Today, I will show you make a water pipe out of a glass bottle, and here’s all you need to know.
Choosing the right bottle
First, you need a bottle. One technique to determine if the bottle is suitable for the project is the “quarter test.” If you can put a quarter flat on the shoulder of the bottle, and it’s flat, that’s good. This shoulder on my current bottle is barely acceptable. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an ideal bottle of gin for this demo, but this one should suffice.
Avoid steeply sloped bottles. While a quarter can sit nicely on a bottle like this, inserting the stem at a steep angle won’t work. I chose a new bottle with a lovely shoulder; the quarter is flat. Some bottles have a round, flat area with a seal on top and are also good choices.
Preparing the bottles
If you use bottles with paper labels and want to preserve them by washing and drilling them, apply some clear and a couple of coats. I have three coats here and may add more.
Necessary tools and materials
Next, gather your materials. Here is what you will need:
- 22 mm or 7/8 inch diamond hole drill bits. These are typically used for stonework and can be purchased on Amazon.
- Downtubes or downtubes. These can also be found on Amazon or at your local smoke store.
- Rubber washers. You want 1 and 1/8 inches outside diameter and 5/8 inch inside diameter. These can be found at hardware stores like Lowe’s. Make sure it is wide enough around your glass.
- A drill. Be careful when working with both a drill and water. Avoid letting water enter the drill, especially if your drill is inserted into a wall.
- Bottle drills.
- When you drill with one of these drills, it is important to keep the surface wet. If you drill dry, you can risk your health by inhaling glass fragments, damaging the drill bit, or breaking glass.
To keep the surface moist, take a full bottle of water and punch a tiny hole in the lower part of the bottle. When you open the lid, it will begin to flow. Direct the water flow onto the cutting surface to keep it moist and cool enough during the drilling process.
Starting the drill can be challenging. Make sure you are not on the curve of the bottle. Once you have drilled the holes, you are ready to begin assembly.
Assembling the Water Hose
To assemble the hose, remove the rubber grommet and squeeze it to place the first edge into the hole you drilled. If your glass is particularly thick, you may need extra work to get it to fit correctly. Fold the center of the grommet inward and push it in, but be careful not to hit it entirely on the inside.
Next, slide the lower tube into the grommet. Be careful not to break the end, as this part of the downpipe is fragile. Once the installation is complete, your hose is ready to use.
Tips and Tricks
If your grommet is challenging to put on, you can get it or apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the inside. This may cause a mess, but it will make things easier. Also, a stopper is a useful addition. When the stopper is open, and the bottle is tipped over, it will almost certainly not spill, which is definitely a plus.
Conclusion.
That’s it! Making a gin bottle hose is a fun and rewarding DIY project. It can take some practice, especially when drilling holes in glass, so I recommend practicing on bottles you only care a little about first. With some patience and careful work, you will have a unique and functional water pipe. I hope you found this guide helpful.
