Forums > Technical Discussion > Sun + Wicks = brighter flame?
Login/Join to ParticipateSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Posted:
I was having a spin with my crew last night and noticed something interesting - and wondered if it has any basis in fact, science, experience, or we were high on fumes and had a group hallucination
A mate had gotten her wicks wet through a week of her staff sitting in the rain
She then put it in the sun for a week to dry it out
When we'd soaked her staff and then lit it - the flame was very bright, very clean and a bit larger than normal.
My staff on the other hand is almost ready for rewicking, and I noticed that when lighting up the flame was much dirtier than the staff that had been 'washed' so to speak..
Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas, similar experiences on this sort of thing?
I need to know, why is it so
I was having a spin with my crew last night and noticed something interesting - and wondered if it has any basis in fact, science, experience, or we were high on fumes and had a group hallucination
A mate had gotten her wicks wet through a week of her staff sitting in the rain
She then put it in the sun for a week to dry it out
When we'd soaked her staff and then lit it - the flame was very bright, very clean and a bit larger than normal.
My staff on the other hand is almost ready for rewicking, and I noticed that when lighting up the flame was much dirtier than the staff that had been 'washed' so to speak..
Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas, similar experiences on this sort of thing?
I need to know, why is it so
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
It was suggested to me that the sooty-oily residue/build up prevents that shiny new burn feeling. That perhaps the "pores" of the material are clogged and so are not as readily exposed to air to feed the fire...if that makes sense?
Oddly enough, I did not understand the legistics but it made sense in an obscure way!
Maybe??
It was suggested to me that the sooty-oily residue/build up prevents that shiny new burn feeling. That perhaps the "pores" of the material are clogged and so are not as readily exposed to air to feed the fire...if that makes sense?
Oddly enough, I did not understand the legistics but it made sense in an obscure way!
Maybe??
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
SILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Posted:
yep - you're probably right about the residue.... thanks
another attempt at an explanation:
staff (that has been used for many burns) and wicks get wet
dry staff and wicks in the sun
use staff last night - notice a better, brighter flame compared to wicks that had not gotten wet and then been dried in the sun.
yep - you're probably right about the residue.... thanks
another attempt at an explanation:
staff (that has been used for many burns) and wicks get wet
dry staff and wicks in the sun
use staff last night - notice a better, brighter flame compared to wicks that had not gotten wet and then been dried in the sun.
BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
Oh I am so sorry..I miscommunicated. I understood what you were saying, but the whole soot-residue thing, while making sense was confuzzling!
You made perfect sense!
Oh I am so sorry..I miscommunicated. I understood what you were saying, but the whole soot-residue thing, while making sense was confuzzling!
You made perfect sense!
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
member
531 posts
531 posts
Posted:
My friend Nyx told me that she met a guy at Burning Man who actually cleans his wicks after every usage.
Apparently it not only makes for a better flame but it also makes your wicks last a lot longer.
My friend Nyx told me that she met a guy at Burning Man who actually cleans his wicks after every usage.
Apparently it not only makes for a better flame but it also makes your wicks last a lot longer.
BRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted:
Hmmm. i wonder what they used to clean the wicks with?
Now I'm thoroughly confused!...
Hmmm. i wonder what they used to clean the wicks with?
Now I'm thoroughly confused!...
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BRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA
Posted:
Seriously the cleaning wicks thing would work, as I have had the whole rain thing happen, but for actual cleaning I would think some conditions must be met for it to be successful.
1. When it happened that I had kevlar wick in the rain, all was right with the world. When it happened with my towel wick, it was a bad end and needed to be tossed.
2. Really most detergents and such would leave a residue, especially those that I think would work the best (such as Oxy Clean). Since the tools can't exactly go through the washer and dryer, I am thinking basic water with a stream sprayer...the force of the stream would clean most of the soot residue away, where as soaking would not. I think that use of something like a toothbrush would speed the process up but also cause the kevlar fabric nap to raise up.
3. I think you would need two of everything. That way one can be in use and the other can be drying.
Though, these are just ideas and theories. Depending on how many shows you do, it would probably not be practical to clean them every single time.
I wipe mine off. I always have. All the metal bits and then gently the wicks. It gets towels pretty mussy but seems to do alright. I was told to do this mainly because of soot build-up possibly effect absorption and burn, and off the metal bits so that there isn't any corrosion to the metal and to prevent soot fires on parts I don't want on fire.
Just ideas though, and since it is burning season here up north, I think I will give it a wing since I have that set of ick wicks anyway.
Seriously the cleaning wicks thing would work, as I have had the whole rain thing happen, but for actual cleaning I would think some conditions must be met for it to be successful.
1. When it happened that I had kevlar wick in the rain, all was right with the world. When it happened with my towel wick, it was a bad end and needed to be tossed.
2. Really most detergents and such would leave a residue, especially those that I think would work the best (such as Oxy Clean). Since the tools can't exactly go through the washer and dryer, I am thinking basic water with a stream sprayer...the force of the stream would clean most of the soot residue away, where as soaking would not. I think that use of something like a toothbrush would speed the process up but also cause the kevlar fabric nap to raise up.
3. I think you would need two of everything. That way one can be in use and the other can be drying.
Though, these are just ideas and theories. Depending on how many shows you do, it would probably not be practical to clean them every single time.
I wipe mine off. I always have. All the metal bits and then gently the wicks. It gets towels pretty mussy but seems to do alright. I was told to do this mainly because of soot build-up possibly effect absorption and burn, and off the metal bits so that there isn't any corrosion to the metal and to prevent soot fires on parts I don't want on fire.
Just ideas though, and since it is burning season here up north, I think I will give it a wing since I have that set of ick wicks anyway.
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
SILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Posted:
very interesting indeed, experiment time......
thanks for your thoughts
very interesting indeed, experiment time......
thanks for your thoughts
SILVER Member
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!
Posted:
How did all that turn out, then? ^_^
How did all that turn out, then? ^_^
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