I mentioned this in another thread and there was interest in a tutorial. This bong is cool but mostly novelty - you'll get a some good hits out of it but eventually the heat transfer becomes too much and the whole thing melts. If anyone has any ideas on how to better insulate it, feel free to post.
You will need: plastic wrap, rubber band, clay, beer bottle, 2 liter pop bottle, tape (preferably packing tape), Utility knife, Freezer and stove access for an extended period of time, Frying pan, Unbent coat hanger, Bowl
1.
Take a the plastic wrap and put a few layers over the mouth of the beer bottle. Secure with elastic band.
2.
Cut the bottom bumpy part off the pop bottle and fill the bottom with water. Put in the freezer.
3.
Take the beer bottle and place it inside the top half of the pop bottle, neck down (touching the mouthpiece of the pop bottle). This will form your chamber so make sure the plastic wrap is secure and try to line it up the best you can with the mouth of the pop bottle. Use the packing tape to secure the bottle like this by making an X shape with it from one side of the pop bottle, over the beer bottle, then down the other side of the 2 liter.
4.
Put the lid back on the two liter and fill with water. Put it in the fridge, neck down to freeze. My freezer usually has enough stuff I'm able to prop it up with no problem, if yours doesn't you might have to get creative. This is also where you could add some cool colors to the ice, like food coloring or whatever, or sink things into it to make it look cool. Allow both parts to freeze.
5.
Remove both from the freezer and pop them out of the molds. If you have a problem with this, run the mold under hot water until it comes free. If you've done it properly and no ice has formed inside the beer bottle, you can take the lid off the pop bottle, fill the beer bottle with hot water, and easily slide it out. If ice has formed inside the beer bottle, all is not lost! It'll just take some time to melt it out with the hot water. The other thing that is good for this if the ice has totally sealed the bottle is the unbent coat hanger. Heat it on the stove and use it to poke through the ice seal, then proceed to fill the beer bottle with hot water.
6.
Turn on your stove and put a frying pan or big pot on an element on low heat. Place the bottle of the chamber piece on the hot surface and melt it until it's level. Take the non-bumpy side of the bottom piece and run it over the hot surface of the pan until it's flat as well. Stick them together and return to freezer so they can freeze that way.
7.
While they're freezing, cut the top part off the 2 liter bottle, the mouthpiece and then about two or three inches down. This is going to become the mouthpiece for your bong. Originally I used to just take hits right off the ice, but it's really cold and your mouth will melt the ice quickly. Take the ice bong out of the freezer, apply water to the mouth opening and the plastic piece, then stick the plastic part onto the mouthpiece of the bong. Put the bong back in the freezer so they can freeze together. These don't always freeze together fantastically but it can be pretty easily re-frozen at any time.
8.
Take the bong out of the freezer (almost done!) Turn on your stove again. Use the stove to heat the coat hanger and use it to slowly poke a hole through the side of the bong where the bowl will go. This is going to be MUCH higher up than you think it is going to be, halfway up the bong if not higher. If you poke it too low, you'll hit the base and the bowl won't fit, so be careful with this part. Make it slightly larger than the stem of the bowl, and line the hole with clay.
9.
Insert the bowl into the hole you've just made and your ice bong is complete! Fill the chamber with water and get down to business.
Some considerations to make your ice bong last as long as possible - only hand it with gloves or oven mitts, and try and get it back into the freezer ASAP after smoking. It WILL melt while you're using it, so you'll get a little wet, but it's a small price to pay for ridiculously cold, smooth hits. Throw down a towel and you're good to go. I live in Canada and I've always wanted to take one of these outside for a winter time smoke sesh but haven't gotten around to it (mostly because it's cold as balls here) but if you live somewhere similar and are willing to brave the cold I can see it being pretty sweet.
Sorry for the lack of pictures - I don't have the time or space to make an ice bong right now, but wanted to share the tutorial in the spirit of the new winter season. Hopefully I've been descriptive enough that someone else can post pictures of their success.
