vapermonthly | volume 1| issue 2 - march 2011
DESCRIPTION
The insiders source to the Vaping world. VaperMonthly is the worlds first magazine geared toward the electronic cigarette industry and its community of vapers.TRANSCRIPT
www.VaperMonthly.com VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2 • MARCH 2011
The Insider’s Source to the Vaping World
The GG Slim
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT:sl1pg8r - Internet Reviewer
VaperMonthly
Nickel Plated Vaping
Juicy Vaporowners Anthony & Brad
open up and spill thebeans about the operation
modding 2:In-house modder AJAY continues his eductionalshows you how to builda 3.7 Volt Box Mod
Philly Vapefest: Get all the details of the event and an exclusive interview with Spikey inside!
DIY eJuicewith new in-house juice
expert Vapor_Mike
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CONTENT2 From the Editor
3 DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: 3.7V Box Mod
7 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: sl1pg8r
8 COVER STORY: The GG Slim
10 PHILLY VAPEFEST: Spikey Interview
13 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: JuicyVapor
15 DIY E-JUICE: Introductory Tutorial
17 TOTALLY WICKED vs. FDA: Asset or Liability
18 WHATS GOING ON: By Public Vaper
19 JOKES OF THE MONTH
20 VM REVIEW: The Drip Shield
On the cover: “The GG Slim” - from Clouds of Vapor Editor: Eric JohnsonContirbutors: Aaron Heiks, Mike Nance, Matt Williams Information is correct at press time. Check www.VaperMonthly.com for updates, exclusive content and more information.
VaperMonthly is published monthly by Normality Blows, a privately owned company located at 698 S Racetrack Rd Unit 323, Henderson, NV 89015. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official company policy. © 2011 VaperMonthly.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission is prohibited. Send all remittances and correspondences about subscriptions, undelivered copies and address changes to: [email protected]
FROM THE EDITORHello, fellow vapers!
Welcome to the second issue of Vaper Monthly! I have been pleasantly surprised by all of the positive feedback that I received for the first issue, and I am excited to bring you more content, more information, and more entertainment this time around.
This month we are welcoming two new writers, Mike “Vapor_Mike” Nance, and Matt “Ivisi” Williams. I am very happy to welcome them to the team, and their
expertise and work with the community will help to guide the future of Vapor Monthly.
This issue is quite a bit larger than the previous, and a lot of work went into making this one special. With contributions from Clouds of Vapor, Juicy Vapor, Spikey, sl1pg8r and others, I truly believe that we have made something special this month.
Also this month, in-house DIY modder Aaron “Ajay” Heiks will be showing you step-by-step how to build your very own 3.7 volt box mod, and we will giving the completed mod to one lucky reader! There will be several chances to win the prize this month. I will announce various ways to enter from my Twitter account @VaperMonthly and from the homepage at www.vapermonthly.com during the month.
At the end of the month, I will take the list of entries and use random.org to pick one lucky winner, who will receive the box mod, two batteries and a charger! We will announce the winner in next month’s issue and have another giveaway then.
A new feature that I plan on introducing next month will be a “Letters to the Editor” section, which will allow you to write in with any opinions, rants and/or praise about Vapor Monthly or the vaping community in general. Email anything you would like to write to [email protected] and use the subject “Letters to the Editor” to be considered.
I will also be attending Vapefest this month in Philly. The Vapefests are great opportunities for the community to interact with each other and vendors in a face to face setting, to trade ideas, check out new technologies and help fund the ongoing fight against those that wish to profit from or eliminate vaping. I look forward to meeting some of you there!
Thank you all for being so supportive and excited about this project. The continued praise and enthusiasm from the community in regards to Vaper Monthly is what is keeping this project alive.
Enjoy.
Eric Johnson, Editor-In-Chief
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DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: 3.7 V BOX MODPart 2 – Build a 3.7 Volt Box Mod
Now that you should have a start on your tool collection, it’s time to put some of them to work. We will be starting off with a few basic mods that are very easy to do. This way you can get the basic skills you’ll need under your belt without having to worry about why it doesn’t work, or what wire goes where. This
month I’ll be showing everyone how to make a basic 3.7v boxmod with a blue LED and a 510 connector. Feel free to work outside the lines some if you want to make something a little different. And please, if you make something cool, leave a comment and a picture of your work. Okay, let’s get started.
Step 1: Picking out your parts
This month is easy because I have provided a list at the end of this article showing exactly what parts I ordered. Even though this mod has a parts list already to go, picking your parts is always the first step and something that can be quite enjoyable. Often times I go into this without a clear idea of what I want to make, and just look for something interesting that I haven’t done before. Sometimes all I need to do is see one part, it could be a switch, a battery, or anything that I’ve never used or seen before, and the rest just falls into place. You’ll know it when you see it because you’ll say to yourself, “I’ve got to make a mod out of that”.
Step 2: Prepare your box
Since this is a box mod, there are a few things you need to do to the box before you can really get started. First things first, pry out all of the battery contacts, except for the positive contact attached to the switch, and set them aside. Then take a look at the on/off switch. The box I picked out has a pretty solid switch, so you won’t normally need to do anything to it. Sometimes with different boxes you will need to change how it connects
to the battery contacts or reinforce the area around it. This one looks pretty good though, so we’ll leave it the way it is. If you can avoid messing with that switch, you can bypass a lot of potential headaches. The positive (red) wire coming off the switch is a lighter gauge stranded wire, not my favorite to use and sometimes I’ll swap it out for a better wire, but with simplicity in mind, it will work just fine.
Step 3: Atomizer sub-assembly
It’s nice to get this out of the way early because you will have to wait for the epoxy to dry. For starters plug in your soldering iron so it has a chance to heat up. While that is warming, cut a red wire approximately 2.00” long and strip about 1/4” off of one end. Then take the exposed wire and bend it into the shape of a number 7.
Now check your iron to see if it is hot yet by touching the end of your solder to the tip. If it melts easily, your iron is hot. Before you solder anything though, make sure your tip is clean and tinned. If you got some tip tinner this will be pretty painless. Just dip the tip of your iron into the tinner, pull it out, and wipe off any
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DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: CONTINUED...excess on your wet sponge. If you didn’t get the tinner, try to melt solder around the tip as evenly as you can. If you need to you can use a knife to spread the solder around a little. Once your tip is ready to go, take your wire and melt some solder onto the exposed part of the wire. You just need enough to change the color of the wire from copper to silver, no need to get carried away. This is called tinning the wire, something you need to do to every wire before you use it in a solder connection.
Now take your atty connector and screw in a dead atty. This is going to do many things for you throughout the build. Right now we are using it as a heatsink, which will keep you from melting the silicon insulator between the pin and the barrel.
Stand the atty and atty connector on end (atty down) and take a look at the pin in the center of the atty connector. If it has a slot in it, turn the slot toward one of the notches in the barrel of the connector with a small screwdriver or a pair of tweezers. If your connector doesn’t have a slot, no worries, not all connectors do. Most should have the notches in the barrel though.
Now melt a small bead of solder onto the top of that pin, just enough to cover the top of the pin. This part can be a little
frustrating, just take your time, it can be a bit of a pain sometimes. Be careful to not get too much solder on the barrel of the connector, if you get a little on the inside that’s not a huge deal as long as it doesn’t get too close to the pin.
If you get some on the outside of the barrel though, you’ll need to get that cleaned off the best you can since that is going to need to be pressed through a hole later. Now take your wire and line the top of the 7 up with the slot in the atty pin.
If the solder on the pin makes the slot hard to see, remember we lined up the slot with a notch in the barrel. Now you’ll want to re-melt the solder on the pin and gently ease the wire into the slot. Once the wire is fully seated into the slot, remove your iron, and hold the wire until the solder cools enough to be solid again. If the wire moves any while it is cooling, you will have what is called a cold solder and a bad connection.
If it moved, reheat the solder and try again. Also be sure that no part of the wire is touching the barrel of the connector. If you have a lot of extra exposed wire sticking out, you can slide the insulation down a little to cover that.
