Fireshooting glove. Instructions for making one:
I got some interest in how to go about making one of these. I figured it out through trial and error, so I have left some details for you to figure out, but here is a summary:
It took me a while to figure out how to build this. I took apart many things that you should not ever take apart (disposable cameras, lighters), and used the most dangerous parts of them in dangerous ways. Please don't try to sue me if you build a fire glove and burn your hand or point it in your eyeball and go blind, its NOT A SAFE PROJECT.
The most important thing to do is to take apart a few utility lighters (very very carefully, please don't use power tools or hammers, we are dealing with explosive gases here!) I may post pictures at some point which would be very illustrative. I used a refillable utility lighter as the source of butane. It is essential that is refillable for obvious reasons. However, it turns out that the fast moving gas chilled the metal on the tank because of decompression. So I emptied and drilled a hole (very slowly using a small hand drill) in a large plastic non-refillable utility lighter tank and used a lot of good epoxy to get the valve from the refillable tank onto the plastic non-refillable tank. I then coupled a few plastic tubes to together and to the tiny metal nozzle of a standard, non-windproof utility lighter. I also epoxied the rubber hose onto the lighter tank.
Next, make the ignition system. I couldn't really explain how to do this exactly without opening a disposable camera. There are some other videos on the internet that tell you how to make a taser, which is what we are doing here. This is what I did basically: It does require some soldering and the ability to trace wires on a circuit board.
Basically I opened the camera and removed all the plastic and film, etc, so that all I had was the circuit board, and a battery. I cut off the pieces of metal that hold the battery and soldiered wires to a battery holder from radioshack that holds the same battery (one AA in my case) through an on/off switch. I soldiered the connections that go to the pushbutton on the camera (it looks like a spiral) such that they are always connected (I used my own on/off switch to the battery for switching). I then soldiered wires DIRECTLY TO THE CAPACITOR. I did this so that when the capacitor discharges through these wires, it fools the camera into thinking it needs to charge the capacitor again since it is now not charged, and it will immediately recharge the capacitor, which is handy. Then build a nice, soft, VERY WELL INSULATING case for these electronics and possibly the switch.
When I charged the capacitor and sparked the wires, I notice that the spark is really molten and burned metal, so that we use up some metal each time. There had to be a way to have a replaceable metal tip for the sparking action. What I came up with is using a tiny, long nut usually used as a spacer in electronics projects. This can take a small bold at each end, one end of which I connected the wire from one lead to. I did the same with another long bolt/not combo. You will need also a bolt on the other end. This way, the bolt can be bolted from the outside of the glove through a hole in it to the long nut on the inside of the glove.
I give you the challenge of figuring out your own way of putting this all into a glove. Basically, run the wires and tube up the appropriate fingers, and THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: make sure to sew an insulating material to the inside of the glove covering all electronics and gas parts so that you don't FRY YOURSELF.
I had the gas nozzle go out my index finger, and the bolts/electrodes on my thumb and middle finger. This may not be a viable way for you to light the gas, so come up with something that works for you.
Then you will need to figure out a way to trigger the gas. I just glued a rod to the little button trigger on the tank and positioned it so that flexing my thumb muscles and positioning my fingers in the right way turned on the butane. Figure something out yourself if that doesn't work.
PLEASE PLAY SAFE AND HAVE FUN!
P.S. - Also some credit where it is due:
Thank you very much to Brent Driscoll for your genius epoxy help and to Mark Van Reenen for great sewing help in difficult-to-sew material and John for the use of his awesome camera and dorm room for the video (sorry I missed you).
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