALLY hard for a simple recipe with good reviews
2. Buy as little as possible (I bought nic, vg, pg and three concentrates)
3. Mix something that needs to steep
4. Mix a fruit flavour to shake and vape
5. Taste the steeping juice every few days
6. Make more than you think (I started with 120ml steeping juice and 50ml shake and vape).

Hope this helps.

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## Shelley (4/9/16)

http://diyordievaping.com/2015/10/02/how-to-use-an-ejuice-calculator-and-mix-with-a-scale/


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## gertvanjoe (5/9/16)

well I am yet to start mixing by weight. So I have a dedicated syringe for each flavour. The Vg pg and nic I premix into 100ml batches ( up the nic slightly to compensate for final product. Maybe 1mg ). and get the thickest needless they have.

Sent from Mars

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## Caveman (5/9/16)

At the very least you will need:
Nic, VG, PG, Bottles, Something to mix with (syringes or scale), some flavor concentrates.

If you like fruity vapes, I can suggest the Monster Melons Clone (http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/127149/Mikes+Melons+%28Cuttwood+Monster+Melon+Clone%29) A simple 3 concentrate recipe that is simply amazing. Still one of my ADV's after 5 months of DIY (albeit I have altered it a bit to suite my tastes)

Some sites:
http://e-liquid-recipes.com/
https://alltheflavors.com/recipes
https://www.reddit.com/r/diy_ejuice
http://www.lediypourlesnuls.com. (Clone Recipes)
http://www.kritikalmass.net. (Some more clones)

Some moar things:
1. Read this: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/
2. Find a recipe that is close to the flavor profile you currently enjoy vaping(try and use only well reviewed recipes)
3. Mix
4. Profit


Side Effect of DIY:
Loss of Sanity
Loss of sense of time when mixing
Learning patience from scratch
Always needing at least 1 more flavor
Absolute elation when you finally get a recipe and profile you love, followed shortly by thoughts of "how can I make this better"
Trying to think in terms of how you can make any taste into a vape. (Seriously this happens, you catch yourself eating or drinking something nice, and you think, "hmmm I wonder what flavors I have that will make something like this")
Decrease in re-wick time of your favorite RDA

Also, check out the DIY recipes on this Forum. There are quite a few nice recipes on here and you will find that they have been mixed and reviewed by Forum members

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## Spydro (5/9/16)

In this turn key mentality world everyone wants instant gratification. But the correct first step before you buy anything IMO should be doing a lot of research yourself about everything and anything related to DIY if your goal is the best vape to your personal tastes. There are literally thousands of resources out there now to weed through on line to weigh and form your own opinions from, a very long list of things to understand fully before diving in. And learn to weed out the hype, it is based on some one else's personal tastes, not yours. I bought hundreds of premades that many of were hyped and most of were not to my liking, so I tossed them out and vaped very few of them. Like most good things in life you earn from what you sow in DIY. Taste is subjective to an individual, so DIY done right for you personally requires a knowledge base to build from, and to keep building on over the years. A lot of time, effort and expense will be wasted otherwise. When you do dive in, make notes as you learn each flavor alone to find your taste for it before attempting 'recipes' of 2, then 3 then multiple flavors to find out what compliments each other to your own personal tastes. Anything short of that and you are cheating yourself out of your perfect vapes.

I spent a few weeks of endless hours every day and night 3.5 years ago doing research before I dove in and placed my first orders for DIY gear/supplies, and I still made some mistakes in flavor concentrates I didn't like so never used. But in time I found my niche, what my personal tastes were, how to build for them, etc. Now DIY is second nature for me, so coming up with something new that I know I will like is easy... because I earned that knowledge myself.

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## kev mac (5/9/16)

Waine said:


> The whole DIY juice making has piqued my interest. But I don't know where to start. It seems a bit daunting actually. I am a relatively experienced vaper and want to take it up a notch. I have watched a few You tube tutorial clips and I get the basic idea. Can anyone recommend a vendor where I can order a complete starter pack with good instructions that will allow me to get going? Although its not "Rocket science", I would really appreciate it if someone can "hold my hand" on this new journey and just help me. Thanks up front...


I would use pre mixed pg-vg if you can get it.Just makes it much easier.


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## SAVaper (5/9/16)

kev mac said:


> I would use pre mixed pg-vg if you can get it.Just makes it much easier.



