Lighting

Step 12: Lighting

It is not necessary to build a surface for lighting it, as it can be struck against the street or the side of a building, but I decided to build a small something anyway.

All I did was glue some sandpaper to a piece of wood, and used C clamps to attach that to a forklift pallet which I rested against a fence.

It is a good idea to have something to light with the giant match, so we put out some smoke powder and gunpowder out in metal bowls.

To light:

1. As you can see in the video I was not expecting the flame to be that big, and had to push the match up in the air to lessen the intense heat which came off it. To avoid getting burned hold the match more the 4 ft away from the tip.

2. Swing the match steadily and forcefully against the abrasive surface.

3. Hold the match away from you and others while it is burning, as flaming match heads periodically drop from the top.

4. Light whatever you have set up to light with the giant match (pyrotechnics, Cuban cigars, or animals are all good choices)