A view in the workshop:

Typical problems with butane lighters. The lighter leaks gas and is turning into a little bomb inside your pocket. Dismantling the whole lighter gives you an idea how many parts this little thing can have.

Here you see a lighter of P.Woods (USA) with various leaks at the metal gas-tank. This nice lihter (with a clock in the casing) is restaured as you can see at the pictures. It's finally operating well again.

Restauration of an old Ronson lighter (Comet)..

1. Dismantled lighter (really ugly one!! )

2. Polished the ring at the bottom and replated it gold. Took thin cedar-wood and glued it on the side.

3. Polished the wood and painted the rest of the tank dark red (base carpaint).

4. Airbrushing the whole lighter with high-gloss varnish (100% paint / 50% hardener / 30% thinner).

5. Made a new top (copper placed on plastic).

6. Gold plated top.

7. Opened a bottle of wine to celebrate the completian of this renewed Comet.

The same project as above, but this time I used an electronic (12V.) 'donor'-lighter. This special design was made for Paula Woods in 2002.

The steps are quite the same as with the Ronson. The result you can see here:

-inside repaired the carburator at the burner and replaced the electric condensator.

-outside placed plastic and brass layers on top. All brass parts were gold-plated. Put thin cedar wood on the side. Painted the casing black and air-brushed the whole lighter in three layers of high-gloss (car-paint) varnish.

Restyled a Ronson Premier

Plating has to be done in several steps. 

1. First polish all (old) chrome parts.

2. Plate these parts with copper and polish this layer with 'Brasso'

3. Attach the gold plating. Be aware: the used current for plating must not be too high, otherwise the copperlayer will turn black.

4. Airbrushed the lighter with dark-blue carpaint.

5. Attached an arrow shaped sign on the side.

Restyled a Ronson Adonis

1 Replated parts in the front left.

2 Airbrushed the tank, followed with placing leather on the side.

3 The result after reassembling the lighter.

4 Placing the clutch spring

You have to be careful if you try this at home. Always remember that you are working with pressurized gas!