Sometimes it happens that there are no papers left and the local shop is closed, meaning you might have to consider making your own bong. Putting together a bong is easy and can be done hundred of different ways with all kinds of tools. If you're ever in a situation where you have no smoking materials and only weed, then this article is for you.
What Is A Bong?
A bong is a type of pipe that uses water (also known as a water pipe) to filter the smoke produced from burning cannabis or other herbal substances. Normally, the user lights the herb in a bowl, which has a downpipe leading into the water sitting at the bottom of the bong. As the user inhales through the mouthpiece at the top end of the bong, air gets pulled through the bowl and filters through the water where it bubbles out and up towards the outlet.
Bongs are similar to hookahs (hubbly bubbly) but are generally smaller and not designed to be slow burning.
Depending on their size, bongs are quite portable and provide an effective way to get a smooth hit of cannabis.
Types of Bong
Bongs come in shapes and sizes to suit every cannabis consumer. Shopping around for a bong, you'll likely notice that there is a lot to choose from. There are plastic bongs, glass bongs, metal bongs, wooden bongs, ceramic bongs and even golden bongs available for purchase.
Essentially any object that is properly sealed can be made into a bong or pipe. People have gotten quite creative on this front. You may have even seen bongs being made out of fruit or old lightbulbs, or ones shaped like dragons.
Glass-blowing is a common skill used in the making of bongs, and the possibilities are endless. See for yourself how stunning these crafts can be. Whether you smoke or not, bongs can be a work of art in themselves and their beauty can be appreciated nonetheless.
Glass Bong - Although they are usually delicate, glass bongs tend to be the go-to for the smooth, clean hit they deliver. High quality glass can last for years even after constant heating and cooling.
Metal Bong - Metal bongs are great for both their durability and cost effectiveness, however their main downfall is that they can distort the flavour and smoothness of the smoke.
Ceramic Bong - Possible to find awesome designs for a fair price but they can also be quite detailed and expensive. Ceramic bongs were more popular before the rise of glass bongs, and do very well at providing a rich smoking experience.
Acrylic Bong - An acrylic bong is the most basic type of water pipe and can be bought for dirt cheap. Good as a quick solution or if you're on a budget, but it probably won't last long before you decide you need something better.
Silicone Bong - Silicone bongs have become popular over the years and are now manufactured to a high standard. Most of them are portable, can be placed in the dishwasher, and do not affect the taste of the herb.
So, those are the main materials used to make bongs, but there are also all sorts of other types of bong which have unique accessories or functions like ice catchers or percolators.
Most are made of glass and some can get pretty complex in their design:
- Bubblers
- Multi-chamber
- Beaker Bongs
- Tube bongs
- Percolator Bongs
- Dabbing rigs
Tip: Glass bongs can be cleaned using a mix of isopropyl alcohol, warm water and some salt. A touch of lemon juice to the mix can also help to get rid of residue.
Materials For Making A Bong
Without getting too complicated, we want to show you how to make a super simple bong at home using a plastic bottle. Bongs can be very cheap but if you really need one now then you can probably find most of the following materials lying around your house. You can be creative, but just stick to the principle that everything needs to be water tight by the end of it.
Materials For Making A Bong:
- Empty 500ml plastic bottle
- Ball point pen
- Aluminium can
- A lighter
- Super glue or duct tape
- Hand shears or scissors.
- Aluminium foil (optional)
Tip: Make sure you are not heating plastic when you light the bowl.
Make Your Own Bong: Step-by-step
Now, for the bong-making part. There are of course many variations to this and you might end up with something completely different, but hopefully this can give you a starting point.
Making a bong in 7 steps:
- Make a hole in the side of the plastic bottle around half way up. The hole needs to be slightly smaller than the width of the pen to achieve an air-tight fit.
- Make another smaller hole higher but on the side of the bottle that will be closest to you. This is the air passage, often referred to as the 'rush hole' or 'shotty'.
- Dismantle the pen and use the outer plastic casing for the downpipe. The tip of the pen will be at the bottom (inside the bottle) and the other end we'll use for holding the bowl. Insert the pen at a 45-50° angle.
- Use duct tape around the hole to seal it and hold the pen in place.
- If the pen has a metal tip, it can be unscrewed and used as a bowl by inverting it inside the upper end of the downpipe. Skip to Step 6. If the pen does not have a metal tip, you can make one yourself using an aluminium can.
- Using hand shears or strong scissors, cut a small piece of aluminium can to use as a bowl. Bend it into a conical shape and slot it into the end of the pen.
- Unscrew the cap, add water to the bottle (around 100-150ml for a 500ml bottle), pack the bowl and you're ready to go.
Tip: If you're having trouble working with the plastic, you can use the lighter to gently heat it up and make it more flexible. For example, if the bowl doesn't sit neatly in the end of the pen, you could try gently heating up the plastic so you can push it further in to secure it better. Just be careful not to burn or completely melt the plastic. Make sure you do this outside.
How To Use A Bong
Once the bowl has been filled with your favourite bud, pick up the bong and use your thumb to cover the rush hole. Place the top end of the bong against your lips, making sure it's sealed. Start inhaling and expanding your lungs as you put flame to the flower.
You'll notice the water begins to bubble and the weed will burn a little hotter. The harder you pull the faster the weed will burn once it's lit. When you feel you're reaching your inhalation limit, take your finger off the rush hole to allow you to pull the rest of the smoke out of the bong.
Using a bong is fairly straightforward but the key is to not take too much at once. It can be tricky to gauge your respiration and inhale too heavily in the beginning, not leaving you with enough lung volume or power to finish the bowl.
Not that a bong has to be hit in one shot, but if you over stretch on the pull, you may end up wasting a portion of the smoke. Big bongs tend to be better suited to more experienced with a tolerance to take such large quantities of smoke at once.
Hits from the bong by LockDownGrow from GrowDiaries.
Conclusion
Bongs may not be for everyone, but you may find yourself in a situation one day where you have no other option other than to get creative with the materials you have available. Either way, making your own homemade bong is fun science experiment that can help you get high anytime!
If you found this article useful or have any fun ideas regarding homemade bongs, why not drop us a comment down below? We'd love to hear about your creative bongs.
External References
Cannabis "bong": A frequent, original and dangerous way of consumption. - Paleiron, Nicolas & André, M & Durand, M & Tromeur, Cécile & Giacardi, C & Grassin, F & Vinsonneau, U. (2016).
Routes of cannabis administration among adolescents during criminal prohibition of cannabis in Canada. - Kolar, Kat & Elton-Marshall, Tara & Mann, Robert & Hamilton, Hayley. (2020).
This article was updated January 2021.
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