Fuel Dip/Spin Off on the Playa

[Fire_Moose]

Hey everyone, this is my virgin year for the fabled BM. I spin fire staff and i am concerned about dripping excess fuel on the playa. so a couple of questions....

1. What is the best way to spin off a freshly dipped staff?
2. How do people go about taking their art to different places on the playa?
(What I'm thinking now is get a biner that connects to my back pack and hang a paint can with fuel in it from that.)

And if any one has any helpful tips about this that helps too! Thanks.

[Ugly Dougly]

1. What is the best way to spin off a freshly dipped staff?

I usually wipe it on the curtain.

[Pink Daddy]

If you have a wooden stick, you can make a spin-off bucket modification. Basically, you find one or two small paint buckets that fit over your wicks. They must have handles. Attach a screw hook on your staff so that the buckets can be held in place. Spin-off to your hearts content. Dump the excess fuel into your dip bucket. Do this one side at a time or you'll just spill the fuel you spun out.

You can do the same thing with poi, but it's a little easier.

[AntiM]

Most of our poi spinners make spin-off buckets, intriguing that it can be done with a staff. I've seen an upwards spinning flip to burn off excess fuel, but haven't a good way to describe it. Although during the big Show, there's a lot of excess dripped onto the playa.

What are you using? White gas? That'll evap or burn off, kerosene is nastier.

[AntiM]

I've seen golf club carriers modified to haul fuel and fire toys behind bikes. A dip can should attach to your pack easily enough; a spin off bucket can be slightly larger and make a tidy stack. Do you carry a spare towel to hand to a spotter?

(I'm on fuel master/fire safety for the Utah conclave, I tend to think about these things).

[Fire_Moose]

Ya, i was planning on carrying a safety towel with me.

I mostly use white gas, but there are only a few things better then the sweet sweet smell of Kero in the morning, so occasinally i will dip in that.

I know how to do the burn offs but that doesnt help the whole time between dip and light and burn off where you are dripping fuel.....

[seelivemusic]

1. What is the best way to spin off a freshly dipped staff?

I usually wipe it on the curtain.

I like socks.

[pinemom]

hmmm....

if you dont dip tooo long, you dont get excess. Start practicing to use just the right amount....give it a minute or 3 to soak in, then spin away...
1. long spin time
2. small run off that you can catch on fire(wont leave burn scars if you use white gas ONLY (kerosene and lamp oil have parafin in them, they burn longer but dirtier...smoke...and waxey on the playa...moop)
3.You will find that the white gas, yes, does burn quiker, but its cleaner, wont smoke out friends spinning close to you, and white gas evaporates realitively quik...poof...gone in minutes.
4.average spin time on a staff or poi with a good quik dip 2-5 minutes...

Oh and make sure when you purchase your white gas...that is indeed white gas....we've come across a couple that are NOT good to do ground spin offs, very dirty(oily) and they smoke!

[CapSmashy]

1. What is the best way to spin off a freshly dipped staff?

I usually wipe it on the curtain.

I like socks.

Or if there is long hair...

[bdeywoo]

Go to your local fabric store and get a large piece of fire retardent fabric (cant remember the name). We have one 4 foot by 8 foot lay it on the ground, do all your prep on it and no worries about spillage, drips or acidents.
Folds up nice and small for transport via bike or foot. Any fuel containers, just use a Biner and hook it top the bike or pack.

[Fire_Moose]

I liek that idea bdey...are you talking about a duveytine? How thick would you reccomend...if it maters.

Pinemom: Are you sayign that people dont care about dripping white gas on the playa because it evaps?

[pinemom]

within reason....on the drippy!

Like I said if you quik dip your tools(and learning to do this also saves you major $$$$) then letting it actually soak into the wick for a minute or 3, you'll get a nice burn and there wont be that much spin off drippy.
Take your time too, when you light up, slowly play with your tool long enough to burn off most of what would splatter.Then go for the super fast action packed playing and finish!

hahaha
that so sounded nasty'~ hahaaa!
The fabric for safety is Duveytine, there's also products
like "Nomex", "CarbonX"(go thick, not thin) and a newer one "Camando Clothe"(although Im finding this one to absorb to much fuel and burn holes easier.

[Token]

You guys can't be serious about all this?

Spilling fuel on duvetyne then wrapping it up and lugging it around is a really bad idea. You end up with a big wick soaked with fuel which you will now fold up into a nice torch and carry around at Burning Man, where every other cat is lighting something on fire. Brilliant!

Its f*$&^%g Burning Man! Live a little, go on the edge. Let a few fire trails add some flare to your routine.

So, dip away and don't worry about it.

Also, have someone teach you how to flare a staff out without dripping any fuel on the ground: it is a rotate and toss move that will burn off the excess fuel.

[DoriumLux]

You guys can't be serious about all this?

Spilling fuel on duvetyne then wrapping it up and lugging it around is a really bad idea. You end up with a big wick soaked with fuel which you will now fold up into a nice torch and carry around at Burning Man, where every other cat is lighting something on fire. Brilliant!

