Forums > Help! > length of burns
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Running hippy spinning lemming
15 posts
Location: Scotland
Running hippy spinning lemming
15 posts
Location: Scotland
Posted:
Hi all again,
I'm quite new to using fire, but loving it so much...
was hoping you could tell me how long your kevlar burns for,
cos my poi always seem to go out so quick, i was wondering could i be soaking them wrong or something...
anyway, hope you can help,
take care of yourselves
Hi all again,
I'm quite new to using fire, but loving it so much...
was hoping you could tell me how long your kevlar burns for,
cos my poi always seem to go out so quick, i was wondering could i be soaking them wrong or something...
anyway, hope you can help,
take care of yourselves
Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering...
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Posted:
Length of burn depends on the proportion of the volume of your wick to the surface area.
A large surface area gives a bigger flame cos there's more exposed burning area.
A large volume gives a longer burn cos the wicks holding more fuel (I'm assuming you're using paraffin- meths will give a weaker flame).
One consequence of this is that wicks with a metal tube core won't burn as long as a wick with no tube core, cos tube core wicks won't hold as much fuel.
Another is that 'cathedral' wicks will burn brighter than cylindrical ones (assuming the same amount of wick in each) as the cathedrals will have a greater surface area in proportion to their volume.
Practically speaking, if you want to have a longer burn time then ensure you're using paraffin and look at how much kevlar makes up your wicks; if there's not much then redo them with more kevlar.
Length of burn depends on the proportion of the volume of your wick to the surface area.
A large surface area gives a bigger flame cos there's more exposed burning area.
A large volume gives a longer burn cos the wicks holding more fuel (I'm assuming you're using paraffin- meths will give a weaker flame).
One consequence of this is that wicks with a metal tube core won't burn as long as a wick with no tube core, cos tube core wicks won't hold as much fuel.
Another is that 'cathedral' wicks will burn brighter than cylindrical ones (assuming the same amount of wick in each) as the cathedrals will have a greater surface area in proportion to their volume.
Practically speaking, if you want to have a longer burn time then ensure you're using paraffin and look at how much kevlar makes up your wicks; if there's not much then redo them with more kevlar.
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
110% MONKEY EVERY TIME ALL THE TIME JUST CANT STOP THE MONKEY
3,149 posts
Location: London
3,149 posts
Location: London
Posted:
*DISCLAIMER*
the following post is based on anecdotal 'old-wives-tale' knowledge and may be inaccurate
Burn time also gets shorter as your wicks get older and degrade.
This degradation is increased by wicks getting wet, or being left to smoulder after burns.
The tubecore wicks on my first staff lasted about 5 minutes when new, but after much abuse (and being accidentally left in the rain) hardly lasted a minute.
*DISCLAIMER*
the following post is based on anecdotal 'old-wives-tale' knowledge and may be inaccurate
Burn time also gets shorter as your wicks get older and degrade.
This degradation is increased by wicks getting wet, or being left to smoulder after burns.
The tubecore wicks on my first staff lasted about 5 minutes when new, but after much abuse (and being accidentally left in the rain) hardly lasted a minute.
"Switching between different kinds of chuu chuu sometimes gives this "urgh wtf?" effect because it's giving people the phi phenomenon."
member
19 posts
Location: Tucson AZ
19 posts
Location: Tucson AZ
Posted:
Towel wicks burn longer :-) I can get a good 15-20 min out of a towel wick on the virgin burn..... the punkys don't burn as long though.
Towel wicks burn longer :-) I can get a good 15-20 min out of a towel wick on the virgin burn..... the punkys don't burn as long though.
GiGi-D L'Amour
If you can't be normal make everyone else wish they weren't
member
108 posts
Location: Oakland, CA
108 posts
Location: Oakland, CA
Posted:
i just bought some monkey fists from malcom and switched to paraffin from kero ... holy cow ... i got tired before my wicks went out. (partially because they are heavier too) ... must have been a 6 minute (minimum) burn.
i just bought some monkey fists from malcom and switched to paraffin from kero ... holy cow ... i got tired before my wicks went out. (partially because they are heavier too) ... must have been a 6 minute (minimum) burn.
member
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa
212 posts
Location: tampa fl usa
Posted:
Onewheeldave
All that stuff you said sounds real cool but I have found through testing not of it is true. burn times will depend on your fuel.with white gas I tested tube wicks with 2ft and 4ft wicks and cathedral wicks with the same amounts of wick.Mo matter how i added it up burn time ran aprox 2.5 mins on all wicks. I then switched to 50% white gas and 50% lampoil that added about 1 min to all of the burn times for every wick.then I tried pure lamp oil and got inbetween 4.5 to 5 mins per burn.
