Pretty cool. Can you put a Zippo flint in a Bic? That's this things only limitation. But then again, what's the cost of just making another one?
https://youtube.com/shorts/UwiaQJ-Q0aQ?si=3-lyBtH3C6v4bzCX
That is really cool. Although I'm not sure I'd trust it enough to light the wood stove.
Clipper lighters have a replaceable flint. You can pull the entire flint system out our replace only the flint stone.
Quote from: tirls on March 25, 2025, 12:51:30 AMThat is really cool. Although I'm not sure I'd trust it enough to light the wood stove.
Clipper lighters have a replaceable flint. You can pull the entire flint system out our replace only the flint stone.
Ya. I thought it was cool. Especially if your lighter runs out of fuel. Although they don't mention which fuels would work. But it seems pretty basic like most fuels would work that can be atomized.
Reminds me of a jailhouse contriband piece.
Thing about those Bic's is they are disposable. So the flint is under the striker wheel and not easily replaceable. But it looks like the same size flint.
Have to bend the cover off the striker.
then pry off the metal flame cover.
then pry the plastic parts that the striker go into and remove the striker. [without breaking them]
Put in the new flint and put the striker back into its plastic holders with your three hands. [without breaking them]
Reverse steps 1-2.
Doable.
(https://i.imgur.com/jFhXIk8.jpg)
Quote from: tirls on March 25, 2025, 03:58:24 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on March 25, 2025, 09:42:49 AMDoable.
Debatable . RIP my little BIC lighter. :(
Hee, Hee. Oh, Did I forget to mention that I have years of experience, from 4th or 5th grade thru high school, customizing and finding different ways to get in trouble with discarded Bic's I found? Sorry. I just never thought of changing out a flint because there were so many free replacements just lying around and the gas usually ran out before the flint did.
My two best tricks were the handflame [can you say singed knuckle hair?] and the coke bottle whistle. But customizing them to dump a massive amount of gas for those tricks gets you about a 6" flame.
And these days of prepping the strikers can be attached to a 'bungee parachord bracelet' and be used as a glass breaker.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61S0B0IxZ6L._AC_SS450_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=05b3071fba1ac83404e379a6ec35608f4b4afc73e537ae82ab951997b027b6e3&ipo=images)
The reactant in the video is most likely HCL hydrochloric acid. Aluminum and HCL make Hydrogen.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on March 26, 2025, 09:48:43 AMhandflame
You can´t just leave it at that. How does it work? What do I need to do? And how do I get it to go out?
The only thing I can do is dial the flame up really high.
It´s good to know that you can (theoretically) replace the flint in a BIC. It might just be more than my motor skills can handle. I did knot my fingers in my own shoelaces badly enough that I needed Mr. tirls help to get free last week. So that isn´t saying much.
I thought the liquid used in the video might have been rubbing alcohol or diesel. Some flammable liquid that evaporates easily and the aluminium balls just help due to their large surface area and aggitation.
Quote from: tirls on March 26, 2025, 01:52:13 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on March 26, 2025, 09:48:43 AMhandflame
You can´t just leave it at that. How does it work? What do I need to do? And how do I get it to go out?
The only thing I can do is dial the flame up really high.
It´s good to know that you can (theoretically) replace the flint in a BIC. It might just be more than my motor skills can handle. I did knot my fingers in my own shoelaces badly enough that I needed Mr. tirls help to get free last week. So that isn´t saying much.
I thought the liquid used in the video might have been rubbing alcohol or diesel. Some flammable liquid that evaporates easily and the aluminium balls just help due to their large surface area and aggitation.
OK, I guess a video would be better but lets see if a descriptive instruction is understandable.
Make a Sr. Wences with your non dominant hand. A fist with a mouth basically, but with an opening sort of forming a cup, and make sure all your fingers seal the 'cup' down to the pinky.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Famericanprofile.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F07%2Fsenor_wences.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=031621efd5321b270247d307ec14bd8ee1e2cfeee0ac4786235ec9d3f887d552&ipo=images)
Then put a Bic in the opening and fill the cup with gas. [for magical effect, do this discretely] The gas is heavier than air so treat the cup like a cup and don't spill the gas. 3-5 seconds of gas.
Then, without moving your cupped fist to much to disturb the gas, quickly use the striker to throw a spark into the cup before the gas escapes. Don't hold down the gas button on the Bic when you do this, just make a spark.
If you did it right you should see a small flame at the opening. Don't panic. Hold that flame there for a second or so [move the lighter hand down and hide the bic in your palm for better effect of magic] and then open your fist and you should get a magician's flame Jump up out of your palm.
How it works is that it takes oxyen for the gas to burn. When you fill your fist with the gas it forces all the air/oxygen out of the reservoir. When you ignite the top it only burns the gas at the opening, it looks like a thin layer of flame. When you open your fist the air/oxygen and burning gas mix and whooosh. Handflame.
The initial flame is hot but the longer you can hold it before opening your fist the more dramatic the effect.
You will burn off finger and back of hand hair if you move your hand in the wrong direction. So sort of open your palm with the opening facing up and move your hand back at the same time. Variations of angle create different effects.
