Forums > Technical Discussion > Making trailing/eating wicks...

Posted: 1st Sep 2001
Hey NYC....I must say, you've come a long way baby since I was in the 'hood.Anyway, the two easiest and most basic methods are this.....If you don't care what the torch looks like and just want to use one....Take and old metal coat hanger and straighten it out. Bend it in half and twist.Rough up the end you want wicked with a bit of sandpaper.From a fabric store or gracery store find a tight weave cheese cloth or gauze. Cut it in, for beginning fire eating I would say one inch and work your way up, for trailing, I use two inch width strips about a foot and a half long. Dip the roughed tip of your torch in elmers glue and attach your wick end. I glue mine every two layers (roll it twice, use sponge or paintbrush to apply glue, roll twice, add more glue). The glue kind of oozes through the fabric, this is a good thing. Make certain you roll tightly and evenly. Allow to dry. You should get about 8 to 10 burns from this.Basic yet stylish...get wood handled grilling tools or metal skewers. Cut off the "business end" and follow tha same procedure for attaching the wick.Also, if you are to use kevlar for this...you won't need as long a length for the roll, test it to see what you are comfortable with as there are different grades to the weaves in Kevlar. This you might want to stitch with mutlilayer cotton embroidery thread along the seam, at the top and the bottom. This version of the wick is not as secure as the others without the metal bits to hold it in place. I actually use a nice set of grill tools ones. If you make several at a time, while watching a movie or something, it actually isn't bad and they last awhile.Anymore questions, just ask. ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 1st Sep 2001
HOLY CRAP! Since the gauze that I had came in two foot lengths I figured I'd try 2 inches and two feet. BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD! HUGE flames! Couldn't even get the thing NEAR my face. Think I'll try ONE foot first! I figured with two feet it'd just be a bit bigger but I failed to take into account the more wick=more fuel formula. Put me down for a "does not follow directions." I'll try one foot now.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 1st Sep 2001
Put me down for the dumbass move of the week. I just looked at the roll of gauze that the guy in the store TOLD me was two feet of gauze. It was eight feet. Of course, I was just rolling and rolling and rolling thinking nothing of it. So I guess I'll try to use less than 8 feet next time. Excuse me while I try to find some ice.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 2nd Sep 2001
wow.. hope your OK man..didn't you notice when you had a ball of wick the size of a cabbage?the ones on my staff are pretty big, and theres only 2 feet on there!

~whoosh whoosh whoosh~

Posted: 2nd Sep 2001
Actually, that's what threw me. Because I was using a coat hanger the end product was about the diameter of a staff wick. My other problem was using polyester gauze. It gives off a horible "burning plastic" smell. I think I'm sticking with my friendly kevlar from now on.Can I use Elmers to secure Kevlar?

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 2nd Sep 2001
The burning plastic smell was probably the elastic in the gauze. Otherwise you should be able to find cotton ones....ade

Posted: 3rd Sep 2001
go to https://www.juggling.org/help/circus-arts/fire-eat/fire-eat.html
there are instructions on making tourches with kevlar cord. These are the type I use and I'm very happy with them.

How is it ever possible to feel safe and secure in a world in which everyone dies?

Posted: 4th Sep 2001
I've made my trailing torches out of a long peice of really think wire. it's more like a thin soild pole. I cut it down to about a foot or so and bent the bottem end down and around into a handle. Then bent about a half inch of the top end at a 45 degree angle. Then wrap a shop towel around secureing the inside with some black tape and a couple of good knots. The out side I've been working on still I fold it around and rip it in half to make a couple more knots on the outside to hold it and not have any metal exposed. However after about 5 or 6 burns the knot gets eaten though and you have to rewrap. It's not really a design for eating. Because the fireball is about 2 inches from my hand. But it's sweet for liquid dancing and throwing some trailing in with it.P.S Careful with the stomach trailing. "Ouchie" And I also shaved my arms only to find it's much better to trail on the underside. Pulling a flaming torch over razor burned skin hurts.------------------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 MorrisonMost Memerable crowd saying "Hey look that dude's gonna set himself on fire again!"[This message has been edited by Knagi (edited 05 September 2001).]

