EUREEEEKA!!!!! the answer to self igniting staffs!!

ok im so giddy with excitment!

i am now the proud owner of a self igniting staff!!
and im gonna tell you all how to do it!!

heres the story...

One day i went to a magic shop with my trusty three peice staff in search of answeres to the eternal question. "How can I make my staff ignite with out useing a lighter" I attempted flashpaper, sparklers, firework powders caps etc. Sadly these did not work as i had planned no siree...

BUT then! I stumbeled across a very mainstream sorce of trickery! that old-make a-dove-disapear-under-a-silver-tray trick..
sometimes in the trick they have the bird turn into fire.. for added effect.
so i looks to see how it was rigged

there are some wires attached to a button on the side of the pot. and then they run to a sort of rocket engine starter. when you hold the button down the started heats up slightly.... slightly enough to light a peice of kerosene soaked kevlar in the pot.

EEUREEEKA!!!

i found out you can pick up these fantastic things at a hobby shop.

i ran the thing through my staff modifying it slightly. (i had to drill a hole int eh plastic middle for the button) and them tkae the dowel out of the ends of the torches and driller a slightly bigger hole int eh aluminum so the starter touched the kevlar.

excellent.. so then to test i had to carefully saturate the kevlar with a squeeze bottle as the typical dip and shake would ruin the starter..

so then for dramatic effect i held the staff over my head and clicked the button..
POOOOOOOFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!
IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UNREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IM SOOOOOOO CLEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

now that thats out of my system im gonna put pics up later of the basic constuction!!
im in the middle of moving so this may tkae awhile..

Let me be the first to say: Way to Go Sorcha!!
Sounds like a fun time will be had by all...
Sabine

That sounds really f***ing cool.
Good work Sorcha

Glad to hear you had some success. Sounds really fun.
Is there any way you can still dip with this wonderfull contraption? And any ideas for poi/swivel problem.

TEMPEST

What do I ask for when I go into my local hobby store? Is it just a model rocket igniter? Or is it made for the trick you described?

Model Rocket Igniters should light up with just a 9 volt battery. But you'd have to replace them every time. So you could just buy a set of igniters and then wire up a switch to a battery. It should work well.

Very cool idea! Nicly done.

*panting heavily*

more info please...more info please...more info please...more info please...more info please...more info please...more info please...more info please...

(model numbers size, use after ignition, costs store name, model numbers ....)

TELL ME TELL ME TELL MEE MORE

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Charles (AKA INFERNO)

newdolbel@hotmail.com
http://juggle.co.nz/fire/fire.html

mmm, so nice to finally have the solution, but it kinda takes the fun outta of it, you know?

one less thing to ponder...

What if you got a member of the audience to tazer you while you were holding an aluminium staff?? that could work! it could screw around with your co-ordination/eyesight/bladder control - but hey, no brain, no pain!

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"Every experience carries its lesson"
-Muad'Dib

no brain no pain?

Does that mean it would be cool to have your brain fired so you wouldn't feel pain any more?

Last thing I want to worry about now is whevever i'm doing a performance, having to watch out for crazies with tazers who've been reading this site and then gone looking for a firedancer...

*looks over his shoulder frantically*

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Charles (AKA INFERNO)

newdolbel@hotmail.com
http://juggle.co.nz/fire/fire.html

A piezo igniter( i think thats now its spelt works as well...you can buy some that light up with a battery (they take a small button cell!).
I put one in an aluminum staff to see what would happen (followed advice on this page). I put slicone over the wire ends and the piezo igniters create a spark underwater...
make sure the battery is up near the switch...

ohhhhh its soooo awesome when it works! i put a little rubberised switch on my staff near the handle and it looks AWESOME!!!!.....i love my new toy....
BUT be careful dipping with a piezo igniter....
a) kero/fuel gets inside piping(unless i can find a heat proof water proof sealant to seal the gaps in the holes)..and ignites sometimes. verybadstuff.
b) I gave it to my friend(beginner) to dip...the dick pressed the button accidently as he was shaking off above dipping bucket. bang. shellite citronella mix explosion, friend gets thrown about a metre back in shock. metal dipping vase saves the day again. plastic, he would have had third degree burns. verybadstuffoncemore.
c) over time i can see whole show malfunctioning/breaking from being dropped, soaked in fuel, etc etc.

but hey, it looks awesome so who cares!
My next toy is an elctroglo staff....a blue one. ordering it from juggleart tomorrow. HOORAY!

twirl on,
lluhmas

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Fire is Love

Well bugger me, you people are geniouses.. or .. geniousii.. smart! just goes to show how twirlers are also imaginative inventors! I betcha the person that invented the question mark had a poi set!

/takes medication

To make it more durable, would it be a good idea to completely separate the starter in the handle and run the sparky bit along a wire. You could then loop electrically conductive twine around(in?) the kevlar and connect the sparker wire to it. The point being that the kevlar could be dipped as it would be normally. Just an idea

Sorry to hear aboot your mate, lluhmas! I'd be cursin'! not so much about the possible damage, but because it presumably wasn't taped for 'Australia's most dangerous home videos Vol. X'

ok.. sad news.
staff igniter broke... its the whole dipping process thats buggered..
fer christs sake if its not one thing its another.. my puters been down too so no pics yet

the igniter i used uses 9 volt battery but it is compleatly reuseable.. its kinda like a toaster (the orange wire hot thingies in the middle?)

That bit which some might call the element?

i prefer to call it a blue spoon cat , but maybe thats just me.

/goes to find bender_the_Offender to get some medication

Three words: SELL THE IDEA!!
You should sell it to a production company: Then people could buy self-igniting staff, instead of trying to make them themselves!!
Justa thawt
Peace

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Coles
Id love to be a glow-worm
Cuz a glow-worm's never glum
It's hard to be downhearted
When a light shines out your bum

This being a free market society and all?!? what ever

You would be better off to patent it and then sell it. Make sure that you have it in the contract that you can sell the idea to as many companies as possible, heck better yet find a lawyer that deals with business negotiations and find out if he will do a free consultation. They do it in America but then again your not in America!!

Needless to say very good work!