Homemade Zippo-style lighter

Do you have any empty lighters laying around? Always thought you could make something with them but never knew what? Now you have you solution! This simple instructable will teach you how to make a cool Zippo-like lighter out of an empty lighter and household stuff!

Step 1 Materials

Here are the materials you will need for this project:

-An empty Bic or similar lighter
-Needlenose pliers
-A pair of scissors
-A tissue paper
-Lighter fluid
-A pointy object

Comments

[bobthebuilder728]

I did the same thing you did except made a case and everything. Thanks for the idea!

[MrMadmonkey4]

i made one of these but with a slightly different desine and t doesnt leak! :D

[urtlesquirt]

Seal it with some fire cement or jb weld

[cantbesaved]

couldnt you use alchohol instead of LF?

[MrPyromaniak]

yea but alcohol doesn't light as well a LF with only a lighter spark

[beehard44]

denatured alcohol does

[AMP678]

if it leaks, then it's useless... you could never take it anywhere

[hintss]

yes you could

wait, is my pocket on fire? :P

[kingdavecako]

Could you explain, in further detail, how you "push the inner metal pin in"?

[MrPyromaniak]

There is a kind of metal tube that rests outside the case but goes like ¼inch down into the case. It's almost impossible to pull it out without damaging the casing so you can just force it in and leave it there in order to have a proper hole for inserting the wick.

[jonchow96]

Could you use a proper zippo wick instead of tissue paper?

[mettaurlover]

Yes, but it might not fit as well and is more expensive and you're less likely to have them lying around than tissue paper.

[sharlston]

you need some of them cotton woll pads like a real zippo to absorb the lighter fluid

[fordman15243]

Zippos actually use a rayon fiber, like cotton, but much more absorbent! =)

[Patented]

I would be scared, the whol thing can catch up fire and explode in your hands, but cool !

[struckbyanarrow]

nope, not a good fuel/air ratio inside the lighter.

[Morriscow]

 you should just use a little bit of cotton wick. this would pull the gas up through capillary action, and wont burn as much.

[mnbasd]

I rolled up a cototn ball into yarn for the wick and it works great. doesnt leak even if held upside down doesnt evaporate much (i made it yesterday and it still has lots of fuel. only problem is it takes a few strikes to light it after its been off for a while but the think thats cause it doesnt keep sucking fliud when its off an the tip dries.

[wallbangicus]

dude, this is awesome! one question though, does the lighter leak fluid at all?

[MrPyromaniak]

 It does, but if you pad it with cotton balls it probably wont.

[Holden_vy_s]

How long does it last till the lighter fluid evaporates? Need to work out a lid for it.

[MrPyromaniak]

This is a problem because it lasts about an hour... Just don't fill it much so you don't lose much fluid. But if you're able to find a way to slow the evaporation, please tell me!

[kmccarthy666]

actually I made one and it lasted longer than my zippo does

[Coffee bean]

add a cap to it something airtight.

[deathsmileyinc]

just the music was good enough for 5/5! nice Instructable

[MrPyromaniak]

Thanks!!

[Weston607]

I dont get "with a sharp object, push the interior metal pin, that was holding the one you just removed, inside the fuel casing. "

[Weston607]

nvm, i pushed it in with a screwdriver.

[8bit]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like this one would melt if you left it on too long.

[MrPyromaniak]

No, it wouldn't melt because the metal guard under the flame protects it... Also, on the picture, I had raised the wick a bit too much to show the effect so that's why the flame is so big. But even with that flame I don't think it would melt.

[alex-sharetskiy]

the heat from the metal thing would be transferred to the plastic, melting it.

[MrPyromaniak]

Maybe you're right and it would melt but just if you left it on for a good while which you're unlikely to do anyway.