Forums > Technical Discussion > the weight of a monkey fist

I am practicing making monkey fists with some 3/8" nylon rope, using the Flamma Aeterna method of putting a small fist inside a larger one, so that only one rope end needs to be trimmed.

The finished product is 2.5 inches in diameter, but it feels much lighter than my sock poi (same size with juggling balls).

So my question is about the weight of the kevlar rope. How much does one wick weigh, both dry and after soaking?

And out of curiosity, what are the dry and total weights for monkey fists with a wooden core (1.5")....and are there any other kind of cores to add weight?

ideas?

smilies?

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

I do get the feeling you are correct. I would be surprised. I am thinking that I am going to need to suck it up and just buy a pair of these wicks first so that I can compare the weights.

hate doing that, though. I love constructing things myself and I really want that " from-the-ground-up" connection with my first fire spin.

Does no one actually know the weight of your average HoP monkey wick?

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

Sorry, can't help with this one. Maybe ask George? They also do sell KevlaR/ wick, not just finished products (unless you want to make the wick yourself, too)... There is KevlaR and there is other stuff, some are good quality, some are substituted with glass fibres (different densities)... I guess that everybody and every manufacturer can only tell you the density and weight of her/ his own product...

Certainly you can use different woods in the core of a monkey fist (apart from different sizes and different materials like aluminium or even (hollow) steel, which could serve as an additional kero container) - all of this will affect the weight and qualities of the monkey fist.

Keep in mind that (when it comes to spinning) the correlation of head to chain is important. The quality and comfort of spinning is greatly affected by it.

Everybody has her/ his own preference - some like it hot, some like it hotter, some don't like heat at all (and use glowballs for that reason)... you will have to work out your own formula (or accommodate with what's available on the market)...

Might not have been of great help, huh?

Building firetoys has never been an easy equation

Good luck

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

from what I have researched and experimented with, the longer the chain is, the heavier you want the head to be to help the momentum of the swing in overcoming the drag of the chain itself.

Luckily Im not all that tall, so I was aiming at a set that was about 23 inches long. That means (I hope) that the fists themselves dont have to be the heaviest possible.

but dont knock yourself, FireTom. You were a help. I totally forgot about the variable mixtures that kevlar might be from one manufacturer to another.

I do actually want to build my own monkey wicks, but am getting impatient and may just have to purchase them. I only need the wicks though. I've already assembled the chains, swivels, and loops.

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

Eagles may soar but weasles don't get sucked into jet engines.

Telepath wanted, you know where to apply.

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

The nylon is definately lighter than kevlar. My bet is that you'll get more weight with just usign the correct rope. If you want to test it try tying the knot with different rope like hemp. If your idea is to buy a length of kevlar to make your own poi just go for it. Also try out a four strand monkey's fist knot if your using the three strand knot now. If your after just the poi heads Renegade juggling sells blaze balls, arguably the first monkey's fist poi heads on the market.

Good Luck
Cody

Cody Canon
Controlled Burn, Reno Nevada

Thanks, Cody.

Ive built a practice set using a heavier type rope and the 4-bight knot, so its definitely working out better than my original attempts. Its nice and heavy and works well on my chains.

I think now that I have the hang of making a decent monkey fist, I feel more comfortable in spending the money for kevlar rope to make my own. There is something more personal about having made them myself.

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow