If you’ve been thinking about getting into THC concentrates, then you’re probably looking into everything you can about dab rigs. Dab rigs and electronic dab rigs, also called e-rigs, are similar in concept. They aren’t complicated, by any means, but there is a bit to learn.
One of the pieces that’s integral to any dab rig is the banger, or the nail. Depending on who you talk to, this piece may be called by either of these names. If you’re looking into dabbing, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about bangers!
What is a Banger?
When someone uses the word “banger”, they’re either talking about a great song or a dab rig attachment. Either way, you can be sure that you’re going to like where they’re going with it.
We’re here to talk about the dab rig attachment. A banger, sometimes called a nail, is an attachment that you use to vaporize THC. Before we move forward though, we want to clear up the difference between a nail and a banger. The two terms are used interchangeably, which makes sense, but a banger always refers to a dish-shaped attachment, while a nail can be a number of different shapes. So, a banger is always a nail, but a nail isn’t always a banger. Kind of like how a square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle isn’t always a square.
A banger, or a nail, is a dish-shaped attachment that’s used to vaporize THC. They’re a dab rig attachment, kind of like the bowl on a bong. There’s a huge difference between the two, though. Often, water bongs are a single piece, maybe two different pieces, and bud is put into the bowl. Then, a flame is presented to the bud, and you suck in to burn it, like smoking a cigarette.
Dab rigs are different. You don’t smoke them like you would a cigarette or a joint. A flame is still applied, but it’s applied directly to the dish. The dish is superheated, often using a butane torch or an electronic coil. When it reaches high temperatures, concentrates are applied to it, and they’re instantly turned into smoke and vapor. This is the substance that is inhaled while smoking.
There are all sorts of issues that come along with the traditional method of dabbing with a torch, and we’ll explore why e-rigs are a better alternative a little bit later in this post. If you want a more in depth explanation as to why e-rigs are better, check out our blog post here.
How Can Bangers Withstand Being Superheated?
This is an excellent question. Superheating, or the act of heating something into temperatures higher than your oven can reach, can be really destructive. It causes rapid expansion and contraction. Some materials can’t withstand that. They either burst, crumble, or melt when they’re superheated. So of course, bangers and nails need to be made from specific materials. This way, they can handle the use and abuse of being superheated.
Quartz Bangers
Quartz bangers or quartz nails are tried and true. They’ve been used for dabbing since its inception. In fact, most people prefer quartz over any other material offered. Quartz is a crystal, formed in the earth by high heat and pressure naturally. As such, quartz is one of the best materials for dabbing. The temperatures that dabbing requires are low for quartz, meaning it’ll never have any issues with being superheated.
Quartz bangers are more preferable than others because they are inert. This means that they don’t affect the taste of your dabs, allowing you to get the full flavors of the terpenes in your concentrates. If you’re dabbing for flavor, then you want quartz/titanium over any other material, purely from this standpoint.
Glass Bangers
Glass is created through high temperatures as well, but not nearly as high as quartz. Still, glass is inert, making it an excellent option, just like quartz. You’ll still get full-flavored dabs if you choose to go this route. However it needs to be noted that glass bangers are a lot more fragile than quartz bangers are. Glass is going to be more prone to the wear and tear of superheating, meaning that it should really only be used for low-temperature dabs.
Surgical Steel and Titanium Bangers
We’re grouping these together just because of how similar they are. Surgical steel and titanium nails are both great when it comes to durability. They’re a lot more durable than glass. Titanium is one of the most durable metals ever made, making it an awesome option for dabbing. However, there’s one huge downfall to these materials being used in dabbing.
Both surgical steel and titanium are metals, meaning that they are not inert. They react when they’re exposed to heat, and this can create issues with flavor, especially because of heat retention. Many people who use these materials note that their dabs have a metallic taste, making them less flavorful than if you used a glass or quartz banger. However, every material has its place. If you’re only doing high-temperature dabs, then you’re probably not as worried about flavor. If so, these are going to be right up your alley.
So, Which is Best?
