With the vast array of increasingly well-designed bongs available on the online head shop, you can find every type of bong you could ever imagine.
From the most simplistic straight tube bong to the more complex multi-chamber bong to bongs made for smoking concentrate like the new on the scene dab rig. Your ideal smoking experience is well within your reach.
But if you're more interested in an old-school smoking experience, you’ll enjoy this brief review of how to make a water bottle bong.
A water bottle bong is great in a pinch or on a budget. Or maybe you're just nostalgic for your teen years. Who among us doesn’t experience a small pang of yearning for stolen afternoons spent toking in our parents' garage every now and again?
For the veteran toker looking for an experience reminiscent of the good old days, you can’t beat the ease and simplicity of the water bottle bong. Keep reading to find out how to build one in ten easy steps.
How to Make a Water Bottle Bong in Ten Steps
If you've ever wondered how to make a bong out of household objects, you should know that water bottle bongs are generally intended to be used when a traditional glass bong is not available.
You probably won't be using your water bottle bong several times in a row. Nor should you, as it isn't a very healthy way to smoke. But, it works!
Here's what you need to get started making your bong.
Step One: Collect Your Materials
To get started building your water bottle bong, you'll first need to gather a few materials from around your home. The materials needed to make a water bottle bong include:
- A plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 17 fluid ounces
- Something to cut with such as scissors, a razor blade, or a sharp knife
- A pen or marker that you can disassemble
- Aluminum foil (thicker is better)
- A needle or a toothpick
You will also need a water source and a lighter. Finally, make sure you have access to your preferred strain of cannabis.
Step Two: Prepare Your Water Bottle
If you are using an old soda bottle or another type of bottle that used to contain a substance other than water, you will need to rinse and clean the bottle.
Take the extra time to wash the inside of the bottle thoroughly. However, you may want to avoid using any type of soap as it can leave a soapy taste and residue inside the bottle.
To make the process of building your water bottle bong easier, you may also consider removing any plastic packaging or wrapping from the outside of your plastic bottle.
Step Three: Make a Down Stem
Next, you will need to design and build some type of down stem that can attach a bowl to the plastic bottle. Many people use a ballpoint pen for this job, but a thicker marker makes for easier work.
Whichever type of writing instrument you decide to use, you will need to take it apart. Remove everything from the inside of the instrument so all that remains is the hollow tube where the ink once resided.
Step Four: Make a Bowl
This is where your aluminum foil comes in. Aluminum foil is malleable and can come into contact with a flame without igniting the foil. This makes it ideal for homemade smoking apparatus building.
You'll want to tear off a piece of foil that is at least four to five inches square. Larger pieces of foil give you more to work with and create a more substantial bowl.
Take the foil and place it over what you would consider the bottom end of your disassembled writing instrument. Fold the corners and edges of the foil so that it stays in position.
You can use the tip of your finger to create an indentation in the center of the foil. This will be where your herb sits. Be careful not to tear the foil or you will have to start over again with a new piece.
Once you have created the size of indentation you want, take your toothpick or needle and poke a few (3-5) holes in the bottom of the bowl. Make sure the holes are not so large that your herb will fall right through them.
If you prefer to make a water bottle bong without aluminum foil, it is possible to attach a regular glass bong bowl to your water bottle bong.
If you decide to go this route and use a professionally-made bong bowl, check out our selections.
Step Five: Connect the Down Stem
Use your scissors or knife to cut a hole just below the midway line on your bottle. The hole should be large enough for the down stem to fit snugly without letting any air through.
Insert the down stem at a downward angle.
If you're interested in how to make a gravity bong, you can learn how to do it here in a few simple steps.
Step Six: Make the Carburetor
Not all bongs require a carburetor or carb for short. In this example, we will describe how to make a water bottle bong with a carb.
Cut a small hole in the plastic bottle. You will want to place the hole just above the midway line on the opposite side of the down stem.
Step Seven: Add Water
Pour water into the mouth of the water bottle. Make sure not to add water above the carburetor.
Step Eight: Fill the Bowl
Grind your cannabis. Pack the bowl with the amount of cannabis you want to smoke.
Step Nine: Ignite the Herb & Clear the Bong
Place your finger over the carburetor hole. Use your lighter to ignite the herb.
Place your mouth on the mouth of the bottle and inhale. When the bottle fills with smoke, release your finger from the carburetor and inhale deeply to clear the smoke from the chamber.
Step Ten: Clean Your Bong
It's always important to clean any type of bong after using it. Here are some great bong cleaning methods.
To clean your water bottle bong, remove the bowl and down stem. Then dump out the old water, rinse out the bottle, and refill it with fresh water.
Check out these other inspirations for how to make a homemade bong, including a gravity bong with a socket and water bottle.
Alternatives to Homemade Water Bottle Bongs
If you're in a situation where you don't have access to your usual smoking apparatus, or if you're just looking for an old-school cannabis experience, you need to know how to make a water bottle bong.
However, most people don't use a water bottle bong unless they have no other options. If you're looking for a cleaner, more pleasant smoking experience, you'll want to invest in some variety of glass bong.
For all of your smoking apparatus needs, check out the selection of products at Inhalco.
*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. All products are intended for legal usage. Before consuming cannabis in any form, please consult with a licensed health care provider, smoke at your own risk.
