Improvised Mini "Gas Light"

(In response to the "Powering your flashlight with Candles" thread)

Just some parts from different lighters, peices of a Coleman Insta-Clip mantle, and some butane. The "burner" and "fuel line" was salvaged from an empty Diamond "Wind Resistant" Utility Lighter. http://www.diamondbrands.com/pages/wind_resistant/33.php

I just tied a piece of a mantle on with wire and pre-burned it with the blue lighter. Afterwards, it's pretty much jam the gas valve open on the red lighter and light the burner.

Prototype Stage:




Shots in the dark



There's enough light for me to read from it about 4 feet away while it's running it "candle mode" as shown. Heat output and runtime (fuel consumption) not known.

My next step would be to buy another wind resistant utility lighter, more mantles, and some type of metal reflector (Mag85, USL) for a "true" gas powered "flashlight" :laughing:

There are some lateral thinkers amongst us. Wish I was one of them
Norm

Nice contraption! Lumen estimate? The best self defense light I've seen so far

Kees

Neat!

:buddies:

Now that's an interesting way to play with fire.

A production version looks do-able if any of the larger lighter, or even gas lantern makers want to give it a go.

for extended burn time and not melt the fuel line.. add a heatsink to the burner

Kewl Mod

brilliant. original. a must see...

maybe slide the whole thing into a glass chimney, for a little safety?

I can see where this comes in very handy, especially if your a backpacker, even the lightest market gas lights uses a quarter pound gas can with a glass globe about the size of a light bulb.

I was kinda thinking that too.
Why not a smaller version?

Ooh... Neat idea!

You could easily construct a slightly beefed up version with one of those gas stove \ BBQ lighters with the metal stalk, they have a metal tube with a slightly flared end for the flame.

If you chopped the metal tubing to preference and replaced the inner rubber tubing with thinbore brass \ steel, you could get a really solid product
Those stove lighters have bigger fuel tanks too, and easily adjustable output.