# DIY... taking the plunge.



## Gringo (2/1/19)

Morning ...
So the next step in my Vaping evolution is DIY.
And where better place to start than here as you guru's are always willing to share.( i have been reading up on DIY on the forum and have a pretty good idea of what i need to do and where to start )
I am based in Durban and was was thinking that it would be a good idea to start with my local shop as supplier... ( Sir Vape )
I went on their site and had i look at the product they supply, so based on that the first bit of advise or info i need from the fellow members would be...
Could any of you suggest two or three recipes ... maybe a fruity and desert or candy ?
That way i can make up my list, pop in there and do some shopping...
Thanks for the help.

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

Hey @Gringo 

Welcome to the fun part of vaping. DIY is awesome. 

I’m also from Durbs and have bought a bit from sir vape but have found over the years of DIYing that the dedicated DIY vendors have a much bigger selection and always have what you looking for generally. 

How fruity or deserty do you want?

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> Hey @Gringo
> 
> Welcome to the fun part of vaping. DIY is awesome.
> 
> ...


Thanks bud

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Thanks bud


Anytime. The more you ask the more you know 

What kind of fruits do you like?

Have you looked at the DIY fruit recipes thread yet?

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> Hey @Gringo
> 
> Welcome to the fun part of vaping. DIY is awesome.
> 
> ...


To give you an idea... im a big fan of Sippy Ice, Frosties, blueberry ( the one ) dounut ... also love Gumz...

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## Silver (2/1/19)

Hi @Gringo

I would suggest you start off by picking a few recipes you like
I assume yoe have seen the recipe threads pinned to the top of the E-Liquid Recipes subforum?
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/forums/e-Liquid-recipes/

Then finding a vendor that stocks the flavours you need in those recipes
If Sir Vape has them all then thats great

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> Anytime. The more you ask the more you know
> 
> What kind of fruits do you like?
> 
> Have you looked at the DIY fruit recipes thread yet?


Yebo... but its like over my head... seems i will have to buy products from all over the country. That is why i thought if someone is making use of Sir Vape products, i can make up a small list, pop in there and buy i as required. This will be a good learning curve untill i know what i want.

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## Jean claude Vaaldamme (2/1/19)

I also just started, ok I started almost everything there is to do in vaping the last two months.
On the mixing side, get a good scale that can do 0,01g. It just help a lot with the concentrates. Further dont worry to much to be excact on all the measurements, just like cooking and baking a bit more or less, is not going to make a huge difference.
I like to use 60ml chubby gorilla bottle to mix in, ok actually use the unicorn 60ml, as the chubby gorilla ones got funny plastic. The reason for that is in 60ml you need 5ml nic for 3mg or 10ml for 6mg nic. So I use a syringe for the nic, it make it easy, dont even have to wear gloves if you carefull. Normally I decide like Im going to do 2 or 3 bottle, so first I fill the 3 bottle with the desired nic and get the nic part over, clean hand etc, and then mix the rest in the different bottles.

As for recipes. I dont know how to link them, but look on mixing thread for Prickly Victory, very simple and good.
A mixed berries and menthol also works. Dont have a recipe, I just mixe as I like, sometimes a bit lime with mixed berries etc. This is not rocket science

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## Jean claude Vaaldamme (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Yebo... but its like over my head... seems i will have to buy products from all over the country. That is why i thought if someone is making use of Sir Vape products, i can make up a small list, pop in there and buy i as required. This will be a good learning curve untill i know what i want.



If one says Tfa strawberry and you can only get Cap strawberry, It will not be 100% the same, but also should not be horrible
Remember most of these recipes is done by guys who used what they had, not to say their strawberry was the best

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## vicTor (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> To give you an idea... im a big fan of Sippy Ice, Frosties, blueberry ( the one ) dounut ... also love Gumz...



can't go wrong with @Paul33 

he got me into diy

solid guy

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## Puff the Magic Dragon (2/1/19)

Prickly Victory is great for someone new to DIY. (as suggested by @Jean claude Vaaldamme ) It is very simple but tastes great.

