I could at least put a link to a topic in the welcome PM from the forum 
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This is fantastic!! Man I am glad I found you guysā¦ I was just starting to write up a big āto-doā as I am placing my VERY FIRST big DIY order tomorrow. I think I have completely overdone things, butā¦what the hell, right! I figure I spent at LEAST $150.00 on e-quids in the last six weeks or so, so hopefully roughly that same amount spent on doing it MYSELF will last much longer and I can stop lining the pockets of the local āgourmetā e-quid makersā¦whoās prices are steadily climbing as well as their egos (why do people feel the need to get all elitist and snooty when it comes to taste?) The last few visits to what was once a friendly local vape store have just left a sour taste in my mouth.
THE PLUNGE
Now, I was not even thinking about getting a scaleā¦as I was going to do everything with syringes, graduated beakers, pipettes etc. Does this generally work OK for folks? Also I have a 40mL funnel x2 in my listā¦not seeing it in yoursā¦perhaps that is just something unnecessaryā¦
Alsoā¦I had heard about people using a sonic tooth/gum brush thingy which vibrates and creates some heat. Anyone using one of these?
I was honestly planning on just aging my 'quids in the cabinet like days of 'yorā¦but being able to bring them to palatability (just invented a word apparently. I am using it to describe the liquids as being āpalatableā)in a day or two is better than a week any day.
I am now eyeballing the Amazon Candle Warmer though. Seems like a no-brainer and I already have Prime.
If anyone feels like going through my list with me Iād appreciate it, as I am almost certain to have over ordered here and forgotten other things there, etc.
Just this post is a great help and starting point though! Thanks!
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as a BRAND Noob here I agree whole heartedly. I was well into writing a new discussion topic about DIY starter kits and then I took a second to look around andā¦wellā¦no needā¦the conversation had already well begun. As a heavy gamer and forum reader I feel your pain on having to endlessly repeat the same answers. The trick is getting folks to take that āsecondā and look around before just jamming out questions.
Just my 2 cents.
GREAT SITE guys!
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Get a scale and you wonāt regret it. Faster, easier, less messy, and you can mostly forget about pipettes and syringes and cleanup. AWS LB-501 scale can be had on Amazon for about $30. Absolutely LOVE mine!!
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Forget about speed steeping for now. Later on you can spend money on that but you can make some tasty shake and vapes in the mean time while you let other things steep naturally. Eventually you can spend some money and get a heated magnetic stir plate or an ultrasonic bath. No need to start there though.
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Keep on posting. Youāve found your way to the best part of this site which is the forum. You can get help with nearly every aspect of your vaping and mixing experience right here just by asking.
Enjoy and welcome aboard. 
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I still mainly mix with graduated cylinders, syringes and pipettes, ive been doing so for years. I own several scales but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricksā¦ With that said graduated cylinders probably isnt the best way to measure out liquids, there is always quite a bit of residual liquid left in it.
Now this might surprise some people but i have been slowly getting back to my scales, it is just so easy. My main issue is that i have to store liquids in plastic bottles for easier mixing using less tools, i prefer storing liquids in glass so i store small amounts in plastics for mixing.
There was a time that i used heat to speed up the curing process, make things easier to mix or to decrease the viscosity of VG. I no longer do, heat will damage some of the more volatile aroma molecules which will cause a decrease in flavor or altered flavor. Now with saying that you could slightly heat your VG without much damage but there really is no need as long as you are patient. I mix my liquids, shake the holy crap out of them and then but them on the shelf in a cool dark place, until they are fully homogenized. I rarely touch any of my liquids until they have sat for a month and some even longer. I have a couple shake and vapes that i let sit for a couple days, i shake them a couple times while they sit.
Welcome to the group, feel free to ask any questions you need to ask. Also we have an IRC chat room, there are quite a few of us there and we are happy to answer questions too.
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awesome, thanks for the info!
gotcha. I think Iāll be OK once I get some 'quids in the cupboard on regular rotationā¦in a month there may be all sorts of strange and curious creations lurking in the shadows of my dresserā¦just have to slowly build it up. Looking forward to it GREATLY!
thanks for the help 
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I wish I would have found this first as well, it would have saved money and frustration.I bought all the syringes , pipettes,beakers and graduated cylinders only to have the majority sit and take up space.
Electronic scales are without a doubt the best investment one could make , saves so much time and actually makes it fun when doing small trial samples.I have purchased a couple of scales , the smallest is called a blade scale , reads fast and accurate but doesnāt work when making big batches of 480ml or larger.I bought a larger scale but it doesnāt read as fast and can cause issues.
@Big_Benny_MI has a scale that will be my next purchase as it seems to do everything well and doesnāt have the annoying idle cutoff IIRC!
Here is the blade scale but hopefully Benny will chime in with the one he has.
The next best purchase I made was a cheap mini mixer /milk frother.It mixes great and is very economical ,there are several battery powered versions out there.Here is what I use.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norpro-Deluxe-Mini-Mixer-Cordless-Kitchen-Drink-Frother-Cappuccino-Latte-2273-/391373212360?hash=item5b1fa94ac8:g:TTEAAOSwX~dWqC0D
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wowā¦right ON! I am still unsure about the scale, as I am much more used to doing things by measuring liters/drops and so onā¦but I understand that can lead to inexact measurements. Are teh conversions from volume to weight relatively easy?
the mixer just made my list next to the candle warmer btw 
alsoā¦I am not sure I understand how a scale could replace all need for some syringes and beakers etcā¦still have to move things around and combine ingredientsā¦do you just suggest restraint when stocking up?
Thanks!
under preferences, there is the option to measure in drops or grams. click the grams and you will automatically have the weight displayed instead volume.
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Many flavorings come in dripper bottles. The ones that donāt I move to them., and for that I just use a funnel. I really donāt use pipettes much anymore. I still use a syringe for my nicotine because it comes in a vacuum sealed bottle that dispenses through a syringe (Nude Armor from Nude Nicotine). As far as beakers go, when measuring by weight you can put your eliquid bottle right on the scale and drip your vg, pg, nic and flavorings straight into it. Zero out the scale between each ingredient. When your done pop a cap on it, shake the heck out of it, and throw it in the steep closet. It really is that simple.
They say a pictures worth a thousand words. Hereās what it looks like when I mix by weight. Nic is still in the freezer so it didnāt make the photo.
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Is anyone familiar with this site?
RTSVapes
seems to have pretty good prices, and offers free shipping on many of the supplies. (American)
I was considering ordering the things I will need to start from there.