How to change the wick in a Zippo lighter? How to make a wick at home DIY wick for a kerosene lamp
Someone is trying to acquire skills that will help them survive in a global catastrophe. Someone just found a new hobby. And someone managed to turn this hobby into a profitable business, creating real works of art. What is it about? About DIY From this article you will learn how to make a wick from threads.
Required part
If you can still achieve some variations in the material for creating a candle, then you will not be able to exclude one of its components. We are talking about the wick. We will talk about how to do it at home later. Now let’s just look at what this important thread is.
Origin of the wick
It may seem logical that the wick should be contemporary with the candle, but this is not the case. Candles appeared a little later. About fifteen centuries later. At first, wood chips were used as a wick. Later we decided to use pieces of fabric. This was in those days when candles had not yet been invented, and for lighting they used small bowls with a liquid flammable substance (mostly fat), which mercilessly smoked and smelled disgusting.
However, if you think that a wick is the simplest particle that can be made from anything, then you are deeply mistaken. It's not as simple as it might seem. In order to know how to make a wick with your own hands, you must understand how and why it burns.
Processes in the wick
For a wick to be of high quality, it must consist of several interconnected fibers. This is important so that capillary forces come into action, which raise liquid fuel to the combustion source. At the molecular level, a candle wick serves as a kind of pumping substation, which allows, among other things, to better saturate the liquid with gas. As a result, the vapor pressure increases and the flash point decreases. All these processes, of course, take place at the microscopic level, but this does not make them any less interesting. And understanding them will help you make a high-quality wick that is most suitable for a particular product.
What can a wick be made from?
Throughout history, people have tried to make a wick with their own hands from everything that burns. Thin wood chips, pieces of fabric, woven threads and even compressed poplar fluff - this is an incomplete list of materials.
Today, the most reasonable option seems to be to use cotton thread or fiberglass. The fundamental difference between these materials is that cotton burns completely, while the fiberglass wick remains. If suddenly you have a legitimate question about who needs this and why, then perhaps you are not aware of a new fashion trend - making figured candles with a frame. For example, you bought a candle in the shape of a cute cat, and when it burned down, you find a frame in the shape of the skeleton of this very animal. Some connoisseurs are simply delighted with such ideas.
When considering how to do it, pay attention to the fact that its size and diameter must be selected in accordance with the size of the candle itself. If it is too thin, it will simply fade. And if it’s too thick, it will smoke mercilessly. In automated production these parameters were calculated long ago. But when you make a wick for candles with your own hands, most often you have to achieve the required proportion by trial and error.
Another trick is that a long wick also smokes. And as the fat, wax or paraffin burns, it inevitably lengthens. This problem had to be dealt with manually. Houses always had scissors to cut off the ends of the wicks. That's what they were called - wick scissors.
Nowadays, this problem has been solved quite in an original way. A candle wick (which in the vast majority of cases is a thread woven from thin fibers) began to be made using an asymmetric weaving technique. As a result, the tip bends to the side and completely burns out completely on its own.
How to make a wick at home
If your candle will be made from wax, you will need a thick wick with a loose (not tight) weave. If source material paraffin or various fats will serve, the diameter of the wick should be small, and the individual threads should be twisted quite tightly.
This is done because these substances have different viscosities. In order for the wax to successfully rise through the capillaries of the wick, fairly wide passages will be required. If the same ones are left for less liquid paraffin, then it will simply lack the necessary traction, and the candle will burn dimly, unevenly, or even go out altogether.
Required impregnation
When you make your own candle wick, remember to soak it before direct use. This process is not particularly labor intensive. However, it will take time, since the soaked wick must be thoroughly dried.
Impregnation is carried out so that the wick burns better and less wax or paraffin deposits are formed.
Various solutions can be used. Here are a few options.
- For 500 ml of water: 5 grams of ammonium chloride, 10 grams of borax, 5 grams and 5 grams of calcium chloride.
- For 550 ml of water: 30 grams of slaked lime and 8.5 grams of sodium nitrate.
- For 700 ml of water: 1 gram and 1 gram of sodium nitrate.
The wick is immersed in the solution for at least 15 minutes. And then they hang it out to dry. It is recommended to dry the workpieces for at least five days.
Among home craftsmen, a solution that requires fewer specialized tools is popular. chemical substances. And although it is somewhat inferior in quality to the mixtures described above, but since we're talking about Still, about how to make a wick at home (trying, as far as possible, not to turn the house into a branch of a chemical laboratory), we will consider this option.
