Forums > Help! > Fire spinning: the practical side

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thepillowBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
Dear All,there is a stunning body of information on fire safety on homeofpoi. However, what i haven't been able to find is just a step by step practical guide that will lead me through the actual process. Because i don't have any experience and the things i just need to know are:
How long should i soak my wicks? (I have cathedrals)
How long should i leave them to drain after soaking?
Any other practical tips?
Thx!

RicheeBRONZE Member
HOP librarian
1,841 posts
Location: Prague, Czech. Republic


Posted:
Hi Pillow,

I've just found fire safety from Eric Bagai,

check the [Old link] library.

love and light,

:R

hug
EDITED_BY: Richee (1230997652)
EDIT_REASON: Safety

POI THEO(R)IST


MuckySILVER Member
Rum-Swilling Combustioneer
227 posts
Location: Macungie, PA, USA


Posted:
You can use the HoP search function as well to seek out specific terms, although this is only helpful if you know what you're looking up. The Articles section here at HoP has a number of helpful tutorials to get you started as well.

As far as soaking time, the first time you soak may take a little while longer than it will afterwards, but I generally dip the wick entirely into fuel (but not any further, so excess fuel doesn't collect on non-wick parts) and wait a couple seconds after air bubbles stop emerging. It only takes about 30 seconds per wick. As for draining - draining will leave you with a lot of excess fuel that can present extra hazards; for poi, use a spin off container and spin for about 30 seconds, until no more fuel is coming from the wick - you can add the excess fuel back to your container to reuse. For a staff, since spinning off is impractical, use an absorbent cloth (*not* the one you will be using to extinguish your wicks) to dab off excess fuel. You don't have to squeeze it, but do apply light pressure.

Then spin!

Then when you're done, or the flames start to grow very weak, have your safety put a damp towel (*not* the fuel towel if you used one) on the ground, lay the poi/staff/tool wick(s) on it, and fold the towel over the flame, pushing *away* from your body with quick pats, smothering the fire. Some people choose to spin the fire out, but it may cause your wicks to smolder, which will shorten their life span. Allow the wicks to cool for a couple minutes (especially important if you are using a highly flammable fuel like Coleman's), check quick links to make sure everything tight, and you're ready to dunk again! smile

Bouncing Baby Pipe!


FearpigSILVER Member
member - tee hee "member"
279 posts
Location: Bethnal Green, London, England (UK)


Posted:
If you haven't any experience with spinning fire then you shouldn't be looking for a step by step guide!

I reckon you should be looking for a local troupe / performer / festival / spin meet and for the first few burns at least do it with people who are experienced!

...actually scratch my first statement! It doesn't hurt to do some decent research. Sorry, no help at all really!

"Whats wrong with the cat?" - Mrs Schrödinger


newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
A few things to consider with a first burn...
The noise. The sound of fire poi whizzing around is really quite striking.. it's one of the great appeals of the whole thing. But it can be surprising/alarming to new people!

Poi are much heavier with fuel on, and there is even more drag with fire. This affects how they spin. If you are a fasterfasterlesscontrol newbie then practice spinning slower and with more finesse before you light up. Otherwise you might try to spin reallyreally fast with fire poi, and it go pear shaped as the momentum/feeling is quite different.

You MUST have a damp towel close by. If you light something up, you MUST be able to put it out, and a damp towel, as mentioned above, is by far the most efficient. Fire extinguishers/blankets etc are gimmicks to make other people feel happy you are 'responsible' All you will really need is the wet towel but do NOT spin without one. IF you tangle, get tired, a blister or whatever you want to be able to put out immediately.

Spin off jars, as mentioned above, are really important with poi, to avoid flaming fuel flying off, or even unburnt fuel, which can hurt grass/people even if not on fire.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


MuckySILVER Member
Rum-Swilling Combustioneer
227 posts
Location: Macungie, PA, USA


Posted:
To expand further on the towel, a good rule of thumb is towels are for props, fire extinguishers are for other things, and fire blankets are for people - they aren't interchangeable. Using a fire blanket on your props will ruin the blanket, and they are costly. There are also different types of fire extinguishers, if you have one, make sure it's suitable for fuel (and you and your safety(s) know how to use it properly). Like Newgabe said, most backyard spinners may not have fire blankets and extinguishers, but depending on your environment, they are not always optional - if you have a crowd of onlookers, or are at a party or gathering, you are responsible for the safety of all involved, since you are the one bringing the fire.