I wlll agree a used wick wont hold as much fuel and will produce shorter burn times
but they are so small you would hardly notice.
One the fans I make i use 8 inchs of wick and get 2.5 min burn times with white gas.
so more doesnt mean longer even though it sounds like it should.
I didnt test any kero cause i refuse to use the nasty smelling stuff.
This is what I have found through my experiance
Onewheeldave
All that stuff you said sounds real cool but I have found through testing not of it is true. burn times will depend on your fuel.with white gas I tested tube wicks with 2ft and 4ft wicks and cathedral wicks with the same amounts of wick.Mo matter how i added it up burn time ran aprox 2.5 mins on all wicks. I then switched to 50% white gas and 50% lampoil that added about 1 min to all of the burn times for every wick.then I tried pure lamp oil and got inbetween 4.5 to 5 mins per burn.
I wlll agree a used wick wont hold as much fuel and will produce shorter burn times
but they are so small you would hardly notice.
One the fans I make i use 8 inchs of wick and get 2.5 min burn times with white gas.
so more doesnt mean longer even though it sounds like it should.
I didnt test any kero cause i refuse to use the nasty smelling stuff.
This is what I have found through my experiance
I have been cursed with the imagination to envision it all
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Posted:
I was assuming paraffin fuel cos it's what I use and its pretty much the safest fuel to use.
I'm not sure why adding extra wick din't improve your burn times, maybe it doesn't apply so much to larger wicks?
I've found that many of the beginners who complain about the short burn times they're getting have bought fire poi with tube core wicks and a very small amount of kevlar.
In that situation the short burn time is due to insufficient kevlar and can be rectified by using more wick.
Quote:
Onewheeldave
All that stuff you said sounds real cool but I have found through testing not of it is true. burn times will depend on your fuel.with white gas I tested tube wicks with 2ft and 4ft wicks and cathedral wicks with the same amounts of wick.Mo matter how i added it up burn time ran aprox 2.5 mins on all wicks. I then switched to 50% white gas and 50% lampoil that added about 1 min to all of the burn times for every wick.then I tried pure lamp oil and got inbetween 4.5 to 5 mins per burn.
I wlll agree a used wick wont hold as much fuel and will produce shorter burn times
but they are so small you would hardly notice.
One the fans I make i use 8 inchs of wick and get 2.5 min burn times with white gas.
so more doesnt mean longer even though it sounds like it should.
I didnt test any kero cause i refuse to use the nasty smelling stuff.
This is what I have found through my experiance
I was assuming paraffin fuel cos it's what I use and its pretty much the safest fuel to use.
I'm not sure why adding extra wick din't improve your burn times, maybe it doesn't apply so much to larger wicks?
I've found that many of the beginners who complain about the short burn times they're getting have bought fire poi with tube core wicks and a very small amount of kevlar.
In that situation the short burn time is due to insufficient kevlar and can be rectified by using more wick.
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
BRONZE Member
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia
Beginner
282 posts
Location: Beyond Time, South of Melbourne, Australia
Posted:
How fast you twirl also has a lot to do with how long a 'burn' lasts
Faster spinning = shorter 'burn' time
and vice versa
How fast you twirl also has a lot to do with how long a 'burn' lasts
Faster spinning = shorter 'burn' time
and vice versa
So much fire, so little body hair...
SILVER Member
newbie
29 posts
Location: currently New Zealand
newbie
29 posts
Location: currently New Zealand
Posted:
I had the very same problem when using paraffin, apparently lamp oil 'iz da best'. I've still gotta try it out with my wolf's revenge... kinda scared of them tho!
I had the very same problem when using paraffin, apparently lamp oil 'iz da best'. I've still gotta try it out with my wolf's revenge... kinda scared of them tho!
BRONZE Member
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
Posted:
Adam Rice conducted tests with tube core and cathedral wicks containing the same amount of wicking, and his results showed that with an EQUAL amount of wicking, the cathedrals burned significantly longer than the tube core. So while that doesn't prove or disprove how the AMOUNT of wicking affects burn time, it most definately shows the cathdral design to have an inherently better burn time than the tube core.
Some personal anecdotal evidence to back this up...
I saw a friend of mine spin with the 2.5 tubecore's from HOP, and his burn time was extremely short, and the flame was puny. I believe he was using lamp oil. A few months later, I was spinning at a party, and he showed up, so I let him twirl with my Adam Rice cathedrals. He was so surprised at how long the burn was and how big the flame was.
I'd like to try a set of cathedrals from HOP and see how they stack up against the Adam Rice wicks. I'm sure they're about the same... One would think anyways.
In answer to the original question, I would say make sure you're using lamp oil before deciding your equipment is to blame, if you still get insufficient burns, then maybe changing your wick design would be in order.
