How to take Piezoelectric Igniter from Lighter for Spud Gun

How to take the piezoelectric crystal igniter from a lighter for use in something like a spud gun. Also, I solve the mystery of how the piezoelectric igniter circuit works in the lighter to produce the spark to light the gas and produce a flame. To do this I use my digital multimeter to look for continuity and resistance and I test the piezoelectric crystal using my oscilloscope, getting 320 volts on the scope screen.
Also watch how to get a piezoelectric igniter form a BBQ igniter/sparker:
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[@RimstarOrg]

Neither. But I've been making things from scratch my whole life. You learn a lot that way. And thanks, it's good to hear that it shows. Thanks for watching them.

[@JafarKhan-bx9yv]

P

[@meowman8958]

This tutorial was crystal clear.

[@GreasyAssCrack]

HA PUN

[@beaclaster]

@@GreasyAssCrack and that ha pun in comment

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't have any estimate of the current. All I have to go on is my experience working with high voltage and the thickness/brightness of the spark it makes. That tells me the current is small. And I'm glad to hear my videos are helping you. Thanks for letting me know. And thanks for watching them.

[@tehcno007]

thankyou for the video....i also had once opened a peizo electric lighter(i didnt know what it was called back then) then i had same reactions as yours i didnt have the equipment like yours so ..i shocked myself a couple of times to realise the voltage!

[@hentosama]

I tried to measure the voltaje with a cheapo multimeter the multimeter stopped working lol

[@electroumit]

Because 5000V

[@modus8256]

Voltaje, lmfao

[@RimstarOrg]

Like any tool, it has to be handled with care. Thanks for the kind word.

[@rpdigital17]

Static charge is not a mystery (and you have solved it). It stores on dielectric material and discharges when high voltage charge has reached critical distance between the charged dielectric and electrical conductor, in this case metal spring. Critical voltage is roughly about 1kV per 1mm distance. This is why electrical tools have at least 1mm insulation to prevent shortage.

[@petep.2092]

Perhaps it SHOULD remain a mystery… What is the dielectric that you believe is holding a static charge? Where did the charge come from? After the charge discharges as a spark, how do you get the next spark? The distance between the spring and discharge terminal is not changing, so your explanation that the spark occurred when the distance was reduced is wrong. And it is not a static charge that produces the spark. The spark is produced due to the piezoelectric effect which causes some materials to produce an electric charge when mechanical force is applied to it. The material also changes dimensions if an electric charge is applied to it. The quartz crystal in the igniter assembly is struck with a sharp blow by the plunger and produces a high voltage which is high enough to jump across the gap as a spark. Watch the video and listen carefully-that's how you'll learn.

[@RimstarOrg]

Yes, judging from the spark they're a few kilovolts but low current. I'm not familiar with battery kitchen handheld ignitors so I can't compare. I've shocked myself with them so they're not fatal, but they to give a heck of a sting. I wouldn't recommend doing that with if you're someone with a heart condition though, to be safe.

[@sai-sivakare111]

hey RimstarOrg, I think the spark touches the metal gas tube not the plastic bracket, which is meant to hold the metal shield that you removed in the first step.

[@carolynmmitchell2240]

Sai-Siva Kare no it sparks across man, it has to so it can light the gas because the flame must be exposed to the open spark.. if it just went to the gas tube from below it would not work really well

[@petep.2092]

Yes, it does spark across the gap, from spring to metal tube, not to black plastic piece.

[@RimstarOrg]

3kV sounds about right. As you saw, the 320 volts was when I tapped it on the table by hand. I'd sure using the spring activated mechanism that came with the lighter you'd get a lot more. My oscilloscope is rated for only 1kV though.

[@RimstarOrg]

I didn't know how a piezo crystal oscillator works until you asked and I just looked it up, so take my answer with a grain of salt. But from what I read, it looks like it might work, unless there's something odd about these crystals. I have no idea what the resonant frequency of these crystals will be.

[@RimstarOrg]

Without seeing it I really can't think of anything to suggest. Is it still in the lighter? If not, maybe when you took it out you damaged something. Also, as you saw at the end of my video, I had to connect some wires in order to create a spark gap, a small gap, in order to create a spark outside the lighter. Without that small spark gap, the to metal parts that go to either end of the crystal were too far apart.