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: 18th Sep 2001
OK, I'm still working on this... I haven't been able to find gauze without polyester. Can I use rolled cotton? Doesn't cheesecloth have polyester in it also? Everything that I've tried has shriveled and given off toxic "burning plastic" smell.I'd still like to do disposable, non-kevlar ones like Pele was suggesting but I'm having the darndest time finding something to use.Pele, do you use polyester gauze and I should just shut up and stop being a baby?

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 18th Sep 2001
Hmm Well, I've searched under Firetrailing, I've searched under Trail.I've searched under TrailingAnd I've searched in the mail.I've tried in the moves and all the other threads...Yes I've looked and I've looked,Even under my bed!I cannot oh cannot,(and this makes me start wailing)find out what the hell is this thing "firetrailing"...[little help here guys?) ------------------Charles (INFERNO)newdolbel@hotmail.comhttps://juggling.co.nz

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Posted: 19th Sep 2001
OK, I'm a dumbass. I've been searching all over the city because I didn't want to waist my precious kevlar. Then it hit me. It's a buck-fidy a foot and I only need a foot. So I went ahead and made a nice $1.50 wick. Next time, someone just smack me. P.S. My new toy is working very well so far.Ah, and Charles, Trailing is using a wick and dragging it across your skin so that the fuel burns off a fraction of a second later and looks like you're on fire. Rumor has it, it works well with white gas (coleman fuel) but I'd never say that to avoid litigation.Extremely effective way of removing unwanted body hair.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 19th Sep 2001
NYC..stop yer damn whining! Actually cheesecloth doesn't usually have polyester in it. I get mine at the grocery store, but you can also find it a craft stores. And....I actually like using cheesecloth for trailing better than kevlar as it "gives up" the fuel easier. My theory is, if Kevlar, or anything else works for you then yay! Charles, more specifically trailing is the same as a wipe and light in fire eating except you saturate a torch with fuel, light the torch and you "rub" the burning excess fuel onto your skin (preferably shaved NYC...makes things easier and less smelly!) to create a long burning trail on your flesh instead of a trail of fuel that then gets ignited as with the wipe and light of eating. You can also do what is called pooling, this is where you deposit a small puddle of the burning fuel into your palm or on your tongue and allow it to burn. White gas works best because it burns out doesn't absorb as readily into the skin as kero will. Because of it's lower flashpoint it also remains lit a bit longer but burns completely out once the fuel is gone. Let me tell you, getting a line of flame down your entire arm is really a way to make heads turn! If it burns longer than you are comfortable with, simply wipe your hand over it and it will go out. Be forewarned (not just you Charles but anyone) it is very easy to get burned badly with this. Too much fuel (of a drippy nature) can cause flaming streams down your body (not comfortable), and the fuel **will** absorb through your skin, so there is still the toxin issue.Much love and happy "trails"! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 20th Sep 2001
Ahhh, sounds just as bad as the flame-transfer thing that I decided not to do coz of the toxicity and 'burn-factor'.Sounds really cool to watch. I think this fire-eater I saw once tried to do it, he ran a lit torch down his arm really quickly and seemed dissappointed that noone was impressed. Now i understand that if it worked, there would have been trail of fire running down his forearm .Hmm, there seems to be lots of different reasons for me to use whitegas, but I'm still scared of it... Probably just stick to K & Pegasol 440.------------------Charles (INFERNO)newdolbel@hotmail.comhttps://juggling.co.nz

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Posted: 19th Sep 2001
To tell you the truth Charles, I only use white gas for two things....trailing and a fire eating illusion I do, neither of which work well with any other fuel. Other than that I really don't like it to spin with or anything else for that matter. But it all comes down to personal preference. I have heard amazing things on Pegasol and Shelsol but alas...they are not available here. I actually have an array of fuels, Lamp Oil, Kero, White Gas, High Proof Rum (For a **real** fire eating thing) and rubbing alcohol. Each one has their own place in my shows.NYC....have you taken up trailing as well or are you still experimenting with fire eating?I forgot to mention that my trailing wicks are the same as my breathing wicks and the eating wicks are a bit smaller. The reason for the difference is, more fuel for trailing and more lit surface area for breathing. (Just wanted to keep to topic )Anyway, gotta pack, and add things to the list before I forget (again ).Hugs------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 20th Sep 2001
Trailing, eating, whatever. My TV was out for the last few days (WTC) so I had to do SOMETHING right? Might as well light oneself on fire...My kevlar wicks work great. I did one with 1 foot and one with six inches (2 inch width). Not sure which one I like better right now.What do you use rubbing alcohol for? That stuff sucks!