It is done as follows: take 2 tablespoons of regular table salt(not iodized), add 4 tablespoons of borax and stir it all in one and a half liters warm water. When the solution becomes homogeneous, you can send the wick blanks there for soaking.
For better preservation of the wicks, after complete drying, you can additionally impregnate them with molten wax. To do this, you need to dip them in pre-melted wax three to four times. After this procedure, the wicks must be dried again. However, wax impregnation is only needed if you want to prepare the material for future use. The wick will be able to perform its direct function in the candle you have made without this final touch.
Wide field of activity
Once you have already figured out how to make a wick at home, think about where you can use it. In truth, working with candles is a very exciting activity. And from a cute hobby, it may well transform into a decent source of income.
There are candles different types. The simplest ones are household ones. Their only function is very mundane - to provide light in case of a power outage. They have the simplest cylindrical shape and a boring translucent white color.
Table candles are already more attractive. Various dyes are used in their production. Their shape varies from cylindrical to twisted. Such candles may well serve as an important element in creating the atmosphere for a romantic dinner.
Made with the addition of substances that have a pleasant odor. In some cases, they can also be used in aromatherapy. This way you can not only lift your mood, but also improve your health.
They are very popular nowadays and gel candles. Firstly, because they are unusual, secondly, because they are beautiful and, thirdly, because they burn absolutely without any odor. They are easy to make. All you need is a transparent container (preferably in the shape of a bowl), some colored sand, beads or decorative figurines (this depends on your imagination), a wick and a melted gel mass, which is used to fill the composition.
So go for it! All in your hands.
Has your favorite item stopped pleasing you with its stable fire and is increasingly frightening you with its frayed wick? Then take a closer look - perhaps it needs to be changed a long time ago. In some cases, you can get by with a simple adjustment. To do this you will need the following tools: tweezers and nail scissors.
Method one, preliminary
If it doesn’t look completely terrible, then you can try to trim it a little to return it to its previous performance. To do this, you need to take tweezers, carefully and carefully pull the wick up and cut off the burnt, frayed piece, aligning it with the windbreak. This trick can be done two or three times. This will help for a few weeks, but after that you won’t be able to do without replacing the wick.
How to replace the wick in a Zippo lighter:
1. First you need to remove the lighter from the body by pulling it by the top, as happens when refueling or replacing the flint.
3. To avoid losing the spring and flint, it is best to place them in the upper part of the lighter. To make the chair fall out more easily, you can tap the body with your hand.
4. If spare flints are stored between the backing and the wool, then they also need to be pulled out along with the felt elements.
5. Using tweezers, you need to pull out the entire layer of cotton wool. It is recommended to lay out all the pulled out elements in order on the table, so that you can then put them back in the required sequence.
6. In the hole for the wick you need to insert new element, leaving the desired length at the top.
7. The wick is fixed with the little finger or tweezers so that it does not fall out before the end of the replacement process. The cotton pieces return to their place. At this stage you need to make sure that the wick passes through all the pieces of cotton.
8. Felt with spare flints is placed in place. The flint is inserted and the spring that supports it is twisted. Don't be too zealous and tighten it tightly.
9. If the length of the wick is too long, it must be trimmed. All parts of the lighter fit together.
10. After completing all the manipulations, you need to refill the lighter and check the operation of the new wick.
The disassembled lighter should be kept away from open sources of fire. It is not recommended to replace the filter in open flame, because on individual elements The accessory may still contain flammable gasoline. You are not allowed to smoke during all procedures.
How to protect the wick from frequent replacements
In order for this element to last as long as possible, you should try not to use other types of gasoline other than gasoline as a flammable liquid. If automotive flammable liquid or alcohol was used for “power,” then you should not be surprised that the wick turned black and began to smoke during operation. In addition, the quality of the flame will be very low, and the smell during combustion will be extremely unpleasant.
Such a disdainful attitude towards a practical and high-quality thing will come back to haunt you frequent breakdowns and the need to replace not only the frayed wick, but also other spare parts. Competent and careful operation will ensure its long-term use. Like every branded item, it loves “native” components and “native” power supply.” You shouldn't save money on these important details, if you want the lighter to remain “eternal”.
Every person is a child at heart. What do children like? That's right, everything flapping and sparkling! After all, no holiday can be imagined without fireworks, and some people manage to make them at home.
Fortunately, this rarely happens. Much more often we buy pyrotechnics on the eve New Year's holidays. Unfortunately, the quality of their production often leaves much to be desired. This is especially true for cheap pyrotechnics, the wicks of which are sometimes indecently short.
