Foil

[PerznPerversion]

Questioning my logic? Damn it man I am English (just joking)

Yes you are of course correct. Smoking is not so clever. But what you will find around here is that this is a given and just about everyone agrees on this. We don't tend to debate it much as we are all adults and make a consiouce decision to take this risk

JD - like my consiouce decision about bad speeling

Heck ya, Right now im craving a good shisha!!

Lets all have a video conferance and smoke at the same time :-P

[Sonthert]

In the quest for understanding, we assume nothing. Someone makes a proposition that X is true (or X is false). Without proof, we assume nothing.

Just because a large number of sources quote something to be true, doesn't make it so. Especially on the internet. The internet is barely scholarly to begin with. According to the Merck Index, 14th Edition, the only risk that aluminum poses is from the inhalation of finely divided particles (powder/dust). This is true for almost all metals. Its also true for clay/silica. Its also true for grain. Inhaling particles into your lungs is bad, so its no surprise.

Nobody can prove anything is safe. The proposition that "Nobody has proven its safe." is laughable. There is no way to prove such a thing. The basic definition of scientific inquiry says that after you make a hypothesis, you can either reject your hypothesis (Aluminum is bad for you) or you can fail to reject it...that doesn't prove its true. From basic toxicity and carcinogenic perspectives, aluminum foil hasn't shown any activity...nor aluminum in general. People who drink well/stream water that was purified using alum, an aluminum salt have body levels of aluminum of 30 times what ours are and they show no increased risks of brain damage. Iron, copper, lead, mercury are all toxic too...any heavy metal is toxic. Aluminum is no exception. If you are using a steel screen, it poses a risk if aluminum foil does. Low grade ceramics often have spalds in them containing beads of heavy metals...also a risk.

Aluminum does not vaporize (as a solid/liquid), unlike iron, which would mean that if there was a risk, it would be from smoking with a screen, or from a steel pipe. There must be a mechanism, which must involve vaporization of metal, aluminum doesn't do it, while most metals, including iron do.

This whole thing started from this modern arm of science, the alarmist arm of science. In the brains of Alzheimer's patients, they found aluminum. So, the alarmist reaction was to assume aluminum was to blame. They later found no correlation to this. Its a cause and effect problem...did the aluminum cause the Alzheimer's or did the Alzheimer's cause the increase of aluminum depositation? Heat causes ice to melt, not the other way around...ice melting doesn't give off heat. Some relationships confuse non-scientific minds on one-way causalities because they are two-way. If I light a match and it starts a brush fire, the fire gives off heat...so heat causes the fire and fire causes the heat. People begin to assume that causalities are all two way. A better one: If I fart and the big-tittied girl sitting at the next table says "Ew! that stinks!"...do you assume that her comment caused me to fart in the first place?! Likewise, just because you find aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer's victims doesn't mean you can assume aluminum is the cause of brain disorders. It may be...but your assumption is premature.

[nofrendo]

Right... You can't exactly PROVE anything... even gravity is a theory... the only way to say ABSOLUTELY FOR SURE about anything is to disprove it. I think that if no one has had a problem with the foil so far, it's safe to assume that it is safe until someone does. If you don't want to take risks, don't smoke hookah... I would think that you would worry more about little pieces of foil that you inevitably swallow as a result of food packaging... or like, terrorism... or something.

[PerznPerversion]

Right... You can't exactly PROVE anything... even gravity is a theory... the only way to say ABSOLUTELY FOR SURE about anything is to disprove it. I think that if no one has had a problem with the foil so far, it's safe to assume that it is safe until someone does. If you don't want to take risks, don't smoke hookah... I would think that you would worry more about little pieces of foil that you inevitably swallow as a result of food packaging... or like, terrorism... or something.

Actually isnt the laws of newton actually facts?

i was taught that those laws were the only things ever that were actually facts

[ASUSEAN1]

My friends dad is a neurosurgerfeon who has been studying Alzheimer's for the past 15 years. Aluminum foil has nothing to do with Alzheimer's along with any other outside factor.

