DIY Flint Wheel Sparker

[ReamerPunch]

You may have seen these around. Basically you take a disposable lighter, and trim it down to the bare essentials needed for creating a spark.
Mzil, who is also a member here, made a video tutorial on these. 


Commercial versions of these also exist. Plastic, aluminium, titanium, brass. Lots of colors too. Some even store tinder within them. But it's always fun to make stuff.

As I am making this thread to share my thoughts and findings on these, I will quickly touch on the usual comments these receive.

Why would you buy one?
Commercial versions of these are nice. Properly machined, rounded edges, screws, professionally made objects, instead of a crude, cut down Bic lighter.
They look great, especially the metallic ones. And they also work as advertised.
Also, the wheels are larger than those found on disposable lighters, providing a larger spark. They will also be easier to maintain, with just a screw at the bottom, and more durable too, both plastic ones and of course metallic versions. Some unscrew in half and can store tinder too.

Why this instead of a lighter?
Nobody said you should get rid of your lighter and get one of these. People like stuff. Some use flint and steel. Using what you like is not wrong.

Why this instead of a ferro rod?
Whether it is the one-handed operation, on-board tinder storage, or just looks, people like stuff.

Do it with a Mini Bic. Why take a large Bic and make it smaller?
-Because that's what I found on the street.
-That's what ran out.
-Larger wheel, larger ferro rod, larger sparks.
-Larger ferro rod; will last longer.

Why not use one from a Clipper lighter? Why make it out of a Bic?
-Because that's what I found on the street.
-That's what ran out.

I can just use my lighter as a sparker when it runs out.
Yes, that's the point. This thread will cover the sparkers you can make once your lighter runs out, or if you happen to find a spent lighter and want to use it as a sparker. Also, once your lighter runs out and you carry a new one, why not turn the spent one into a tiny thing that throws sparks?

Why bother carrying a DIY version when I can carry a lighter?
Size: These can be tiny (really tiny). You can put these anywhere a lighter cannot fit. Zipper-pulls, packed pouches, wallets, Altoids mini tins etc.
Utilizing resources: Why throw away your empty Bic lighter? Preserve your resources by using the empty lighter. Some things only need a spark.
Price: You can just find these on the street, or just keep the ones you use up. It costs virtually nothing to make these. The commercial ones can go for a lot.
Craftsmanship: Using something you made always feels nice.

If you see no value or usefulness in these, that's alright. I do. They throw decent sparks, cost nothing to make, take very little space, weigh nothing, and utilize something that would have been thrown away (or that was thrown away and you found). I do not understand all the negativity these receive. I bet you can fit a DIY one in your stuffed Maxpedition, Altoids tin, FAK or wherever.

[ReamerPunch]

With that out of the way, let's dive on in.

I will be making a few of these with different lighters, depending on what I find.

Some things to keep in mind:
-Only attempt this with empty lighters.
-Bic lighters are made of rather brittle plastic. Using snips or clippers to cut may result in the body cracking all the way, in a way that will render the whole project a failure.
-The basic set-up of a lighter with a wheel is the same: A cylindrical compartment houses a spring, which pushes a tiny ferro rod against the wheel.
-Be careful when removing the wheel. While prying apart the arms to free the wheel, the ferro rod may shoot across the room. Do this while covering the lighter with something, a towel, a bag, a sheet, anything that will catch the ferro rod. Be careful and go slow. Also, aim the ferro rod away from vital organs.
-Tension matters. If your ferro rod is short, you can stretch the spring a little to get the wheel to grind the rod harder.
-The wheel will produce proper sparks in only one direction. Feel the wheel's grind with your fingernail. One way is smooth, the other rough. You want the rough grind to scrape the rod. You can mark the wheel with a sharpie, but just feeling which way the rough side will spin is enough to insert it the right way (more on this later).
-More points will be added, as I discover traits of specific brands.