1% INW Cactus
4% CAP Sweet Guava

The problem for you is that these concentrates are not available from Sir Vape. As @Paul33 said a dedicated DIY supplier is probably easier to deal with as it is one stop shopping. You could try https://blckvapour.co.za/ . They have most of the products and their prices will make up for the courier costs if you are buying several items. For example on TFA concentrates you will pay less for 30ml than you will for 20ml at some other shops.

Good luck. DIY is great. I hope you have consulted @RichJB 's DIY Primer it is the go-to document for new and relatively experienced DIYers.

https://www.ecigssa.co.za/a-diy-primer.t44442/

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Prickly Victory is great for someone new to DIY. (as suggested by @Jean claude Vaaldamme ) It is very simple but tastes great.
> 
> 1% INW Cactus
> 4% CAP Sweet Guava
> ...


To add to this good advice I must add:

Ask questions. Best way to learn and definitely no stupid questions when it comes to DIY. it’s fun and easy but also easy to make some nasty juices if you not careful.

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## Jean claude Vaaldamme (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> To add to this good advice I must add:
> 
> Ask questions. Best way to learn and definitely no stupid questions when it comes to DIY. it’s fun and easy but also easy to make some nasty juices if you not careful.


Ooh that is so true. My mission is to make a nice wicks bubblegum/menthol juice. Cant really find a recipe for that. I have had about ten tries and man most of them are nasty. But one day maybe Ill get it right

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## Room Fogger (2/1/19)

Welcome to the wonderful world of DIY @Gringo . It can seem a bit daunting in the beginning but once you start it is wonderfully rewarding. Here is my 2c worth for you to start:

Read @RichJB diy primer before doing anything else.
Then go and look for recipies in the diy section or on the net that you think you will like. Try and get recipies that share the majority of ingredients so you have to buy LESS on your first order.
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/forums/e-Liquid-recipes/ , http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ , https://alltheflavors.com/, here are some links to go searching.

Use a good mixing calculator to get your recipy to your specs and liking with regards to volume and nic strength.
Get a scale as this will make it a lot easier.
Make 10, 20 or 30 ml batches to test before you go big, less to throw away if something goes wrong, or if it’s a lemon.
Concentrate on what you do while mixing.
Sit back staring at the bottles while they steep for a week, not really but the wait is the worst part, then vape and enjoy.
Ask as many questions as you NEED to ask, everyone will help you.

Another way is to start with one shots, order, mix with your nic preference, steep and enjoy. Less expense initially with not having to buy a lot of concentrates at startup, only pg VG and nic.
Good luck to you and remember Rule 1 - chances are you will at least be 1 concentrate short when you want to mix a new recipy.
Going to add another one of my own, Rule 1.1 - Ask if unsure, it will be worth it. Maybe there is an more experienced diver near you that can help you to find your feet, or that would be willing to initially mix with you untill you get to know the ropes.

Many happy clouds to you.
RF

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## Room Fogger (2/1/19)

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:


> Ooh that is so true. My mission is to make a nice wicks bubblegum/menthol juice. Cant really find a recipe for that. I have had about ten tries and man most of them are nasty. But one day maybe Ill get it right


Check the diy section on site, a good one has allready been done by @Andre , and it seems good, haven’t mixed it as it is not my profile.

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## vicTor (2/1/19)

agree with @Room Fogger 

when starting off make small mixes, don't bomb like a 100ml of something you have no idea you will like or not, I learnt the lesson the hard way

oh, and steeping is the devil !

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

vicTor said:


> agree with @Room Fogger
> 
> when starting off make small mixes, don't bomb like a 100ml of something you have no idea you will like or not, I learnt the lesson the hard way
> 
> oh, and steeping is the devil !


So you don’t like a certain 30 day steep of a certain juice do you?

