Vaporizers are used in traditional smoking devices to inhale the natural vapors of cigarettes, instead of burning them and exhaling carcinogen-laden smoke. Because they are considered more “healthy”, it is not surprising that vaporizers are expensive and often out of reach for the average smoker. Luckily, you can learn how to make your own vaporizer using household items after reading further.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using a Heat Gun (Heatgun)
Step 1. Prepare the necessary equipment
While this method requires you to buy a heating gun to make your own vaporizer, it's still cheaper than buying a commercial vaporizer, which can run into the millions. A heating gun for this purpose costs around Rp. 400,000 and other equipment may already be available at home, or can be purchased at a supermarket for less than Rp. 50,000. For this method, you will need:
- heating gun that can generate heat at least 200 °C
- used rolls of paper napkins and toilet paper of the same diameter
- aluminum foil
- plastic bag for cooking in the oven, also known as a “turkey bag”
- tea ball strainer
- cable tie wire (twist tie)
- a funnel or coffee percolator small enough to fit a toilet paper roll
Step 2. Cover the inside of both tissue rolls with aluminum foil
You can roll the foil around a pen or ruler, then place it in a paper towel roll, and unroll the foil once it's inside. Leave enough foil around the edges so that it can be folded around the edges of the paper towel roll and secure.
There are differing opinions among smokers as to whether heated aluminum foil is really safe or not, or whether the foil produces its own harmful fumes. Several studies have shown that aluminum poisoning contributes to Alzheimer's disease, although this method usually does not burn and melt aluminum. If you want to use a vaporizer for health reasons, keep this in mind
Step 3. Use foil to attach the funnel to one end of the paper towel roll
Make sure the funnel is facing out. To keep the funnel secure, consider applying tape or glue before wrapping the foil.
Step 4. Put a plastic bag around the mouth of the funnel and secure it with cable tie wire
Place a plastic oven bag over the mouth of the funnel and wrap the cable tie around it to secure it. Then, fold the plastic edge over the tie wire and secure it again with the tie wire. As a result, the plastic edges are folded so you can make sure the plastic bag fits securely over the mouth of the funnel.
The plastic bag will catch the steam as you heat it. You can pass plastic to people. So, it might be a good idea to attach something to cover the hole in the bag. Or, just use your thumb
Step 5. Assemble the vaporizer
Now you have a bunch of devices wrapped in aluminum foil and they look weird, but it's really easy to put them together. Pointing the heating gun up, place the tissue roll over the nozzle of the heating gun. Put what you want to smoke into a tea strainer and place it on a paper towel roll.
Next, place another tissue roll on top of it, with the percolator or funnel facing up. You can attach them snugly using additional foil to make sure they fit snugly together. Place the plastic bag over the funnel, and you're good to go
Step 6. Enjoy the steam generated
Turn on the heating gun and watch the plastic bag slowly expand as it fills with steam. It might be hard to see the steam being produced, but trust me it's in there. Once the bag is fully inflated, turn off the heating gun and inhale the steam that remains in the long tube (there may be quite a bit left, don't waste it). Take turns inhaling the steam from the bag.
Method 2 of 3: Making a Vaporizer out of a Box
Step 1. Prepare the necessary equipment
This method is the easiest and most primitive, and requires the least amount of equipment and is the most common. You need:
- small box
- a small tea candle that fits in a box
- a small metal tray that can be placed on top of a box, maybe a candle lid or a hand cream can lid
- a glass large enough to cover a metal tray
- a small rubber tube or a bendable straw
Step 2. Light a candle and place it in the box
Make sure you put the candle in the middle so it doesn't burn anything.
Basically, you're going to heat what you're smoking on a tray with wax and use a glass to catch the steam that's going to be inhaled through the tube. This method is very simple
Step 3. Place the tray over the fire, resting on the rim of the box
That way, the fire is low enough that it won't burn the can lid too much. Place whatever you want to smoke on the top of the can lid.
Step 4. Place the glass over the lid of the can
Look for a glass that is large enough to cover the lid of the can and small enough to rest on the rim of the box. Wait until the glass is filled with steam.
Step 5. Slide the tube into the glass and inhale the resulting vapor
Once you see the steam starting to fill the glass, you can start inhaling the steam through the rubber tube. Once done, you can disassemble it easily and no one will know the difference.
Method 3 of 3: Using a Light Bulb
Step 1. Prepare the necessary equipment
For this method, you need
- light bulb
- plastic straws
- 350 ml plastic soft drink bottle
- knife or scissors
- fountain pen
- tape or glue
Step 2. Make two holes in the bottle cap, and insert a straw through one of the holes
It's best not to think of them as “holes”, but as openings large enough to fit a straw in. You have to make sure the holes are airtight. If not, wrap tape around the body of the straw. Leave the other hole open.
Step 3. Cut the neck of the bottle using scissors
Leave the neck of the bottle about 7, 5 or 10 cm. You will use it to attach the light bulb, which will serve as an evaporation chamber.
If you're concerned about problems with the BPA content in the plastic you're using for smoking, you can replace it with a non-plastic tube that fits snugly on the light bulb. A small flashlight base made of metal will fit perfectly
Step 4. Remove the end of the bulb
You'll need to use a sharp knife to remove the "threaded" part of the bulb's end. Usually the threads used to fasten the bulb can be cut easily. Work very carefully.
Once you've removed the end of the bulb, you may have to pull out the entire metal end with pliers. This tip is made of soft metal and is easy to cut. After removing the metal tip, remove the filament and the inner components of the bulb so that you have an empty glass chamber
Step 5. Use tape or glue to attach the neck of the bottle to the hole in the bulb
Soft drink bottles and light bulbs commonly used at home should have roughly the same base size. So, both of them can definitely be installed properly. Use a large piece of duct tape or tape, and loop it over and over again until it forms an airtight seal.
Step 6. Attach the bottle cap
After putting whatever you want to suck into the bulb, put the cap on the bottle. Touch all the parts that are joined together and make sure they are tightly closed. Add a loop of tape or a dab of glue if needed.
Step 7. Breathe in the steam
To inhale the steam produced, close the hole in the left-hand lid with one finger and suck the steam through the straw while you slowly heat the bulb with the lighter, rotating the bulb so it doesn't burn.
- As the heat begins to produce steam, you can see that it's not actual smoke, but rather a light mist is starting to form inside the bulb. Open the hole you closed with your finger and inhale the steam through the straw.
- Opinions vary widely about whether heating light bulbs this way is safe or not. Some light bulbs have a plastic coating so the vapors they produce are harmful if inhaled, more dangerous than the carcinogens associated with sucking in substances of plant origin. If you are going to use a light bulb, make sure it is made of clear, clear glass, and replace it regularly.
Warning
- If you want to inhale steam for certain health reasons, it would be safer to purchase a vaporizer. Cheap glass pipes that work on the same principle sell for around IDR 400,000.
- Vaporizers are only considered “healthy” because they are heated to a certain temperature so as to produce vapors of the active ingredients without burning the actual organic matter. That means there is no “smoke” and carcinogens associated with smoking. However, this kind of heating is very difficult to control with candles or lighters and you could lose any expected health benefits if you use any of the techniques above.
