Glowing Bong: a simple how-to, for any clear bong :)

Here you go.. a simple home recipe **with pics**, to temporarily turn any clear or translucent bong into a 'glowing masterpiece'.

Besides the black light, which you will also need, it just requires a few dollars worth of materials from your local grocery store, some of which are optional.



In case something goes wrong with the photo:
-1/2 bong water
-1/2 bong Tonic Water
optional, 1 drop flavor essence, 1/2 drop pre-diluted food coloring (dilute one drop with a teaspoon of water, use half the teaspoon, and skip this step entirely if you have a cheaper bong that can pick up stains)

The flavor offsets the tonic water, which is still mild and palatable.

This is considered a novelty; if you're enjoying (savoring) some high quality herb, you
will in most cases want to stick with a fresh, clean water pipe, with pure water.

So keep the above in mind, so we can avoid any unfortunate or cliche 'pure water is
better' forum arguments, where we all basically agree it is, but wind up in a battle royal
over it anyway This is not something you'll be doing with every bowl, I only even
remember to do it once every few years

However if you're at the end of your personal stash, and you've been smoking a lot of
the same bud and you're looking for something fun and different, or if you're having a
festive holiday gathering, this can be a bit fun once in a blue moon.
In a darkened room, your bong will become a better light source than the black light
itself.

If you want a more dramatic effect, use a higher ratio of tonic water. The quinine, causes
the fluorescent glowing effect.

 

Hey, thanks guys

If you use more tonic water, it works almost as well during the day, as it does in the dark.

And if you add ice cubes it looks really fantastic, especially if you freeze some of the tonic water and coloring in some cubes, and leave others as they are.. they all mix together nicely.

The LEDs are fun especially when they're disguised well or have multi-colored effects, but I like how easily I can alter the intensity of the effect, as well as being able to alter the color, with just items I have in the kitchen. It's especially good for those people who either may not have, or may not want to bother finding any LEDs, but still manage to get themselves into the grocery store now and then, lol. It does require a black light, but it's good for certain gatherings and parties, and it can be hidden behind a couch while still reacting with the bong water for other occasions.

It can be subtle, or flamboyant, without looking like you put any effort into it at all. LEDs are fun too though, you can get very creative with them

It's not something I do every day, but we've had several threads here lately about "what other liquids can I use in place of bong 'water'?", I remembered this and shared there, then decided I should whip up a batch. After I took some pics I felt compelled to share

 

I think you may be confused with the much higher intensity UV light, produced by the sun They haven't been able to connect any dangers to the low wattage UV light produced by common black lights. As with any light source, you don't want to stare directly into it.

 

If you think a UV black light can be bad for your eyes, or cause any problems, you may want to avoid growing. Or going out into the sun

I found that e-How article as well, but I found about a dozen others saying there has never been any proof that it's even possible to damage yourself, from the more common household UV lights which are only a few watts. I wouldn't go to a club and stare into their lights, but a 10 watt tube at home is relatively tame.
UV radiation damage, is the same damage you'd get from too much sun exposure.

While UV can be dangerous, it can also be healthy in low levels, and it's simply not sensible to assume your little black light is producing as much UV as the sun. It's a little ridiculous, actually The sun produces even higher levels of the same 'purple' or dark light, but it produces much greater levels of other 'light' to compensate.

Ultraviolet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Fluorescent black lights are typically made in the same fashion as normal fluorescent lights except that only one phosphor is used, and the clear glass envelope of the bulb may be replaced by a deep-bluish-purple glass called Wood's glass"

Black light, simply put, is in fact a limited UV light. Not somehow 'more' of it, lol.

As for real lighting dangers, entire high school gymnasiums full of people have been given very real radiation sickness from the HPS lighting used in their facilities.. the very same kind we use for growing. It's always pumping out low levels, but if the bulb is somehow damaged or the surface scratched too deep, you can be in for some very real trouble with even only a small amount of exposure.

High-intensity discharge lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Most HID lamps produce significant UV radiation, and require UV-blocking filters"

So the sun is 'dangerous', odds are most of your fluorescent tubes are 'dangerous', most of our grow lights, also, 'dangerous'.

You should understand that you're going to be told everything is dangerous, if you ask the right people. Essentially, everything you do in life has risks.