[@RimstarOrg]

Off hand, you could use F=ma, force equals mass multiplied by the acceleration. Drop something on it do the pushing down. Weigh whatever you are dropping and that gives you the mass, e.g. 2 kilograms. The acceleration down hear on Earth is 9.8 meters/second squared. So the force would be 2 x 9.8 = 19.6 Newtons. But I don't know how you'd the voltage from that. For the voltage I'd just hook it up to an oscilloscope like I did in the video, assuming you have an oscilloscope.

[@Khwartz]

Hi! I still amazed by the clarity of your Educational Always Interestings vids. I especially much appreciate that you short as much as possible the duration of, to condense at maximum the data, like speeding the vid at specific times. Pleeeease, just continue to Be and Do as you do! ♡♡♡ Cheers.

[@RimstarOrg]

The current flows only during the hit. It needs to be oscillating to keep the current going. Though it would be starting and stopping, going back and forth, as you keep hitting it.

[@RimstarOrg]

No idea. I also have no way of measuring it. The arc is makes is painful, though it doesn't cause damage to the skin.

[@Gangfunder]

Why doesn't this have more views? This is an excellent!

[@RimstarOrg]

Thanks! Give it time. I just uploaded it a few hours ago. Of course you could also spread the word using twitter, facebook, ...

[@RimstarOrg]

On my digital meter, if you look closely at the thumbnail for this video you'll see 0L displayed. That's what mine displays for infinite resistance.

[@RimstarOrg]

The voltage depends on how hard the crystal is hit. In the lighter it get's hit a lot harder and so the voltage in the lighter is actually higher. But voltage isn't power. A 13 watt light bulb uses 13 watts of power. Power is voltage multiplied by current. So voltage is only part of the equation. You also have to look at the current. And in the case of a piezoelectric crystal, the current is miniscule. So the power is a high voltage multiplied by a miniscule current and so isn't much.

[@frankjohnson8750]

Cool 😎 demo, nice vid. Nice O'scope too, what with persistence. Back when I used to make O'scopes do flips for me, I preferred at least dual trace or even quad trace. Sec... after a better look, second time around, yours is single trace, huh?🤔 I went to school in the 1980s and got really good with scopes. When bench troubleshooting I'd use a scope long before a multimeter, even if a scope wasn't really required, if practical enough. I really loved a nice FAST oscilloscope.

[@Erny1389]

A little bit disappointed you didn't show the crystal itself, but very interesting video, thanks.

[@grlpeterson]

Even easier to get an igniter from an old junked gas grill. Nice and big enough assembly to handle more easily unless you must have a quote small assembly on your project.

[@RimstarOrg]

Not really. When the voltage is at its peak, 320 volts, there's no current. There's current as the voltage builds up and current as the voltage drops. It's the movement of the charges that creates the voltage, building it up across the two sides of the spark cap, but the peak is the end result. Ohm's law is great for DC (direct current) when the voltage and current are steady but not when the voltage is spikey like this. The current also changes as the voltage builds up and drops.

[@RimstarOrg]

I think if you remove all the plastic and epoxy you'll find the crystals are all just small cylinders. I haven't done that but you can sometimes see a dark cylinder inside the epoxy (or plastic?) containers.

[@MGM2PK]

Are you an electrical or mechanical engineer? your videos are so good.

[@RimstarOrg]

No question here. Exploring this stuff is fun. :)

[@pinkcray0n]

Is there anyway we can find how much force we hit the crystal with? I want to try and get a force equivalent to pushing down on the button of the lighter to see how much voltage it actually generates

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know off-hand. I've put my finger on these piezo crystals while they were vibrating and didn't notice anything so the vibration is small but I don't know the actual magnitude.

[@attepitkanen7358]

So, its a lighter? BUT the way you describe it, opening etc....it makes interesting video. I knew before that there is something that causes spark, but that's it. Nice video alltogether, keep it up! :)

[@RimstarOrg]

Oh. It never occurred to me to carve it out, probably because that would also have rendered is no longer usable in the igniter. It looks like a cylinder embedded in plastic.

