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- Page Five
-INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED TORCHES-
After making and practicing with your beginner torches, you will have developed the basic skills and confidence necessary to move ahead, to experimentation with both different moves and skills, as well as better, more practical torches and other props.
Performance torches for fire-eating can be made of nearly anything (and indeed they are). The shaft may be made of such things as: Wood dowel rod; Copper, threaded steel, aluminum, or stainless steel rods; Fiberglass c/b antenna or telescoping TV antenna (usually used for comedy effect); A section of old fishing pole; Barbecue skewers; Fly-swatter handle; Welding rod (without the flux coating); Various types of tubing; Or even rustic tree-branches. I personally prefer to use hollow 3/8" curtain rods for most of my show torches.
The general, unspoken rule for a torch shaft is that it be fairly lightweight, comfortable to hold and manipulate, fairly well balanced, and long enough so you don't burn your hands on the flame while holding it in the various positions that your act requires.
The shaft may have a handle, looped or hooked end (similar to the beginner torches), combination of both, or neither. A handle, if used, may be almost any shape or style, again depending on your personal taste and preferences. Some use a wooden file handle. Some use a tight-fitting section of rubber tubing. Some simply wrap electrical tape, friction tape, duct tape, or colorful plastic tape around the final 6 or so inches of the torch. There is also a product on the market known as "Plasti-dip", which is a liquid made for dipping tool handles. When it dries, it leaves a rubbery, non-slip surface. My own torch handles are custom lathe-turned wood. I also have a set made from clear Lucite (plastic), embedded with rhinestones. Your choice of handles is basically for looks and to give you something to grab (plus insulation if necessary). It has nothing to do with the fire or the function of the torch itself. However, you should consider the weight of the torch handle, since some of the performance skills will require holding the torch between your teeth. Too heavy a handle will make it awkward, and an unnecessary strain on your teeth and jaws.
Whether you choose to use handles on your torches or not, a loop or hook on or near the end can serve a variety of functions. Some like to hang their torches by this loop, displayed on a board in a proud collection. You could have a hook or series of hooks on your belt or costume and hang your torches this way. The loop can also be used for fancy twirling by slipping one finger into it. This is an especially flashy way to get attention just before the actual "eating" begins.
Rather than on the end, I have a wire loop about the middle of the handle on just one of my torches. This makes it a bit easier to slip a finger in, and I can control the spin better than if the loop were on the very end. Twirling my torch is like a cowboy twirling his gun by the trigger guard.
Another idea might be to fasten a piece of Velcro© to the handle, and a corresponding piece wherever you'd like to "hang" your torches. Consider also, the notched rubber strips used to hang fishing rods, or the hangers used to secure spare arrows to a hunter's combpound bow. This arrow-holder can be inverted, and the part which covers the arrowheads will prevent wet torch heads from dripping.
As you can see, the possibilities are almost endless, limited only by your own imagination.
When making performance torches, keep in mind that some materials (mainly metals) will transfer heat faster than others, and some will dissipate the heat. This is important to consider if you will be keeping your torches burning for long periods of time (which isn't advisable, but sometimes is inevitable.) Insulating your hands from a hot metal torch shaft is a secondary purpose of the handles. Some professionals feel that a handle only prevents their knowing when the torch gets hot, and if it becomes too hot to hold without the need of an insulating handle, then it's too hot to put in their mouth. There are varying views on this subject.
A thicker shaft will look more impressive to the audience, but at the same time it will be heavier, and it will make the head appear smaller by comparison. If you personally prefer the look and feel of a really thick shaft, you could grind or lathe-turn the last 2 inches or so of the tip down to approximately 1/4 inch diameter. This would allow you to wrap a sufficient amount of wick material for the head, in order for the torch to absorb and hold a decent amount of fuel, without having to make it so thick it won't fit in your mouth.
Some feel the need to wrap the tip of a wooden torch with "fire tape" or thick metal tape, to prevent burning and scorching of the shaft. Some would fit a section of thin metal tubing over the end, for the same reason. This may or may not be necessary, depending on the amount and intensity of use you give your torches. A rustic-looking torch made from a green tree branch will still have enough moisture in it to withstand flames for quite a few uses before it even begins to show signs of scorching. Dowel rod, on the other hand, is factory-dried and cured, and obviously won't hold up as well if not treated or coated somehow.
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Allow me here a description of my own torches. As stated, I use 3/8" hollow curtain rods. These are also known as "café rods" in the stores. I use a tubing cutter to cut them to a convenient 16" or 18" length. Since they are hollow, they are extremely lightweight, and their heat-transfer rate is minimal. They are two slightly different diameters, so one slides inside the other. My handles -when used- have a slightly different size hole on each end, so they are interchangeable between the two slightly different torch shafts, but fit snugly. I can remove the handles, slip the end of one torch into the other, and have a single long shaft with a head on each end, for some special stunts (described later). Over the years I have experimented with all sorts of torch materials. I have made simple torches from aluminum clothesline (more durable than you might think!), and customized torches to fit the themes of whatever event I was working. The heads of my torches also have varied over the years. I still believe that gauze bandage is the best and most absorbent material for this purpose. I even experimented with opening up a tampon(!) and using the super-absorbent filler inside a torch head. Theory and practice have a way of clashing, and I found this simply did not compare to the holding power of plain old gauze bandage! As it turned out, tampons today are filled with hypo-alergenic synthetic fibers (which melt), and not cotton, as I had erroneously assumed. Currently, I am using 100% cotton cloth, from a fabric store, in a heavyweight variety. I cut this beforehand to 2" wide strips and use it as needed. All the heads are rolled to approximately 1" diameter, and glued as previously mentioned. One of my torches has a 4" long, 1 1/2" diameter head, which I use once during a show, as a special challenge stunt. This one is a mouthful, and sometimes difficult, even for me. It is definitely NOT a beginner's torch! I will sometimes fall back on using a gauze-bandage torch, or even one made out of coat-hanger wire, depending on the show I am doing.
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