Eternal match: what it is, how it works, how to make it yourself

In the arsenal of an experienced fisherman, hunter or tourist there will definitely be a small metal container with the promising name “eternal match”. Unlike its wooden “comrades”, it starts a fire in pouring rain, does not go out in a squall wind, and remains functional after falling into a puddle.

And what could be more important than the opportunity to warm up for a person caught in extreme conditions?

Having come across unflattering reviews on the Internet, many wonder: is the manufacturer exaggerating the properties of an eternal match? Let's figure it out together.

How does she look

An eternal match can be in the shape of a cylinder or a rectangle no larger than a standard matchbox. If it were not for the convex cap on top, the device could be mistaken for a lighter (especially since gasoline gurgles inside).

The lid not only ensures a tight seal, but is also part of the rod, at the end of which there is a cotton wick. One of the sides of the “capsule” has a narrow recess with silicon coating.

Some manufacturers equip the product with a carabiner or rings, which allows you to use the “match” as a pocket keychain.

You can, of course, attach the device to your backpack. But in extreme conditions, the backpack may get lost, and you will be left without a saving fire.

Stone Age method

Ancient ways to start a fire included rubbing wood and striking a spark from stone. The first is extremely unreliable: it’s faster to quit smoking than to find a dry log in the forest, make a bow, a drill and cut out the backing.

But instead of flint, you can use a hard stone, and a strong steel knife as a flint. Now you need to position yourself closer to the wigwam and hit the knife blade with a stone. A spark will cause the tinder to smoke, and the main thing here is to have time to fan the flame and light it.

The task is easier if the sun is shining.

What does it consist of?

It's hard not to notice the shiny, polished body of the eternal match. But do not think that this is the main element of the device. This is just a fuel storage tank.

The functions of the match are carried out by the head of the flint rod (made of high-carbon iron) and the wick.

The thread on the rod simplifies the process of removing the match, holds it firmly in the body, and seals the hole in the fuel container (gasoline will not spill even if the eternal match breaks).

The thread on the rod tightly seals the hole in the fuel container.

When dipped into a container, the cotton wool at the top of the match is saturated with fuel, the vapors of which ensure long-lasting combustion even at low temperatures.

Professional advice!

Users of this useful device claim that the wick burns out over time, but is easily replaced with a new one. The main thing is to check the condition of the match after each hike, and not try to fix any problems that have arisen on the way to new routes.

How to use

Before purchasing an everlasting match, you should know how it works and how to refill it properly. Store-bought and homemade devices are used according to the same principle (no more complicated than ordinary wooden matches).

Procedure:

1. Unscrew the rod from the reservoir.
2. Using light pressure, slide the head along the silicon notch.
3. Set fire to the flammable workpiece.
4. Insert the match back into the container and screw it tightly (so that the fuel does not spill out).

Some people ask: how can you immerse an open fire in a container of gasoline? Don't worry, it won't explode. As soon as the interaction with oxygen stops, the flame will go out.

Useful life

In many ways, the duration of operation depends on the burnout of the filter. To increase the useful life of the device, it is necessary to replace the filter in a timely manner.

The user does not have to worry if the product gets caught in the rain. Simply wipe the device with a cloth and its functionality will be fully restored. Some buyers call this invention “fearless.” Every person may need an eternal match: from a pragmatic student to an extreme sports enthusiast.

How to refill an eternal match

Without particularly thinking about the question: how to refill the eternal match, some fill the tank with motor gasoline, and then suffocate from the unbearable fumes and stench.

Yes, many manufacturers recommend kerosene or gasoline as fuel. But not from a gas station, but for lighters purchased at a specialized store.

Fill an eternal match with lighter gasoline.

Highly purified fuel contains almost no impurities that cause an unpleasant odor during combustion. And it smokes much less than that intended for refueling cars. So fill the eternal match with lighter gasoline.

Advantages and disadvantages

In any device, even the most useful one, the advantages promised by the manufacturer border on disadvantages. The Eternal Match is no exception.

You will save yourself from unpleasant surprises by familiarizing yourself with all the nuances of the device before purchasing it, and even more so before setting off on an expedition.

pros

The advantages of an eternal match include:

1. Easy to use. To start a fire, you don’t need any special skills: just strike it like a classic wooden match.
2. Burning time. It burns for 20–30 seconds, that is, longer than the wooden counterpart (you won’t burn your fingers during the burning process, because only the wick located on the head of the match burns).
3. Does not deteriorate from water. Even if a twisted match lies in a puddle for a day or “floats” in the pocket of a shipwrecked person, it will not lose its performance properties. Just wait until the strip on the case dries and use the device for its intended purpose.
4. Reusable. Designed for repeated use (most importantly, do not forget to add fuel).
5. Dimensions. It weighs little and easily fits in your pocket (minimalist tourists will definitely appreciate this).
6. Economical. The amount of fire produced at one time is identical to the amount produced from half a box of regular matches.

