Thanks for sharing! Could you add some exemple of how you fill what size"x" with x amount of x substance? I hope to make this tread a reference for newbie "cappers".
One vid I watched, the lady said the capsule machine would sometimes break caps when connecting both ends. Did it happen to you? What type/brand of caps you use? Any powder going between the caps and the caps hole?
I got so tired of trying to buy the most economical supplements in capsule form, so I just decided to buy bulk and DIM for many things. I have about a dozen or so that I've bought from Powder City (gone) and Bulk Supplements, plus some herbs from others. There are charts like this that give some idea of the amounts per capsule size, but each powder is different. So I guess about a capsule size, hand fill one and manually tamp with a tool, then weigh it. If it's not the right amount, I up/down the capsule size between the available three choices (you need a unique pill machine for each size) to try and find the right amount/right capsule.
If that doesn't work well, you have two choices is you don't get a right match between capsule and size. First, you can add filler, like powdered sugar, if you need extra bulk to make full capsules. Second, you can under-fill each capsule. Generally, when I need less than a tamped down capsule size allows, I find it easier to under-fill. Why? Because you can loose fill the capsules simply by not tamping down, just spreading and gravity filling with the little spreader they give you. Works nicely.
Once that's figured out, I use my milligram scale and measure x24 the amount of the single trial capsule with whatever I'm putting in there (add and mix in filler if you need more bulk). I bought my caps from PC and BS, although I've noticed even our local grocery stores sell capsules now. I use veggie caps. Maybe quality varies by capsule brand, but in doing hundreds of capsules, I've perhaps had 3 or 4 capsules either crumple or not join correctly. Not anything to care about. I'll admit, I didn't carefully follow direction initially, but then I watched vids on youtube and got the hang of it, and now it's way easy. The hardest part (well boring really) is pulling the caps apart and inserting both pieces in the machine's holes.
Another of my goals was to eliminate taking so many different capsules (little store-bought products not avail in bulk) at a time, say at breakfast, by first emptying them, mixing together, and consolidating the mixtures into larger size capsules. Often I put these in "000" size, but there's no machine for that, but then hand doing these larger sizes is pretty easy anyway.
No powder goes between the caps and the cap holes, it a fairly tight fit. But, it does spill a bit sometimes from the tray top that the powder goes in first. What I do is to use a paper plate to put the machine on during filling. Any spillage can just be recycled afterwards.
If I want a complete setup what do I need?
This supplement device/machine
Some empty gelatin capsules
Some tiny little scoops
Handgloves?
Weight scale???
Any guides on this?
Where do I buy?
Maybe there's a one site/store you can recommend that sells all?
Yes, all that, although I just wash my hands first and last, no gloves, too cumbersome. Amazon for much of it, search "tiny measuring spoons", "milligram scale", and even capsules and capsule machine, although last I checked you can't get all three size machines except from the company itself. That's ok, it's not cheaper anywhere, they're all the same price $18/each I think. Oh, and when you buy bulk, you normally end up with a collection of tiny plastic spoons anyway, or just use kitchen measuring spoons as you'll be measuring larger amounts anyway for the capsule machine.
Thanks for sharing! Could you add some exemple of how you fill what size"x" with x amount of x substance? I hope to make this tread a reference for newbie "cappers".
One vid I watched, the lady said the capsule machine would sometimes break caps when connecting both ends. Did it happen to you? What type/brand of caps you use? Any powder going between the caps and the caps hole?
I got so tired of trying to buy the most economical supplements in capsule form, so I just decided to buy bulk and DIM for many things. I have about a dozen or so that I've bought from Powder City (gone) and Bulk Supplements, plus some herbs from others. There are charts like this that give some idea of the amounts per capsule size, but each powder is different. So I guess about a capsule size, hand fill one and manually tamp with a tool, then weigh it. If it's not the right amount, I up/down the capsule size between the available three choices (you need a unique pill machine for each size) to try and find the right amount/right capsule.
If that doesn't work well, you have two choices is you don't get a right match between capsule and size. First, you can add filler, like powdered sugar, if you need extra bulk to make full capsules. Second, you can under-fill each capsule. Generally, when I need less than a tamped down capsule size allows, I find it easier to under-fill. Why? Because you can loose fill the capsules simply by not tamping down, just spreading and gravity filling with the little spreader they give you. Works nicely.
Once that's figured out, I use my milligram scale and measure x24 the amount of the single trial capsule with whatever I'm putting in there (add and mix in filler if you need more bulk). I bought my caps from PC and BS, although I've noticed even our local grocery stores sell capsules now. I use veggie caps. Maybe quality varies by capsule brand, but in doing hundreds of capsules, I've perhaps had 3 or 4 capsules either crumple or not join correctly. Not anything to care about. I'll admit, I didn't carefully follow direction initially, but then I watched vids on youtube and got the hang of it, and now it's way easy. The hardest part (well boring really) is pulling the caps apart and inserting both pieces in the machine's holes.
Another of my goals was to eliminate taking so many different capsules (little store-bought products not avail in bulk) at a time, say at breakfast, by first emptying them, mixing together, and consolidating the mixtures into larger size capsules. Often I put these in "000" size, but there's no machine for that, but then hand doing these larger sizes is pretty easy anyway.
No powder goes between the caps and the cap holes, it a fairly tight fit. But, it does spill a bit sometimes from the tray top that the powder goes in first. What I do is to use a paper plate to put the machine on during filling. Any spillage can just be recycled afterwards.
If I want a complete setup what do I need?
This supplement device/machine
Some empty gelatin capsules
Some tiny little scoops
Handgloves?
Weight scale???
Any guides on this?
Where do I buy?
Maybe there's a one site/store you can recommend that sells all?
Yes, all that, although I just wash my hands first and last, no gloves, too cumbersome. Amazon for much of it, search "tiny measuring spoons", "milligram scale", and even capsules and capsule machine, although last I checked you can't get all three size machines except from the company itself. That's ok, it's not cheaper anywhere, they're all the same price $18/each I think. Oh, and when you buy bulk, you normally end up with a collection of tiny plastic spoons anyway, or just use kitchen measuring spoons as you'll be measuring larger amounts anyway for the capsule machine.