EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Myself and my fellow Canberra Twirlies have been playing with Shellite lately... unlike kero you can set it on fire without a wick. We have found that you can draw Circles on cement with it and stand twirling in a circle of fire. It is also cold enough to cartwheel through, dive roll through etc : )
Lots of fun : )
Have any of your guys tried this stuff... have you had any good or bad experiences with it?
Do you know of any other nice chemicals to do similar stuff with?


Eveish

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
for the lurkers out there, i gotta add that i was scared of it and treat such combustible fuel with the utmost of respect. Mo' Shell Sol TK plz! wink

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


musashiistarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA


Posted:
I believe shellite is the same as white gas, if so it's extremely common wink

First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica

" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."


EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
yep, it is common, you can buy it in most places that you get kero : )

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
I too believe Shellite is the same as white gas, and it is very DANGEROUS. The equal of UL Petrol with out the additives.

Be careful.

Be very careful, with this stuff. K

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
bender, stone, I concur
biggrin

It is in fact, I beleive, if I am not mistaken, an engine cleaner...

Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
ade mate! a big purring MEOW to yoo!
Firedance is *risk*
to be sure fire ain't safe, but there's many things we as a community (and sometimes as ballerinas, but i won't get into my tutus here, 'tis too cold out) can do to significantly mitigate said risk.
for one, opting for less combustible fuel will likely not drastically reduce the splendour of a twirled flame.

and now for a sound bite:
"Smokey the bear sez: twirl smarter, not harder, folks!"

tutus are nice

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
Written by:

"Smokey the bear sez: twirl smarter, not harder, folks!"




how wonderful - love it

now I have to lap it
purrrrrr biggrin

EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
I agree that shellite is highly combustible, but it burns REALLY REALLY cold! I cartwheel through it at every show, and no, I have never worn gloves when doing this. It really doesn't burn. Also it burns out fast; like, once lit, we have to do our tricks SO quickly because about 6 seconds later there is no flame left!
So I appreciate all your warnings but I don't think shellite Twirling is as crazy as it may sound!
Anyway.... Its spectacular!! Obviously we will take care with it, but I think people need to be careful with any fire stuff.
thanks for all your concern : )

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Ok, fair enough.

But, as an example what the flash point of Shellite???

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
The flash point is stupidly low. Much lower than kero.

One point I should make with shellite though is that is stains the ground! We did a show on cement last week and the markings are still there... ooops

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


SpitFireGOLD Member
Mand's Girl....and The Not So Shy One
2,723 posts
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada


Posted:
6 seconds? Is that on wicks?

Many US folks ... at least here in Houston use white gas on a regular basis...with proper safety in place.

I'm not sure shellite is the same as Camp fuel, aka white gas that we use here...

If I soak my wicks (kevlar in cathedral folds) I'll get a 2 to 3 minute burn.

Solitude sometimes speaks to you, and you should listen.


EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Nope, this is without wicks.
just straight onto the ground / steps, skateboards etc
On our wicks we just use Fire water or Kero

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


MandSILVER Member
Keeper of the Spitfire
2,317 posts
Location: Calgary Canada


Posted:
You say this stuff burns really cool?
Doesn't white gas burn hotter than Kero?
Or am I wrong? confused

Lets steal a spaceship and head for the sun, and shoot the stars with a lemonade ray gun.


EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Maybe it IS different to white gas then! It really burns cold, ie: i put my hands in direct contact with the flame for cartwheels and handsprings, plus I stand in it. I can't get nearly so close to kero flames.

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


PyrolificBRONZE Member
Returning to a unique state of Equilibrium
3,289 posts
Location: Adelaide, South Australia


Posted:
mmm well if its the same as colemans fuel / whitegas, I found it to be a lot more dangerous to use than kero (it transfers to clothes more easily - etc) most ppl suggest a 50/50 mix of shellite / lamp oil for a clean long non-smoky burn - but then again most pros seem to use Pegasol or Shellsol T for a clean, safe, long lasting burn...



eh smile



Looks like we'll be using shellite in our next performance at the insistance of the production manager - we'll see how it goes smile



Josh
EDITED_BY: Josh (1092534965)

--
Help! My personality got stuck in this signature machine and I cant get it out!


becBRONZE Member
member
521 posts
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia


Posted:
It certainly allows you to do some things that you can't do with kero/solvents (ie pegaSol, ShellSol)..mainly because of the really low flashpoint (which is why it will light easily on the ground, transfer etc) ..but you do have to really be diligent in your safety..

Over the years in Brisbane there have been a few nasty fire twirling accidents in clubs etc.. don't know the finer details as we weren't involved in any of them.. but the common factor was performers using shellite as a fuel which somehow was spilt & lit up... which doesn't necessarily prove it is a more dangerous fuel if really strict safety procedures are in place.. but it is food for thought... haven't heard of anything like this with performers using the higher flashpoint fuels.

EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
I hope people aren't using it as a fuel to dip there wicks in! it would be SOOOOOO dangerous like that... If you spun off with that stuff, each of the little droplets of fuel would stay lit in all probability, starting mini fires all over the place. We just use it to light the ground or the spokes of our unicycles etc. which all though that sounds insane and dangerous, safety precautions are taken and it is as safe as fire fun can be.


Eveish

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


PyrolificBRONZE Member
Returning to a unique state of Equilibrium
3,289 posts
Location: Adelaide, South Australia


Posted:
well apparently were not dipping or spinning off anywhere near the area we are lighting up in, so it should be ok. My main concern is the transferability of shellite to clothing. I only wear natural tightweave fibres, but anything burns with fuel on it...

we'll be being very careful, and perhaps have a word with the production manager too.

Josh

--
Help! My personality got stuck in this signature machine and I cant get it out!


EveishGOLD Member
*Tickles pretty strangers*
610 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Actually I have had that stuff transfer onto clothes before and it has just burned itself out and not even marked my clothes, (that may have just been the fibers I was wearing at the time). I have also had it transfer onto my skin so that hand my hand was on fire *SCARY FEELING!* but It actually didn't burn me at all.
It does have a tendency to set things on fire though, so have fun with it, but be extra careful.
wink

What if I should fall right through the centre of the Earth and come out the other side where people walk upside-down?!


williams.kraigBRONZE Member
Member
3 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
Had a bad experience fire breathing with it yesterday, DO NOT use it for that! It does spit a lot and will set grass or anything dry in flames. Very difficult to put out in comparison to the likes of paraffin solvents. Also I disagree with the burning temperature, it's bloody hot if it gets on you! Less than 5 seconds on my skin has resulted with two days in hospital, superficial facial burns, loss of voice and a weak chest. Be very careful with this solvent! I found out the hard way wah :(


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