I've got one of those chimney thingies for starting charcoal, where you put the newspaper in the bottom and the charcoal in the top, and light the newspaper.

Works great, except it's windy around here, and those butane lighters were driving me crazy, even the special wind resistant ones.

So I ordered a zippo online.

The problem came when I looked for fuel. First grocery store was out. They store it behind the service counter to keep it safe, but they were still out.

Second grocery store throught they had some, but couldn't get the locked case behind the service counter unlocked. After I helped them get it unlocked, it turned out they only had butane refill canisters.

So I looked on Wikipedia - the fuel is apparently naphtha. Went to Home Depot - asked - do you have naphtha? What's Naphtha? Anyway, finally found it where I thought it would be, with solvents on the paint aisle.

Not locked up, not behind the service counter. 32 ounces for $6.95

Works just great.

It's a big bottle of flammable, volatile stuff though. If I ever find one of those cute little Zippo bottles, I still want to buy it and see if I can refill it without too much trouble.

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Regulate Banks, not guns

Interesting - I did not know that. I've learned my one thing for the day...

I used to use coleman lantern fuel in my zippos all the time.

I find genuine Zippo fuel to be cleaner, less greasy, and a little less smelly than that other stuff, but it could all be in my imagination. More refined, I think, much like a higher grade of oil.

Anyway, if you haven't already been here, this is the Zippo home page, and I think it's interesting, maybe you will too:

http://www.zippoclick.com/collecting/index.aspx

Walgreens has Ronsonol. Most gas station food shops also have fuel. Flints too. I just don't know where to find wicks.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Try Jade East.. or Hi Karate3
Just showin' my age

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I use those chimney things too for many years. Sometimes the paper thing works and sometimes it don't. What I do now is put in 3 or 4 of those self lighting Kingsford charcoal things first on the bottom of the can then fill it up with the standard bricks. Light the self lighting ones and bingo, you got flames without all that burnt paper blowing all over the place making a mess. I hate blowing those ashes and poof! Sometimes I put in just a very small piece of paper to lite it then it lites the self starters then they the main fuel.

The smell of the starter fluid from the few self starter coals burns out and does not leave a smell.

you will still need a wind resistant ligher though.

Joe

Wow! I haven't heard of 'Jade East' cologne since high school days.
Thanks for the recollection.

586L-Frame

The Zippo fuel in the black cans is somewhat different than pure naptha. It burns better than even the yellow plastic Ronson fuel. Anyway, any tobacco store - check the phone book or look online - should stock Zippo fuel.

However, Zippos are more wind resistant than wind proof. If you really want your stuff to light, get some REI Stormproof or BCB "Lifeboat" Matches.

Go to Harbor Freight and pick up a propane or a Mapp gas torch. You will find you have entered a new world when it is time to fire up the charcoal.
Also, if you would like to improve your BBQ experience, try some hardwood lump charcoal rather than the bricquets.
Best,
Gary

I get Zippo or Ronsinol (sp) lighter fluid and flints at Stop&Shop/Convenient Store type places like RonJ mentions. Sometimes they will have wicks but you have to ask as they are such slow sellers they don't bother to take up peg space with them.
Zippo wicks come one (1) to a package,,at least the few I ever bought. Usually cost less than $2. You can find them on the web (where else!) for less than a $1 but I don't know what shipping would be.

A Smoke Shop/Tobacco store would most likely have all the stuff. Pipe smokers use their lighters alot.

I still smoke a pipe once in a while, but use the lighter for the torch and tank burners and 'smoking' a part for fitting more than anything else now.
Just a habit carrying it around.

Rite Aid is where i get the zippo fuel , its made by Ronson but same thing.

What K-22 said.
It's also good for lighting the shredded documents we light our fire place fires with too.
It will leave zero aroma behind.

I don't have any Zippo brand fluid handy, but my Ronsonal container says: "Contains naptha." No other ingredients are listed.

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Quoth the raven:
"Nevermore"

Back when I smoked and could not find lighter fluid I tried a number of field substitutions. Charcoal lighting fluid works good and is usually available. Gasoline will work, but avoid the stuff with 2-cycle oil mixed in. Once I even used a mixture of fine olive oil and rubbing alcohol.

I still have two old Zippos. One I was given when I was Commander of my American Legion Post and the second my dad carried in WW2.

Pour some vegetable oil on your newspaper and it will work like a wick and burn much longer. I just use matches for mine.

my jade east came in a red,plastic fat chinese guy...like a buddah perhaps...very popular at the time but dang....you could smell it a mile away

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

You can also use toluene if you know anyone in the paint or chemical industries that can get their hands on it.

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I Cor. 10:13 "1611KJV"

I'll pick up a few wicks next time I'm in the tobacco shop and send them to you .......... if I remember, that is lol.

Or just a light spray with Pam and roll it up. I use firestarter sticks under my chimney.

As for the Zippo, another alternative fuel that I was reduced to using one time was 151 proof Bacardi Rum, worked like a champ. Didn't last very long though.

bob

Doug, please don't! I'm an ex smoker and I'm trying desperately to stay that way. But Thanks!!

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Keep with it Ron, and I hope you remain a non-smoker. I wish I had the will to quit, but I enjoy it too much. I did give up pre-made cigarettes some time ago and went to RYO. Better quality tobaccos are available without all the chemicals. Still not the healthiest of habits though.

Back in the home country (Greece) the government taxes everything, and I mean everything, to do with tobacco.
My wily relatives figured out decades ago that you can make a zippo run just fine on a 50/50 mix of olive oil (of course) and glycerine.
I wouldn't use the gasoline, though; nor the Coleman fuel. But what do I know.

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and what his trumpet saith

Coleman lantern fuel is white gas ......... AKA naptha. It's the same thing as the stuff they sell as lighter fluid.

The Zippo wicks are reiniforced with small bits of wire, but you don't really need them. You can make a lighter work with just a bit of cotton twine. I used to have one that I ran that way and after repacking it with cotton balls. Worked fine.

I just used my charcoal chimney last weekend since my gas grill's propane tank was empty. I used to strictly be a "charcoal only" purist until I became convinced that the newer generation of gas grills could build up sufficient heat to sear the outside of a steak.

One Christmas my wife gave me a 3-pack of "Bernz-o-matic" flex neck lighters. They came fully loaded with 3 fuel refills. They put out a heck of a flame and they're great for lighting impossible to reach things like candle wicks that are way down in the fancy container they came in. It worked perfectly for this assignment as well since I could keep sticking the snorkel under chimney and reigniting if needed.

My experience with the chimneys is that you can load the bottom with TOO much newspaper so that it is bunched up too tight and doesn't burn properly. I guess the manufacturers knew what they were talking about when they recommend only using 3 sheets of newspaper (is that where "3 sheets to the wind" comes from?). If I really want to get the grill cranking in a hurry I snake the hose from the air compressor out the garage back door and hit the chimney with a few good blasts from the air nozzle.

Here's a classic showing how to fire the grill up in no time at all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLr_XrooLs

And while looking for that I came across this site; I know how the S&W community appreciates the unique and innovative!

http://www.neatorama.com/2006/06/08/...st-bbq-grills/