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Caution Fire Hazard do only with adult supervision.
With a little effort you can probably find out how much resistance is needed in the circuit to keep the igniters from firing. (If anyone knows please e-mail me.) Once that is known, just make sure your lamp (and resistor) have at least that much resistance and it still shines bright enough to be seen on sunny days. If you don't have that figure or if you just like to see how things work use the steps below. But please be careful and please don't be stupid!
Before proceeding make sure you have read my Disclaimer. In short it says anything you do is at your own risk because I don't know what I'm talking about.
You will need a six volt power source, (You can just tape four AA batteries together in series with a wire lead taped to each end.) some tape, a metal pie tin , a three inch square or round piece of cardboard, (an ash tray can be substituted for the pie tin and cardboard) three test leads with alligator clips (Two of these should be long enough that you are not right on top of the pie tin during the test.), some model rocket igniters and of course your lamp.
You have two goals. A brightly burning lamp and to keep the igniter from igniting.
Note if you use an LED it will only burn when place in the circuit in the correct way.
Step 1. Check the bulb, use the test leads from your power source connecting one to each lead of your bulb; it should burn brightly. Do not proceed until this step is successful. Disconnect the bulb from the power source before proceeding.
Warning do not attach leads to the igniter when they are connected to anything else. When the igniter fires it will be hot. Do not touch!
Step 2. Bend the model rocket motor igniter into a horseshoe shape (Note: do not put igniter into a rocket motor/engine, are you crazy?) Carefully tape the middle of the igniter to the cardboard so that test clips can be put on the leads and so that the combustible portion is not in contact with the card board.
Step 3. Place the cardboard with the igniter attached in the middle of the pie tin. Connect one test lead from the igniter to one lead of your power source.
Step 4. Make sure the lamp is not connected. Connect a second test lead from the igniter to the lamp.
Step 5. Connect the third test lead to the other lead of your power source and carefully touch it to the free terminal of the lamp and hold for several seconds.
What happened.
If the lamp lit and nothing else happened proceed to the next step.
If the igniter sparked you will need to add a small resistor to one terminal of the lamp. Choose one small enough that the light continues to burn brightly and then repeat the test..
If the lamp failed to light recheck all you connections. Disconnect the power source from the lamp before checking your connections to the igniter. Repeat step one if necessary
Step 6. If the lamp burned safely for several seconds, take the lead from the power source to the lamp and touch it to the terminal on the other side of the lamp that runs to the igniter. If the igniter flashes congratulations! Your test was successful, your lamp (lamp/resistor) has the right stuff to make the circuit work. You may continue with the plans.
If the igniter does not flash, disconnect the power source at the lamp and from the battery and then wait one minute. Now inspect the igniter for a short. If a short is found remove it and retest. If no short is found then you have weak batteries or a defective igniter. Replace one or the other and try the test again.