Should You Be Using A Dropdown?
A drop-down is a dabbing accessory that is most commonly used with a dab rig. Drop-downs improve the performance of your dab rig by protecting your rig, protecting your face, keeping your rig clean, and the ability to change the size and gender of your joint. Although drop-downs have tons of important functions, they are becoming less popular which is quite befuddling. This may be because quartz nails and otherwise high-quality dab rigs admittedly do not need drop-down as much, since they will likely already come with the benefits that drop-downs offer. But this doesn’t explain it all, there are still so many rigs that aren't made of quartz and don’t offer the features that a drop-down brings! It’s likely the case that most people just don’t know what all a drop-down has to offer. And if that’s you then you’re in luck, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about drop-downs.
A Multifunctional Dabbing Accessory
The best part about the drop-down accessory is that it offers tons of benefits rather than just one. it is pretty much the only dab rig accessory you will ever need. So, what does it do exactly? Well, here are the four main features:
1 Reducing heat stress
The most important perk of a drop-down is its ability to reduce heat stress on your dab rig. Often the heat from the torch being used on the nail can wander over to the rest of the rig, over time this causes plenty of damage. Long-term exposure to heat can cause your rig heat stress, which leads to cracks and fractures. Also, the cracks may get bad enough to destroy your rig so don't take this issue lightly. Drop-downs solve this problem though by putting extra distance between your rig and the nail. The extra distance is more than enough to evade any indirect heat that comes off the torch and it means you don’t have to worry about any heat stress damaging your device.
This is an especially important perk for those who have an expensive rig that they don't want to take any chances with. Sure, it might not seem fun to spend money on accessory items, but it is a heck of a lot more fun than replacing your super fancy rig. Dab rigs are intricate and often expensive, so take the necessary precautions to keep them in good shape.
2 Reclaim and Cleaning
Reclaim is awesome, who doesn't love the feeling of getting to reuse something. It almost feels brand new since you didn't expect to have it…literally everybody loves to reclaim their wax. Drop-downs are great for this because when you use a drop-down you will automatically be collecting reclaim in the bottom of the drop-down's tube. And best of all, what you do with the wax is up to you. If you are already feeling a great high and don't have it in you to smoke anymore then you can turn your reclaimed wax into edibles for later. Or even better, if you're feeling fancy you can even turn your wax into tincture or topicals. Whatever you choose, there is surely a good way you could use reclaimed wax and a drop-down makes it easy to collect.
Not only do drop-downs collect wax so that you can reuse it, but their collecting of wax and other debris makes cleaning your rig ten times easier. The wax and debris won't get all over your rig meaning you won't have to clean it very often. All you'll need to clean for the most part is the drop-down itself and to do that you simply remove it from the rig and place it in a cleaning solution to soak.
3 Distance from Face
Sometimes the nail on a dab rig is a tad too close to your face. This is particularly an issue amongst small or miniature dab rigs. Having the nail too close to your face can make heating it dangerous since you don't want to have a blowtorch too close to you. Plus, the nail being too close to your face can make it difficult to see the nail, trying to interact with the nail without a clear view is tough. This means you may end up dropping and wasting your precious concentrates when you’re trying to load them on the nail. A drop-down adds some distance between the nail and your face mitigating those concerns. Again, when it comes to something precious and important, like your face, you are going to want to take all the necessary precautions that you can, this includes using a drop-down.
4 Versatility
Versatility is a great quality for any device and drop-downs add versatility to your dab rig. Drop-downs can change both the size and gender of your joint. This is important because if you have a female joint then you will only be able to use attachments that have a male counterpart. The same goes for sizing, if you have a really big joint then you will not be able to attach anything that doesn't fit that size. A drop-down allows you to change the gender of your joint, thereby letting you connect any gendered attachment. A drop-down can also change the size of your joint so that you don't have to worry about looking for a perfect match. Ultimately, drop-downs allow you to not have to worry about other parts fitting with your rig; you can relax knowing your drop-down will make any type of attachment fit.
Conclusion
A drop-down is a must-have tool for any dab rig user. They have many functions, but they are best classified as protective devices. They protect both your rig and your face from excess heat by putting extra distance between the nail and your rig/face. Drop-downs are not very expensive either, so there is no reason not to get one. So get to dabbing and make sure to use a drop-down just in case. And don't forget to make some edibles with all that leftover wax!
