Unlike many people on this forum (maybe I'm making an assumption based on the technicality/quality of some posts?), I DO NOT have an extensive background in chemistry. I was a business major. However, by simply reading as many posts in the S/B section as possible, and determining the issues most people had, I was able to get a little better that 1% yield on my first extraction (0.6% after I went through 2 re-x, but TOTALLY WORTH THE LOST WEIGHT). As another Nexus member once put it: "READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE".
I used Nomans tek, but there are many different ways to be successful! Bottom line, if you follow the directions, there are really only 4 ingredients necessary (depending on tek): water, lye, mhrb, vm&p naptha (NOT COUNTING PROPER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: GOGGLES, RUBBER GLOVES, FACE MASK, LONG SLEEVE SHIRT, VINEGAR FOR NEUTRALIZATION OF LYE).
I was too nervous to post while I was trying my first extraction, but from what I've read on here, most members (and mods)are extremely helpful with walking you through everything. However, chances are you can find a thread on ANY problem you have with an extraction.
The time, research, and cost are all worth it to ensure yourself access to the holiest of sacraments. Good luck my friend
All posts are completely fictional and for educational purposes only