Now that your atty connector is wired up, we need to make sure it stays that way.
Mix up a small amount of epoxy and fill the back side of the connector up, using a toothpick makes this very easy. Set the connector assembly aside to dry with the wire pointing up. This should be dry and ready to go by the time we need it now.
Step 4: Making holes
Taking a look at the box (with the on/off switch towards the bottom) note the two battery slots. The left slot will be for the 14500 battery, and the other slot is for everything else. You will want to keep the holes you drill as close to the centerline of the battery slot as you can. If you have calipers this is when you’ll want to use them.
If not, try to eyeball it the best you can. Take your time drilling the holes too, because the plastic can easily crack. A Uni-Bit makes easy work drilling into the plastic. If you don’t have one, pre-drilling with a smaller bit first can help prevent cracking. At the top of the box start your hole for the atty connector.
For a 510 connector you will need an 11/32” hole. Once the hole is drilled, take the drill bit and work it in and out through the hole almost like a file to open up the hole enough to get a good press fit with the atty connector. The second hole of for the push button, if you are using the button I am, you need a 1/4” hole roughly halfway down the box.
The last hole is for the 5mm LED. Since metric bits aren’t the easiest to find, I use a 3/16” bit which will get you close. You can press the LED in pretty good, so if the hole is a little under sized you’ll be fine. Drill that hole between the atty connector and the push button, making sure you have room for the atty connector once it is in the box.
Step 5: Assembly
Now that you have all your holes drilled go ahead and pop in your components. Start with the Switch and LED saving the atty connector for last. It really doesn’t matter too much which order you put them in the box, but if you put the connector in before the other parts the wire coming out of the back can get in the way sometimes.
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DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: CONTINUED... DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: CONTINUED...
Before you put in the LED, there’s one thing to consider. If your LED has a crystal clear lens it will be shine a very bright, unidirectional light. Great if you’re making a flashlight, not so much for a mod you’ll be holding inches from your eyes. If you want to keep it bright skip this part, if not you’ll want to diffuse (sometimes called frost) the LED lens. If you have a Dremel, get a 512E EZ Lock Finishing Abrasive Buffs 320 Grit attachment. If you don’t have a Dremel, a Scotch Brite pad will do the trick to; it’ll just take a little longer.
The goal here is to scuff up the LED lens until it has a uniform cloudy look to it, almost like your bathroom mirror after a shower. The more you diffuse it, the dimmer it will be, so you might want to test it as you go with a breadboard or by just holding the leads to the ends of the battery you’re using. Two things to keep in mind though, the longer lead is the positive lead, and never power it without a resistor.
MadVapes always includes a 470 ohm resistor with their LED’s which work perfectly. If you wire it backwards, the LED won’t light. If you wire it without the resistor, you risk blowing the LED since they are not rated for 3.7v. If you are using a switch that is held on with a nut, make sure it’s snug, but don’t kill it, because we’ll be gluing the back of the switch in anyways. Use the pictures as a guide for how to orientate the components.
Step 6: Soldering
Now that everything is in the box it’s time to hook it up. Start with the red wire coming from the on/off switch and lay it out like it will be it will be once it’s soldered.
Mark the wire a little longer that would be needed to reach the push button and cut off the excess. Since this is a stranded wire, when you strip the end, slowly pull the end of the insulation off twisting it as you go. This will leave you with a very nice set of twisted strands, perfect for soldering. Tin the end and wrap it around the left post on the push button. Depending on the switch you picked out, you might need to snip off the ends of the posts so that the cover will fit, so try to keep your wires as close to the switch body as you can. Once you have the wire wrapped around the post good, hit it with a little solder.
Now trim the wire coming from the atty connector to length, again leaving a little extra to wrap around the switch post. Strip and tin the end and wrap it around the right side of the switch. Lightly solder it in place for now since we’ll be soldering more onto this post later.
Next up is the LED. Take a scrap piece of red insulation (roughly 1/4”) and slide it over the positive (longer) LED lead. Now take a piece of scrap black insulation (a little longer than 1/2”) and slide it over the negative lead). Now take your resistor and wrap one of its leads around the positive lead of the LED 2-3 times. Slide it all the way down to the insulation and snip off the extra wire from that end of the resistor. Take the other end of the resistor and wrap that around the right post of the switch.
Now finish soldering the atty connector wire and the LED’s resistor to switch. An alternative to wiring the LED this way, which lights when you press the button, is to wire the resistor to the other half of the switch, which will light the LED whenever the main power switch on the box is turned on. If you want, you can have two LED’s, one for power, and one for vape.
Now we still have the negative end of the LED to worry about. Put a 90 degree bend (towards the atty connector) in the negative lead about halfway up the insulation, and solder the bare portion of the lead to the barrel of the atty connector. This is where patience will definitely come in handy.
Soldering the pin of the atty will seem like
cake compared to this because, as you will find out, soldering to the outside of the connector is like mixing oil and water. The connecter needs to get fairly hot before the solder will stick to it. Once you see it start to accept the solder work quickly because you don’t want it to get too hot. This is where the dead atty really comes into play, because right now you can easily melt the silicone inside the connector or melt the box thru the hole that the connector is pressed into. Once you are happy with the connection let it cool and work on the negative battery contact.
When you took everything out of the box in step 2, one of the contacts was a double contact. You will need to cut off the positive half of the contact, leaving the half with the spring. Tin snips or sheet metal shears will make easy work of this. Cut the contact so that when it is in the box there is enough left of the positive half that it almost makes contact with the atty connector, and then slide the negative contact into its slot.
To connect the negative battery contact to the atty connector you will need to cut a piece of wire roughly 3/4” long and remove all of the insulation. Stick one end in the small hole all the way at the top of the box on the right side of the atty connector. Then wrap the wire around the top of the
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atty connector and tuck the other end of it between the negative battery contact and the center rib of the box. Solder the portion that wraps around the atty connector, again being careful to not get things too hot. Also, get some solder on the negative battery contact where the bare wire touches it.
You now have a working mod. You can take the dead atty off and put a good atty on it and put a battery in the slot. Make sure the LED lights and it vapes good. If there is anything wrong with it, now is the time to trouble shoot before you epoxy everything in.
Step 7: Final touches
Once the box is in good working order, it is time to make sure everything stays in its place. Before you start mixing any epoxy, there is a small rectangular hole in the box directly behind the atty connector that you will need to cover with a small piece of Scotch tape. This is just to make sure that no epoxy leaks thru that hole.
Now mix up the epoxy and liberally apply it all around the atty connector, LED and switch. If you are using a different switch than the one I used, make sure that the epoxy is not going to wick into the switch. If you are using one of the smaller switches, use some JB Weld to hold it in place, and be careful to not get any epoxy near it. Keep an eye on the epoxy while it dries, making sure it stays where you want it because it does have a habit of “wandering off”. Once the epoxy is dry, take off the tape and vape away on your new box mod!
Next month we’ll dive deeper into the world of box mods with a little high voltage…
3.7 Volt Box Mod parts list from Mad Vapes (http://www.madvapes.com):
• Black 2xAA battery box - http://www.madvapes.com/Black-2xAA-Battery-Box-with-OnOff-Switch_p_2020.html• 3A black pushbutton switch - http://www.madvapes.com/CK-Components-3A-Black-Pushbutton-switch_p_2429.html• 5mm blue LED - http://www.madvapes.com/5mm-Blue-LED_p_2116.html• AD103 multivolt charger - http://www.madvapes.com/AD-103-Multi-volt-charger_p_2097.html• 14500 protected batteries - http://www.madvapes.com/Ultrafire-Protected-14500-Battery-900-mAH_p_2039.html• 510 battery connector, sealed - http://www.madvapes.com/510-Battery-Connector-Sealed_p_2164.html
DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: CONTINUED...
