Newbie Needs Help Making "Artsy" Hookah!

[artgirl]

Hi everyone. Newbie here, and I could really use some help/advice. I'm a mosaic artist. I mosaic recycled objects with glass, jewelry, metal, vinyl, whatever. I would like to learn how to make a hookah out of a wine bottle that I plan to mosaic. Is this possible? While I plan on making one for myself first, I have a buyer who initially requested the idea. I've used a hookah a few times, but never put one together and I am clueless as to the mechanics. (Let the eye-rolling begin...[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/facepalm.gif[/img]...it's OK, I can take it)

I would like to make a 3 stemmed hookah. I can drill the glass if need be. I will only be using wine/liquor bottles (on the inside) for safety/health reasons. What is the cheapest, yet most attractive way to do this? I don't even know the names of the parts so I'm not sure what to ask for. I saw a kit online for converting a wine bottle, but it was $60- too much. Another, called "The Witch", seems to be out of stock everywhere. Can I buy some things at the hardware store and others at my local head shop? Any suggestions on how to make it pleasing to the eye? And, I'm sorry to ask so much at once, please point me in the right direction as to how to put it together and be sure it's fully functional.

Also, is it OK that you won't be able to see through the base? Most hookahs I've seen have a clear base.

I've attached a picture of one of my pieces - it's a vase, but pretend it's a wine bottle and you'll get the idea.

Thanks so much in advance. I'm open to all suggestions/links/advice!

[colto]

[quote name='artgirl' date='18 March 2010 - 08:07 PM' timestamp='1268960857' post='458054']
Hi everyone. Newbie here, and I could really use some help/advice. I'm a mosaic artist. I mosaic recycled objects with glass, jewelry, metal, vinyl, whatever. I would like to learn how to make a hookah out of a wine bottle that I plan to mosaic. Is this possible? While I plan on making one for myself first, I have a buyer who initially requested the idea. I've used a hookah a few times, but never put one together and I am clueless as to the mechanics. (Let the eye-rolling begin...[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/facepalm.gif[/img]...it's OK, I can take it)

I would like to make a 3 stemmed hookah. I can drill the glass if need be. I will only be using wine/liquor bottles (on the inside) for safety/health reasons. What is the cheapest, yet most attractive way to do this? I don't even know the names of the parts so I'm not sure what to ask for. I saw a kit online for converting a wine bottle, but it was $60- too much. Another, called "The Witch", seems to be out of stock everywhere. Can I buy some things at the hardware store and others at my local head shop? Any suggestions on how to make it pleasing to the eye? And, I'm sorry to ask so much at once, please point me in the right direction as to how to put it together and be sure it's fully functional.

Also, is it OK that you won't be able to see through the base? Most hookahs I've seen have a clear base.

I've attached a picture of one of my pieces - it's a vase, but pretend it's a wine bottle and you'll get the idea.

Thanks so much in advance. I'm open to all suggestions/links/advice!
[/quote]

Hey artgirl,

Check out the [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/36978-new-custom-hookah/page__view__findpost__p__457972"]videos I just posted on the 'New Custom Hookah' thread in this section[/url]. Really just the first one as it pertains to building. For this one I would buy: a rubber stopper that barely fits the bottle (like 80-90% of it is inside the neck before it plugs the hole). Buy some 5/8" O.D. aluminum tubing at Lowes/Home Depot/Ace Hardware or food grade 304 stainless steel from speedymetals.com (.65" thick wall), hose port and check valve from hookah-shisha.com or local head shop if they carry it (somewhat rare), 5/8" flange from Lowes/Home Depot, a small glass/ceramic/etc. plate for the ash tray at the top (mosaic it up too!), grommets from a head shop or hookah-shisha.com, and some strong waterproof/watersafe (preferably dishwasher safe) epoxy. Links to some of these items are in my video.

Tap holes with a diamond hole saw for the ports on the curved part of the wine bottle. Make sure they are the exact same diameter as the ports as you want a majority of the structural strength to be from the glass rather than the epoxy. Epoxy them in well and make sure they cure for 24 hours before you mess with the bottle again. In the meantime drill a 1/2" hole in the stopper and stretch it over the downstem (aluminum/stainless steel pipe). You want the downstem to be as long as the distance from the bottom third of the bottle to about 3 inches over the top. A good rule of thumb is about the same length as the bottle itself. A one foot section should do fine. Place the assembly on the bottle until you get the placement right and then pull it out and epoxy the stopper in place. Now epoxy the flange on above that (make sure it's level). Drill a 3/4" hole in the glass plate so it will easily slide over the tube and rest on the flange.

The hookah is basically done now. If there is a stability issue with it tipping over then I would cut a 12" diameter circle out of some nicer looking wood (1" thick). Then cut two 6" diameter circles out as well (from the board not the circle you just cut). Now cut a hole the diameter of the wine bottle through both 6" circles and glue them together and then to the center of the one foot diameter circle. You have basically made a nice little base with a cup holder in the center. Now decorate it! Maybe even make more smaller cup holder type things and place them around the edge of the big circle to hold shisha cans, coals, etc.

Good luck and post back with any questions.

[SuburbanSmoker]

as far as knowing how much water to put in the base, why not have a break in the mosaic? maybe a quarter of an inch, make it parallel all the way around to keep the artsie feeling and just continue the design above it, that way who ever your selling it to knows to just fill it up until they see water in the clear line.

