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- Page Seven
MORE TIPS -ON FUELS
When you are ready to go from practice to performing in front of an audience, especially if it is going to be a professional or paid show, you will need to think about replacing that coffee can with something a bit more professional-looking. I would suggest browsing the thrift stores or garage sales, or even eBay if you spend a lot of time online. Look for something like a brass flower vase. Make sure it is not cracked or leaking. The best thing would have a heavy bottom so as not to tip over. If you will perform in any particular theme, you will want your torch-can to fit in with that theme.
When performing before others, it is also advisable to use unmarked containers for your fuels. As pointed out in my FAQs, there will always be some smart-aleck in your audience who will surmise that, knowing what fuel you use, he/she can go home and do the same thing. One simple method of covering up your fuel is to simply take the gallon can out in the garage and give it a full coat of spray-paint. You can paint it red, black, or any other color you choose. If you are using several fuels, you might want to paint the cans different colors so you know which is which. If you don't mind the extra cost, you could go out and buy polyurethane gas-cans for your fuels. If you shop around, you can find these cans in different colors for different fuels. Approved safety-cans, with spring-loaded covers, are really more of a hassle than a help. Plus, they are very expensive.
There are industry standards for color markings of various fuel containers. Gasoline -or petrol- uses a red container. In the United States, it is illegal to transfer gasoline from the pumps into anything BUT a red, non-glass container. Diesel fuel is generally kept in a green or yellow container. Kerosene -paraffin- uses a blue container. Since I use both automotive gasoline and white gas in my performances, I keep the white gas in a red-and-white striped container. These different container colors help you know at a glance which is which; they confuse the backstage snoops, and they help add a bit of mystery and professionalism to your overall impression on others. For containers that will be used onstage, you might want to go one step further and label them as "FIRE-EATING FUEL, TORCH FUEL, MIX A, MIX B, etc."
I have done special-theme shows where I put my kerosene -for onstage use- in a wine bottle, a whiskey bottle, a moonshine jug, or a container labeled, "POISON". The moonshine jug is labeled, "XXXX -FIREWATER".
MORE ON MAKING AND USING TORCHES
WHY do I advise to use 100% cotton for your torch heads? Why not any thick, absorbent fabric you have laying around? -You CAN use just about anything. And some do. But cotton seems to be the least likely to burn and smolder on its own. If you take a small swatch of pure cotton fabric and light it on fire, it will burn, but slowly. Try this with different materials and see for yourself. This is the best way to learn and understand. Hold a match or lighter up to a small piece of woolen cloth. It will flare up fast. Get ahold of a small piece of synthetic material, such as polyester, rayon, nylon, or Dacron, and try this same test. These materials will not only flame up fast, they will melt and drip -and those droplets will be HOT. They will burn you faster and more severely than fire alone.
The results of this personal testing will come in handy not only in making your torches, but in choosing costumes and materials for making your costumes, props, or table-coverings.
When making the heads of intermediate and advanced performing torches, wrap 1 1/2" or 2" strips of cotton material, gluing in the same manner as described in Tips, page three -Beginner Torches.
All fire-eating torches are going to build up an accumulation of soot, or lampblack, on them after a few shows. And if not wiped off, this will soil anything the torches happen to touch.
When the time comes that your torches have burned down to a point where you just don't feel they are working well anymore, if you've made them following my gluing procedures, just get a good, sharp knife, and cut through the wrappings. Don't cut toward the shaft. Hold the shaft in one hand facing away from your body, and push outward on the head with your knife blade. This is done in the same manner as if you were whittling a stick to a point. Once you've cut a section out of the head, all the way down to the shaft, you should be able to peel the rest of the wrapping off the shaft with your hands. Scrape off any burned excess glue, wipe off all soot, and you're ready to wrap new heads.
The Fire-Eater's torches should never be used for ornamental lighting, juggling, or show illumination. If you need torches for these purposes, then make some out of heavy pipe, or buy some juggling fire batons. Home-made torches of this type are a good place to use the asbestos material you might have wanted to use on your fire-eating torches. Save your fire-eating torches for one purpose only. -And don't let others play with them, burning or not. They are specialty equipment, and valuable. Without them, you'd have no show. Take care of them and treat them with the respect they deserve.
