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Where To Buy Metal For Downstem?


hippomania7

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I know theres already that DIY metal safety thing, but my questions are about where to get brass and stainless steel.

-for the downstem, where can I get a brass or stainless steel piping in a store? (already checked lowes, home depot, and ace hardware, none have them)
-is buying a brass towel bar safe? its "polished brass" so does that mean it has some kind of shiny coating that would make it dangerous to smoke?
-whats a reliable online website for brass/S.S pipes?
-and for any DIY-er... what metal are you using, and where did you buy it?


I already know the deal with copper. But I cant see through my vase on my DIY hookah so I don't know if the water will get chunky and turn green. Its a last resort for me, so please don't try to convince me to use/not use copper.
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Go back to Lowes and check in the section where they have parts for the inside of toliets. I got a brass downstem from there and one end was flared with a grommet, making it perfect for a stem
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QUOTE (ryno @ Sep 17 2008, 04:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Go back to Lowes and check in the section where they have parts for the inside of toliets. I got a brass downstem from there and one end was flared with a grommet, making it perfect for a stem



Do you remember the name of the part? Last time I went I heard of some brass toilet part similar to yours. Turns out it was called a "toilet supply line" and it was brass, but it was only 3/8ths of an inch thick. I don't see how that could be used as a downstem. If you could find it on their website, or describe it more that would be great. Thanks : )
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QUOTE (hippomania7 @ Sep 17 2008, 04:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (ryno @ Sep 17 2008, 04:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I dont remember what it was called, but I think it was 3/8in and the hookah had great pull on it.



How long was it (roughly) and how did you attach the skinny pipe to the bowl? I think that the hose Im using is 3/8

It was probably 2.5 ft or so long. I had an old stem laying around that had been rusting out, and that brass pip fit perfectly in it, so I had that as my stem with an ashtray and part for the bowl.

http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=23274
Theres a topic that has pics of mine. The brass pipe sits flush with the top of the old stem.
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QUOTE (ryno @ Sep 17 2008, 04:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (hippomania7 @ Sep 17 2008, 04:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (ryno @ Sep 17 2008, 04:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I dont remember what it was called, but I think it was 3/8in and the hookah had great pull on it.



How long was it (roughly) and how did you attach the skinny pipe to the bowl? I think that the hose Im using is 3/8

It was probably 2.5 ft or so long. I had an old stem laying around that had been rusting out, and that brass pip fit perfectly in it, so I had that as my stem with an ashtray and part for the bowl.

http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=23274
Theres a topic that has pics of mine. The brass pipe sits flush with the top of the old stem.



Random Question, does the brass seem bendable? My vase that I'm using for a base has a spout thats a little tilted. If I bought that same kind that you have, do you think I could bend the brass so it comes up straight?
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http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?p...8&top_cat=1

that place has stainless steel and brass tubing for pretty cheap.

I use copper in my DIY hookah. It smokes really well, and i have yet to have any green gunk in my water. The only thing is that you absolutely have to clean it before and after every use, but i know that there are some people who do that with their manufactured hookahs anyway.
there are pictures of my hookah here http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=24562
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QUOTE (agentscot @ Sep 18 2008, 12:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?p...8&top_cat=1

that place has stainless steel and brass tubing for pretty cheap.

I use copper in my DIY hookah. It smokes really well, and i have yet to have any green gunk in my water. The only thing is that you absolutely have to clean it before and after every use, but i know that there are some people who do that with their manufactured hookahs anyway.
there are pictures of my hookah here http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=24562


what exactly do you mean by "clean." What I've heard is a quick rinse with lemon juice, then a quick soak in baking soda dissolved into warm water. Do you do it differently?
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that is more or less what I do. But you definitely cannot do a "quick" rinse with lemon juice. It takes a little bit of time for lemon juice to dissolve all of the oxidations on the copper. What i do is plug one end of the down stem with my finger, pour lemon juice in till about half to two-thirds of the way up, plug the other end, then shake it around. Not violent shaking like you're mixing a cocktail, but more like tilting it side to side repeatedly. After that i run it through with baking soda water. For that you can either soak the entire stem or just pour it through. after your done, you have to dry it. It is imperative that you completely dry it, otherwise it will oxidize very quickly. I just shove a bunch of paper towels down the stem till they come out the other side as well as use paper towels to dry the outside.
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  • 5 weeks later...
QUOTE (slingham @ Oct 17 2008, 08:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
If you guys ever need any metal for making a tube hit me up. I manage an Industrial Supply store and have anything you'd need for a DIY. Not trying to advertise, but it's better than having to hunt.



that is very helpful to keep in mind, thank you.
PS, for anyone interested, I used a Brass part in lowes plumbing section called "sink supply line" It's 3/8" about 20 inches long. I cut it so that it was a little shorter to fix the pull, and it works great. Edited by hippomania7
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  • 2 weeks later...
i have an old egyptian hookah that i accidently dropped. part of the downstem bent. i cut off the damaged portion with a pipe cutter and there's about 6 inches of stem left. what are my options? i was thinking about buying a pipe to fit over the old one and soldering at the top. any ideas?
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QUOTE (nl0128 @ Oct 31 2008, 12:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
i have an old egyptian hookah that i accidently dropped. part of the downstem bent. i cut off the damaged portion with a pipe cutter and there's about 6 inches of stem left. what are my options? i was thinking about buying a pipe to fit over the old one and soldering at the top. any ideas?




If you could manage to get a pipe that would fit over it I think that would be great. However, an easy but not-so-aesthetically-pleasing fix would be to go to a hardware store (like ACE) and get clear tubing for about 50 cents a foot. A bonus is that it's easy to make a diffuser out of a vinyl tubing. It comes in different inner diameters. 1/2" should probably fit snug over a typical downstem. It will probably retain its slightly curly shape for a little while, but put it under a mattress for a night and it is fine the next day. Also, people might be worried about plastic melting bc of hot temperature. I've done this in the past and the part where the stem meets the plastic actually doesn't get all that hot.
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  • 3 weeks later...
I was searching online and came across this site. Accessories

Not sure it will be helpful for you and what your looking for. Hopefully it will. If not, hopefully some of the posts from the other members have been helpful.

Good luck in your search.
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  • 4 weeks later...

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