How To Make Your Own Dabs At Home: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making your own dabs has many benefits, from saving money to having complete control and knowledge of what is actual in your dabs. Over the years making your own dabs has gone from requiring many tools and an abundance of knowledge to being super simple and ridiculously quick. With the growth of the dab industry inventions have been created to make the process quick and easy. Dab presses used to be the most common way to make dabs at home, however newer more compact and portable options have come about over the past few years. 

Making your own dabs gives you the ability to take weak flower into powerful concentrates. Its extremely useful for people who grow their own flower. With the decriminalization of growing, many states have laws allowing 4 or more plants to be grown at home. This has resulted in many people growing flower at home, however having pounds of flower isn't always practical for several reasons.

Having too much of the same flower means over time it becomes less potent for yourself as smoking the same stuff for months at a time allows the body to build up a tolerance for it. It also takes months to go through it and over time the flower becomes less potent. Making your own dabs is a great solution for getting the most out of each grow with a portion of the plant being dedicated to making your own concentrates while the other portion can be used as flower. 

Growing at home also comes with its own challenges and the end result may not be as potent as hoped. Turning the less potent flower into concentrates helps turn those grapes into a fine wine which can hit the spot. 

This sounds great in theory but actually creating the concentrates may seem like a bit of a daunting task. This is where the new extractors in the industry come into play. There are dab presses which have been around for years but they are bulky, really heavy and can be really expensive. 

I was on the phone with the creator of the gemstx the other day. He was actually on his boat chillin while we spoke. He’s an older guy who came up with the invention out of necessity. With so much flower he had grown on his own he was looking for a way to get the most out of his flower. 

The gemstx was originally designed to create hash, however one day he had his portable press on the boat and it was sitting in the sun. When he came to grab the press he noticed how the pressed content turned into wax. How was this? It was the extreme heat from the sun hitting the metal body that helped create the dabs. 

From there the 2nd generation gemstx was born. Adding a heating element to the body of the press turned that press into a dab maker. It works very simply, take an eighth to a quarter of flower, grind it up like you would for a jay, not too fine but not to nuggy, and place it into the press. Allow the press to heat and slowly crank the wheel and watch as dabs come out the other side. Now this may sound super simple, and that's because it is, it's by far the most easy, low profile way to make your own dabs. 

Are there other ways to make dabs? Sure, you have BHO, dab presses and so on, however if we’re talking practically and you're looking for a true home solution, that is not on an industrial scale this is surely it. 

The old school method of utilizing a hair iron and squeezing the flower within the hot press to get some rosin was dangerous and did not offer the best results. This newer generation of dab extraction is the most simple solution to date and unbelievably practical. 

Equipped with customizable features, including adjustable heat and pressure, the extractor is a perfect pick for anyone who likes to DIY. It's made with durable stainless steel and weighs less than 2 pounds, so it's easy to carry and store. You can use it to extract more than 10 grams of material in only a couple of minutes.

The GEMSTX comes with all the tools you will need and has a classy gold finish.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to create your own dabs utilizing the gemstx, this method can similarly be applied to the old school hair iron method but is much more efficient and safe…

How to Use the Gemstx Dab Rosin Press

1. Prep the Flower

• Break up the flower just like you would for rolling a joint.
  
  
• Don’t grind it too fine—just loose enough for good heat exposure.
  
  

2. Load the Press

• Load up to 7–8 grams of flower, but never fill all the way to the top.
  
  
• Always leave ¼ inch of space from the top to prevent clogging the filter.
  
  
• The filter must remain clear to allow the rosin to press through easily.
  
  

3. Heat and Preheat

• Plug in the press and set the temperature between 200°F and 240°F.
  
  
• Allow it to preheat for 10 minutes before pressing.
  
  

4. Pressing Process

• Load the flower into the chamber and close it up.
  
  
• Begin pressing by turning the handle.
  
  
• The handle gives tactile feedback—as you turn, you’ll feel it compress.
  
  
• You’re looking for a balance: it should press smoothly with a little resistance, not be difficult to turn.
  
  
• A small amount of pressure should trigger the first drip, signaling that it’s ready.
  
  

5. Yield Expectations

• On average, expect a 20% yield (7g of flower = ~2.5g of rosin).
  
  
• Actual yield depends on the trichome levels of your material.
  
  

6. Temperature Tips

• For more extraction, turn up the heat slightly at the end, up to 260°F max.
  
  
• Lower temps = “low and slow” (better flavor).
  
  
• Higher temps = “high and fast” (quicker but may slightly burn flavor).
  
  
• Find your balance based on time vs. temperature preferences.
  
  

7. Safety and Features

• Unit features a 1-hour auto shut-off for safety.
  
  
• Handle with care after use—unit will be hot.

The Gemstx Returns the investment in 3-4 uses. The dabs extracted can be utilized as straight dabs within a quartz banger or with a nectar collector or if done at a higher temp can be filled into a cartridge and used with a 510-thread battery.