My late father's Zippo knock off needs a new wick.
July 19, 2017 9:43 PM Subscribe
My dad carried a Zippo knock off lighter with him in WWII. It's out of wick, and I'd like to get a replacement wick, but I'm running into problems.
My late father spent three years in the Pacific theater during WWII. I have the cigarette lighter that he carried with him through the whole time. It needs a new wick, but the Zippo wicks seem to be too wide to install in this lighter. BTW, it's a "Supreme" branded lighter. Do any mefites have any suggestions on what I may be able to do to get a new wick in this thing and put it to good use for lighting my own cancer sticks?
I think my next try is to thread some fishing line and see if I can pull the Zippo wick through with that. I don't have high hopes for that, though. The Zippo wicks just seem way too wide for this lighter.
(Bonus giggles: The lighter was made in Japan so my father fought his whole war against the Japanese with a lighter that some of them may very well have carried as well.)
My late father spent three years in the Pacific theater during WWII. I have the cigarette lighter that he carried with him through the whole time. It needs a new wick, but the Zippo wicks seem to be too wide to install in this lighter. BTW, it's a "Supreme" branded lighter. Do any mefites have any suggestions on what I may be able to do to get a new wick in this thing and put it to good use for lighting my own cancer sticks?
I think my next try is to thread some fishing line and see if I can pull the Zippo wick through with that. I don't have high hopes for that, though. The Zippo wicks just seem way too wide for this lighter.
(Bonus giggles: The lighter was made in Japan so my father fought his whole war against the Japanese with a lighter that some of them may very well have carried as well.)
Or compress it with an iron, then a few whips of thread to keep it narrower?
posted by Scram at 12:10 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by Scram at 12:10 AM on July 20, 2017
You don't want to compress it too much, as that will impede the wick's ability to, um, wick. If I remember right, zippo wicks are basically a bit of twine with some wires woven in for stiffness and windproofing. Sunburnt's idea should work; just tease out some of the fibers until the wick is thinner. Some experimentation may be required.
Alrernatively, a wick is just a bit of cotton. The wires in the Zippo version are helpful but hardly essential. If you can find a bit of cotton string or twine that's the right diameter, it should work. Maybe try some candle wick, if you can get your hands on some (try a craft store) that isn't pre-waxed. Your father may even have done this himself; I bet that he didn't always have access to official Supreme-brand lighter wicks when he was fighting in the Pacific.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:04 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Alrernatively, a wick is just a bit of cotton. The wires in the Zippo version are helpful but hardly essential. If you can find a bit of cotton string or twine that's the right diameter, it should work. Maybe try some candle wick, if you can get your hands on some (try a craft store) that isn't pre-waxed. Your father may even have done this himself; I bet that he didn't always have access to official Supreme-brand lighter wicks when he was fighting in the Pacific.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:04 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Zippo wicks are woven cotton, with a couple of strands of copper wire woven through to give it some rigidity. I would try twisting the wick along its length to compress it a little, although as Anticipation points out if you compress it too far it might not wick very well.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:09 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by soundguy99 at 6:09 AM on July 20, 2017
Alternatively, drill or ream out the wick hole a little bit so the Zippo wick will fit...
posted by zengargoyle at 7:04 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by zengargoyle at 7:04 AM on July 20, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:54 PM on July 19, 2017