Forums > Technical Discussion > Changing colour/color ?
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158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posted:
It was briefly mentioned in the re-fuelable staff thread but I thought id start a new tread to properly discuss it.I was thinking about the possibility of having a staff or poi that changed flame colour mid burn.The only possibility I could think of would be to have a re-fuelable staff as described by phuzzz but you would fill the centre bit with a fuel with a colorant and soak the end wick in normal fuel, the effect being that you would start with a normal flame which would slowly change into whatever colour.Had anyone else tried this or got any ideas?Thing that would be possible improvements would beSome sort of switch / button so you could trigger the changeMultiple changes i.e. normal -> red -> purple or whateverA more instant change (wouldn't always be preferable but would be good effect in some circumstances)
It was briefly mentioned in the re-fuelable staff thread but I thought id start a new tread to properly discuss it.I was thinking about the possibility of having a staff or poi that changed flame colour mid burn.The only possibility I could think of would be to have a re-fuelable staff as described by phuzzz but you would fill the centre bit with a fuel with a colorant and soak the end wick in normal fuel, the effect being that you would start with a normal flame which would slowly change into whatever colour.Had anyone else tried this or got any ideas?Thing that would be possible improvements would beSome sort of switch / button so you could trigger the changeMultiple changes i.e. normal -> red -> purple or whateverA more instant change (wouldn't always be preferable but would be good effect in some circumstances)
One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead men got up to fight,
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew there swords and Shot each other.
NYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA
Posted:
That's going to be very hard to do.The salts you need are quite permanent. Have you worked with them yet? You'll see what I mean, they aren't all that noticable or amazing.. they're kinda cool....If you dipped a lit staff into a jug of salt you might be able to change the color... but that's only if you are using soluable fuels...
That's going to be very hard to do.The salts you need are quite permanent. Have you worked with them yet? You'll see what I mean, they aren't all that noticable or amazing.. they're kinda cool....If you dipped a lit staff into a jug of salt you might be able to change the color... but that's only if you are using soluable fuels...
Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]
member
99 posts
Location: Northampton, UK
99 posts
Location: Northampton, UK
Posted:
Been thinking about thisa bit, but mainly in relation to poi.The centrafugal effect of spinning is enough to suck fuel up a pipe to the end of poi, but the problem is different for a staff.Mark P and I have tried out continuosly fed poi, the main problem is regualting the flow of fuel so that they don't go out when you are spinning slow, and don't spray fuel everywhere when spinning fast.The main problems I can see you having with a staff is keeping the separate colours appart _and_ cool. With poi you can just go one handed for a bit while pulling the pipes out of one container and sticking them in the next (untested so far).NYC I reccon some reasonable effects can be had from changing colours. While most of the colours themselves aren't that effective on their own, going from normal yellow -> green -> red -> blue -> purple should maximize the appreciation of the colours.However, most colouring chemicals work best in Meths, which is a little less safe than paraffin (IMHO)Have fun!Woody
Been thinking about thisa bit, but mainly in relation to poi.The centrafugal effect of spinning is enough to suck fuel up a pipe to the end of poi, but the problem is different for a staff.Mark P and I have tried out continuosly fed poi, the main problem is regualting the flow of fuel so that they don't go out when you are spinning slow, and don't spray fuel everywhere when spinning fast.The main problems I can see you having with a staff is keeping the separate colours appart _and_ cool. With poi you can just go one handed for a bit while pulling the pipes out of one container and sticking them in the next (untested so far).NYC I reccon some reasonable effects can be had from changing colours. While most of the colours themselves aren't that effective on their own, going from normal yellow -> green -> red -> blue -> purple should maximize the appreciation of the colours.However, most colouring chemicals work best in Meths, which is a little less safe than paraffin (IMHO)Have fun!Woody
Luv and Lemons.WoodyMrs Jaypher said, 'It's saferIf you've lemons in your head;First to eat, a pound of meat,And then to go at once to bed.