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 11th Oct 2001
ok, i finally got around to experimenting with trailing last night (i've been thinking about it for a while now, i just saw an old board question on the topic that i had written two years ago! i guess it takes a while for me to get mentally prepared to do such an act...) any way i had some mixed results... all of it was a fun rush but i encountered some prbblems/what the hell am i doing?! situations. first i reliesed how silly i am for deciding to do this now that i am living in the middle of now where instead of starting this in seattle where there are a ton of fire folks who know this and could help me out. after i got over that reliesation i decided to give it a cautious try. the first issue that i had was creating a trail of flame, is there any advice on the length of time that you soak the torch and weither or not you shake it out or squeeze it out or do nothing at all and just have a really moist wick? i started with shake it out but i couldn't get to the last option-not to shake at all- because by then all the oil in my skin had dryed out and i was approaching a more likely to burn threshold. was i simply not pressing the wick to my skin hard enough? also is it normal for the fire transfer window of opportunity to only last about 20 seconds? i didn't soak my wicks for very long so that might have had something to do with it. i was using white gas for this but is rubbing alchohol better to use? about four year ago i had an intro circus lesson with the alchol and it seemed to be much easier, i didn't use wicks though, i just did things like stick my fingers in a flaming bowl of alchohol and run designs on my arms. ok, the very last finally for the evening was that i let my friend z play with the torch for a little while. he was swinging it around and having a fun time but i guess he swung it a little too hard cuz the wick head shot off of it and went flying into a flood ditch about 50 ft away. i was like holy shit! luckily it rains alot here (rainest town in america)so it didn't catch anything on fire but i guess i messed up with the design somewhere in there. i did the take scuffed up wire and dip in glue and wrap with glue covered towl bit like suggested, what did i do wrong? should i just stick to stips of fabric tied in a fireeaters knot? this was really fun but any advice on perfecting a transfer adventure? -melissa

Posted: 11th Oct 2001
Push hard and pull fast. I just got the chance to met with someone else who enjoys trailing and I had no clue I was that nuts about doing it. He used very small torches for breathing and wiped them on his arms for effect very small almost non-exsitiant flames. Then just to work my way back over my paranoia of white gas I had at it once more. Grabbed one of my short ass torches dipped in white gas waved my arm at the ground really hard and fast to get excess fuel off them. Pushed the 1in thick lit wick into my wrist and pulled it up to my bicip. Almost as hard as I could the result... Hair singed on the other side of my arm and the flames came up a good 3 or 4inches from my skin. I've revised the design of my torches so they are now *closer* to my hands. I don't think I can get the flames any closer without burning myself as it is now if you hold them still they will burn you even if you have you hands straite up. I wanna work on doing double arm trails but can't figure out how to bend my arms into each other. The way I wrap my shop towels is perfected aswell. I had the same problem as you did. One of my wicks flew off while I was messin around. It lucky didn't hit anything and harmlessly landed on a nearby path. To fix this problem I bent the ends of the wire back towards me into a U. Now I tie the shop towels in a knot on the inside of the U making sure to leave about 4 inches hanging loose. Then wrap around the knot leaveing the 4in hanging down. then when it's all wrapped up I bring the 4in of excess up and wrap it around the end to make it go in the other direction then tie severel knots around the base of the wick to hold it in place. I get about 8 or 9 burns on them now befor the flames eat though the knots I wonder if adding glue to the mix would get me more burns?It's also a good idea to start off small with the trailing. Then as you get more used to it push harder to get more fuel out of the wicks. My arms are quite used to it now and have a large degree of resistance to the heat. When I started I sat and did small trails on both arms my hands and finger tips for like 3 or 4 hours strait just sitting there temping fate as everyone said :P It also seems like you only get about or less then 1 minuite to do the trails with befor the fire burns the aviable fuel off.------------------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 MorrisonMost Memerable crowd saying "Hey look that dude's gonna set himself on fire again!"