There is an opinion that manufacturers significantly exaggerate the capabilities of the device. And first of all, you should understand what an eternal match is.

Please note, this is just an auxiliary means for starting a fire, but not 100% insurance against freezing or starvation. You are unlikely to be able to keep warm or cook the fish you catch if you have a match at hand, but without getting wood chips and branches to start a fire.

Minuses

The disadvantages include:

1. The eternal match does not tolerate distraction. If you hesitate, the fuel will evaporate, the wick will burn, and the device will become unusable (in autonomous conditions this can end badly).
2. Price. The cost of an eternal match is only 100-something rubles, but with this money you can stock up on ordinary matches, which will last for more than one year.
3. Refueling. During the hike, the match must be refueled, otherwise the intensity of combustion and the strength of the flame will decrease after 4 ignitions with a burning duration of 10 seconds.
4. Dependence on weather conditions. A strong gust of wind can extinguish the flame.
5. Don't be greedy. Having saved money when buying “usefulness”, get ready for unpleasant surprises in the form of a peeled silicon strip (low-quality glue is used to make cheap crafts that cannot withstand constant striking of the rod) or rapid evaporation of fuel (weak sealing ring between the match and the container).

Note!

When burning for a long time, the fuel burns out. But do not rush to extinguish the match too quickly, because in this case the absorbency of the wick will decrease and the burning time will be significantly reduced.

How to make an electric stove match from a battery with your own hands

This publication has a great idea on how to make an electric match with your own hands. To do this you will need an 18650 battery, electrical tape, nichrome wire, wire cutters, pliers, regular wire, 2 blades, a utility knife, sandpaper, and a plastic clamp.

If you don’t want to make such a design yourself, then take a look at this store, which is interesting for lovers of all sorts of useful and inexpensive things.

Actions step by step

First you need to take the wire and align it perfectly. A small piece will be enough. Now you need to cut it in the middle. You get two contact wires that need to be attached to the poles of the battery and bent at an angle of 90 degrees. Now we take one wire, apply it to the battery and bend it approximately in the middle. We do the same with the second wiring.

Now we expose these two wires from the insulation on the side that will lie on the battery. We install one wire on the battery and secure it with electrical tape. At the end of the second piece we make a ring using tweezers. We also fix it on the battery using electrical tape. Next, we take nichrome wire with a diameter of 0.4 millimeters and wind it around a thin screwdriver or nail, making 3-4 turns.

Now you need to remove the metal parts from the two terminal blocks. Next, you need to take the battery and leave 0.5 centimeters at the ends of the wire. We screw the terminal blocks onto these contacts. We take a spiral of nichrome wire and bend the contacts. We insert the spiral into the terminal blocks and screw it on. We install the clamp between them. The electric lighter is ready. Now you can check it

A battery-powered electric lighter can be charged using a standard charger.

Next, watch the video tutorial from the SAMODELKIN ᵗᵒᵖ channel.

The second model of a homemade electric match

In this story from the TOKARKA video magazine, we’ll look at a solid and difficult-to-manufacture model of an electronic match, which will serve perfectly when you run out of gas or gasoline. It runs on one AA battery or rechargeable battery. In this case, a 1.2 volt battery with a capacity of 2400 milliamps is used. The head part is machined from duralumin. The button is made of brass. The switch contains a contact pad and the output of the filament coil. The other platform will be located outside, it will be secured with a small screw. Inside the case there is a spring from the remote control. The battery will be installed on top of it.

Pins from the contact pad of the motherboard are used as racks for filaments. Instead, you can use copper wires of sufficient rigidity.

The nichrome thread was used from a faulty hair dryer. It is necessary to select the length of the filament so that it does not burn red hot. It is desirable that the temperature on it be 500-600 degrees, but no more. When it gets red hot, a reaction occurs with the air and it will gradually burn out, so you will have to change it. You can conduct an experiment and find the temperature at which the coil will be very hot, enough to ignite objects, but not red-hot. It can be dark, dark cherry color, but not bright.

We modify the match, eliminating its shortcomings

The most significant disadvantage of an eternal match is the likelihood of the wick burning out. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. And this is not a matter of absent-mindedness, because at the end of a tiring journey, when all thoughts are only about rest, it is very difficult to concentrate on the burning flame.

This can be understood and justified, but only if you do not look at the situation through the eyes of an experienced tourist and do not realize the scale of the possible consequences. Those who have found themselves in critical situations understand better than anyone else that the inability to start a fire can cost their lives.

Therefore, take action in advance while you are in the warmth of your home. Moreover, after a small modification, the reliability and service life of an eternal match will increase significantly.

Let's remember what the downside is. The wick is soaked in gasoline, which immediately evaporates and the vapors ignite. Once the vapor burns, the wick ignites.