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VM: Hi, Slip, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Slip: My name is Justin. On the interwebs, I’m sl1pg8r and my friends call me “slip”. I am 34 years old and I work in telecommunications. I do a lot of online stuff, that’s my hobby. Online gaming and doing reviews. That’s kind of my hobbies, and that’s kind of who I am.
VM: How did you discover vaping, and what was your first PV?
Slip: I discovered vaping through getting healthy. I used to be kind of big, used to weigh like 230 lbs. I started getting healthy, started dieting and running and all that kind of stuff but I smoked… so, like, literally I was doing everything I should be doing and running seven days a week, and I was smoking so it wasn’t working for me. So I started looking for alternatives to smoking and I heard about electronic cigarettes online. The first ever electronic cigarette that I bought was a Blu kit, then shortly thereafter, two days after I got my Blu kit I ordered the Janty Stick. That wasn’t quite doing it for me, I liked it but it wasn’t low res and I hadn’t gotten into low res yet. I think the first PV I really loved was my Silver Bullet on low res.
VM: What made you decide to start doing reviews?
Slip: The reason I started to do reviews was that I already have a different YouTube channel that I do video game commentary on. So I kind of was already in the community, I wouldn’t say in the community because with
video game commentary there are hundreds of thousands of commentators, but I was kind of like doing that thing. I started researching products and saw reviews from different forums and they led me to video reviews and saw GrimmGreen’s reviews and Ritalee’s reviews, and those people I thought I would like to do the same thing, reviewing products and putting my opinion out there. So that’s why I started doing reviews.
VM: What is your current vaping setup?
Slip: My current favorite setup is the Ali’i on 3.7 high drain with a low res 510. (Vapes) Delish!
VM: What mod are you most excited about getting your hands on?
Slip: The mod I am most excited about getting my hands on is the Eclipse. I don’t know if there really needs to be a why… I guess for people who don’t really know about vaping maybe. I think that solutions to the problems that vaping has, like having to drip or variable voltages or different things like that.
I think that the eclipse is going to solve those problems and kind of make vaping more portable, like you grab one mod and go and it does all the that things you need to do. So, that’s why I’m really excited to get my hands on it.
VM: What do you find most inconvenient about vaping?
Slip: What do I find most inconvenient about vaping? I don’t know. I guess at first it was the learning curve, there was so much to learn. But
that’s kind of like the rad part about it, you learn about all the different voltages, juices, pg/vg mixes, and nic levels. That’s the cool part, getting into it. But at the same time for new people that is a big inconvenience, to try to gain all that knowledge. I guess right now the biggest inconvenience for me is that my batteries don’t last forever and neither do my atomizers. (Laughs) I guess that would be the best improvement I could see, forever batteries.
VM: What is the oddest flavor you have ever vaped?
Slip: So the oddest flavor I’ve ever vaped, (and this is not the most disgusting flavor I’ve ever vaped. The most disgusting flavor I have ever vaped is Bacon Wrapped Poppers)… the oddest flavor I have ever vaped is Blue Cheese. It is odd and at the same time, disgusting.
VM: What flavor is in your atty right now?
Slip: I think that as far as different flavors in my atomizers go, I think that vaping is kind of like eating cake. Cake without milk is not as good because you’ve got to
drink the milk to wash away the cake flavor so you can enjoy more cake and get that fresh cake flavor. I vape a lot of different juices but my daily vape is Boba’s Bounty, it is what I vape. All day every day, and have for months and months. I love that juice.
VM: What are your predictions for the vaping world in 2011?
Slip: I think you’re going to see two things go on. I think it will be the split between pipe tobacco smokers and cigarette smokers. Pipe tobacco smokers want flavor and the experience and something that is bigger, they are creating an experience. Cigarette smokers just want nicotine.
So I think you will see more things like the Eclipse which are an experience and are heightening vaping and I think you will also see things more like the Ego and Ego T tank system that are smaller and more portable and easier to use. Not necessarily so geared toward the experience, but more toward the portability and easy to use... once they figure out how to do it the right way.
DIY TIPS FOR MODDERS: CONTINUED... COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: SL1PG8R...
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With so many mods out there in a wide variety of configurations, finding the right mod for you can be a daunting task. Do you enjoy a 3.7 volt device, or do you prefer high voltages? Maybe you want something that can do both. Personally, I like 3.7 volts with a low res atomizer, and I also want something that is visually striking.
Enter the Golden Greek Slim.
The GG Slim is a gorgeous device. It is extremely shiny, and the nickel plating really makes the device stand out in a crowd. The only problem in that regard is that I find myself constantly wiping my fingerprints off of it. In the 3.7 volt configuration, the GG Slim fits perfectly in my hand. It’s not a heavy device at all, but it feels like it can really take a beating, not that I tested that theory with my beautiful little mod.
I absolutely love the button on the GG Slim. The button is mounted on the bottom of the device, and has a screw-out locking mechanism to protect against accidental activations. However, I do have a problem with the locking mechanism. When it screws all the way up to lock out the button, it feels nice and snug, but I have had a couple of instances where it loosened up a bit on its own in my pocket. You barely have to push the button to get it to fire, which is really nice when you are actually wanting to use it, but not so special when it’s firing against your leg. With freshly charged batteries, though, I get fantastic performance every single time I push the button.
The GG Slim takes one 10440 battery in its 3.7 volt configuration, or two stacked 10440s with the extension tube (sold separately), bringing the voltage up to
a whopping 7.4 volts. I use the IMR High Drain 350 mAh batteries and a Joye lr 510 atomizer. I get a couple of hours (more or less) of steady vaping per charge, but I was aware of the expected life of the 10440 batteries before I got the mod, so I really can’t complain about that.
I would consider the GG Slim to be a great choice for someone who wants a sturdy, very attractive mod and doesn’t mind paying the fairly steep price for the obvious care and quality that has gone into building it. The Slim is not the best choice for someone who desires a mod that will last them all day, and although I have not personally tried the other GG models, the GG Telescopic Storm looks stunning, and uses a wide variety of batteries and atomizers.
The GG line is being carried exclusively in the U.S. by Clouds of Vapor, and the owner, Bruce Schneider, was kind enough to sit down with us an answer a few questions about CoV and the Golden Greek series of mods.
VM: Hi Bruce, thanks for agreeing to speak with Vaper Monthly!
Bruce: Thank you for having me in Vaper
Monthly. It’s exciting having a vaping magazine like this!
VM: Can you tell us how you first discovered vaping, and the history behind Clouds of Vapor?
Bruce: I was a heavy tobacco user, I used it all! Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff and Snus! I found vaping by accident on the internet and just had to try it. So, I bought a DSE 901 kit. It did not do it for me so I moved on to the KR808D1. That was nice for a while but I ended up having 25 batteries just to keep up with my heavy use. It was then in August 2009 that I started only vaping and I sold off all my tobacco products and have never gone back.
On September 5, 2009 I joined ECF. I bought my first mod a few days later. It was a Copper. It looked like a pipe bomb!! But it worked well for me. The rest is history. Many know that I have or have had and sold almost every kind of mod out there. This is when I started learning about vaping in depth.
I started CoV after a year or so of unemployment. One day my wife said to me, “You need to start your own business and take charge of your own destiny.”
COVER STORY: THE GG SLIM
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Saying if I was the boss, I could not lay off or fire myself. It just then clicked! I flew into action! I started going to New York Vapers Club meetings and really enjoyed them. I went to the 1st VapeFest in Virginia and met everyone so when I started CoV, they all knew me already. I was one of them! I appreciate the support everyone has given me. When I came back home, the name, the site, and product fell into place. With $3,000 in seed money, CoV began. My first big item was the IMR14500 high drain batteries. I was the first out with it. Then I met Stomp and we built the 5v StompBox and I connected with Missy and became the sole supplier for the WetBox for many months.
Now, CoV is one of the go to sites in vaping, with thousands of happy customers. Along with great products, I offer great customer service. I treat all my customers like I would want to be treated when I shop. Honesty, good products, great prices and someone there to answer my questions and concerns. Most of all, if something goes wrong, they are there for me. So in essence, great product and great service is a powerful business plan.