It really depends on your dabbing needs, as we talked about above. Still, everyone’s got a preference, and we certainly do. We believe that quartz bangers are the best all-around option for just about anyone. They can withstand all of the heating that you throw at them, and they don’t contaminate the terpenes of your concentrates at lower temperatures. It’s going to let you do just about anything in the dabbing world.
How Much is a Quartz Banger Dab Nail?
So if quartz bangers are the best, they’ve got to be expensive, right? You’d think so, but thankfully, they’re very affordable. The quartz induction cups that we sell for the SWITCH are under $40, and unlike some atomizers, you won’t ever have to replace an induction cup as long as you take care of it. These can only be used with our e-rig, of course, but you’re going to find that quartz bangers for traditional rigs are also affordable. This is honestly one of the best parts about using quartz-it’s high quality at a low price.
How to Dab With a Quartz Nail
Dabbing with a quartz nail isn’t a difficult process whatsoever. We’re going to cover how to use a traditional quartz nail, as well as how to do so with our e-rigs!
Dabbing with Traditional Quartz Dab Nails and Rigs
When you’re using a traditional rig, there are a few steps to using your quartz nail properly. First, you need to make sure that you have the correctly sized nail or banger for your rig. Bangers come in a variety of sizes, with the most common being 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm. They also have male and female versions, changing the way that the nail seals the downstem. Make sure you get the right nail, otherwise dabbing isn’t going to be possible.
Once you’ve sourced the right size banger, it’s time to get the dabbing process started. The first step is affixing your banger to your rig. As long as you’ve got the right size, this will go smoothly. Then, it’s time to get it heated. Heating your banger can be done with an electronic coil or a torch. With most traditional rigs, a torch is going to be the common method. Torches should use butane fuel, as it allows them to reach the heat necessary to vaporize concentrates.
Heating is a process that takes some getting used to, especially when you’re trying to achieve the perfect dab with a traditional rig. Heat up time with the SWITCH, in comparison, happens in less than 5 seconds–another way e-rigs simplify dabbing. Most people time the amount of heat applied to the nail until it’s reached a point that they enjoy dabbing at. Others go the route of overheating the nail, then letting it cool until it’s at their preferred temperature. Some people like to use an infrared thermometer to get it just right. Regardless of the method, it takes a few tries to get it just right.
After your banger has been heated, the vaporizing begins! Concentrates are applied to the banger, where they quickly turn into smoke and vapor. It will fill the body of the rig, just like a standard water bong. Carb caps can be applied to regulate airflow. After just a few seconds, you inhale. It’s as simple as that! It’s the heating process that takes the most effort.
Dabbing with an E-Rig
Here’s the beauty of using an e-rig, like the SWITCH. Heating and handling are really taken out of the equation. The SWITCH allows you to preload your dabs, or add them after heating has been done, like a traditional rig. Regardless, the handling of concentrates is simplified by introducing a Quartz Induction Cup, which is our proprietary banger for the SWITCH.
Simply load the quartz cup with the concentrate of your choice and place it into the SWITCH. Then, you set the temperature (choosing between 300 and 780° F) that you prefer to dab at, and press the power button. Within seconds the cup is heated using patent-pending induction heating technology, and you’re able to achieve the perfect dab. No more fumbling, burning yourself, or throwing away butane money with a torch and a hot banger, you can load and go! It’s that easy.
The Advantages of Dabbing with the SWITCH
We’ve already talked about this briefly, but we wanted to touch on it to give you a better idea of why the SWITCH is the best option for dabbing.
We Use Only the Best Materials
We crafted the SWITCH like we have all of our other products-with care. The SWITCH is made from materials that you can count on, like a high volume battery, sophisticated electronics, and of course a quartz banger. We aim to make dabbing the most enjoyable experience you can have. In order to do that, it has to be streamlined and made effortless.
By using high-quality materials, we’ve created the ultimate dabbing machine that’s going to last as long as your session does. If it does start to run low on battery, then you can plug it in and keep it going. Both of our e-rigs use pass-through charging, meaning they can be used and charged at the same time.
