The butane contained in the plastic lighters is sealed and under pressure.
It is a gas compressed into a liquid and is indeed explosive.

Cigarette lighter fluid, the kind you buy to refill the old type lighters,
is naphtha.  It is flammable, but not explosive. I have kept it around for
years.  It is an excellent household cleaning product.  Removes grease, oil,
tax, wax, gum, labels, crayon and heel marks.

The naphtha acts as a "carrier" for the oil, allowing the oil to penetrate
deeper into the pores of the shell.  Oil alone does not penetrate - it stays
on the surface.  Ask your dermatologist - oil without moisture on the skin
is useless.  Thus, we have lotions.  In order to use just oil on the skin,
you must still be wet, like just out of the shower.

I personally prefer WD-40 mixed with lighter fluid.  Baby oil, mineral oil,
silicon oil WD-40) are all petroleum products, while the vegetable and
animal oils are not.  I use the straw on the WD-40 can to spray a small
about into a tiny container( about a teaspoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of
lighter fluid, or less - not enough to be a fire hazard), then squirt in the
lighter fluid and mix it.  A small amount goes a long way.  I then use a
paint brush to paint the solution on the shell and set it aside on waxed
paper to dry.  It dries to the touch and does not remain sticky to collect
dust like pure oil alone.

I wonder why oiling a shells might hurt its value?  Simple soap and water
removes all traces of it.

Sylvia S. Edwards
Huntsville, Alabama
[log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Froehlich <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 29, 1999 7:11 AM
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Oil


> I believe it is butane.  Butane is very explosive so be extremely careful
> when using it.  There have been accidents where a person had a plastic
> cigarette lighter in their pocket when welding and were severely injured
or
> killed when a spark melted through the plastic of the lighter and set off
> the butane.  If you are going to use this stuff do it outside and don't
> smoke.
>
> Beth DeHaas
> (who gets told this interesting stuff in an 8 hr safety refresher course
> each year)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: R J Du Preez <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Friday, October 29, 1999 2:52 AM
> Subject: Re: Oil
>
>
> >A few of you mentioned lighter fluid. What is this lighter fluid?
> >
> >Kobie
> >
>