I have never had a premix so it is difficult for me to give a objective opinion but I think as for now I prefer to buy mine separate.
What if I want to change the ratio in a specific recipe? My recipes range from 30/70 to 50/50 with 35/65 being very common because I use my own calculation sheet. If I only have a specific premix, that might make thing difficult for my recipe.


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## Huffapuff (5/9/16)

@Waine a word of warning before you jump down the rabbit hole that is DIY: be prepared to have your life changed forever! Vaping is one thing, but DIY is an entirely different beast. Your time will be spent researching flavour profiles and recipe sites, mixing and steeping and ordering new flavours in a constant search for DIY's holy grail - the perfect ADV 

There has been some excellent advice given above - a lot I wish I'd received when I started! 

My DIY adventure began on VU where I discovered Head in Clouds - a great mixologist imo. I went for his Tribeca Halo Clone and Vanilla Nut Coffee, bought the necessary ingredients and 250ml VG and 250ml VG and some nicotine.

I used syringes to make my base to which I added the flavour concentrates. I didn't have a scale, and still don't (gasp!) as I simply use drops. I know it's not the most accurate but it makes about a 0.1% difference which my tastebuds don't notice  

For weeks I just had those 2 juices as I learnt more and slowly grew my concentrate and recipe collection. 

Eventually I began to venture into mixing my own stuff with limited success to be honest  Even though there's a steep learning curve and I wasted a fair amount of my precious resources I always had some reliable recipes which kept me vaping on the cheap  Now my success rate is improving and I'm beginning to understand how to build a decent juice. 

The way I see it is there are way better mixologists out there than me. I found some that have similar tastes to me and they seldom disappoint. 

So now I go to certain mixologists for certain flavour profiles. For example, someone like Wayne Walker (DIYORDIE) has quite a sweet tooth, HIC has more bakery and boozy tastes and I think the best tobaccos are here from the likes of @Andre and @Viper_SA. So see what they offer and start from there 

Enjoy the journey and share your creations

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## notna (5/9/16)

Alexi said:


> really appreciate it if someone can "hold my hand" on this new journey and just help me. Thanks up front...




Cheapest DIY webiste in RSA, stocks TFA and DIY accessories 

www.atmosfear.co.za[/QUOTE]
Open 24/7!!

Perfect for that late night single flavor rush.. Hehe


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## Huffapuff (6/9/16)

Alexi said:


> Cheapest DIY webiste in RSA, stocks TFA and DIY accessories
> 
> www.atmosfear.co.za





KimVapeDashian said:


> Secondly, spamming 8 DIY threads with the same response is a poor method of marketing! Maybe he really does love them, but that is spamming!
> 
> *EDIT* screenie attached



@Alexi How about you spam us once you have more concentrates for sale? I have a bigger collection with more variety than you do atm

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## Greyz (6/9/16)

Huffapuff said:


> @Alexi How about you spam us once you have more concentrates for sale? I have a bigger collection with more variety than you do atm


@Alexi just become a vendor and get it done right. 
Your pricing is good but damn like Huffapuff said, I too have more TFA concentrates at home than your site does...

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Reactions: Like 1 | Useful 1


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## SAVaper (6/9/16)

notna said:


> Cheapest DIY webiste in RSA, stocks TFA and DIY accessories
> 
> www.atmosfear.co.za


Open 24/7!!

Perfect for that late night single flavor rush.. Hehe[/QUOTE]

Good to know there is another supplier available for when I cannot get something I am looking for.


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## Quentin (6/9/16)

Hi guys, 

I am one of the owners of AtmosFear but I am here in a personal capacity to state that we don't have anything to do with Alexi. 

I apologise for any issues caused to you all. 

Have a great day everyone!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1 | Thanks 4


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## Caveman (6/9/16)

Spydro said:


> In this turn key mentality world everyone wants instant gratification. But the correct first step before you buy anything IMO should be doing a lot of research yourself about everything and anything related to DIY if your goal is the best vape to your personal tastes. There are literally thousands of resources out there now to weed through on line to weigh and form your own opinions from, a very long list of things to understand fully before diving in. And learn to weed out the hype, it is based on some one else's personal tastes, not yours. I bought hundreds of premades that many of were hyped and most of were not to my liking, so I tossed them out and vaped very few of them. Like most good things in life you earn from what you sow in DIY. Taste is subjective to an individual, so DIY done right for you personally requires a knowledge base to build from, and to keep building on over the years. A lot of time, effort and expense will be wasted otherwise. When you do dive in, make notes as you learn each flavor alone to find your taste for it before attempting 'recipes' of 2, then 3 then multiple flavors to find out what compliments each other to your own personal tastes. Anything short of that and you are cheating yourself out of your perfect vapes.
> 
> I spent a few weeks of endless hours every day and night 3.5 years ago doing research before I dove in and placed my first orders for DIY gear/supplies, and I still made some mistakes in flavor concentrates I didn't like so never used. But in time I found my niche, what my personal tastes were, how to build for them, etc. Now DIY is second nature for me, so coming up with something new that I know I will like is easy... because I earned that knowledge myself.