VM: What did you do before Clouds of Vapor?
Bruce: After a few years on Wall Street, I joined Macy’s and trained to be a Department Manager, moved through the ranks and ended up being a Buyer for Lord and Taylor. Then it was onto a buying position with Lechters Housewares, where I bought for over 600 stores across the country. It was with Lechters that I started going overseas to China. After Lechters closed its doors, I did the same work as a Product Manager for many companies in wholesale. I created many multi-million dollar businesses for people Iworked for. I have made a total of 36 trips to China. But, with the downturn of the economy a few years ago, I found myself unemployed. It was then that I started CoV.
VM: You seem to always be one of the first US vendors to have the latest and greatest mods and products, how do you decide what is going to be a good product and what not to carry?
Bruce: Thank you! I love new products.
All my years of experience trained me to source new products and to create them. I want to be the first to have new items. This is how I run CoV. I work hard each day to find the best products and bring them to market quickly. I don’t always choose the right ones, but that is what my clearance area is for! This comes very naturally to me. It is really what I do.
I do try out all the products from China and my competitors, this gives me an competitive edge and even more knowledge of what will be good and what will be bad. I am willing to take risks and to market many new items that my customers have not tried yet. My competitors generally are not willing to take risks and let me “test” new product for them. But really, I owe it all to my wonderful customers who have trusted me. I want them to have the very best.
VM: How have you been affected by the import seizures that are plaguing vendors right now?
Bruce: I have been very fortunate. Except for a few delays in customs like the 17 day delay of my first GG order from Greece, I have not had anything seized. I try many ways to ship and ship in small packages. So far they have come in under the radar! I am sure one day my luck will change or we will finally get that FDA approval that we all need.
VM: What is your current highest selling mod? Can you tell us about it?
Bruce: That is a hard question! I sell all of my mods really well! Right now it’s the new 2011 GG Telescopic Storm in a beautiful nickel plate. It is the flagship mod from GG. Super high quality, great functionality and versatility. It can use most batteries and atomizers. It is truly a spectacular mod well thought out and works like a dream. I am truly honored to be the exclusive USA supplier and to bring the GG to the vaping community.
VM: Do you have anything new and exciting that you plan on introducing soon?
Bruce: Of course! Always! There are new
GGs coming, including the new and even better AVS. The AVS is an auto feed system that uses atomizers and not cartomizers. I will have more sizes and kinds of MAP Tanks including the Mega Map Tank that will hold 10 or so ml of juice! The MAP Tanks are the hottest product in vaping right now. CoV is exclusive with the GG in the USA! Exclusive with the MAP Tank! I am so excited about being to be the sole supplier for these products! There is so much more, but I can’t give any information on them yet. Keep an eye out!
VM: What device or kit do you normally recommend to new vapers?
Bruce: This is very easy for me to say. Since I try everything, I wished that when I started to vape there was an eGo. My eGo kits that offer 2 full eGos with drip tips is the best way to start. You don’t have the battery life issues that the 510 has. I carry only real JoyeTech eGo product and you can’t beat their quality. Best of all, the price is great!
VM: What do you foresee happening with the potential New York bans and the continuing fight with the FDA?
Bruce: I am very positive and upbeat about both the New York ban and the FDA. We vapers are a fast growing group that has to be represented. The more vapers, the better the outcome will be. So, get your friends and relatives to start vaping! It’s good for all of us! I believe we will win.
VM: Thank you for your time, Bruce. Before we go, is there anything you would like to tell our readers?
Bruce: It’s my pleasure you have allowed me to fill your pages with CoV!
I want to thank you and all my customers for their continued support for CoV. I think all of us are vapers first. We are all in the community. Let’s treat each other with respect and friendship.
I am always here for you! Thank you again and keep on vaping!
Visit clouds of vapor at:http://www.cloudsofvapor.com
COVER STORY: CONTINUED...
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JOIN US!
PHILLYVAPEFEST
Want to learn about electronic cigarettes? Here’s your chance!An electronic cigarette / personal vaporizer is a battery-powered device that allows you to get nicotine while you go through the motions of smoking, but without the tar, carcinogens and smoke that come along with combustible tobacco cigarettes. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Philly Vapefest will be an event of more than two hundred vapers (e-cigarette users) gathering to try new products and flavors.
MARCH 25 & 26, 2011 Vapefest entry fee is $20 for Friday and $30 for Saturday, or $45 for both days.
This will include access to Vapefest as well as the after-party. Cash bar available at the after-party. Vapefest Vendor room open Friday from 2pm til 10pm & Saturday from Noon until 10pm.
After-party 10:30pm to 4am (approximately).Door Prizes and raffles will occur throughout the day. Many vendors are sponsoring and attending the event,
so come meet your favorite vendors and video reviewers and get some new products!
GO TO WWW.VAPEFEST.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION!PICTURES AND VIDEO OF PREVIOUS VAPEFESTS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE.
Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport 9000 Bartram Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19153 Phone: (215) 365-4500~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sponsored by National Vapers Club www.VapersClub.com 516 695-7007
VM: Hi Spikey, thanks for talking with Vaper Monthly. Can you start out by telling us about yourself and about NVC? Spikey: I live in New York. I have been vaping for more than 2 years now. I quit smoking after less than 2 weeks with an e-cig. I decided I wanted to tell everyone and their mother about this miracle product. I had tried unsuccessfully to quit many times. I did not buy the e-cigarette to quit, but to keep my smoke from bothering the children who spent time around me. So, like so many other vapers, I guess you could say I quit smoking accidentally. National Vapers Club (NVC) is a consumer-based organization sponsored and ran by vapers. We are a grassroots, not for profit organization in our infancy. None of NVC’s board
members receive income from the e-cigarette industry and none of us get paid. We put our time and energy into this because we believe this revolutionary product will save millions of lives and because it has saved our lives. We began as the Long Island Vapers Club in Long Island, New York. Shortly after we formed they tried to ban e-cigarettes from being sold in Suffolk County on Long Island. We were successful at stopping a ban on sales, although they did ban indoor use and were the first county in the USA to do so.
We encouraged others to form local vapers clubs in their area and decided it was best to go National and keep every vapers club informed of e-cigarette bans and happenings so at least we had a chance of stopping these
bans. Working together to fight these bans is the only way we will win. So we organized mailing lists by state and started taking free members and asking volunteers to help fight the bans in other states as well.
We began having raffles at the local vapers club meetings and auctions online in order to try to raise enough money to cover our expenses as we had previously been paying all expenses out of our own pockets. We grew large enough to hold events like Vapefest to help gather support for vapers on a larger scale and to raise awareness.
VM: Would you tell us about the upcoming Vapefests? Locations, dates, costs, etc... Spikey: Philly Vapefest is set and ready to go for March 25th and 26th (Friday and Saturday). All of the information is at www.Vapefest.com. We have a dozen or so of the best vendors in the community coming to set up tables and show off products and sell them.
Lots of new products are usually introduced at Vapefest also, like new devices, new flavors, and new accessories! We may have some special surprise guests speak as well. Some very prominent people from the vaping community will be present and accounted for, and we will be vaping all day and partying all night.
Starting friday the vendors will open the event at 2:00 pm and end at 10:00 pm. Bartenders will come in at 10:30pm for a few hours (cash bar) and we will party in the room all night! Same for Saturday, but the room opens at Noon on
that day instead. Tickets for Vapefest are $20 for Friday and $30 for Saturday, or $45 for both days. This covers entrance to the event and the afterparty, but does not cover liquor.
We got a great deal on the hotel also, but to get that rate rooms should be booked no later than March 2nd. We are trying to extend that deadline if it is possible.
Vegas Vapefest has more than a dozen vendors already looking for tables and should be really big! We have not signed a contract with the hotel yet so I would rather not say where or when until the contract is signed, but the date should be in the end of September or beginning of October.
