Burn time of a mini-Bic lighter

S

Sidewinder

Joined
Jun 2, 2001
Messages
887
For those that want to know.

I bought a new three pack of mini-bic lighters and wanted to find out how long one of these things burn for. Using my watch, I burned the lighter for a total of 33 minutes (1-2 minute intervals - got too hot whan I tried to go for 3 minutes at a time) Room temp was about 67 degrees.

Your results may vary.

S.
 
Just as important is the fact that in normal use - once the lighter is empty there should still be lots of flint left. In this case with long burning times from one spark there should be even more.
Mainly the problem with lighters is the fact that if they get wet they just don't light for a long time.
 
I did some tests on disposable lighters -

1. Drop test x 3 each from 20';
2. Immersion in cold water for 6hrs, and;
3. Freezing @ 5 degrees F for 1 hr.

The mini BICs did pretty well, overall. A few suggestions,

1. Don't try to light them wet - the flint turns into a pasty goo that takes forever to dry out enough to allow for lighting. Dry it out (Shaking the lighter hard and then blowing on it helped speed the drying process.)
2. Use a 4" cable tie to wrap around the lighter head and under the actuator lever to disable the actuator. (This insures no accidental leakage by being depressed by something else in your kit occurs.)
3. Try to keep it warm. They will work when pretty cold, but work the best when warm. I try to keep my mini kit items as close to my body as possible. Carried in an inside the jacket pocket works for me.
4. Apply a piece of 3M reflective tape to the lighter's body to enhance the ability to find it if you drop it in darkness.

Mike
 
Use a 4" cable tie to wrap around the lighter head and under the actuator lever to disable the actuator
Click to expand...

Mike, you always have such good ideas. I'm going to do this right now.

Thanks,

S.
 
Excellent suggestions from Mike! Those and carrying a piece of dry lamp wick as tinder in case you do run out of gas and the old BIC looks good.
 
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Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Mike

PS ... The dot in the middle of the lighter is a piece of 3M reflective tape punched out with a paper punch. M
 
Mini Bics last forever. I used to smoke a lot of weed in my early high school days and always had one on me. Getting stoned entailed holding the lighter lit for for longer periods of time than it takes to light a cigarette. Even then, a Mini Bic lasted me well over a week.

PS - I don't toke anymore... for the record.
 
Thanks Mike, great advice. I particularly like the cable tie idea. Is that a Coghlan's match safe in your picture?
 
Sure is, Nathan! Good eye. The Coghlan's matchsafe holds 20 hand painted strike anywhere's and 4 pieces of TinderQuik, too.

If you're doing up a mini-kit, you might want to consider tightly wrapping some snare wire around the mini-BIC to make it a more complete package.

Mike

PS ... I epoxied a 3/4" mirror inside the lid of the matchsafe and replaced the chintzy rubber gasket with a good rubber O-ring. M
 
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