@Spydro You know you have it so right in this post. I started out 6 months ago in DIY expecting instant success, coz you know, I am a pretty decent cook and "I know flavors", oh how wrong I was. I am only now starting to touch on understanding how the flavors really work together and my recipes are getting better and better as I learn what I like and how the flavors interact with each other. It is one of those things that take time and a lot of trial and error and patience.

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## Waine (6/9/16)

It all sounds like a major mission to me. I have resolved that I am not ready for DIY yet. I need time, and right now I am using my spare time having fun trying out different coil builds and tinkering with all my equipment. But all the advice I have absorbed and I will probably take up DIY when I feel I must take vaping to the next level. BTW, brick and mortar and other juice vendors must really hate the whole DIY thing. What do you think?


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## Blu_Marlin (6/9/16)

Waine said:


> It all sounds like a major mission to me. I have resolved that I am not ready for DIY yet. I need time, and right now I am using my spare time having fun trying out different coil builds and tinkering with all my equipment. But all the advice I have absorbed and I will probably take up DIY when I feel I must take vaping to the next level. BTW, brick and mortar and other juice vendors must really hate the whole DIY thing. What do you think?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It might sound like a mission but it only becomes one depending on the path you take. Do you go in gung-ho and end up with 15 concentrates (those that sounded nice when browsing the website) and then figure out that for the three or four recipes that really catch your attention you are still one or two concentrates short? Or do you KISS and choose a recipe that sounds good and has been tried and tested by our forumites with positive results. Get the concentrates specific to the recipe and mix till your hearts content. It all depends on you.

I don’t think that all the juice makers or B&Ms are overly concerned by DIY at the moment. Some, not a lot, B&Ms also sell DIY concentrates, Nic, PG/VG etc and a lot of commercial juice makers chip in with helpful tips on the DIY threads. 

That’s just my thoughts on DIY.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## gertvanjoe (6/9/16)

gertvanjoe said:


> well I am yet to start mixing by weight. So I have a dedicated syringe for each flavour. The Vg pg and nic I premix into 100ml batches ( up the nic slightly to compensate for final product. Maybe 1mg ). and get the thickest needless they have.
> 
> Sent from Mars



@The_Ice but why ?


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## kev mac (6/9/16)

SAVaper said:


> I have never had a premix so it is difficult for me to give a objective opinion but I think as for now I prefer to buy mine separate.
> What if I want to change the ratio in a specific recipe? My recipes range from 30/70 to 50/50 with 35/65 being very common because I use my own calculation sheet. If I only have a specific premix, that might make thing difficult for my recipe.


You make a point,but in my case where I always use the same mixture it saves time.But if you like to change it up I guess it (premix) would've work.In any case diy can be fun and undoubtedly saves $$$.Luck to you!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Soutie (7/9/16)

Waine said:


> BTW, brick and mortar and other juice vendors must really hate the whole DIY thing. What do you think?



Yeah I don't think they are overly stressed to be honest and for really good reason. There is a small section of this forum who DIY and this forum is only a fraction of Vapers in south Africa if vapecon this year is anything to go by. The handful of DIYers is pretty insignificant in the whole scheme of things.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Glytch (7/9/16)

Soutie said:


> Yeah I don't think they are overly stressed to be honest and for really good reason. There is a small section of this forum who DIY and this forum is only a fraction of Vapers in south Africa if vapecon this year is anything to go by. The handful of DIYers is pretty insignificant in the whole scheme of things.



I honestly don't know how people afford to vape without DIY. I'm going through about 200 - 250ml per month (which is moderate compared to others). Juice would cost me over R1000 a month in premium juices. Currently I spend about R250 - R300 per month on DIY supplies.


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## Soutie (7/9/16)

Glytch said:


> I honestly don't know how people afford to vape without DIY. I'm going through about 200 - 250ml per month (which is moderate compared to others). Juice would cost me over R1000 a month in premium juices. Currently I spend about R250 - R300 per month on DIY supplies.



once again in context that isn't much at all.