How to make a wick from scrap materials? Is this even real? There is practically nothing complicated about this.
The simplest option
Surely everyone in childhood dabbled with matches at least once. Do you remember how beautifully saltpeter, cleaned from them, burns? Before you make the wick, you will need to scrape it from a couple of boxes. You tamp the resulting saltpeter into juice sticks or something similar. Dense compaction is a guarantee of long burning.
Despite their primitiveness, such wicks burn very stably, and with proper sealing they are practically not afraid of getting wet. Perfect option For safe use dubious pyrotechnics!
If there is such an opportunity, then before making a wick, try to get them. They burn excellently, easily withstand even wetness, so you can make simply excellent ones from them.
There is also a method that involves using regular tape. Again, you will have to grind the sulfur from a couple of boxes of matches, and then cut a narrow strip of adhesive tape to the required length. Place it with the sticky side up and sprinkle a thin strip of match nitrate on it.
Press down this entire structure on top with the same strip of tape. The resulting ignition cord can be used even in winter conditions, since it is slightly susceptible to moisture. Since it is extremely easy to make a firecracker wick this way, it can be recommended for fireworks enthusiasts of all ages.
Attention! Strictly follow all fire safety rules, otherwise you can easily start a fire.
For city residents
If you have some poplar fluff lying around on your balcony since spring, great! All you have to do is stuff dry fluff into a rolled-up newspaper to make a pretty good wick. Needless to say, all material must be absolutely dry.
Method for young chemists
To make a reliable wick according to this recipe, you will need ordinary potassium permanganate, Moment glue or similar, and matches. A small amount of potassium permanganate and glue are taken, and then these two components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Attention! We should not forget that Moment is not only extremely flammable, but also contains many substances harmful to your health. Be sure to ensure normal ventilation of the room when performing this type of work.
There is no need to rush; it will take at least ten minutes to completely mix the components. Since the resulting mixture is too liquid, you should wait a few minutes until the hardening process takes place.
After this time, the resulting puddle must be carefully shaped, giving it a more compact appearance. When the composition acquires the consistency of plasticine, it needs to be rolled out, giving the appearance of a sausage. Thickness doesn't matter.
How to make a wick from matches and the composition we described? It's simple: if you need a wick that burns quickly and very reliably, then a certain amount of ground match nitrate should be added to the composition before it hardens.
How it works?
Have you ever wondered why such difficulties? The fact is that the wick resulting from our actions not only burns perfectly (and at an acceptable speed), but also easily withstands the ingress of water and snow. With it you can easily launch fireworks with safe distance, even installing it right in a snowdrift.
Potassium nitrate is our choice!
If you ask representatives of the older generation, they will probably tell you about all the methods of obtaining wick that were used by children in the USSR. Among the main components, it always occupied a place of honor. In those years, it was sold in all agricultural stores, so there were no problems with obtaining it.
How to use it? To begin with, saltpeter must be dissolved in ordinary water, taking one part of the active substance and three parts of liquid. The easiest way to make a wick is to soak ordinary newspaper in the resulting mixture. More precisely, you can simply dip it into the jar and immediately take it out.
After this, the paper should be thoroughly dried. Attention! Since the products from the evaporation of the working composition are not very beneficial for human health, it is advisable to do this outdoors.
How to make a wick for a firecracker from the resulting material? We roll the dried newspaper into a thin tube, tying it with thread if necessary. Only bringing it into “combat readiness” requires a certain skill.
To do this, light the very tip of the “sausage” and then knock out the flame. A smoldering flame is the goal of all ours. It can easily withstand even light moisture, and the burning speed is such that it will reliably protect you from premature activation of pyrotechnics.
By the way, before making a homemade wick, be sure to read the characteristics modern products of such kind. Almost certainly, what you see will impress you so much that you definitely won’t risk approaching the extinguished firecracker.
A more serious way
The disadvantage of the method described above is the fact that a thin newspaper is in no way suitable for the role of a fuse cord. It can quickly go out, and then suddenly burn out right before your amazed eyes. The consequences can be very sad.
Therefore, it is advisable to get high-quality cotton rope. It is also soaked in the above-described aqueous solution of saltpeter and dried thoroughly. To make the structure as reliable as possible, you can lubricate it with a mixture of potassium permanganate and Moment glue. We have already given the recipe for the “hellish composition” above.
This ignition cord will withstand even significant moisture, which will not have any effect on its ability to burn. By the way, what can you make a wick from, if you do not take into account the above methods?
