Forums > Technical Discussion > Kapok fuel reservoirs in poi heads?

Login/Join to Participate

Melemelmember
114 posts
Location: South-west,UK


Posted:
Im looking to buy a new set of fire poi (mine were stolen), and ive seen on a site, think it was firetoys.com, that you can get heads with a 'kapok reservoir' in the centre of the head. It says it 'massively increases burn time'. has anyone had any experience of these? Sounds interesting...
Another query altogether - my friend was just given a set that seem to have a wooden core inside - when we lit them up for the first time, the wood went on burning long after the fuel had burnt out, which was a bit wierd. Does this seem like a design fault? It does to me..

Tomorrows World isnt on anymore...Does that mean its tomorrow now?


marcoenthusiast
328 posts
Location: uk


Posted:

I use kevlar core(s) in my poi and staff builds for centre reservoir(s) and yes it does dramatically increase burn times, I've experimented with kapok, but still prefer kevlar core(ing) personal pref(s) although kapok is holds slightly more fuel and thus heads constructed with these do burn slightly longer. On wooden cores, yes these will burn, I no longer use wodden cores in my designs, if you really must use wooden core(s) then you will need really hard wood(s), use a heat protective liner around the wood, heavy foil works well for this, and finally you need to be extiguishing the heads just before they run out of fuel and thus the wooden cores as well.

mark

pm me if you need specific info

Melemelmember
114 posts
Location: South-west,UK


Posted:
Ok thanks a lot marco. Those wooden cores did seem sketchy - we usually just spin out our flames - but we spun and spun til our arms nearly dropped off and the damn things were still alight! (they were a gift from a non-spinner however so she cant be complaining!) In future we will make sure theyre extinguished sooner. You say 'your' designs - i take it you make them yourself?

Tomorrows World isnt on anymore...Does that mean its tomorrow now?


stongsfireGOLD Member
member
53 posts
Location: Washington D.C.


Posted:
how does one go about building these centre reservoirs??

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?

Hot ashes for trees?

Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change?

And did you exchange a walk on part in the war

for a lead role in a cage?

--Pink Floyd


marcoenthusiast
328 posts
Location: uk


Posted:

I've been making all my own fire tools since starting with fire, most of them represent modfications (improvements) on comercial designs that I've come into contact with, mainly in build quality, I tend to over engineer everything I play with, also it alows me to explore a lot of differing combos with muti head stuff for just the cost of kevlar etc,

If your after specifics I'l post some detailed pics on my next build(s),

mark

animatEdBRONZE Member
1 + 1 = 3
3,540 posts
Location: Bristol UK


Posted:
I personally wouldn't bother with Kapok. I have a devilstick with it and the only difference it makes is that it needs a lot more spinning/burning off.

If you're after poi, try the monkey fists. very nice poi, and burn and last for ages biggrin

Empty your mind. Be formless, Shapeless, like Water.
Put Water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Water can flow, or it can Crash.
Be Water My Friend.


stongsfireGOLD Member
member
53 posts
Location: Washington D.C.


Posted:
Written by: marco



If your after specifics I'l post some detailed pics on my next build(s),






That would be awsome! Thanks Mark

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?

Hot ashes for trees?

Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change?

And did you exchange a walk on part in the war

for a lead role in a cage?

--Pink Floyd


quietanalytic
503 posts
Location: bristol


Posted:
i'm generally pretty sceptical of kapok heads

i've got a couple of staves which I built with a large amount of kevlar on each end (80cm x 10cm, roughly) and i'm now regretting it. they burn for ages, which - given that the staves are pretty heavy to begin with - just makes for hot staves, tired arms, etc

I've also found short burn times to be a bonus when there are people watching. it makes it easier not to be boring.

ture na sig


pjmember
277 posts
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Posted:
Yeah, but when there's a stage with limited room and a queue to spin, you want every burn to last as long as possible...

-p.

vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
only if you are a stage hog wink

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


pjmember
277 posts
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Posted:
Not necessarily. I generally don't prefer to spin on stage, but there are times when the music is really good and it's spin on stage or not at all. It's times like this when short-burning wicks are a real shitter.

-p.

Fine_Rabid_DogInternet Hate Machine
10,530 posts
Location: They seek him here, they seek him there...


Posted:
*bump*

I was just browsing through Oddballs and I came across a Kapok Staff.

Kapok clicky clicky

Written by: Oddballs.co.uk

These new staffs were developed in association with Oddballs to create a long burning fire staff. Kevlar will not soak up a lot of liquid meaning low burn times. Kapok absorbs 10 times as much as kevlar - you can see where we're going here! These fire staffs are based on an aluminium tube with a silicon hand grip and 330mm of 100mm kevlar wicking.




Is it worth getting d'ya think? Is the price (£45) reasonable?

Or shoul I just go with the 5' triple heads? biggrin

The existance of flamethrowers says that someone, somewhere, at sometime said "I need to set that thing on fire, but it's too far away."


yoniGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,099 posts
Location: Bideford and Bath, United Kingdom


Posted:
oooh they look nice i've wanted a kapok reservoirs for a while but haven't had the money, i've been told by some people who have them they are really good and last ages even from a really quick dip.

i'd say buy it (tho triple wicks are lovely)

UCOF "evolution: Poi -> stick -> hoops -> devil stick -> juggling club -> juggling ball -> crayons."

Supergroovalsticprosifunkstication
In other words, it's the thumps bump


i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Umm... how do these work in stalves?

Fine_Rabid_DogInternet Hate Machine
10,530 posts
Location: They seek him here, they seek him there...


Posted:
I'm assuming exactly the way poi kapok work?

The existance of flamethrowers says that someone, somewhere, at sometime said "I need to set that thing on fire, but it's too far away."


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
My understanding is that kapok can melt when mixed with petrochemical based solvents...

It's far more effective to use cotton wool, other similar threaded fabrics, making sure they arefully covered with a kevlar shell, just like the kapok versions. Going for all natural fibres also means if the kevlar shell wears or gets a whole, you don't start breathing in plastic fumes, which are pretty noxious stuff, just burnt cotton.

Does that make sense?

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?


Disc0annoying boy
160 posts
Location: Sweden


Posted:
have I misunderstood something? isn't kapok a "all natural fibre" scince it is taken from the kapok tree (also called silk-cotton tree). a drawback with it could be that it is highly flammable, so a hole in the kavlar could lead to the insides burning (?).

i don't really know much about kapok, but i read alot at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapok

fire is just light and heat.
it's you friend!



Similar Topics

Using the keywords [kapok fuel reservoir * poi head *] we found the following existing topics.

  1. Forums > Kapok fuel reservoirs in poi heads? [16 replies]

      Show more..

HOP Newsletter

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more...