What is a dab rig:
A dab rig is used to smoke concentrate. Similar to a bong, dab rigs filter concentrate vapor through water located at the base. Lastly, rigs are amazing instruments and differ to pipes and other water pipes because dab rigs require flash-heating which is most commonly achieved using a butane torch.
What is flash heating:
In general flash heating relates to the sudden impact of intense heat in a short period. This allows for the concentrate to reach desired temperature without over or under heating. The standard rule of thumb is a 10 : 30 ratio. 10 seconds of applying heat to the nail or banger then 30 seconds of cooling time. After the 30 seconds, your concentrate can be placed in the nail or banger. This ratio can be adjusted to your heat preference.
What is concentrate:
◦ Concentrates by definition, are oils or wax that are extracted from dry herb and contain a highly concentrated amount of THC. Smoking or vaping concentrate doesn’t produce as strong of odor as consuming dry herb does. Common forms of concentrate include shatter and wax.
◦ The difference between wax and shatter is that shatter is translucent and more brittle whereas wax is gooey with more liquid like properties.
What’s the difference between ceramic titanium/metal/Quartz nails and bangers:
◦ Titanium is a metal and heats relatively quickly typically within 15 to 25 seconds and has very good heat retention.
◦ Ceramic takes longer to heat, but also maintain heat for the longest amount of time.
◦ Quartz comes standard with most dab rigs. Quartz is considered the least durable between the three and allow for smaller dabs rather than bigger longer lasting dabs.
◦ Quartz bangers are shaped like a cup. After the heating and cooling process is complete you drop your concentrate right in and cover with a carb cap to keep all of your vapor inside of the banger.
Since dab rig nails have domes or can be dome-less there is also a debate as to whether domed or dome-less nails are better. Nails with domes are considered safer because it covers most of a surface area to reduce injury to the consumer but both do the job pretty great. Domed nails also contain more of the vapor to ensure you are getting the most out of your concentrate.
Overall, The material you use is all up to personal preference. We recommend trying out a quartz banger if you are a beginner.