Dabba doooos...and Don'ts
Does your new dab rig need a banger, bucket or cap? Of quartz it does!
Today we’re talking about quartz and the various forms it is available for use with your favorite concentrates and oils. Quartz nails are created from silicon dioxide, a natural compound found within the earth. It requires extremely high temperatures to be worked for use as a vaporization element—but leave that to the expert glass blowers.
In the meantime, here’s some helpful information to keep you up-to-date on the latest quartz trends and maintenance techniques. You may discover quartz to be the next necessary addition to your rig!
Honey Buckets and OFZ Style Caps
Conceived by the masters at Mothership Glass, Honey Buckets utilize a hinged quartz swing to be easily moved in and out of the “bucket” (main chamber of the oil accessory.) When torching, you’ll want to lift the swing up and heat from the bottom. Once you’ve allowed the quartz to cool to your preferred temperature, swing the arm into the body of the bucket and dab away!
Honey Buckets are paired with OFZ (optimal flavor zone) style carb caps to maximize airflow. When placed on top of the bucket, OFZ style caps create a convection oven within the attachment. This circulates hot air within the chamber and allows for the nail to reheat itself for a short period of time. Correct use of an OFZ style cap ensures that you get all of the natural flavors and terps of your concentrates with every dab. Note: For more info on how temperatures play into dabbing, check out our High Temperature vs. Low Temperature Dabbing Guide.
Quartz Bangers and QFZ Style Caps
Popularized by the pros at Quave Club Bangers, bangers are a style of quartz nail that extends away from your water pipe. Like the Honey Bucket, you’ll want to heat a banger from the bottom and let it cool to your ideal temperature for full-flavored dabs. Bangers are best utilized when paired with QFZ (quality flavor zone) style carb caps. These caps function similarly to OFZs, by creating a convection oven within the chamber of your banger. QFZs were made popular by lampworker QHeffner, before companies such as Capstars and Diamond Caps started producing large quantities of the caps.
Here at Smoke Cartel, we’ve got a solid collection of high-end quartz available.
HQX Bangers and Caps
Brought to you by GlasseX, these bangers are handcrafted in Asheville by Jason Hoyes and the team at Hoyes Quartz. Forged out of the highest quality quartz available, these bangers are a phenomenal alternative to other American made glass companies.
HQX bangers sport a ring near the bottom of the accessory so that the banger can be adjusted or removed from a joint - even while the quartz is hot. Jason Hoyes also makes QFZ style caps designed to fit snug on HQX bangers and maximize airflow. Even the caps are made with the same quality quartz and high standards HQX is known for.
Empire Glassworks Bangers and Buckets
If you’ve been following Smoke Cartel closely, you know we’re a huge fan of the artists over at Empire Glassworks. They’ve harnessed a great reputation by creating functional, pop culture-inspired glass art pieces available for a reasonable price.
The Empire quartz bangers are no different and ship with a decorative cap of your choice. Choose from our long list of styles including a pizza slice, pocket monster ball, mushroom, and light-reflecting encased opal. The character caps also have a dab tool fused to the side, making it that much easier to taste the flavors of your concentrates.
Empire Glassworks also makes Honey Buckets sporting various pop culture themes and characters. These buckets come paired with a matching carb cap so you and your favorite cartoon character can hit that quality flavor zone, dab after dab.
The Empire Honey Buckets are a great way to easily upgrade the look and function of your daily driver. For the best selection of pop-culture themed honey buckets, check out Smoke Cartel’s selection of Empire Glassworks Quartz Products.
How do I maintain my quartz?
Tip tech: While cotton swabs are a useful household and beauty item, they also have a rightful place at your dab station. Many dabbers use cotton swabs to prolong the life and flavor of their quartz by mopping up the leftover puddle after every single dab. Good thing Smoke Cartel carries Tip Tech cotton swabs made especially for dabbing!
Quartz nails are actually porous, so overtime the oil will seep into the nail, expediting the rate at which the quartz becomes worn. If quartz is not swabbed after use, the leftover residue will harden and oxidize as the nail cools to room-temp.
To prevent this, make sure to swab all of the leftover residue while the quartz is still warm. In order to be effective, you must start this process with the first dab on a fresh banger. While it may sound tedious, dabbers around the world have adopted this as a useful technique to save money and flavor.
Other quartz tips:
When heating any quartz, it’s important to only apply heat to the outside of the nail.
Make sure to never overheat your quartz. Many dabbers get their nails red hot before allowing them to cool, and this contributes to wear by speeding up the oxidation process.
For more information about quartz nails and dabs, check out our Quartz Guide.
