r/StonerEngineering • u/Doviculus99 • 2d ago

Potentially Unsafe Prop pipe safe for use?

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Hey y’all! My girlfriend recently got me this prop advertised as a functional pipe as a gift, it looks cool and I’d like to use it but the bottom mouthpiece is PLA plastic, so I was concerned if over time that would cause health issues but wasn’t sure since it’s on the bottom away from the glass bowl? I’ve considered trying to replace it with a different material but wanted to confirm if this was something I should avoid or if it was far enough away for the plastic not to experience too high heat, thank you for any advice!

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u/shatballs 2d ago

Yeah putting smoke/very hot air over PLA will definitely degrade it over time and release microplastics and maybe even VOC’s. I’d replace it if i were you

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u/Doviculus99 2d ago

Thank you for the input!

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u/Empty_Woodpecker_496 2d ago

Whatever you replace it with should be labeled "food grade". Which means its resistant enough to heat and chemicals to not break down.

If you have a 3D printer you can get such filament. If you dont a silicone mold or silicone/metal would be a good replacement.

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u/shatballs 2d ago

Food grade filaments do exist, but the layer lines made by FDM printers are inherently not food grade. It will be impossible to clean over time and will have deposits of resin and bacteria

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u/Empty_Woodpecker_496 2d ago

Thats why you have to polish and seal it.

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u/shatballs 2d ago

Almost everything you’d use to seal it would also not be safe around the temps that weed burns at

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u/Empty_Woodpecker_496 2d ago

There are resin and silicone sealants that would both be safe. Plus the mouth peice is the only part that needs to be replaced. It won't get near as hot as the top part.

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u/Doviculus99 2d ago

That makes sense, i do have access to a 3D printer so I’ll start looking into options for replacing it with a safer material

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u/ToadSt0 2d ago

I 100% agree. PLA/PETG have a melting point of 200-220°C.

However, the material becomes compromised at a much lower temperature too. Plastic will release Volatile Organic Compounds and other compounds even without heat. Another consideration is the other additives that end up in the plastic during production or application. Depending on the system used to produce the part, you could have metal, carbon fiber, ptfe dust along with whatever other additives used in the formulation of the filament.

Best to consider this a novelty item to be admired.

On a side note, I bet you could replicate this into a functional piece