Hookah Modding

[scratchy]

So who here has done what to their hookahs?

Not knowing much about Hookahs, I bought a pretty crappy 18" Chinese 1 hoser from the local China town for U$34. I don't regret buying it as it's served me well during my hookah time. I always knew it could perform much better though, even more so after smoking from a friends old school rotator and KM Tri-Metal.

So I started chopping up and changing things on my little Chinese to make it smoke better and I gotta say, it's pretty amazing for such a cheap hookah now.

The first thing I did when starting with modding it was make my own "small" clay phunnel bowl. I made it pretty thick to try retain some heat when the bowl was going. I then searched around the net for common phunnel issues and I realised the biggest problem they have is with the foil being sucked into the nipple and blocking airflow. I made sure that the nipple is much lower than the rim to ensure that the foil never gets suck down. I also gave it a lip to ensure that the baccy doesn't go down the phunnel and into the base. I then heat treated it and let it set for 4 days before using it. I have to say, it out performs my Egyptians by miles. It's a little big and takes about 30g of shisha if packed really tight so I'll do a mini within the week.

Next step was get rid of the horrible non-washable hoses. I bought some 10mm ID tubing that's super flexible and bore out my original large ID handles and fitted it to the tubing. Again I heat treated the product at a very low temperature to make it even more flexible. It's still a little stiff when it's cold out, but very manageable. The draw was much better, but I could still feel a bottleneck somewhere in the hookah.

I took the whole thing apart, chucked it on my work bench and with a metal file, bench grinder and drill, I got to work. I bore out the hose port to within millimetres of the outer metal. I then tack welded a stainless steel collar to the outside to strengthen the port back up. I then cleaned the weld and hose port internal up.

Next step was to improve the rubbish heart. The hookah had 6 tiny, and I mean tiny, holes for the smoke to flow through. It was pretty obvious as this is where the restriction was (along with the hose port) I bored these out as much as possible. With the holes bordering the rubber grommet and down stem, I cleaned the holes up and moved on.

The hookah had green gunk on the inside for some reason, so I took a drill bit slightly larger than the entire stem + down stem and on the work bench I drilled away at the walls until I got a fresh new inner wall. Cleaned everything out once more and made sure everything was still as sturdy as when I first got it.

I assembled everything, loaded up a bowl of Naklha DA in the phunnel with the help of Mattarios (thanks a bunch man) and had the best smoking session I've ever experienced. All of a sudden I had massive rolling clouds and a buzz (for the first time in years) that kicked me in the nuts.

U$109 KM my ass, Frankenhookah for life.


Who else here has done serious mods their daily smokers?


P.S. I'll try get some pics up of everything tomorrow. Sadly, I got so into the project I forgot to take "before" pictures

[Arcane]

only "modding" i do is replacing the metal ball bearing with a plastic bb...yep, i'm high tech!!

[ilikemyusername]

holy crap dude!

[hookah hippie]

I forgot who it was but a while ago there was a thread where a member drilled out the hose ports to make them wider there is a pic of him taking a huge rip and a giant cloud of smoke

[scratchy]

I forgot who it was but a while ago there was a thread where a member drilled out the hose ports to make them wider there is a pic of him taking a huge rip and a giant cloud of smoke

Yeah, it really does help.

Before the mods, you had to suck real hard to get anything out, now it's taking a hit is effortless.

Next up is a wider down stem. I'll remove the current heart assembly and clean the inside out as well. Maybe get a better fitting grommet on there.

Also thinking of buying a larger vase when I do the down stem, I think my vase might be a tad too small. 1 hit and the smoke is up into the hose and out of the hookah.

I also need to figure something out with the purge, it's not clearing out the whole vase.

So, any one else do any major mods. No Jay, swapping out the ball bearing doesn't count

[fcbayern]

Some people enjoy tinkering with things, and thats cool..

But in my oppinion for about $100. dollars you can buy a quality pipe. So why go through all of that hassle?

[chromecarz00]

Pics or it didn't happen.
Your next step is to make a hookah from scratch. THATS when you truly begin to understand the dynamics of the hookah world.
But good job, and I don't believe it till the pictures come

[combs08]

Not a fan of modding. Plus, I wouln't know how to do that even if I wanted to.

[RogueSmoker]

Not a fan of modding. Plus, I wouln't know how to do that even if I wanted to.

Same here I'd just save my money and get something nice.

[indian_villager]

I put on spinnin rims! I already got a KM so the smoke is intense, now with spinnin rim.....They just keep spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin

[Stuie]

I put on spinnin rims! I already got a KM so the smoke is intense, now with spinnin rim.....They just keep spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin spnnin and spinnin

baller!

