"The logical successor to the flint lighter"

A while ago I saw a pic of an unusual lighter, and I got intrigued by it.


Investigation learned it was a "New Method self starting lighter" made in the 1950's in Bradford, PA.

It uses catalys to ignite the lighter, and comes with a vial for spare fuel.

Platinum wires serve as a catalyser after the reaction is started by a little ball of "platinum black", wich produces heat when "Columbian Spirit" react with the air.






Needless to say I had to have one...
After a long search, I didn't find one, but twelve of them new in box. oo::green: :twothumbs



I really like this lighter for it's simplicity, and the gadget factor of course....

Oh, in case you are wondering what Columbian Spirit is, it's also known as methanol.

Wow thats something ive never seen before

How much does one of them go for?

I'm selling some at the MarketPlace for $37.50 shipped.

B@rt said:

Oh, in case you are wondering what Columbian Spirit is, it's also known as methanol.

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Bart you are the bomb.

So does it work with alcohol, 90% pure is commonly available in drug stores in this neck of the woods, or what do you use and where do you get the fuel?

oregon

I use methanol since it is the easiest and cheapest to get here (RC stores carry it), but 90% alcohol (ethanol) will work as well.

This is very intriguing. Thanks for sharing Bart.

Luigi

B@rt said:

I use methanol since it is the easiest and cheapest to get here (RC stores carry it), but 90% alcohol (ethanol) will work as well.

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I think rc fuel is methanol, nitromethane and about 8-12% castor oil. Dunno if the fumes are safe.

Bart I got your PM and sent you one myself! Thanks!


Karl

DrifT3R said:

I think rc fuel is methanol, nitromethane and about 8-12% castor oil. Dunno if the fumes are safe.

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Yes, but pure methanol is also available in case you want to mix your fuel yourself.

I don't think nitromethane would be a good idea... :devil:

As we used to say in my youth (notice the past tense, both for verb and age), "No Spirit of Adventure..."

Oh ethanol will react too? That's more "safer" than methanol since methanol is poisonous but ethanol is drinking alcohol. You could use denatured alcohol or some everclear hehehe.

oregon, you might be thinking of rubbing alcohol. That is isopropyl alcohol.

IsaacHayes said:

oregon, you might be thinking of rubbing alcohol. That is isopropyl alcohol.

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Yes. I was thinking of rubbing alcohol.

However, Bart's lighter is an absolutely superb reason to purchase some high test spirits, ethanol, from our friends in the hills.

oregon

:buddies::lolsign:

OK, okay, okay Bart the magician. Without giving away the keys to the kingdom of finding obscure old stuff how did you locate these gems?

Do you run an antique store?

Do you run advertisements wanting old & bizarre fire making devices?

Did you win the antique lighter lottery?

Did a load of old stuff spill out front of your house?

I smell a story here.

Thank you kindly.

oregon

Lol! None of the above.

It was all simple searchwork and tracing old leads, timeconsuming, but once you get into it it can be fun to do.

B@rt said:

Lol! None of the above.

It was all simple searchwork and tracing old leads, timeconsuming, but once you get into it it can be fun to do.

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Ah. Of course. The key to happiness is in appreciating the journey and not just the destination. Profound grasshoppa.

I think that I know what you mean. Things are fun in themselves but the journey to find things...hope, disappointment, discovery, treachery, learning, opportunity cost, planning, discussing, communicating, searching in places never before searched...ahhhh the journey.

Of course.

Thank you for the encouragement. If Bart can do it then perhaps others may follow.

All the best,

oregon, where it is raining in the dead of summer

FYI - Nitromethane actually burns less violently than methanol. It is a tamer reaction while burning. The reason nitromethane is used in fuels is because it's optimum fuel/air ratio is much richer than methanol. More richer than the decreased reactivity in burning. This means that you can pack a lot more fuel/air mixture into the cylinder with each stroke, and it will have a lot more energy per stroke than with methanol alone. This comes at a cost. You will go through your tank in a proportionally faster time. However - adding nitromethane to any alcohol mix will cause it to burn less hot in open air, with a smaller flame. Nitromethane adds power to an internal combustion engine in a way that is not intuitive, at first glance. Nitromethane is not an "explosively" burning fluid. It is the exact opposite.

P.S. I am an RC enthusiast.

B@rt said:

I'm selling some at the MarketPlace for $37.50 shipped.

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does that mean you'll ship some of the hardy Netherlands spirits with it too?
thats a good price:thumbsup:

Lol, nope, you'll have to supply your own.

I have been meaning to do this for a while, but I uploaded a video of the lighter in action:

http://forums.goingprepared.com/viewtopic.php?t=46

I got ahold of a case and a half of these, and will put them up in the marketplace when I get them. Please don't PM me about buying any quite yet. I'll have a thread when they are ready.