Ok, time to get back on track. Geez folks, all these flash smoking implements make me jealous. I once had a four stage glass bong....back in the 80's. Someone jumped on it. My last stoneware bong, bought before these stupid implement selling laws came into Australia, got smashed by a psychotic cat.
Nowadays we just keep our stem and cone piece and make our own.
The Ice-Break Bottle Bong
The bottle is made from Coffee coloured HDPE plastic. When heated, it softens, but doesn't warp or go brittle. We make a small hole 1/8 inch or 4mm in the side with a knife tip, using a drilling action. Then we warm the stem and apply a flame to the hole in the HDPE bottle, just enough to soften the plastic a little. The stem is then forced into the softened hole. If you get it right, you'll get a perfect seal and won't have to resort to 'Blu-tac' or some other sealer. You can get Ice-Break bottles over here in 500ml, 750ml (pictured), 1 litre, and 2 litre square HDPE bottles.
Using Fine Mesh as a Filter
The mesh in the cone piece gets loaded with weed. It filters the ash and prevents 'pull-through'. All the weed burns instead of getting sucked through the conepiece hole. It takes a little getting used to, but works a treat. Also, if you use a dedicated ash-tray and flick the ash from the mesh into that, you catch anything that might remain around the edge of the mesh. In desperate times you can use a tea strainer to shake the ash and collect any unburnt bud. If you're going to try this, get the finest mesh you can and grind your weed really fine as well.
Disposable and Easy to Replace
The beauty with this set-up is that these bottles are easy to clean or dispose of, and so long as you have your stem and cone-piece, you'll be able to find an Ice Break bottle anywhere you can find coca-cola in Australia. Of course, you can use other plastics, I prefer this type though. Back in the 70's and 80's 'Orchy' bottle bongs were the standard throw together bong in Australia.
Specifications
For an idea of size, that stem is about 5 inches, or 12cm long with a 1/2 inch (15mm) diameter. The hole in the brass cone piece that holds the mesh has been reamed out to 1/8 inch diameter (about 2 or 3mm) to allow for better airflow through the mesh.
Smoking
The feeling of pulling through this bong is different than when pulling without the mesh. There is no 'pull-through' or 'shotgun' feel as the bud pops through the cone hole. It is a long smooth pull with a little more air mixed in the smoke than usual. We have a 1/4 inch (5mm) shotgun hole at the back of the bong. Even though the conepiece is small, it takes a big pull to toke it all up.
[That was chapter two, from the 'Smokers Guide For Povvo's]