Craft A Makeshift Soldering Iron Out Of A Lighter And Copper Wire

If you’re working on a project that calls for a little soldering, but you don’t have a soldering iron, this clever build will work in a pinch.

In this video from YouTuber MrGear, you’ll learn how to turn a typical lighter that you can buy at a petrol station and some copper wire into an effective soldering iron. Cut a length of copper wire and bend it in half. Then make two more bends near the centre or loop of the first bend as shown in the video so the wire looks kind of like a “z”. Now tape that wire to a lighter so the loop hangs over the edge where it can cook over the flame. Just heat up the wire for a few seconds and you should be able to melt solder with ease. You might want to consider adding some kind of insulation between the copper wire and the lighter’s plastic, however. The wire probably won’t ever get hot enough to melt the plastic, but a small piece of fabric or something will ensure that it won’t.

How to make a soldering iron out of a lighter [YouTube]