Advertisement
I just got my fire hoop, I have lit up twice. I used lamp oil the first time and just sprayed and quickly dipped them. They only stayed lit for about a minute. Then I let them soak in the oil over night and then took them out. They sat for about a day, then that night I dipped them for a minute or so, spun off, and lit up. They lasted a little longer, but it was still only about a minute, and the flame isn't very bright. I have Kevlar wicks, and am using ultra pure lamp oil. If anyone could give me suggestions on types of fuel to use for the longest, brightest burn I would really appreciate it. Thank you. I send good energy and love emanating outward through the web. Namaste, beautiful, intelligent Being.
posted by:
|
Nashville
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Re: Hoop Help
Mon, September 1, 2008 - 9:09 PMi would suggest using white gas
it works better than lamp oil and lasts longer -
-
Re: Hoop Help
Mon, September 1, 2008 - 10:55 PMIs mixing white gas and lamp oil my best option, or just white gas alone? Someone told me not to use white gas, because it is highly combustible, and can be really dangerous. Have you had any problems with it getting out of control when using white gas? -
-
Re: Hoop Help
Tue, September 2, 2008 - 3:55 AMI would recommend not using white gas especially if you are just starting out.
It has a very low flash point which means it can burn off the wick.
For example if you were to make a little puddle of lamp oil on the ground you would struggle to light it under normal conditions. But a puddle of white gas will light quite easily.
The relevance of this as a fire performer is that if you get hit by one of your wicks the white gas is far more likely to transfer to your clothes and stay lit where as the lamp oil will usually not stay lit if it comes of your wick.
Unfortunately there are also some good points to white gas mostly being that it burns quite brightly, is less smoky and it is faster to light.
To make the most of this a lot of people mix a bit of white gas in with their lame oil. How much can depend on a few things. I find that in summer my poi light quite easily so I rarely use any white gas but in winter they can be really hard to light so I usually go for ratio of ΒΌ white gas to 3/4 lamp oil.
-
-
-
Re: Hoop Help
Wed, September 3, 2008 - 4:35 PMLamp oil will definitely give you a longer burn than white gas will. White gas does present more transfer issues, and it also evaporates much more quickly, so if you're typically going to be waiting a bit between dipping and lighting up, it's not the best option.
Typically when I dip my wicks, I use a paint can as a dip can, and I submerge them at least until they stop bubbling. I dip all the wicks in this fashion, and then move away from the fueling and performance areas and spin off the excess fuel. This prevents little flaming blobs of fuel from spiraling off your hoop when you start your burn, and also makes fuel transfers less likely if you touch yourself with a wick. My hoop is homemade, and my wicks are fairly beefy, so I can get a decently long burn with white gas, but I typically still prefer to spin with lamp oil.
I would suggest playing around with different blends of lamp oil and white gas to see what works best for you. I think lamp oil is probably going to be your best bet from the way it sounds; you may just not be dipping them long enough. Also, where are your wicks from? If they're from a specific manufacturer - Trick Concepts, etc - you may want to try writing them and seeing what method of fueling they recommend.
At any rate, I'm sure you'll get things worked out eventually. Welcome to fire hooping! Burn bright!
-
Re: Hoop Help
Sat, September 13, 2008 - 4:45 PMI've always used colemann white gas, and I've never had a problem. Just make sure you let them drip a little before moving to the next wick and give them a good spin off before you light up. My wicks are nearing the end of their lifespan, and only hold the flame for a minute and a half, but I could get 3 minutes off the gas when they were good.
As a safety concern, spin off NOT near or where you're performing. And if you're uncertain about the gas, try it just around your waist and work yourself up as you get more comfortable.