My wife and I were pack a day smokers, if i recall a pack of smokes at a garage is around R40 if i recall (its been a while ) so for one person we are looking at 30*R40... um about R1200, not counting when one has had a few drinks and put down two or three packs a night.

10ml is a decent amount of juice to have to go through a day and even then a grand on juice is right in the ballpark. Saving money and doing the healthier thing.

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## GMacDiggity (7/9/16)

So I'm not sure if this is the best spot for this question but didn't feel it deserved a new thread. I am also keen to get into DIY but am worried it is going to consume too much time. 

Can anyone give an estimate of the amount of time that is dedicated to DIYing juice and even researching stuff also. I know myself and am worried that I will spend far too much time mixing. 

Here's to hoping its not too crazy of a time killer!


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## SAVaper (7/9/16)

GMacDiggity said:


> So I'm not sure if this is the best spot for this question but didn't feel it deserved a new thread. I am also keen to get into DIY but am worried it is going to consume too much time.
> 
> Can anyone give an estimate of the amount of time that is dedicated to DIYing juice and even researching stuff also. I know myself and am worried that I will spend far too much time mixing.
> 
> Here's to hoping its not too crazy of a time killer!




That will depend exclusively on you.
I spend about 3 to 5 hours a week on average mixing.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Huffapuff (7/9/16)

GMacDiggity said:


> So I'm not sure if this is the best spot for this question but didn't feel it deserved a new thread. I am also keen to get into DIY but am worried it is going to consume too much time.
> 
> Can anyone give an estimate of the amount of time that is dedicated to DIYing juice and even researching stuff also. I know myself and am worried that I will spend far too much time mixing.
> 
> Here's to hoping its not too crazy of a time killer!



Once you have recipes that you know and love you can mix them in a matter of minutes - grab a bottle fill it with your base and add your concentrates. It's that simple 

For me the greatest consumer of time is making my base of PG, VG and nicotine. I'll mix up about a litre at a time so at least it lasts me a fair while.

Working on a new original juice takes more time, but it's fun so I don't think of it as a chore or anything. Same goes for searching for new recipes.

So it's up to you to decide how much time to spend DIYing.


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## GMacDiggity (7/9/16)

Thanks very much @SAVaper and @Huffapuff . That is what i expected. But good to hear that once you get it down its not a long process.

Think you have convinced me to pull the trigger! Now to find a nice Fruity mentholy recipe to get started on!

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## RichJB (7/9/16)

Neither the mixing nor the research takes up much time. What eats up the hours is staring at the Blck website and refreshing periodically in the hope that Richio uploaded some new stock in the last few minutes.

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## Mark121m (7/9/16)

Woooooo
Another order of concentrate.
Excited for some
80 20 mixes

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## rvdwesth (7/9/16)

DIY is awesome... and cheap. 
At times frustrating to get the flavor just right. 
Other times one just make a moerbei juice and it rocks your world. 
BTW moerbei is exactly that, you just moer stuff bymekaar.
I do believe people make it much more complicated than it really is, however in my opinion, to start the journey is like baking, if you can read a recipe, you can diy. Later on, like in a week or so, you can experiment.
Enjoy it is the most important thing of all though!!

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## Waine (7/9/16)

I am prepared to spend 1000 to 1200 a month on commercial juice as that is what I was spending on cigs. On that budget, is that what I will spend on DIY? 


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## Soutie (7/9/16)

Waine said:


> I am prepared to spend 1000 to 1200 a month on commercial juice as that is what I was spending on cigs. On that budget, is that what I will spend on DIY?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Maybe in the first month to get a scale, bottles and staples but waaaaay less than that afterwards. It's really up to you and how complex you want to make your recipes.

Unless you are like me and for some reason have to collect every concentrate ever made  that basket seems to grow exponentially during the month

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## Gareth Friedmam (7/9/16)

@Waine Not even close...Your first order will be more expensive than the rest as you need to order VG, PG and Nic. Other than the first order it MUCH MUCH cheaper to order the concentrates when you need


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## Huffapuff (7/9/16)

@Waine I wish I could spend that much each month!

A grand will set you up nicely to get started with the basics and a handful of concentrates. Thereafter you can add 10 new concentrates each month to your collection for around R500. A 10ml bottle of concentrate lasts a looong time. Well, maybe not TFA as they require higher percentages 

Depending on how much you mix you will restock on PG, VG and nicotine every so often. But they're way cheaper than the concentrates.


