Wire wool

for visual effect try doing it in a confined space (silk shirts off, leather helm on!)

N

Don't forget to wrap it around your wrist when your done... Check gallery new photo's soon.

Mark P's Glastonbury pics page

what a wonderful gathering! the series including dscf0266.jpg, showing a row of spinners on stage is an incredible mob effect, big casual drama! some pictures astound me, so might i ask ??

in dscf0207.jpg, with trails coming down from the sky, or going up into them, what is happening?

what's making the "x" of flames in each hand of the pigtailed girl with pink sleeved top, with each slash almost a meter long, in dscf0253.jpg? how's that done? i see in the previous photo the slashes don't cross each other...

loved the warrior tree! but could you enwoolen me a bit, eh, which pic #'s are the Wire wool ones, so i can be sure to see the effect?

and since everyone is saying it starts to fluff off, yet needs just a strand or two of wire to bind it, how long before it comes off in big tufts, or doesn't it?

[ 31 July 2002, 20:48: Message edited by: FireMike ]

Sindominia,

I wouldn't say you were ignorant for that, I learnt all my staffing without anyone or any websites help, I just assumed by the fact that you hadn't heard of Wire wool before and you hadn't posted much that you might be a newbie to the art.

FireMike,

Photos dscf0117/8/9/20.jpg are all Wire wool photos...

Just to update, I've bought the wool now and I'm attaching it to my staff tonight. Giving it a practise go tomorrow night and I've got a gig at a big beach party on Saturday so I'm going to do my first show with it there (away from people of course! ) Photos to follow...

Mike,

I think the fire trails going up into the sky that you are refering to were the fireworks at the end of the fire display in the Circus field as for the 'X's' you talk about I fear this was the camera left in double exposure mode and is actually 2 photos overlaid (sorry)

Mark P

Hello to you guyz,

Pyrophile Mark Strugnell iz Strugz! Twoz me spinning the wire with you n Hugo, as Roz said. It was wicked but i completly understand the hazeyness, aft all it was Glastonbury!

Mark P, i didnt see over the other side of the hill, the live drummin peeps around the circle must have blocked the view!, you sounded like you took as much gear as me, i left alot of mine in the car though and was too afraid to venture outside to get it, lots of scary people out there hungry for a tickets 2 get in!

We should arrange a meet sum time, most definatley, would be good to get together again.

c ya l8rz!

Strugz.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!
Mark P - Good work my friend, truley a top job.

I was wishing someone had pictures of that nite, and you have - dscf0272, i think that is me on the left. Gary on the right, and (i feel really bad for not remembering) yeh that bloke spinning in the centre.

I took many pictures up at the circle aft that show, not one of them came out most annoyed. However that doesnt matter now, thanx to you.

If we ever meet i will buy you a pint!

Strugz.

Strugz,

Was it the photos of us that didn't come out? Shit! I was banking on you having a photo of that I could pinch from you!

Nevermind, hopefully there'll be meet ups in the future that we can all get together and get a shot of.

Yeah guys it would definately be good to meet up at some time.

I have a digital video camera which would be nice to get some actual poi footage with soon, I have a little bit but my main problem is the editing software dosent work with my new operating system at the moment.

Strugz - did I meet you in the stone circle - I met someone that gave me a little bit of Wire wool for woody but I cant remember who it was

Mark P

nice to see you have so many pics of me!!!!
tho well hidden by a large screen.

R

Which ones have you in Min?

In regards to what to use to hold the Wire wool onto the poi/staff heads/etc, Mad Mix and I have discovered the fabulously economic WIRE COATHANGERS!!! They are the bestest. And as a substance to use in the middle of the wrap---- curtain lining material (v cheap in UK) is flame retardant and keeps them pretty clean.
Hope this helps and see ya all at Glastonbury next year xxxxx

Coathangers are a good idea.

I'd thought of using them but then I also discovered that if you pull the copper wire out of an electric cable it is as long as you want it to be and doesn't cost a penny.

See you at Glasto 2003 Fire wire!

pyrophile, it may not cost a penny but make sure you dont steal the lead from something useful and dont try this while they are still plugged in

I have a reel of copper wire that I use for securing the denim/crepe bandage wicks onto my fire swords, cost about a fiver and I have still got loads left after making 5 swords and recovering my origonal one

Oh and btw I just got a text message from woody - he has had 25 bails of Wire wool delivered today!!!!!!! time for some fun

Mark P

sounds like a good weekend for you Mark!

By the way, can you or someone whos done this before just run over what I have done for my Wire wool staff and check I'm doing it right.

1) I have secured a bit of towel around my wicks.
2) Wrapped the Wire wool around the towel.
3) Secured the Wire wool by creating a 'cage' over it using copper wire.

Now when I come to do it I should give each wick a quick dip in the paraffin before lighting and spinning.

Is there anything I've forgotten to do? Something I should have done differently?

I'll have a safety with me and I'll be on the beach and I know what moves I'll do to avoid getting burnt so I've got all of that pretty much covered, but if there is any last minute bits of advice on this you want to give me please feel free!

Pyrophile, you look like your pretty much set to have sum fun with wire, Give it a try as you have made them up and see how they burn.

If you find that the spray of wire iznt happening as you want it them may i suggest:

1 - More wire!
2 - Minimal fixing.

What i mean by that is wrap the wire round and round until your staff heads look about (100 - 200mm) depending on how you feel about spoinning it. Then get a piece of decent workabble wire and wrap it around the centre then twist till its tight.

The main problem i found when i started playing with wire is that i tied it on to securely, forgetting that at the end of the day i want the lot to fly off, when spinning. If you keep that in mind your wire will go a long way!

Good luck mate, hope it helps - go have sum fun!

Strugz.

Cheers mate, much appreciated.

Hi pyrophile,

Just a quick note to help if things arent working quite as well as you would expect.

When you take the Wire wool out of the pack tease it apart to make it nice and airy before you wrap it. This will ensure that you have the best burn, if it is too clumpy then you will be more likely to form larger bits of molten steel, rather than the small shards that you want. (once the Wire wool has been teased out it can be packed relatively tightly but is then uniform)

You shouldnt need any paraffin to burn the Wire wool just make sure you have something that will be able to light each end at the same time, something like another staff would be the best idea.

You basically need to hold a relatively large flame to the Wire wool until you see lots of little 'red/orange' bits on the outside of the Wire wool (this is it starting to burn) and then as soon as this is happening the person lighting you runs away and you start to spin like a staffer possesed

I take it you have already had a spin, unlit, with the Wire wool attached to the staff just to check that they are secured well enough and get used to the extra drag caused.

Basically go and have some fun (I really want to know what a horizontal rotor above the head looks like with Wire wool I think it would be wicked!! )

Have Fun, Mark P

Hey cheers Mark!

Good advice mate, I have had a practise spin to check the weight, etc and I'm happy with it. I'm going to undo it and do it again based on your and Strugz's advice.

Also, I'm definitely going to do the helicopter spin when I have a go! Should be sick!

My safety is also going to take some piccies, we're going to a nice spot for it so hopefully they'll come out well, maybe even enough to enter in the comp against that quality photo you entered!

lol nice one pyrophile - I look forwards to seeing the piccies

Good luck,

Mark P