Its f*$&^%g Burning Man! Live a little, go on the edge. Let a few fire trails add some flare to your routine.

So, dip away and don't worry about it.

Also, have someone teach you how to flare a staff out without dripping any fuel on the ground: it is a rotate and toss move that will burn off the excess fuel.

Are you kidding? Have you ever watched what happens when someone doesn't spin off and lights up poi soaked in white gas? Guess what happens to people who may be standing by... Not only do they get hit with fuel but they get hit with fuel that's on fire. White gas is highly flammable and stays on fire as it whizzes through the air to whatever it will land on which may be a person wearing flammable clothes or even a child. Yes, I have seen this. Yes, it happens. Smart? NO, I really think not.

[AntiM]

Poi is easy, use a spin-off bucket. Staffs and hoops don't fit.

It's called a safety perimeter for a reason.

[Fire_Moose]

[quote="Token"]
Also, have someone teach you how to flare a staff out without dripping any fuel on the ground: it is a rotate and toss move that will burn off the excess fuel.[/quote]

I much prefer the 1/4 steve throw to burn off excess fuel in a very nice helix form :)

[Token]

Are you kidding? Have you ever watched what happens when someone doesn't spin off and lights up poi soaked in white gas?

Better yet, I have done it routinely; we use that all the time when we perform. You know, lay down trails just like in Back to the Future, or you can do the fire circle on the ground, staff flares, or blasts from a fire whip...

The way you make sure people do not get fuel spray on them is by having fire safeties and a cleared out performance area. If you don't have that, a few drops of fuel from a tool will be the least of your worries.

BTW, the fuel that spins off and lands on stuff is not on fire. It cant be. Physics. Liquid fuel does not burn. The vapor does.

But we digress. The big point here is that soaking up fuel into a large blanket and lugging it around is a Darwin Award grade piece of advice and should be avoided.

The rest of the discussion is just as matter of opinion and technique.

[Token]

I much prefer the 1/4 steve throw to burn off excess fuel in a very nice helix form

I don't know what it's called or who Steve is, but the simple move is to spin the staff rapidly about the axis of the pole itself and then lightly toss into the air, simple up-down.

[Fire_Moose]

steve is a contact trick.....it rolls down your arm.....so it ges spinning on the axis your talking about but also spins horizontaly....creating a helix

[DoriumLux]

Are you kidding? Have you ever watched what happens when someone doesn't spin off and lights up poi soaked in white gas?

Better yet, I have done it routinely; we use that all the time when we perform. You know, lay down trails just like in Back to the Future, or you can do the fire circle on the ground, staff flares, or blasts from a fire whip...

The way you make sure people do not get fuel spray on them is by having fire safeties and a cleared out performance area. If you don't have that, a few drops of fuel from a tool will be the least of your worries.

BTW, the fuel that spins off and lands on stuff is not on fire. It cant be. Physics. Liquid fuel does not burn. The vapor does.

But we digress. The big point here is that soaking up fuel into a large blanket and lugging it around is a Darwin Award grade piece of advice and should be avoided.

The rest of the discussion is just as matter of opinion and technique.

Oh yah, cause at Burning Man it's always easy to have a burn perimeter. ALWAYS. LOL. Nothing at Burning Man is ever chaotic.

The point of this topic was suppose to keep fuel off the playa and yes, I'm pretty sure no one wants to get hit with fuel burning or not. Ask someone who has been hit with it.

[Token]

After Wednesday a few drops of white gas make most folks smell better !

[I am a sock puppet]

1. What is the best way to spin off a freshly dipped staff?

I usually wipe it on the curtain.

I like socks.

Are you dating?

[wildistheway]

looking for more fire dancers like yourself for the Redwood Resurrection project.

see: http://playacal.burningman.com/view_ent ... e=20080827

[firesky99]

You can use a towel to soak up excess fuel - but you need to carry another paint can or sealed container to keep the fueled towels in until you get back to camp. Then in the morning lay out the towels in the sun and let the fuel evaporate off and reuse.

[EspressoDude]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPXVGQnJm0w[/youtube]

[Funky Monkey Mech]

My portable set up i got an old cartage belt and a buttpack plus some mag pouches, first aid pouch/w kit and canteen pouches from the surplus store.... I just pull it off and set it close by when I choose to light up.

I put my collapsible fire breathers wand, poi, duvetyne, goggles, and bandannas into my buttpack.. in the large mag pouch i put my paraffin lamp oil, then in one of the canteen pouches i put my fuel bottle/w safety cap for when i breath. The oil bottles i buy have a small camp that spit out a nice little stream of oil for easy filling of my breathers bottle and also works great for just spraying it right on your poi or wand and letting it soak in slowly... this will be my first year testing this set up on the playa but at other events it worked great .... i put a lot more in and on the belt as well, such as my dust storm gear, burn gel just in case of accidents, drinking water, spit cup ( to rinse my mouth out after), snacks, some beer and chem lights.... will try and get a picture of it and post it up here....