And again potassium nitrate
Unfortunately, it will not be possible to abandon this substance, since only with its help can one create fairly reliable wicks. So, we take about two parts of saltpeter and one part of regular granulated sugar.
Grind all this in a porcelain mortar until a fine and homogeneous powder is formed. The resulting composition can be hammered into juice tubes (as in the method with match saltpeter).
Important Note
Before you make a wick with your own hands, do not forget about responsibility for all your subsequent actions. It is possible to launch pyrotechnics only in conditions where there is no strong side wind, outside dense urban areas. The use of such products in hot and dry weather conditions, as well as their use by minor children, is unacceptable.
Here's how to make a wick without using expensive tools.
The candle is one of the great inventions of mankind. For many millennia, it was necessary to somehow feed the burning lamps, pour melted fat or oil into them. Such a lamp had to be re-installed each time. It smoked strongly and the smoke was persistent bad smell. The invention of the candle eliminated all these inconveniences. Nowadays, candle making is more of a wonderful hobby - a way to realize your creative potential. One of the difficulties on the way to mastering this revived craft is precisely the manufacture of wicks.
What is it and what is it for?
Traditionally, a wick is a piece of fabric or thread of varying thickness and weave density. Its material absorbs flammable liquid and helps it rise up. From the molten liquid, even more flammable vapors spread between the fibers of the wick fabric and around it.
The wick is easy to set on fire, the vapors and flammable liquid burn, illuminating the area around. But setting fire to the mass (oil or fat) in which the wick is lowered can be difficult, and sometimes impossible.
Thanks to the special design of the wick, kerosene or other highly flammable liquid (for example, alcohol) does not ignite immediately, and their combustion in more advanced burners can be controlled. In a candle, the wick is impregnated with wax or paraffin. Thanks to the correct wick (material, density, thickness), the flame is even and illuminates the room without soot or flares. Paraffin or wax gradually melts, turning into liquid state
, are absorbed into the fabric and feed the flame with flammable vapors. This way the candle gradually burns out, remaining stable enough not to completely melt. Thanks to correct selection
The diameter of the candle and the thickness of the wick, as well as its exact position in the middle of the candle, result in a device for long-term and reusable use.
often used by whalers in distress or Arctic explorers at the beginning of the 20th century. For candles, wicks began to be made from specially prepared thread or twine, also of plant origin. Unlike oil lamp flammable material
Now I began to do it gradually, it became possible to choose the correct diameter and structure of the wick. In addition, the candle could now be moved, although quite carefully so as not to extinguish the flame with the flow of air.- a splinter, simply a dried sliver. Of course, it must be prepared in a special way. The splinter must be taken well dried, then it must be impregnated with wax and only then rolled into foundation. Such a candle, if all the parameters are selected correctly, burns evenly and for quite a long time.
Modern candles can be equipped with a reusable wick. The candle and fuel material are burned, but the wick remains and can be used in making new spark plug. The material for such, one might say, eternal wick is fiberglass. In this case, the spark plug has to be replaced. This approach may be justified for decorative candles having a complex shape.
Sometimes the wick of a purchased candle also needs to be replaced. One of the reasons for the emergence of such a need may be non-compliance with the wick preparation technology, first of all, its insufficient drying. It happens that this element does not quite correspond to the candle for which it was used. For example, a thread that is too thick can form a carbon ball at the end and will smoke heavily. Or it turned out to be thin, and the flame is filled with melt.
To replace the wick you need to prepare a small set of tools:
- needle nose pliers;
- paper napkins;
- wire;
- You may need a soldering iron.
Most often, you can remove the wick quite easily; you just need to hook the edge of the metal cup, which is found in many candles, or pull the protruding end of the wick. But difficulties may also arise. In this case you can use heated wire, it must be held with pliers. And heat over a flame, for example from gas stove. The wire must be immersed in the candle at the place where the wick comes out, and then pulled out. Turn the cooling wire and remove it too. A new thread can be inserted into the resulting hole. To do this, you can again use a piece of wire. The new wick needs to be glued to it. The end free from the thread must be heated again and pulled through the candle, so that the glued thread takes up desired position. Next, all that remains is to trim off the protruding ends. The wick should protrude 6–8 mm.
How to choose the thickness?
Still, the main material for wicks for centuries has been cotton or linen thread. Selection of its parameters, as practice shows, is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.
- It is important to consider the thickness and structure of the thread. If it turns out to be too thin, the flame will be weak, and such a candle will give little light. A thread that is too thick will contribute to the formation of large soot and, in addition to light, will also create a lot of smoke, and the candle will burn out much faster.