Accurate Temperatures Are Achievable
When you use the SWITCH, you can get dabs at the temperature that you want them at. You no longer have to worry about missing the mark or having to compromise with a friend at the session. The SWITCH comes with 25 temperature settings, allowing you to dab anywhere from 300° F to 800° F (148° C - 426° C). This means that low-temperature and high-temperature dabs are able to be achieved, as well as anything in between.
The low end of the temperature range is exactly why we designed the SWITCH to use a quartz induction cup. By using the quartz cup, you can get all of the flavor from those tasty terps in your dabs. Even if low-temperature dabs aren’t your thing, you still have the option, meaning you can dabble when you want to.
The SWITCH Makes Dabbing Safer
When you don’t have to use a torch to heat your banger, you don’t have to worry about nasty burns or accidents. A butane torch is a high-powered lighter, for all intents and purposes. When you use it, there’s always the chance that you set something else on fire, or burn yourself using it. You might also burn yourself on the banger itself, which you don’t want to have to deal with. By eliminating the torch, you reduce the risk of an accidental injury.
Now, by moving the quartz banger to the inside of the rig, we’ve doubled down on the safety increase! The SWITCH heats the ceramic induction cup inside the body of the rig, while the outside remains cool to the touch, removing the possibility of burning yourself. The SWITCH’s method of heating is called induction heating. This process involves passing an electrical current through coils that then react with the induction cup and is a better overall dabbing experience, free of accidental burns or fires. You can check out our blog post here for everything you need to know about induction heating in vaporizers.
Dabbing with the SWITCH is Effortless
One of the biggest barriers to dabbing with a traditional rig is the process. Having to use a torch to heat your banger, and then having to use caution to not burn yourself, is challenging to say the least. We’ve created an effortless and extremely consistent way to achieve the perfect dab, every time you use it. The SWITCH is a marvel of THC-inspired technology, and it’s one that we’re proud to share with the community.
But What About the Boost EVO?
We love the Boost EVO, but it’s important to discuss the distinction between it and the SWITCH. The SWITCH still uses a banger in the form of the quartz induction cup. It’s superheated, then the concentrates you use with it are vaporized as a result of these high temperatures. The Boost EVO is a bit different. The Boost EVO utilizes a Quartz Atomizer, rather than a banger.
What Makes the Boost EVO Different from Any Other Vape?
The Boost EVO offers you complete control over your vaporizing experience. The Boost EVO, like the SWITCH and the original Boost that came before it, is specifically designed to make dabbing enjoyable. The Boost EVO gives you temperature control, as well as a more enjoyable way to dab.
The Boost EVO contains a revolutionary temperature regulator that we designed, built into the atomizer. Other portable electric dab rigs heat their coils based on an estimated time to reach the desired temperature. With our inherent sensor, there’s no guesswork of heating the coils, making for a super accurate process. We want THC enthusiasts to have the perfect dab, every time. All of our products are a result of that.
Which Should I Get? Boost EVO or SWITCH
It really depends on what you’re looking for. The SWITCH is more comparable to a traditional dab rig. It uses a quartz banger and it’s more of a desktop vaporizer. It’s great for longer sessions at home when you’re surrounded by friends. It also allows you to achieve low-temperature dabs, making it great for flavor chasers.
However, if you’re looking for something that’s on the go, then you want the Boost EVO. It’s not like a traditional dab rig; it uses an atomizer rather than a banger and it’s temperature range isn’t as wide, but it will travel with you better than the SWITCH does. It really just comes down to what you’re looking for, and what suits your lifestyle.
Still having trouble choosing between the two? That’s totally alright! If you’re still on the fence between the two, check out our blog post here for an in depth comparison of our two e-rigs. We here at Dr. Dabber pride ourselves on serving the community that we hold dearly. We can help you with the world of dabbing, as well as get you set with the right e-rig for you. When you choose Dr. Dabber, you’re choosing quality and care.