[scratchy]

Sure, it's easy to buy a U$100 hookah instead of modding a cheapie.

Just a few things though:

1.) If I wanted a KM, I'd have to import one
2.) I like customisation and being unique
3.) I saved US$70 odd and it smokes just as well, if not slightly better as a "premium" hookah
4.) It's tiny, which means it's hella portable
5.) I'm a little tea cup.

I'll post up the pics for you guys tonight. Where's Scalli, I'm pretty sure he's done some hookah modding before

[combs08]

Sure, it's easy to buy a U$100 hookah instead of modding a cheapie.

Just a few things though:

1.) If I wanted a KM, I'd have to import one
2.) I like customisation and being unique
3.) I saved US$70 odd and it smokes just as well, if not slightly better as a "premium" hookah
4.) It's tiny, which means it's hella portable
5.) I'm a little tea cup.

I'll post up the pics for you guys tonight. Where's Scalli, I'm pretty sure he's done some hookah modding before

For some reason I just busted out laughing after I read nuber 5. I think I need a nap :/

[Chaz1337]

Sounds sweet bro! Congrats and keep up the good work!

[ryno]

Not really modding, but more repairing. I recently came across an old KM stem with no purge valve and a broken downstem.

I had a cheapy hookah sitting around with a removable downstem, JB Welded that in.

For the purge, I had a brass tip from a blowgun sitting around, the top of a QT purge vit on that. I then soldered the brass piece into the purge. I can take some pics sometime if you want to see it

[Sonthert]

I've hacksawed downstems. Thats about it.

Spinnerz are key, though.

[Barnaby]

I bought a 3 hose Syrian Chiller from a local place, but its the same one you can find on H-S. I've modded it slightly but nothing too major. The biggest problem with it is the autoseal feature, as the hose ports have 3 very small holes drilled through them, so you don't suck up the BB. I ordered an extra port, drilled it out, and removed the BB. Since I mostly smoke solo, I plugged the other ports, and I have an unrestricted port all to myself. If anyone does come over, I just put my thumb on my hose, and let them smoke out of the autoseal ports. NO one hits as big as I do, so it's not necessary for them to have full pull anyways. A slight, but very resulting mod for this type of hookah. Also having a nammor helped out too, and of course the phunnel. I get very easy pulls constantly, and great sessions. I'd like to try a KM before buying one, as I don't see how much better it could be vs. what I have now.

[scratchy]

Right, the pictures as promised.

Here's the hookah. It doesn't look too bad, but it smoked badly.



The DIY hose. 10mm ID



The hose port. Can't see much here, but the hole leading to the stem was no bigger than a BB pellet. It's about 3 times the diameter now.



The bottom of the stem. These holes were tiny, like the diameter of the poker on the back of your tongs. This made a huge difference.



And last but not least. Frankenbowl. It's ugly, but man has it improved my sessions 10 fold. I'll get a picture of the inside when it's not freshly packed.



Let me know what you guys think. I'm off to smoke a bowl of double apple in the mean time

[Crys]

What exactly did you do for the Frankenbowl?

[liquidglass]

looks like you did a great job a few questions thought


1) why are there so many damn holes on your stem? is the area connected to the valve hole completely hollow?

2) Is that (I pray it's not) a regular soup or other food item can you're using for a wind cover?

[scratchy]

Thanks guys. The stem had 6 holes when I bought it, so I just enlarged them. It's an aluminium can with the top cut of, but I very rarely use it. No need for it.

Frankenbowl I just used non toxic clay to fasion out a phunnel, painted with non toxic glazing and heat treated it

[AmunRa]

I once bought a pipe off eBay that had a painted base, then put it in the dishwasher. Needless to say, it melted off all the paint, and now I have a large fully clear base. There aren't too many of those out there, so I was more proud of my error than not.

I have some plans to etch it and put some blue and white frosting on it but I hvan't gotten around to it yet.

[liquidglass]

Thanks guys. The stem had 6 holes when I bought it, so I just enlarged them. It's an aluminium can with the top cut of, but I very rarely use it. No need for it.

Frankenbowl I just used non toxic clay to fasion out a phunnel, painted with non toxic glazing and heat treated it

Well thanks for explaining the holes lol.

Next thing is the windcover made from a can. Cans generally have a protective covering coating the inside of it to guard food from being tainted by the metal. SO this means if you ever smoke with it on there is a chance you're smoking some of the protective covering, mmmmm yummy poison. Just an idea. You can take the covering off of the metal can if you want there are various ways just google it.