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: 15th Nov 2001
i am plotting new ideas....ah hah ha ha!i just found out that my school is having a body painting contest as part of the half time event. our school mascot (boy do i love this... ) is a vulcan, no not spock, i'm talking about the fire diety fello. hmmmm.... school spirit associated with fire + body painting = Flaming body paint! aka fire transfer. YAY! that's my kind of moral booster!ok, so now i've got this great idea in my head but i need a bit more advice on transfering before i can feel 100% comfortable performing. Ok, so far i've got a bit more of an idea the do's and don'ts of building the torch. I've done a little transfer so i have an idea but i need to make sure that i've got the process down (now correct me on the route of technique) ok, is it something like this:1) use whitegas as the prefered fuel, rubbing alchohol as secondary choice (does it make a difference what kind?...)2) dip torch and soak for a few minutes3) remove torch and _____ (Ok here is where i am a little more confused, when i shook it out there didn't seem to be enough fuel to do a good transfer, i did it with out shaking and that worked better but i heard that that's a no no) is it better to sqeeze out the fuel? advice?4) push torch against skin and drag at an even pressure rate quickly enough not to have to torch linger on any one spot for more than about five seconds but long enough to press the fuel off. 5) with spare hand extinguish flame by pressing hand against base of the fire and dragging so air is blocked. do this when it goes past the "gee this is warm and kind of odd to the ouch i think things just got a lot hotter" phasenow would folks advice "misting" their arms with water before transfer or does that matter? (i tried both but i forgot...)is alcholol the only fuel that is safe to "dip" your fingers into when the bowl is on fire so that you can "lift" the flame out of the bowl?any other advice on what to do? i reliese that practice makes near perfect but I just want to get the mental process down flat before experimenting too much on my skin. fire transfer was so much fun when i did it before i just want to avoid stupid mistakes. oh man am I stoked to do fire for this event!

Posted: 15th Nov 2001
Melissa...What an excellent opportunity for you!!! YAY!Alright, first of all let me apologise for not explaining to hook the end of the torch. I think that was one of those steps that I take for granted (And yes Knagi, you can get about 5 more burns out of a glued wick).Now that you have that down...to squeeze off the excess fuel removes too much. One quick snap downward or I tap the torch once against my container to get rid of alot of extra fuel after soaking for a few minutes. I don't shake it alot, nor do I tap it alot. Just once.Put it out if you can't stand the heat before the fuel burns itself out. I have actually never had to do this but it is good to learn.Don't use rubbing alcohol for this. The flame is not impressive enough for it (I use rubbing alcohol to light money on fire). Any brand of white gas should be fine though.I wouldn't advise misting at all..heat + water = painful steam. If you feel you need something to protect you...something with a waxy base can be used as a barrier cream. I use a ton of lotion on my body about an hour before so that it has time to soak in. This helps keep to much fuel from soaking into my skin and it keeps my skin from drying out.I've only done the fingertip thing with Lamp Oil and alcohol, and thenI didn't have the bowl flaming first, I dipped my finger in it and then lit it off a candle. (Word to the wise here....fingernails actually smoulder, and nail polishis flammable...not a good accessory choice for this trick! I burned my fingertip once this way).Your window of opportunity is very small where trailing is concerned. The fuel burns off quickly and white gas evaporates too.If you want to do something of a prolonged type show (say two minutes)...have someone with you that knows what to do, not only as a safety but also as far as prepping the torches. Have them tap one for you and hand it to you, light it off the one you have that has burned down and give the safety the old one to extinguish. Do this with about 6 torches and you can put on a nice little show.When practicing start slow and small and work your way up. I started with pooling, then on the back of my arm and then on up....Best of luck to you!Let us know how the contest goes for you!If you need anything else or if I didn't make things clear email me! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 15th Nov 2001
At first I thought you were doing this at a High School event and I was all ready to scream but then I figured (hopefully) that you're in college...I don't think you need to spin out/squeeze trailing wicks. I may be alone on this and y'all can bite my head off but as long as you're not going to spin it, I just let it drip off...In my opinion, trailing works well with eating. First, when the flames are higher and fuel is fresh, you can play trailing tricks. Then, when the flames die down, you can eat and stuff... works for me. Unfortunately, you've got to put showmanship into it or it doesn't read. And that takes effort and imagination stuff... I haven't tried pooling... what's the deal with that? I don't even think I saw you do that P... How am I supposed to steal all of your tricks if you won't show them to me?