VM: How dangerous is the proposed NY ban to the future of vaping? Why? Spikey: The proposed ban in New York is a two-fold threat: first, it outright bans sale of electronic cigarettes in New York; second, it assumes that the only future for e-cigs is as a smoking cessation device. The current wording of the bill would first prohibit sales of electronic cigarettes to minors forever. We support that position, and hope that states do enact legislation that keeps PVs out of the hands of those under the legal smoking age.
However, the bill further prohibits all sales of e-cigs in the state of New York until such time as the FDA decides that they are as safe and effective as Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs).
This provision is extremely hazardous to the future
PHILLY VAPEFEST: SPIKEY INTERVIEW
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JOIN US!
PHILLYVAPEFEST
Want to learn about electronic cigarettes? Here’s your chance!An electronic cigarette / personal vaporizer is a battery-powered device that allows you to get nicotine while you go through the motions of smoking, but without the tar, carcinogens and smoke that come along with combustible tobacco cigarettes. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Philly Vapefest will be an event of more than two hundred vapers (e-cigarette users) gathering to try new products and flavors.
MARCH 25 & 26, 2011 Vapefest entry fee is $20 for Friday and $30 for Saturday, or $45 for both days.
This will include access to Vapefest as well as the after-party. Cash bar available at the after-party. Vapefest Vendor room open Friday from 2pm til 10pm & Saturday from Noon until 10pm.
After-party 10:30pm to 4am (approximately).Door Prizes and raffles will occur throughout the day. Many vendors are sponsoring and attending the event,
so come meet your favorite vendors and video reviewers and get some new products!
GO TO WWW.VAPEFEST.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION!PICTURES AND VIDEO OF PREVIOUS VAPEFESTS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE.
Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport 9000 Bartram Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19153 Phone: (215) 365-4500~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sponsored by National Vapers Club www.VapersClub.com 516 695-7007
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of vaping, since in order to declare the product marketable as an NRT, it would be removed from the market for many years, subjected to extensive testing at the expense of the (virtually non-existent) industry, and most likely re-released to the public as a sterilized, over-regulated, non-customizable unit. By taking away the ability to customize a user’s experience, the efficacy and appeal of the device will be significantly lowered for new users. The other, less obvious implication of this provision is that electronic cigarettes are, in fact, smoking cessation aids and are to be used as such. This is really not the case at all. The majority of users do not use e-cigs to quit smoking; rather, they use them instead of smoking. This distinction needs to be made.
When we talk about the safety of electronic cigarettes, it’s always in the context of being safer than traditonal tobacco cigarettes. For each cigarette not smoked, and instead replaced with a safer alternative, the total toll on our health is reduced. If this bill is passed, it will set a precedent for the entire country. California and New York tend to be two of the most influential states with regard to legislation in other states. It will declare that electronic cigarettes are smoking cessation aids, need to be regulated by the FDA as such, and should be removed from the market until the proper red tape can be rolled out, cut, and applied.
The bill completely ignores the fact that the FDA at any time can decide to regulate electronic cigarettes in a responsible way by declaring them tobacco products, putting into place safety checks to ensure quality of the product, and eventually
evaluating their merits as reduced risk products. We hope that New York will do the right thing: prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, and leave the rest to the experts.
VM: What can a member of the community do to help out and increase awareness of the benefits of vaping? Where can donations be made?
Spikey: The easiest thing to do is vape. Let others see you vape. I’m not saying you should blow huge clouds of vapor in places that are questionable, but vape in appropriate places, tell your friends, carry information cards (available for free from National Vapers Club if you send us an email asking!), and be proud that you are a member of the vaping community! One of the most important things that the community can do is pay attention. Local & state (paid) anti-tobacco activists are working to ban e-cigarettes and are courting many boards of health, county, and state governments. It’s important to alert the e-cigarette community of these actions so that we can address them promptly.
So read your local paper and become an educated vaper. Vapers can also send letters very easily through www.VapeBans.com where we have set up a website that allows you to click a link that will open an email and sign your name and send it…. It takes less than 20 seconds to do.
Vapers can personally speak with their legislators if a ban has been proposed and they can find contact info for these legislators at www.VapeBans.com also.
We can help educate individuals on what needs to be said and how to say it.
Further, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have vapers at legislative hearings. For legislation proposed outside of your area, you can call, fax and email and let your voice be heard. A lot goes into running an organization such as National Vapers Club. We are always working on several projects at one time such as fighting the various bans, Vapefests and IVAQS (www.IVAQS.com). And of
course there are the more mundane chores such as taxes, contracts, accounting, even little things such as having a phone line to answer media requests and help new vapers when they have questions– all of which cost money.
We are completely dependent on your donations, every dollar is important to us. You can make donations by going to www.VapersClub.com and clicking on the Donations Link on the right side of the page.
If you don’t have a credit card, you can find our address at the website as well. We are happy to take checks or money orders. We appreciate all your support and thank you for helping us protect your right to vape!
PHILLY VAPEFEST: CONTINUED...
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Juicy Vapor is a gourmet vapor shop based in Amherst, New York. The company is currently owned and ran by two partners and boasts more than 580 flavors with new flavors being added all the time. Their juices are 100% made to order and 100% USA made as stated on their website. This claim certainly caught our attention and was the basis for us wanting to get an interview with them. Please make sure to check out the special deal we are running with them through this month located below.
VM: First I’d like to say thank you Anthony and Brad of Juicy Vapor for sitting down and talking to us a bit. Can you tell us about Juicy Vapor and how it came to be?
JV: Juicy Vapor was originally two separate companies. One founded by Brad McNamara and the other by Anthony Brancato. Being long-time friends, these companies were never to compete with each other, instead we shared trade secrets and ideas.
After some time of duplicating stock and websites, we decided to join forces and put our heads together to bring you what we have now. Juicy Vapor is a small company with less than 10 employees at this time.
VM: What is the most frustrating thing about running an ecig company? Thebest thing?
JV: 1. Not knowing the future of where the
laws are going to take the industry. 2. (Anthony) - Personally I love to
recreate the flavors and keep everyone smiling about how great the flavors compare to the real thing.
3. (Brad) – The best thing is knowing that we are helping people find alternative solutions to traditional tobacco and all the carcinogens and ingredients found in them.
VM: With all of the many, many juice vendors in the US now, what makes Juicy Vapor stand out?
JV: Our vast variety of flavors, that our
VENDOR TELL-ALL: JUICY VAPORjuices are gourmet and each bottle is made to order. We do not have any stock on shelves waiting to be sent out. Did I forget to mention flavors? (Laughs)
VM: Who comes up with all of your flavors? What is your current favorite?
JV: Anthony is by far the flavor mixologist creating a vast majority of flavors, Brad has had his hand in a decent amount, and even our customers, via the “Create your own” section have supplied a nice number of delicious flavors. Anthony’s favorite is Ecto Plasma. Brad’s is Turkish Tobacco and Wake~N~Vape.
VM: Where is your juice made?
JV: Juices are made to order on site in either our New York or Illinois locations.
VM: Your site says your juice is 100% USA made, does that mean your nicotine is derived here as well?
JV: All we can say that it’s made from nicotine crystals that are put together in a laboratory here in the United States.
VM: The “create your own flavor” option is a great idea, what are some of the strangest mixes people have come up with?
JV: “Steve’s Drunk” is by far the strangest mix we have gotten. One of these days I
will get up the nerve to try it. Roast Beef, Bell Pepper, Bacon, Garlic and Cream Cheese.
VM: What are some of your top selling flavors?
JV: Wow, its gotta be French Toast, Fruit Striped Gum, Ecto Plasma, Caramel Macchiato and Butter Rum Caramel. I know that I am leaving some out but there are so many.
VM: Being based in New York, the potential bans have got to be weighing heavily on your minds. Do you think that the bill is likely to pass? What are your plans if it does? JV: 1. We cannot predict the future but
we are very hopeful with all of the publicity and attention that it is getting will make a positive influence on the outcome.
2. The best part of who we are is that we actually have two offices and if it comes down to that we can always make Illinois our new corporate offices.