[ReamerPunch]

We can separate the process into three steps:
1. Disassembly
2. Carving
3. Assembly





Disassembly is relatively easy. Remove the mask and the child safety. Removing the wheel must be done carefully and slowly. The ferro rod is being forced against the wheel by the spring. If you just remove the wheel, the ferro rod with shoot across the room. Pry the arms with your fingernails, slowly, and remove the wheel gently, allowing the ferro rod to just drop. Maybe do it under a towel. I do it in a cupped hand, over a tray, and the ferro rod just drops in.
Be gentle when prying the arms away. If one cracks, the wheel cannot be held in place.
Or just use one of these:


As for the carving, it really is up to you. You can trim it to the length you want, with both tinder compartments, just one, or none at all.
To get the body of the lighter the shape you want it, you can use a saw, a dremel, or a hot wire. Cut into the lighter only once the lighter is completely empty. Start near the bottom so you do not damage the spring's chamber. It is always better to cut a little, and trim the rest.
To make things easier, mark the body with a sharpie so you can see where to cut.

Keep in mind that Bic lighters are made of brittle plastic. Attempting to cut with clippers or a carving blade may result in a crack that with ruin the whole project. Go slow. Or just cheat and use a dremel or hot wire.

Note for Bic and Mini Bic lighters:
For Mini Bics, the most difficult and unforgiving part you have to cut/carve/remove is the compartment that houses the valve. Compared to the walls of the rest of the body, this compartment has more plastic attached to the center of the body. I would recommend a thin hacksaw, or a hot wire to melt through, and of course check constantly so you don't cut into the main spring compartment.
For large Bic lighters, this issue is present at both sides, as the button spring is also housed into a compartment with more plastic attached to the center wall. Go slow.

[ReamerPunch]

The most difficult thing will be the assembly.
Once the spring is in place, the rod cannot drop in. You have to push it against the spring, and while keeping the rod in place, insert the wheel the right way.

Get the body steady. Probably easier to do before you cut it down.
Feel the wheel's grind, and be mindful of the orientation of it when placed.
Put the spring in. Grab the ferro rod by the top.



Push the ferro rod in place, and while still keeping a firm grip, secure it in place with a pointy thing. Keep a firm hold on it, otherwise the spring will shoot the ferro rod into orbit (do not use tweezers for this, the rod will slip and the spring will shoot it away. Use pliers).
If the ferro rod is too short to be held like that, I'd probably abandon the project, until a longer one could be found.



Place the wheel on top of it, carefully. With the pointy thing between the wheel and rod, only one arm will engage the wheel. Remove the pointy thing while holding the wheel in place, pushing it so that the other arm grabs the wheel.


The wheel will probably be able to stay in place as is. Release carefully and slowly. Pinch the arms so that the wheel stays in place, and give it a spin to make sure it is in the right way and that it produces sparks properly. If all is good, you can use a small ziptie, twist tie, wire or a paperclip to secure the arms.


Do not tighten the wire too much. If the wheel is too tight it will not spin easily, and if the wire is too tight, it will bend the arms, and the wheel may fly off.
We just want the wire to prevent the arms from flexing when the wheel turns. We do not want the arms to stress, or be too tight.


And there you have it. A tiny, weightless, free of cost, one-handed spark thrower.


Some thoughts so far:
-Performance is acceptable. Cotton takes a spark the first time, and it works great on shredded tissue paper or toilet paper. Tear single ply, stack pieces, spark at fibers.
-Further disassembly is not fast, as you will have to cut and remove the wire, then remove the wheel without losing the ferro rod, and then put back everything and secure the wire again. A definite disadvantage compared to commercial wheel sparkers, but what can you do.
-The first one I tried cracked at the valve part. No biggy. Keep the spare parts, and try again.
-The ferro rod meets the wheel at the center, so it will produce sparks any way you put it in, though they may be backwards. It is up to you to decide which side the sparks come out of. If you look closely at the arms, you will notice that an arm is not symmetrical. The holes for the wheel and wire are near one side. That's the side your thumb would push, so that the sparks come out the other side. Decide beforehand if you want no compartments for tinder, or one, or both, and which way the wire will be tied, because your finger may be grinding against it as you spin the wheel.
For the black Mini Bic, the spark comes out the side of the man in the logo, which is the default side. Because of the placement of the holes the wire will go through, I decided to put the wire the way I did. The wire had to be twisted at the side my thumb is and because I kept the body intact, the ends cannot be pushed further down, so now my thumb grinds against the pointy ends of the wire when I spin the wheel. I may remove the wire, and twist it the other way.
For the red Mini Bic, I did not want compartments for tinder, so I carved it to its core. I had more room to put the wire the way I wanted. The sparks still come out the default way, like the black mini Bic, but the wire was twisted at the other side. Now my thumb does not grind against the ends of the wire. The wire sat flat against the back of the sparker, and it is more comfortable.
This is awkward to explain, but if you attempt this, you will know what I am talking about.