[@RimstarOrg]

Hmmm... Interesting question, but I don't know.

[@VishwajeetPol]

Dude! You are God who just answered my question

[@liangu105]

Thank you for providing such a wonderful video

[@alanaravenapizarro2554]

EXCELENT, this was the explaination that i was looking for. Thanks, dude. Greetings from Chile !!

[@ARCSTREAMS]

the piezo system is isolated from your hand and the ones in lighters only have one wire and no return wire to the bottom metal cylinder on the piezo so im wondering how does the spark happen between the tip of that wire and the gas nozzle? im trying to fix an older torch lighter whos gas was not flowing properly i think i fixed that somehow but seems the piezo wire is sparking at different points and its difficult to fix unless i get another piezo i have on hand problem is the wire on that one is too short but when i try sparking it to the nozzle it would only spark when my hand made close contact to some of the metal parts of the lighter like the head or the bottom brass refill port i could feel the spark on my hand that is holding the lighter when the spark goes off and lights the flame yet i never felt that before when the lighter was in working condition can you explain this please? i suppose the high voltage from the piezo somehow finds its way through the tip of the wire across the fas nozzle and somehow through the hand (ie ground) but you do not feel it when the piezo is inside a proper working lighter

[@3D_Printing]

How about seeing how much it moves by if a voltage is input say 30V up over

[@dipubiswas8520]

THANK YOU SIR

[@1Aran7]

Ok thanks! I feel as though there isn't suffice information on this type of stuff out there. I was wondering if it would be theoretically possible "within the limits of the physical material" to over bend, or over compress one of these crystals then have a slow extended release to use them as energy storage rather then creation? Food for thought!

[@petep.2092]

Wikipedia has quite a lot of information on the piezoelectric phenomenon. The quartz crystal will change dimensions if you apply an electric charge to it. When you remove the electric charge, the dimension will return to normal, but that collapsing movement creates an electric charge of opposite polarity than the previous charge, and it goes on and on, with electric charge causing mechanical movement which causes electricsl charge which causes… and so the crystal vibrates at a particular frequency that is dependent on the thickness and cut of the crystal. Thus a quartz crystal can be used as the "heartbeat" generator or time keeper of an oscillator circuit. The piezo phenomenon is used to make "beeper" speakers that produce a fixed frequency beep or chirp. An audio frequency can be applied to the crystal to make it vibrate according to the electrical signal applied, but since the crystal has one resonant frequency, other frequencies will be damped and possibly not heard, so audio quality will be poor.

[@RimstarOrg]

Sure, but there's not a lot there to start with, unless you have a very low power application.

[@KiranKankipati]

amazing video ... thanks a lot for posting !

[@RimstarOrg]

You're welcome. I see you have same curiosity as me. "Let's take it apart and see how it works." :)

[@quinnthai4123]

Well I hav one of the push down ones as well but it just won't spark it does hav gas because wen I push it down and then use a mother lighter to make a spark it lights can u help me out it just won't spark

[@MB-lv8nu]

what voltage and intensity produces one pulsation? great video!

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know what the voltage is when it's in the lighter. At 5:55 in the video I measure 320 volts when I hit it against the table.

[@red2965]

@@RimstarOrg too bad one couldn't store that charge and use it say in your home

[@sibannaCsibby]

could you save the energy with a capaciter?

[@fidelcatsro6948]

yes I took out a piezo attachment from the electronic lighter and attached it to a dislodged CFL (only tube without the original electronics that came with the CFL) the lighter piezo flickers the CFL when it is depressed..its must be producing hundreds of volts but very minute amps because the CFL flickers! do you reckon I can parallel several of these piezos up and get more amps out of them?

[@RimstarOrg]

You can try paralleling them but it's tricky. The voltage happens for only a very brief time, around 100 microseconds as you can see in the oscilloscope at 5:44 in this video. That's 1/10000th of a second. So they'd have to be synchronized to go off at the same time very precisely. I've never tried it though, so it could be easier than I think.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

RimstarOrg I reckon adding high voltage capacitors could sort out some of the unequal firing of the parallel voltages..

