#150769 - 18/11/01 05:57 AM
Flame Retardant
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member
Registered: 08/06/01
Loc: San Diego
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What do you guys know about flame retardant for costumes and such? I found this blurb but don't really know if I trust it. You can make your own flame-retardant solution for decorations and costumes by mixing 9 oz. of borax and 4 oz. of boric acid with one gallon of water. Dip the items into the solution and let drip dry. Do not dry in a clothes dryer - that process inactivates the flame-retardent capabilities. The items will be flame-retardant for about 6 months or until laundered. Thanks
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#150770 - 18/11/01 07:14 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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Classically British
Registered: 23/09/01
Loc: Epsom, Surrey, England
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ewwwwwww, that means you will be REALLY stinkin' if you have to wear the same sweaty, paraffin-smelling, soot-marked clothes each time you perform. Mind you - this doesn't in any way answer your question... ------------------
http://welcome.to/thehugbubble I have only one burning desire....let me stand next to your fire
_________________________
Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude
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#150771 - 18/11/01 09:15 PM
Re: Flame Retardant
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member
Registered: 28/06/01
Loc: Brunswick, Ohio
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Hummm sounds like more of a recipe for doing a Green tinted full body burn. I wouldn't trust it eaither.. And really after all the shit on this board about boric acid would you want it to be in direct contact with your skin for hours? ------------------
We are all in the cosmic movie. That means the day you die you watch your whole life repeating for eternity. So you'd better have some good things happen in there and have a fitting climax. --Jim Morrison Most Memerable crowd saying "Hey look that dude's gonna set himself on fire again!"
_________________________
We are all in the cosmic movie. That means the day you die you watch your whole life repeating for eternity. So you'd better have some good things happen in there and have a fitting climax. --Jim Morrison
It's going to come from a direction you didn't predict at a moment of chaos which you didn't see coming. -- NYC
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#150772 - 18/11/01 10:22 PM
Re: Flame Retardant
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Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
Registered: 27/06/01
Loc: Auckland
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I'm sure the couple of chemists we have on the board (NYC, ICU...) will jump in with better informed comments, but if that was all it took to completely fire retard clothing, and it was fairly safe in other regards, I'd expect every major clothing company, especially kids pyjama companaies to do this as a matter of course. Possibly it may make it harder to light, or less likely to self-extinguish. But as with anything else like this, I'd test it on a little piece of cloth first, and have a control piece as well. Also, subject it to all sorts of different temperatures and times and then try it on larger and larger pieces of cloth. The extra air around a msall piece may make a noticable difference (it may not too). ------------------
Charles (INFERNO) newdolbel@hotmail.com
http://juggling.co.nz
_________________________
HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
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#150773 - 20/11/01 09:43 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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member
Registered: 08/06/01
Loc: San Diego
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Thanks for the feedback. In particular I was wondering if anyone has even tried to use flame retardant on their costumes and how well it worked and what they used. If I test the recipe I found I will let you know my thoughts. Safety is of great importance to the troupe when doing a show for ourselves and the audience, therefore I want to be sure we are doing the right thing when we decide to use flame retardant. [This message has been edited by firefabulon (edited 20 November 2001).]
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#150774 - 21/11/01 07:46 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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NYC
Registered: 26/08/01
Loc: NYC, NY, USA
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I know little to nothing about flame retardant clothing. I use lamp oil and wear leather armbands for wraps and jeans so it's really not an issue. With lamp oil it's pretty hard to catch clothing on fire... Sorry dudes...
_________________________
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
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#150775 - 22/11/01 12:56 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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member
Registered: 01/06/01
Loc: madagascar
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there was an old thread on this somewhere...i can't recall if any chemical formulas were mentioned though. as far as making fire resistant (not proof though) fabric you can buy spray from theatre companies but be sure not to get the x-mas tree fire proofing spray, that stuff is nasty and i heard it will irritate your skin.
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#150776 - 29/11/01 12:17 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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member
Registered: 28/11/01
Loc: Wilmington, NC, USA
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Try going to the fabric store and seeing if they have any fire retardent cloth, a good seemstress can cover an old set of blue jeans pretty quickely, and while I believe drying it removes the protection, I belive you can wash them.
_________________________
Never get over confidant... That is when your chains wrap and you hit yourself in the face.
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#150777 - 29/11/01 01:13 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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old hand
Registered: 26/10/01
Loc: Bath, England
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.......... I am not sure that this would help with making clothes more fire retardent or not but I definately would not be wearing clothes that had been soaked in Boric Acid. Although it gives a nice green flame when burned in small quantities it is an irritant so soaking clothing in a solution of it would almost definately cause problems. We have also hsd some problems with the vapours from burning B(OH)3 solutions 
*cough* *cough*
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Mark P (the mad chemist)
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#150778 - 29/11/01 01:35 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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Froggie ... Ribbit !!!
Registered: 08/06/01
Loc: Back in Paris... for now !
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NYC, I am *very* disappointed ... thought you knew everything ... about everything ...  Not very precise, but I think Pele posted something comparing all sorts of clothes and their burning time, does anyone rememember what I mean ? (bad, bad memory !!) shine on
Cassandra, Alzheimer and co.
_________________________
"I want brown bread... no, that is diesel oil..."
"So I was raised in Europe, where History comes from ..."
"NON !!! La Plume de mon oncle n est pas Bingibangibungi !!!"
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#150779 - 29/11/01 04:50 AM
Re: Flame Retardant
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the henna lady
Registered: 15/12/00
Loc: WNY, USA
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What a memory Cassandra!!  Anyway, you can find the info that Malcolm dug up, the results of my tests, and a solution that does work listed by Kerri of Fireworks all here....
http://www.homeofpoi.com/articles/clothing.htm As for the boric acid thing...it cause major skin irritation, burns a pretty green and puts of horrible odors while burning. I think I would forego that solution and maybe research the fire retardant soaks and sprays firemen use, if you want to go that route.
My costumes are out of natural, tight weave fibers and leather. I haven't gone up in flames yet (knock on wood), so this is something you might want to concider as well.
Hope this helps! ------------------
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir... http://www.pyromorph.com [This message has been edited by Pele (edited 29 November 2001).]
_________________________
Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK
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