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## Andre (7/9/16)

GMacDiggity said:


> Thanks very much @SAVaper and @Huffapuff . That is what i expected. But good to hear that once you get it down its not a long process.
> 
> Think you have convinced me to pull the trigger! Now to find a nice Fruity mentholy recipe to get started on!


Enjoy - DIY is great fun. 
Here is the Menthol/Mint recipe thread, although not many fruit menthols there yet. However, for most fruit recipes you can just add 0.5 - 1.0 % Menthol (any brand will do). Here is the Fruit recipes thread. My absolute favourite in there is the Mango Crack and I think it would be stunning with Menthol.
Do not hesitate to shout if you have any questions.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


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## Mark121m (7/9/16)

Waine said:


> I am prepared to spend 1000 to 1200 a month on commercial juice as that is what I was spending on cigs. On that budget, is that what I will spend on DIY?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No hex no.geee
1200 on ciggy. 

600rand
Even 400rand of Diy will set you straight 

Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mark121m (7/9/16)

rvdwesth said:


> DIY is awesome... and cheap.
> At times frustrating to get the flavor just right.
> Other times one just make a moerbei juice and it rocks your world.
> BTW moerbei is exactly that, you just moer stuff bymekaar.
> ...


So true.
Start out slow. 
Then just get 1 day fed up mix n forget your mix.
Ces out amazing try replicate hahaha not a chance.
Hate those days

Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schnappie (7/9/16)

My fave recipe is still the easy to make suckerpunch clone. 14% dragon fruit, 4% vanilla swirl and 2% bavarian cream. Simple and yum everytime

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## GMacDiggity (8/9/16)

Andre said:


> Enjoy - DIY is great fun.
> Here is the Menthol/Mint recipe thread, although not many fruit menthols there yet. However, for most fruit recipes you can just add 0.5 - 1.0 % Menthol (any brand will do). Here is the Fruit recipes thread. My absolute favourite in there is the Mango Crack and I think it would be stunning with Menthol.
> Do not hesitate to shout if you have any questions.



I had actually gotten everything for that into my basket!!!! Sounded amazing from the description! Here's hoping I can nail the recipe to put out the right thing! 

Thanks very much @Andre for the links to the recipes. I will let you know how the Menthol goes in the Mango Crack. 

Thanks very much for being available, really appreciate it

Reactions: Like 1


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## 0FTG0 (8/9/16)

@Waine Going through the thread i see a lot of good advice but no tutorials for you to go over. New Amsterdam Vape is a Youtube channel with the easiest to understand tutorials on DIY E-Juice and he gives you a recipe to practice that is bloody nice. (made it myself, loved it).
With regards to what to buy..... you get the most bang for your buck in the long run buying Blck Vapors 
STARTER KIT 1 (NEW MIXER) and their 500g scale. but this is my opinion and some seem to share it and others dont.
Note that the recipie he gives you in the tutorial needs to steep for a minimum of a week and a half. If that is too long of a wait. Try Sweet Lychee (CAP) at 7%. you can vape it the next day but leave for 3 to 4 days to mix properly with the nic

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


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## GMacDiggity (8/9/16)

0FTG0 said:


> New Amsterdam Vape is a Youtube channel with the easiest to understand tutorials on DIY E-Juice


0
Really great channel for some info on how to get going and how to think about things. Thanks @0FTG0

Reactions: Like 3


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## Igno (8/9/16)

The whole DIY thing may seem daunting at first, but it becomes like a hobby and is also very rewarding. The only downside in my personal opinion is that you tend to start vaping alot more, because of the fact that you know you've got plenty of juice and it's quite cheap as well. I worked my way up to about 1.5 litres of juice a month but still cheaper than smoking.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (8/9/16)

I have the opposite thing: I can't vape fast enough to satisfy my juice-making habit. I had a teeny bit of juice left in a bottle this morning, after I refilled a tank. So I thought aha, I can wash the bottle and make some juice. But I'm half-Scottish so I couldn't discard the dregs of juice, and decided to drip it instead. I've been dripping the whole blessed day and it's _still_ not finished. I swear, dripping has some sort of auto-juice-regeneration thing going.

I could buy more steeping bottles and just mix more juices but then the stuff would be steeping for literally months before I got to it. I've been vaping this Malva Custard for weeks and there's still about half of the 30ml left. And that's in an Avo24. It's absurd.