[@tinyindiandude13]

How much current would a piezo electric crystal that is in a lighter create? Do you have an esimate of perhaps a measurement? I'm doing a research in school to use piezo electric energy to charge an electrical applieance. Such as a phone. Your video's are a great source of information. :)

[@mrwongmusic]

The voltage generated there to create the spark gap is in the few kvoltage range right, but has low current? Are these voltages generated from the spark gaps, like those used in battery kitchen handheld ignitors actually dangerous though, like could the shocks be fatal? or do they just sting due to the low current

[@barrykelly2722]

Okay do me a favor. Never never use an exacto knife as a pry tool. It presents multiple safety issues. 1 slips and gouges a bloody hole in your hand. 2. Thin blade fractures and becomes a razor projectile with potential to embed itself in anything...like flash for instance. Not exactly safe to use one as a pointer either. Man you have to stop trying to commit seppuku, we need you around to learn things and your no help in a casket. "Safety number one priority" Otherwise very interesting vid. I now need to find my stash of empty lighters. Or just steal the one my coworker keeps in plain sight.

[@itube612]

if i wanted to at least a little motion from a small dc fan from power from a click of piezzo lighter igniter, where should I put the ground wire from the fan?

[@RimstarOrg]

itube612 If it's just a dc motor like ones I've worked with then the polarity doesn't matter. Connect one wire from the fan to one end of the piezo crystal and the other wire to the other end. I don't know if it'll work though.

[@ZhenyuLaw]

you got voltage and resistance... can you use the ohm's law to calculate current?

[@evren.builds]

Using a exacto for everything? Is that safe?

[@RimstarOrg]

+Evren Uçar Yes, if you're careful.

[@JUANKERR2000]

Those blades break very easily!

[@ooloncolluphid7904]

Another great video, +RimstarOrg. Thank you. That being said, at 0:33 AAAAAA!!! Never cut toward your fingers!!! Sorry. That's my biggest pet peeve as a carpenter.

[@xoio]

So is the click you hear when you see the spark the sound of the spring hammer hitting the crystal, or is the click the actual spark heating the air around it supersonically, , thus a tiny thunder clap?

[@RimstarOrg]

If you're talking about at the end around 9:10, that's the clicking of the sprung hammer hitting the crystal. I'm sure there's also a click sound of the actual spark but it's probably drowned out by the hammer.

[@sharpshooter147]

both

[@bundeligafan]

@5:10 why do you connect the ground clip to a piece of foil? wouldn't that make the foil pick up even more interference than leaving it floating? why did you not try to find the reference point on the crystal itself?

[@RimstarOrg]

bundeligafan My oscilloscope always measures with respect to ground. If I didn't use the ground clip as one side of the voltage measurement then the clip on the other foil will still be displayed with respect to the oscilloscope's ground. Plus, the crystal has two ends, a positive and a negative, so I wanted to get the effect from both sides.I'm not sure if I've answered your third question already. My scope can't do floating measurements. Maybe that answers it. I'd love for it to be otherwise, but sadly that's the way it is.

[@northmustang5220]

Piezoelectric transducers... I can't seem to get mine to light 70%, or even 91% isopropyl alcohol; Any help would be appreciated.

[@clevelandexplorer2221]

This is perfect, so helpful, thanks so much!! Any idea though why I get a shock when I use it? My thumb and finger are on both ends of the piezo with the plastic button over the metal end. I'm guessing the arcs going through the thumb button and/or reaching from the side to the top? Mine isnt too far from each other. I want to implement it on a camping stove-the brs3000t, but not sure how...I think I'll try again with some wire as you did :D thanks again

[@petep.2092]

The charge generated when the plunger hits the crystal tries to flow through the easiest path available. Even if you have wires that provided a path to the spark gap, the easier path is through your fingers… and you get shocked. At high voltages, electricity finds sneaky ways (paths) of completing the circuit. Think lightning finding its way to the tallest object nearby, that's why you don't shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm. : )

[@petep.2092]

P.S.: The setup for the stove is the same circuit as the lighter.

[@michaell4527]

hmmm how do you find the amperage to something like this, that would be interesting.

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know how you'd find the amperage. Anyone?