[Apollo]

the amount of surface area of foil is rather irellivent, but make sure u only use one layer

[123blow]

Just a random question but:
What would happen if you put a layer of aluminum foil inside the bowl, poked holes as big as the holes in the bowl, put the shisha on that then put the regular layer of foil covering the bowl for the coal?

[The King]

Thought #1:
I just thought of something. Using 2 sheets, I wonder what the result would be of taking the first sheet (shisha cover) and poking fewer large pencil-sized holes in it, a small circle in the center and a circle around the edge. The second sheet (with coal on it) poke random toothpick-sized holes in it. Just a random thought.

Thought #2:
If smoking hookah around a fire, take embers out of the fire and use them for coals.

Would these work?

#2
I did this once, it actually worked really good, like really good smoke, not harsh at all... And suprisingly no taste difference, it was actually more flavorful than the QLs i use... But idk could be some sort of unhealthy factor in it.

As for the foil, I use double usually don't pay attention to what side is down and just punch a shitload of holes in it.

[insidius]

Just a random question but:
What would happen if you put a layer of aluminum foil inside the bowl, poked holes as big as the holes in the bowl, put the shisha on that then put the regular layer of foil covering the bowl for the coal?

Why don't you try it and let us know?

[hookah hippie]

I use a single sheet about 4x4 of either target brand or safeway or where ever I was near when I ran out

[L'Oignon]

I usually use two sheets on the standard mya bowl, but I used one the last couple sessions with my shallow bowl. Edited June 8, 2007 by L'Oignon

[ydnaHnairB]

i use a screen. i haven't noticed a difference between that and using foil, and the screen makes it easier to set up, clean up, and ash IMO

[ezie]

Just a random question but:
What would happen if you put a layer of aluminum foil inside the bowl, poked holes as big as the holes in the bowl, put the shisha on that then put the regular layer of foil covering the bowl for the coal?

This is how i pack my shisha every time i smoke. I use this method to prevent the juices running down the stem and by this it's easier to clean my hookah. This no after effect though. Thats just my opinion. Peace

[Calcartman]

One layer of foil, a huge sheet, basically i cover the bowl and have enough dropdown to fold over itself to hold it tight around the neck.
I use a lot of foil.
its cheap.

Toothpick holes in a ring setup, and then i poke holes anywhere the gap looks bigger than elsewhere.

blow through before poking holes and after.

[anathema]

one sheet shiny side down, about 15 holes for my mini hookah bowl. i think the shiny side keeps the heat in since it's more reflective.

my friend made use of his firewood, he made like a mini brick pit, put some chunks of firewood in there, add lots of lighter fluid, and there's your coals. they go by fast though.

[crf]

Just a random question but:
What would happen if you put a layer of aluminum foil inside the bowl, poked holes as big as the holes in the bowl, put the shisha on that then put the regular layer of foil covering the bowl for the coal?

This is how i pack my shisha every time i smoke. I use this method to prevent the juices running down the stem and by this it's easier to clean my hookah. This no after effect though. Thats just my opinion. Peace

The hookah lounge here in Joplin lines their bowl with foil as well to ease in cleanup.  I really don't think it affects the quality of smoke in any way.

[123blow]

Cool. Ya I tried it and I really didn't see any difference in smoke and like you guys said the cleanup was easier...

[Jamal]

It depends on how big your bowl is

For example Syrian bowl, i'd do 6" x 6"

where as a small bown i'd do 3" x 3"

[Allia22]

Cool. Ya I tried it and I really didn't see any difference in smoke and like you guys said the cleanup was easier...

Woohoo, this should help me keep my bowls pristine without minutes of scrubbing

[Canuck Noob]

I've experimented with 1-4 layers of foil, and have had the best smokes with 4 layers. Now, to be fair, it does take longer to get smoke, but I get none of the harsh burning that results when I use less foil.

The other thing I've learned is that the foil should not be touching the shisha or burning/harsh smoke will result.