Paraffinmember
10 posts
Location: United States


Posted:
So, I just got back from my first fire poi-xperience and I loved it...however, is there any way for me to make my fire trails thicker, longer, and just better? Right now I'm using strait coleman's white gas. Any suggestions? (I have 2.5 kevlar wicks)

burn burn burn burn burn burn burnburn burn


Kinudin (Soul Fyre)veteran
1,325 posts
Location: San Diego, California, USA


Posted:
Get bigger wicks. The 4 inch wicks a few nights ago I finally felt the heat. White gas burns bigger I think from all the fuels I've tried (Tortch Oil, Lamp Oil, White Gas, and a mix of White Gas/Lamp oil)

Tortch Oil burns longest,
Lamp oil well. Doesn't burn loud and proud.
White gas *drools* but *whipes up teh drool because of the short burning time*

It's not the fuel that's your problem, it's the wick. Soaking time I usually soak for about a minute or two. Bigger wicks, bigger flame, bigger... burns?

Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
beware young firetwirler! Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Firetwirlers! My own counsel will I keep on what is to be burned! A Firetwirler must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind, the best fuels. This 'Shell Sol TK' a long time
have I watched. Burn not the Whitegas, for hurt you it will, yes! Too much for you will the heat be! Skin grafts? Heh! holey clothes? Heh! A Twirler craves not these things! Do not underestimate the flashpoint of whitegas, or suffer my armhair's fate will you! Think, will you that afraid you are not?

Oh, you will be. You will be.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


Kinudin (Soul Fyre)veteran
1,325 posts
Location: San Diego, California, USA


Posted:
Bender, you're to good at that. I should slap you with your hurty staff

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
gives the strange Yoda/Bender creature a kind loving kick to the groin...

I could be wrong, but I think the original question was how to make the TRAILS longer and bigger and stuff.

I think the fire itself has less of a burning-into-your-retinas type effect of glowsticks, but that could be an illusion because of the smaller size of the sticks when compared to wicks.

If so, making the fire bigger won't really make the trails any better, but smaller and brighter flames will. However, smaller brighter flames will run out faster.

Personally, it might pay for Paraffin to redefine the question again.

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
what aboot gaps?
more wicking doesn't necessarily have to be one continuous tube, eg.
a 8" long roll of kevlar will emit a smaller flame than two rolls of 4", as the gap between the 4" kevlar rolls - the total length of the entire firey bit will be longer than the 8".
For the goal of bigger fire (hence longer fire trails) if i hadta choose between using carefully placed split wicking or the dangerious immolation of whitegas, I'd choose Dagobah.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


Paraffinmember
10 posts
Location: United States


Posted:
What I mean is how to get long long trails to hang behind the wicks...I saw a man do some twirling where the fire would hang in the air for 2 seconds at least, but he wouldn't tell me what he used...ancient secret.

burn burn burn burn burn burn burnburn burn


rexmember
263 posts
Location: Holiday, FL, USA


Posted:
did he uhm, spin them faster?

Twirl'N'BurnBooojakasha
121 posts
Location: Brisbane QLD Australia


Posted:
I dont know if this will help much or even answer the question that you are asking but have you prehaps considered buying some lengths of kevlar rope and plating them into two lengths then adding them to the ends of your poi (perhaps with another keyring so you can detach them when you dont want them there, this is assuming that you have enough length at the bottom of them to do so). This way you should be able to get the effect of tails much like you do with practice poi's. I have never acutually tried this or know if the visual effect would be really worth the effort. Just my 00.02c.

Hope this may be of some help.

[ 23 May 2002, 02:56: Message edited by: Twirl'N'Burn ]

Simply an excuse to play with fire.


rexmember
263 posts
Location: Holiday, FL, USA


Posted:
i think the soaked kevlar tails would be too heavy to trail like they're supposed to...

maybe it's just me.

Anselmmember
28 posts
Location: Central or Northern CA, depending on season


Posted:
Ok, here's what I have: 1.5 inche (4 cm) wicks (that's diameter and width). On each poi chain, I have three, spaced on wick width apart. When I soak these guys in coleman fuel, I can't hold them still. I can't even hang and swirl them! I have to either twirl or run with them streaming out behind me, that's how big the flames are! Naturaly, the fire trails are about that big too. They're somewhat longer than my arms (I'm six feet, or 185 cm), and the flames would come about 4-6 inches over my hands if I held them still.

On a similar note: If white coleman burns to fast, add a dash (4:1) of parafin (that's American parafin, the synthetic lamp oil. I've gotten the same effect with citronella). It'll lengthen the burn time considerably, and only dimm it a little bit.

Anselm

adamricepoo-bah
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA


Posted:
Big wicks give you big fire trails. Not necessarily tall, but fat. Adding more wicking is pretty much the only way (short of something like building fire comet-poi, which strike me as problematic) to get the really big trails. This of course means a lot more weight (the weight of the wicking, plus the weight of the additional fuel you'll soak up).

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy


jonathanenthusiast
210 posts
Location: new zealand


Posted:
when i hook my poi together at the ends with the key rings (so 4 ends become 2) and use white gas i have had some interesting moments. i cant hold them still or my head hair burns he he he, but thats what you get with 20 foot of wicking!!

Diablostikmember
34 posts
Location: Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.


Posted:
I think you need more of a orangish whispy kind of flame, it has the tendency to hang in the air longer. For this, I use charcoal fluid.

I have heard bad things about it though, but after 6 years, I think/hope i'll be okay.

You can mix at a 1 to 1 ratio of charcoal fluid and white gas, making the fire brighter and more whispy at once.

I do welcome any info on caharcoal fluid that may or may not change my opinion on the matter.


Similar Topics

Using the keywords [flame trail *] we found the following existing topics.

  1. Forums > Double staff - Big flame-Big Stupid Charles... [21 replies]
  2. Forums > tails? [12 replies]

      Show more..

HOPニュースレター

Subscribe now for updates on sales, new arrivals, and exclusive offers!