[@proxy1035]

I know it is old, but since i'm doing an apprenticeship as Electrican... why not. amperage basically defines as the Flow of a Current. Current cannot flow if it has nothing to flow to... so you would require something to use up Power, like a Resistor or Lamp... since amperage is only limited by the Resistance of a Material, having just a wire connect them would let the current flow extremely fast, causing the Source/Wire to become hot or even Melt or Explode. to Completly stop Current flow you require some Material with Infinite Resistance, which we all know is impossible... reason why Batteries that lay somewhere for long enough eventually lose their Charge. (because even through air there is still a Current flow... very small, but existant) also you Messure Voltage by using the Multimeter Parallel to the Power source, but for Amperage you use it in Serial.

[@arunkmoturi]

Have you given any thought to store the energy produced in a capacitor and perhaps run a motor off it?

[@RimstarOrg]

+Arun Kumar Moturi The voltage is high but the energy produced is pretty small. It would take a lot of sparks to charge up even a small capacitor and that wouldn't power a motor for long, maybe just a second or less. However, I've considered trying putting piezoelectric crystals in a pair of shoes, or something like that, and maybe lighting an LED as I walk. It'd be just one flash per step, but it might be good for walking at night in a dark park.

[@RimstarOrg]

Thanks.

[@jimramos1343]

how to compute the electricity generated on 6 piezoelectric disc(35mm)

[@Helmet_Tester]

I love that you did this in real time. I myself was very skeptical about the whole plastic conducting. I want to know HOW!! Metal micro flakes fused into the melted plastic? Guess I'll be buying a lighter today. Unless you have a video of the mystery. Really enjoy your videos! I also love the comments sections of your videos. I'll usually post smart arse comments, but only if I know the person trying to teach me something is giving bad information. Not understanding why almost every video you do someone has to spew some useless crap that does little to help anyone interested in your videos. If their so smart, I wish they would send me a link to their video explaining their comments in a video with scientific proof. Oh...they can't? They'd rather use words in a comment section to show how intelligent they think they are? Got it! lol

[@sharpshooter147]

im thinking when peddling by ebike if hit so many times a sec would u get a bit more power or would u just slow ya self down

[@carolynmmitchell2240]

TB_303 it takes more energy to produce the spark then it's worth

[@friganwombat1931]

am i correct in saying that the current produced is about 0.9A if i take an average resistance of 350 ohms?

[@RimstarOrg]

No. I don't know how to measure or calculate the current for this since it's just a spike but it isn't simply ohms law.

[@mrwongmusic]

Ahh my mistake, yea I took the one I thought was battery operated apart and it was purely a pizeo electric one :) You're right about the sting though haha;p , and I read up that the output in general is just too weak and you'd be safe to zap everyone around you for a laugh. Just wondered though theoretically if you were let's say drenched in sweat, could it say be used as a makeshift defibrilator in an emergency? ...though I'm theorizing again the current would be too low;p

[@user-nb4dy5pv8k]

okay thnx for that last note you gave me One more thing does the sparker stop imiting the spark after a perid of time?

[@RimstarOrg]

+Youssef Aloud That's the way piezoelectric crystals work. They produce a voltage only during a change in pressure, not while there's a constant pressure. It makes sense from the perspective of the laws of physics since voltage is actually the amount of energy for each coulomb of charge. The only time you put energy into the crystal is while you're applying the pressure. While you're holding the pressure constant you're not putting any energy into the crystal. For an understanding of the molecular interactions though you'll have to dig around some more. I don't know it at that level.

[@user-nb4dy5pv8k]

+RimstarOrg Thank you

[@biggusmunkusthegreat]

This... actually makes more sense than most of the books and articles I've read on the topic. Thanks!

[@1Aran7]

What happens if you hold the piezoelectric material in a fixed compressed state? does it need to be oscillating in order to produce any current?

[@petep.2092]

It produces a voltage whose magnitude is proportional to the amount of force applied and the polarity depends on the direction of the force, i.e. if you press (squeeze) the crystal you may get a positive viltage, then if you pull (stretch) the crystal you'll get a negative voltage. Exactly which polarity depends on the way the crystal is cut. So, if you hold a steady force on the crystal it will produce a steady charge (voltage). If you provide a path for that charge to flow, there will be a flow of current until the electric charge reduces to zero. Thereafter, the force still applied to the crystal does nothing. However, when that force is released a new charge is produced by the crystal, but its polarity will be opposite the polarity that was produced when the force was applied.