Adam Rice conducted tests with tube core and cathedral wicks containing the same amount of wicking, and his results showed that with an EQUAL amount of wicking, the cathedrals burned significantly longer than the tube core. So while that doesn't prove or disprove how the AMOUNT of wicking affects burn time, it most definately shows the cathdral design to have an inherently better burn time than the tube core.
Some personal anecdotal evidence to back this up...
I saw a friend of mine spin with the 2.5 tubecore's from HOP, and his burn time was extremely short, and the flame was puny. I believe he was using lamp oil. A few months later, I was spinning at a party, and he showed up, so I let him twirl with my Adam Rice cathedrals. He was so surprised at how long the burn was and how big the flame was.
I'd like to try a set of cathedrals from HOP and see how they stack up against the Adam Rice wicks. I'm sure they're about the same... One would think anyways.
In answer to the original question, I would say make sure you're using lamp oil before deciding your equipment is to blame, if you still get insufficient burns, then maybe changing your wick design would be in order.
"We can't stop here! This is bat country!"
"Welcome to the U-S-A,
We'll treat you right, unless you're black or gay, or Cherokeeeeee!!"
-Brian Griffin from "Family Guy" (the dog)
SILVER Member
slack rating - 9.5
2,216 posts
Location: Suburbiton, Yoo-Kay, United Kingdom
slack rating - 9.5
2,216 posts
Location: Suburbiton, Yoo-Kay, United Kingdom
Posted:
yeah.. the cathedrals last longer than the cylinders but i think i'd agree with kristieEB that monkey fista are great!! they feel a lot nicer than cathedrals and when i've used them they burn forever...
i've also been told that you need to soak new wicks for at least 24hrs before using them, and when you first light them allow them to burn for a bit before putting them out and re-soaking them. or leave the soaked wicks out in the sun or something.... i don't know how true any of this is but i always give mine a good pre-soak!
to help wicks last longer origionalsmit reckons you should use PVA on the frayed edges...
finally, my gran says if you spill red wine on your clothes, soak them in white to keep them from staining...
yeah.. the cathedrals last longer than the cylinders but i think i'd agree with kristieEB that monkey fista are great!! they feel a lot nicer than cathedrals and when i've used them they burn forever...
i've also been told that you need to soak new wicks for at least 24hrs before using them, and when you first light them allow them to burn for a bit before putting them out and re-soaking them. or leave the soaked wicks out in the sun or something.... i don't know how true any of this is but i always give mine a good pre-soak!
to help wicks last longer origionalsmit reckons you should use PVA on the frayed edges...
finally, my gran says if you spill red wine on your clothes, soak them in white to keep them from staining...
It is our fantasies that make us real. Without our fantasies we're just a blank monkey' - Terry Pratchett
SILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia
Posted:
It's called curing your wicks, some of us do it, some don't. I would imagine if you did a search on curing or soaking you might be able to tap into those previous discussions....
Quote:
i've also been told that you need to soak new wicks for at least 24hrs before using them, and when you first light them allow them to burn for a bit before putting them out and re-soaking them. or leave the soaked wicks out in the sun or something.... i don't know how true any of this is but i always give mine a good pre-soak!
It's called curing your wicks, some of us do it, some don't. I would imagine if you did a search on curing or soaking you might be able to tap into those previous discussions....
BRONZE Member
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
member
186 posts
Location: Dallas, Tx, USA
Posted:
Yeah, I would like to give the monkey fists a try, just a little light on the spending cash at the moment.
Do the monkey fists have a bigger fire ball-ish flame than the cathedrals? I have heard that the monkey fists do burn longer.
I personally don't put much stock in all the pre-burn ritual stuff. Its just fabric that soaks up fuel, I don't see any way that letting it soak for a ridiculous amount of time will change anything. Nor do I see how lighting and putting out and resoaking will change anything. Letting them soak for a little longer might be required on a new wick just to allow it to absorb, but other than that, I think the curing process is kinda superfluous.
Yeah, I would like to give the monkey fists a try, just a little light on the spending cash at the moment.
Do the monkey fists have a bigger fire ball-ish flame than the cathedrals? I have heard that the monkey fists do burn longer.
I personally don't put much stock in all the pre-burn ritual stuff. Its just fabric that soaks up fuel, I don't see any way that letting it soak for a ridiculous amount of time will change anything. Nor do I see how lighting and putting out and resoaking will change anything. Letting them soak for a little longer might be required on a new wick just to allow it to absorb, but other than that, I think the curing process is kinda superfluous.
"We can't stop here! This is bat country!"
"Welcome to the U-S-A,
We'll treat you right, unless you're black or gay, or Cherokeeeeee!!"
-Brian Griffin from "Family Guy" (the dog)
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