Forums > Social Chat > Taking care of kevlar wicks

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 2nd May 2001
Nomad,You're probably not doing anything wrong. White gas burns very quickly. Try not to use your performance wicks for practice. They get more beat up when you practice with them, too. Keep sand out of them. Hmmmm. Some say re-dipping after a spin to preserve them. Please don't try this with white gas (Coleman's). The fumes of white gas ignite very easily. It's probably the oilness of kero and lamp oil that preserves the wicks anyway. (Anyone know more?)For longer burns, you can use kerosene or lamp oil or blend either with white gas. White gas does separate from kero or lamp oil so make sure they're well mixed before you soak. For longer burns, I've used a lamp oil soak first and a quick dip in white gas after to give is a quick light. Also, avoid using lamp oil and kerosene for indoor shows. They both burn pretty smoky, though lamp oil less than kero. You can also add more wick for a longer burn as well. Diana

Posted: 2nd May 2001
yah... i made some monstro 9" wicks that burn about 5 minutes with pure white gas and about 9 with mixture... 'spensive though...heheh... and i'm bein' damn careful taking care of 'em...

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 2nd May 2001
Oh, I forgot, if you spin slower, the fuel will last longer.

Posted: 2nd May 2001
As far as i know, the wicks just being kept moist with a little water preserves them pretty well. Also as Diana said, white gas burns quicker. it also burns hotter, brighter, and is much more dangerous as far as setting things it touches on fire. As a result, if you keep using it not only your will your burns be shorter but your wicks will be destroyed much faster.The way you fold them also has a lot to do with how long they burn. if you just fold the wick back and forth and secure it with a bolt (which is how most places sell them) it won't burn as long as a cathdral/fan fold, secured with a wire cage going thru the wick's edges, which you can make out of wire hangers. I've made a set of those 6 months ago and probably lit them about 100 times already, and the flame never lasts less than 4-5 minutes with lamp oil.try experimenting with that for a while... and remember you can make a set of spinners by going to a hardware store much better and cheaper than the ones they sell...peax,Skunk

Posted: 2nd May 2001
PS that last comment in my previous post was meant generally. i've never seen any of the equipment sold by home of poi, for all i know they could be really really nice.Peax,Skunk

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 2nd May 2001
Hmmm, so, Le Skunk, you're talking about folding wick like an accordian, just back and forth as opposed to one piece over the other like cathedral fold? Do you think it's the folding or the way they're attached that makes them last longer or shorter?Diana

Posted: 3rd May 2001
Thanks for the tips guys. Skunk, you mentionned keeping them moist with water. I tried that but it made my next burns really.... sucky. It was really hard to light the wicks on fire (that was at the ECSP), as if the kevlar had retained water and wasn't letting the fuel burn. Then Pele told me to never put Kevlar wicks in water!I'm probably gonna try more to mix white gas with lamp oil and see how that goes. nomad

Posted: 3rd May 2001
Keep them dry in a air tight container ie jam jar.Use towels for performances cause they ahve a longer use.Cheap easy to make and last for up to 13mins on 3-5 occations.peace outgarbo

be excellent to each other: safe:

Posted: 3rd May 2001
Nomad: I'm sorry i was unclear. i didn't mean soak them in water, i meant just keep them moist, by maybe wrapping them in a wet towel when not being used.Diana: The fold definitely makes a difference in length/intensity of burn. the cathedral fold (which is kinda hard to explain without seeing it), the way i do it, is fold a layer, fold the rest of the wick 90 degrees, fold that back over, another 90 deg, and repeat, so that when youre done it looks sort of like a spiral staircase. that leaves more space in the wick, letting the fire "breathe" more oxygen. also it soaks up fuel much faster and the fuel gets thru the whole wick, where as with the accordion wick, the middle is smooshed so tightly that only the outside actually soaks up the fuel and burns. I've found, also, that if done right, the cathedral folded wick does not need to soak. i use a special fuel bottle with a spout that basically injects the fuel directly into the wick eliminating the need to dip at all. less mess, less wasted fuel, and much quicker. i recommend anyone who plays with fire get one, i got mine at dube (https://www.dube.com) which is where i also get my kevlar (usually), but it's a red Nalgene brand bottle that you could probably get for cheaper elsewhere (it's just that dube's juggling store is 2 blocks away from where i work).hope this is helpful. if u have trouble understanding my description of the cathedral wick let me know and i'll look a good explanation up, i seem to remember figuring it out on the web somewhere, and would not be at all surprised if somewhere in the annals of this website you might be able to dig up a proper explanation...peax,good luck,Skunk

Posted: 4th Jul 2009
I know this is a very old thread, but I'm interested in knowing more about the kind of folding you describe here.