Cheap refillable Gas Lighters

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Cheap refillable Gas Lighters

This topic has 22 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 13 July 2023 at 07:39 by Michael Gilligan.

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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12 July 2023 at 17:48 #651851
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Now for something completely different …

I have the need to connect a larger fuel tank to a cheap refillable Gas Lighter.

The standard type of refill canister would be an adequate size, but the ‘push’ connection is too clumsy, as both lighter and canister have plain tubes with spring-loaded valves.

Before I start over-thinking this … does anyone have a bright idea ?

I need connections to one brass and one plastic tube, with the facility to open both valves, and a small in-line gas tap !

MichaelG.

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Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/07/2023 17:50:33
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12 July 2023 at 17:48 #34550
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
12 July 2023 at 18:25 #651858
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Can you not just get a bigger lighter?
12 July 2023 at 18:48 #651864
DiogenesII
Participant
@diogenesii
Drill and tap a new hole in the base of the other 'compartment' of the lighter which would enable a better fitting to be employed in order to connect it to another canister possessing a more useful outlet fitting

Edited By DiogenesII on 12/07/2023 18:54:19
12 July 2023 at 18:53 #651865
Robert Butler
Participant
@robertbutler92161
Michael can you use one of the small gas soldering torches – connections and taps may be easier to acheive.

Robert Butler
12 July 2023 at 18:55 #651866
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by JasonB on 12/07/2023 18:25:21:

Can you not just get a bigger lighter?

.

Not really … it’s to make a micro-burner for very small-scale glass working.

It’s the flame that is important, it just seems easier to adapt the tank than to remove and re-house the burner assembly.

MichaelG.
12 July 2023 at 19:00 #651867
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Robert Butler on 12/07/2023 18:53:42:

Michael can you use one of the small gas soldering torches – connections and taps may be easier to acheive.

Robert Butler

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Good thought, Robert … but this is intended for a shoestring budget and, as explained to Jason, the requisite burner is very small.

MichaelG.
12 July 2023 at 19:02 #651868
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by DiogenesII on 12/07/2023 18:48:14:
.

Drill and tap a new hole in the base of the other 'compartment' of the lighter […]

.

… I will investigate that possibility

MichaelG.
12 July 2023 at 19:08 #651869
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Before anyone asks …

Yes, I have tested the burner

… and yes, the shape and intensity of the flame is suitable for what we are working.

MichaelG.

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12 July 2023 at 19:12 #651871
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I can't remember the post I did this video for but it is a 1.3mm hypodermic needle on the end of one of the cheap e-bay "camping gas" canister regulators. Just bodged with some tape over the joint for the vid bit would be easy to make a threaded connector that the needle can be pushed onto.

You could just as easily fit the regulators hose anywhere into a lighters body and just use the lighters burner if the thumb button was fixed open

Edited By JasonB on 12/07/2023 19:16:30
12 July 2023 at 19:45 #651878
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
That’s fine for what you are doing, Jason

But we are working on a slightly smaller scale and an appropriately scaled Blue-cone flame is desirable.

The capillary tube in my photo is 0.8mm outside diameter.

MichaelG.

.

Having now seen your edit … yes, that’s basically what I’m trying to do … but the Lighter-refill canister is very cheap and a suitable capacity, so I hadn’t considered the Camping Gaz option.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/07/2023 19:50:29
12 July 2023 at 20:18 #651887
Robert Atkinson 2
Participant
@robertatkinson2
If you get one of the long-reach disposable lighters they have a tube connecting the burner to the head. It would be easier and safer to connect the small tube to say an old blowtorch or gas camping stove.

Robert.
12 July 2023 at 20:26 #651889
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Posted by Michael Gilligan on 12/07/2023 18:55:40:

Posted by JasonB on 12/07/2023 18:25:21:

Can you not just get a bigger lighter?

.

Not really … it’s to make a micro-burner for very small-scale glass working.

It’s the flame that is important, it just seems easier to adapt the tank than to remove and re-house the burner assembly.

MichaelG.

Experience shows that those lighters tend to overheat and fail after about a minute. They don't explode, the apparatus at the top falls apart.

You can buy mini brazing torches under the guise of cooks' blowtorches at very modest prices. Man can be set to have a very small flame, has piezo lighting and widely adjustable gas/air mix.

Neil
12 July 2023 at 20:52 #651896
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Two questions, Neil
1. What exactly do you mean by ‘those lighters’ ?
2. Did you notice the scale of the work we are trying to do ?
The flame would only be applied for a few seconds to any one piece

…are you saying that failure is terminal ? [edit: yes, I see that you are]

Any Cook’s Torch that I have seen would be enormous in this context

I already have one of these: **LINK**

https://www.campingaz.com/in/p-22886-spotflam.aspx

and even the flame on that that is much too big

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/07/2023 20:54:43
12 July 2023 at 21:12 #651901
bernard towers
Participant
@bernardtowers37738
I have a couple of pen torches they are about the size of a fountain pen would that be small enough?
12 July 2023 at 21:30 #651903
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by bernard towers on 12/07/2023 21:12:54:

I have a couple of pen torches they are about the size of a fountain pen would that be small enough?

.

Me too, Bernard … unfortunately not

Subject to it not disintegrating, as Neil has suggested it will, the type of lighter that I have tried is ideal for the job.

Thanks

MichaelG.
13 July 2023 at 06:57 #651940
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Like Neil I had assumed the need for a large volume of fuel was due to you needing to run for extended times which like he says overheats the end and it all starts to melt.

So why the need for a large fuels tor? or are you mounting it in some form of jig and don't want to take it out to refill
13 July 2023 at 07:07 #651941
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Yes

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ The problem might be considerably simplified if I just concentrate on finding a way to bypass the filling- valve on the lighter … then, any convenient gas source can be connected.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 13/07/2023 07:13:50
13 July 2023 at 07:16 #651946
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Though your flame may be different if you change gas type and pressure
13 July 2023 at 07:18 #651948
Dave S
Participant
@daves59043
The cheap camping stoves take a cartridge that is somewhat like a lighter refill – this sort:

**LINK**

maybe you could use this refills and butcher the rest of the stove to suit?

Dave
13 July 2023 at 07:28 #651952
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by JasonB on 13/07/2023 07:16:41:

Though your flame may be different if you change gas type and pressure

.

Sorry Jason … I should have written any convenient, pressure-regulated, source of Butane

I was trying to ‘modularise’ the challenge.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ or maybe I could build some sort of “filling station” to top-up the liquid butane periodically, and rely upon the lighter’s own pressure regulating system.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 13/07/2023 07:33:50
13 July 2023 at 07:32 #651953
Robert Atkinson 2
Participant
@robertatkinson2
Posted by Michael Gilligan on 13/07/2023 07:07:37:

Yes

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ The problem might be considerably simplified if I just concentrate on finding a way to bypass the filling- valve on the lighter … then, any convenient gas source can be connected.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 13/07/2023 07:13:50

Michael,

Did you see my post about using the head from a "long reach" type lighter?
These have the burner head connected to the tank by a tube. This may be easier to connect to say a blowlamp or gas stove tank and valve.
Additional benefits:
Easier to mount a small burner
Tank away from heat source
adjustment away from heat source
Adaptation under lower pressure
Adaptation not permanenty exposed to pressure.

Robert.
13 July 2023 at 07:39 #651955
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Yes, I did, thank you Robert

The, as yet un-discussed aspect of this is that we have identified a model of lighter which produces the required size and type of flame.

See my post time-stamped 12/07/2023 19:08:05

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 13/07/2023 07:41:13
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