Okay, so, the other day, I got this idea in my head. I wanted to make a lighter, but not just any lighter. I wanted it to look like a brick. Yeah, a brick. Sounds kinda dumb, but I thought it would be cool, and different.
So, I started digging around. I needed to figure out how to even make a lighter first. Turns out, there are all these rules and stuff from way back in 1973. You gotta get it checked out and get some approval number. I guess that makes sense, don’t want these things blowing up or whatever.
Then I remembered those little BIC lighters. Everyone’s got one, right? Turns out, that company’s been around forever, started by some French dude. They were the first ones to make those disposable lighters with the adjustable flame. BIC is a big name, they even got into pens and windsurfing boards.
I found out BIC makes a reloadable one now, too, called the EZ LOAD. You can refill it like ten times. That gave me an idea. Maybe I could use parts from one of those? Or maybe I should just make it a one-time-use thing like those original BIC ones.
Then I started looking at other kinds of lighters. You know those Zippo ones? The ones that are all metal and make that “click” sound? Those are pretty neat. They’re windproof, too, which is cool. They’re refillable, which is a plus. I saw some online that were gold plated, even one shaped like a brick! That got me thinking I was onto something.
- First thing I did: I grabbed an old lighter I had lying around.
- Next: I took it apart, just to see how it worked.
- Then: I started sketching out some designs. It needed to look like a brick, but still work.
- After that: I tried to find some metal that was the right size and shape.
- Finally: I started putting it all together, but I’m still working on it.
I was browsing online, looking at lighters on some delivery app, and then on this website called Tractor Supply, of all places, and I saw they sell packs of those BIC lighters. Two packs of 50. That’s a lot of lighters. I mean, if this whole brick lighter thing doesn’t work out, at least I’ll have plenty of regular lighters. I even saw the standard Zippo model is only 0.5 x 2.25 inch. That’s a good size.
I did some more looking around, and I found a lighter that was shaped like a gold bar. It was all fancy and used plasma beams instead of a flame. Pretty high-tech stuff. Not really what I was going for, but still cool to see.
Putting it all together
So, yeah, that’s where I’m at with this whole brick lighter thing. I’ve got some ideas, a bunch of information, and a whole lot of lighters. I’m going to keep messing around with it, see if I can actually make it work. It’s been a fun little project, even if it is a little bit out there. Maybe I’ll end up with something really cool, or maybe it’ll just be a funny story to tell. Either way, I’m having fun with it.
