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-Page Three
By now you're most likely aware that the only way to get to these pages -Tips Page Two and beyond- is by going through the first Tips page. You cannot simply open the site and find a direct link to the Tips page you want. There is no site map, and the supplied page links lead to all the other pages. -This is a deliberate attempt to make it a little more difficult for the merely curious. In creating this site, it was decided that this would be far simpler for all concerned than creating a password-protected area. The "goodies" are here for all, but you have to dig a little bit. Some of the best tips and so-called secrets you will find buried among more mundane dialogue. This again is partially an attempt to weed out the less-than-serious. If you are with me this far, then you are obviously serious enough to keep digging.
So far we have pretty much covered the basics -A comparison of various fuels and their uses, and a brief treatise on tools. It's about time to get on with some of the good stuff, making your torches.
Books or magic-magazine articles on fire-eating, as well as some of the web sites you can find, will attempt to tell you how to make your torches. The fact is, these are all the authors' own methods. I have found one (count them -ONE) other web site which advises that torches are a matter of personal choice. This has been my opinion for years. However, there are a few things to keep in mind for beginner's torches. They are smaller and lighter, though not shorter, than what you will use later on. Once you have mastered the use of these simple ones, then it is safe to go on with your own ideas and preferences.
A beginner's fire eating torch is basically nothing more than a coat-hanger wire with a ball of wick on the end. It's best to make two or more, as they will most likely burn out fast in initial practice. Peter Bendall in his web page, <http://www.juggling.org/help/circus-arts/fire-eat/fire-torches.html> gives a pretty accurate description of the process (though his sketch of a torch was created with a typewriter). However, there is really no need to purchase specialized torch wicking as he recommends. In fact, I would recommend against it. Cotton cloth is fine. But remember to use only 100% pure cotton. Good quality T-shirts, bedsheets, and pillow cases are usually cotton, but do not cut up your (or your mother's) good bedding! Cotton dishtowels are generally more absorbent. A good quality terrycloth towel is even more so. Some fire-eaters use the strands from a "rag" mop, or "magician's rope" (available at magic supply stores). The best product I have found for this purpose, especially for a beginner's torch, is gauze bandage. This can be found in drug stores and pharmacies, in the first-aid sections. But be careful in selecting gauze bandage. There is a newer variety on the market, with elastic threads embedded in it. Stay away from this. The elastic will melt and drip on your face. A good substitute, if you cannot find the non-elastic gauze bandage, is cotton cheesecloth. You can get this from paint stores, hardware stores, or fabric shops. Cut it up into 2", 3", or 4" wide strips and fold them in half.
Why all the emphasis on 100% cotton, or Dube's special Kevlar wick material ( yes, the same thing bullet-proof vests are made of )? Why not just asbestos cord?
Asbestos has been outlawed just about everywhere as a carcinogen (cancer-causer). If you should come across some stashed away in a garage or your father's old toolbox, hang onto it. It will come in handy for other props, but not for anything that goes in your mouth.
Fiberglass cloth and lamp wick obviously will not burn out, but it is really not as absorbent as we'd like. And it is just one step below asbestos in the health-risk category.
Kevlar torch wicking (There are actually two. The one for juggling torches is wire-reinforced. Get the kind without the wire.) is supposed to be the best non-toxic substitute for asbestos. However, it must be ordered specially from the juggling supply firms, it costs MUCH more than cotton, and in 30 years of fire-eating I have never had need for it myself.
100% pure cotton, whether in cloth or cord form, will eventually smolder and burn. It will happen no matter how well you take care of your torches. It will happen sooner during initial practice, until you learn what constitutes proper care. -This will be discussed… BUT, it is a known fact that asbestos and fiberglass are health risks. The health risks of swallowing or inhaling bits of Kevlar have not yet been studied. At this time, it is supposedly safe. But at one time asbestos and fiberglass were considered "safe" too. What we DO know is that, even thought it will eventually burn and smolder, pure cotton is not a health risk. No one has yet died from swallowing a burnt dish towel (none that I know of, anyway).
