This is for parties where folks stand and chit-chat. They like standing where there are no chairs, maybe in the kitchen.
The pendulum bong resembles a two-spouted kettle, or pot. One spout is a receptacle bowl connected to a pipe that goes down to the bottom of the pot. The pipe goes into the pot, which has liquid in it; the pot goes in the bowl; the pot has a mouthpiece on the other side. Maybe a diagram is needed, but I think most people get the picture.
The handle of the pendulum bong is tied to a rope, attached to a hook, in the middle of the ceiling. There's another hook up there for storage. There are small containers on the side of the pot to hold a lighter and stuff to put in the bowl.
When folks congregate in the kitchen and someone says, "How about a smoke?; shall we go sit?", you can reach up and unhook the pendulum bong, fill, light and hit. Then let go of the pendulum bong and it swings across the room for the person standing opposite.
After using this a while, people enjoy passing the bong, and are never embarrassed by accidentally dropping it. It's fun watching it swing. Happy trails.-- snifftheocean, Dec 04 2009 http://popup.lala.c.../360569470942674442 [leinypoo13, Dec 04 2009] How long is the rope, wont it swing about five feet in either direction and hit kitchen counters? Wont the weed fall out? Wont people get bong water splashed on themselves or worse get the weed wet? Won't the centrifugal force cause the THC atoms to fuse?
Pot culture is the worst.
Welcome to the halfbakery.-- leinypoo13, Dec 04 2009 leinypoo13:
The rope is just long enough to be at the height of a person's head, at the end of the swing.
If your kitchen counter's are the same height as your head, I assume you are a basketball player and had them made specially for you. I am not making up that, a local basketball star had special counters made that were six feet. The rope length must be adjusted for basketball players, OK?
Regarding the idea of water splashing or things "falling out" of the device, be aware it swings very gently and centrifugal force tends to hold things in place. (Ever swing a pail of water over your head, spilling not a drop?).
Regarding pot culture, I tend not to form opinions. I tried it in the 70's and 80's and recall seeing a pendulum bong at someone's abode. It's just a concept. Some may not like it. So, it's not actually half-baked, is it?
Thanks for the welcome!
Best wishes from snifftheocean-- snifftheocean, Dec 04 2009 Lets say that there is a normal 8 ft ceiling. the rope would have to be 7 ft + bong, in order to avoid hitting floor. In order to swing to a 6 ft persons head it would extend 6.7 ft in any direction, so when folks congregate in the kitchen it means no walking or counters, sinks etc in the 140 sq ft cleared out for the pendulum to function.
Even when removing a table, I've never been in a kitchen with 140 sq ft of round open space.
Also, when people grab the bong and it is still moving it will likely knock around the weed and/or bong water.-- leinypoo13, Dec 04 2009 Barring a couple of fine technical points, you're about thirty-five years too late.
(Clinton voice) But I never inhaled.-- normzone, Dec 04 2009 "... the rope would have to be 7 ft + bong, in order to avoid hitting the floor..."
Whoa there! The rope is no more than about 4 feet long and the thing swings across about 5 foot circle.
Regarding thoughts about water or weed being knocked about, note this is a rather heavy ceramic item, that sways gently and gracefully across a 4 foot arc.
For larger parties, you make it apparent that something more elaborate may be needed. Perhaps you can fix up some tracks on the ceiling and have a motorized delivery vehicle, with multiple remote controls that people can fight over?
Seven feet of rope might be just about right for other projects; used in an area much larger with a much higher ceiling.
normzone is correct, this was fully baked about 35 years ago. The water didn't slosh and worked very well. I never saw another like it. Believe it, or not.
This idea doesn't "belong" on halfbakery for that very reason. It's already been done, and someone can't even imagine that!
Cheers!-- snifftheocean, Dec 04 2009 What if instead of putting the pipe in the bowl in the pot you put the pipe in the pot? What will then become of the bowl? Also, inevitably, people will want to hang on it and swing on it and it will pull the hook out of the ceiling because it was just a puny swag hook and you were lucky it could hold the bong, much less Gary and Duane. Also, during earthquakes the bong will come off the storage hook and scythe across the floor with deadly deadliness. Also if the bathroom is full but no-one is the kitchen we will be tempted to use it as a urinal. Also if you fill it with ether it might catch the kitchen on fire.
There are just so many potential problems with this!-- bungston, Dec 04 2009 A simple spring loaded, ratcheting retraction system for the hanging cable would be advisable, also hanging the whole contraption such that it retracts toward the ceiling and appears to be a funky light fixture. Welcome.-- Sparkyplugclean, Dec 04 2009 // if you fill it with ether it might catch the kitchen on fire. //
Oooohhhh ... flames ....-- 8th of 7, Dec 04 2009 Thanks for the enlightening comments.-- snifftheocean, Dec 05 2009 Dope on a rope, then?-- shudderprose, Dec 05 2009 /Thanks for the enlightening comments./ It might attract enlightening too, if it were on the roof and made of silver.-- bungston, Dec 07 2009 //attract enlightening// variation on the "hot potato" game, perhaps.-- FlyingToaster, Dec 07 2009 I like the general feel of the idea. What if the rope was attached to a mechanism to play out or reel in the rope? The container would stay at a predetermined height.
How? Webcam looking at rope angle + program + motorized reel.-- wjt, Dec 08 2009 The main issue I have with this is that while people might fancy a smoke whilst standing up, afterwards most people fancy having another one, sitting down.-- wagster, Dec 08 2009 //note this is a rather heavy ceramic item//
... Swinging back and forth amongst people actively shortening thier attention spans.
I like.-- MikeD, Dec 08 2009 Replace the rope with bungee-cord and essentially you have a lively, loungeroom projectile-game, (... lively in the sense that at some stage the munters will start aiming for heads, not hands.-- tactik, Dec 09 2009 random, halfbakery