How To Make A Homemade Dab Rig

Introduction

Dab rigs have quickly become a popular way to consume cannabis concentrates. The trend is especially popular among medical marijuana users, who rely on the rig's strong hits for relief from chronic pain and other ailments. While you can buy a dab rig at your local head shop or online retailer, it’s much cheaper to make your own using household supplies and items found around the house. In this guide, we'll show you how easy it is to make an inexpensive homemade dab rig—and how much better it tastes than prepackaged goods!

What is a Dab Rig?

A dab rig is a water pipe designed to vaporize cannabis concentrates. Dabs consist of concentrated cannabinoid extract, a solvent like butane or propane, and a downstem that allows you to inhale the vapor from your rig. Dabs are more potent than flowers because you're getting a higher concentration of THC; however, they can also be more expensive!

As well as paying attention to what type of material you choose for your dab rig (think plastic versus glass), consider how much heat it should withstand. Some rigs come with thick glass that retains heat well while others have thin glass that cools quicker—it all depends on your personal preference.

Dabs vs. dry herbs

While it's not a necessity, having a dab rig can make your experience with dabs much more enjoyable. A dab rig is essentially a glass pipe that has been made specifically for smoking concentrates like marijuana wax and oil. Dabbing is the act of taking a small amount of concentrate on the end of your dabber and heating it up until it melts down into an oily substance (aka "dab"), then putting that material directly onto your atomizer (aka "nail") and inhaling the vapor produced by heating this melted chemical. The most common form of marijuana concentrates are wax, shatter, budder, crumble, or sugar.

Some people may be wondering why you would want to use something like this instead of just using dry herbs like marijuana flowers or kief. It's simply because these products are much more potent than any other form of cannabis! They also tend to cost more because they require extra labor in order to extract all those precious cannabinoids from their plant matter origins.*

How to Use a Dab Rig

After you've assembled your dab rig and filled it with water, place the nail on top of the downstem. Place your dabber in the quartz banger or titanium nail, and heat up your nail with a torch lighter. Apply as much concentrate as you'd like to use (a little goes a long way) using your dabber or other tools of choice. Once you have enough concentrate on your nail, inhale slowly through your mouthpiece while covering up holes at the top of your rig if necessary to prevent any spillage of hot smoke into those areas. Repeat until satisfied!

The Benefits of Homemade Dab Rigs

Some people like to dab out of a small glass piece, while others prefer a larger, more elaborate rig. Some prefer the simplicity of using a basic banger and downstem combination, while others prefer to use other accessories like slides and ash catchers. Regardless of what type of dab rig you're searching for, there are many benefits to creating your own:

• You can customize the design and size of your dab rig to fit any need you may have.

• You can use whatever type of glass or silicone bong or dab rig will work best for you without having to buy one new (or as often).

• You can create a dab rig that is unique in its size, shape, color scheme—or all three!

Step 1. Find or buy a glass or silicone bong or dab rig

• Glass bongs are more durable and easier to clean, but silicone bongs are more portable and can be used with dry herbs and concentrates.

• Silicone bongs are more expensive than glass bongs.

• Silicone is more difficult to clean because it's not as easy to see inside the water chamber, so you'll need to use a container or bowl below your rig that has some kind of marker in it (like chalk or flour) so you know when everything is clear again.

Step 2. Find the perfect banger, slide, and downstem for your homemade dab rig

The next step is to find the perfect banger, slide, and downstem for your homemade dab rig.

The banger is where you put the cannabis concentrate. The slide is the tube that connects the banger to the downstem; this tube also allows smoke to pass through it when you take a hit. A downstem is similar to a slide but has extra percolation at its bottom piece as well as an ice catcher at its top (if you want some ice too).

Step 3. Attach the nail

• Attach the nail to the downstem

• put the downstem inside the gatorade bottle. 

Step 4. Fire up the torch and heat your nail up until it’s red hot

• Ignite the torch lighter and heat your nail up until it’s red hot.

• When you’re ready to apply concentrate, use a dab tool and gently place a small amount of wax on the nail.

• Inhale slowly and don’t worry if you cough at first—it happens to everyone!

Step 5. Use your dabber to apply the cannabis concentrate to the nail and inhale slowly

• Use your dabber to apply the cannabis concentrate to the nail. Make sure that it is clean and free from any contaminants.

• Heat up your dab rig with a torch lighter so it's hot enough for you to inhale from, but not too hot that it burns you. You don't want to burn yourself!

• Inhale slowly, hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale through your mouth or nose depending on what works best for you.* Don't take too much at once—you'll get more comfortable as you practice more often!

Homemade dab rigs are easy to assemble at home with basic tools.

To assemble your homemade dab rig, you’ll need a glass or silicone bong and the following:

• A banger. This is where you put your wax concentrate.

• A slide. This is an extension from the chamber to help push out vapor from the banger and keep it cool so that it doesn't burn up as quickly when you inhale from it.

• A downstem (or “downpipe”). A downstem helps filter out smoke before it reaches you, making for smoother hits with less coughing afterward! It also helps prevent those nasty hairs that come from burning plant matter in an open flame. Yuck!

Conclusion

You can make your own dab rig at home with the right tools and supplies. It’s not hard to do, but it does require some work. You’ll need a glass or silicone bong or dab rig that’s been cleaned out and dried out before starting this process. Then you need to find the perfect banger, slide, downstem, and nail for your homemade dab rig. Finally, connect your nails together with an adjustable torch lighter so that they will stand up straight when heated red hot by the flame!