Printabowl uses 3D printing to create sculptural marijuana bongs – Dezeen

by • January 14, 2016 • No Comments

Seattle beginup Printabowl has created water pipes for smoking pot which are meant to be put on display rather than be hidden “in a shoebox under your bed”.
The bongs form the debut collection of Printabowl, which describes itself as the creator of high-quality and design-minded “elevation instruments” for cannabis enthusiasts.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
The company was accomplished in late 2015 by two brothers in their 20s, Al and Saul Jacobs, who both studied art.
Their limited-edition Cumulo collection showcases three designs which reference organic forms, such as angular crystals and rippling liquid.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
“We ponder of these as pieces of functional sculpture,” said Saul Jacobs, the company co-director. “They’re created to exist and enhance the space we inhabit, not to be tucked away in a cabinet or in a shoebox under your bed.”

Related story:Snoop Dogg launches edible marijuana range with branding by Pentagram
“We’re excited to be a part of further introducing this aspect of counterculture into day to day life,” he added.
Printabowl uses moulds which are fabricated using a 3D printer. The moulds are filled with ceramic which is left to harden.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
“The mould is and so removed and the hardened objects are fired in a kiln, glazed, and and so fired again to produce the finished piece,” the designers explained.
“Each elevation instrument undergoes thorough inspection to ensure standard-exceeding quality and durability as pieces of satisfactory art and physical manifestations of 3D printing’s earliest impact on smoking culture,” they added.
Printabowl hopes to a fewday produce bongs which are fabricated solely using a 3D printer.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
“For this inaugural collection, we 3D print the moulds for the reason we’ve discovered which the quality of available 3D-printed material isn’t yet on par with our standards,” said Al Jacobs, a company co-director. “Other 3D-printed objects, such as precious metal jewellery created of gold or silver, in addition use a much like casting system at this point in the technology’s lifecycle.”
Each bong measures 7.75 inches (19 centimetres) in height and comes with a glass stem and bowl.

Related story:“My mission is to elevate cannabis through design” says Megan Stone
The Alpha pipe showcases a minimalist form with subtle striations, while the expressive Ferro model was inspired by ferrofluid, a type of liquid which responds to magnetic forces.
The Tessellate bong has a faceted form which is meant to resemble smokey quartz, a semiprecious stone known for its “grounding properties,” said the company.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
Released this week, the water pipes can be purchased through the company’s website. Prices begin at $300 (£207).
Al and Saul Jacobs developed the thought for 3D-printed bongs while pursuing art degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle.
“Inspired by a science-centred course on creativity and innovation, Al and Saul begined Printabowl to nourish their shared appreciation of design in lieu of Washington state’s recreational cannabis legalisation,” said the company, noting which the state legalised the recreational use of cannabis in November 2012.
In total, 23 American states have legalised marijuana use in a few form. The majority simply just\ allow it for medicinal purposes, although recreational use is permitted in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington DC and Washington state.
3D printed bongs in Cumulo collection by Printabowl
The retail and wholesale marijuana market may reach $11 simply just about billion (£7.6 billion) in yearly revenue by 2019, according to Arc View – a California-based research firm. Cannabis is one of the most rapidly expanding industries in the US.
Printabowl aims to tap into this emerging market while in addition capitalising on the growth of the 3D-printing industry, which may reach $21 billion (£14.5 billion) by 2020, according to reports.
“The two markets’ intersection appears inevitable,” said the company. “Consumers have may already seen toys, jewelry and even clothing printed by way of 3D. It’s simply just\ effortless which this manufacturing shift may transition to the legitimate cannabis industry.”

Related story: Will Patrick’s Farma bioreactor may let owners brew their own drugs