Twin head poi

I have recently designed and made a set of twin head u.v. commet poi and they're fantastic. I am interested to know if there is anyone else out there using them. I am also using twin head firepoi, an idea I got off a guy called Rob I met at The Exodus Free the Spirit Festival. Double the circles and double the fun, but swing a bit slower than single heads.Very sexy indeed.

Do you mean twin head as in two wicks stacked ontop of each other, or that the chain splits into two and there's a eick at the end of each?

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Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath, fire my spirit

I mean chains with one wick on the end and another about 8 inches above it attached by a split ring.

I have used double headed fire poi and its really cool. The thing to do is to cominsate more chain as the fire is nearer you hands. I got burnt bad when I used them.
BE CAEFULL
peave out
garbo

I have a set of double head fire poi with the second head on a split ring futher up the chain, but we also made last year a set called "big boys toys" which was a short chain and handle with a 12inch piece of tubing, on this we fastened 4 1 1/2 inch wicks evenly spaced. It's heavy and needs patience, but with alternating moves like the back front butterfly it looks amazing. Oh and to go with it, you may need a long wide pipe in order to dip it completely (beach buckets just aren't big enough

Love & Light (f)

I really want to make myself a set of double wicked poi.

I currently use a set that have two wicks - one wick directly on top of the other (they make a beautiful fire ball) but I'm more interested in making a set something like you've described here.

I use cables rather than chains. I'm wondering whether anyone has made a set of double wicked poi using cables. I know it can be done, I'm just assuming it will be a little trickier.

Adam, have you experimented with a design anything like this? Anyone else?

Thanks guys

yep... I've been using "double" wicks (as I call them) and triples, and even one poi (rather than a set of two cause it was so long) with quad-flames - you can do the same with staves as well... for the last couple of years - no extra technique to learn for a really beautiful extra effect...

Check out the photo gallery at http://communities.msn.com/moonfest for some photos of me using them - you can see the two cirles really clearly.

For the poi I make them up with coreless heads (ie no tube etc in the middle - just secured around the chain itself)

I am able to get these double headed poi. I just ordered them as a special when people wanted them. I shall contact the manufacturer and make them a regular stock item in the home of poi shop. This should happen by the end of the week.

Regards

Malcolm

Finn--

I have not tried making double-head wicks, although I don't think it would be difficult.

The normal cathedral wicks I make are held together with cable instead of an eyelet bolt. To make a double, I'd try something like this:

Make up two wick bundles, rubber band them, set aside. Get a long-ish piece of cable (about 24"/60 cm), and work that through the first bundle as if making a normal wick. At the top of the wick, install a cable-stop (you can find these at the hardware store) Install another cable stop a little way above that, slide the next wick bundle onto the cable, and finish the top as a normal cathedral wick.

Another, simpler, option is to make up two sets of normal cathedral wicks, but install attachment rings both top and bottom on (at least) one set, and just hook them together when needed. That way you've got more flexibility--you can use all the single wicks as single wicks if you want--your investment in the double wick isn't sitting idle when you don't feel like using the double wick.

More detailed instructions (on normal wicks) at
http://www.crossroads.net/a/writing/firemaking.html

[This message has been edited by adamrice (edited 02 April 2001).]

Why stop at two and why be linear ?
There is a minimun safe distance where burns are concerned but beyond the poi head you can just keep adding and adding until you exceed your highest reach above ground (how high can you reach?)

If you use more than one colour flame this looks cool for multi-heads (green, red, yellow, purple ...).
What about attaching a blazing doughnut to the ends of your poi, or a triangle/square/pentagon etc ? (either fully wicked or just at the corners).
Leave out the swivel in your poi design, pre-wind the cable/chain and unwind as you spin ...

Hot shit !

My "Jacob's Ladder" has five wicks attached between two 48" chains. Heavy but nice.

I have seen one twirler make giant wicks that consisted of two big (8" or 20 cm diameter) loops of towelling bound in wire, arranged so they crossed each other like a globe. BIG flame.

Thanks for your input guys.

Bec,

Your amazing photos are what inspired me!

Malcolm,

I'll be checking out your double wicked poi later this week.

Adam,

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a whirl - maybe this weekend.

Bish,

If only the coloured flames weren't so toxic.

Pele,

Your Jacobs Ladder sounds so cool. Is it similar to the ladder that Charly from the Cabiri uses? There'sa photo of her using on the pictures page here on H.O.P.

