Forums > Technical Discussion > tubecore sealing

Posted: 1st Sep 2002
Honestly I have never heard of anyone sealing the ends of their tube core wicks, but you could use JB Weld. It's a two part epoxy designed spicificly for bonding metals and it holds up really well under heat. You don't need to heat it at all, you just need to wait about 20 hours for it to set. They also have a product called JB Quick which sets much faster, but I've never used it so I don't know if it works as well as original JB Weld. I seem to remember someone saying that you have Home Depots out in the UK if so you should be able to get some there.

Jesus helps me trick people.

Posted: 1st Sep 2002
I also haven’t heard of anyone sealing the ends of their tube core wicks, so is there a good reason to seal the ends? PVA or craft glue would probably work.

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh

Posted: 2nd Sep 2002
I can't really imagine what it is you're trying to work out, but this is my guess

Could you not just fold the end over on itself and use a couple of screws to hold it all together? Or if you're talking about sealing the ends of a hollow staff - pop a peice of dowel in the ends - also gives something for the screws to attach to.

But I think I've got the wrong end of the stick on this one.....

Posted: 2nd Sep 2002
The reason its done is to prevent the wooden dowel, which holds

the screws, from burning off and getting set on fire. lots of

instructions including incendiums

recomend this. You don't have to do it but it will make the wicks last longer.

some also plug up the ends with metal stoppers.

[garbo]

[ 03 September 2002, 00:27: Message edited by: [garbo] ]

be excellent to each other: safe:

Posted: 2nd Sep 2002
Garbo, a lot of people use an aluminium sleeve to protect the dowel from burning. Once, I went for extra protection and tried this "Stag" joining/lagging paste stuff, but it didn't set. Don't think you need it. It certainly didn't make the wick last any longer.

Plugging the ends of a staff is paramount, because it will help prevent a lot of injuries, especially to the eyes, and is probably a good idea on poi.

Got the link to work. I suspect the "strong glue" just holds the dowel in place while you drill holes and stuff. You could use anything.

That selleys "knead it" stuff for the ends, is expensive and brittle. An alternative would be to have a rounded dowel ends. Cheers

[ 03 September 2002, 01:56: Message edited by: Stone ]

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh

Posted: 19th Sep 2002
recently i saw a small fire-eating wand, and its end was capped in thin (and in this case, not too neat) brass sheet, quite flexible and cuttable, i got some for my trademark fireglowstix though did not bother under short time last time i constructed them. you can also get alumninum (aluminium if you're English) or copper, all at hobby stores, quite cheap, for say a 3" (8 cm) by 8" (20 cm) piece.

have heard here & not tried elmer's brand (US) "school glue". . .an old brand with lots of variations, their carpenter's glue (which is not the one to use) is aliphatic resin, don't know chem name of the water-cleanable-until-dry white school glue, and heard "krazy glue" cyanoacrylate works too, and that comes nowadays in thick gel versions, thick enough to spread across an end.

molten cheers,

~ FireMike

FireMikeZ@yahoo.com (personal messages welcome, no promo spam, please!)
Laguna, California, US