Some professional Fire-Eaters, myself included, prefer to make custom carrying cases specifically for their torches. This not only protects the torches, but keeps your other equipment and clothing clean. A torch carrying-case could be as simple as an old canvas bank moneybag, or a mailing tube with screw-cap ends. It can be an old, or specially-purchased, tool box (the ones made for socket-wrench sets are a nice size and fit) or it can be as elaborate as a custom-made wooden box with hinges and luggage handle, with grooves or clips inside to keep the torches separated. It could even be a tooled leather case with zipper or snaps. It's up to you how much you want to throw into it. But remember before you laugh, the fancier your carrying case, the more apparent your respect and value for your torches. Believe me, people will notice that. How serious and professional would you think a golfer is, who carries his clubs in a beat-up duffel-bag? Or a bowler who carries his ball to the lanes in an old paper shopping bag? Either might turn out to be the greatest in their league, but they are going to have to prove themselves first. The custom carrying case generally says "PROFESSIONAL" before you even start unpacking.
The following observation you will sooner or later make on your own, but my making it here may save you a bit of time:
Freshly wrapped torches seem to have a sort of an "amateur" look on stage. This may just be my personal attitude, but I feel anything that looks too new gives the impression of lack of experience, or "first-timer." Consider the new hand on a ranch showing up for work the first day in brand-new hat, boots, and chaps. Do you think the other cowpokes are going to show him any respect? Until he proves himself, they are going to see him as a "dude." I think brand new show equipment tends to give the same impression. New torches also do tend to burn a bit hotter than used ones.
For these two reasons, I like to 'break in' my new or rewrapped torches before using them onstage. There have been times when my only opportunity to do this was on the stage itself, in front of the audience. So I simply made this a part of the preliminary stage setup routine. And it helped draw a few additional spectators. With six or eight flaming torches in my hands, you can imagine the attention it gets.
There is really nothing to it, and during initial practice, you really should not have an audience hanging around watching, anyway. You simply dip them both (or all) in fuel, shake off, light, and hold them in front of you. Keep an eye on them and within a few seconds you will notice they are beginning to change color. Watch them carefully and when they begin to show just a bit of brownness and decreased flame size, blow them all out and they are ready for use.
Before you do this, however, let me re-emphasize that when you dip those torches in fuel, Always shake off excess fuel. I have already mentioned this, and what can happen when you forget. The audience always enjoys the extra spectacle when you drop your torch and wave your flaming hand and arm around in a wild panic. I have seen this happen to others, and have had it happen to me. When it happens to you, try to remember to NOT panic. Try hard to NOT wave your hand in a wild attempt to shake the fire off. That won't work. It will only fan the flames. You must act quickly, to smother the flames. If possible, shove your hand into your pocket and slap it with the other hand. If you have taken the precaution of having a wet rag handy, now is a good time to grab it and wrap your flaming hand fast. Or, if you have a "fire bucket" of water onstage, dunk it! Fast and deliberate action is called for in this situation. Once the fire is out, and you've recovered the burning torch from wherever you dropped or threw it (yes, in your initial panic you just may accidentally throw the torch without even knowing it!), then it's time for a cover-up joke for the audience. Don't forget, they saw everything. You may wish to use this as an opportunity to point out that things like this happen now and then, and that's why we always say, "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!"
When something that obvious happens in front of an audience, don't look to them for sympathy, but don't ever try to hide it from them, either. They are not that dumb. Maintain your composure with a joke or brief remark, and get on with the show.
Only experience -lots of it- can tell you just how little shaking off of the torches you can get by with. So while you are learning, just give them two or three good swift swings each and every time you dip them.
CAUTION! -When performing in front of people, be very aware of where you are swinging. That swing is going to splatter a fair amount of flammable liquid, so be sure you are swinging away from people, and especially any open flames!
Always keep your torches well-saturated with fuel. The less you allow them to dry out while burning, the longer they will last. If a torch should dry out while it is burning, the flame will die considerably, it will become extremely hot, and it will not be effective for any of the fire stunts you may want to do with it. A dry torch will also smolder, burning itself down to nothing within a very short time. And when that happens, you won't be able to simply smother it out in your mouth or hand, like with a wet one.
A torch that's been badly charred and then re-dipped and lit will taste bad, sometimes drop bits of black charred material in your mouth, and hold less fuel, giving you even less time to do anything with it before you have to stop and re-dip.
Don't allow this to happen. Observe your torches as they are burning, and with experience you will learn to judge when a torch is running low on fuel and extinguish it before it dries out too much. Your torches will last longer, look better, taste better, and burn you less. And you probably won't find yourself having to sheepishly explain to your audience why you just swore at one of your torches!
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