Hey so I’m a pro fire performer and love sharing fun facts about fire performance.
We never use kerosene or gasoline, it’s disgusting and highly volatile. Of the two, kerosene burns a bit slower and for longer.
Our common fuels are camp fuel and lamp oil, both of which are wind resistant. Lamp oil burns for a long time and is slippery as hell, but it’s hard to ignite so we’ll sometimes mix it with some white gas when we want to get our props going quick. We only really use alcohols indoors since they’re not wind resistant, but they produce low smoke which is neat.
Modern wicks are made out of 100% kevlar, but older style torches use cotton from rags or tshirts. It has to be replaced quickly but works in a pinch.
For clothing, we only wear natural fibers. Synthetics will melt into your skin and turn a mild burn into something nasty. Synthetics are spandex, polyester, acrylic, etc (except for purpose made synthetics like Nomex). Leather is probably the best thing you can wear, and thick denim pants are an easy to find staple. Many hoodies are also safe for fire spinning in winter but check the tags first.
Hey so I’m a pro fire performer and love sharing fun facts about fire performance.
We never use kerosene or gasoline, it’s disgusting and highly volatile. Of the two, kerosene burns a bit slower and for longer.
Our common fuels are camp fuel and lamp oil, both of which are wind resistant. Lamp oil burns for a long time and is slippery as hell, but it’s hard to ignite so we’ll sometimes mix it with some white gas when we want to get our props going quick. We only really use alcohols indoors since they’re not wind resistant, but they produce low smoke which is neat.
Modern wicks are made out of 100% kevlar, but older style torches use cotton from rags or tshirts. It has to be replaced quickly but works in a pinch.
For clothing, we only wear natural fibers. Synthetics will melt into your skin and turn a mild burn into something nasty. Synthetics are spandex, polyester, acrylic, etc (except for purpose made synthetics like Nomex). Leather is probably the best thing you can wear, and thick denim pants are an easy to find staple. Many hoodies are also safe for fire spinning in winter but check the tags first.
What would you use if you wanted it hot and sticky?
Or just tape a storm match on it and light it before you throw. That way it only ignites on delivery.