Phunnel Troubles

[Lucy Ford]

yes i started the topic of whether i should get a vortex or phunnel. well, i got the phunnel and its working like shit. i followed what people said on here and it just keeps sucking down on the middle and i can't get anything. am i retarded?

[Epoch]

Nah, happens to lots of people. Make sure you use heavy duty foil and pull it tight over the bowl.

[Lucy Ford]

i used Reynolds but its thin so i double wrap it super tight. I tried putting more in the bowl to kind of lift the foil, but it did the same thing. so i reached in with the poker and lifted the foil. it seeems to do the trick but i cant take big pulls

[Epoch]

Poke an airhole above the center part too, so it doesn't build up as much suction inside the bowl.

[Tom1]

Alright, first off don't 'double bag' it, it's never a good idea.

When you put the foil on and pull wrap it around the curved side of the bowl hold the bottom of the foil with your left hand. Then take your right thumb and pointer finger and make a "c" with them.

Now while your left hand is still holding the foil taught, use the "c" you made with your right hand and twist the "c" around the curved part of the bowl and slightly on the rim. As you're tightening the foil it shouldn't be slipping and the top of it should be relatively flat and not wrinkle as you tighten it.

poke maybe 20-30 holes with maybe 3/4 of an inch in the middle that isn't poked, add 3 coconaras and you're set.

Hope that makes sense, tell me if it doesn't and I'll take some pictures.

[EternalSoil]

More tobacco. Easy fix, and it will smoke better (especially with Tangiers).

[Rani]

For phunnels, I generally use one or two depending on the phunnel size rings of holes right next to the outer rim, and then one right in the middle.than I gently kind of wallow out a bit so it;s a little bigger. I keep the coals closer to the rim of course so there's almost no chance of ash dropping down the middle. I've never had the suction issue that others including you described. So don't get too frustrated, others have had issues of the same thing until they got it locked down. And yeah, on phunnels, thin foil is lousy. It's not great in any circumstances, but on phunnels it really sucks.

'Rani

[ryno]

Is this a Tangiers phunnel or a knockoff? The knockoffs have a higher center hole and that will happen alot.

[Arcane]

If the center spire is indeed lower than the rim, then the foil obviously isn't tight over the bowl. If you can't seem to make it tight, your other option is more tobacco.

[momentum]

I had this problem for a while too.
The problem for me was that I just couldn't get the tin foil over the bowl tight enough.
By not doing anything different specifically, I manage to just get it right everytime now.
I guess it just took practice on getting the tin foil tight, so if that's the real problem then just keep goin until you can get it right.
And using double layer of foil seems like a bad idea to me in general.

[ryno]

Also what kind of foil are you using. I've noticed the thinner stuff does work as good on the phunnels.