View Full Version : zippo fuels
Before I ruin my lighter, will a zippo run ok on ethanol? Petrol makes a pipe taste unpleasant and I won't touch those blow torch style lighters since one exploded in my hand.
Paganwolf
10-09-2004, 12:00
I have run a Zippo on jamaican white rum before so i would say yes... :wave:
That's a waste of perfectly good rum.
The other reason for switching is that after half a day of a zippo in my pocket, the fuel fumes leave me with a nasty sore patch of skin.
Realgar
Paganwolf
10-09-2004, 12:04
A jamaican guy gave me it at work and believe me It made better Zippo fluid !! :wink: :o):
Whilst Zippo only recommend their own (bloody expensive) fuel, they will run on pretty much anything.
I've even run mine of aftershave once (don't ask!) and Bosnian brandy, so using ethanol won't be a problem. Just be careful as ethanol is pretty volatile...
dave750gixer
10-09-2004, 13:59
my zippo and permanent match have been run on petrol, polish vodka, ethanol, propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol, tetrahydrofuran (not fantastic), acetonitrile (dangerous as could release cyanide but burns ok), paraffin, ethyl acetate (gives me a stinking headache from the fumes when not burning), methanol (really too volatile for good use as a fuel), ethyl ethanoate (the compound which gives the smell to pear drops), octanol (don't like the smell of that either), toluene and benzene (carcinogenic and give quite a smoky flame).
Can you tell I work in a lab? Didnt try the diethyl ether as that is probably way too volatile. The permanent match kept failing though as I was dissolving the adhesive out of the body and had to keep gluing the bottom back on.
The short answer is that it will work on any flammable liquid. Dont use anything too volatile as it evaporates away annything not volatile enough is harder to start on a cold day. Other than that just avoid anything really toxic (permanent match seems to have less of an evaporation problem) or anything that would destroy the actual body of the zippo (corrosive, reactive etc)
dave750gixer
10-09-2004, 14:04
I should say that ethanol is actually my favorite fuel. Burns really well, non toxic and even smells nice. If you smoke definately change to ethanol.
PS vodka etc burn ok, ethanol is much better. Make sure you get absolute ethanol or analytical grade if you can. The cheaper industrial stuff (non drinking) is purified a different way and actually contains a very small amount of benzene.
TheViking
10-09-2004, 14:07
Hi...
My Zippo fuel evaporate...! :yikes: Only a few days after refill, it's gone again. And yes, it's an original Zippo. :wink: :D
wont it make you pipe taste dodgy..
[QUOTE=dave750gixer]Can you tell I work in a lab? Didnt try the diethyl ether as that is probably way too volatile. The permanent match kept failing though as I was dissolving the adhesive out of the body and had to keep gluing the bottom back on.
[QUOTE]
Yep I work in a lab too - ethanol ( DFS grade - in principle drinkable ) is handy stuff. I keep some in my rucksack for treating cuts, cleaning my kinfe so I can eat with it after gutting fish with the same implement, lighting charcoal etc etc. Can't say it ever occured to me to dry using THF. I might give DMSO and cadaverine a go - I'm more or less immune to the smell and it's a handy way of clearing space in a crowded pub....
I've been using ethanol on my permanent match - it has no noticable flavour by the time it's gone through a pipe. Authentic zippo fuel however tastes bad..
It's basicaly a metal stick with a threaded top, the end of the stick holds a short section of wick and the whole thing screws into a small plastic pot. The side of the pot has a much harder version of the firestick that you strike the match against. You can find them online desribed variously as 'permanent match' or 'metal match'. If you have a 'Go outdoors' shop nearby they're sold as a 'tinder kit' with a few plugs of tallow soaked cotton wool, they're very efficient on fuel and very reliable.
Realgar
Oh i see, i dont think we stock them.
dave750gixer
10-09-2004, 15:58
Yeah, I carry a small bottle of absolute ethanol around as well its just so useful. I wouldnt take DMSO (dimethylsulphoxide to the rest of you :nana: ) into the wilds on principal though. For those that dont know if you get it on your skin it can actually transport other materials (dirt, oil, that nightshade you brushed against etc) accross the skin barrier and into the bloodstream. Even if the skin would normally keep them out. :yikes: Interesting stuff.
You can become immune to cadaverine :shock: bet it does clear crowds fast. Friend of mine used to work in Edinburgh zoo. One of the male tigers sprayed him (scent marking) one night and he got the whole top deck of the bus to himself on the way home :rolmao:
I have never tried alternative fuels in my Zippo. Not sure I would venture down some of these paths...particularily cadaverine :o):
As for zippo fuel evaporation problems...I wrap my Zippo in 3-4 layers of Saran Wrap...a PVC stretch food wrap. That has kept it fueled in my vest pocket for many many weeks.
Of course, I do not use the lighter daily or this would be a huge pain, but it works. I also carry a small Tabasco sauce bottle full of lighter fluid to refuel it if needed. Zippo makes a neat aluminum fuel bottle that I also have, but for some reason I carry the Tabasco bottle of fuel.
Here is that Zippo aluminum fuel can...
http://outdoors.free.fr/images/Schwert_212503canister.jpg
About the size of a 20g shot shell and holds 2 or more fillings of fuel. I got it on eBay.
I have a zippo and i agree they are great. But they are more of a smooth, novelty item. They claim to be windproof, but clearly are as windproof as any other lighter. They run out of fuel quick. Why not just carry a butane or two? You know...like a bic or clipper.