Forums > Other Toys > Anyone ever use fyrefli juggling balls??

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ChannelZ28newbie
10 posts

Posted:
i recently got a set but i cant really figure them out. i know youre supposed to be able to juggle them without gloves but so far they have been burning the crap out of my hands and all ive gotten are a lot of blisters. first i used white gas without really thinking since thats what i use with everything else. then i read the instruction paper and realized it said USE LOW TEMPERATURE LAMP OIL in big bold letters and so then i used lamp oil and it still burned like crazy. there must be something im doing wrong. tell me what!

FlamingOberonGOLD Member
ohm mani padme hum
134 posts
Location: Worcester, MA, USA


Posted:
Umm, what are you using them for? Regular juggling or contact juggling?

I guess the answer to that is moot, actually.. I used Fyrefli balls last year, 80mm, and i used them with White Gas, which is what I almost alwasy use, and I never had any problems. if I held them in my hand without moving, it was warm but nothing more. once i started juggling them, the inertia of the ball/flame would cause the flames to touch my palm every time i caught a ball, but for such a brief second that it never burned me or anything.

Ok, this is going to sound stupid, so i apologize in advance, but...

You arent dipping them in fuel, are you? the wick is the very small bit only in the center of the cage. the entire cage should NOT be on fire, the cage is the nice heat-resistant material that keeps your hands safe.... You need a squirt bottle of some sort in order to soak the wick that is in the center, and only that little wick lights up, not the entire ball..

So, if you are doing that, there is your problem. If you are fueling correctly, well I am not sure... explain what happens and how youre getting burned, and maybe I can figure it out...

FO

FlamingOberonGOLD Member
ohm mani padme hum
134 posts
Location: Worcester, MA, USA



ChannelZ28newbie
10 posts

Posted:
haha dont worry, im not dipping the ball. that would be funny though. but yeah, if i hold them in my hands burning, its alright. when i catch them, its alright. its the throwing that burns. when i move my hand up the flame comes down through the bottom and burns me. it seems to be mostly the sides of my fingers that get burnt. also the flames i get from my balls are about twice as big as the ones in that picture.

hey this might work if youre willing, maybe you could tell me step by step your EXACT procedure for filling, lighting, and then juggling the balls? every detail, down to how much fuel you put in them. i know that sounds kinda dumb but things like that have worked for me in the past. there could be some really little thing that im doing wrong that i wont notice until i get direct instructions.

{anthrax}BRONZE Member
Look I've changed my title!
209 posts
Location: England


Posted:
Hmmm could be too much fuel your using, I'll let someone who has them actually give you a procedure though. Good luck mate smile

anthrax.... it infects, then spreads..... fast


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
i agree with anthrax - too much fuel.

play around with using less fuel and try to strike a balance between burn time and barbequing your fingers.


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


FlamingOberonGOLD Member
ohm mani padme hum
134 posts
Location: Worcester, MA, USA


Posted:
sorry i hadnt gotten back sooner, it is my last semester at uni and life is crazy...

i gave my old set of juggling balls to a friend. i actually have another set in the mail, though. when they come in, if youre still having problems, i will give you a walk through with the amount of fuel, etc...

however it sounds like too much fuel, so i would say use literally half of however much youre using, and see how it goes.

i am really glad youre not dipping the whole ball. i hoped that no one would ever do something that ludicrous... it would be kind of hilarious, though, to watch someone dip the entire ball ang light it and hold it bare hand and not understand why they were burning... thats a darwin award if i ever heard of one...

MegafishBRONZE Member
lurking...
208 posts
Location: Faversham UK


Posted:
I have to say that i really didn't like these things. in fact if you want my 100% acurate opinion i thought that these were a rather irresponsible product to be available on the juggling toys market... extreme i know but i really do think they are rather silly... i mean given that the only place i could find lamp oil is on the continent... the amount of non-sense and cock and bull stories i have heard about these things (apparently they are quite good for cooking over... apparantly, acording to a guy who told someone i know down the pub..) that combined with the fact that i don't much like telling people over the internet that these things are perfectly safe to use without flame retardant gloves, when i know full well that when not fueled correctly they are f**king hot, and that the original balls we're made without the kevlar wrapped around the spiral, and that if someone were to flog you a set with out the kevlar spiral then you'd be none the wiser for it haveing been there in the first place.

just my two cents worth.. obviously we're all sensible, responsible people who have all fully read and understood all of the fire safety information that came with our toys and that available on home of poi. but in my opinion these things really do need a wide birth. the glove ones are just better. But then lets face it fire clubs just look the shizzle...

Juggling isn't useless, It just isn't useful.