Oh, and the sound is awesome; it's what drew me into the firespinning scene, personally - but like Newgabe said, it's very loud, which means you should ensure that your safety has a loud enough voice that you will hear him/her in case of an emergency - it can be difficult to hear normal talking voices over the flames. Another thing if you've never done it is to be aware that the light can mess with your peripheral vision, which can throw you off a bit.

Otherwise, follow all other safety procedures as outlined in HoP's instructional video and in the articles - keep the fuel away from any source of fire and out of people's walking paths, make sure your spinning area is well-lit and free of things you could trip over. Oh! And if you have a chocolate lab, keep it inside, because it's probably too dumb to stay away from fireballs, and you wont' be able to see her standing behind you waiting for you to trip on her (trust me, it happens)! smile

Bouncing Baby Pipe!


Mother_Natures_SonSILVER Member
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!


Posted:
Originally Posted By: newgabe
Spin off jars, as mentioned above, are really important with poi, to avoid flaming fuel flying off, or even unburnt fuel, which can hurt grass/people even if not on fire.



A "Spin off jar" can just be a bucket. Hold the chain in your hand with the heads in the bucket, whirl the bucket around at great speed (Hold onto the side of the bucket, not the handle) and you're in business!

hug


newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
A small plastic bucket like protein powder or bulk food comes in works well. and no worries to hold the handle. Just make sure you also hold the poi handles. And don;t put the heads on the bottom of the bucket! Have them suspended. Easy once you see it, harder to describe. A big bucket held on the sides would be unwieldy.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


Mother_Natures_SonSILVER Member
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!


Posted:
Depends on the strength of the handle. I know I wouldn't want that thing flying off. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Any regular bucket works fine, to be honest, though smaller buckets are better to carry around in your kit. I usually stick all my fire gear inside the bucket. smile

hug


SuchGOLD Member
Rancor
253 posts
Location: Right Here, USA


Posted:
Originally Posted By: FearpigIf you haven't any experience with spinning fire then you shouldn't be looking for a step by step guide!

I reckon you should be looking for a local troupe / performer / festival / spin meet and for the first few burns at least do it with people who are experienced!

...actually scratch my first statement! It doesn't hurt to do some decent research. Sorry, no help at all really!

I don't think that is very true.

Fire Poi is about common sense.

Fire is hot, don't let it touch you, someone else, or something flammable.

If it does touch you, let it be briefly.

Soak them as long as you want, the longer they soak, the longer they burn. Just be sure to twirl them good and hard to get rid of any excess before lighting it up.

If you are not confident in the move don't do it.

Have someone on standby with a wet towel as well as a code or something when your in trouble.

Make sure everything is held together nice and tight.

Don't keep your fuel by you in case it ignites.

It isn't magic, it's fire.

Human


thepillowBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
Hey guys, i lighted up a couple of times now and it was really awesome. Indeed the sound makes the experience very appealing, absolutely wouldn't wanna miss being in the middle of that! Thanks for all your help, it's been useful.

thepillowBRONZE Member
stranger
8 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
Thankx, that was really helpful, exactly what i was looking for! cheers!

newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
Glad to know we can be of service! Now the thing is just to keep going, practicing, and having fun! Don't get complacent though, always remember fire's as hot the 100th time as the first time. And when some people get burned is actually when the fire is out but the metal is still hot. Good idea to have a white sheet laid out to put hot stuff on when you finish a spin. Makes it easier to find that on the ground/tripping over it too.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


themainlexxstranger
1 post

Posted:
hey just registered and was looking for similar advice so this was a great discussion to stumble upon. have been spinning for bout 2 years with glo poi and now decided i wanna do something daring so bought some fire poi and wanted some info on how to prepare them for lighting up and how to care for them in general. i dont wanna abuse my poi they are like extensions of my arms!!

also wanna make sure they last ages!

this website rox and im gunna be on here heaps now!

SomeguitaristGOLD Member
stranger
11 posts
Location: NYC, USA


Posted:
Good advice all around! I'm looking to hopefully light up for the first time this weekend. Been spinning for a little while now, and excessivly in the last few days (god bless spring break, I think I seriously just spun the poi for 7 hours on friday ; )

I'm still terrified of lighting them... I live in a small area and am car-less, so I'm going to be lighting without any experienced supervision... I've just got more then one guy standing around with more then one wet towel just in case...