[Poncho65]

Great write up,  RP I may give this a way more thorough read and try it myself sometime I free and I do find empty lighters quite often that people have thrown down So I will use one of those

[ReamerPunch]

Great write up,  RP I may give this a way more thorough read and try it myself sometime I free and I do find empty lighters quite often that people have thrown down So I will use one of those

Thanks!
I tried to explain things so people know what to expect.
That's why I tried this too. I kept watching the video Mzil made, and I decided to try it out. It was a lot of fun, and I am pleased with the result, tiny, free, and cute.

[ReamerPunch]

If you look at a large Bic, you can see more clearly how the arms are not symmetrical. The holes of the arms are close to one side, the side that has the button.
Look at how I put the wire. It is better to wrap it around the sides where the plastic is wider. Also, if you want both compartments for tinder, the ends or the wire are easier to bend down on the button side, because the valve's side does not have enough room. Of course, if you remove both compartments, there won't be any plastic in the way, so you can have the twist on either side.

This is a little shorter than a proper Bic, but the same width, since I kept both compartments for tinder. Too big for keychain carry. It works, but for almost the same volume, you could have a full Bic in your kit. Maybe keep only one compartment, and have a long, slim sparker, or shorten it with two compartments, or keep one and shorten it, like Mzil did.




Some more points:
-If you want to just try things out, or want a more temporary set-up for maintenance, instead of a wire, paperclip etc, you could just support the arms with a rubber band, or maybe a ziptie, though it will loosen if you fasten and open it a lot of times.
-You can still carry tinder even with no compartments. Just leave the walls a little wide, put tinder between them, and wrap the body with a ranger band. Or maybe tape , but it'll take longer to get the tinder.
-If you somehow saw through the spring chamber, do not worry. You can plug the hole with glue, or just melt it and press it to seal the hole. You could do this deliberately, to get a large Bic shorter, although you'd have to shorten the spring too, or use a shorter one.

[ReamerPunch]

Cricket lighters.
The first disposable lighter was Cricket. Nice to know.

Disassembly is extremely easy. Remove the mask and button, and the spark mechanism can be removed and used as is. Kinda like Clipper lighters.
The arms have no holes for a wire, but it is not needed. You can always drill holes yourself if you find one with bent arms.
The ferro rods are not as good as Bic ones, but mini Bic ferro rods fit in this, so you can just use those. Zippo ferro rods also fit, and the spark is incredible.
A Cricket sparker will be smaller than carved Bic and Mini Bic ones, unless you cut them in half.
The sparker is not one piece, as it has a plug to keep the spring in place. Hopefully it will hold up, although you could just use glue or melt the end to secure the spring.
The plastic is not brittle, like Bic's. It is softer, but no carving is necessary anyway.

Tiny package, no need for wire so easy maintenance, separate sparker so no carving needed, and fits Mini Bic, Zippo, and dollar store lighter ferro rods.
Very pleased with Cricket. 



I would suggest keeping the body of the lighter. If you need to replace the wheel, ferro rod, or spring, or disassemble it for any reason, it is much easier to clamp the whole body, and insert the sparker back into place, rather than somehow securing the tiny sparker by itself.