Neural Coding is Idiosyncratic:-)

'Do you like dry cerial? Hope so because we've drunk your milk. Yours Sincerely, Your Neighbourhood Milk Thief'


preSILVER Member
member
161 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
Written by: ChannelZ28


i recently got a set but i cant really figure them out. i know youre supposed to be able to juggle them without gloves but so far they have been burning the crap out of my hands and all ive gotten are a lot of blisters. first i used white gas without really thinking since thats what i use with everything else. then i read the instruction paper and realized it said USE LOW TEMPERATURE LAMP OIL in big bold letters and so then i used lamp oil and it still burned like crazy. there must be something im doing wrong. tell me what!




there might still be some residue from the white gas that you oringinally put on the balls

pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
Written by: Megafish


i mean given that the only place i could find lamp oil is on the continent...




You can definatey get lamp oil in the uk, its really easy to source, every hardwear store sells it.

As for the balls, its an interesting idea, although having no experience with them I can't really comment.

However, if it is very easy to get burnt holding them, just by using too much fuel, then they're obviously not the safest things, and could do with at least some redesign to ensure you can't use too much fuel and get too big a flame.

I definatly wouldn't use white gas with them though, its far too easy to transfer onto your hands, and end up with it burning on your skin. Surley something like parrafin or lamp oil etc. would be a much safer bet, especially as they burn at lower temperatures and aren't as explosive.

They look pretty though smile

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
I've used these. I thought they were crap smile
Anytype of fire equipmant with rubber ends on are pretty effing stupid in my opinion.
The wick is hard to fuel, they were hard to light and the rubber ends caught of fire.
shrug

K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
Is anyone actually keen on these Fyrefli balls? I thought they looked really good and have wanted some for a while, but if no-one's got anything positive to say about them, maybe I'll rethink...

It's just the idea of them is so much cooler than needing to wear gloves!

nonenonenoneSILVER Member
member
129 posts
Location: none, United Kingdom


Posted:
my brother has some and after getting used to them has had no problems that cant be overcome! they are a little fiddly to fuel and light, the smell alot, and if you hold them still for too long they get hot, not the bit your holding byt the top above the flame (so be careful if you then throw them!)

aside from that they were pretty good im my opinion! but then im no expert, they are my brothers!

there is a picture of them alight (or one of them!) im my gallery i think!

K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
That's useful stuff to know, thanks smile

I'm probably going to get some in the next couple of months (sooner if I can afford it!) and hopefully I'll find I get on alright with them...

nonenonenoneSILVER Member
member
129 posts
Location: none, United Kingdom


Posted:
good luck! hope they are alright for you! smile

havocangelmember
53 posts

Posted:
I've done some contact juggling with fireflys before and wasn't very impressed with them I ened up with burns all over just from the heat of the cage myself. After that as crazy as it sounds I started using a 3in wooden sphere soaked in white gas and never looked back.

[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
ive NEVER seen anyone do anything good with fire juggling balls,

get some fire clubs and do real jugglin i say.

one ball paul uses a firfly for contact, but its a bit rubbish.

i like the wooden ball idea tho... gotta try that...

T wave

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


MynciBRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom


Posted:
fyrflies are crap. i threw mine away

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.


havocangelmember
53 posts

Posted:
Yea, I love the wooden ball for contact juggling. You should see the look on people's faces when they realize you're contact juggling a wooden fireball.

nonenonenoneSILVER Member
member
129 posts
Location: none, United Kingdom


Posted:
by the sound of things, we (me and brother) must have been really lucky with ours, or doing something different or something!

_khan_SILVER Member
old hand
768 posts
Location: San Francisco, California, USA


Posted:
I found the fyrefly really difficult to light. Once it was lit it was okay, but overall a disappointing experience.

taken out of context i must seem so strange
~ ani di franco


K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
Hmm... Thanks for all your opinions.

I'm reconsidering shelling out 50 quid for what sounds like a lame product. You could be right [Nx?], perhaps I'll just go to work on my club skills and get some torches instead smile

RawHyndnewbie
2 posts

Posted:
I just got a set of these, second hand like. Haven't had the chance to use 'em yet but here's a quote from the instruction booklet that came with them:

"Immerse the complete Fireball in the fuel. SEE FIG. 6. Soak the wicks thoroughly, remove from the container and gently shake off any excess fuel"

Fig. 6 then shows a picture of one of the balls in what looks like a cooking pot, presumeably filled with fuel. When I first read this I thought it was madness, as some of you have said, but there it is, in black and white and in what looks like the official instruction booklet. HOWEVER, on a separate sheet of paper entitled "FYREFLI Ltd INSTRUCTION SHEET" it clearly states:

"Do not refuel a silicon coated Fyreball by immersing or dipping the Fyreball in paraffin"

confused Confusing or what? It seems clear that they should be filled by pouring a small amount of fuel through the hole in the gromits at either end of the wick cartridge, surely? So as far as safety goes, the instructions supplied with the balls are a little ambiguous to say the least!

