Homemade hookah

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If there's one thing I love its hookah. Hookah and puppies. So after realizing that its damn near impossible to buy a hookah for any reasonable amount (well, compared to what I think is reasonable) I took it up to make my own. After reading about it in my free time (to see what I was really up against), I eventually stumbled upon http://www.thehookahguy.net/

The hookah guy has obviously been in this territory many times before, in fact, 2 components of my project were completely ripped off of him. One is his great design for how to make a hookah for a base with a small opening (You will see below), and the other was the invaluable suggestions for adhesives. I chose Goop and Devcon, just like he suggests. Anyway, enough blathering, here's the project!

Homemade Hookah

Features:
Large base, prevents tipping
Inexpensive (mine cost about $15 minus investment in glues and a bowl)
Easy to make

Stuff needed (of course nothing is set in stone):
Large base (I used a $5 vase from Wal-Mart)
2-3 foot length of 1/2" pvc pipe
1/2" Threaded/smooth pvc adapter (female)
1/2" Threaded/smooth pvc adapter (male)
Goop
Devcon
1/4" vinyl tubing (only need a few inches)
1/4" barbed to 3/8" threaded connector (male)
3/8" threaded connector (female)
1/2" vinyl tubing (this will be your hose, so anywhere from 3-6 feet will be fine)
10 yd black rope
A grommet of some kind to attach the stem to the base (see related section)

Procedure:
While shopping for components for a future post at Wal-Mart, this vase struck my eye -- its beautiful large shape (to keep from tipping), its two-toned awesomeness... I knew its destiny the moment I saw it.

The vase also sports a small opening, which can be seen as good or bad. I noticed my 1/2" pvc pipe just cleared the opening, so there was no hope of also bringing the hose out. Luckily the hookah guy had the solution -- bring the hose up through the pvc. I made some marks in the pvc and got out my drill...

I'm only using a small piece of vinyl tubing because I plan on adding a removable hose system at the end. Also, 5 inches of tube are easier to handle than 5 feet. With the gratuitous size of the pvc pipe, I now had a great setup that would not restrict airflow in the least. I goop'd it down and cut off the end that would eventually be inside the base.

With the main stem drying, I decided it was time to make the bowl. By "make" I mean take a bowl I already have (from a miserable old hookah that tips if you look at it the wrong way) and attach it to a pvc connector. Specifically, a 1/2" female connector. Mix up some Devcon and viola, a screw-on removable bowl system (you can even make more hookahs / bowls and mix 'n' match!).

(astute viewers may notice spoilers for a future project int eh background O_o) Also, take note to do this in a WELL-VENTILATED area, because this epoxy will burn the nose!

After the stem has dried, you can attach the rope. Unfortunately, I didn't photograph this particular phase of the process... but here's the basic idea: Take the rope. Start wrapping it around the stem just above where you will put your grommet (the piece that makes an airtight seal with the base), and continue until you run out of rope or stem. I also recommend adding a bit of goop to hold it in place for many years to come. I ran out of rope first, so I just hacked off the top of the pipe to match (Leaving room for the male threaded connector on top!). You can see this result in the finished pics.

Next up is the absolute hardest part in my opinion. What we need is SOMETHING to attach the stem to the base in an airtight way. Try explaining this to someone at Home Depot, its a riot. I tried everything I could think of but nothing seemed to work... At one point I had used two of these neoprene 5/16" x 1-1/2" rubber washer things stretched over the stem. It kinda worked, but not really. I eventually ended up using a plastic grommet from the same hookah the bowl is from. With about 15 minutes of stretching the thing I finally managed to get it to fit over the stem. It has its problems, but as long as you really jam the thing in there it is airtight. Notice the permanently attached neoprene washer is also present (I gooped it down before actually seeing if it worked...).



And if you haven't figure this one out, go ahead and attach the male 1/2" connector to the top of the stem. I suggest Devcon, but I actually used goop... I think its far enough away that there won't be too much heat applied to it. (Really you don't NEED to glue it on at all) I also wrapped some black electrical tape around the top to clean up the end of the rope.



At this point, I suggest you test. After letting everything dry (or accepting the risk of inhaling noxious fumes) attach the stem to the base. Suck in the hose and see if there's airflow. There is? good. Now cover the top of the stem and try to blow out. If you've done everything right this should be impossible. If you hear a hissing, find out why and fix it! You may just need a bit more goop!


If you passed the initial test run, then you might as well finish the thing!

For the hose I used about 2-1/2' of 1/2" vinyl tubing. This connected very nicely to the inside of a female 3/8" connector I had. I attached its counterpart -- a barbed 1/4" - threaded 3/8" male adapter to the small hose coming out of the stem. This gave a great screw-on hose option, which could be swapped for something else later if desired. The problem is that my local Home Depot sucks balls, and I could only get these connectors in brass -- which is HEAVY. Thus, I was forced to use some wire and tie the connector to the stem, as shown below. Otherwise, the hose would droop and get a kink in it, preventing optimal smokage.


Also I made sure to wrap at the connector, so as not to restrict airflow through the hose.

Again, the hose I used is very low tech -- basically just get something to screw on that connector and attach a length of tube. Done.

Now that everything is all set, its time to give it a trial water test! Do the same as for the last test, only fill the base with water until the stem's bottom is submerged 2 inches or so. make sure there are no leaks! The fun way is to blow into the hose until water shoots out the top! But try not to make a mess...


And if it passes all this, congratulations -- you're ready to smoke your homemade hookah! Before actually lighting up a coal and packing your favorite shisha tobacco, I must stress that you LET ALL THE GLUE DRY! The epoxy takes over 24 hours to fully set, so just have a little patience. I don't want you getting lung cancer or anything after all, right?

So did it work? Mine did on its first try. It was actually one of the best hookah's I've ever smoked. I might suggest getting a bigger hose for the internal one, but mine still pulled at a perfectly tolerable rate.

See the base filled with smoke? That's how you know you done good!


Or maybe this is how you know?


Mmmmm, delicious lung cancer. And if you were wondering, it's mint tobacco, one of my personal favorites!

Thanks for playing! Good luck and keep creating!