[ReamerPunch]

Dollar store lighters
Multiple brands, slightly different designs, but the same structure.
Transparent body, and the striker part is a separate piece, which is a softer plastic than the Bic. Easier to cut, and it will not crack. Also it requires minimal cutting to get it small.

This was branded Sundance.

Remove the mask and wheel carefully, so you don't lose the ferro rod, and remove the button.
You could leave the sparker on the body, for a better grip, but it'll take a lot of space.


You can just remove the sparker part and leave it as is. It'll have two loops so attaching it to something is easy.
I suggest keeping the body. If you want to take it apart later, just re-insert the sparker in the body, and clamp the body with something.
There is a little plug to keep the spring in place. Unfortunately it does not unscrew.

The wheel of this is not very comfortable to use. The outer edges are separate free-spinning pieces, which is the child-proof mechanism. You have to press really hard to get the wheel to spin. You can replace the wheel with one of a mini Bic.


You can trim it to a very small sparker very easily.
In this state, it will not click into the body. If you want to get it steady for maintenance, you can just drill a hole in a block of wood, for the spring chamber to fit into.

[ReamerPunch]

This one was branded Gil.
Same construction as the other, same soft plastic, though white, but it did not have a plug to hold the spring. The sparker is one piece.

[ReamerPunch]

The carving process becomes a joke with a dremel.
Mark the body with a sharpie so you know where to cut. Wear eye-protection, and go slow.
Be careful with the part where the valve was, as it has a metal piece.

[Poncho65]

You been busy dissecting lighters over here, RP

Has the process gotten easier and what brand was the easiest to turn into a sparker

Also the Cricket didn't require a wire I see   was it one of the only ones or the only one not to need one Great work buddy

[ReamerPunch]

 
The process has become extremely easy now. I can remove a wheel and ferro rod safely while walking down the street.

Clipper is the easiest, since the sparker is actually detachable. And it opens from the bottom, with a screw plug. Quite nice. 
Cricket is the second easiest. Also detachable, although the mask and button have to be removed. It does not open from the bottom, so you have to go about from the wheel end to replace the ferro rod, like I showed above with the red Bic. Quite nice though, and it'll be shorter than a Clipper's sparker, and it does not require a wire, like dollar store lighters, or Bics.
Dollar store lighters are third, as the sparker is a separate piece. Soft plastic, and minimal cutting to get it small. Not bad. It fits Mini Bic ferro rods and you can replace the wheel with a Mini Bic one, although it will require a wire to get the arms to hold it properly. A little bit of hassle, but if that's what you have, it will still work.

Bics are last. Brittle plastic, so carving will be slow and steady. They will also require a wire for the wheel arms. And you have to make absolutely sure you are cutting into an empty one.
But to compensate, their ferro rods are the best of disposable lighters, and they throw great sparks. Large Bics spark wonderfully, and have larger ferro rods than other disposable lighters, so they'll last longer. Mini Bics are quicker to carve, will also throw nice sparks, and won't take as much space as a large Bic.

[ReamerPunch]

The Cricket did not have holes for a wire, so I left it without one. It is not really needed. When you spin the wheel a few times, the arms start to bend slightly outwards, but the wheel is still held in place. Just squeezing the arms back into position after a few spins is enough to ensure the wheel won't fly off.
I did put wire on the dollar store lighters sparkers, because I replace their wheel with a Mini Bic one, and it is a little narrower, so the wire is needed to tighten the arms.
If you want to put a sparker on your keys or something, it'll bang on all sorts of stuff, so without a wire the wheel (and the rod) will fall off.

Have you found any empty lighters yet?

[ReamerPunch]

Another Cricket.
The ferro rod was corroded into place, so I had to remove the plug, then the spring, and push from that side with the eye-glass bit to get the ferro rod dislodged.
It was replaced by a zippo rod, and decided to use a screw to keep everything together.
Easy access for maintenance, kinda like a Clipper. The screw bit adequately into the soft plastic, but it started showing stretch marks, so I won't drive it in all the way. Until a more suitable screw is found, that will do.