I still haven't used them yet so can't say whether they're any good one way or the other...

K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
Definitely don't immerse the whole thing in fuel. I did get a set in the end, and you fuel them by squirting paraffin into the chambers containing the wicks in the middle of the ball.

Obviously if the whole ball is dunked in fuel, the whole thing is going to be on fire when you light it - not good for glove-free juggling! I can't believe the instructions tell you to do that... are they definitely for Fyreflies and not another type of fire juggling ball? I got my set new from Oddballs and there was a single sheet telling you how to condition, fuel and dismantle the balls.

I've been pretty pleased with them overall. They are a bit fiddly to fuel, but you get the hang of it, and lighting them isn't too hard if it's not windy. I roll them in a saucer of water to stop them getting too hot, which makes a big difference.

I'm still getting used to them in that the adrenaline rush from juggling things that are on fire means I can't pull off half my tricks. But with practice that should get better and in the meantime, they do look undeniably cool smile

RawHyndnewbie
2 posts

Posted:
The booklet is definitely for the Fyrefli balls, it has Fyrefli written on it and gives detailed instructions for dismantling/re-assembly complete with pictures. Its the correct booklet.

It just occurred to me though, that perhaps these were previously sold without the protective poly-thingy sleeving - I think someone alluded to this in a previous post...

Either way I wont be dipping the whole things.

Thanks K for the tip re: rolling them in a saucer of water - sounds like a good idea. I reckon they'll be the business once I finally get round to lighting them up somewhere! smile

borganiqueBRONZE Member
member
154 posts
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom


Posted:
hmmm, i got some of these in january and i've burnt them once successfully, i've only used them 4 times though. the other times were crap, first ball ran out by the time the 3rd lit, rubber ends burning (rubber & fire, come on!), fuel dripping from wick onto the cage kevlar and burning it and hands.
too much hassle if you ask me, but that 1 first burn was great fun tho.
i think i'll dig them out and have another play tomorrow, if its not raining again, bloody cornwall.
last years british young juggler, reckons the flames are too small and wants them bigger, i think he's crazy (which he is) but has anyone any suggestions on how this could be done?

K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
It sounds like you might be overfuelling them ethnobot. Initially I had problems with dripping fuel and the rubber ends burning, which were resolved when I was more conversative and more careful when fuelling them. I found using those extra long matches (about 3" long) really helps with getting them lit at pretty much the same time.

As for bigger flames, I dunno - apparently even the larger Fyrefli size burns with a similar size flame. Maybe the other type of fire juggling ball (solid ball wrapped in wick that you juggle wearing gloves) gives bigger flames...

I hope your renewed attempts with the Fyreflies are more successful... and RawHynd, how you getting on with yours?

MynciBRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom


Posted:
my advice with the fyre flies is-

make sure you follow the instructions and wet the kevlar cages first. if you don't then any parafin that drips on the cage will catch fire and burn which is not good. mine caught (only a small flame from a couple of drips from the outside of the dropper brushing the outer guard) and the kevlar actually stuck to my skin due to the heat and I got a nasty burn.

I also REALLY badly burned myself but that's a different story and my own fault attempting to fire poiggle

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.


Sambo_FluxGOLD Member
Introverted
833 posts
Location: Norf London, United Kingdom


Posted:
I've had the same experience as a lot of people here, I found the rubber ends utterly stupid and I got burned a lot.

That said, I've seen enough people saying if you use it right it's a good product to doubt, so next time I'll be more economical with my fuelling.

Anyone got any tips on how long you should make the wicks, as measured from the end of the holding tube? I'd like to know, I really want to get mine working properly... smile

My Mind is a Ship
Emotions become the Waves
Soul is the Ocean

If a quizz is quizzical, what is a test?


K__BRONZE Member
...join us...
184 posts
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom


Posted:
Hi Sambo... I've never done anything to the wicks on mine, just used them as they were when I bought them.

They're maybe each 7mm long, and pretty much meet in the middle of the wick cage thing.

That's a point actually, ethnobot, the instructions say to withdraw strands of wick from the wick holder to adjust flame size - so more strands exposed means larger flames.

_Chris_GOLD Member
member
93 posts
Location: fallowfield manchester, United Kingdom


Posted:
what are fyrefli balls like to glovless fire contact juggle with? also, when people say contact juggling with a white gas soaked wooden ball, can someone explain this a little more to me? is like the hole ball on fire and is it safe glovless, what kind of wooden ball is used and how is fueld?

Order and pyromancie as one, controlling chaos.
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