Forums > Technical Discussion > Orbitals damage chains... how NOT to?

Posted: 15th Sep 2009
Make sure they're oval link? Its only really ball chain that considerably suffers from degradation by way of orbitals.

Make sure you're using good swivels, if the swivels aren't swivelling well enough, energy will be transferred to the chains and in that way cause friction, causing wear. -Ball chain do not need swivels.

Posted: 15th Sep 2009
I'm using oval links, and I'm even using two swivels - one at the poi, one at the handle. My "test set" for orbitals has been scratched to the bone, literally! I have a second set that's untarnished by inexperience.

But yeah, I do have a swivel-heavy build. I think a possibility is that it lies in my technique because for some reason, I catch it and when I do the jolt it rips down the chain's length until it "finds" a good spot to stop.


Though, thanks for the answer!

EDIT!
Part of a solution I'm thinking of. Ignoring the whole conservation of energy thing, is it possible to pull LESS hard yet get MORE spin out of an orbital? I'm not talking about hyperloops (ironically which I can't do).
EDITED_BY: Tide (1253005695)

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Posted: 15th Sep 2009
Are you at the same length up the poi on each chain? Sounds like they are slipping til they're even... I've never heard of wearing on oval link chain... what're they made of?

Posted: 15th Sep 2009
These are HoP's chains. Yeah, it's reaching at the same length. Although, when I do the jolt and it's even, it pulls even further down the chain.

Am I doing something wrong?

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Posted: 15th Sep 2009
You won't damage your cahins from doing orbitals

Posted: 15th Sep 2009
Yes you will, I have the same problem. Mine are starting to show damage. The plating is coming off of the chain.

Posted: 16th Sep 2009
Mine's come to the extent that they're bare to the bone but that's probably because I go over the top with my equipment.

Not that the problem's good, but it's comforting to know someone else is having the same issue.

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Posted: 16th Sep 2009
Yeah, nickel plated will - get chains with diamond filaments and you can orbital 'til your fall over.

They might cost about guoergaeovadbfadfboadbf wef svnio ji9 hjio0 dbkdbkljop ssg nip.

/brainfart



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Huh?

Posted: 16th Sep 2009
Figured this out last night. Catch the orbitals further down the chains, closer to the wicks. There will be less tugging on the chains. Less energy put into the orbital will minimize damage.

Posted: 16th Sep 2009
Ah, that's something I'll take note of.

UnscrupulousChavOffersFoot, where could I get this... magical diamond filament stuff?

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Posted: 17th Sep 2009
You know the drill:


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Posted: 17th Sep 2009
The Wizard of Oz? But seriously, where?
EDITED_BY: Tide (1253186135)

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Posted: 17th Sep 2009
Jon stop making me laugh so hard at work, people are looking at me funny

Ball chain should be fine. I know someone who does orbitalls, air wraps, hyperloops etc all the time and their ball chain is 4 years old and still good.

To be fair Step killed my ball chain by gently shaking it but that's besides the point...

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.

Posted: 18th Sep 2009
I think I've had the same pair of ball chain leashes since I started doing poi about 5 or 6 years ago. Everyone says that you need to replace it every so often, but its held up fantabulously

Don't mind me, just passing through.

Posted: 18th Sep 2009
When i do orbitals with my hop chains and no10 swivels i can literally see the coating/metal coming off. It also seems to slip down the chain and grind them to bits.

I can orbital easily with colecords, for around 15 seconds

Posted: 18th Sep 2009
I can see the coating coming off with mine too, but I'm wondering if that has any effect? I mean the chains are still intact, and they'll end up black anyway, so what's the difference?

Posted: 18th Sep 2009
Yeah, it's not killing the chains but the plating is scratching the hell off. I cut myself today.

I know I shouldn't encourage the plating to come off, but should I have a piece of sand paper ready to shave off any sharp bits?

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Posted: 22nd Sep 2009
Stop doing orbitals or get a diamond chain, hmmmmm!? Someone want to share the cost of a bulk order with diamond chains

But seriously, the black color of the chains goes away fairly soon, never experienced any problem with the color wearing down though and the cost of a new chain is like nothing +/- X€.
Changed chain a couple of times but usually just for the pleasure of getting new stuff and consuming

"I don´t like shoes, definitely not spinning with shoes, they make my feet feel flat, my feet are not flat...."

Posted: 22nd Sep 2009
Yeah, I had a similar idea at hand, to replace the chains every so often.

So do orbitals cause any MAJOR damage over long periods of time or is it just a scratching nuisance?

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Posted: 23rd Sep 2009
I've never heard of any major damage done to chains, stainless steel should be durable enough to survive the friction. The plating, however, isn't.

Posted: 26th Sep 2009
Not quite on the topic of the chains, but how much do you have to spin the poi off to make sure it doesn't projectile vomit fuel into your face? I did a fair bit and every second until the end it spat fuel.

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Posted: 26th Sep 2009
I only say: chaincondoms... sorry - no picture for obvious reasons.

Tide: recommend to spin off "enouff" ... *cough* snip I mean "quite well", 'cause when you light them up, the fuel will expand due to the heat, so even when not that much is dribbling anymore, when lit much more excess will be produced - hope that helped.

btw - ball chains are most likely to "peel off" and that's a major bummer, because one cuts his fingerx!

Great thread

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 17th Oct 2009
i had oval chain's and i could still pump the orbital with out leaking fuel. Now im useing this rope i got from work called tech12. it is the [censored] totaly flame retardant and verry verry strong. It is almost like cole cord but for fire.i work backstage on the phantom of the opera Las Vegas. one of the automation tech's from my work gave me 50ft. this rope was holding a 4ton chandiler that flys around our theater. From what im told its like 2-3$ usd a foot, and worth its weight in gold. i still use one of my oval chanis to spinout my heads then i attach the tech12 leashes and it on. I do soak for about 15min and i spin them so hard when i do my spinoff. i did make my poi heads tho and i folded them in a way that they would have little to no spinoff in the first place.
EDITED_BY: foggy sox (1255814564)

ravers dont trip they drop and roll

Posted: 18th Oct 2009
rrrrrrrrrope.... *eyes widening* - where ... to ... get ... ???

the best smiles are the ones you lead to

Posted: 18th Oct 2009
Originally Posted By: TideNot quite on the topic of the chains, but how much do you have to spin the poi off to make sure it doesn't projectile vomit fuel into your face? I did a fair bit and every second until the end it spat fuel.

Let them burn longer before you attempt the orbital. You can test how much fuel the wicks may or may not spit into your face by doing a buzzsaw of variable speed. If you do a fast buzzsaw and no fuel spins off, go ahead and do the orbital.

Posted: 18th Oct 2009
Hm, that's a good idea, but orbitals tend to be a few times faster than the fastest buzzsaw most people can do. Still, good idea.

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Posted: 18th Oct 2009
If your orbitals are noticeably faster than your fastest buzzsaw then that is your reason for damaged chains.

The lower down the chain, closer to the wick, you initiate the orbital the less energy is placed into it. The closer to the handles the orbital is started, the more reduction on orbital radius you have as you pull it tight. This causes the orbital speed to increase, thus causing more friction on the chain: eroding, and weakening the plating on the chains.

Posted: 19th Oct 2009
hey fire tom i have a bunch of this tech12 rope i could send you some you would have to pay the shipping charges tho.

ravers dont trip they drop and roll