Reactions: Can relate 1


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## Igno (8/9/16)

RichJB said:


> I have the opposite thing: I can't vape fast enough to satisfy my juice-making habit. I had a teeny bit of juice left in a bottle this morning, after I refilled a tank. So I thought aha, I can wash the bottle and make some juice. But I'm half-Scottish so I couldn't discard the dregs of juice, and decided to drip it instead. I've been dripping the whole blessed day and it's _still_ not finished. I swear, dripping has some sort of auto-juice-regeneration thing going.
> 
> I could buy more steeping bottles and just mix more juices but then the stuff would be steeping for literally months before I got to it. I've been vaping this Malva Custard for weeks and there's still about half of the 30ml left. And that's in an Avo24. It's absurd.



I have about 20 250ml glass bottles that I use for steeping my juices, whenever I need juice for the day, I just throw them in 2 unicorn bottles I have and I'm set for the day.


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## RichJB (8/9/16)

So you mix around 200-250ml of one juice at a time? I mix 30ml max of each flavour and even that is too much sometimes. I have four mods and six tanks in rotation. I use one juice in each tank so I have six juice bottles on my desk at a time, but will only vape four of them on a given day. Two of my tanks "rest" each day. Try as I might, I can't go above about 6ml of juice per day. So those six bottles x 30ml on my desk is a month's supply.


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## Igno (8/9/16)

RichJB said:


> So you mix around 200-250ml of one juice at a time? I mix 30ml max of each flavour and even that is too much sometimes. I have four mods and six tanks in rotation. I use one juice in each tank so I have six juice bottles on my desk at a time, but will only vape four of them on a given day. Two of my tanks "rest" each day. Try as I might, I can't go above about 6ml of juice per day. So those six bottles x 30ml on my desk is a month's supply.



As I said, I vape about 50ml a day, so mixing 10X 250ml bottles at once is nothing funny for me, I sometimes even mix 18 bottles all at once and that gives for enough steeping time. I normally top up about a month before I run out so the new mixes have enought time to steep properly. I have a baby bottle warmer on hand which I use to "quick steep" when I want to taste if a certain mix will work and it's quite handy when I don't want a full 250ml of bad tasting juice.

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Glytch (8/9/16)

RichJB said:


> I have the opposite thing: I can't vape fast enough to satisfy my juice-making habit. I had a teeny bit of juice left in a bottle this morning, after I refilled a tank. So I thought aha, I can wash the bottle and make some juice. But I'm half-Scottish so I couldn't discard the dregs of juice, and decided to drip it instead. I've been dripping the whole blessed day and it's _still_ not finished. I swear, dripping has some sort of auto-juice-regeneration thing going.
> 
> I could buy more steeping bottles and just mix more juices but then the stuff would be steeping for literally months before I got to it. I've been vaping this Malva Custard for weeks and there's still about half of the 30ml left. And that's in an Avo24. It's absurd.



Is your mod turned on?  You know you're meant to inhale when you vape don't you?

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 4


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## SAVaper (9/9/16)

RichJB said:


> I have the opposite thing: I can't vape fast enough to satisfy my juice-making habit. I had a teeny bit of juice left in a bottle this morning, after I refilled a tank. So I thought aha, I can wash the bottle and make some juice. But I'm half-Scottish so I couldn't discard the dregs of juice, and decided to drip it instead. I've been dripping the whole blessed day and it's _still_ not finished. I swear, dripping has some sort of auto-juice-regeneration thing going.
> 
> I could buy more steeping bottles and just mix more juices but then the stuff would be steeping for literally months before I got to it. I've been vaping this Malva Custard for weeks and there's still about half of the 30ml left. And that's in an Avo24. It's absurd.





I recommend a juice guzzling monster tank.....


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## SAVaper (9/9/16)

Igno said:


> As I said, I vape about 50ml a day, so mixing 10X 250ml bottles at once is nothing funny for me, I sometimes even mix 18 bottles all at once and that gives for enough steeping time. I normally top up about a month before I run out so the new mixes have enought time to steep properly. I have a baby bottle warmer on hand which I use to "quick steep" when I want to taste if a certain mix will work and it's quite handy when I don't want a full 250ml of bad tasting juice.




Does the baby bottle warming really work?

Thanks


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## Igno (9/9/16)

SAVaper said:


> Does the baby bottle warming really work?
> 
> Thanks



It works, does most of the job very well, offcourse there's no substitute for time but if I want to taste what my juices will be like after about 3 weeks, I just put it on 40 degrees celsius for 3 hours and its good to vape, makes shaking it easier as well.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (9/9/16)

SAVaper said:


> I recommend a juice guzzling monster tank.....