VM: Do you have anything new on the horizon that you’d like to tell us about?
JV: We are always looking to expand our business. We are actually at this time trying to set up franchise opportunities.
DEAL OF THE MONTH...JuicyVapor.com is your one stop shop to find your gourmet vapor flavors and everyday favorites. We have more than 580 flavors with new flavors being added all the time. All our juices are 100% made to order and 100% USA made.
Coupon Code: “vaper10” - 10% off any order!
Visit JuicyVapor at: http://www.JuicyVapor.com/ or check out their VapeTV show starting March 1st, every Tuesday at 9p.m. EST. You will also need to register at
http://www.SticKam.com to be able to participate in the live chat portion.
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Howdy Vapers,
Vapor_Mike here, the new in-house DIY eJuice guru. Some of you may know me from Twitter under the same name. Every month I will be showing you what it takes
to become an ejuice expert and giving you the know-how to make your own.
I have been vaping for over a year now and making my own juices for about 9 months. I originally started because of Phee303’s video on making his own DIY juices and found my vast love for mentholated juices from VaporCast. To you guys, thank you for everything you have done for me and for the community. I would not be here without you. What you do for the community inspires me and I am really thankful.
RAWR!!! Lets DIY some Ejuice!
What you need to get started:
Ejuice is typically made up of the following: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavorings, nicotine solution (usually nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol), and occasional other additives such as menthol crystals, ethol maltol, distilled water, and pure grain alcohol. Using distilled water and pure grain alcohol is usually only done by those more experienced in making their own juice. Personally, I do not find either of these ingredients necessary and we will not be talking about them. You will obviously also need empty bottles and some sort of dropper or syringe.
Propylene Glycol: Warning! Some people can have severe allergic reactions to Propylene Glycol. You should know who you are as PG is in your lives just about every day. Please, please be careful if you are unsure if you are PG sensitive or not.
Propylene glycol is a food grade additive that is also used in pharmaceuticals, food colorings, and cigar humidors as well as countless other things. In relation to our ejuice, PG is going to be used as a solvent for some of the flavorings and diluting down our nicotine base. PG is a natural irritant and does have some effect on the amount of throat hit you are getting from your juice. PG also has a slightly sweet taste and is very thin in viscosity.
Vegetable Glycerin: VG is even more widely used in the food industry than PG is. It is used in everything from sugar substitutes to soap. This liquid is used in the exact same way as PG is in ejuices, though it is much thicker and sweeter than PG.
Both PG and VG are widely available both online and in brick and mortar stores.
Nicotine Base Solution: Nicotine can poison you if it gets on your skin, eyes, or in your mouth. Be careful when you are handling it and if you buy a nicotine solution that is higher than 36mg, I strongly suggest that you cut it down as soon as you get it with PG or VG. The ejuice calculator below has a section that will help you cut it down to the level you want. Store your nicotine in a safe and cool place away from those who should not have access to it. Keep it out of the light as it will discolor.
My current favorite nicotine base is from NicVape. It is a great combination of cheap price and good quality. The base cannot be tasted when mixed in a juice, which is pretty much the main thing we are looking for. The average milligrams of nicotine in juices that is vaped is 12-18mg.
Menthol Crystals: Menthol can help blend flavors together, give a cooling sensation, and even allow you to lower your nicotine level by giving a little extra throat sensation.
Quick menthol drops recipe as heard on VaporCast:
• Collect the following items: An empty dropper bottle, menthol crystals, and PG or VG. Having a small funnel on hand would help this process go smoother.
• With the menthol crystals still in the bag, gently crush them until it is almost a powder.
• Using the funnel, fill the empty bottle with the crushed menthol crystals until the bottle is about half full.
DIY E-JUICE: AN INTRODUCTORY TUTORIAL
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• Fill the bottle the rest of the way up with PG while leaving room to put the nipple and cap on without making a mess.
• Shake to the bottle to aid in dissolving the crystals.
Optional final step:
The crystals should dissolve over time. If you wish to aid the process further, you can apply heat via any of the following 3 ways. Either:
• Hold the bottle with cap firmly on under warm tap water.
or
• Put the bottle in your pocket to allow your body heat to warm the bottle.
or
• Put the bottle with cap off in the microwave for 2 – 3 seconds.
I get my crystals from Perfumer’s Apprentice and find them to be as good as any.
This recipe is a VERY strong recipe. For your typical 10ml bottle, you can use the following to help you know how much menthol to use.
• For a Low-Medium Menthol experience – Use 5 drops
• For a Medium-Medium High menthol level – Use 10 drops
• For a High menthol level – Use 20 drops
It is not suggested that you use more than this.
Ethol Maltol: This can come in either liquid or crystal form and is simply used to sweeten juices. If you have crystals and want to turn them into a liquid, use the following method.
• Collect the following items: Ethol Maltol crystals, an empty dropper bottle, and PG.
• Fill the empty bottle with PG until it is about 80% full.
• Add a very small amount of crystals.• Wait for the crystals to dissolve.• Continue adding crystals until they
will no longer dissolve or until you are satisfied.
A 10% crystals to 90% PG ratio seems to work for most people.
What does this mean for ejuice makers?
PG: High PG percentage in juice generally gives more of a throat hit and less vapor production than a VG based juice might.
VG: In general, a higher percentage of VG in a juice gives you more vapor, a sweeter taste, and less of a throat hit.
Flavorings: Entirely subjective. Use what you like, but stay away from oils and other things that should not be vaped.
Nicotine: Nicotine is what gives you the majority of your throat hit. The average mg usage is somewhere between 12mg and 18mg. Please do not try to vape anything higher than 24mg.
Menthol: This gives an entirely different kind of mouth and throat experience. It cools and blends flavors.
Ethol Maltol: A sweetener that can be used to sweeten juice without adding any other flavor.
Beginner Rules to DIY:
1. Take it Small!
I cannot stress this one enough. When beginning to DIY your own e-juice, do everything in small amounts. Get yourself some 3ml bottles and use them before making large batches. In addition to this, use very low amounts of your flavoring concentrate. You can always add more later but it is much more difficult to fix a juice that you have added too much flavoring to. This will help keep you from wasting your ingredients and subsequently save money.
2. Don’t use nicotine until you find a flavor you like.
Nicotine is by far the most expensive
ingredient on the shopping list and if you buy any decent quality nicotine solution, it should not effect the taste of the juice you are making. Leaving the nicotine out of your test batches of ejuice will save you a lot of money.
You can then be free to test your flavoring mixes without the worry of wasting too much money if you end up not liking what you have created. Without the use of nicotine in the juice, however, you will notice a definite lack of throat-hit in your test batches. This will return when you add the nicotine. All you are doing is testing the flavor and potentially your PG/VG ratio.
3. Try a variety of flavors.
There are really four categories of flavors out there: tobacco, fruits, drinks, other sweets/desserts. Any and all of these flavors can be mentholated, and most of the flavors can be mixed with any other in the list. For example you could take a fruit and mix it with a tobacco or take a dessert and mix it with a fruit. Certainly you can also add menthol to any of these as well for a whole new experience.
4. Use an Ejuice Calculator:
An ejuice calculator is going to be your best
DIY E-JUICE: AN INTRODUCTORY TUTORIAL
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DIY E-JUICE: AN INTRODUCTORY TUTORIALfriend. The one I used can be found at: http://ejuice.breaktru.com/. It is called “eJuice Me Up”. This program will not only do all the calculations you would ever need, but it will save recipes as well. It also takes into account if you are using PG or VG based nicotine liquid and flavorings when telling you how much PG or VG to add to meet the ratio you are aiming for.
How To Make Your Own Ejuice!
Do you have everything you need to get started? Great! Then let’s do it!
Once you open this calculator, you will see numbers and percent signs all over the screen and it can be a bit confusing to people who have never seen it before. With that in mind, here is a quick rundown on how to use this calculator.
