PG/VG base nic confusion

[vapspaz]

Hello all

I'm starting to look into DIY and have read and read and watched videos and played with various calculators but I'm still a bit confused.

I understand the difference between PG and VG but when I go to look/purchase the base nic liquid on various sites they all let you select the amount of PG and VG in the base nic. Hell... One site wouldn't even let me select 100%pg it would only go to 80/20 PG/VG.
I thought you buy pure nic at your desired mg level (say 60mg) then mix it with PG and/or VG to cut it down to your desired "end" nic level and then add your flavoring.

Lets say I want to make a batch of something and I want the end result to be 70% PG and 30% VG at 18mg nic.

What should the mix of the base nic be when I purchase it? 100%PG ??? 70/30??? 50/50???
What do most folks use for their nic base ratios?

I've downloaded the excel calculator and have links to others but they do not answer this fundamental question. If they do I'm too damn stupid to figure it out. lol

And advice / help would be appreciated.

 

[Hoosier]

Huh, never encountered such a thing. I'm on my third liter of nic too and all have been all PG.

Usually use Xtreme vaping or My Freedom Smokes.

Yeah, I just get PG nic and cut it with my PG & VG already mixed up.

Where are you finding the PG/VG nic mixes?

 

[vapspaz]

Funny that you mentioned My Freedom Smokes because thats one of them that I was referring to. Notice in the drop down menu that you can select the PG/VG mix? Thats what messing me up. lol I'm not sure what to get because no one ever mentions this.

UnFlavored Smoke Juice (Nic. Juice) - MFS Inc.

 

[StormFinch]

Pure nicotine is extremely dangerous and should only be used by someone with all the proper equipment, like suits and hoods and the like. You won't find any place that sells DIY and carries anything above 100 mg strength I don't think. Even 60 mg will give you a nice nic OD headache if you don't clean it off your skin fast enough.

I personally buy all of mine at 100% PG, 60 mg (6% nicotine) because even the 100 mg (10%) makes me a bit nervous, and with 100% PG I don't have to figure any kind of premix into the equation. I order all of mine from MyFreedomSmokes, or at least I did until I stocked up on enough to last me for the next 2+ years.

With 100% PG you can just enter the mg of the juice into the nicotine strength or nicotine base box and then the mgs you want to arrive at, like 18, plus your other things such as VG and flavor and come up with the recipe you're wanting. For example; with 60 mg 100% PG to make 10 mls of 18 mg with 70% PG, 30% VG and 10% flavoring you would need 3 mls of nicotine base, 3 mls of plain PG, 3 mls of VG, and 1 ml of flavoring. You can cut that recipe in half for a 5 ml test batch or multiply by 3 for 30 mls.

 

[Hoosier]

Yeah, I picked my usual mg, size, and it had choices for mixes. Had the 100% PG listed, so it seems good.

They have expanded their selection since I last ordered.

I do like their bottles and packaging for shipping. Top notch.

 

[Switched]

Funny that you mentioned My Freedom Smokes because thats one of them that I was referring to. Notice in the drop down menu that you can select the PG/VG mix? Thats what messing me up. lol I'm not sure what to get because no one ever mentions this.

UnFlavored Smoke Juice (Nic. Juice) - MFS Inc.

If you click the appropriate boxes in order, you will indeed find a listing for both 100% PG and VG.

 

[JBWoody]

Yeah I am confused on that too? All I will be making is 50pg/50vg liquid cause that is what I like to vape. So If I can get a gallon of pg, but only a small bottle of vg, Would it not be advantageous for me to get my nicotine base 100%vg? That way I am using less vg and more pg which I have more of? lol This diy is challenging but thanks to all the great info I am getting there

 

[vapspaz]

If you click the appropriate boxes in order, you will indeed find a listing for both 100% PG and VG.

Yep... That's what was cornfusing me. I saw the options but I have never seen or heard anyone describe which they use. I was under the impression that nic is nic because no one ever explains the "base" options you have when ordering nic.
Stormfinch just cleared that up for me.

Thanks for the help though! This place is made up of some great folks.

 

[vapspaz]

With 100% PG you can just enter the mg of the juice into the nicotine strength or nicotine base box and then the mgs you want to arrive at, like 18, plus your other things such as VG and flavor and come up with the recipe you're wanting. For example; with 60 mg 100% PG to make 10 mls of 18 mg with 70% PG, 30% VG and 10% flavoring you would need 3 mls of nicotine base, 3 mls of plain PG, 3 mls of VG, and 1 ml of flavoring.