[@sharpshooter147]

im new 2 this but cant help but think what if you hit it enoungh times could you charge a cell but at what amps do u get but only for a second would the power aplied of hitting the crystal be more than you would get back?

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know the amount of current. I'm not aware of any way to measure the current from a spike like that. The amount of power you'd get out is always less than the amount of power you put into it.

[@maxverstappennonofficial]

Is a way to 'boost" the voltage & current with a transformer?

[@RimstarOrg]

You can't boost both voltage and current but since the voltage can be high, you'd lower the voltage while raising the current. However, while there are probably circuits for doing it, I don't have one off hand.

[@red2965]

So what happened to the spud gun

[@bassist6018]

The piezo goes to the shield normally tobmake the spark

[@polpol505]

may measure Ampere that very important . how many mAp can get from this test ? maybe very low

[@RimstarOrg]

The current may actually be high during the spark, even in the amps, but it's very brief. I don't know how you'd measure it.

[@DiversidadeVisual]

Qual outra utilização para esses cristais?

[@axiongoblininterests1280]

Liked the video. free idea: (150 piezoelectric transducers) Linked Glued on plastic or metal strips into a sandwiched a composite Bow for whatever a lot of hand powered electricity will drive. (Burning Laser) Bugs!

[@lukaas1709]

commenting after 10 years.. Is there any chance you know what brand that yellow lighter was?

[@RimstarOrg]

Nope, sorry. I tried examining some of the old video and couldn't make anything out that would help.

[@lukaas1709]

@@RimstarOrg thank you so much man

[@CatboyChemicalSociety]

its not flint its a small ferrocerium alloy rod thats in the friction based lighters

[@RimstarOrg]

Right you are. I didn't know that, thanks. A little research shows it's still commonly referred to as flint, even though it's not actual flint. Even the flint spark lighters we use to ignite propane gas use ferrocerium. Oh well. The English language strikes again. :)

[@CatboyChemicalSociety]

RimstarOrg even the original flint and steel tool it was the steel the made the sparks the flints just a hard rock that is used to strike the steel making very fine hot iron powder that reacts with the oxygen and produces heat and light and any rock can work as long as its hard i randomly stumbled on your channel and i really like these videos

[@sharpshooter147]

im gonna sit here waiting......might lie down for a nap brb

[@nshire]

if you hit the piezo crystal harder, is the voltage higher? Also at what point do you have to worry about breaking it?

[@RimstarOrg]

Yes, hitting it harder gives a higher voltage. I don't know at what point it breaks though.

[@nshire]

RimstarOrg I accidentally broke the crystal when I was disassembling mine! Oops! I ran some tests with it before that. It brilliantly lit up a CCFL tube that runs at 400 volts! I have a picture of the broken igniter with all important components laid out where they would normally be, if it would be any benefit to you.

[@RimstarOrg]

nealshireman Sure, If it's clear enough I could put the picture on my webpage here rimstar.org/materials/piezo/how_to_get_piezoelectric_ignitor_from_lighter.htm My email address is at the bottom of the webpage.

[@nshire]

RimstarOrg just check my google+ photo album, I've got them there.

[@ericjohncamina5310]

can that small spark ignite denatured alcohol inside the chamber of my cannon?

[@RimstarOrg]

It should. Though I've never tried it myself. I just know from many other videos that this is the type of igniter and place they get it that people making spud guns use.

[@ericjohncamina5310]

I tried it and it works., will upload video soon.

[@undrgun]

Lol thats why im here, im trying to make the Mini cannon

[@Korayyldz]

Very nice video. That gave me an idea. Thank you.

[@xianjiaxin527]

what happen when you touch the spark? Will you get shock?

[@RimstarOrg]

Yes, you'll get a painful shock.

[@xianjiaxin527]

RimstarOrg Is it because the high voltage penetrate to human skin and produce a small current that causes the painful shock?

[@RimstarOrg]

Xian Jia Xin I think the pain is from the small damage at the skin itself, like the pain from a knife cutting your skin.