What All These Numbers Mean
• The middle numbers at the top are your PG and VG percentages. I personally aim for a 50/50 mix and since that is default, I leave those values alone.
• The numbers along the right side of the program are the ones you need to be most concerned with. The top number is your unflavored nicotine milligram. If you have anything higher than 36mg you are doing it wrong and need to re-read this article!
• The next number down is the nicotine level that you are aiming for, again the average vaper is 12-18mg.
• The third number is the size of the bottle you plan to make.
• Skip the fourth number, it is for distilled water or pure grain alcohol.
All of the rest of the numbers are flavoring percentages. You can not vape 100% flavoring. Your typical juice will have
a 10% – 30% amount of flavor. This is then divided up amongst all the flavors you want in the juice
I work exclusively in drops. Some other DIYers use syringes and measure out exactly everything. I find that using drops is quicker and almost as
accurate. I am able to throw together delicious juices much quicker just by counting out the drops instead of getting syringes and measuring them all out.
The picture below is an example of a classic but one of my favorite juices. This is Peach Menthol. It uses the menthol
drops explained above and Perfumers Apprentice Peach flavoring. It is very simple and very tasty.
So Let’s Make Peach Menthol
• Collect the following items: PG, VG, nicotine, peach flavoring, pre-made
menthol drops, an empty bottle, and at least two droppers.
• Using a clean dropper, drip 78 drops of your 36mg base nicotine liquid into the empty bottle.
• Using a clean dropper, drip 40 drops of your Peach flavoring into the bottle.
• Drip only 10 drops of the pre-made menthol into the bottle. It should be in its own bottle with a nipple on it so no dropper needed.
• Using a clean dropper, fill the bottle until it is about half full with PG. Eye level is fine.
• Finish filling the bottle with VG, while leaving a little room to place the nipple in the bottle and still be able to shake it up properly.
• Shake and vape.
Optional final step:
• Let the juice steep over night before vaping. Some flavors take time to mingle and really taste like they should. Like some foods, juice may taste better the day after making them. Some people even try leaving the bottle of juice in some hot water for a while after they have finished the mix. The heat may aid in the mingling process. This is all really up to the individual.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this and learned something while you were at it. Come back again next month for another great recipe and in the meantime, If you have any questions you can find me on twitter at @Vapor_Mike or you can email me at [email protected]
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By Matt “Ivisi” Williams
On February 15th, 2011, Totally Wicked Incorporated filed suit against the FDA, seeking release of e-cigarette shipments being held by U.S. Customs in Miami and an injunction barring the FDA from future shipment seizures.
Totally Wicked has hired the same law firm that Smoking Everywhere used in their initial lawsuit against the FDA, and the filing bears a not-so-dissimilar style to Smoking Everywhere’s original filing.
At this point in the legal landscape, such a lawsuit would usually be welcome. Rulings in the current NJOY case against the FDA (the same lawsuit Smoking Everywhere initially began, and later abandoned) have been squarely in favor of the e-cigarette industry, and there has been little indication that the FDA will prevail in its short-sighted course of regulating e-cigarettes as drug delivery devices and not as tobacco products, which currently is the better of the two regulatory options available to e-cig manufacturers and vendors.
The third option, a completely new class of “recreational nicotine product”, would ultimately be the most ideal option for e-cig regulation, would require legislative or FDA creation, and at this point seems highly unlikely as an outcome.
In absence of that option, having multiple court rulings forcing the FDA to recognize e-cigs as tobacco products removes the shadow of bans on the devices, and the more lawsuits filed to force that view, the more likely there will
be a shift in the FDA’s stance. But is Totally Wicked a good candidate for this initiative? Totally Wicked’s history as an e-cig vendor casts serious doubt on that.
When I first began vaping almost two years ago, there were very few vendors in the marketplace. At the time, Totally Wicked was strictly a U.K. based company. Shortly after, they opened a branch in Bradenton, Florida, that would serve as the base of their operations in the U.S..
At this same time, grumblings from anti-smoking associations, regulatory groups, and legislators began. One of their biggest (and still biggest) complaints about e-cigarettes was a supposed attraction to them by children. It was, and still is, a manufactured complaint used to deflect attention away from the benefits of e-cigarette use and the success its users have had in reducing, and in some cases eliminating, tobacco smoking.
The community, however, recognized the need to not “fan the flames”, and consciously tried to move the industry toward obvious adult-themed marketing. It was during this time that Totally Wicked unveiled its new website design overhaul, which was a website themed to look almost entirely like the pages from a comic book, complete with a cartoonish devil mascot.
The same look and feel is prevalent in the current incarnation of their website. It enflamed a lot of people in the community at the time, and certainly made it seem as if Totally Wicked had only themselves, and their bottom line, in mind. And it most
certainly didn’t make things easier on the “marketed for children” front, since Totally Wicked was one of the, if not the, largest vendors around at the time.
Let’s fast forward several months. There had been an explosion of vendors on the marketplace offering a range of e-cigarette kits, juices, and mods. In the preceding months, there had been an effort to begin changing the “e-cigarette” name commonly used for the devices to another term, personal vaporizer, or PV for short.
The reasoning behind this was to distance e-cigarettes from
unfair and incorrect association to the tobacco cigarettes they were meant to supplant and to dissuade the FDA’s stance that the devices should be regulated as a drug delivery device.
About that time, Jason (Managing Director of Totally Wicked) released a video announcing that they were now referring to their devices as Electronic Nicotine Inhalers, or E-NI’s. Being a U.K. based supplier, this was, in all honesty, their only move in the regulatory structure of the U.K, as their best option for fair regulation in that country was one of medical devices.
TOTALLY WICKED VS. FDA: ASSET OR LIABILITY?
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However, since they also had a major U.S. based operation, this strategy also fell into the stance that the FDA was beginning to take on electronic cigarette regulation. Again, the vaping community in the U.S. was seeing Totally Wicked’s marketing as detrimental to the regulatory stance the U.S. Government was beginning to take against electronic cigarettes.
Eventually, Totally Wicked would redefine its ‘E-NI’ designation for its products as “Electronic Nicotine Imitation Cigarettes”, or “E-NIC”, and those products continue to be marketed as such on their website.
Now, it’s easy to consider these examples as simply “missteps” in an industry just emerging from infancy, if that were the end of it. But it’s not. The main argument in these legal cases is that electronic cigarettes should be regulated as a tobacco product, utilizing the same regulations and restrictions for sale that are currently afforded tobacco cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Yet, nowhere on Totally Wicked’s website or during their ordering process is there any age verification to confirm legal age to purchase tobacco-related products. While e-cigarette regulation remains in limbo and no age verification is required as of now, verification is performed by many, many smaller vendors in the
e-cigarette marketplace.
Age verification is not only a good idea for vendors for liability reasons, but shows regulatory agencies that, in the face of non-regulation, the e-cigarette industry is following responsible sales and marketing guidelines.
For them to have been in the industry for as long as they have and not implemented some form of age verification for its sales is bordering on inexcusable.
So, now that Totally Wicked has thrown their hat into the ring in a lawsuit against the FDA, will their newfound prominence help or hinder our fight against regulation as a drug delivery device? Personally, although Totally Wicked has, in my eyes, quite a few faults, they still are recognized as a quality supplier with good products, and that’s more than can be said about both NJOY and Smoking Everywhere.
I firmly believe that the more suppliers that hold the FDA accountable for their faulty strategy on e-cig shipment confiscations, the better, as the industry currently has two things on its side: momentum and precedence. I certainly hope, though, that Totally Wicked’s previous track record doesn’t help to shift that momentum away from vapers everywhere.
My last open letter was a call to arms asking you, the community of vapers, to stand up for your trusty PVs and to tackle the stigma and disinformation that currently exists in the public domain. I challenged you to vape in public and to stand proud for the devices that have ultimately changed our lives for the better and asked you to do more for the community in general to ultimately advance our cause for the benefit of the masses. And yet, I have another bone to pick with some of you.
