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Octopus lighter

mutiple models available
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One problem with getting older is increasing amounts of candles on a cake. Attempting to light several candles is time consuming and often results in frustration and wax drippings accumulating on the cakes icing. No more! They already make lighters with flexible necks designed for lighting grills, but these only have one flame. This idea is to produce a lighter with several flexible "arms", with a flame at the end of each. One trigger pull ignites all the flames at the same time. Lighters available in whatever amount of arms needed. And don't forget to bring the lighter to your next favorite concert.
evilpenguin, Jan 04 2015

Heptopus Lighter (kosher) http://uploads.neat...60/1387572740-0.jpg
[swimswim, Jan 04 2015]

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       "It is better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness"   

       [+]
8th of 7, Jan 04 2015
  

       It's possible to make it, though it will need to be electronically lit. Since piezo lighters only light up one thing at a time usually.   

       If still not electronic, then you might need eight pezeos to ignite 8 tentacles. This might be rather impractical to use.   

       Hmmmm... but could work if we keep the spark gap between each tentacles small, and wire each in series.
mofosyne, Jan 04 2015
  

       This is not going to work. You'll wind up spending so long trying to align all the flames with all the candles that you'll end up melting many of the candles with the lighter flames.   

       Lasers, as so often in life, are the solution. What's needed is a high-power laser which can swivel from side to side; and also a non-reflective ceramic screen. Place the ceramic screen on one side of the cake and the laser on the other. Then sweep the beam across, at the height of the candle wicks, to light all the candles.   

       Another option would be to use miniature fuse, like what they sometimes use to ignite many fireworks simultaneously or in rapid succession. However, rigging the cake might take some time.   

       Yet another option would be to coat the candle wicks in a pyrophoric material. The cake would have to be assembled in an oxygen-free environment, and brought to the table in an oxygen-free enclosure. Then, when the lid is opened and oxygen hits the pyrophore, all the candles would ignite at once.   

       Or lay a sheet of flash paper on top of the candles.
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 04 2015
  

       I kind of like the miniature explosive idea. Could expand that concept to include miniature fireworks. All computer controlled of course, by a box next to the cake. Wiring will take a bit tad longer tho. Feel free to take that idea Maxwell, it's just an extension of your concept taken to absurdity. Safety not assured.
mofosyne, Jan 04 2015
  

       Lighting a standard 20mm candle using a minature pyrotechnic igniter still tends to blow the top off the candle and danage the wick. A minature birthday cake candle would have no chance.   

       What's needed is a 2-component system, one solidfuel, one gaseous oxidiser. The solid component is coated onto the candle wick; to activate, the oxidiser is sprayed over the cake, causing the wicks to burst into flame.   

       The trick is going to be making sure that nothing else bursts into flame at the same time, which tends to rule out Nitrogen Trichloride and the like.
8th of 7, Jan 04 2015
  

       //The trick is going to be making sure that nothing else bursts into flame at the same time//   

       For goodness' sake, what has got into the Borg these days? Have they been infiltrated by the HSE?
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 04 2015
  

       //The trick is going to be making sure that nothing else bursts into flame at the same time//   

       For goodness' sake, what has got into the Borg these days? Have they been infiltrated by the HSE?
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 04 2015
  

       Well, let's just say that it would have been better if we had done the "lighting the candle" experiment somewhere other than someone else's dining room, and using one of our own candles, and also warned those in the vicinity that something was about to go off BANG, and mentioned that despite previous assurances to the contrary we still carry a host of pyrotechnic bits and pieces around with us (just in case).   

       Some humans (particularly, it seems, females) can get quite unreasonably shouty in such circumstances.
8th of 7, Jan 04 2015
  

       Standardized multi-lighter format, and matching candle layout templates for cake-tops.
tatterdemalion, Jan 04 2015
  

       // sugar frosting //   

       Icing sugar   

       // should be well mixed //   

       In a wooden bowl, using a wooden spoon ...   

       ... if, that is, you wish to retain your eyebrows, eyesight, fingers, or (if the quantity proves sufficient) life.   

       // with a surplus quantity of Saltpeter //   

       Sp. "Saltpetre"   

       There can be no such thing as "surplus" saltpetre, in the same way there is no such thing as "waste gold" or "excess malt whisky".
8th of 7, Jan 04 2015
  

       Well the obvious solution is to sell candles with extra long wicks to be twisted into a single wick for lighting them all in one go... but I want an octopus lighter so forget I said that.   

       I'm going to prefer a variant of [MaxwellBucahanan]'s laser suggestion. First, it needs two power settings, low and high. Second, the swivel/control hardware can be mounted so the beam is aimed down at a modest angle toward the candles on the cake. Third, the candle wicks should be a different color than the candles.   

       The controller gadget would have a camera to detect the candles/wicks, and to aim the laser individually at each. You can do a test-run at low power to see just how many wicks (plus things besides wicks) that the system wants to ignite, and make appropriate adjustments until you are sure that only candle wicks will be ignited when you switch the laser to high-power mode.
Vernon, Jan 04 2015
  

       Van der Graaff birthday cake.
FlyingToaster, Jan 04 2015
  

       ...or you could painstakingly glue a female mosquito to the end of each wick with an incendiary adhesive and use one of those skeeter lasers.   

       I did have a second idea to solve the birthday candle lighting problem: Sell candles with a built-in piece of fine iron wire or Mylar strip woven into the TIP of the candle wick. When the time comes to light the candles just put the whole thing, cake with candles in the microwave and set it for 15 seconds.
evilpenguin, Jan 04 2015
  

       Who says the microwave emitter has to be in the microwave oven?
mofosyne, Jan 05 2015
  


 

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