Igniting starter fluid to seal the bead

[bobhamlin]

Try as I might, I just couldn't get the new front tire's bead to seal enough to inflate. I used soap, Pledge, put it in the sun, used a ratchet strap around its circumference--all in the hope that the bead would press up against the rim's ridge to seal the incoming air from my compresser. Dejected, I was even toying with taking the rim and tire to the local bike shop (that would have been a defeat) when I googled...

... and found an intriguing method that sparked my interest. It involves starter fluid and fire and an explosion. I am a guy, after all.

Youtube has a couple examples. After watching them, I figured why not. It worked exactly as it is supposed to. Just be careful with the amount of fluid. I used 2 seconds of spray...

... this guy used a lot more: