Painting your hookah stem?

[AndyK]

Hey fellow forum members,

I was thinking about painting/spraying my KM stem to flat black like the electroplated hookahs. Would it be safe/non-toxic to spray it flat black?
Also, how am I able to do this? Can anyone recommend me some non-toxic spraypaint or something like that? Thanks!

[Meatless]

Not that your stem gets all that hot, but you could use barbeque paint. Since it's used on barbeque pits, it's a high temperature paint, so even the tray would be fine with coals in it.

[hookah12]

There will be several steps to this process if you really wanted to do it.
1. Cover up the hose port, part of the stem that will be inside the vase, purge valve,both of the holes on the underside of the stem for the purge and hose ports, and the top hole where to bowl sits with painters tape.

2.The entire hookah stem will need to be sanded to give the paint a better chance of properly bonding to the stem. Do not skimp out on this step. Probably the most important stem of all as if you don't do this then your paint job will not last as long and wont look as good.

3. After sanding and cleaning the stem off with wax and grease remover, wipe off the stem and make sure there are no dust particles etc on it.

4. Hang it up in a well ventilated area and spray a few light coats of primer. Preferably heat resistant as the top part of the stem especially can get quite warm. Do a few coats.

5. After primer, give it a light sand and spray a heat resistant paint of your choice. Make sure you do light coats as this will give you the best finish and the least chances of running the paint and making the job look bad.

6. Give sufficient drying time and allow one week curing time for the paint. Then look into clear coats that will be suitable for this application to protect the paint and give it a nice shine.

The main points would be to keep any paint off of the stem that will be in the vase and make sure no paint gets inside of the stem. Good luck hopefully it turns out well. I would not want to ruin a good quality hookah in doing this though. If it was a chinese hookah I would not mind though but if it is a reasonably valuable hookah, look at selling it and buying the stem pictured above. Or just spend the 80 odd dollars on the stem and then you have two stems

[Evilcon666]

Maybe plug some of the holes with rubber stoppers? Just a thought. It is what I would do

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[chango714]

Off topic, Evilcon666, did someone ask that you change your line "Sent from inside your mom's panties using forum runner" Gave me a chuckle every time i read it. inside your house doesn't have the same punch.

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by hookah12

There will be several steps to this process if you really wanted to do it.
1. Cover up the hose port, part of the stem that will be inside the vase, purge valve,both of the holes on the underside of the stem for the purge and hose ports, and the top hole where to bowl sits with painters tape.

2.The entire hookah stem will need to be sanded to give the paint a better chance of properly bonding to the stem. Do not skimp out on this step. Probably the most important stem of all as if you don't do this then your paint job will not last as long and wont look as good.

3. After sanding and cleaning the stem off with wax and grease remover, wipe off the stem and make sure there are no dust particles etc on it.

4. Hang it up in a well ventilated area and spray a few light coats of primer. Preferably heat resistant as the top part of the stem especially can get quite warm. Do a few coats.

5. After primer, give it a light sand and spray a heat resistant paint of your choice. Make sure you do light coats as this will give you the best finish and the least chances of running the paint and making the job look bad.

6. Give sufficient drying time and allow one week curing time for the paint. Then look into clear coats that will be suitable for this application to protect the paint and give it a nice shine.

The main points would be to keep any paint off of the stem that will be in the vase and make sure no paint gets inside of the stem. Good luck hopefully it turns out well. I would not want to ruin a good quality hookah in doing this though. If it was a chinese hookah I would not mind though but if it is a reasonably valuable hookah, look at selling it and buying the stem pictured above. Or just spend the 80 odd dollars on the stem and then you have two stems

Thanks for the reply. I found this http://www.net4sale.com/Shop/pc/view...6&idproduct=57 when I searched up barbeque paint. So simply just sand my stem down with sandpaper and spray that on and that's it? Sorry, I've never done any coating and painting before. As you can see, I'm not that bright in this topic.

[AndyK]

I was just thinking of spraying Plasti Dip on it and be done it with it considering that the spray could be scratched off with fingernails or something if you didn't like it

[Meatless]

Originally Posted by AndyK

Thanks for the reply. I found this http://www.net4sale.com/Shop/pc/view...6&idproduct=57 when I searched up barbeque paint. So simply just sand my stem down with sandpaper and spray that on and that's it? Sorry, I've never done any coating and painting before. As you can see, I'm not that bright in this topic.

