Forums > Advanced Poi Moves > When to do orbitals using fire

Posted: 30th Nov 2009
Originally Posted By: SpinnerofDetroit So is this common if you do it too soon in a burn? When can you do it being sure that you will not spray fuel?
Yes it is. Usually you can test with a buzzsaw and see if fuel is spitting everywhere. I would say wait for the second half of the spin.
AND be even more careful if you are using an alcohol based fuel. I did one with cathedrals at the end of a short run for a performance and the fuel that spat onto me actually caught fire... it sucked. don't do that.

Posted: 30th Nov 2009
the worst fire accident I ever saw was a guy doing an orbital at the beginning of his burn. Sprayed lit fuel from his waist to the top of his head....

just let them burn for a while.

Posted: 1st Dec 2009
I like the buzzsaw test idea. Is there a visual indication of when it is ok? Ex: Flames getting smaller

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 1st Dec 2009
I think big flames are OK as long as you dont have fuel spitting at you.
Flames getting smaller is a good indication that it would be alright but not strictly necessary.
If you do end up doing them too early and get fuel spat at you just release the tangle and all will be OK.

Posted: 2nd Dec 2009
Any indication someone else could give you is essentially useless in your own burn.

There are too many variables, both the type of head and the condition of the heads will change how they hold fuel and how it burns far too greatly to take anyone elses rule of thumb and apply it to your own experiences.

Later in the burn is better, less fuel because a lot of it has burned away, but this does not mean smaller flames= better... because if you spin faster you'll have smaller flames.

Use the buzzsaw test, find a base speed at which you can judge the size of your flames at which you are certain no more fuel will come out, then you can start to use that as a base of comparison.

Also, someone mentioned fuel types, lower flash point fuels will be safer for this type of movement because there will be less likelihood that flaming fuel will be projected onto you, the likelihood of fuel being projected onto you in general is no different.

Posted: 2nd Dec 2009
I think getting to know your poi is the best way of doing it. I have had a face full of parafin, but now I know that it's probably best to wait 2-3 minutes into lighting before doing orbitals. But that's just my poi, I'm sure MNS is different, as yours are different to MNS.

Just play around and see what works for you. Just be safe about it

"We were making castles in the sand: Now we swim in the seas that swept them away"

Posted: 20th Dec 2009
ha! i did this soooo much when i first got my orbitals down, i swear my eyesight got worse for fuel . i stoped doing my orbitals right away mostly because I like too keep them as the last thing i do before i blow out my poi.

I still use orbitals a quick way to spin off every so often, but i dont recomend it... you end up soaked if you do it wrong.

Posted: 5th Jan 2010
Maybe move it around out of face shot, like over/around your head or something?

I often come in with my hair stinking of parafin

"We were making castles in the sand: Now we swim in the seas that swept them away"

Posted: 6th Jan 2010
I already do them, this thread is a little old, I usually do like 1 per show now as a little surprise of shock and awe

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 8th Jan 2010
do you guys do them with wires or chains? i can't get my orbitals down using chains. should i just keep trying or give up and order the wires?

Posted: 8th Jan 2010
I use chains, and they work great. Just make sure you got a good swivel. Also I find it easier to do orbitals with longer chains. So you might wan to get a longer chain, and learn how to do them with long chains at 1st. then you can go back and do them with the chain size you are used to.

"Dream as you will live forever, and live as you will die today"
James Dean

Posted: 8th Jan 2010
I've found I can do orbitals with even my fairly chunky chains, but it requires you to be a little more precise than you would be with cords. Cords, if they meet off center, are relatively happy to slip until the arms of the orbital become the same length; chains (and this varies with the size and type of chain) will tend to go real wonky if the initial wrap is asymmetrical, so it helps to make sure your aim with the initial wrap is pretty accurate.

p|.q|r:|::s|.s|s:|:.s|q.|:p|s.|.p|s

Posted: 8th Jan 2010
Yeah, I genreally wouldn't go with wires, I use the HoP Pro Seires Chains and they work just peachy for me Man, I also have to admit I love the sound of a fire orbital passing by my ear

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 9th Jan 2010
I would not use wires, I've heard too many horror stories of people getting cut. I think the key to doing orbitals is with chains to to have a swivel at each handle(a good swivel) I've noticed that if you dont have swivels at your handles, or your swivels aren't allowed to spin, like when they are wrapped in your hand, orbitals dont work.

Posted: 10th Jan 2010
I've heard that someone without a handle swivel did an orbital with their chans and the chain got too twisted and broke, I'd hate to have that happen. So I'd just say Pro series chains if you wanna do them.

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 10th Jan 2010
I do them with bog-standard chains never worked out badly for me yet touch wood. Wires are just horrible to spin with in my opinion i dont know why any would use them

he he i am mike the amazing gloscircus person who is mike.

Officaly an exception to the Poi Boys are Girls Thing