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How to Make Cigarettes at Home

Top-O-Matic cigarette machines allow you to make your own cigarettes quickly.
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There are two methods of making cigarettes at home. Hand rolling, or "roll your own" (RYO), used to be the most common method. But RYO techniques take time to master and the results can be inconsistent.

A faster way to make cigarettes is the "make your own" method using an inexpensive home tobacco injector. MYO cigarettes look and feel more like commercial brands. With a tobacco injector and a few supplies, you can make cigarettes at home with little effort.

Read the instructions on your tobacco injector. Most injectors operate the same way, but make sure you understand your model before you begin.

Take a few pinches of loose tobacco out of the bag and lay it on a clean piece of paper. Tobacco should be slightly dry to the touch or it can clog your injector. Depending on the humidity of the room and the moisture in the tobacco, it may only take a minute or two before it's ready to be packed.

Pack tobacco into the injector. Experiment if you need to. Packing too much tobacco in may clog the injector and make a cigarette that won't burn well. If you don't pack enough in, your cigarette may have air pockets, sag or burn out by itself. If your injector recommends a certain amount of tobacco, follow the recommendation.

Place an empty cigarette tube on the end of the injector. Where the tube goes will be clearly marked on the injector.

There will be a lever, crank or sliding mechanism on your injector to push the tobacco into the tube. Slide or pull the lever according to your injector's instructions.

Remove your freshly filled cigarette and tap the filter end on the table. This will make sure all the loose tobacco is packed toward the filter end.

Things You'll Need:

  • Tobacco injector machine
  • Loose tobacco
  • Cigarette tubes
  • Clean paper to dry loose tobacco on

Tip

Tobacco should not be too dry. Dry tobacco is just as likely to clog an injector as moist tobacco. Pinch the tobacco to test for moistness. If it clumps, it's too wet. If it crumbles, it's too dry.

Warnings:

  • Homemade cigarettes are not "safer" than commercial cigarettes. While they may have fewer chemical additives, there are still health risks associated with all smoking.
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