That's the stuff. And like was mentioned, you'll get a better look if you do several very light coats, than one thick coat.

[hookah12]

yeh either that or go to your Auto store and get something like engine paint

[kgturner]

Or sell your current stem and buy a flat black one. I can assure you that if you don't already know how to apply paint/spray paint evenly, you will mess it up.

Kevin T

[Avoidtheboyd]

Don't put plasti dip on it... Its could melt and i really don't think you want to inhale that stuff if it wouldnt get hot or anything

[Melvin]

i really cant believe someone would want to paint a rig ah i am getting old i think.

[Evilcon666]

Originally Posted by chango714

Off topic, Evilcon666, did someone ask that you change your line "Sent from inside your mom's panties using forum runner" Gave me a chuckle every time i read it. inside your house doesn't have the same punch.

Lol. No. That's Klepto

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[rockstar115]

i wouldn't recommend you but if you do get a non toxic paint.

[hookah12]

paint being toxic or non toxic will not be an issue as the paint will only be on the exterior of the hookah. If I were you I would save up and buy the electro plated one. it will be worth it. And that way you have not ruined a perfectly good stem

[johnpaulh]

If you are really hell bent on doing this.....do the prep work, sanding etc....then take it to an auto body shop and have them powder coat it.

[ADRUNKK]

I wouldnt go to an autobody shop and have them powder coat it. Yes im sure they would sub it out for you but i wouldnt want to pay their labor, markup, and freight fees. Go right to a powder coating company. In my line of business (metal fabrication) we deal with powder coaters quite often. You would be pretty amazed at how cheap powder coating can be. To get good pricing you would need to do a bulk run. You do not have this luxery with just one stem, but what you can do is ask what colors they already have schedule to run that week. Ask if they can include your lonely item in with someone elses bulk run. Hopefully someone is doing a flat black. If not you can comprimise on the color or you can wait until someone is running flat black.

[Evilcon666]

How hard is it to to elctroplate? I'm not sure what that is. Can that be done at any metal shop?

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[kgturner]

Or just buy a flat black stem. $99.99 from 5starhookah. I doubt any powder-coater, electroplater, or autobody shop will do the job for a hundred bones.

Kevin T

[ADRUNKK]

Originally Posted by kgturner

Or just buy a flat black stem. $99.99 from 5starhookah. I doubt any powder-coater, electroplater, or autobody shop will do the job for a hundred bones.

Kevin T

It shouldnt cost more than 20 bucks to have your stem powder coated.

[ADRUNKK]

Originally Posted by Evilcon666

How hard is it to to elctroplate? I'm not sure what that is. Can that be done at any metal shop?

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Not a lot of metal shops will be able to do electroplating, but most will have subs that they work with that can do it. Electroplating is shit like chrome.


Im not an expert in electroplating but this is how i understand the process. The part you want plated is positively charged and submerged in a liquid bath. Then they negatively charge the plating material (lets say chrome) and they put that it in the liquid bath as well. The negatively charged particles (chrome) will transfer to your positively charged part through the liquid medium and will permanently adhere to your part.

Powder coating is kinda similar, there is no liquid bath. The part you want coated is positively charged, the powdered paint is negatively charged. Once sprayed the part is baked in an oven to make the paint adhere.

I could be wrong on what is positively charged and what is negatively charged but you get the idea of what is transpiring.

[johnpaulh]

Guess I'm lucky. Damn near every auto body shop around here has a powder coating rig to do smalls, and a couple can do whole frames......

Electroplating something is a little more complex than described, but you got the general idea....but it would be way more than a powder coating job.

[Evilcon666]

Wonder what type of directions I need to tell the guy I I were to get mine plated. Would I need to cover the holes? Or what? I ask because I've got a friend who owns a metal shop. Curious if he can electroplate stuff.

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[Meatless]

Originally Posted by Evilcon666

Wonder what type of directions I need to tell the guy I I were to get mine plated. Would I need to cover the holes? Or what? I ask because I've got a friend who owns a metal shop. Curious if he can electroplate stuff.

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I would tell him that you just want the exterior plated, and let him cover the holes. They typically have lots of experience plating pieces where part of it need to be masked or blocked off, assuming he does in fact do electroplating.

[BigE]

I would have to say, follow hookah12's advice, except after degreasing with rubbing alcohol, lightly wipe with a tac cloth (sticky cloth used for automotive painting prior to topcoating).