Disclaimer and indemnity from liability: I am a recovering pyromaniac, do not attempt, for educational purposes only.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fy.yarn.co%2F3ccbd643-0474-413a-ba6d-995f9570ff29_text.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ff6e60c9fcdd09b30ee3e8826a51928f1d6f76a875de395cae7f119ace7dae1b&ipo=images)
wHOOSH
https://youtube.com/shorts/WEaGXBEZ154
Quote from: MacWa77ace on March 26, 2025, 09:48:43 AMThe reactant in the video is most likely HCL hydrochloric acid. Aluminum and HCL make Hydrogen.
Thank you - I was wondering.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on March 26, 2025, 03:07:34 PMwHOOSH
https://youtube.com/shorts/WEaGXBEZ154
This is so cool! Thank you so much!
For educational purposes only of course. Totally didn't try it.
Quote from: tirls on March 27, 2025, 01:22:51 PMThis is so cool! Thank you so much!
For educational purposes only of course. Totally didn't try it.
Try the coke bottle trick. The shape of bottle matters to a degree. Glass not plastic. And has to have an opening that is about that size.
'Pour' the gas into an old 12 oz coke bottle while its standing up, this takes much more gas so probably 10 seconds, YMMV. You don't have to have a tight seal around the opening when you put the Bic in, but you can seal it with your fingers of the opposite hand.
Again throw a spark in the mouth of the bottle, you should see a small flame.
Slowly lay the bottle on its side. Do this in a dim room for better effect. You'll watch the flame at the mouth slowly move into the bottle in a flat ring shape. Then when it gets down the neck a bit it will rush in filling the bottle with blue flame that will then rush out and whistle.
DISCLAIMER: For educational purposes only.
Quote from: majorhavoc on March 26, 2025, 04:44:39 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on March 26, 2025, 09:48:43 AMThe reactant in the video is most likely HCL hydrochloric acid. Aluminum and HCL make Hydrogen.
Thank you - I was wondering.
That reaction will also pressurize the gas so it'll work out of that lighter style.
7th grade science class. IIRC Zinc and HCL do the same thing. Can't remember my teachers name but I can picture her singing 'Tiny bubbles in my Zinc' as we were collecting the gas for burning later. LOL. :awesome: unfortunately that reference was lost on 7th graders at that time.
Now to find a survival use for square roots or the quadratic equation. :smiley_shrug:
This is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
Quote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
When I was a kid the Kriegsmarine Bismark (1/350th scale) went down in my backyard mud puddle when a lit charge (M-80) went off in its magazine; tragically in close proximity to its fuel tanks (gasoline for our lawn mover). It was glorious ...
Quote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :)
Pretty sure that's a universal kid thing. You guys are just allowed to continue doing it into adulthood.
We once borrowed a fist sized clump of potassium and threw it in a pool. Don't, or at least run fast.
Quote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
And it wasn't just the boys.
RIP neighbors Barbie DreamHouse, sadly lost in a napalm attack...
*looks around innocently* :smiley_innocent:
What!? I was an Army brat, we all knew how to make a primitive/rudimentary form of napalm by age 8.
Besides, Barbie was wearing black pajamas, she coulda been a V.C. sympathizer...
Quote from: Lambykins on March 28, 2025, 04:53:32 PMQuote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
And it wasn't just the boys.
RIP neighbors Barbie DreamHouse, sadly lost in a napalm attack...
*looks around innocently* :smiley_innocent:
What!? I was an Army brat, we all knew how to make a primitive/rudimentary form of napalm by age 8.
Besides, Barbie was wearing black pajamas, she coulda been a V.C. sympathizer...
"Napalm attack" That's exactly what I called it. When I would light my GI Joes fox hole on fire and then pour gas from my dad's 5 gallon gas can across the foxhole and ground. Whoosh!
A company named Aurora used to make plastic model kits of famous Universal Studios movie monsters: the Mummy, Werewolf, Frankenstein Monster, etc. Me and my friend Chris Maddox lovingly built and expertly painted Count Dracula so he looked just like Bela Lugosi.
Then we burned him at the stake ...
Quote from: majorhavoc on March 27, 2025, 06:48:09 PMQuote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
When I was a kid the Kriegsmarine Bismark (1/350th scale) went down in my backyard mud puddle when a lit charge (M-80) went off in its magazine; tragically in close proximity to its fuel tanks (gasoline for our lawn mover). It was glorious ...
My gosh, you just brought back a memory. I did the exact same thing with my brother, with the same model! Only difference was that we launched it in the pond of our local golf course. I'll never forget the echo of the explosion and the flock of Canada geese taking wing in panic. Good times!
Quote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!
I have five older brothers, so I know and understand the latent pyromania. Every GI Joe I got as a hand-me-down was missing a limb.
I used cans of WD-40 and a Zippo on green plastic army guys. I burned so many on the garage windowsill that they melted and jammed the window shut because they stuck to the frame.
One of our favorite activities was pouring nail polish remover on our bike tires, then setting them on fire and riding around in the dark. We called it "Ghostrider" because of the comic book character. We switched to "Nightrider" sometimes, because "Ghostriding" meant jumping off your bike and sending it flying.
I exported this activity to my cousin (he was the same age with a similar sized, but better-behaved family.) One summer night we rode through the dry grass of his front lawn and burned up a huge swathe of it. His parents had no idea what caused the damage.
Quote from: Moab on March 27, 2025, 06:21:45 PMThis is a very American thing - blowing stuff up as a kid in class or after school. :) I used to have GIJoes and an Evil Kneivel doll with a motorcycle. When not blowing them up with fireworks. I would light them on fire with lawn mower gas. Lol!