I have the Limitless Plus! But I vape so lightly (coils at around 0.5Ω and 30-40W) that even the Plus is an economical tank. I reckon I could run 15A batts in my mods and they wouldn't even break a sweat. My only dual-18650 mod (Tesla Invader 3) only gets charged every third or fourth day. I've tried vaping at lower resistances and higher wattages and it doesn't work for me. For others it's clouds for days, for me it's juice and battery life for days.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## SAVaper (9/9/16)

Igno said:


> It works, does most of the job very well, offcourse there's no substitute for time but if I want to taste what my juices will be like after about 3 weeks, I just put it on 40 degrees celsius for 3 hours and its good to vape, makes shaking it easier as well.



Thanks. You must post a pic for us.


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## Igno (9/9/16)

Will do, as soon as I get a gap.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Waine (20/9/16)

Ok, so my favorite vendor @SirVape has all the goods to make DIY. Yaay! Now I am keen to getting started. Can anyone post a link that will show me how to get started with 30ml bottles and PG 36 mg in 100 ml bottles.

Much appreciated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Caveman (20/9/16)

Waine said:


> Ok, so my favorite vendor @SirVape has all the goods to make DIY. Yaay! Now I am keen to getting started. Can anyone post a link that will show me how to get started with 30ml bottles and PG 36 mg in 100 ml bottles.
> 
> Much appreciated.
> 
> ...




Give this a read https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/ a good intro into mixing by weight and explains some of the formulas used.

Here is a video that I found helpful when starting out 

Check out http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ and enter your ingredients (as per your recipe) and it will churn out how much of everything you need.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Kalashnikov (20/9/16)

I can advise not to start using a scale. Use syringes first for 2 years. Then get a scale cause you will appreciate it more

Reactions: Funny 1


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## RichJB (20/9/16)

I don't think you will be able to mix with just one stop at Sir Vape. They don't have scales and are very limited in bottles, etc. However, that is not a biggie, you can at least get nic, PG, VG and TFA concentrates from them.

Do yourself a HUGE favour and avoid the n00b mistake of mixing by volume. I went that route initially and wasted money on syringes, pipettes, graduated flasks, beakers, etc. None of which I use anymore. Rather spend that money on a scale. What you need to mix by weight is:
1) A scale and batteries for it
2) Nic, VG, PG, concentrates
3) Amber 50ml bottles for steeping. Six is a good number to start with.
4) Some 10/20/30ml plastic dropper bottles to store nic
5) Whatever juice refill bottles you like to use
6) Bottles or devices to make pouring PG or VG easier and more precise.

I don't know if you have any China mall style facilities near you in Durbs but you can normally find scales there. Ideally, you want a scale that will measure up to 500g and goes to two decimal places. I also don't know if you have any West Pack or similar plastic/glass/home type stores near you. These places offer amber glass bottles which are perfect for mixing and steeping, and then any number of other useful bottles too. For PG, I bought a Wimpy-style thin-nozzled ketchup bottle for R8. For VG, I use sloped nozzle bottles like the ones used for Alcolin Cold Glue. It makes pouring thick VG a breeze. For nic, I decant the 100ml glass bottle into smaller plastic dropper bottles of 10/20/30ml. Again, this makes measuring out nic very easy, just squeeze in your drops until you hit the right weight on the scale. Also, nicotine doesn't like being exposed to air, light or warmth. So keeping a number of smaller bottles in the fridge, rather than one big bottle, will keep it fresher for longer.

You can go to this page to find some popular recipes that are easy for beginners. As you will see, there aren't many recipes that can be made exclusively with TFA concentrates. But you will be able to do Mustard Milk, Strawberry Cheesecake, Sancho, Atmose Chifles, Mikes Melons, Custard King, Sucker Punch Clone and a few others. That is plenty to start with.However, I notice that Sir Vape do not have all the TFA concentrates needed to make these recipes. So you will need to shop around a bit. Welcome to DIY, you will get used to buying concentrates from one vendor, then going to a second vendor for concentrates which the first vendor didn't have. And then maybe even going to a third vendor for concentrates that neither of the first two vendors had. There are an awful lot of different brands and flavours on the market. Nobody has them all.

