Table Top or Triple Flame Pocket Lighter!!

I was sent a gift of a triple flame simple lighter just before Christmas from a cigar company who I had purchased some cigars from last year. I have never had a triple flame lighter before and quite like it, but was not taken with the design. I have always wanted a nice table top lighter for the front room to go along with my humidor. I had planned on making an ebay purchase. However, I thought have ago at making a body for a lighter so project on. Firstly, the choose of wood, I have just managed to get my hands on some old scrap Yew wood so off we went.

Yew

End grain Yew

So, careful measurements of the lighter and determining of the size of the block of wood I would require took place. Then I cut the piece of wood I wanted to size and used a belt sander to get the sides square.

Triple flame lighter

Cut and roughed out

Then to work out how to get the lighter into the wood. I centered the wood and decided to use a 20mm drill bit to open the main chamber out.

I then used a 15mm drill bit to make the recess for the lighter switch housing. I finished the work with files and a Dremmel for the interior. So, then the time consuming part the finishing sanded with rough to very fine paper.

Then once all the sanding was complete I decided to teak oil the Yew wood, let that dry and finish off with a couple of layers of beeswax. I have to say that the Yew wood looks great.

Coating of Teak Oil

Beeswax

The lighter body was finally finished time taken about four hours. I can reduce this next time as lessons learnt will reduce the time.

Table top lighter

Dark lines in the wood graining not splitting

Overall a simple but rewarding project that can be replicated easily. The lighters are almost disposables, but they are refillable, costing a couple of pounds each. So even if the lighter fails I can just replace it. I have sourced  a site were I can get similar triple flame lighters from.

On a couple of other subjects work has started on the Yew knife handle project watch this space. Our new tent the Outwell Carolina M has arrived and when the weather is better I will post a garden review.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.