the unofficial FC bubbler thread

In another thread ( http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/leviathan-pipes-inexpensive-american-glass-shipping.5577/ ), a glass blower took ideas from FC members for an "FC bubbler"--an inexpensive reasonable-quality bubbler that would work well with vaporizers. Many ideas and pictures were tossed around in the thread, and the blower was about to post pictures and offer a bubbler for sale. And then the blower disappeared from the scene.

In my opinion, this presents an opportunity for glass blowers, and the idea deserves its own thread. The hype is already here--just no product. The discussion in that other thread was great, but it was directed at only one particular blower. The discussion should be directed at any/all interested blowers, imho.

FC needs a bubbler. Who's gonna make it? What do people want to see? Let's get this ball rolling.

$100 bubbler is the name of the game gentleman

Everything should be 5 cents IMO.

Great idea maybe we can get something made more along the lines of what we were all asking.
Shorter fatter pieces, smaller "non generic looking" labels (non label is fine by me), the black leaf is a good example of a lame label (although I've seen so much worse lol).

and of course,

couldn't have said it better.

I agree--shorter is better. Most on FC seem to agree (from what I've seen) that only a small amount of water diffusion is necessary, and smaller size is easier to put away/stash.

Yes, this is what I would love to have as well.

I can't claim any real knowledge or experience with glass pieces, but this looks very appealing - small, sturdy, comfortable piece with dewaar joint.

In my mind, what we're looking for is something functional, sturdy, small, and inexpensive. It doesn't need to have the ultimate purr like a Mobius Matrix (or whatever--I personally haven't ever used anything "nice")--but some diffusion is needed.

I wonder if something like some of the smaller cheapo chinese pieces (~$20-50) in the cheap bubbler thread could be made with better/thicker glass for under $100. Nothing too fancy, but functional. For example, a showerhead (to my inexperienced eye) seems sturdier and easier to make than a tree, so maybe a showerhead would be a better direction for a bubbler like that Luke Wilson or the Black Leaf mentioned above?

One other piece that I've been eyeing recently but haven't posted anywhere yet is this one (might should post it on the cheap bubbler thread...) :


Seems to fit a lot of the criteria, though it is a bit hard to tell exactly what's going on inside there. What do y'all think of this sort of design?

That's pretty cool placetime

Yeah, I think that SSV one's pretty sweet. Or maybe I just don't know what I'm missing since I've never used anything even remotely like what people around here would consider "nice"? Any comments from the knowledgeable folks around here?

But it's small, has a removeable diffused downstem with a standard GonG joint, and is inexpensive. And, I'm guessing, it's made in the US since SSV has their own team of blowers? But I could easily be wrong about that last part.

If SSV can do something cool like that for under $100, it seems to me that *somebody* could make a custom FC bubbler of some kind (or series of bubblers?) for under $100. Maybe the first version could be only clear-glass, to make it as cheap as possible, but there could always be "heady" versions in addition for people who want to spend more $ (like is currently happening with the hydratubes for the Cloud).

That tiny oil rig has holes way to high up on the diffuser. With the amount of water in there to get good diffusion when milking it, you'll get water in your mouth when clearing it.






Anyone who thinks they are going to find something like that for under $200 is in a pipe dream.

That isn't fancy, it's pure function.

A $100 for a well made bubbler that:

A. is properly annealed
B. uses good quality glass
C. has a good ground joint
D. has good clean welds that won't come apart
E. has a flame polished evenly cut and reinforced to the bottom

Simply is not going to happen, that's less than whole sale on something like this. Unless the guy has a huge wholesale order for this it's simply not worth it.

But what if the design was slightly modified, say with a downstem that goes all the way to the bottom (to me it looks like that one might not) and doesn't have holes up so high? Maybe that would solve the issue of water going up the mouthpiece? Just a thought. I don't claim to be clever enough myself to solve the puzzle that this thread is about. But I have hopes that someone out there is clever enough to come up with a solution.

This thread isn't about making a clone of a $200+ piece. It's about something small, functional, and affordable (<$100). Sure, it won't look like a $200+ piece--that's to be expected. We're just tossing around ideas for designs.

exactly however....


this b.wilson 6 arm piece can be had for 187$ on alt right now.
maybe a similar piece could be produced with a 100$ or less price point.

don't think anyone really expected a mobius quality bubbler w/ matrix perc for under 200$.
but they'd sell a million of em if they could.

someone else added a 100$ price point I think 150-200$ is the tits for this unofficial fc bub

EDIT**

this is supposedly "a quality american made 8" helix perc for 239$"
maybe someone wants to piggyback on fc's popularity and provide the family with something along these lines in the price range we're looking at.
idk

I agree with SD_haze that the price should be under $100

It doesn't seem all that hard to find something really nice for $200, imho (for example, in addition to the b wilson mentioned above, the often-recommended Headford inline http://aqualabtechnologies.com/headford-glass-inline-triple-doughnut-bubbler.html ). But something really functional and sturdy for under $100? That's harder to find.

