Forums > Technical Discussion > Chains wobbling and general movement

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GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
I have recently started practicing with my fire poi more and am finding it quite hard to get used to.

They are monkey fists with oval links and leather handles.

When i spin i cant stop the chains wobbling and it looks generally crap. When i watch videos on here everyone looks so controlled with fire, like they are controlling the poi and not the other way around.

Do i just have to get used to spinning with chains where i have been used to socks for so long?

I am spinning these unlit with a chopped up tshirt wrapped around the heads in my room

DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Chains wobbling?



Have you got swivels on your oval-link poi? The chain twisting up might cause this - i'm so glad I thought of this. I bet UCOF will try and steal my idea though, he's such an idea-theif it makes me cry. Just remember, you DEFINITELY read about swivels here first..



( wink )



It could be that you're spinning very slowly/erratically so you're creating slack in the chain, which is then pulled tight at a later stage in the circle...



The chains will spin differently to socks, no matter how closely the weights match, so if your socks don't wobble, then yes, it's just a matter of practising with the chains more smile

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


BAS231187GOLD Member
Member
20 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
sock poi have a lot of elastication in them so a have diffrent feel to sumthing rigid.
ull get used to it but to help, try spinning faster that way the chains will always be under tension. with practise u can slow it down until the chains are only just taught

iv got a set of dual monkey fist and they are terible for wobbling, as i spin most of the energy is put in to the first poi that then drags the second poi around. with practise ur movement will get smoother

I refuse to tip toe threw live only to arrive safely at death


GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
thanks. Both pair of sock poi i have do not have any elastication. I have hyperloops from hyperloop.co.uk and some custom made white poi with oggz in the ends. Neither pair stretch at all

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
 Written by: Geeza

oval links



Have you got swivels on those?

these are swivels

GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
 Written by: UnderControlOrFailure


 Written by: Geeza

oval links



Have you got swivels on those?

these are swivels



No, dont think so. Theres like a triangle thing that connects the heads.

Are these swivel things needed?

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Thats your problem.

You need them to stop the chains twisting up whilst spinning.



You will have noticed that your chains dont wobble within the first 20 seconds or so of spinning - this is because they havent yet got twisted up - they get twisted up by being spun in the same direction continually. You can stop this by having an average revolution direction ratio factor of 1:1 (for every one revolution forwards, you need to do 1 backwards to untwist the chain)



Get a swivel in there and your problem will be sorted.

I think HOP sells good quailty ones in the "parts" section.



People who use ball chain never have this problem, as each link is a swivel biggrin



Durbs- im suprised you missed that wink nana

DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Missed what?

T'was my first suggestion young whipper-snapper tongue

wink

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
are right. thanks.

60p for a fire swivel and 49p for nylon cords. I take it you only need 1 swivel for each poi?

Anyone willing to send me 2 fire swivels or 2 fire and 2 nylon swivels in the post in a plain envolope (if they got a box of 10 for example). Will paypal them some money.

Only buying just 2 swivels off here then paying £4 postage is a bit pointless!

Im in UK (Leeds)

DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
B&Q or a fishing shop will sort you out for less than that smile
Just make sure for the fire poi they're heavy duty.

1 or 2 swivels is up to you - generally one is enough, unless you like to shorten your poi quite regularly - then it's useful to have one at each end. Though again, unless they're bad-ass heavy, swivels will generally be the weakest link in a set of oval-chain poi.

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


DurbsBRONZE Member
Classically British
5,689 posts
Location: Epsom, Surrey, England


Posted:
Oh - why do you want the nylon chords?

Burner of Toast
Spinner of poi
Slacker of enormous magnitude


UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Yeah - what you want is one swivel on each, next to the handle (otherwise its only the head that can "untwist" rather than the chain itself).

Dont go with nylon cord, and especially steer clear of Durbs' "chords" - you dont know where they have been.
You can use 2 small split rings instead to attach the chains to the handles/ split rings.

ImbalanceGOLD Member
not different, just not the same
263 posts
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA


Posted:
Geeza has Oggz poi as well as fire poi, and wants to put the swivels on there as well. That's what was being referred to i believe.

I once learned every move that there was,
Every style, Every technique.
Then I woke up, and forgot it all,
So now I struggle to dream.


HypnoticGOLD Member
Member
44 posts
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA


Posted:
Speaking of swivels...has anyone ever broken one? I replaced them for looking pulled apart to what I thought was an extreme. Within a couple weeks they looked almost just like the old ones.

GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
I checked my fire poi last night and they have the swivels on them already. From the handles it goes

leather handels
triangular quicklink
oval chains
3mm stainless steel oval quicklink
brass swivel
3mm stainless stell oval quicklink
monkey fist heads

Should move the swivels to after the triangle quicklink then put a stainless steel oval quicklink after (or take out the triangle thing all together, as they are a touch long anyway)

I have my oggz in socks so not that bothered about swivels for them


thanks

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Yeah - move the swivel next to the handle. The problem is happening because the chains themselves are not untwisting - only the head is. Keep the triangular quick link there.

Where did you get those poi anyway? umm

GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
Got them from here.



I got the chains and handles seperate to the heads because it worked our more expensive to buy the monkeyfist set



Thanks, i'll move the swivels

GeezaGOLD Member
addict
694 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
I tried to undo the 'quick' links last night and the only one that can be undone are the ones nearest the heads. The other oval quicklink and triangular quicklink have either been welded shut or have been tightened by heman on steroids!

I dont have a vice and adjustable spanner in the house so how do i undo them?

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Your teeth?
A pair of scissors?
Your manly, muscular thighs?
The power of prayer?

How about a pair of pliers? umm
Thinking about it, you will need 2 pairs of pliers, so thats 4 plier in total. wink

UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
Any luck?


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