Introduction: 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

Step 2: Preparing the Casing

The first thing we want to do is to clear our lighter from any parts that won't be used in our project. With your pliers, remove the metal protector that usually goes under the flame (Picture #1).

Now, carefully remove the spark wheel, the flint and the flint spring (Picture #2). Watch out because the spring can easily fly out with the flint and if you lose either the spring or flint your project won't work.

Your lighter should now look like picture #3.

Next, squeeze the red gas switch out with your pliers (Picture #4), and remove the little plate under it as well and the spring that holds the gas switch in place (Picture #5).

Now, with your pliers, remove the pin located halfway in the fuel casing, halfway out (Picture #6). Your lighter should look like on picture #7.

Finally, with a sharp object, push the interior metal pin, that was holding the one you just removed, inside the fuel casing. You have now a prepared lighter casing!

Step 3: Fuel and Wick

Next thing we want to do will be to fill our lighter with fuel and make a wick for it.
First, pour some lighter fluid in the hole leading to the fuel casing (Picture #1).

Your lighter is now fueled. To make the wick, we'll use a tissue paper.
First, cut a strip of tissue of about 1 and half inch wide (picture #2).

Then, twist your tissue strip as much as you can to make a clean and solid wick (picture #3).

Now, carefully insert the wick as deep as you can in the lighter casing (Picture #4).

Then, trim the wick about a half inch inch from the hole (Picture #5). Your lighter is almost finished!

Step 4: Putting Stuff Back On

The last but not least step will be to put the spring, flint, wheel and protector back on.

First, insert the spring into the flint hole. Then, carefully compress the spring and put the flint with it. Then, place the wheel back where it used to be (Picture #1).

Now, place the metal protector back on, the same way you got it off (Picture #2).
Make sure it snaps in place.

Your lighter is now in working order! Simply adjust the wick height to change flame height!
Finally, to put it out, blow it or tap your finger on the wick. Have fun!