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member
29 posts
Location: Australia
member
29 posts
Location: Australia
Posted:
Morning all,the main problem with changing colour mid-burn is that you need to exhaust (see completely burn off) the metallic salts producing the first colour. If you don't (and I'm talking from experience), you'll end up with a multi-coloured flame (in my case green and red - not bad for a christmas theme). As NYC pointed out earlier, the salts are quite permanent. I've had coloured staffs (or is that staves?) and it takes a number of burns (around 10-20) before the flame is back to it's normal colour. Granted, it's possible that it's only because I used a saturated solution of a chemical that's highly soluble in meths - we're talking up to 80g/L as opposed to a couple of teaspoons.I know that when you make firecrackers, the changes in colour are due to the different chemicals used. However, these are packed in such a way as the different colour compounds do not mix. This way you achieve a clean colour change - no muddiness or contamination.Ajay, you mentioned in your post a switch/button to cause the colour change. I'm thinking along the lines of staffs (no pun intended) that it might work changing a non-coloured flame to a coloured flame. The button would release fuel stored in the staff (not a great safety incentive) to either end. If the fuel contained the metallic salt you should see a colour change. Now if we could get someone to engineer such a staff??... Seriously though, the safety issue of having fuel in a hollow staff needs to be thought through.Something to think about at any rate.Sabine
Morning all,the main problem with changing colour mid-burn is that you need to exhaust (see completely burn off) the metallic salts producing the first colour. If you don't (and I'm talking from experience), you'll end up with a multi-coloured flame (in my case green and red - not bad for a christmas theme). As NYC pointed out earlier, the salts are quite permanent. I've had coloured staffs (or is that staves?) and it takes a number of burns (around 10-20) before the flame is back to it's normal colour. Granted, it's possible that it's only because I used a saturated solution of a chemical that's highly soluble in meths - we're talking up to 80g/L as opposed to a couple of teaspoons.I know that when you make firecrackers, the changes in colour are due to the different chemicals used. However, these are packed in such a way as the different colour compounds do not mix. This way you achieve a clean colour change - no muddiness or contamination.Ajay, you mentioned in your post a switch/button to cause the colour change. I'm thinking along the lines of staffs (no pun intended) that it might work changing a non-coloured flame to a coloured flame. The button would release fuel stored in the staff (not a great safety incentive) to either end. If the fuel contained the metallic salt you should see a colour change. Now if we could get someone to engineer such a staff??... Seriously though, the safety issue of having fuel in a hollow staff needs to be thought through.Something to think about at any rate.Sabine
member
51 posts
Location: Sydney,Australia
51 posts
Location: Sydney,Australia
Posted:
I have been working on a design for a self fueling staff that may meet the needs of this idea.Check it out at "https://communities.ninemsn.com.au/PoiStaffandallthingsfirey/pictures"BTW how do I turn this cut and paste job into an active link?------------------The Sand...The Surf... The Flame.
I have been working on a design for a self fueling staff that may meet the needs of this idea.Check it out at "https://communities.ninemsn.com.au/PoiStaffandallthingsfirey/pictures"BTW how do I turn this cut and paste job into an active link?------------------The Sand...The Surf... The Flame.
The Sand...The Surf... The Flame.
member
158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posted:
likethis
look here to find out
likethis
look here to find out One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead men got up to fight,
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew there swords and Shot each other.
member
158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
158 posts
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posted:
a couple of things/ideashas anyone ever used some double wick poi with different colors on each wick?like sabine said, you could have a "refuelable staff" with normal fuel in with some sort of container filled with colourant salts, when you push a button it pierces the container.with obvious safty problems what about a glass capsule which would be broken?any ideas?i think the main problem with colour changing is the contamination problem, so i think the only possible change would be normal flame to coloured.
a couple of things/ideashas anyone ever used some double wick poi with different colors on each wick?like sabine said, you could have a "refuelable staff" with normal fuel in with some sort of container filled with colourant salts, when you push a button it pierces the container.with obvious safty problems what about a glass capsule which would be broken?any ideas?i think the main problem with colour changing is the contamination problem, so i think the only possible change would be normal flame to coloured.
One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead men got up to fight,
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew there swords and Shot each other.
member
160 posts
Location: saltspring island, bc , kanada
160 posts
Location: saltspring island, bc , kanada
Posted:
We'll see you all at the international fire thingy 2003 right??? moooahaahaha...
We'll see you all at the international fire thingy 2003 right??? moooahaahaha...
member
79 posts
Location: SA, TX, USA
79 posts
Location: SA, TX, USA
Posted:
ohh ohh.. heheh i twirled with vertigo and vortex down in mexico this week and during irene's set i grabbed a set of green flaming poi and a set of regular colored poi and went at it.. got tired though.. had to ditch regular color to finish set...some harsh fumes with boric acidwulff
ohh ohh.. heheh i twirled with vertigo and vortex down in mexico this week and during irene's set i grabbed a set of green flaming poi and a set of regular colored poi and went at it.. got tired though.. had to ditch regular color to finish set...some harsh fumes with boric acidwulff
wulff
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