Lighter Parts

Dann757 · By: **Dann757** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:10 pm

I have an old aluminum mini deco cigarette lighter. I've been looking for a spring for the flint. The compression spring that pushes the flint up against the wheel in the bore. This lighter will take a Zippo flint. All I need is a compression helical spring about the size of a Zippo flint! I made a retainer screw out of an 8/32 machine screw. All I need is a spring. The lighter is pretty much worthless

I searched on Ebay for lighter parts, got everything on earth but lighter parts. Also, cigarette lighter spring, lighter flint spring, miniature coil spring, little helical spring, tiny spring, flint spring, etc. :lol:

I found manufacturers that will make a production run of 1000 according to specs, industrial suppliers that have something similar at $35 apiece.

I might have to go to an electronics store, locksmith, jeweller? Local hardware store smallest spring too big.

Thanks for any leads...

crazy4coal · By: **crazy4coal** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:18 pm

Yard sale junk box with old lighter, ball point pen spring?

carlherrnstein · By: **carlherrnstein** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:19 pm

I use bic flints in my zippo, I usaly find them on the ground out of fuel, there is a small spring under the flint. I wonder if a bic spring would work.

SMITTY · By: **SMITTY** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:19 pm

If you have any old Zama carbs laying around, that diaphragm float spring is pretty small. Take that screw out, lift out the little pin, and the spring is under that arm opposite the float needle.

My first thought was a pen spring, but that sounds like it would be way too big in diameter - can always cut for length.

I've seen some real small springs before ... but I'm a few Tequilas into the night here (rained all day, so got NOTHING done, except parts ordered for the Blazer engine) & I can't remember where the hell they came from .... or where they are now ... :confused:

Dann757 · By: **Dann757** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:36 pm

Thanks guys for the replies!!!! I have to publicly personally apologize to Franco B; I had a nasty reaction to one of his posts. He was kind enough to offer me some old lighter springs despite my rudeness.

anyhoo,

Bic spring- too big, Smitty I just put that spare Zama back together for storage, I know the exact spring you mean. Too fluffy.

I just ended up wrapping a guitar string core around a jeweller's screwdriver! Made my own spring. I have to make another one, I wrapped this one by hand and it came out squiggly. If I keep tension on the wire while winding it, I think I can get a good spring!
Wasn't my idea, I saw it in looking all over the internet last night.

I think this lighter is homemade, maybe machinist's or metal shop project. It was in a small metal box of drawers I got at an estate sale.

This is coffee induced OCD !

Thanks again!
Dan

Poconoeagle · By: **Poconoeagle** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:24 pm

locksmith.....
the springs from Medico wafers are prolly just the right legnth 8-)

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:46 pm

Any local non chain hardware stores in your area? My buddy has hardware store, it wouldn't surprise me all to if had them or something that would work.

samhill · By: **samhill** On: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:42 am

Local hobby or electronics store may have something you could use.

carlherrnstein · By: **carlherrnstein** On: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:04 pm

I have made springs with music wire and a engine (metal) lathe. Or mcmaster carr http://www.mcmaster.com/#compression-springs/=jd3b51 they have everything

Dann757 · By: **Dann757** On: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:50 pm

Thanks again for replies. The smallest spring at the local hardware store was way too big! The lighter is sparking and ready to go; restuffed it with pill bottle cotton, made a wick out of cotton twine but I have to double it over and it should work. Ran out of lighter fluid, so I have to get a squeeze bottle of it!
I looked up how to polish aluminum, wet sanded the case with 400 and 600, if I get some finer grits up to 2000 it should shine pretty good!

I checked my Zippo spring for comparison, looked like a Zippo spring cut down would work.

In all my looking around, I saw the potential for another useless hobby

, collecting lighters :!:

There's millions of them out there, every shape and style imaginable.

Carl-- thanks for the Mcmaster-Carr link-- I'm sure there was one there the right size.

grumpy · By: **grumpy** On: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:56 pm

I have one just like it, I wonder how old it is, in fact I thought my grandfather made it, he worked in a metal shop back in the day.

Dann757 · By: **Dann757** On: Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:29 pm

Hey that's interesting Grump, I found that piece in a metal box of drawers I got at a local estate sale. There were screws and nails and roller shade parts in that box. Ya save your junk all your life and then they sell it all cheap after ya croak

There was no maker's mark on that lighter, but I saw faint deco lines on the screw cap on the bottom. It just struck me as a neat little item, have been meaning to restore it for quite a while...

freetown fred · By: **freetown fred** On: Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:32 am

Speaking of neat lil items & lighters all in one topic. Dan, you need to just pick up a little pocket lighter. :blowup:

Dann757 · By: **Dann757** On: Sat Sep 29, 2012 12:24 am

Gentlemen. You're gonna kill me. After all that advice I discovered something that was right under my nose. I've got Bic lighters all over the place. One just ran out, almost spent. I opened it up and there's two springs in it! One is just fine for this old lighter; cut it in half to fit as a matter of fact, now I have a spare

Het Fred, I got a black Zippo, everyman should have a Zippo, American icon.

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:51 am

Dann757 wrote:Het Fred, I got a black Zippo, everyman should have a Zippo, American icon.

Yea but that zippo doubles as an emergency furnace, did you note the size of the coffee cup?

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