Ice Pinches?

Lol hope people take it easy on you for this one.

But you're exactly right the pinches do prevent the ice from going into the "belly" (beaker?) of the pipe but that is the point. By suspending the ice in the tube it allows your smoke to cool as you clear it. Ice in your beaker would not hit very well at all I wouldn't think. Would create a ton of drag and I'd be worried about breaking my downstem.

 

Bongs with ice pinches, have them above the water or percolators. The reason is that you're only filling the tube with ice, not the water. The pinches keep the ice from falling into the water. The idea is that the smoke passes over the ice and cools off. The other way this makes the smoke easier to take is that it takes up space in the tube meaning less volume of thick smoke is inhaled when you clear the bong, so it kinda gives a lighter hit but you still get all the smoke.

Ice pinches on a bowl/slide are just an innovation and improvement on "push" bowls. Push bowls only have a single hole in them which tends to suck weed through because it pulls air so hard. Ice pinch bowls have similar "pinches" that stop weed from falling through. The idea behind these is that there is a larger opening for air, and therefore you get more airflow without sucking as hard. Even though it looks as if weed will fall through it won't do so as easily because the suction on the bowl is reduced.

 

Thissss.

OP: You can put ice in the bottom of your tube but I've never found that to be very functional, especially compared to ice pinches. Which I never use, it was fun when I first got my bong but ice tends to melt and fuck up the water levels. Just make sure you slide them down the tube, not dropping them, even if you think your glass is thick.

 

LOL exactly what I was thinking about ice messing up water levels. I do it once in a while, but really never use ice pinches. I only make them a specification for what must be included in my purchase, because at the higher end it's not going to be hard to find something with them included. It's like if it cost that much just assume they'll be part of the bong.

For people who think it really makes the hit a ton smoother, I think it's just because the ice takes up space inside the tube where smoke would normally build up and get really thick. So although the hit looks milky it could be thicker.

Of course it does help cool the smoke a bit, but I feel the greatest effect is that it takes away some of the volume of space that would allow smoke to thicken up. The benefit of using ice for that purpose as opposed to something else is that ice adds zero taste, and it doesn't build up resin.

 

Why would we go hard on him?.... He asked a simple question politely.

Ice in the bong is okay I'd say. And we need a picture to help show you how much water would work well, it matters on the piece.

 

Yeah they do take away a lot of volumne in the tube. It's almost a sort of trick going on there, because sure the smoke is being cooled, but you are also getting a hell of a lot less of it.

And I could see ice from an ice tray easily creating some hard water spots if left in the tube... plus I've heard you can contract pneumonia by inhaling the smoke and air with the added moisture from the ice if you toke with it regularly.

But! I do agree on assuming they are a part of almost every tube, and if given a choice if I could have them on a tube, I would have them. It's amussing to see some tubes with no more than 2-4 inches of cube space though. Of course I've noticed some high-end tubes opt out of pinches and just end with a splash guard, which probably looks cooler... and I wouldn't miss pinches on a tube if they weren't offered.

 

I misread the title as "ice punches" and thought it was pokemon related

 

You won't catch pneumonia with ice in your tube OP.

 

In-Lines are becoming a popular design so I would assume so, they seem to function well enough, gotta love diffusion anyway.

As far as water level, every piece can differ but just above the end of the downstem is a good place to start, and then adjust up to taste. More water = more filtration but also more drag, which means it will be more difficult to hit the piece. So don't overdo it, but add enough that it has a chance to work, if it's a diffused stem it will need some extra water and depending on the design it could require, and work better with an additional amount.

I've just heard. Thanks for clearing it up I guess. Though I wonder why/why not.

 

You can put ice in the water itself, as long as the chunks aren't too large. Dangers with this are breaking your downstem, and the only other negative is that it may make he hit more "chuggy."

Determining the water level should be based upon how you like your hit and how small are the bubbles. Too much water often leads to large bubbles, and that's a problem. It means you're getting less diffusion, and most likely the hit feels slightly "chuggy."

The chug feeling I'm talking about is when the pulling of air feels inconsistent. I guess an analogy would be driving on a gravel road versus a paved road. You can just tell that one isn't smooth.

The best way to find the right level would be to overfill the bong, probably at the level you normally use. Then empty a bit and then take a moderate pull. Not too fast not too slow basically what you'd do when filling the bong. You should notice a bit less "chug." You're at the right level when removing water does nothing to smooth out the "chug." Thats the perfect amount, and you may even notice the bubbles are a lot smaller and have a bit more "stack" to them, or they almost seem to foam up before popping.

When you do this test, pulling too slow will make it so there is no "chug" at any water level, and pulling too fast will basically do the same thing. So I suggest filling the bong so the hole or holes on your downstem are barely covered maybe like 3mm above the holes, and take a pull. That is the feeling of absolutely ZERO chug. Then fill up the bong so that the water level is just below the joint where the stem is inserted. Take a pull... Now you know what the chug is that you're supposed to eliminate.

In my personal preference this gives the smoothest pull with the most diffusion. This test basically gives you the maximum water level without any chug. Now some bongs with better diffusers will be most effective with even less water than that, because the bubbles in them stack better with less water.

It's all an experiment, but the test I described will allow you to find a functional and effective water level for any bong.

EDIT: As mentioned above, some bongs might work best with more water. But remember more water doesn't always equal more diffusion/filtration, it can hinder you. Less water might not mean any drag/chug is removed, but less water should reduce the existing drag, only some bongs will completely eliminate that "chug" by removing water.

 

That may be a good choice. How much do you have to work with?

I've ordered a few pieces from around Europe and the Netherlands, it's taken a little extra time but never longer than a week (and some days) or two.

 

Weed Star might be great starter bongs, but the quality is cheap. However, the prices on the bongs are cheap as hell too. The WS stemline is $80 and the next step up is an American made ZOB for about $180.

However, when purchasing the higher end pieces that seem to have equal or less function just remember that the quality of the glass will not only have less flaws, but more durable.

Before buying anything online at least visit a Head Shop carrying similar pieces. Some head shops really only stock cheap chinese made glass (like weed star), so make sure to visit a place that can show you the differences. Once you hold a nice American blow piece you know the difference. If you're dead set on something with some percs and you don't have the budget, then sure go for the cheap glass, but not until you feel some legit high end stuff. Some Head shops will try to trick you into thinking the most complicated piece of hardware they have also means that it's the best thing.

Follow the link in my sig to see my bong. It's very simple and small, but it's made in the USA. It cost me $70, and for that much you can get some pretty nifty Weed Star bongs, but I bet mine lasts longer before it cracks.

 

Which is good, but maybe the better way to phrase it is the particulates of water will not get into your lungs and cause pneumonia secondary to aspiration ... it isn't catching pneumonia so much as inhaling a liquid that causes non-bacterial or viral pneumonia.

I have had aspiration pneumonia, it is not fun - trust me. I got it from chemical inhalation

 

To me the right amount of chug is the least amount. But some people like it a little bit because they like to feel the bong pulling back on them. Honestly that just strains my lungs more and seems to stimulate more nerve endings leading to a harsher hit sometimes.

 

Personally I wouldn't spend anymore than $50 on a WeedStar. You can find better quality for more than that. If I got one it wouldn't be a tube I would get attached to. I don't want to rip on WS but I do differ on my opinion of them... and I've been watching them for awhile, they've hiked up the prices to a level that's leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Let us know how much you are working with.