Glass is the best in class and shattered yet unbreakable definitions
Before I begin with the how-to-part of this article, let’s go over some definitions. Both in part one and this part of the series I keep referring to (and switching between) ‘bongs’, ‘glass’, ‘glassware’, ‘water pipes’ and ‘water filtration systems’.
I have to admit, this can be a bit confusing. Rest assured, they all mean the same thing.
I keep saying ‘glass’ simply due to the fact that the best WFS (Water Filtration Systems: e.g. bongs, bubblers and/or dab rigs) are made from borosilicate glass. This material is strong, heat resistant, easy-to-clean and gives off no unwanted odours or flavours.
So, when I’m talking about a glass piece, a water piece or something similar, I essentially mean the same. They’re all WFS.
There are some WFS on the market that aren’t made from glass but from synthetic materials like acryl or silicon. Overall I wouldn’t recommend those because they’re usually low quality and bring their own risks, like flavour contamination.
It’s all about the millimetres
Another thing you’ll need to understand is the importance of socket or joint sizes.
Glassware like bongs, bubblers or dab rigs come in all shapes and sizes, but the sockets where the bowl (or in this case, your vaporizer) is plugged into are always size-consistent.
What you should know and be looking for is SG (Standard Grinding) measurements.
SG sizes tell you which vaporizer will fit your glass piece or vice versa. Or which adapter you should use to make two different sizes compatible (more on that later).
The most common SG sizes are SG10 (10mm), SG14 (14,4mm), and SG19 (18,8mm). You also have SG24 (24mm) and SG29 (29,2mm) sized connection points, but those are exceedingly rare and can be ignored.
Adapt and overcome: connect your vaporizer to glass with an adapter
Then there are definitions like ‘male’ and ‘female’ joints. Important distinctions to know because if you buy a glass piece with a male connection point (socket/joint) while your vaporizer needs a female joint to connect, you’re in a spot of bother.
In that particular case, you’ll need a male-to-female WPA (Water Pipe Adapter). Make sure though, that you get the right size!
If your vape needs an SG14 female socket to fit, but your bong has an SG19 male joint, you’ll need to order an SG19 male to SG14 female adapter. (Do those even exist? Maybe that’s more a custom job)
This is a bit of an extreme example because you’ll rarely come across a WFS with a male joint (95% of the time they’re female) but it does illustrate the point that you should always double-check what kind of connection points and sizes you’re dealing with.