The Complete Guide to Joint Types & Sizes

A Total Rundown On Glass Joint Types and Sizes!

Let's Be Honest...

When we were all green behind the ears and new to dabbing, figuring out how to match up a quartz banger with a new or existing rig was sometimes a challenge! We've all been there before, and we hope this guide can help you get off to a great start in understanding how to match up your joint types and sizes. A new quartz banger purchase intended to fit a rig we came up on from a friend can be tough, or figuring out how to get a reclaim catcher to fit into the gear we have at home or intend to order. These kind of scenarios will no longer be confusing once you thoroughly understand the basics!

Determine the Joint Type, or "Gender" of Your Joints!

The basics: First, figure out the joint types on your dabbing hardware! In other words, figure out whether your rig and/or banger is a "male" or "female". Yes, that's right, the "joints" of your dabbing hardware have a gender and therefore a distinct look. You've got to figure out what you've got, and match 'em up, like this!

Rig Has a Female Joint >>> Quartz Banger Has a Male Joint
Rig Has a Male Joint >>> Quartz Banger Has a Female Joint

The image in the upper left shows a rig with a "female" pipe joint. Notice how the "joint" flares at the top. All joints of the female type will flare like this whether they are on a rig, a quartz banger, or an attachment like a reclaim catcher. The rig in the upper left will use a "male" jointed quartz banger! You must "marry" the two joints together to make a pair that will work together. If you have a female joint on your rig, you must insert a male banger or attachment!

The image in the lower left shows a rig with a "male" pipe joint. Notice how the "joint" tapers in at the top. All joints of the male type will taper in and be more narrow at the top whether they are on a rig, a quartz banger, or an attachment like a reclaim catcher. The rig in the lower left will use a "female" jointed quartz banger! You must "marry" the two joints together to make a pair that will work together. If you have a male joint on your rig, you must slide on a female banger or attachment!

Determine the Size of Your Joints Using The Penny Test!

Secondly, you now need to determine the size of your male or female joint! Use the penny test! The three standards sizes are 10mm, 14mm, and 18mm. Dip a penny carefully into your female joint, or rest a penny over top of a male joint to gauge its size! See our infographic to the right to review the penny test. Now you know the type and size of your joint! Just remember, you must always marry a pair together, like this:

Rig Has a 14mm Female Joint >>> Banger Has 14mm Male Joint
Rig Has a 14 Male Joint >>> Banger Has a 14mm Female Joint

Determine the Angle of Your Joints!

Thirdly, you now need to determine the angle of the joint! Just take a close look at your rig's pipe joint, is it straight up? Or, is it off to an angle? Does your quartz banger have a 90° turn on the neck, or only a 45° turn from the bucket to the joint? See our diagram to the right. Now you know the angle of the dangle of your joint! Just remember, you must always marry a pair together, like this:

Rig-14mm Female 90° Joint >>> Banger-14mm Male 90° Neck
Rig-14mm Male 45° Joint >>> Banger-14mm Female 45° Neck

Now, Let's Bring This All Together!

First. Determine the joint type (male or female), joint size (10mm, 14mm, 18mm-Use Penny Test), and joint angle (90° or 45°) of the piece (rig, banger, attachment) you have, first! *Flares Out=Female Joint / Tapers In=Male Joint  *Most of the rigs and bangers we sell are 90°)

Second. Then, just buy the piece you need to attach to it with the same size and joint angle, BUT the opposite gender. This way the joints marry/fit together, and function!

Example #1. Your friend gave you a dab rig as a homie gift. You need to purchase a new quartz banger for it and you're not sure what joint type or size to buy. So, you look at the rig and determine that it is a female joint because it flares out at the top. Now, you gently insert a penny into the flared, female joint opening and see that the penny dips in a fair bit up to about Abraham Lincoln's head (See "Match Your Joint" above). From this observation and test you now know that you have a rig with a female, 14mm pipe joint. So, you now know to buy a 14mm male (opposite gender so they fit together) quartz banger!

Example #2. You want to buy a reclaim catcher for your rig. You eye your rig and see it is a female joint that flares out at the top, and when you dip a penny into the top of it, it fits nearly half of the penny down the hatch (See "Match Your Joint" above-18mm). You now know to buy a reclaim catcher that is an 18mm male so the sizes match and the types are opposites at the rig connection so they can fit together and function. So, if the only quartz bangers you own are 18mm males for this example, you'd need a reclaim catcher that accepts this size/type on top. All of the reclaim catchers we sell ONLY accept 14mm male bangers on top, so for this example, you'd need to also buy a 14mm male quartz banger to put on top of your 18mm male reclaim catcher. You dig?