Now THAT's what I'm looking for! THANK YOU !!! I think most of the old timer DIY folks forget to mention this because they're taking it for granted that that's the way it is. I think. lol

I still have more to learn and research before I dive into this but that was one of my biggest hurdles I needed to understand. Sucks to be a dumba$$ like me. But hey!... At least jb510ego is keeping me company. lol
Thank you for the help.

 

[vapspaz]

Yeah I am confused on that too? All I will be making is 50pg/50vg liquid cause that is what I like to vape. So If I can get a gallon of pg, but only a small bottle of vg, Would it not be advantageous for me to get my nicotine base 100%vg? That way I am using less vg and more pg which I have more of? lol This diy is challenging but thanks to all the great info I am getting there

OR.... You could just go with 50/50 nic and then cut it down evenly with PG and VG to help keep the math simple. Just a thought. I feel like I'm back in high-school science class except this time I NEED to stay awake. lol

Good luck!

 

[JBWoody]

Yeah that's what I ended up ordering, 100%pg nicotine base and right after that I saw on MFUSA That you can choose 50/50 which I think is what I would want, since I want to end up with 50/50 finished product anyway, but the main reason is I am getting a whole gallon of pg so I will have more of that than vg. Also taking into account the flavoring is all pg, so to kind of even things out, I thought I would get more mileage by getting 100%vg nicotine base? But the computer on Ecigexpress site only allows for using a pg nic base to work, so being a newbie I opted to keep it simple for now. Sounds like Vapspaz is getting it together, let us know how it goes?

Vape on JB

 

[KILLERkpd]

I just got some nic juice from MFS today, 60mg at 100% PG, I do not have the courage/knowledge to go with 100mg seeing as this whole DIY thing is very new to me. I also have bought 60ml of straight PG, pipettes, extra bottles, menthol crystals, Graves PGA, gloves, and a few baby syringes for more precise measuring. I have to get some VG from a local store on my way home from work and I will be busy doing that this evening.

At any rate, it should make for an interesting evening at home!!

 

[StormFinch]

Yeah that's what I ended up ordering, 100%pg nicotine base and right after that I saw on MFUSA That you can choose 50/50 which I think is what I would want, since I want to end up with 50/50 finished product anyway, but the main reason is I am getting a whole gallon of pg so I will have more of that than vg. Also taking into account the flavoring is all pg, so to kind of even things out, I thought I would get more mileage by getting 100%vg nicotine base? But the computer on Ecigexpress site only allows for using a pg nic base to work, so being a newbie I opted to keep it simple for now. Sounds like Vapspaz is getting it together, let us know how it goes?

Vape on JB

JB you can use the calc with VG base, just keep in mind that you've switched your VG and PG numbers. You might also want to try downloading scubabatdan's ejuice calculator mentioned in this thread; http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/32206-ejuice-calculator-added-quantity-calculations.html It's got lots of different ways to figure ejuice ratios, and tabs for both PG and VG mixing. It's in Office 03 format, but I use Open Office with it and it works just fine.

I think it might be a bit of toss up on getting more mileage from VG or PG base at 50/50. Plain PG is technically harder to find locally, but you're going to be using more VG with PG base. 10 mls of 50/50 18 mg with 10% flavoring would either be 3 Base/1 PG/5 VG with the PG base or 3 Base/1 VG/5 PG with a VG base.

I just got some nic juice from MFS today, 60mg at 100% PG, I do not have the courage/knowledge to go with 100mg seeing as this whole DIY thing is very new to me. I also have bought 60ml of straight PG, pipettes, extra bottles, menthol crystals, Graves PGA, gloves, and a few baby syringes for more precise measuring. I have to get some VG from a local store on my way home from work and I will be busy doing that this evening.

At any rate, it should make for an interesting evening at home!!

Killer, pipettes are basically useless to tell the truth, or at least that's my view on them. Go to the pharmacy and ask them for the syringes they have for infant med dosing. Usually they'll give at least one or two to you for free. You can also pick up various sizes pretty cheaply at livestock or veterinary supply stores if you have any near you.

 

[StormFinch]

Now THAT's what I'm looking for! THANK YOU !!! I think most of the old timer DIY folks forget to mention this because they're taking it for granted that that's the way it is. I think. lol

I still have more to learn and research before I dive into this but that was one of my biggest hurdles I needed to understand. Sucks to be a dumba$$ like me. But hey!... At least jb510ego is keeping me company. lol
Thank you for the help.

You're very welcome, and not dumb by any means. It's definitely a learning curve and I read almost nonstop for weeks before I finally took the plunge. What amazes me is the people that can calculate all of this mess in their heads. My brain simply won't wrap around all of it so I keep my ejuice calculator on my desktop.