This is the first bong I have ever made

Two pictures of the bong:
http://i33.tinypic.com/2ihks38.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/2149h8p.jpg

Two pictures of the lid:
http://i34.tinypic.com/2rzszgp.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2s7wh05.jpg

Picture of the bowl:
http://i38.tinypic.com/dre9nm.jpg

The bowl is a light covering made from glass
The bowl/downpipe/stem is made from brass
The hose is vinal tubing
The lid on the top that the downpipe and hose stick out of is made from the metal bottom of a Pringles can

Right now there are two holes in the lid, one for the hose and one for the stem. They are not air tight, so I am going to buy some silicon sealant to attach them.

There is currently no carb. If I just punch one into the lid then the hit wont be very strong because the carb will be above all of the smoke. This is why I'm going to make a third hole in the lid and attach some of the left over tubing so it sticks into the glass bowl and hovers just over the water. That way the carb is effectivly below all of the smoke.

I belive the bottom of a pringles can is made from aluminum. I know that aluminum is bad for you, but its not being directly heated, nor is any smoke passing through it. The surface area where the lid touches the stem is also very small and should not make a big difference. So having an aluminum lid will not effect the "healthyness" of the bong.

Here are the questions I have:

Question One:
Right now the lid is attached to the glass bowl with duct tape. Obviously this is not good and I would never smoke something with duct tape holding it together. I could permanently attach it with the silicon sealant, but that would make it difficult to add/remove water and make it very difficult to clean. What is the best way to attach the lid so that it is air tight yet still removable? (a little hassle each time is ok)

Question Two:
I could always buy some silicon sealent, but I happen to have a jar of rubber cement sitting on my desk. Rubber cement is latex based. A lot of rubber is made from latex and rubber Orings work perfectly well with bongs. Does anyone know of the harm that can be caused when rubber cement is heated or can I use it as a silicon replacment?

Question Three:
I still need a screen
I could buy one, but I have a dead lighter that I was going to throw away. Could I use the metal screen that is on the front of disposible lighters? Does anyone know whats its made of? Its part of a lighter and directly exposed to the flame, so we know its made to withstand heat. I tested it and it fits perfectly as a screen. Unless anyone can tell me why this is a bad idea, I'm going to use this as my screen (maybe poke some more holes in it to increase air flow).

Question Four:
On hookahs, people use aluminum foil to cover the shisha and they put a hot coal on top of the foil and let it sit there for an hour or more. I personally use a stainless steel screen, but if using foil is common practice with hookahs, whats wrong with using foil as a screen on a bong?

Note - I have virtually no tools at my dispose. I cut those holes in the lid with a thumbtack just by making a lot of little holes in a circle and pushing the disc out.

lol @ potheads.

lol @ potheads.

:rolleyes: OMG45...

Question One:
Right now the lid is attached to the glass bowl with duct tape. Obviously this is not good and I would never smoke something with duct tape holding it together. I could permanently attach it with the silicon sealant, but that would make it difficult to add/remove water and make it very difficult to clean. What is the best way to attach the lid so that it is air tight yet still removable? (a little hassle each time is ok)

It's not airtight when it screws on? Assuming it's not, you can make custom gaskets with gasket material sold at hardware stores. Comes in various sheet sizes, cut to fit. Make a makeshift compass with cardboard and two pens so you get a nice circle, and cut it out with an exacto knife.

Question Two:
I could always buy some silicon sealent, but I happen to have a jar of rubber cement sitting on my desk. Rubber cement is latex based. A lot of rubber is made from latex and rubber Orings work perfectly well with bongs. Does anyone know of the harm that can be caused when rubber cement is heated or can I use it as a silicon replacment?

Uh, heating any kind of adhesive isn't advisable. Dunno what would happen, and nobody wants to be the guinea pig to find out. Would it really even get heated? Keep in mind that only the bowl and the stem coming down really are heated at all, so if it's not contacting those it should be fine.


Question Three:
I still need a screen
I could buy one, but I have a dead lighter that I was going to throw away. Could I use the metal screen that is on the front of disposible lighters? Does anyone know whats its made of? Its part of a lighter and directly exposed to the flame, so we know its made to withstand heat. I tested it and it fits perfectly as a screen. Unless anyone can tell me why this is a bad idea, I'm going to use this as my screen (maybe poke some more holes in it to increase air flow).