- The density of the material also matters. During combustion, the space between the fibers must be filled with flammable vapors; they are the ones that support the flame. So, for a wax candle you need a thicker, but less dense, compared to a wick for paraffin or stearic candle a thread.
- The diameter of the candle can also be a significant parameter influencing the selection of the wick. It would seem that a thicker candle should be equipped with a thicker wick. However, this is not at all true. A strong flame will cause intense melting of the top layer of combustible material of the candle mass, the wick will be flooded with melt and the flame will go out.
It is, of course, possible to correctly maintain the ratio of the material and diameter of the candle with the indicators of the wick. In an industrial environment, where everything is standardized, errors are virtually eliminated. For various candles, specially prepared thread of various knitting, thickness and density is supplied. But in the case self-made you will have to go through the thorny path of trial and error.
How to make it yourself at home?
The most commonly used material for candle wicks is cotton thread. It can be twisted, braided or crocheted, thus expanding the application options for different candle masses and candle diameters. Moreover, you can weave threads with different densities, and this, as mentioned above, is very important, since the molten masses from which candles are made behave differently.
For a candle with a diameter of 2 to 7 cm, a wick of 10–15 threads is usually used. If the diameter of the candle is close to 10 cm, 25 threads will be required. A product exceeding 10 cm in diameter must be equipped with a wick of 30 threads.
When making a wick at home, of course, you will have to rely on your experience, which does not develop immediately. Like any hobby, candle making (and especially wick making) requires patience.
When making a candle, it is important to place the wick clearly in the middle, otherwise the product will float unevenly and burn faster than required. It is convenient to use a plastic glass or any other hollow plastic product as a casting mold. In this case, you need to make a hole in the lower part and, after tying a knot on the wick, insert its second end into this hole from below. Pull it into the upper part of the future candle, secure it by tying it to some kind of spacer, for example from a toothpick or pencil. You should pour the molten candle mass carefully, being careful not to dislodge the wick.
The finished candle should be removed from the mold after the candle mass has completely hardened; this can be determined quite simply by the temperature of the surface of the mold. While it is hot, it is better not to touch the candle.
Required impregnation
Creating a wick is not only about making a thread of the required density and thickness. In order for her to become a candle wick, she must be prepared for this. So that the wick does not burn out immediately, but performs its function, the thread must be soaked.
In the case of a wax candle, sometimes impregnation with the same molten wax is sufficient. The wax is melted over a fire in an enamel plate. The thread is placed in a plate and allowed to soak. The procedure must be repeated three to four times until air bubbles no longer appear in the liquid wax. Then it must be hung until the wax has completely hardened. The thread for storage can be loosely wound on a bobbin, laying layers of paper. It is better to store in a cool place so that the wax does not spread. When necessary, you can use scissors to cut the pieces to the required length.
When your favorite accessory no longer produces a stable flame in the presence of flammable liquid, it may be time to change it. Its disheveled tip also indicates this need. The procedure does not cause complications, but will require additional tools- tweezers, a small flat screwdriver and scissors (preferably nail clippers).
How to change the wick in a Zippo lighter - procedure:
- We take out the insert (internal mechanism) from the metal shell, carefully pulling it out by the outer part.
- We unscrew the spring that clamps the flint (if you don’t have a screwdriver, you can do this with the edge of the case).
- We remove the seat and spring (usually inside top element products to avoid loss).
- We remove the felt backing and spare flints (if available).
- We take out the cotton balls with tweezers and arrange them in the order in which they were laid.
- We insert a new thread into the wick hole with the required length left at the top.
- We fix the end of the wick with tweezers so that it does not fall out and place the cotton balls in the reverse order (the one that was taken out last is placed first, etc.).
- We pass the wick between the cotton wool in a zigzag pattern (through each piece of cotton wool!).
- If necessary, carefully trim the excess length of the wick.
- We assemble the insert (see instructions). We check the functioning of our favorite item and enjoy its perfection.
How to reduce the frequency of wick changes
Replacing the wick in a Zippo is an inevitable process for owners who actively use the lighter, but you can try to minimize it. To do this, it is enough to refill the accessory only flammable liquid from the manufacturer, or, as a last resort, highly purified fuel from third-party manufacturers. This will prolong the life of the wick and eliminate blackening, smoking, fluffing and unpleasant amber during combustion.
A careless attitude even with “eternal” Zipp lighters is fraught with failure and the need to replace certain mechanisms. Branded products “love” a respectful attitude and original equipment. Otherwise, why buy an expensive device at all?