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## Andre (2/1/19)

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:


> Ooh that is so true. My mission is to make a nice wicks bubblegum/menthol juice. Cant really find a recipe for that. I have had about ten tries and man most of them are nasty. But one day maybe Ill get it right





Room Fogger said:


> Check the diy section on site, a good one has allready been done by @Andre , and it seems good, haven’t mixed it as it is not my profile.



Here is my recipe @Jean claude Vaaldamme. For the menthol/cool I would add 0.5 % FA Artic Menthol and 0.5 % WS-23 (30%).

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## Lawrence A (2/1/19)

Welcome to the rabbit hole @Gringo - I'm also in Durban but have found that an online store with a wide selection of concentrates proves to be a much easier shopping experience than walking into a B&M type store in Durban as I am yet to find one that offers a decent selection - a lot offer a single brand of flavorings, which as you will come to see in most recipes is not usually how they are created.

A few quick tips (most have already been mentioned)

1. Read Rich's DIY primer - its gold!
2. Get a scale
3. Download a copy of Hotrod's juice software - DIY would be a huge pain in the butt without it
4. Once you have found a recipe you think you may like, mix a small 10ml batch (sometimes it is actually easier to mix a 20ml if the %'s of certain concentrates in your recipe are very low e.g. 0.25% as it may be difficult to measure out such a small amount). Only once you have tried it and actually like it, look into mixing in bigger bottles.
5. Most of the time 'subbing' (swapping a strawberry from brand A with a strawberry from brand B) doesn't work without changing the profile but there are some suitable subs - best to shout and let the more experienced mixers provide guidance.
6. Learn, learn, learn.... this forum, DIY or Die's YouTube channel, Reddit etc are all valuable resources
7. Don't worry about all the fancy steeping techniques you will read about - simply mix, give it a shake and throw it in a cool dark space and forget about it. Keep it simple.
8. Single flavor test all your new concentrates so you can start learning what each tastes like at different %'s
9. Know that as your palate adjusts away from 'commercial' juices, you will initially feel like the DIY juice is missing something (the tons of sweetener usually) but as time goes on, you will then find that commercial juices are sickeningly sweet and your DIY juice is perfect!
10. Most importantly, have fun!

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## Resistance (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Morning ...
> So the next step in my Vaping evolution is DIY.
> And where better place to start than here as you guru's are always willing to share.( i have been reading up on DIY on the forum and have a pretty good idea of what i need to do and where to start )
> I am based in Durban and was was thinking that it would be a good idea to start with my local shop as supplier... ( Sir Vape )
> ...



Hi brother,this can be confusing when you start out , but as you go along it becomes easier.
I got a scale but don't use it much.I mix for me, don't have a lab and therefore don't need to be that precise.
20-22 drops is my ml count.
I mix flavours I like esp. Fruits and have not been disappointed except on tobacco, but that was with tobacco flavorings that never even smelled like tobacco in the first place.
You can never go wrong with any fruit concentrates. Something always complements the other or gives it a more rounded bouquet and taste.
Start with flavours you like and be patient and write down what you did, you might come up with a winner recipe.
Then again there are more experienced DIY guy's here that can guide you better.
Basically what in saying is you don't have to have a scale when starting out,but it's usefully if you are staying in the DIY game.you also don't need all the flavourings available. Start with recipes that can be adapted by removing or adding a flavour or two.
Menthols,mints and black ice works well for cooler or icey vapes but too much can be overwhelming. Same as sweeteners.
Hope this helps a little in your DIY journey.Goodluck

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## Hooked (2/1/19)

I'm dipping a toe into DIY this year, but I'm taking the easy way and starting with one shots. I mixed a Coffee Mill one shot from Blck Vapour a while back and it was successful. From one shots I'll progress to recipes.

@Gringo Valley Vapour (an online DIY vendor) has recipes on the site and I would assume that they have the concentrates for those recipes. They also have a mixing calculator on the site.

https://valleyvapour.co.za

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## Resistance (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Morning ...
> So the next step in my Vaping evolution is DIY.
> And where better place to start than here as you guru's are always willing to share.( i have been reading up on DIY on the forum and have a pretty good idea of what i need to do and where to start )
> I am based in Durban and was was thinking that it would be a good idea to start with my local shop as supplier... ( Sir Vape )
> ...


