Forums > Technical Discussion > fire sculptures

Posted: 1st Aug 2001
I made some pot lamps from some old jelly jars. Just took a small nail and drove 20-30 holes in the lid in a straight line to accept standard 2 inch wick. I used about an 8 inch piece of wick, and filled the jars just half full for safety. They are quite bright and burn for a few hours.I'm sure you could rig something similar, or if you wanted a bigger wick, maybe use a drip-fed fuel delivery system from a remote tank.-p.

Posted: 2nd Aug 2001
Humm this goes with my ground circle idea is a wick really nesacary for sculptures that can hold fuel? would it be much brighter with one then without?

We are all in the cosmic movie. That means the day you die you watch your whole life repeating for eternity. So you'd better have some good things happen in there and have a fitting climax. --Jim MorrisonIt's going to come from a direction you didn't predict at a moment of chaos which you didn't see coming. -- NYC

Posted: 4th Aug 2001
I think that wick is needed because other wise the fuel would just burn off in seconds.peace outgarbo ------------------

quote:

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"Be the change"Mahatma Ghandi

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be excellent to each other: safe:

Posted: 6th Aug 2001
FYI: Kerosene and lamp oil will not burn without some type of wick or aspiration (a la mouth or spray nozzle.) I'd strongly recomend against using any of the more volatile fuels (alcohol or white gas) in a structure like this for safety reasons.-p.

Posted: 6th Aug 2001
Here here to both pj and garbo. Wicks will keep your sculpture burning long enough to take some cool photo's! You can buy kevlar cord that would make the perfect fire sculpture wick, because it is small andwon't kill the non-lit look of your sculpture. For a frame that is easy, light and not in need of welding, try a tight weave of chicken wire

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Pele

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

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

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 23rd Aug 2001
my boyfriend made a 9ft fire sculpture of a dragon, he learnt about different chemicals in an arts course which produce different coloured flames, when the chems are mixed they will ignite on their own after a certain amount of time, the fire shot up from inside the chest of the dragon igniting chems in its mouth which shot outwards. in the process their was no wick, but the paper mache that the sculpture was made from stayed alight for a small time, the effect was brilliantblessings!!!

AnonymousPLATINUM Member

Posted: 28th Aug 2001
hey ifit is to be on the floor use wood shahings with parafin... it uses alot... i havent tried it but i know people who use that...

Posted: 7th Sep 2001
What you want is paper rope about 2-3cms thick, you wire it to a metal frame soak it in parrafin using washing up liquid bottles and bobs you uncle.its available from industrial upholsterers, its usually used for heavy duty piping.love Axis

Posted: 7th Nov 2005
Hey there!



I saw a beautiful fire-sculpture at a party I went to several years ago on a beach in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand. It had some lettering and a dolphin jumping over a sunrise.



I would bet it was made with cheap natural materials, like straw and fabric, obviously soaked with fuel, probably the there about common "Kerosene", not that I really know what it is they sell under that name.



It burned brightly and evenly for quite some time before slowly and beautifully melting and disintegrating.

I would love to recreate something like that at the upcomming total solar eclipse in Turkey, at the Soulclipse Festival, www.soulclipse.com , would be thankful to have any and all kind of advice on how to do so succesfully and safely!



Wouldn't paper piping rope burn up rather quickly? Have never seen the stuff, but assume it's sturdy enough not to fall apart when soaked with fuel ?! Is there any reason not to use normal rope, as a midway solution between the reusable (better be, considering the expense!) Kevlar wick and paper rope?!



Couldn't really find anything too useful on the web, if you know of a site, or you yourself have any information, experience, hints and tips for such an undertaking, I would like to hear about it.



Burn brightly and be safe

Coincidancer
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