Thanks

Finn,
Nope, it's not like that. Her's looks to be one chain that splits with a strand of wicks down each splice.
Mine actually gives the appearance of one poi, with multiple flames that kind of join during some moves (horizontal) and that don't during others (vertical), at least from my perspective.
What I do is I have two 48inch chains (4 feet). At the very bottom of the chains I attach one wick, say the top of the wick to the right chain and the bottom of the wick to the left chain. I go up the chains about 4/5 links and wire them together with copper wire. I add another wick here (again top of wick to right and bottom to left) go up 4/5 links and cinch it. I continue this for five wicks, though I am thinking of going to seven, but I wouldn't be able to do arm and leg wraps at that point. Anyway, when it is set out it looks like a Jacob's ladder to me, hence the name. It is heavy so it is good for slow things...I use it to Peter Gabirel's "Games Without Frontiers", for example. It puts out a monstrous flame, so you have to be careful what you do in reguards to your body and heat.
I also double up the leather on my handle for this one due to stress of weight, I want to take no chances.
Hope you like.

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Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Is there anyone else making/using double head commetts? They're lovely.

Onelove, Thistlefirepixie

I made a set of poi that is four feet long, one set of wicks half way down the chain and the other at the end. Someone got it on video last night but i was tired and I kept f------ up. So anyway I saw it for the first time, looked cool, especially with the butterfly.

I hear you Fire Duude!
I love my double headed poi but they Do Make You Tired! I haven't yet gotten it on film but soon!
SkiChristian

ok, right now i am plotting to make a set of double, or triple poi. i love the visual effect that they have. i've pretty much decided to make the easy to add on poi head approach (single, quicklink, walla its a double!) my question though has any one tried the double cathedral w/cable recipe that adam suggested? would that be easier to make/longer lasting toy lifespan than the a tube style with attatchment points on either end? its back to the tube vs. cathedral debate again i know but i'm still itching to hear more about peoples experienes with this.

for those in the UK wishing to purchase a set of double fire poi i recomend you look at these...(http://www.firetoys.net/)they may seem a lil expensive but for the quality and manufacturing,..shiet these things are good i just got a set myself for that lil soming extra for the crowds and masses worshiping at gigs!! i see i am not the only one who gets a lil tired spinning double poi.. i some times spin with 3 sets of poi "3 chains in each hand" this also takes a lot out of you..more control needed i think...but double poi are better to use than a couple of sets... and double comet poi? not seen that one yet, would probably go down a storm at headcharge (sheffield UK) sweet i think i have taken up enuf of ya time here ..tara...
PK if ur not vain ur not vain ego!

Melissa--

I actually made up, for a customer, a completely insane *five-wick* rig I call the "string of pearls" (here's a picture) using the cable-based technique I described in my earlier post. The product was way too heavy, but it worked and it held together fine. If you are thinking of making a dedicated set of doubles, there's no question in my mind that it is the lightest way to do it.

The idea of bolting bands of wicking around a long tube sounds appealing in terms of having a tidy appearance, being easy to plan out, that kind of thing, but even more than the "tubes vs cathedrals" debate, my main concern with that is that you will have a lot of hot, exposed metal. Graze yourself with that, and you'll get a real burn, not just one of those wimpy "waffle marks."

[This message has been edited by adamrice (edited 23 December 2001).]

vain-ego pk, what is this headcharge of which you speak? I have never heard of it before. In Sheffield you say?

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C@ntus

Dance the dance that plays within the fire and play guitar and the play it inspired. You said you wouldn't leave me not ever, underneath the sky forever.

And we're so far from home, no wish to return. there's so much that we have taught and so much we have learned.

thistle... i made some a while ago, after i saw yours on that freezing night in the back of your van! i kind of nicked the idea, as you said they were the only twin head commet's in existance,... i had to have a set!

unfortunately i was having a twirl at a mates house with them, and one of them came to bits and put a cheeky little (?!) hole in their nextdoor neighbours green house... acctually, they pretty much just have a metal frame now...

...anyway, they were wicked, and i am kind of in the process of nicking your 'cathedral' wick design to make some mental double-headers... ...plagurist through and through!

b

I mainly use double wicks, cathedrals with a bolt through each to secure the chain to. I sometimes add another wick to build up to a triple (picture and another picture) but it does get a lot heavier, harder to control and the wick nearer the handle restricts some moves.

That's ok ben all my designs are in the public eye and anyone can plagerise them to their hearts content.

Onelove, Thistlefirepixie

Cantus the one in sheffield mate...
are u coming to endcliffe park this sunday fer a spin .there will be a few ppl there..

Sorry mate, no, I'm not.

My threefold reasoning shall not be aluded to here.