You can either stay hidden in your room upon hearing such information, or you can adopt a more realistic understanding and comprehension of the very real and similar dangers you actually face day to day.
Opening your front door exposes you to far more radiation than your black light It's up to you how you handle that information

 

Hmm, you may want to speak with your water district if your water is reacting strongly under UV light

That would mean your drinking water is also full of some sort of phosphorous, or quinine. While some trace impurities that may react under a black light are acceptable, you should never have enough to give much if any effect at all from standard or acceptable drinking water.. I know my tap water doesn't react with a black light, nor does any of the bottled water I buy on a large scale.

It would be pretty neat if I glanced over and saw one of my large aquariums glowing though

None of my dirtied bong water has ever reacted under UV light, if that's what you mean. Thinking on it though, it makes me wonder if severely under-flushed, or highly impure bud with extreme phosphorous levels, would leave enough behind to cause a reaction.. a belated contamination test, of sorts.
I doubt the concentrations ever get high enough to become detectable to the naked eye except perhaps in the most extreme, and most unpleasant circumstances.

edit - (shared a link, but it's another forum.. google)
I found a person on another forum who claims his water seems to react very subtly under UV light after several hits, but no one else was able to confirm it or suggest why. I'd suggest that it is because he was acquiring cheaper commercial bud, it likely hadn't been flushed or grown as well as it could have. I suppose alternatively, he could have simply been high after those several puffs

I primarily smoke my own home grown and know it to be very clean, perhaps that is why mine never reacts, but I'm also assuming his UV light may have been a more powerful than mine... when using quinine (tonic water) which is highly reactive, you'll get an enormous effect, from even the weakest black light.

 

Something I forgot to mention, you can add more subtle color and flavor at once by using a splash of your favorite sparkling wine or merlot, for a nice red, orange, or golden glowing hue, and a warm, breathy, and often complex hit.
Other wines and spirits will also give pleasing flavors and hits. It's something I do a bit more frequently than making glow-bongs, but it's still more of a holiday thing in my home.

Again.. novelty. Or, at least it is, until you experiment and come up with your own seasonal favorites. Canna is a tradition in many homes, flavoring not only bong water, but seasoning the herb itself for special occasions is fairly common, and similar has been done historically for many, many years. It's very enjoyable to an extent, and to the right person or crowd
It can sometimes be just as nice, as smoking a pure, unadulterated bud, enjoying it, and fully appreciating the flavor for what it is all on its own.

There is nothing wrong with using clean pure water, some people see these water-alternative threads, and assume that is the suggestion or point. But it's not. It's just that, an alternative. Something to spice things up, on occasion. I like pure water 'best' for the most part myself, particularly when savoring some new, quality herb.
But both ways are enjoyable. And pleasure is, for me, a big part of the reason I use my canna.

Some folks would never dream of contaminating their smoke, with tobacco.. I'm one of them, lol. But just because I'd take a pure frosty nug, and some clear fresh water in a bong, over a 50/50 tobacco canna spliff, that doesn't mean I have any sort of problem with the thousands of others who enjoy their own smoke that way

 

I was thinking of mentioning schools myself, not to mention many work places and shopping centers But it's true, they really haven't definitively proven anything, in spite of some complaints. As far as that goes without going into any conspiracy theories, I'd suggest that if it is harmful, it's still a cheap form of lighting they would rather not give up any time soon.

Daily exposure to several hundred watts of the more common fluorescent lighting is likely much more harmful than the occasional, few-times-a-year, exposure to a low-wattage reduced spectrum black light.

But as with any light source regardless how low, don't stare directly into it, and if it flickers or makes you feel uncomfortable you should obviously stop using it. Some people, with certain forms of epilepsy, can't handle fluorescent lighting.

And funfare, if you'd like to preserve the taste of your smoke, use no extra flavors, and try progressively adding more Tonic water (increasing the ratio of tonic water, to regular water) until you you reach an enjoyable glow, that doesn't effect your smoke too much.

I'm picky about my herb as well.. so if it's really good smoke, and it's rare for you, don't waste it on a 'gimmick' (much as I hate the word) like this, unless you have plenty to spare

The tonic water is noticeable, but it's not at all overpowering. With smaller amounts, while still enough to achieve a nice glow, after a few puffs you forget it's there.

 

A tip I thought worth mentioning.. if you want the Tonic water to be less detectable, or have little to no 'flavor', wait until it's de-carbonated before use. A lack of carbonation will not effect the glow, but some people enjoy the sensation while it's present.

You can shake the bottle, and leave it loosely opened in the fridge if you don't mind waiting, or (more quickly) you can use two large cups.. pouring the desired quantity of tonic water, from one cup to the other for a few moments, will do the job.

Some people like the gentle 'fresh zing' of the carbonation, some people like it less noticeable.