I find that Cricket ferro rods are not the best. Of course Zippo and Bic rods are better, but even dollar store lighters have better ferro rods than Cricket. Also due to the small size of the Cricket sparker, the spring is also tiny and does not force the ferro rod against the wheel with a lot of tension. More tension would result in more material scraped, so bigger sparks, although it will also wear down the ferro rod faster.

[Poncho65]

More nice work, RP I still haven't taken the time to dissect a lighter yet soon though

[ReamerPunch]

Another Gil.
White plug on a black body. Not bad.
The outer edges of the wheel spun freely, so I replaced it. The new wheel is narrower, so the wire is needed.

[Poncho65]

Great pic, RP

[ReamerPunch]

A nice high-visibility one.

[Poncho65]

Nice and a great idea with the keyring

[ReamerPunch]

Thanks for the support Poncho.

[ReamerPunch]

An interesting find today. A Bic clone, or so I thought. Branded Tutu.
I removed the mask, and noticed that the sparker was a separate piece.
Prying the arms that would hold the wheel in a Bic, out came a Clipper-like sparker insert.

The screw just dropped. It would not stay in place with its tiny threading fighting against the long spring. I replaced it with a tiny woodscrew that bit into the soft plastic and now the assembly is great.

The wheel had a child-proof safety not unlike dollar store lighters. There were tiny trays covering the outer edges of the wheel, that spun freely. Much like Gil lighters, you have to exert some force to get the wheel to actually spin, instead of just making the free spinning outer edges spin.
I removed them, but that made the wheel a little narrow so it had play left and right. I put them back in, since no wheel fits in there. The large Bic wheel is too wide, and the mini Bic wheels are too narrow. Without them the knurling of the outer edges is exposed, so sparking would be easier, but having the wheel narrower than its slot is not good. With them in place, the knurling is covered by free spinning pieces, but the wheel is the proper width to stay in place. It works well, so no worries about them staying there.

Very interesting to see a disposable lighter with features from Bic, Gil, and Clipper. Never seen it before. I hope I find more. 

[ReamerPunch]

[ReamerPunch]

Carving the excess plastic of the large Bic leaves you with a nice, slender sparker.
Of course, the head with be larger than a Clipper/Tutu sparker insert, but a large Bic is what you find/use up, why not make a nice sparker out of it.

[ReamerPunch]

With Cricket inserts, the plug may pop out. That's what happened with this one. Thankfully it was in a pouch so I did not lose the spring and ferro rod.
Instead of just a screw, why not put a ring screw and be able to attach it to all sorts of stuff.
Find a screw that will fit nicely. In this one the plastic started cracking just a little.
Cut the screw so it does not take too much space in the sparker, and if you are having trouble with the spring, make it a little shorter.

[ReamerPunch]

You can also put a ring screw (or a hook screw you crimped into a ring screw) in a large Bic sparker.
Here are the Cricket and a large Bic sparker. The Bic has much thicker, harder plastic. No cracking. The screw is nice and tight.
And since the Bics need a ziptie/wire, having a screw allows the spring and ferro rod to be removed without removing the ziptie or cutting the wire and then using another paperclip.
For the large Bic one, the ring screw adds a lot of length. I suggest cutting the body in half. You'll have to also cut the spring accordingly, and also cut the threaded part of the screw a little, so it does not take a lot of room in the sparker.

[ReamerPunch]

Here's a nice orange Bic.

[ReamerPunch]

Second Tutu lighter I found. Kinda like the Clipper, but looks like a Bic. The default screw is plastic and not that tight. I could pull the screw out without even twisting it. It needs a better, metallic screw to keep the spring in there.
The difference is that this is already a sparker insert, so no carving required, and it takes the large Bic ferro rods, while the head is half the size of a large Bic sparker.

[ReamerPunch]

Dremel for most of it, and the Rebar for the delicate carving.

[Shuya]

Nice little tinkering. 

What I ask myself: how useable are they. I imagine myself beeing wet, cold, in windy condition, wearing gloves... darn.
I would rather prefer something...larger.
Anyone using stuff like that besides playing bushcraft?