The essence of the problem is clear, all that remains is to minimize losses:

1. Wait until the gasoline vapors evaporate and the match goes out.
2. Carefully remove the “original” wick.
3. Install a new asbestos wick (the fiber quickly becomes saturated with fuel and does not ignite).

Feel free to lower the match into the reservoir and light it as described above.

Making an eternal match

Having access to a lathe, you can make an eternal match with your own hands. A machine is needed to make the match itself, but this kind of tube can be found in a car carburetor or ordered from a turner.

Taking into account all the disadvantages of store-bought options, we will tell you how to make your craft as useful and durable as possible. Be prepared that a homemade item will be more expensive, but it will be worth it.

As the basis of the device, we will take a ferrocerium rod with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of 5 cm (if you rub a piece of metal against it, you will be able to admire a sheaf of sparks). This is a fundamental property, because without a spark the wick will not light and the match will not work.

We will also need:

• a piece of stainless steel;
• metal tube (diameter about 4 mm, length 4 cm);
• external and internal threads (threads like the nipple system of a wheel cylinder);
• rubber gasket seal;
• a piece of steel cloth for metal (a couple of centimeters for a chair);
• cotton rope wick;
• cotton wool or padding polyester for filler.

Tool:

• soldering iron, flux, tin;
• scissors, ruler, marker;
• pliers, round nose pliers;
• sandpaper;
• emery machine or burr machine.

Frame

First we make the base body:

1. We cut out a square blank 50x50 mm from tin. Attention! Even a slight error in measurements can lead to the part becoming skewed.
2. We measure a strip in the center (1 cm wide) and bend the edges on both sides of it using a ruler and pliers.
3. We cut another strip of 5x1.5 cm and bend it lengthwise with pliers. We form an angle of approximately 90° (accuracy is not so important here, the angle is the bed for the match).
4. We solder the edges of the workpieces, sanded and tinned with tin, together so that the tip of the corner points inward.
5. We apply the transverse edge of the soldered base to a piece of tin, mark the edges with a marker and cut out the lower end wall. Then we solder it to our base. Attention! If the edges are not tinned before soldering, the container will not be airtight.
6. Let's move on to the bottom end. Here, an external thread is necessary to fix the match-cover.
7. We cut out the end wall and drill a hole in it with a diameter similar to the internal thread.
8. Solder the thread to the hole.
9. Solder the threaded end to the base.
10. Using a file, we clean off sharp corners and protruding tin. Then we thoroughly clean the surface with sandpaper. Finally, the matte fuel tank is ready. If you like shiny metal, sand the container using felt.
11. We check the tightness of the container: screw it onto the pump hose (the threads match), pump it once and lower it into the water. If soldering is required somewhere, you will see right away.

Lid

Let's start making the match cover:

1. We put the internal thread on one end of the tube as evenly as possible and solder this end to the center of the thread.
2. We clean the soldered area from excess tin using a file or sandpaper.
3. Using a drill or emery machine, we cut out a strip from a piece of cloth on metal (this is our chair). It may be small, but it is difficult to fit into the tube. To prevent the steel strip from falling completely into the tube, we leave small stops.
4. We attach the wick on top of the armchair and place the structure in the pipe, there is nowhere to go (only the steel tip of the armchair looks out of the tube).

Assembly

We adjust the wick and begin to assemble the eternal match:

1. To impregnate with gasoline, we push wick trim and padding polyester into the tank (do not forget to leave room for an eternal match). We don't use cotton wool. It will wrap around the end of the match and make it difficult to remove from the reservoir.
2. We install a rubber seal to prevent gasoline from spilling out or evaporating.
3. Glue the rod to the inner corner of the container.
4. We refuel.

On a note!

By attaching key rings or a carabiner to the device, you can get an excellent keychain (and this is another reason to always have it with you).

How to make match houses

House without glue

Take a solid base, place 2 matches parallel to it, and place 8 matches perpendicularly on top of them. This will be the future foundation. Make the same layer again perpendicular to the previous one. Next, seven rows of 4 matches are laid out with their heads in a circle. This is the basis.

Then lay out eight pieces again with their heads in the direction opposite to the foundation, put six matches on top of them in the middle, and put a coin on them. Carefully insert one match into the holes between the last 2 rows. There were gaps along the walls, into which one also inserted one match. All this must be done carefully, without collapsing the structure. The perimeter is covered. Compress the structure.

House with glue

First you need to make the floor. Use glue to make a lattice using matches on a sheet of cardboard. The walls are laid out like this: two matches horizontally, two vertically, etc. Do this on all four walls, gluing the matches. For the roof, matches are glued one by one to the walls of the house at an angle, imitating a gable roof. This is the simplest house. Having acquired the skill, you can find photos or videos on the Internet, use your imagination and carry out complex designs of houses and castles.