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 15th Nov 2001
yep, i'm a senior in college. right now i am on exchange to the university of hawaii in hilo but my home college is western washington university/fairhaven college. actually at my old school i formed a fire performers club that was sponsored by the university. i have thought about taking up fire eating again (i learned when i was much younger...)but i wasn't as fond of it in comparison to other fire acts. maybe i should give that a try again...

Posted: 15th Nov 2001
Pele,One question for you...I followed your torch making instructions(should be on a webpage somewhere!!!), however only one thing was not clear. I used a brush, as you said, to glue the glue onto the wicking as I was wrapping it. I glued once every three rotations, but on the third rotation, I completely covered the entire wicking with glue. Is this what you did? If not, could you describe in what amount you put the glue on the wick?CRD

-=ÇrazyRaverÐude=-

Posted: 15th Nov 2001
You got it CRD. By the time I am done gluing mine it actually oozes through the cloth when I wrap it. Then I balance it on the top of something with the wick head hanging off so that it can dry without sticking! (That was a lesson I learned the hard way..didn't even think about it and ended up peeling my torch off a plate! )Now, NYC if I gave away all my secrets, no one would pay to see me would they? You would all be off doing it!CRD....maybe I will put the torch creation in my FAQ guide for close proximity fire. I am nearly done! I know, I know, finally! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
Sounds like a good idea. :P I tried the same method to make a set of poi heads. I must say that they don't burn anywhere near as long as my kevlar. :P However the shorter burn time is good for when you are worn out. (: I also found that by making really large ones they are the perfect practice weight. (and they dont hurt all that much when you hit yourself)CRD

-=ÇrazyRaverÐude=-

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
Hello,When we wanted to learn this technique we invited a member of the S&M community who had been doing fire play for over 10 years...It was an enlightening and interesting experience to say the least.....Her wick had the twisted wire metal base, and for the wick she used 100% cotton balls (about 4) with a sugical 100% cotton finger cot over the top of it tied off at the bottom with sewing thread. No exposed metal what-so-ever on the wick head.We have used this ever since and had outstanding results.We use 90% rubbing alcohal.. The advantages for us are that we can have a bowl of this stuff burning in front of us and dip right into it. The term we used for placeing the fuel on our skin is depositing. When you use the cotton wick you dip, tap and deposit firmly....You can also deposit the fuel first on your skin and then light it up..this is nice if you are doing any transfer work on the back..you can do a nice swirly pattern and then lite it up..it is really very sensual and dramatic.... If you use this technique ..do not leave the torch soaking in the burning alcohal.In my own experience If you are starting out..I would caution against white gas...Melissa, I live in Seattle and would be happy to walk you through a transfer workshop and torch making...Another option for more experienced artists is lighter fluid and a kevlar wick torch....With this you can hold the flame in your mouth ...gather vapor..take the flame out and with the remaning in your mouth exhale and blow a little flame out of your mouth.If you are having difficulties lighting on your skin ..you can wear 100% cotton , black prefferable, long sleeve shirt..The benefits are...The flame shows up brightly against the black...Never a problem with catching... Just remeber that the stroke is a firm about 5 second swipe and then followed by a swipe of a thumb of hand at the base to put it out....When working with partners (as we usually do with this) make sure to watch at all times where you are depositing the fluid....Donia LoveIgnis Devoco Industrial Fire Circuswww.ignisdevoco.com"Where ther is sorrow, I seek the flame."Rumi