But I figure if I keep the routine relatively simple and don't do anything too crazy, the worse I could do is get knocked with one once, and that can't hurt *too* bad, right? Right?!?!? ; )

squidBRONZE Member
sanguine
382 posts
Location: sur, USA


Posted:
Originally Posted By: Trevor_TwyfordGood advice all around! I'm looking to hopefully light up for the first time this weekend. Been spinning for a little while now, and excessivly in the last few days (god bless spring break, I think I seriously just spun the poi for 7 hours on friday ; )

I'm still terrified of lighting them... I live in a small area and am car-less, so I'm going to be lighting without any experienced supervision... I've just got more then one guy standing around with more then one wet towel just in case...

But I figure if I keep the routine relatively simple and don't do anything too crazy, the worse I could do is get knocked with one once, and that can't hurt *too* bad, right? Right?!?!? ; )

a knock from a lit wick early on could transfer fuel to your body and clothes, so yes it can be bad. VERY bad. That shouldn't discourage you, but be a warning that anything can happen and you should always plan for the extreme.

go slow and basically just test it out. Get used to the sound, how high the flames jump, doing simple turns and swings. And do that first burn in the daylight. You'd be surprised at how disorienting it can be the first time or two you burn at night.

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


newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
Trevor, a lot of the danger from fuel transfer or explosive gases/ unintended fires will be eliminated by using less volatile fuels, such as lamp oil or even (smelly old) kerosene- rather than the very volative Colemans or white gas that many American spinners use. Research here on this site about fuels, and get the highest flash point one you can. That means one that gives off ignitable vapoius/catches light slowest.
Here is some general info about flash points. To find out this isn't hard- Any chemical you buy has what is called an MSDS (material safety data sheet) that lists many properties of the material, including the flash point. Usually you can google them.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


SomeguitaristGOLD Member
stranger
11 posts
Location: NYC, USA


Posted:
Thank you for all the great advice! I figure if I light it, and just do a few simple spins and turns, and maybe a 3bw in there or two I'll be fine...

And yes, I'm going to be very cautious, having three seperate people with wet towels nearby as well as someone with a bucket of water. I'm very very nervous about this kind of stuff... which I guess could be good ; )

I'll let you know how it goes!

newgabeSILVER Member
what goes around comes around. unless you're into stalls.
4,030 posts
Location: Bali, Australia


Posted:
The wet towels are appropriate, but the three people are a bit of overkill. More likely to rush around getting in each others way if you really did need assistance! The bucket of water? Well, don't go throwing water on a fuel fire, it would just spread it.
But the bucket could be useful to wet your towels from.. or to dip you hand in if you did get burnt. Hopefully you will have taken the advice about not using white gas/colemans for your first burns. With heavier fuels, and just going slowly, your chances of fuel fire or real danger are very very small. I've been fire spinning for 13 years and never had an accident/burn apart from one time touching hot metal on a poi that wasn;t even on fire any more

By the way 'wet' towel doesn't mean sopping dripping heavy wet- just damp enough so that it makes it easy to put your toys out if you needed to. Don't have someone rushing around with a towel grabbing at things... just lay it on the ground, place the burning bit of your poi/staff on it, and fold the towel over to cover it so it cuts off the air supply. Just leave them there and wait for a bit. Sometimes people go patting at the towel if it is taking a few secs for the wick to get smothered, and get a burn from the steam or hot metal.

Also if you are using poi, use a spin off jar to get rid of excess fuel before you light up... so you don;t end up with flaming fuel drops flying around. Something like a small bucket works fine. Hold the bucket handle and the poi chains in one hand, with the poi heads a few inches off the bottom, spin it fast to catch excess, pour the excess back in your fuel bucket. Easy. At the very least, spin off your poi UNLIT to get rid of drops but do that away from people. The bad bit about doing it without a spin off bucket is you get fuel on the grass/ground that is not nice.

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....


SomeguitaristGOLD Member
stranger
11 posts
Location: NYC, USA


Posted:
Guys, thanks for all the advice. I had my first night of burning poi this Saturday. It was truly amazing. Hit myself once, it took me a second to build up confidence, and wasn't bad at all.

I appreciate ALL the great advice, couldn't have done it without you all, and everything I learned from this site has been an amazing help.

Going to go order some LED pois so I have something to spin that doesn't smell!

FirePoiSpinnarstranger
1 post

Posted:
Hey Guys..
Finally After Years of nagging i got my fire poi grin

i've got 3-4 years practice of soft/led poi and i loved it.

fire poi is such an enchanting practice!!

im going out on a jolly today down the beach to go for another spin with them

i cant wait to light up at night!!

Thanks for all the advise! DevonshirePoiSpinner xxx


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