Thread: Bongs: Glass vs. Acrylic, Safe/Unsafe Materials

I'm looking into buying or building my own bong, or maybe both...

1.) What are the issues when it comes between Glass and Acrylic?

2.) When building your own, what are some common materials that're safe and unsafe to use? Where does Copper stand?

THanks anyone who can help.

Most things are safe. Unless you have some wierd idea and decide to use fiberglass. Even lead is safe as long as you don't drink the bong water LOL.
Coppper should be fine. It will corrode though, you may want to use brass instead.

I wouldn't suggest copper m8 as its corrossion is highly poisonous

I wouldn't suggest copper m8 as its corrossion is highly poisonous.

Yo why would you tell him anything is safe, You are either mean or you jsut dont know. Stanless steal and brass are the only metals you should be using. Other metals wont kill you but that doesnt mean they are safe to smoke out of, the have fumes that are really bad for you. as for the chamber part, it doesnt really matter between glass and Acrylic. but you wouldnt likely use a metal bowl for a glass bong anyways. Glass bongs do taste a hell of alot better though.

Wasn't talking about copper for a bowl. Stainless is always best for that.

Stay Away from These.

Arsenic
Common sources of exposure to higher-than-average levels of arsenic include near or in hazardous waste sites and areas with high levels naturally occurring in soil, rocks, and water. Exposure to high levels of arsenic can cause death.

Beryllium
Elemental beryllium in a wide variety of applications. Occupational exposure most often occurs in mining, extraction, and in the processing of alloy metals containing beryllium. Beryllium causes lung and skin disease in 2 to 10 percent of exposed workers.

Cadmium
Cadmium is an extremely toxic metal commonly found in industrial workplaces, particularly where any ore is being processed or smelted. Several deaths from acute exposure have occurred among welders who have unsuspectingly welded on cadmium-containing alloys or working with silver solders.

Hexavalent Chromium
Calcium chromate, chromium trioxide, lead chromate, strontium chromate, and zinc chromate are known human carcinogens. An increase in incidence of lung cancer have been observed among workers in industries that produce chromate and manufacture pigments containing chromate.

Lead
Occupational exposure to lead is one of the most prevalent overexposures found throughout industry. Industries with high potential exposures include construction work, most smelter operations, radiator repair shops, and firing ranges.

Mercury
Common sources of exposure include mining, production, and transportation of mercury, as well as mining and refining of gold and silver ores. High mercury exposure results in permanent nervous system and kidney damage.

According to OSHA standards copper is not that bad unless you inhale the fumes while melting.

You could always use gold if you have and unlimited supply of money.

seriously though do NOT make a bowl out of copper. That's just fucking stupid

Steer clear of the mentioned nasty stuff including copper! & coppers!!! Seriously check out the dodgy bits with acrylic Scare stories beginning to do the rounds about all plastics including acrylic. Remember the hoopla about cling film? Now it has to be food safe Stay

Originally Posted by Atomic Dragon

You could always use gold if you have and unlimited supply of money.

LoL if I ever became rich (suuuuuure itll happen =P) i would plate my bongs and pipes and shit with gold, lol. Id show up to parties with style Sportin the gold shit.

smoking out of ANYTHING besides glass...is a risk
any metals when heated with direct flame..can release free radicals into the air stream, and ultimately into your lungs. Club papres are probably the cleanest burning papers I have found(yes even over hemp papers), and provide a mobile convenience..but in all the years and research I have done, and/or used... glass is by far the safest. That is not to say that this avoids the risk of lung disease, or cancer...as your are still inhaling smoke, wich is primarily burned organic product not much different from tobacco...to use cannabis in the safest form..either vapoize..or ingest with food i.e cookies, butter, tea...
good luck

haha ok i just had to do it... i dug up the oldest thread in the recreational forum (atleast that still exists, i think there used to be more but everything go reset at some time?? i dunno that was what it seemed like back then.)

hahahhah

BUMP!!!!!

i drilled a stem hole and a carb hole in a wine bottle (dremels are awesome) and am using a copper pipe stem with a brass joint compression nut as a bowl.

is the copper far enough removed from the flame to be safe?
Will the smoke going through the pipe be so hot as to be unsafe?
Also, what kind of metal are the screens in bowls made of?

Thanks for any replies