I believe it is safe to say that at one time or another, we have all been witness to the vile pissing matches between fellow vapers and segmented communities that are all too prevalent in the forums, chat rooms and community boards found across the interwebs. With the ever expanding list of vendors, forums, chat rooms, content providers and the consumer fan bases that support them all, we are too often subjected to rants by “douchevaper4u” (not an actual name) as they claw their personal preference into the hearts of others with an air of authority and vigor reserved mainly for the vile, main stream politicians we all love so much to hate.
Hey I appreciate the fact that you support “some awesome company” vendor, but where’d you find that high horse stable
so we can all purchase one of those too? What was that you said?, “enter your favorite forum name here” is full of slackers and wanna-be’s who dont know crap about vaping? Awesome. Well thanks for single handedly alienating an entire group of people who are fighting for the exact same rights you want to preserve, and sorry that they do not fit the mold you have so meticulously built, o thee king of vapers.
Variety is the spice of life and just in case your parents didn’t spell this out for you as a child; not everyone in life, nor this community for that matter, will have the same views, preferences, and opinions as you do. Too often are there those amongst us with the biggest voice who will do anything to alienate the community and bash someone or something that they dont approve of. Too often are vapers marginalized by others who have personally dignified themselves as a founding member of the “O.G. Vaping crew” simply for being a newbie. And finally, too often are said vapers busying themselves trying to fame-whore themselves all across the internet in hopes of being recognized for their achievements of...guess what....here it comes....doing the same thing we all did; quitting smoking and switching to vaping.
TOTALLY WICKED VS. FDA: CONTINUED...
WHAT’S GOING ON: BY PUBLIC VAPER
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Well congratulations Master Vaper. When you’re finally done taking your bows and stepping down from aformentioned high horse, we’d just like to mention that we’re sick of the shit. Our community has been marginalized enough by the main stream media, greedy politicians, and fanatical non-smoking groups that the last thing we need as a community is you dividing us from within ranks.
So I’m going to take this chance to call everyone to task yet again. Can we lose the inter-vaper hate and do our best to keep the conversations civil? I know it’s not always easy, but for the sake of our fight, lets quell the self inflicted friendly fire and retarget our ammo at the groups who are truly hell bent on destroying our movement. Think of all the wasted energy that is put into segmenting this community internally that could be more efficiently tasked at producing something posivite that could affect results we would all benefit from.
So the next time you feel like trolling a chat or letting the forum communities know how silly the vapers are at that other forum board that only lackeys peruse, why dont you take a deep breathe and write your congressman a letter letting him know “we’re not gonna take it, no we’re not gonna take it...no we’re not gonna take it anymore!”
Two old ladies were outside their nursing home, having a smoke when it started to rain. One of the ladies pulled out a condom, cut off the end, put it over her cigarette and continued smoking.
Lady 1: “What’s that?”
Lady 2: “A condom. This way my cigarette doesn’t get wet.”
Lady 1: “Where did you get it?”
Lady 2: “You can get them at any drugstore.”
The next day ... Lady 1 hobbles herself into the local drugstore and announces to the pharmacist that she wants a box of condoms. The guy looks at her kind of strangely (she is, after all, over 80 years of age), but politely asks what brand she prefers.
Lady 1: “It doesn’t matter as long as it fits a Camel.”
A tobacco company had heard that the oldest citizen of a certain village had been smoking their product for over fifty years. They dispatched a public-relations man to the village to interview him.
“Sir,” the P.R. man said, “we are prepared to fly you to California to appear on an early morning television show to give a testimonial about our tobacco company.”
“Can’t do it!” replied the seasoned smoker.
“You can’t do it?” asked the P.R. man. “Don’t you want a free plane ticket to California?”
“Yep, I’d like to go to California, but I can’t do it.”
“Well, Sir,” said the P.R. man, “we’re prepared to put you up in one of the nicest hotels in Los Angeles for at least three nights. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“Yep, it would be wonderful, but I can’t do it!”
“Why can’t you do it?” screamed the P.R. man.
“Well, young fellow,” he said, “I can’t fly to California and appear on that morning television show to give a testimonial about your tobacco because I don’t stop coughing until noon!”
WHAT’S GOING ON: BY PUBLIC VAPER
WHAT’S GOING ON... JOKES OF THE MONTH
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By: Vapor_Mike
A new accessory has hit the market as of late that has been answering the prayers of many a 901 user in the the vaping community. It’s a nifty little accessory that does a great job of improving the 901’s usability which ultimately led to it being mentioned here at Vapermonthly. This multifunctional device prevents atomizer leaks, acts as a heat sink, and stiffens the draw of atomizers or in other words, simply creates general 901 vaping awesomeness that just cant be beat. So what is this little heaven sent treasure you ask?
It’s the Drip Shield from Empire Mods!
The Drip Shield was initially created to be part of The Empire, a telescoping mod that Keith at EmpireMods created and has been using for about eight months. Being a 901 atomizer lover himself, Keith had the same problem that many other advocates of the 901 have, the leaking.
The 901 has a large air hole which allows juice to leak out of the atomizer all too easily. This has turned much of the experienced vaping community away from this particular design. However, instead of fleeing the problem as so many had done before
him, Keith decided to fix the issue and the Drip Shield was born out of this mission.
Here’s how the drip shield works: The drip shield is a simply designed accessory with an important purpose, it’s an aluminum tube that slides over your atomizer much the same as any standard drip tip. On each end of the tube is an o-ring that keeps the device snuggly in place and prohibits juice from dripping down whatever mod or battery you may be using the atomizer with. Near the top o-ring, but still between the two, are two tiny air holes that tighten the draw on the atomizer.
When the Drip Shield is placed over the section of that atomizer that connects to your battery, any juice that leaks due to over dripping will be caught between the o-rings. This juice can be reintroduced to the atomizer by giving a swift draw while not activating the device. This design mechanism prevents vapers from wasting juice and may even prolong the life of your atomizer by keeping it cooler.
Compatibility - Though the device was designed for the 901 atomizer, the Drip Shield can easily be used with other popular models, such as the 510 and 306 atomizers through the use of adapters or with Totally Twisted Texas E-Liquid’s Gooseneck accessory.
The adaptors/Gooseneck accessory are needed due to the 901 atomizer design. These atomizers have a female connection which is in turn used with batteries that have a male socket.
This allows the Drip Shield to slide down far enough to cover the connection point which is the leakage point for the 901 atomizer.
Both the 510 and 306 atomizers have male connections and require batteries or mods that have female connections.While this allows mods to have juice wells or rings to help prevent liquid from running down the side of your ecig, it prevents the Drip Shield from being placed on these atomizers in a manner that allows it to collect the leaking juice. Adapters will extend the connection to a point where this is no longer an issue.
What Adapter Do I Need?
To use a 510 or 306 atomizer with the Drip Shield, you will need one of the following:1. A Gooseneck from Totally
Twisted Texas E-liquid - This is highly recommended as the Gooseneck is also a wonderful vaping accessory that keeps the mod away from your face which is particularly helpful while driving.
2. A 510 extender from AvidVaper or GoodProphets
3. Both a 510 to 901/801/etc adapter and a 901/801/etc
to 510 adapter connected to each other to create a make-shift 510 extender.
Customizable - The Drip Shield comes in black, silver, and a black/silver mix. Both colors go with most mods easily so making something match should not be a problem.
Things To Know:
The very first time you try putting your Drip Shield on a device you may find that it is rather difficult. This is because the o-rings in the device are doing their job and keeping a snug fit. Gently wiggle the shield back and forth while pushing it onto the atomizer. Over time, the o-rings will break in and become easier to apply while still keeping a snug fit to prevent leaks.
We here at VaperMonthly agree that The Drip Shield from Empire Mods is a must have for anyone who enjoys the 901 atomizer. It takes an atomizer that was impractical to use due to its faulty design and leakage problems, and makes it perform as well as some of its top performing competitors. For the price, this accessory is something that we certianly believe should be in every vapers stash!
VM REVIEW: THE DRIP SHIELD