Make a Waterfall Bong

As the great Bob Marley once said, herb is a plant. Herb is so good for everything.[1] Sometimes, however, you may be looking for a new and different way to smoke herb. A waterfall bong is a variation on the gravity bong that you can make yourself. With a few supplies and a little time you’ll be able to get super toasty.

Steps

Making Your Waterfall Bong

  1. Make a hole in the cap of a 1 liter Plastic bottle. This is about the size of the large soda bottles you can buy at a grocery store.Poke a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} hole into the cap of a 20 ounce bottle with a sharp object like a knife or sharp pen. It needs to be big enough to fit the bottom of the quarter inch socket but not so big that the socket falls all the way through.[2] The bottom of the socket is the smaller cylindrical portion. This part should poke down through the bottle cap if the cap is on the bottle.
    • The larger bowl portion of the socket will act as a bottleneck and brace against the bottle cap to stop it from falling into the bottle.
    • It would be best to start with a smaller hole and make it larger, because if you make it too big you’ll need an entirely new cap.
  2. Place a socket in the cap. You can buy a small socket wrench piece at any hardware sore. The socket will be the part of the bong that you put your herbs into eventually, which is called the bowl. Put the quarter inch socket into the hole that you just made in the cap.[3] It should fit snugly and not jiggle. You definitely don’t want it to fall into the bottle – the bottle will ultimately be filled with some dirty water after you have smoked it. This socket will be used as your bowl.
    • Instead of using a bowl you can also roll a joint and stick it in the hole at the top.
    • If the connection feels a little loose you can stick a bit of gum around the edges to give it a firmer connection. Tape is a little more difficult but could also work.
    • For an even better seal and overall better hit, consider using a glass bowl and rubber grommet from a real bong.
    • An easier way to make a bowl is to shape it out using tin foil and just put it over the hole where the cap should go. Poke holes in the tin foil for the smoke to go through.
  3. Make your carb. The carb is a small hole in a smoking device that you hold shut while you light the herb. When you are ready to take your hit you release your finger from the carb and the pressure change causes all the smoke to rush into your lungs. Examine the bottom of your 1 liter bottle. You should notice a bunch of small notches at the bottom of the bottle that serves as it base. Cut or burn a small hole directly above one of these notches. [4] You don’t need the hole to be very big - just big enough to allow some airflow. This hole serves as your carb. The hole will be on the side of the bottle toward the bottom.
    • Excessive use of lighter to melt the plastic can makes holes too big and/or plastic too weak.
  4. Fill the bottle with some water. Take the cap off and fill your bottle with water. You should fill it to about an inch from the top while holding the carb closed with your finger. This will stop the water from leaking out.
    • Don’t let go if you are holding the carb with your finger. If you plan to smoke immediately you should fill the socket bowl with weed and get a lighter before you fill the bottle with water.

Smoking the Waterfall Bong

  1. Fill the bowl with whatever you are smoking. Remember that you are putting it into the socket that you placed inside the cap. Screw the entire cap on once it is filled with your smokable product.
    • Ground smoking material will work better, as it will restrict incoming airflow less than solid matter will.
    • Take the pieces of herb and rip it up into small pieces, about the size of bead or a very small pebble. Place the pieces of herb into the bowl – remember your bowl is the head of the socket.
  2. Keep your finger on the carb until you are ready to smoke. Make sure you are in a place where it is okay for the water to spill out, like over a sink or a pool or outside. Part of the process is having the water empty out of the bottle while the smoke replaces it. Now let go of the carb and as the water is pouring out of the carb, light the bowl.[5] While the water level is lowering the bong will pull in the smoke from the bowl.
  3. Wait until all the water is completely out. Now cover the carb again with your finger.[6] The bottle should be filled with smoke. Now you are ready to smoke it.
  4. Breathe in. Screw off the bowl and start sucking in. As you suck in let go of the carb. This change in pressure in the bottle will help funnel the smoke into your lungs. Be prepared for a large hit.
    • Try to breathe the air in deeply. Breathing in air will bring the smoke into your lungs. [5] Repeat the process as many times as you want.
    • Change the bottle about once a week. It gets dirty after frequent use.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 liter plastic bottle
  • Lighter
  • 1/4 inch socket

Tips

  • As the smoke in a waterfall bong is at a higher concentration than smoke from a joint or pipe, be careful and don't smoke it excessively. A little goes a very long way with a waterfall bong!
  • The water can get messy.
  • Another way to make an even hole without a drill is to use a large pair of scissors, once a hole is started, it can easily be made larger by twisting, until the bowl will fit snugly.
  • For an added cushion on the large hit, attach a plastic Bic pen shell to the inside of the cap, then tape a straw cut to the correct length to the bottom of that. This allows percolation at the bottom, and can be further improved by capping the end and poking a dozen or so small holes at the end, resulting in diffusion of the smoke for an even cooler hit.
  • If the water flow from the bottom of the 2-liter is slow, cut a bigger hole, but it should always be small enough to cap with your finger so the container can be filled.
  • The smoke may hurt a little as it enters your lungs.

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