What Is an Ice Bong?
"Ice Bong" can mean two different things: a glass water pipe with an ice catcher in the tube or a water pipe literally made out of ice. Both of these options will help you get a cooler, smoother smoke. That means bigger hits and less coughing.
Ice catchers in regular bongs are very popular. They’re designed to have ice cubes dropped on them from the top. Smoke swirls around the ice in the tube, cooling as it goes. The ice also acts as a splash guard, keeping bong water out of your mouth.
Bongs made of ice also cool your smoke. The tube and the base chamber are made of real ice, so they cool from all sides. These ice bongs are made from molds and have attachments which make them easy to hold and use.
Ice Bong Mold
To get a water pipe literally made of ice, you need an ice bong mold. Ice bong molds are made of flexible materials like silicone. Bongs made this way allow the smoke to be constantly surrounded by cold, moist air. They provide a very cool, clean-feeling smoke.
When you make an ice bong from a mold, some of it still has to be glass or metal so that the plant matter stays dry. Molds come with attachments for mouthpieces, downstems, and bases to keep you and your belongings from touching the ice directly.
Since ice bong molds are so durable, they can be reused. If you drop your bong and break it, no big deal. All the reusable parts will be perfectly fine. One ice bong mold could supply you with a lifetime of pipes.
Ice Bongs in General
Some bongs have three-way or four-way pinches in the tube glass - these are standard ice catchers. You drop ice in from the top and the glass holds it in the tube.
Some have percolators with no actual ice catcher. They will hold ice, but be careful of dropping heavy ice cubes on delicate glass parts.
Other bongs have both features, and some have neither. Some bongs have a bottleneck where the tube meets the base chamber - they might not have been designed to hold ice, but they will if you can get the first cube to land just right.
Benefits of Ice Bongs
When the hot smoke of burning herbs comes in contact with the ice, it cools down. The hot smoke also melts the ice a tiny bit. The additional water vapor caused by the ice melting humidifies the air with refreshing water.
Since the smoke is constantly cooling and gathering water vapor while you fill the bong, you can take bigger hits and hold them in for longer. The smoke feels cool in your lungs and that cooler air suppresses coughing.
Ice Bong Maker: How to Make an Ice Bong?
So, you have a mold and are ready to make an ice bong! Ice bongs can crack and waiting for the mold to freeze a second time is no fun. Follow these directions to make sure you prepare your mold properly.
First, thoroughly rinse your mold and all the parts that came with it. Turn the mold so that you can see the large opening - this opening will be the bottom of your ice bong.
Put the mouthpiece smooth-side down and drop it in the opening of the ice bong mold. Wiggle and squish the mold with your fingers until you can feel that the mouthpiece has settled all the way down.
Next, insert the core peg or pin into the downstem hole of the ice bong mold. Look through the large opening of the mold until you see the peg poke through. Move the centerpiece of the mold around a little bit and you’ll see that there is a hole in that too - keep pushing the peg until it sits firmly in both holes. If the peg is not inside both holes, your bong will not work!
Your ice bong mold should have a base or stand made out of a tough, non-flexible material. Push it down into the large opening. It should only fit one way, make sure it is snug.
Then, fill the mold with water through the hole in the base. Gently tap on the sides to get any air bubbles out. Once the mold and base are full of water, insert the plug. Turn the mold over to dump excess water out of the base.
Take a moment to check the mold for major drippage. If there is a leak, put the pieces together a little tighter, refill, and recheck.
Carefully place the mold in the freezer and wait for it to freeze; usually about 12 hours.
Once the bong is fully frozen inside the mold, take it out of the freezer. Move the mold around under running hot water for one minute. Put it on the counter and wait for about eight minutes.
Next, run the mold under hot water for another minute. Then remove the core peg from the downstem hole. You should be able to slide the ice bong out of the mold. Twisting slightly as you pull might help.
Once you have the bong removed from the mold, put the metal downstem inside the grommet. Slide the grommet over the ice until you can fit the downstem into the hole. Push the downstem in a bit to make sure it reaches all the way way into the tube’s center. Attach your bowl or ashcatcher to the downstem and smoke away!
How to Use an Ice Bong
If you have a regular bong with an ice catcher, you want to insert ice from the mouthpiece - where you put your lips when you smoke. If your piece has percolators, turn the piece to the side so that the ice slides down instead of falling. This will help protect the sensitive glass parts from sudden impact.
Next, put water in the base chamber. You want just enough water to cover the bottom of your downstem. Set your bowl aside and pour water into the downstem with the bong slightly tilted. If you’re using a bong made out of ice, you can choose whether to add water or not.
Once the water level is right, put in your bowl. You can then pack the bowl with your favorite ground herbs. Once the bowl is packed, you’re almost ready to smoke.
Put your lips on the top of the bong to make a seal. Suck in - you should feel some resistance and, if you have water in the chamber, hear some bubbling.
Take your mouth off to breathe out fully. Be careful not to breathe out into the bong. Bring a flame close to the herbs in the bowl, use your mouth to make a seal again, and suck smoke into the bong.
The bong will continue to fill with smoke until you remove the bowl to take the hit. Keep breathing in as you remove the bowl. You will see and feel the smoke move from the bong into your lungs. The longer you wait to remove the bowl, the more smoke, the bigger the hit.
Ice Bong Bowl Attachments
Bongs made out of ice are compatible with most glass bong bowls and attachments. You can add ash catchers, percolators, recyclers, slupers, or even dab attachments to the downstem before attaching your bowl for additional benefits and uses.
Make sure that the millimeter (mm) of your metal ice bong downstem is compatible with the measurements for your attachments. If you find something you really want to use but the measurements do not line up, look for a glass adapter!
Water Bong vs. Ice Bong
Water bongs and ice bongs are both designed to help you get a big, smooth hit. More expensive water bongs often have things like percolators to help filter smoke through the water. Ice bongs can add percolators with ash catcher attachments.
Water bongs can be used without preparation, but they break easily. Ice bongs take a little time to prepare, but if they break they can be remade. Both types allow you to replace bowls, downstems, and catchers.
Ice bongs can result in cooler hits from the greater surface area of ice, but fancy water bongs have the advantage of percolators. Even a little bit of ice in a regular water bong can make a difference in your hit. The best choice depends on the person and a variety of factors.
Silicone Bong vs Ice Bong Mold
Silicone bongs and silicone ice bong molds are not the same. Silicone bongs are regular water pipes made (usually) out of a combination of silicone and glass. These bongs are break-resistant, easy to clean, and come in bright colors. You cannot make an ice bong with a silicone bong. If you tried, you would Just get a solid block of ice with nowhere for air to flow.
There is, however, silicone bongs with ice catchers and you can put ice cubes in those bongs and get smoother and cooler hits.
Silicone ice bong molds are for making bongs out of ice. You cannot smoke out of a silicone ice bong mold, you smoke out of the ice bong that it creates.
Where is the Best Place To Buy Bongs?
If you want to find good deals on ice bong molds, bongs with ice catchers, silicone bongs, or anything else smoke-related, vapevetstore.com has a big selection of awesome products. They ship anywhere in the US for free! You can get your new equipment without getting up from the couch and spend less money. What a time to be alive!
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