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RYO How to Guide Listings
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Rolling tobacco by hand, although very cool, is fast becoming a lost art. Rolling machines make the task of rolling a cigarette fast and easy. These machines make quality, well-shaped cigarettes with filters that look and smoke just like your usual cigarette brand. They are very affordable and very easy to use.
There are many cigarette rolling machines being made that allow people to make their own cigarettes by using either cigarette paper or cigarette tubes, which, like machine-made cigarettes, feature filters.
The most basic device is a simple rolling machine. Simply place a cigarette paper between two wheels, fill the fold with tobacco, press a lever and the wheels roll the paper for you. The device even applies the seal. The process if very similar to making a cigarette by hand but it gives a more even effort.
Similar to rolling machines, roll boxes are another method aimed at helping you make your RYO cigarettes. Simply place tobacco on the rubber trough inside the roll box. Then moisten the glue on a cigarette paper and place it over the tobacco with the glued edge up and the other edge behind the tobacco in the trough. Close the box—the cigarette will be rolled perfectly.
Cigarette injector machines vary in size and shape but typically provide a tube-shaped chamber in which the tobacco is packed and sealed. The tobacco is then pushed into the cigarette tube by using a plunger. Cheaper injector machines are made of plastic and sometimes cause the tobacco to stick. More expensive cigarette injector machines like the Premier Supermatic Cigarette machine are made of metal and use more elaborate methods of getting the tobacco into the tube, reducing the chances of tobacco sticking to the machine.
Rolling machines and cigarette injector machines are also available in cigarette rolling kits that generally contain everything you need to roll your own cigarettes and they are also very affordable.
Whether you choose to use a rolling machine or opt for an injector, it’s important that you place the tobacco into the device evenly. It won’t come out perfectly without a little bit of help from you.
You must also use caution when you seal the chamber because if there is a lot of loose tobacco sticking out, it will be caught when the tobacco is forced into the chamber, which could cause tobacco to bunch up and create denser sections of tobacco in the cigarette.
Also pack enough tobacco in the end where the filter will be. If it’s loose then it may create a weird smoke, sag or bunch up when you smoke. Worse yet, it could fall apart near the end, showering you with a bunch of sparks. Make sure you don’t use too much tobacco because it will be impossible to smoke.
After the tobacco has been pushed into the tube, hold the machine so that the cigarette tip points up when you remove it from the machine to reduce the likelihood of loose tobacco falling out.
Remove the cigarette and lightly tap it against a flat surface to pack the tobacco. After tapping, there may be a small section at the end of the cigarette where there is no tobacco. Simply twist that end to keep the tobacco in place.
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How to Roll Your Own Cigarettes:
All it takes to roll a cigarette by hand is a cigarette paper, tobacco, a little patience and some skill. You can easily roll your own cigarette by hand by following these six simple steps:
1) Set Up The Paper
Take a leaf of cigarette paper and place it on a flat surface, such as the palm of your hand. Cigarette papers are manufactured with a fold in the center, which creates a valley where you will place your tobacco. One side of the paper will have a small strip of glue on top, which you will eventually lick in order to seal the finished cigarette. The side with the glue should the farther side from you and it should be facing you.
2) Measure The Tobacco
When the paper is properly arranged it is now time to place tobacco into the valley. Take a small pinch of tobacco, about 1.5 grams, or roughly a tablespoon’s worth.
3) Place The Tobacco In The Valley
Evenly distribute the tobacco pinch into the valley. The goal is to have about a half-inch of tobacco sticking out of each end of the paper. If you find that when you roll the cigarette more tobacco juts out at the end, place more tobacco in the center. If you squeeze too hard on the edges, forcing the tobacco in the middle, place less at the middle and more at the ends.
4) Roll The Tobacco Into A Cylinder
Gently pick up the paper with both hands. Place your index fingers and middle fingers on the far side of the paper and place both thumbs on the near side of the paper. Your fingers and thumbs should form roughly a 45 degree angle, with the tips facing toward each other but they should not touch. Move the front fold of the paper up and away from you with your thumbs.
5) Roll The Paper Over The Tobacco
This is the trickiest part where it can all go wrong for the uninitiated. Roll your thumbs down until the edge of the paper is even with the cylinder of tobacco. Use your thumbs to fold the paper over the top of the tobacco and then start to roll it up. With the edge of the paper now underneath the tobacco, your effort will finally begin to look like a cigarette. Roll it fairly tight until the top half-inch of the paper that’s farthest from you (the one with the glue strip) is exposed above the rolled paper and tobacco.
6) Complete The Cigarette
Run your tongue over the glue strip and roll the cigarette together so that the glue seals it. If you did it right, it’s ready to smoke. If not, practice makes perfect and try again. It’s very rare for someone to get it right in the first few times. Once you are satisfied with your cigarette, cut the loose tobacco from the ends. Place either end in your mouth, light up and enjoy!
ROLLING WITH ONE HAND
If you’ve mastered the two-handed method and want to look particularly cool, you may just want to roll your own cigarette with one hand. This is an extremely difficult task, suitable only to the Harry Houdini types and circus acrobats.
The key is to have a dexterous thumb. The method is very similar to the two-handed way, except that you use only four fingers. Point the four fingers straight up with the paper in the palm of your hand. Roll the paper with your thumb. Your thumb has only a limited range of motion and won’t be able to apply the same force on some parts of the cigarette as on others.
When you’ve rolled the paper as best as you can, get your thumb to sit parallel along the length of the cigarette. Fold the near edge under the other edge and run your thumb up the side. Once it’s rolled, lick the glue and seal the cigarette.
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| Roll Your Own Tobacco Guide (C) 2006 |
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