No idea what screen you're talking about, whether you use it is your call. If you want a good screen, go into the nuts and bolts aisle of your hardware store and find where all the random little pieces are that are also in pull out drawers [corks, fuses, springs, etc.] and there should be some tiny circular screens there for faucets[and perfectly sized for bowls]. Stainless steel. I don't really know if they're safe, but I've been using one for a few months now, and it works pretty awesome. Most of my friends are surprised when I tell them there's a screen in the bowl too, it fine mesh has blackened to the point where it looks solid. Rips like a champ too.


Question Four:
On hookahs, people use aluminum foil to cover the shisha and they put a hot coal on top of the foil and let it sit there for an hour or more. I personally use a stainless steel screen, but if using foil is common practice with hookahs, whats wrong with using foil as a screen on a bong?

Foil could possibly be linked to alhzeimers. No one seems to be confident on this, but why take chances? Those screens I was telling you about before are super fine mesh, easy to find, and cheap [something like 50¢, but you could fit the whole stores supply in your wallet]. Plus I'm pretty sure air isn't being drawn through the foil in hookahs, it comes in from around the side. When the metal isn't in the form of tiny wires it's a lot harder to heat up to a potentially dangerous temperature because it dissipates heat before the heated part can get hot. Just go buy/take a screen.

In summary- go to your hardware store and buy a sheet of gasket material and take some stainless faucet screens.

That looks pretty cool. It will go well with a scepter and a cape

Question One:
Right now the lid is attached to the glass bowl with duct tape. Obviously this is not good and I would never smoke something with duct tape holding it together. I could permanently attach it with the silicon sealant, but that would make it difficult to add/remove water and make it very difficult to clean. What is the best way to attach the lid so that it is air tight yet still removable? (a little hassle each time is ok)
Sticky Tac (blu-tack)




Question Two:
I could always buy some silicon sealent, but I happen to have a jar of rubber cement sitting on my desk. Rubber cement is latex based. A lot of rubber is made from latex and rubber Orings work perfectly well with bongs. Does anyone know of the harm that can be caused when rubber cement is heated or can I use it as a silicon replacment?

Unless its getting hot probably no harm, but don't bother, just use sticky tac.



Question Three:
I still need a screen
I could buy one, but I have a dead lighter that I was going to throw away. Could I use the metal screen that is on the front of disposible lighters? Does anyone know whats its made of? Its part of a lighter and directly exposed to the flame, so we know its made to withstand heat. I tested it and it fits perfectly as a screen. Unless anyone can tell me why this is a bad idea, I'm going to use this as my screen (maybe poke some more holes in it to increase air flow).

Screens cost...nothing. Or, check your bathroom sink or the sinks at other washrooms...



Question Four:
On hookahs, people use aluminum foil to cover the shisha and they put a hot coal on top of the foil and let it sit there for an hour or more. I personally use a stainless steel screen, but if using foil is common practice with hookahs, whats wrong with using foil as a screen on a bong?

Nothing, some people are paranoid and/or love to drag out old (disproven) rumors...

What has led some scientists to believe there is a connection between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease?

Aluminum has been studied for over 40 years as a substance that might be linked to Alzheimer's disease. However, there have been many conflicting findings.


Some studies show increased levels of aluminum in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease while others do not.
Research has not found an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease in people with occupational exposure to aluminum.
Tea is one of the few plants whose leaves accumulate large amounts of aluminum that can seep into the brewed beverage. However, there is no evidence that Alzheimer's disease is more prevalent in cultures that typically drink large amounts of tea.

i had a friend that made something very close to this.

he used a big rubber stopper, you can get them on e-bay. if you do your holes right and get the right size it will take care of all your sealing problems

as for a screen, just break down and buy a pack of pipe screens, they work great



or you could just get some rubber and carve your own stopper, might be cheaper and it would ensure you get the right size

:rolleyes: OMG45...

Protip: smiles and quotes are characters too.

Protip: smiles and quotes are characters too.

Oh man, you got me...

-N-

Dude, spheres tend to roll around.

Not a good chamber for a bong, unless you make a base.

Also, this may be obvious to you, but if your adhesive is contacting the brass tube, It will get real hot too. (fumes)

I see too many very crucial flaws in your plan. I would go back to the drawing board.

If you need an airtight "Adhesive" try mashing up white bread and elmers glue.

After a few weeks it gets a little raunchy, but its a viable option.

Lastly, contacting flame to brass isn't good either.

^ why not?

Alot of cone pieces are brass....


http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=31109&page=7&pp=15

Scroll down a little bit until you reach the 5 chambered bong post :)

My bad, its copper you're supposed to watch out for.

Well, it smokes really well. Its a bitch to clean, but I bought some 420 bong cleaner and that worked really well.

Vaporized foil is quite bad, however, you shouldn't be able to melt or vaporize it with a standard flame. Do not use a torch lighter on foil though, it will vaporize.

