mg measuring spoon thread

[Sicho Naut]

Hi all,

I would like to start a thread about milligram measuring spoons, like these: https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Scoops...g+measuring+spoons&qid=1696573837&sr=8-5&th=1

They are tiny tiny spoons that state a weight range (e.g. 10 - 15mg). Obviously, they measure volume and not actual weight, but it is assumed that weight and volume correlates fairly closely across different substances-- hence the range.

I have heard mixed things about these. In the context of 5-Meo-DMT, I have heard that they are very useful and even more reliable than precision scales.
I have used them in the past for measuring 2-CB, and based on the experience that followed, they were pretty reliable.

However, I have now been testing the spoons with harmala hcl, and my impression is that one scoop of harmala hcl is way, way less than what the spoon range suggests. Is harmala hcl much lighter than most substances?

Anyway, I think it could be valuable to collect information about these spoons. Some people don't have reliable scales and others don't want to buy them, and might therefore make the mistake of eyeballing their dose instead.
A truly reliable precision scale would obviously be the best choice, but if it is between eyeballing and these measuring spoons (which are cheap), then the latter would probably be much better.

If we collect a lot of information on the measuring spoons, then perhaps we can establish which substances they can reliably measure and which not.

Any thoughts?

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Hi all,
but it is assumed that weight and volume correlates fairly closely across different substances--

Not so. They're useful for getting approximately the same dose of a certain substance each time, though. I'm just not sure you can accurately say the milligrams correlate.

 

[Hyper Turtle]

These two jars contain almost exactly the same weight of DMT.

 

[Hyper Turtle]

When i have to work with unreliable scales, i like to weight out a multiple, then divide by eye. For example, if i want 25mg but fear that my scale might be off by 10mg, i'll weigh out 100mg, then halve that twice by eye.

You could do something similar with those spoons. Like, tare your scale, drop 10 spoons full onto it. Then you'll have a decent estimate of the weight of one spoon full of that batch.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

Pedantry alert: I can't help but notice in the title of this thread that "Mg" [sic] is either the symbol for magnesium - in which case, a spoon made of magnesium would be kind of plausible if a potential fire hazard - or it would more strictly refer to megagrams, which would make it rather unwieldy (especially when full)

The symbol for milligrams is "mg" and is always written with a lower-case "m".

I use a small plastic spoon that came with a pack of ascorbic acid crystals, nominal capacity 120mg. Two scoops of CIBLO harmala citrate really hits a sweet spot, is my qualitative observation in keeping with what brokedownpalace10 says.

These two jars contain almost exactly the same weight of DMT.

Or your scales got horribly out of calibration somewhere along the line (Mostly just kidding.)

 

[Hyper Turtle]

These two jars contain almost exactly the same weight of DMT.

Or your scales got horribly out of calibration somewhere along the line (Mostly just kidding.)

Haha yeah, no they didn't. What happened was that first i gently brushed off the fluffy white crystals that grew on top, then scraped up the rest which was obviously more chunky and slightly yellow.

 

[Sicho Naut]

Hi all,
but it is assumed that weight and volume correlates fairly closely across different substances--

Not so. They're useful for getting approximately the same dose of a certain substance each time, though. I'm just not sure you can accurately say the milligrams correlate.

Indeed, this is why I thought it could be useful to collect some data, to at least have an indication for specific substances.

of that batch.

Great point, hadn't considered batch variation-- Thanks! I wonder if such variations in volume-weight ratio is common with other substances, though?

Pedantry alert: I can't help but notice in the title of this thread that "Mg" [sic] is either the symbol for magnesium - in which case, a spoon made of magnesium would be kind of plausible if a potential fire hazard - or it would more strictly refer to megagrams, which would make it rather unwieldy (especially when full)

The symbol for milligrams is "mg" and is always written with a lower-case "m".

I have edited the title to accomodate your pedantry :d


Anyway, I did a measurement experiment with harmala hcl yesterday, using the spoon and my 0,00 scale (I don't have a better one).

I did 20 scoops of harmala in a gel cap with a spoon that supposedly has an approximate range of 10-15 mg. But I weighed the empty gel cap using the scale beforehand, as well as the full bag of harmala hcl. After filling the gel cap with the spoons I again weighed the gel cap and the bag. According to my scale, the weight difference between the empty and full gel cap was 0,09 - 0,10g. The difference between the harmala hcl bag before and after filling the gel cap was according to the scale 0,08 - 0,09g. 20 scoops hence equates to somewhere between 80 and 100 mg, which would make one scoop in the range of 4-5 mg.

The bottom line is that the suggested range of the spoon is indeed not accurate for harmala hcl.

Probably I am wasting my time using the spoons for harmala hcl anyway, as I should be able to measure 150 mg - 200 mg fairly accurately with just the 0,00 scale.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

Hehe, pleased to be looked after for once

Can you get tubs of ascorbic acid powder in your part of the world? Here (also EU) I can get them in the drugstore and they come with a handy little scoop as mentioned before. It would seem their size is a whole lot more convenient than having to weigh out your harmalas 4mg at a time. Calibrating them the once for each new batch of harmalas would make their usage simpler than having to drag out the scales every time.

 

[Voidmatrix]

Here's another example for why things should be weighed by weight and not measured in volume.

Both of these are 1g (technically, the one on the right weighs more by about 22mg).

One love

 

[Sicho Naut]

Can you get tubs of ascorbic acid powder in your part of the world? Here (also EU) I can get them in the drugstore and they come with a handy little scoop as mentioned before. It would seem their size is a whole lot more convenient than having to weigh out your harmalas 4mg at a time. Calibrating them the once for each new batch of harmalas would make their usage simpler than having to drag out the scales every time.

Thanks for the tip - I actually think I have a tub lying around in some closet, probably it has a spoon in it :d

And thanks @Voidmatrix!