Whatever material you use, the shape of the torch head is our next consideration. Cord, string, or rope, unless very meticulously wound, will always end up in a sort of football-shape. This has always struck me as un-professional in appearance. I personally prefer a neat, smooth, cylinder shaped head. I also feel the cylinder shape has more surface area, thereby generating more flame. The best way to achieve this is with a single length of cloth or fabric, wound straight and smooth.
One more thing to think about before going into the actual making of your torches is, How are you going to fasten the head material? This issue deserves deeper consideration than you might think. Juggling-torch heads are fastened with two screws going through the wick material and into the shaft of the torch. These torches are too large for decent fire-eating. Very few people can even get one into their mouth ( I have ). The screws tend to heat up fast, and would leave nasty burns on your tongue and lips unless you go out of your way to line them up just right every time. In the pace of a good show, this is just not possible. Some say to use fine wire to hold the material in place. This again will get hot, and if you are not extremely careful you can end up with burns in the criss-cross pattern of the wire on your torch! I have known some who swore by cotton thread. They would tie it off every wrap or two, so if it did burn it would not all unravel. When the thread burns and unravels from the head, it can make a pretty interesting show, with the flaming strands hanging from the torch into your mouth. But it's no fun for the fire-eater himself when this happens ( Yes, I have personally done this too ). Another fire-eater I know actually sews the head material, using a sewing needle and heavy-weight button/carpet thread (again, cotton only). This is very time and labor-intensive, and still does not guarantee that the tread itself will not burn or smolder through. Furthermore, unless you build a feature into the torch shaft, such as a kink in the wire, a deep groove, tiny barbs, very rough surface, etc..., fastening the heads with thread or wire will not keep them from slipping off -and possibly at the wrong moment. ( I once saw a fire-eater actually flip the head off his torch into his audience! It was pretty embarrassing for him, and fortunately no one was hurt. )
The best method I have found for both fastening the wick or cloth material of the head, as well as preventing any slippage, is simply -glue. Not just any glue. One web site says to use silicone gel. Here again we have something that can burn and possibly cause additional health risks. Any solvent-based adhesives would fall into this same category -and some will actually soften when dipped in fuel. My choice? -White glue, also sold under the brand name, Elmer's Glue, or "school glue". Just be sure it's the white variety, and not brown, or mucilage. This white glue is water-soluble. Instead of burning, the heat of the torch actually further cures it and hardens it. ( I have personally had torches that were so burned-out that not much remained except for a band of hard glue. )
All this preliminary information having been said, we will now proceed into the simple matter of making your first set of beginner's torches. The following pencil-sketches pretty much tell the story:
Before you cut the hanger, take a moment to trace the twists just below the hooked top. Be sure you are cutting the short end, and not the end that becomes the actual hook. Hammer or otherwise straighten the length of the wire. Cut it to length after you are satisfied that it's as straight as you're going to get it. Smear a small amount of white glue on the end and begin rolling the gauze or cheesecloth until you have the desired size head. Cut the excess material, and draw a bead of glue under the loose end of material on the roll. ( At this point, I like to smear a bit of glue on both edges of the roll of material, as an extra precaution against fraying. But this is optional. ) Finish up the torch by bending the hook into a closed loop. Follow this procedure for a second torch, or as many as you care to make.
A 1" wide strip of material is fine for a basic beginner. Your second and most future torches could be 1 1/2" or 2". ( After a third of a century at this, I still make my torch heads 2" for most general fire-eating stunts -although I do have longer ones for special purposes. )
You have now made your first set of beginner's torches! Set them aside for awhile to dry. One other advantage of using white glue is that these torches may be used as little as 10 minutes after making. Once the glue has set, the heat of the burning fuel will "cure" the glue. Your fuel will not soften this water-based glue as it might with other types of adhesives.
The loop on the end is a safety. It helps prevent the torch from slipping through your fingers at the wrong moment. You could also slip a finger into the loop and twirl the flaming torch in your hand.
Next we will examine some of the more advanced versions of the fire-eater's torch…
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