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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Disposable lighters do explode!

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135 Fan

01-21-2007 19:29:26




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A little while ago the subject of exploding lighters from welding was brought up. I just watched a new mythbusters that absolutely confirmed this! They start on fire initially and once they get hot enough they have a fire ball. It's actually pretty violent in slow motion. Anyone who thinks it won't happen should rethink having one in their pocket when doing any work involving heat or sparks. Just thought I'd pass this on. Dave

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dave guest

01-22-2007 18:46:46




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
quarter stick of dynamite is what general motors told us in a welding bulletin about 20 years ago.



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NC Wayne

01-22-2007 18:26:02




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
Love the show and in this case they were right about the lighters blowing. If I remember the episode correctly however they concluded that it might blow from welding sparks, etc but it wouldn't necessarily hurt you if it did...Just remember they have "disproved" alot of myths on this show that are in fact a reality, simply because they always do the tests under "controlled" conditions. As for the lighters blowing up under real world conditions, when I was in the Navy back in the late 80's/early 90's they were banned around the burner front on the boilers. When lighting off a boiler the only "approved" lighter to use was a Zippo. I know the military has some odd regulations sometimes but this was a hard and fast one so the must have had a reason...

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jeffcat

01-22-2007 21:35:43




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to NC Wayne, 01-22-2007 18:26:02  
The best show they did was when they blew up the Mack truck cement mixer! jeffcat



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bill mar

01-22-2007 16:02:05




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
snopes websight shows that the welder story is false,but there have been cases of them exploding for other reasons.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/lighters.asp



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husky

01-22-2007 07:38:17




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
i remember about 20 ++++ years ago a story about a railroad man losing his leg when a plastic lighter exploded in the mans pocket while he was useing a torch and sparks landed on his clothes burned thru and hit the lighter



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Steve Crum

01-22-2007 04:51:21




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
I've probably owned a thousand of these over the past 33 years or so. Any time I weld or cut, I leave the smokes and lighter well away from the work area. We saw a safety video (would you believe a reel to reel projector film) on this topic at my first millwright job at Masonite Corp. some 28 years ago. Wasn't pretty back then either. The Zippos (had kin that worked at Zippo in Bradford Pa. so I've had at least a dozen) often leaked fluid and left a nasty rash on my leg, so I seldom carried one.

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dan hill

01-22-2007 01:29:43




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
These lighters have gotten in to defroster vents and gone off.They can leak fuel.Lighting torches with one is crazy...Smoking is bad enough,costs about 1825.00 a year.Buy a Ford tractor with this money.. Check the defrost system when you buy a used truck.I found 6 shot shells in mine,no lighters.



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John S-B

01-23-2007 09:08:32




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to dan hill, 01-22-2007 01:29:43  
You had pretty good advice until you got to the part about buying a Ford! ;^)



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dan hill

01-24-2007 15:31:52




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to John S-B, 01-23-2007 09:08:32  
My 96 Ford pickup has 175000 miles on it .It had new shocks, ball joints, and starter brushes.My son replaced 1 u joint and I have replaced 1 on it.The exhaust system is all original.My son bought it at 16000 mmiles and ran it to 165000 with no problems.He bought a new GMC.I have a 77 Chevy that went 250000 before road salt got the chassis.



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banjo

01-22-2007 00:28:23




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
Had one blow up when left in a truck in hot summer. Finally figured out what those little peices of plactis were.



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Mark

01-21-2007 22:41:20




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
Well, I actually set one off with a glob of slag once....it flared but that was it. No explosion, no injury, not even a Holy $hit! With as many zillions of the them used over the last 30+ years, if it were that bad, they'd be off the market and the papers would be full of stories about the halt and maimed due to lighter explosions.



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135 Fan

01-22-2007 16:47:23




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to Mark , 01-21-2007 22:41:20  
Just to clarify. Lighters are banned in welding schools. For most everyday type jobs they don't pose a threat. When welding or cutting they do! No, they didn't do anything elaborate to get the lighter to burn. They put it about 2 feet under a MIG welding gun that was turned on from a distance. There are a lot worse sparks and heat than from MIG welding. They did it with at least two different lighters. Same result. If you want to take the chance, don't be looking for any sympathy from anyone. A flash fire will still burn or catch your clothes on fire. The stories about them are true. Why take a chance? Dave

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MikeCatthemuseum

01-21-2007 21:55:21




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
I remember being in a room when a disposable lighter was pitched to another guy. The lighter hit the side of an ashtray and blew up! I guess it clipped it just right, but it blew ashes and butts all over the place and gave everybody a pretty good scare.

I get a serious case of the willys when I see some guy whip out his bic to fire off a big Oxweld cutting torch. Welders think you are being a sissy when you ask for a torch striker instead, but I'll just have to be a sissy in this case.

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old

01-21-2007 20:50:04




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
Thats why the only ligher I will carry on my person is a zippo. I learned the bics would go blow up 25 plus years ago



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john cub owner

01-21-2007 20:02:07




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to 135 Fan, 01-21-2007 19:29:26  
The one I saw they used a couple hundred lighters, and considerable external heat. not your typical application.



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Slowpoke

01-21-2007 22:39:12




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to john cub owner, 01-21-2007 20:02:07  
I agree, cub owner. If those guys can't get the myth to work as it's stated, they go to any length to make it happen. I'm surprised no one has gotten seriously injured with some of the things they do. But I'd sure like to have that shop. And their budget. Well, it's off to Florida to see if a man can outrun a 'gator.



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buickanddeere

01-21-2007 20:44:26




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to john cub owner, 01-21-2007 20:02:07  
I wouldn't be welding or using a torch with a lighter on my person.



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lenray

01-22-2007 07:51:39




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 Re: Disposable lighters do explode! in reply to buickanddeere, 01-21-2007 20:44:26  
thanks for that good and interesting info.



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