I once made a bowl out of the hollow threaded axle off an old mountain bike, a block of mahogany and a .45ACP Aluminum shell with the primer knocked out and a faucet screen so i can understand what your trying to do......but seriously just go buy a bong. It will be easier to use, airtight, and will not need constant repair just to keep it working.

I used that POS bowl i made for less than a month before throwing it into a campfire in a fit of anger when i could not get my lips to seal around the threads on the axle tube and i went out and bought a nice glass piece that lasted me years before the cops took it from me.

I make awesome ones with bottles and pieces of hose :)

Their nearly always air tight, with a perfect sized shotty, and the mouth hole is usually big enough.

But i use thick plastic, as it's more controllable

I once made a bowl out of the hollow threaded axle off an old mountain bike, a block of mahogany and a .45ACP Aluminum shell with the primer knocked out and a faucet screen so i can understand what your trying to do......but seriously just go buy a bong. It will be easier to use, airtight, and will not need constant repair just to keep it working.

I used that POS bowl i made for less than a month before throwing it into a campfire in a fit of anger when i could not get my lips to seal around the threads on the axle tube and i went out and bought a nice glass piece that lasted me years before the cops took it from me.

It's easy enough to use wood, stone, or glass that I don't see why you'd be forced to buy one...

i was forced to buy one because i like glass bowls and i have absoloutely no experience in glass blowing/forming. I have made metal bowls before that were just as good as a store bought one but i just dont like metal pipes.

Question Three:
I still need a screen
I could buy one, but I have a dead lighter that I was going to throw away. Could I use the metal screen that is on the front of disposible lighters? Does anyone know whats its made of? Its part of a lighter and directly exposed to the flame, so we know its made to withstand heat. I tested it and it fits perfectly as a screen. Unless anyone can tell me why this is a bad idea, I'm going to use this as my screen (maybe poke some more holes in it to increase air flow).


Best way to get a free screen is to take one off the sink, cut to size and use

i was forced to buy one because i like glass bowls and i have absoloutely no experience in glass blowing/forming. I have made metal bowls before that were just as good as a store bought one but i just dont like metal pipes.

Have you tried wood or stone? I'll admit they're not quite as smooth as glass, but good nonetheless. And if you want to make a glass piece, just buy a slide, an O-ring to fit around it, and a glass drill bit. Find a nice bottle, and I think you can figure out the rest.

A blow torch is sometimes cheaper then a glass drill bit :)

But it takes skill, as it will probably run and be fucked :/

Practice on beer bottles.

Yeah. I've gotten my technique down fairly decent though.
Here's my procedure-
(1) Scratch the glass. You can use an awl, a screw, or the corner of the bit, doesn't really matter.
(2) Start slow. It'll dig in readily if you've made a far sized scratch, but it'll wander around a bit no matter what.
(3) Submerge it. A bin of cold water keeps the glass cool where you're drilling, and absorbs vibrations. This makes it less likely to break, and if it does break, it's all in a bucket so it's easier to clean up.
(4) Don't move your hand. The number one thing that breaks the glass is when you change the angle you're drilling at. The hole will no longer align with the bit, and even at a couple hundred rpm it's only a matter of time before the chattering causes the bottle to break.
(5) Be patient. It takes a while, don't rush it by pushing down hard.
(6) Go slow at the end. I've broken a few bottles when the hole is basically finished because if the bit breaks through before the whole thing is the right size, or if you angle the bit differently by moving your hand, it is likely to bind and immediately shatter the glass.

Yeah. I've gotten my technique down fairly decent though.
Here's my procedure-
(1) Scratch the glass. You can use an awl, a screw, or the corner of the bit, doesn't really matter.
(2) Start slow. It'll dig in readily if you've made a far sized scratch, but it'll wander around a bit no matter what.
(3) Submerge it. A bin of cold water keeps the glass cool where you're drilling, and absorbs vibrations. This makes it less likely to break, and if it does break, it's all in a bucket so it's easier to clean up.
(4) Don't move your hand. The number one thing that breaks the glass is when you change the angle you're drilling at. The hole will no longer align with the bit, and even at a couple hundred rpm it's only a matter of time before the chattering causes the bottle to break.
(5) Be patient. It takes a while, don't rush it by pushing down hard.
(6) Go slow at the end. I've broken a few bottles when the hole is basically finished because if the bit breaks through before the whole thing is the right size, or if you angle the bit differently by moving your hand, it is likely to bind and immediately shatter the glass.

A drill press would eliminate half these problems if you have access to one.

-N-