Instructions On How To Make A Water Bong

"Half-Baked," Dave Chappelle's breakthrough, neo-classic cult stoner film, portrays many different types of pot smokers. Known as the MacGyver smoker, this particular type of pot head is a "handy guy to have around." Able to fashion a bong out of just about anything—"a toilet paper roll, corkscrew and tin foil" or an "avocado, ice pick and snorkel." 

The MacGyver smoker is known for his creative and improvisational skills and skilled hands.

MacGyver smokers come in many stripes, be it the pothead smoking from a jerry-rigged pop can or that kid in your pottery or ceramics class who made a bong while everyone else in the class was working on a lopsided coffee mug or pathetic vase for mom.

The common thread between every MacGyver smoker is the ability to build a bong on the spot with the materials at hand. More creative, less boy scout bong-smiths do exist. Homemade bongs aren't always quick and dirty efforts at a moments notice. Sometimes homemade, hand crafted creations are more in the vein of a Martha Stuart.

The core of homemade bong making is much like anything else—practice, practice, practice. The basic principles are always the same, and one can improvise and improve to create more innovative designs.

An easy at home type of pipe you can construct in a matter of an hour or so is a water bong. The materials are available and cheap and the "how to" angle is pretty easy.

Like the expensive water bongs found in head shops, a homemade water-pipe features the same five basic, functioning parts: a chamber, the mouthpiece, maybe a base, a slide and the bowl.

Homemade water bong chambers can be fashioned from liter bottles, plastic milk cartons and such materials. The mouthpiece can be satisfied with rubber tubing, surgical tubing and the like. Parts like the stem and bowl can be bought from a tobacco or head shop, but in a pinch, Bic ballpoint pen sans the ink cartridge will more than suffice. Screens can be found at a tobacco shop or head shop, but a screen made from aluminum foil is more than satisfactory.

Making your own home water bong isn't that difficult, just follow the steps below:

1. Make a whole in the bottle/chamber a half inch or so from the bottom. The stem should have about an inch or so of clearance outside the bottle. Although a punch or screwdriver will do the trick, some suggest a heated screwdriver or nail is easier and more accurate for piercing the side of the bottle/chamber.
   
2. The most important thing to remember in bong making is the integrity of the seals.  Airtight seals, no gaps, will insure the best pulls. Tight seals can be made with all sorts of materials. Toilet or tissue paper soaked in epoxy or glue, caulk or even chewing gum placed around the stem are more than adequate.
   
3. Next, cut a hole in the bottle cap to the diameter of the hose or tubing. Seal the hose in the cap with your method of choice or one of the aforementioned techniques.
   
4. The final step in the construction of your water bong is the "shotgun hole." The ideal location of the hole should be about three-quarters of the way up the side of the chamber and shouldn't be more than the size of your thumb.
   
5. Once the seals have dried, fill the bong with water (or liquid of your choice) to cover the stem. Make sure to close the cap tight.

Feel free to give your bong a test ride before inviting over your friends, making sure the seals are tight. If all goes well, you can now join the ranks of a Martha Stuart smoker.



How to Build a Water Pipe. 2002. Bud S. Moker, Th.C./ SmokingWithStyle.com. 10 Nov 2006. www.smokingwithstyle.com.

How to Make a Bong. 2006. Mental FX. 10 Nov 2006. www.mentalfx.com.

How to Guides- How to Make a Bong. 2006. Concept 420. 10 Nov 2006. www.concept420.com