In my opinion, the Zap Bubbler is an example of sturdy, quality glass for under $100. If you haven't seen it before, I recommend checking it out (was gonna post a link to it, but it looks like their site is currently down-- http://aromazap.com ). It's kinda sorta a cross between a sturdy Aquavape and a mini Hydratube. It's thick, custom-blown glass, blown in the US. But, I think that that style can be tricky for a lot of vaporizers and/or vaporists, even though it's great for some.


Edit: woohoo! 420 posts!

I wanted to make my own post, sorry...

Either way I agree with you, people get really optimistic about prices and forget the sweat labor work to make those pieces.
We are not talking about Chinese underpaid $1 dollar a day maybe, workers.
In the US, life is top dollar, so no glass blower is going to make work for free.
IMO we need a poll in between members of FC, and then after a proto is made, lease it for a best deal $100 glass blower up to the task.
But IMO we need to confirm someone with a real stock.
We don't need yes but my pay check is late, and then I have too many pieces , and I don't like it now because I don't have the money.
Any glass blower would be annoyed and uninterested with so many I want this I want that, but not real $$$$$$ and no real warranty that he will invest money from his own pocket for someones dream and then end with 200 pieces nowhere to go
Sorry about the ranting...

How much do you think a top glass blower artist should rate his work in the US, $50-100 an hour maybe?? depending on the piece??
IMO I wouldn't do it for less, that's where, sadly, cheap Chinese labor comes in the scene. I wonder how long it would take for some handy glass blower legal immigrant to make his own business here.

I think this is a really good idea and am going to see if I can find a artist that is interested in making the FC bubbler. Below are some of my favorite made by Governmint and Headford...

They have that governmint one at my lhs, it looks pretty nice.

I would definetely buy the bubbler if it was truly a quality piece. I dont wanna spend 100$ on some mediocre bubbler that would not survive a fall. If anything id take 35 more dollars and get my self a ssfg gridded stemline.

A $100 on that is whole or "seconds" cost.

For what people are asking for and how much they want to pay it's simply not going to happen.

It might survive being tipped over, but hardly anything that has water in it is going to survive a fall off a counter to a tile or hardwood floor, or carpet for that matter.

That's not to say high quality glass isn't strong, One time I asked my gf to toss me a beer, she tossed the can to my TORO ans straight up knocked it off the coffee table I was dumbfounded how it survived that.

The only decent American water pieces I've seen for a $100 or less are super simple 10"-12" all clear beakers with a simple slide and no diffused down stem. Something that can be quickly spun on a lathe, have a joint attached and then into the kiln. What you guys want for a $100 is laughable.

Hell think about the cost to pack and ship a medium size bubbler probably, what like $13 for packing materials and shipping. THAT'S 13% PACKING AND SHIPPING NOT EVEN COUNTING THE LABOR TO DO IT OR THE GAS TO DRIVE TO THE POST OFFICE.

SSFG Travel tube is 60$ is 8-12'' , you have a choice of straight or beaker with ice pinches it also comes with a diffused downstem and is uprgadable to a showerhead downstem for 15$ and a disc diffused slide for 25$. Made in america by ray with high quality glass and shippings 10 fuckin dollars son. http://ssfgglass.com/shop/product.php?id_product=15


Now what were you saying about ''decent'' pieces under a 100$ ?

It's too bad they don't make a cheap(er) bub. The cheapest one they have on the site is $175.

Yes but see this is where you fail. No one here wants just a simple straight tube. They want a highly diffused bubbler.

A removeable diffuser is one there where you can shape the end cut it and be done. With a fixed shower head:

-the shower head has to be shaped
- then cooled down
-then have the slits cut
- heated back up in a kiln
- then fused to the bubbler

quite a few extra steps that add a lot to the cost of labor.

The cost to mail the box may be listed at $10 but after all is said and done it will cost them more than that to ship it.

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/pro...ll_diffused_Double_perk_bubbler/Novelty/Other

this guy makes some nice clear stuff, I have an clear inline bubbler that is very well made and heavy

all the best and be safe

Dequelo

@ Stu - Check these at Soulshine (more proof-of-concept, imho):
$100 showerhead bubbler: http://ssfgglass.com/shop/product.php?id_product=64
$100 inline wigwag bubbler: http://ssfgglass.com/shop/product.php?id_product=65
$105 gridded inline bubbler: http://ssfgglass.com/shop/product.php?id_product=63

@Teaparty - It's not clear to me what you're trying to accomplish in this thread.