Church

Its always been an issue for me. Whenever I try to take out the stem to clean I always end up breaking it. I don't know if its a lil too tight or I'm doing it wrong since my friend can do it easily.

Any advice? How exactly do you guys pull out your stems?

I'll post pics of my bong, my old broken bowl, and my brand new 1-day old bowl later.

Thanx in advance.

Up In Smoke

I only buy/smoke bongs that have slider stems. I dont really like the idea of a Carb. I want to hold on to the bong with all my original fingers... not letting one go.

As far as I know, the ones that do have a carb/no slider bowl, they dont come out. They are probably sealed in there for an airtight..... seal. Maybe some have threads and you can unscrew em. But chances are they are sealed in there, thus the breaking.

Church

I'm so baked I couldn't understand how your inferred I had a finger carb bong. I'm such a stoner

I broke my bowl for my bong yesterday that is a slider, not the stem. Now being 8 months since my last stem broke(went thru 2) and having just bought a new bowl(up to my third as well) i was thinking of trying to take it out again.

I dunno, it used to be easy for me the first few years I had it, but then it became hard for me after my 1st stem broke by sum1 else's clumsiness and I'm a lil paranoid about it now I guess. My friend since then can do it for me easy and doesn't kno wats my problem. I don't know if I'm too gentle or not smooth and swift enough with it.

I'm waiting for him to come thru again and take it out but is there any surefire method to pull it out properly?

Fyi I've had this bong for almost six years and never changed the rubber part for the stem although i have cleaned it a few times when i could take out the stem on my own and I also use waterpipe cleaner every month or so in addition to cleaning it with hot water in the meantime. I never thought it might be the rubber piece I had to change.

Church

Btw I've gone thru 3, 4 inch spoon travel pipes before I ultimately got a stay at home bong.

I also HATE finger carb bongs with a passion

Wicked

Don't take the stem out at all, just flush some Formula 420 through it to clean it out, then clean it with regular soap/water to help get rid of the chemicals, then flush it a few times to make sure everythings cleaned out.

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troublemaker_42

I'll never understand why some people insist on spending 10-20 bucks for a "bong cleaner" like forumla 420--- I've yet to encounter any glass piece, regardless of filthiness, that couldn't be cleaned with about a buck's worth of rubbing alcohol and salt. I guess if people want to throw their money away, its not my place to attempt to stop them, but...it just seems like such a waste!

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Church

I'm not sure most stoners are too keen about putting rubbing alcohol in their bong or maybe I'm wrong(cant wait to hear responses). Formula 420 is really good and it leaves a nice smell in the piece.

How many people here have actually taken out the stem from a piece(slider bowl/stem)? I mean I always thought it was common knowledge that you could take it out(for cleaning, replacement).

Also for the record I guess, how many people here actually clean their pieces with rubbing alcohol, formula 420, hot water, or not at all?

dirtbomb

If you're worried about breaking your downstem when you pull it out, just get one of those rubber "jar opener" pads from the housewares section in any well stocked supermarket. Wrap it around the stem and undo it gently.
You can find rubber grommets for Bongs all over the net. I would take those off, if I was cleaning the Bong with Alcohol or Salt.

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Wicked

I've only used the shit maybe once or twice, and you're right, alcohol works just as good. Good ol' Billy May's introduced me to another produce that works great on getting the toughtest stuck on resin off, EASY OFF BAM.

Is Formula 420 really that much where you live? The times I bought it (granted, five or six years ago) I only payed $6 or $7 for it. It wasn't a bad investment at the time, because I was pretty much snowed in on one occasion and I lived three doors down from a headshop.

Darkflan

Soapy water will help the removal of a rubber grommet piece around a female glass stem.

I tend to stick with Glass on glass pieces. Females are easy to remove and less chance of breaking them.

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