Hey Screwers,

Smokin' Screws' Head of Operations Lisa here. We recently spotted a tweet from a fan on Twitter saying how they had done their own DIY version of a Smokin' Screw from a doorstopper. While we admire the ingenuity, being ingenious people ourselves, we wanted to pen a quick note about how using household metals in your pipes isn't always the best idea.

Unlike the Smokin' Screw, which is made from high quality, airplane grade stainless steel, doorstoppers and other pipe screens (*espeically brass screens*) are made from zinc and copper, which have lower melting points than stainless. 

This means that as they're heated, these materials melt and are sometimes aerolized into the smoke that you're breathing in, along with your herbs.

As this Canna Connection post on screen tech points out "the only downside to brass screens is that they degrade overtime".  That's because they're melting.

Brass isn't actually a metal itself -- it's a compound of other metals. Typically this is zinc and copper, but in some rare cases they actually add lead to brass to improve its machinability. There's no way to confidently tell you what kind of brass is in your doorstop, but I wouldn't recommend sticking it in your pipe to smoke.

Lead leads to brain damage, but an overexposure to most metal has bad effects. In fact, the zinc found in brass can induce vomiting and nasea as well as other symptoms in high doses.

Long story short, the best way to avoid these problems? Don't put brass screens or household metals in your pipes!

Hope you're all having a great 4th of July weekend. Stay safe out there Screwers,

Lisa