I have also been to @blak vapour and they sell the DIY kits. It's a no-brainer kit. You can add one shots or your own mix of concentrates and it's very reasonably priced and it will also be a good starting point. And the kit is re-usable.
They only re-open from tomorrow though.

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## ARYANTO (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> So you don’t like a certain 30 day steep of a certain juice do you?


I think we refer to a certain RY4 -correct ?

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## Resistance (2/1/19)

Creme's and deserts along with tobacco concentrates takes a while to develope/steep @ARYANTO

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

ARYANTO said:


> I think we refer to a certain RY4 -correct ?


A certain one by certain guy perhaps?

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## ARYANTO (2/1/19)

Resistance said:


> Creme's and deserts along with tobacco concentrates takes a while to develope/steep @ARYANTO


Grin - that I learned from @Paul33 ...

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## Resistance (2/1/19)

ARYANTO said:


> Grin - that I learned from @Paul33 ...


The hard way is the best way to learnt.

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Ok im busy homing my skills... wax on, wax off....
I down loaded a calc. App and gave it a bash. I used the example as posted by @RichJB ( DIY Prime ), but i do not get the same result... is my calculator up to bollie ?

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## Silver (2/1/19)

Hi @Gringo - I dont know that app - the inputs you used seem right to me
But maybe someone else can spot something

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## Paul33 (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Ok im busy homing my skills... wax on, wax off....
> I down loaded a calc. App and gave it a bash. I used the example as posted by @RichJB ( DIY Prime ), but i do not get the same result... is my calculator up to bollie ?
> View attachment 155026


You didn’t get the same result as what @Gringo?

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## RichJB (2/1/19)

That looks right to me, @Gringo. The only thing I'd suggest is changing your weights. You seem to be using the PG weight of 1.036g per ml for your flavours as well. I'd change it to 1ml = 1g as that is what almost all recipe developers use. It doesn't make a big difference but it does help you to get the exact juice that the recipe developer created. Keep your actual PG weight at 1.036, though, as well as your nic weight. Just change the flavour weight.

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Paul33 said:


> You didn’t get the same result as what @Gringo?


Rich used an example in his write up The DIY Prime... i input the same values to see if i get the same results as his example given.

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## Room Fogger (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Ok im busy homing my skills... wax on, wax off....
> I down loaded a calc. App and gave it a bash. I used the example as posted by @RichJB ( DIY Prime ), but i do not get the same result... is my calculator up to bollie ?
> View attachment 155026


@Gringo , checked on mine, it calculates the concentrates ml and % correct, and the nic, but the PG VG ratio is off. Can’t figure it out yet. Did you load the Nic as PG or VG or does it not give an option, that would explain PG being about 2.5 ml higher than mine. But then where did the nic go? Or is one of the concentrates loaded as VG based? Here are my results:

Nic 2,5 ml 2,59 g
Pg 5.9 ml 6,12 g
VG 18 ml 22,60 g
A1 2,4 ml 2,49 g
A2 1,2 ml 1,24 g

Something seems of with the ratio calc I.i. 30 ml x 60% = 18 ml, and that should be constant if all flavours and nic is PG based.

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

RichJB said:


> That looks right to me, @Gringo. The only thing I'd suggest is changing your weights. You seem to be using the PG weight of 1.036g per ml for your flavours as well. I'd change it to 1ml = 1g as that is what almost all recipe developers use. It doesn't make a big difference but it does help you to get the exact juice that the recipe developer created. Keep your actual PG weight at 1.036, though.


Cool !!! Thank you ... i will check on the app if it can be changed, but as you say... it is very close.