Do yourself another favour, download and install eJuice Me Up. It's a very easy and free recipe calculator. When you first fire it up, enter the following values in the various boxes:
Nicotine Strength Juice: 36mg if that is what you have bought
Then 100% PG or 100% VG depending on which type of nic you have (I recommend buying PG)
Target nicotine strength: whatever you like, I use 3mg
Amount to make: whatever your average juice batch will be, I use 30ml
Target VG, Target PG: whatever ratio you favour, I use 40PG 60VG normally

Then go to Tools -> Grams Set. In the various boxes, enter the following:
Nicotine: 1.037 if you have PG nicotine
PG: 1.038
VG: 1.26
Flavoring: 1 is easiest but you can put 1.038 if you want to be slightly more accurate
Water/PGA: leave this at 0, you won't be adding these.

Then, once you have added all these values, go to File and choose Save As Default. This means that every time you open the app, these values will all be loaded automatically. If you don't Save as default, you will need to add your weights, nic strength etc every time which is a PITA. This gives you a blank template where you just need to add your flavours and click Calculate each time.

I am not sure how Sir Vape package their concentrates but most vendors provide them in 10ml plastic dropper bottles. That would be perfect. Now that you have everything, mixing is a simple procedure:

1) Put your amber mixing bottle on the scale, then turn it on. The scale will tare automatically and your display will read 0.00g. Otherwise just hit the Tare button on the scale and it will zero the display.
2) Add your nic from the dropper bottle into the mixing bottle. For a 30ml mix at 3mg nic, you will usually need 2.59g. When you reach this weight, tare the scale to zero. If you can't get it exactly to 2.59, just get it as close as you can, you won't notice the difference.
3) Add your PG to the specified weight, tare.
4) Add your VG to the specified weight, tare.
5) Add each ingredient to the specified weight, tare after each.

When all ingredients have been added, cap and label the mixing bottle, give it a good shake and... you're done. Couldn't be simpler. No syringes or beakers to wash up, simply turn off the scale, put your steeping bottles away in a cool, dark place for a few weeks, decant from the steeping bottle into your refill bottle once it's steeped, and vape on.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## Waine (20/9/16)

@RichJB Thanks for the detailed explanation. I haven't bought anything yet. Will buy at the end of the month. It sounds like the scale is the way to go. 


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## Greyz (20/9/16)

Waine said:


> @RichJB Thanks for the detailed explanation. I haven't bought anything yet. Will buy at the end of the month. It sounds like the scale is the way to go.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



YGPM sir


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## Mario (22/9/16)

Hi
Need info please

That digital scale from blckvapour is it any good? i notice there sell 2 types which is better?


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## RichJB (22/9/16)

They are both suitable. However, the R170 one measures up to 500g, the R140 only goes to 200g. For thirty bucks difference, I'd rather get the 500g one. Although your mixes will generally be under 200g, it doesn't hurt to have the extra headroom. Plus I don't just use my scale for DIY, I also use it in the kitchen where I often need to measure above 200g.


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## Soutie (22/9/16)

Mario said:


> Hi
> Need info please
> 
> That digital scale from blckvapour is it any good? i notice there sell 2 types which is better?



I have the little 200g one and it works great, perfect for making up to 100ml batches at a time. 
I got it before they had the big one on their site and would have taken that If i had the chance as that goes up to 500g so you should be good for batches up to 400ml


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## MaddyJ (22/9/16)

Also very interested in DIY however I want to start with measuring by weight. Do i need to buy a specialized scale? Or can I get any kitchen scale that has 2 decimal points?


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## NewOobY (22/9/16)

specialized scale would be required, something that can measure down to 0.01g. Good luck dude, and hopefully soon - welcome to the wonderful world of DIY.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## RichJB (22/9/16)

I think you'll find that kitchen scales are considerably more expensive than the DIY scales that BLCK sell. Taking a look at Takealot's kitchen scales page, most of them are at least double the price of the BLCK scales. And it's not certain that they measure down to two decimal places either. We know that the BLCK scales work, dozens of DIYers use and trust them and get excellent results with them. Why pay more than twice as much for a scale that is untested and might not do what you want as a DIYer?

For the 500g version of the R140 scale that BLCK sells, I paid R150 at the China mall. Really, I don't think you are going to pay substantially less than R140 for a DIY scale, and certainly not at Clicks, Game, etc.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Huffapuff (22/9/16)

MaddyJ said:


> Also very interested in DIY however I want to start with measuring by weight. Do i need to buy a specialized scale? Or can I get any kitchen scale that has 2 decimal points?



I looked at a couple of kitchen scales and very few go down to 0.01, and if they do they're super expensive.

However, if you've got any scale that can go down to 0.01 then winner!


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## MaddyJ (27/9/16)

Thanks @NewOobY for hooking me up with everything I need and the support given!  Will definitely be purchasing from him again.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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