[artgirl]

[quote name='colto' date='19 March 2010 - 12:03 AM' timestamp='1268982238' post='458162']
[quote name='artgirl' date='18 March 2010 - 08:07 PM' timestamp='1268960857' post='458054']
Hi everyone. Newbie here, and I could really use some help/advice. I'm a mosaic artist. I mosaic recycled objects with glass, jewelry, metal, vinyl, whatever. I would like to learn how to make a hookah out of a wine bottle that I plan to mosaic. Is this possible? While I plan on making one for myself first, I have a buyer who initially requested the idea. I've used a hookah a few times, but never put one together and I am clueless as to the mechanics. (Let the eye-rolling begin...[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/facepalm.gif[/img]...it's OK, I can take it)

I would like to make a 3 stemmed hookah. I can drill the glass if need be. I will only be using wine/liquor bottles (on the inside) for safety/health reasons. What is the cheapest, yet most attractive way to do this? I don't even know the names of the parts so I'm not sure what to ask for. I saw a kit online for converting a wine bottle, but it was $60- too much. Another, called "The Witch", seems to be out of stock everywhere. Can I buy some things at the hardware store and others at my local head shop? Any suggestions on how to make it pleasing to the eye? And, I'm sorry to ask so much at once, please point me in the right direction as to how to put it together and be sure it's fully functional.

Also, is it OK that you won't be able to see through the base? Most hookahs I've seen have a clear base.

I've attached a picture of one of my pieces - it's a vase, but pretend it's a wine bottle and you'll get the idea.

Thanks so much in advance. I'm open to all suggestions/links/advice!
[/quote]

Hey artgirl,

Check out the [url="http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/36978-new-custom-hookah/page__view__findpost__p__457972"]videos I just posted on the 'New Custom Hookah' thread in this section[/url]. Really just the first one as it pertains to building. For this one I would buy: a rubber stopper that barely fits the bottle (like 80-90% of it is inside the neck before it plugs the hole). Buy some 5/8" O.D. aluminum tubing at Lowes/Home Depot/Ace Hardware or food grade 304 stainless steel from speedymetals.com (.65" thick wall), hose port and check valve from hookah-shisha.com or local head shop if they carry it (somewhat rare), 5/8" flange from Lowes/Home Depot, a small glass/ceramic/etc. plate for the ash tray at the top (mosaic it up too!), grommets from a head shop or hookah-shisha.com, and some strong waterproof/watersafe (preferably dishwasher safe) epoxy. Links to some of these items are in my video.

Tap holes with a diamond hole saw for the ports on the curved part of the wine bottle. Make sure they are the exact same diameter as the ports as you want a majority of the structural strength to be from the glass rather than the epoxy. Epoxy them in well and make sure they cure for 24 hours before you mess with the bottle again. In the meantime drill a 1/2" hole in the stopper and stretch it over the downstem (aluminum/stainless steel pipe). You want the downstem to be as long as the distance from the bottom third of the bottle to about 3 inches over the top. A good rule of thumb is about the same length as the bottle itself. A one foot section should do fine. Place the assembly on the bottle until you get the placement right and then pull it out and epoxy the stopper in place. Now epoxy the flange on above that (make sure it's level). Drill a 3/4" hole in the glass plate so it will easily slide over the tube and rest on the flange.

The hookah is basically done now. If there is a stability issue with it tipping over then I would cut a 12" diameter circle out of some nicer looking wood (1" thick). Then cut two 6" diameter circles out as well (from the board not the circle you just cut). Now cut a hole the diameter of the wine bottle through both 6" circles and glue them together and then to the center of the one foot diameter circle. You have basically made a nice little base with a cup holder in the center. Now decorate it! Maybe even make more smaller cup holder type things and place them around the edge of the big circle to hold shisha cans, coals, etc.

Good luck and post back with any questions.
[/quote]



Thank you! That is exactly what I needed. I'm going to print your reply out and go shopping - luckily, I have a Lowe's and a good head shop within a couple miles of my house. And I'll visit hookah-shisha.com as well. Can't wait to check out your videos (I'm tethering right now and it doesn't work well for vids so I'll have to wait until tonight.)

It'll probably take me awhile to get a piece done, but I'll post pics of the finished product.

Thanks again!

[artgirl]

[quote name='SuburbanSmoker' date='19 March 2010 - 12:23 AM' timestamp='1268983422' post='458164']
as far as knowing how much water to put in the base, why not have a break in the mosaic? maybe a quarter of an inch, make it parallel all the way around to keep the artsie feeling and just continue the design above it, that way who ever your selling it to knows to just fill it up until they see water in the clear line.
[/quote]



Thanks. That's a great idea. One question, so I know where to make the break: How far into the water does the down stem need to be, or does it matter?

[fineout]

1-1.5" is usually about right

[colto]

[quote name='artgirl' date='19 March 2010 - 07:02 AM' timestamp='1269000163' post='458189']

Thank you! That is exactly what I needed. I'm going to print your reply out and go shopping - luckily, I have a Lowe's and a good head shop within a couple miles of my house. And I'll visit hookah-shisha.com as well. Can't wait to check out your videos (I'm tethering right now and it doesn't work well for vids so I'll have to wait until tonight.)

It'll probably take me awhile to get a piece done, but I'll post pics of the finished product.

Thanks again!
[/quote]

If you are going to Lowes then they probably won't have 5/8" tubing as I haven't seen it anywhere but online. In that case buy the 1/2" tubing, unless the 3/4" will fit in which case you should get that instead. Whatever size you get just remember to drill a hole in the stopper 1/8" less than that size so that it must be stretched tightly over the tubing. This plus the epoxy creates a strong enough bond to take all of the downward force of being pushed into a bottle a thousand times without moving. It will also widen the stopper a bit which is why I told you to get one that just barely fits without falling through. You could probably even get one that is the exact same size as the bottle's inner diameter (on the bigger end of the stopper, they are tapered) and once it is widened from the stretching then it would fit right. Stoppers are really cheap in the hardware section so you might try a couple sizes.

Oh and I forgot to post the last step: post pictures here when you are done so we can all see it!