How to Make a Pipe Out of a Can [A Way That’ll Work]

Picture the scenario: You have several grams of top-shelf weed in the house but disaster! You discover that you’re out of rolling papers and your friend has a ‘loan’ of your pipe. To make matters worse, all the nearby stores are closed because it is late at night and you want to get stoned while listening to Led Zeppelin.

You desperately search the house, hoping to find anything to smoke with. A seemingly fruitless search yields nothing but an empty soda can you forgot to place in the recycling bin that day. Before you toss the can away in disgust, perhaps you can unleash some of your inner MacGyver and conjure up a pipe from the can. Seems impossible? Not if you follow this quick and easy guide.

Can + Screwdriver + Small Needle + Your Thumb = Pipe!

It is really easy to make a basic pipe from a soda can, as long as you have a sharp object or two lying around.

1. Rinse the can with warm water and allow it to dry before proceeding.
2. Use your thumb to make an indentation on the side of the can opposite the side where you will smoke from.
3. Use a needle, pen, or even a pencil, to poke holes in the middle of the can where you have made the indentation. These holes can be tiny, but the more, the better. A grate-like pattern works best for this purpose.
4. Once this is done, poke a large hole on the side using a screwdriver or a similar implement. If you’re in a rut, a pen could do the job.
5. Take the tab off the can and heat both the smoking area and the side of the can on the opposite side using a lighter. The idea behind this tactic is to vaporize any chemicals used on the inside of the can before you start smoking. If you wish, you can remove the paint from the two relevant areas. Again, this paint could prove toxic when you heat it, so we advise you to get rid of it. Sandpaper is ideal for this purpose.
6. Finally, your homemade can pipe is ready to use! Place the herb on the indentation, hold your mouth to the drinking hole in your new pipe, and use your thumb to cover the large hole on the opposite side of your weed. Light up your weed, and once the can is filled with smoke, it is time to inhale!

It is a handy trick if you are in dire need of a marijuana pipe, but there are dangers associated with it. Remember, the can is made from aluminum, which has been linked to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s when inhaled. Admittedly, it isn’t easy to heat the metal to a stage where it begins to vaporize using a basic lighter, but it does carry some health risks nonetheless.

The Apple Pipe

You can adopt the basic principle of the aluminum can pipe using an apple instead.

1. Take a fresh apple and jam a pen into it to create a tunnel from the top of the apple (stem) to its core.
2. Create another tunnel on the side of the apple which needs to connect to the one in the middle to provide you with proper airflow.
3. Use aluminum foil to line the apple’s natural mold where the stem comes out. Poke holes in the foil and place your weed on top of it.
4. Light up your herb and take a pull via the side hole of the apple. You can create a third hole on the other side to create a carb, but you don’t need to do so. This works as well as the can pipe without the associated risks.

How to Make the Two-Can Water Pipe

Once again, we have to remind you about the dangers of heating metal cans and potentially inhaling the fumes and paint. To create a quick, easy, and cheap disposable water pipe, you need two standard sized cans, a can opener, a pair of scissors, a mouthpiece or a glass slide, tape, and water.

1. Rinse and dry the two cans. Remove the top end of one can (which becomes the base), and both ends of the other can (which becomes the cylinder), using the can opener. If there are sharp edges, try to bend them and cover with tape to ensure your mouth doesn’t get cut when you try to use the can.
2. Poke a hole big enough to fit the stem of the mouthpiece in your base can. Once again, take great care not to cut yourself on the edges and use tape to cover it up.
3. Attach your mouthpiece and use more tape to ensure it is properly connected to the can.
4. Tape the two cans together to create your DIY water pipe’s chamber.
5. Add water to the point where the stem is barely submerged and get ready.
6. Fill the mouthpiece with herb and inhale through the top of the pipe. Once the chamber is filled with smoke, remove the mouthpiece when it is time to indulge.

Final Thoughts on DIY Pipes

The marijuana industry is synonymous with innovation, and for decades, weed users have crafted weird and wonderful methods of enjoying their cannabis using whatever household implements they happened to have lying around. There is something very funny about using a can to create a hash pipe but if you have no rolling paper, and a whole load of premium grade weed, it makes sense to create a DIY pipe from a can rather than wait an entire day to get high!

Although the can pipe is innovative, it comes with its own set of risks. You could cut yourself on the can or inhale the chemicals from the paint. In an ideal world, you will have a pipe or rolling papers handy. Alternatively, you can use an apple to achieve a similar effect without the risk of cuts or chemicals.