Once you learn how to smoke a bong, there may be no going back to the days of rolling your own. However, most bongs are made from glass, and glass can definitely be broken. When you have a high-quality or collectible bong, it’s not so easy to just toss it and move on. Here is a quick guide on how to fix a crack in a glass bong, a hole, a chip, or otherwise.
How to Fix a Broken Glass Bong
Depending on how the bong is made, you may or may not be able to tackle repairs. Here is a closer look at the general process to follow if you notice a problem with your bong.
1. Assess the damage
Whether it’s the stem, the slide, the bowl, or the base, there are a lot of parts on a bong that can be damaged. Take a good look at your bong and determine the extent of the damage. Do you have just one part of the bong that is damaged? For example, if you accidentally drop the bong, you may notice you have a crack that runs up from the base and all the way to the stem.
2. Should you repair the glass bong or replace it?
Without a doubt, there will be some bongs that are broken beyond repair. Fixing bongs is a specialized skill set, and should not be attempted at home unless you have substantial glassblowing experience already. Our in-house repair artists stand ready to help with anything we can! Cracked percs are particularly bad and can easily be the end of a bong. The most common repair is a joint repair, which involves replacing the joint where the downstem or stemless joint enters the base of the bong. This is sometimes also done to remove a permanently stuck or broken downstem. Smaller rigs often need mouthpieces repaired, and ash catchers/slides lose their joints as well! All of these are things the Bern Gallery Repair Service can help with!
Bern Gallery Bong Repair Services
In general, every bong repair project should be looked at first by the artist doing the repair. Feel free to bring your bong in for a consultation any time, we have artists on staff ready to help 7 days a week. In the tragic event that your bong cannot be replaced, we have a wide variety of high-quality bongs in all shapes, sizes, colors and price ranges. Keep an eye out for special discount codes on the website!
Other FAQs About How to Fix a Glass Bong and Other Pieces
How do you fix a broken glass bong stem?
If you have a broken glass bong stem and the break is perfectly clean, you may be able to seal it back together with a UV reactive glue. This generally requires a large UV light setup and is complex to do at home. We offer this type of repair in the event of breaks that fit seamlessly back together. It needs to be looked at by an artist to assess the possibility of success, so be sure to bring your piece into the shop!
Can you fix a glass pipe?
Some glass pipes can be fixed. These pieces are small and usually made of thicker glass. Therefore, the most common damage is dings and small cracks. Some pipes can still be used with minimal damage, but anything extensive should be repaired. Bowl pushes can be replaced, cracked carbs and mouthpieces can be polished.
Can you fix a broken rig?
Broken dab rigs can be repaired in many of the same ways as bongs. However, nails and bangers are made of Quartz and cannot be repaired using the torches we use. Our triplemix Propane/Oxygen torches do not get hot enough to match the Hydrogen torches used to make quartz nails.
Find a Glass Repair Service That Can Help
Given the complexity of the project, you can and should rely on professionals to repair bongs for you. For example, at Bern Gallery, we offer glass bong and pipe repair for most levels of damage. Our team can assess any damage and tell you if we can repair it, and offer advice/alternatives if the piece cannot be saved!
Be sure to learn how to clean a glass bong properly to hopefully thwart risks of damage down the road.