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Room Fogger said:


> @Gringo , checked on mine, it calculates the concentrates ml and % correct, and the nic, but the PG VG ratio is off. Can’t figure it out yet. Did you load the Nic as PG or VG or does it not give an option, that would explain PG being about 2.5 ml higher than mine. But then where did the nic go? Or is one of the concentrates loaded as VG based? Here are my results:
> 
> Nic 2,5 ml 2,59 g
> Pg 5.9 ml 6,12 g
> ...


Nic was loaded as 100% PG.... see below Nic Shot.... it gives you option of Shot %

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## Gringo (2/1/19)

Room Fogger said:


> @Gringo , checked on mine, it calculates the concentrates ml and % correct, and the nic, but the PG VG ratio is off. Can’t figure it out yet. Did you load the Nic as PG or VG or does it not give an option, that would explain PG being about 2.5 ml higher than mine. But then where did the nic go? Or is one of the concentrates loaded as VG based? Here are my results:
> Nic 2,5 ml 2,59 g
> Pg 5.9 ml 6,12 g
> VG 18 ml 22,60 g
> ...


Could thar 2ml difference in PG make or break the outcome .

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## Room Fogger (2/1/19)

RichJB said:


> That looks right to me, @Gringo. The only thing I'd suggest is changing your weights. You seem to be using the PG weight of 1.036g per ml for your flavours as well. I'd change it to 1ml = 1g as that is what almost all recipe developers use. It doesn't make a big difference but it does help you to get the exact juice that the recipe developer created. Keep your actual PG weight at 1.036, though, as well as your nic weight. Just change the flavour weight.


Very informative @RichJB , it’s going to mean I will have to recalculate all my concentrate weights , going to take a bit of time, but thanks for the info. Shows that you are never too old to learn. Maybe I should go and read the DIY intro that you did, who knows, I might learn some more. My excuse is going to be that you did it after I started mixing.

Just shows you @Gringo , that’s what makes this community great, everyone will share their knowledge, no two ways about it.

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## Room Fogger (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Nic was loaded as 100% PG.... see below Nic Shot.... it gives you option of Shot %


I really should get new glasses, or go on a reading skills development class for missing that.

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## RichJB (2/1/19)

It doesn't make a big difference, @Room Fogger. But if the recipe developer assumes 1ml = 1g, I just stick with that for the sake of simplicity.

This also applies to VG-based flavours. Quite a few of the Liquid Barn flavours have at least some percentage of VG in the base. Trying to work out the exact weight per ml of those flavours would be a nightmare. But 1ml = 1g works universally and ensures that you and the recipe developer are on the same page.

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## RichJB (2/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Could thar 2ml difference in PG make or break the outcome .



It's not right, that's for sure. Your calculator is working out the final juice as 15.84ml of PG with 14.16ml of PG and PG-based ingredients. That's not 60/40. The VG should be 18ml or around 22.5g. It's hard to know where the error is, perhaps something in the setup? It appears to be using the correct weights for VG and PG. 

Are you committed to a phone app for mixing? If you can do PC, I would go with this one.

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## Resistance (2/1/19)

Can anyone perhapsychology help this brother out with a lekka android app.

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## Gringo (3/1/19)

Thanks for all the help thus far... so i down loaded a new app.. and this one seems to calculate the same as yours...

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## Gringo (3/1/19)

Also think i figured out why the other calculator had a different PG/VG result... it tookmin concidiration that the Nic shot was also PG based.... thus adding the Nic PG base mix to the 40% PG base

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## Resistance (3/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Thanks for all the help thus far... so i down loaded a new app.. and this one seems to calculate the same as yours...
> View attachment 155048


That looks like a lekka working app.
What is it called maybe I need to look it up.P&T

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## Gringo (3/1/19)



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## Room Fogger (3/1/19)

Gringo said:


> Thanks for all the help thus far... so i down loaded a new app.. and this one seems to calculate the same as yours...
> View attachment 155048


Great news @Gringo , good luck with your mixing, it is a great “hobby” and a great stress reliever for me as well. Many happy clouds to you on your own mixed juices going forward.

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