[@yousoufrajub9477]

Guys how can i make a spark plug coil

[@Lechoslowianin]

Wonder if he kicked you in the current experiments.

[@RimstarOrg]

Probably. I'd never make it as a surgeon. :)

[@firoxlion]

Oh, how many of these I took apart as a child... Their great fun to shock the people in class with :P And were your highest readings 320 Volts? Because I think thats a bit on the low side, I thought they were supposed to generate up to 3kV? Maybe because it didn't have a resistance in the circuit this time?

[@nicholaspapaleo5619]

Oh my gosh this guy is getting hits off of this and i been broken a lighter and got one of those (i shock my friends all the time)

[@checkthermal2457]

Does it hurt if you shock yourself

[@RimstarOrg]

Yes, it's not fun. No permanent damage. But I guess it could seriously hurt someone who has a heart condition.

[@K-----]

Can confirm that it is not fun, but it wasn't horrible. Felt more like someone smacked my hand hard.

[@charisellim3754]

I have one piezo right here and im afraid to shock my self. Im wondering how much voltage it is. And what will i feel afterwards

[@RimstarOrg]

charisel christian As always, if you have a heart condition then it's probably best not to get shocked. But if not, while it's a a few thousand volts, the shock lasts only a few microseconds and so doesn't cause harm. It does hurt briefly where you get the shock, like being slapped medium hard with a ruler

[@charisellim3754]

that means yes :D

[@firasismail69]

+charisel christian are you serious? what are you afraid of ? it's nothing.

[@charisellim3754]

yea i noticed when i shocked my friend but he said its not that bad so yeah..

[@charisellim3754]

i mean charging through capacitors would take forever. and yea i also have 220-240 v. im looking for something that could shock continuously no just for a moment

[@sharpshooter147]

now im thinking a very large crystal with a huge hammer or lots of little ones need 2 stop thinking : )

[@Muck-qy2oo]

The crystal actually must create voltages around 5000 .15000 Volts. The reason why you can´t measure it is because your instruments can´t pick up such a short time low energy pulse anymore.

[@RimstarOrg]

Muck2014 The voltage produced depends on how hard you hit it. I suspect wasn't hitting it very hard compared to how hard it gets hit with the lighter's own mechanism. That being said, I probably am missing a hundred or so volts at the peak.

[@Muck-qy2oo]

Yes, that might be possible because piezos used as acustic devices must use lower voltages. But what would be even more interesting is the amperage. Can you measure the amps as well?

[@RimstarOrg]

Thanks! I think. :)

[@renatobarisic3220]

Too smart for me

[@dizzolve]

how much current does it produce

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know. It's not an easy thing to measure in this case. I have no idea how you'd even do it.

[@peymanghavami]

why Nike and Adidas dont use piezoelectric in shoes? feeling genious :D

[@elwete7574]

What is spud gun

[@RimstarOrg]

It's a gun that shoots potatoes as the bullets. You fill the tube with a flamable gas, put the potato on the end of it, and use the spark from a piezo igniter to ignite the gas and fire the potato. Another name for potato is spud.

[@eternalio5885]

Around how much current that spark can deliver?

[@RimstarOrg]

I don't know. I've never had a way of measuring it, nor have I ever run across any estimates.

[@eternalio5885]

RimstarOrg Can a Shunt work?

[@RimstarOrg]

The problem is that the current during the spark is neither AC nor DC. It's a very sudden rise and fall, as you can deduce from the voltage trace shown on the oscilloscope in the video. So the current is anything but constant, it's just a sudden rise and then a sudden drop.

[@eternalio5885]

RimstarOrg Well, thanks for asking my questions.

[@carolynmmitchell2240]

Eternal Abyss how would he ask your questions?

[@LakhsTsoyknikas]

[@RimstarOrg]

Huh? I must be slow today because I don't get it.

[@christiaanthomas1499]

That lighter was full of surprises :/

[@infernium1482]

Dude get the clear one with LPG AND WHEN COMPLETELY EMPTY CRACK ITOPEN

[@TheSihui]

Hi, i need a piezoelectric to move some mirrors in the order of the micrometers. Would this igniter-piezo works for me?