How to Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame

You can modify your lighter to shoot out a big flame instead of its regular tiny flame. Be careful, though, because you can burn yourself. If you’re a kid, only do this with adult supervision. To modify your lighter, take off the lighter’s metal hood and toggle the small plastic tab back and forth a few times. Then replace the hood, and get ready to test the flame. You need to be extra careful, since you don’t want to burn yourself or anything around you. Test the flame away from flammable materials and if you have long hair, tie it up. Get ready for your awesome flame!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Modifying the Fuel Mechanism

  1. Image titled Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame Step 1
    1
    Pry the metal hood off of the lighter with a pair of pliers. Wriggle the pliers in under the sides of the metal hood and pry it off. It may take several attempts. Try not to bend the metal as much as possible, because you’ll need the metal hood later.[1]
    • If the metal hood gets quite bent when you take it off, just squeeze it back into position with the pliers.
  2. Image titled Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame Step 2
    2
    Locate the tab sticking out under the jet. This will look like a small plastic tab that sticks out over the gear that controls how much fuel gets fed to the flame. Normally it isn’t visible, but you’ll be able to see it now that the metal hood is off. [2]
    • You can normally adjust the flame from low to high, but this trick will let you make it go much higher than ordinary.
  3. 3
    Lift the tab upward, move it to the left, and then to the right. Lift the tab upward so that it disengages from the gear. Move it as far left as it will go and press it down. Then lift it up, move it as far right as it will go and press it back down again.[3]
    • This lifting and pushing process disengages the gear and makes more fuel available for the flame.
  4. 4
    Repeat the lifting and pushing process 2 more times. Again, lift the tab up, bring it to the left, and push it down. Lift it up, bring it to the right, and push it down. Once you’ve repeated this process 2 times, your lighter should be modified enough to get a big flame.
    • Don’t try doing it more than 2 times at first, because you could end up with a way-too-big flame that spits out gas and is dangerous.
  5. 5
    Replace the metal hood on the lighter and test the flame. You might need to squeeze the metal hood with your pliers to get back into shape. Then snap it back onto the top of the lighter. You’re ready to test your flame.[4]
    • Make sure you test your flame in a safe, fireproof location.
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Lighting the Flame Safely

  1. Image titled Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame Step 6
    1
    Find a place that’s free of flammable material. Before you test your flame, make sure that you’re somewhere fire-proof, away from stacks of paper, wooden tables, or other things that catch fire easily. You could go outside and test your lighter over the asphalt or the sidewalk, so that if you drop the lighter, it won’t light anything on fire. [5]
    • Don’t light the flame near anything that will burn, like paper, or melt, like thin plastic.
  2. Image titled Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame Step 7
    2
    Hold the lighter far from your face and tie back your hair if it’s long. Long hair can easily catch on fire by accident, so tie up your hair before you test out your new flame. Angle the lighter far away from your body so that you don’t ignite your clothes, and hold it far from your face to avoid accidentally singeing your eyebrows.[6]
    • It may be a good idea to wear safety goggles for extra protection.
  3. 3
    Test the flame and see how high it goes. Press down on the lever that you use to ignite a flame. You should see a big spurt of fire. If you don’t, retry the steps of removing the metal hood, and pushing the tab back and forth. Keep trying until you get a big enough flame.[7]
    • If you get a big flame, it will run through the lighter fluid quickly, so be prepared to refill the butane more frequently, or just buy a new lighter sooner.
  4. Image titled Make a Lighter Shoot a Huge Flame Step 9
    4
    Avoid burning the flame for too long, because it will heat up the lighter. If you make the big flame last a while, it will really heat up the lighter and you’ll end up scalding your fingertips, not to mention running through all your fuel. After you’ve lit the flame, avoid touching the lighter or touching it to any surfaces that might not do well with heat.[8]
    • For example, keep your lighter away from thin plastic material that could easily melt.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    If I wanted to turn the flame back down again, how would I go about it?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Do the same process (steps 3 - 5) in reverse. Have the "tab" at the far left position to start with. Lift the tab up, move it across to the far right while it's disengaged from the cog. Place it back down so that it is connected, and then move it to the left, which should be pulling the valve in the clockwise direction. This step can be repeated until the flame size is the size you want.
  • Question
    Does this work with BIC lighters?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Any kind of lighter works with this.

Things You'll Need

  • Lighter
  • Pliers
  • Fire-proof place to test lighter

Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=41
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=45
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=53
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=86
  5. ↑ https://www.fatherly.com/play/let-kids-play-with-fire-forest-schools/
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/well/family/teaching-children-to-play-with-fire.html
  7. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=93
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/hFIxMJoVcZs?t=98

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 450,352 times.
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Co-authors: 33
Updated: February 16, 2023
Views: 450,352
Categories: Magic Tricks
Article SummaryX

To make a lighter shoot a huge flame, you’ll need to modify it so more fuel can be released. First, pry the metal hood off with pliers. Once you’ve removed the hood, lift up the plastic tab above the gear that controls the release of fuel. Move the tab as far to the left as possible, then push it down. Next, move the tab as far to the right as possible, and push it down. Repeat this procedure 2 more times, which will stop the tab from restricting the flow of fuel. When you’re finished, replace the metal hood. Remember to test your flame in a safe area that contains no flammable material. For example, test your lighter outside on the sidewalk so you're not close to fire risks, like stacks of paper. For tips on how to safely light the huge flame, keep reading!

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