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
Donia, the white gas fuel we use and lighter fluid are the same thing....Naphtha fluid. (please see the thread Charles started about white gas). Purchasing a gallon can of Coleman camp fuel is cheaper then a pocket tin of Zippo or Ronsonal.Therefore advising against one but suggesting the other is confusing. I thought I would let you know.For anyone who wants to sew the head of their wick, please be aware that most thread is not pure cotton but polyester or a blend. Read the label on the top before you purchase it. The best thread I found to use, and the most sturdy, is 6 string embroidery thread. I used to sew my wicks (towel wicks and torch wicks) as well and found the white glue method to be more efficient and hold better. I use flaming cotton balls for another trick I do but find the amount they shrink when they absorb fuel is not for me. I also found with the cotton ball heads that you do not get as many burns as you do with the gauze/glue method and end up replacing them more often (which my very first design was based off of Mephisto's suggestion. He has been using this style for nearly 30 years). I thank you for posting other options.Gathering the vapor in your mouth is referred to professionally as a Dragon Breath. Because of the lighter fluid/camp fuel thing, it can be accomplished using white gas as well. However it shouldn't be attempted until you are comfortable with fire eating in general.Donia, a bowl of flaming white gas can be left on stage just as easily as rubbing alcohol, in fact the flames are higher, more robust in nature and more richly colored. In fact for one of my fire eating tricks, I carry a teacup of flaming white gas around in my hand.In addition to her trailing on a cotton shirt (please make certain it is heavy cotton), this is also very effective on leather. Flames also are accented by the colors blue and purple, or other "cool" colors.In using the fuel first then light the skin approach (painting), there are things to be wary of....do not use and excessive amount of fuel to "draw" the design (a point tipped paint brush can be used for this) because you will have the fuel dripping off your flesh...not only ruining yor design but also you will have streams of fire along your flesh. About an hour before you apply the fuel, apply several layers of a good body lotion and work it into your skin well, such as Baby Magic by Johnson and Johnson or Silicone Glove by Avon. These help to reduce the amount of fuel absorbtion into your skin. Also it helps to keep skin moisturized as this type of art can be drying to the flesh.Also it is not always necessary to wipe the flame out. It is possible to let it burn (in fact I have never wiped a flame out and haven't been burned). It depends on what your personal tolerance is.NYC...since I know you are going to ask....Trailing is the dragging of a lit wick along the skin to leave a flaming trail of fuel on the flesh.Pooling is the condensed deposit of excess fuel from a lit wick onto a body part, most commonly the tongue or the palm.Painting is to draw a design on the flesh with fuel and then light.Dragon's Breath is the collection of flaming fumes in the mouth (by a slight suck motion, without an inhale) and then releasing them back out (almost like doing smoke rings, which is where this trick originated from).A Finger Dip is to either dip the fingertips into lit fuel or dip them in fuel and then light them. (note: don not attempt this with long, fake or polished nails)Happy trails all! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
Oh, my bad. Then I already pool. (I had envisioned ulit pools of fuel which are then lit... probably a bad idea.)Can you "paint" with whitegas? Sounds cool! Any tips? Do you paint in your show?Do you have an email promo list that you can put me on? I'd love to see where you're performing when. One of these days I'll even make it out to see you, really...

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
NYC...yes you can paint with white gas...but take it slow and cautious until you get used to it as white gas goes up sooooo fast, as you already know. Have that hand ready to put it out!My Ren costume doesn't allow for me to paint but I have been experimenting for my "other" shows.Yes, I will put you on the promo list.I will most likely be performing at the NJ Ren Faire in the spring...will that be close enough for you? I know you were talking about taking a vacation to a warm spot in winter time..I will be at the Marathon Ren Faire in Florida over MLJ Weekend in January. Maybe, if you actually show to one of my things (or if I ever get anywhere close to you again) we can give an evening encore show together baby!!! ------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

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

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
thanks for the tips. one last question, can you do finger dips into a bowl of flaming white gas? i've done that with alcohol which was quite fun but i don't have the impression that i could safely do that with white gas (i may be wrong...) the fuel painting is enjoyable, i experiemented with that during one of my first attempts after my wick went flying off into a drainage ditch. i built some new wicks yesterday so hopefully i will be able to experiment again soon.

Posted: 16th Nov 2001
Sounds great Pele. Where in NJ is the Faire? Bah, don't get me all excited. Let me know when it's official and I'll start making plans... And, who the heck is MLJ?

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]