Instructions for making fire spinning chains.
The basic idea: Fire spinning gear consists of two pieces of
chain or
metal cable
of equal length, each with a
wick attached to one end, and a
grip at the other. Here
I will describe exactly how my gear was constructed.
Wicks
Kevlar wicking is the best, because it does not
disintegrate as it burns. Some people
make their wicks out of
cotton wrapped in a little
cage of
wire, but cotton falls
apart, sending showers of flaming bits in all directions as you spin. I made my wicks like
this:
For a single wick, use 4 feet of 2-inch-wide kevlar wicking. In the diagrams, the A and B mark the two ends to keep track
of them as the wicking is folded.
_ _ ______________________ _ _
A B
_ _ ______________________ _ _
Starting in the middle,
fold it at a 45-degree angle.
_ _ _________
A |\
_ _ _________| \
| |
| |
| B|
. .
. .
Fold the B end from bottom to top, going around back:
. .
. .
| B|
_ _ _________| |
A |\ |
_ _ _________|_\|
After the last step, the little 45-degree fold is still visible.
Then, fold the A end left to right, in front, over B:
. .
. .
| B|
|__|____ _ _
| A
|_______ _ _
The 45-degree fold is now hidden between the two ends.
Fold the B end from top to bottom in front over A. All folding from this point takes place in front.
________ _ _
| | A
| |_____ _ _
| |
| B|
. .
. .
Keep folding, A right to left over B; B bottom to top over A, etc. until only an inch or two
of wicking remains. Hide these ends by tucking them inside the last fold. You don't want
stray ends sticking out. When you are done you will have a little rectangular stack of
folded wicking a little taller than wide.
Each wick needs to have an eyebolt through it. I used 3/16" eyebolts, with shafts
about 3" long. It might help to first drive a nail or an awl
all the way through all the layers to make a hole. Then work the eyebolt through (the threads
can work to your advantage in this, but it will take patience), and use a washer and an
acorn nut to hold the wicking in place. It shouldn't be packed too tightly -- it needs
to be able to absorb fuel. You can use Locktite on the nut to keep it from coming unscrewed
while you are spinning.
Grips
Soft, medium-weight
leather is recommended. Don't use something so lightweight it could
tear with a strong tug. Cut 2 strips of leather, one inch wide and one foot long. In the
center, cut a lengthwise slit 4 inches long. Punch two holes, one near each end.
_______________________________
|. ____________ .|
|_______________________________|
The holes should be centered, although my ascii character set doesn't show them
that way. You can reinforce the holes with
grommets if
you want. Fold each piece in half (now it is 6 " long) and thread both holes (which
should be next to each other now) onto a circular key ring.
To form a grip for your fingers, hold it so the key ring is down and the slit end is up. Grab
both inner edges of the slit and turn each side up, over, and inside out, so that two loops
are formed. (Ascii art, don't fail me now!)
____ <- ->
| | | /\ /\
| | | \ \ / / _____ _____
| | | | | | / __\ \ / /__ \ Side view:
| | | | | | \/__|_ | _|__\/ ____ ___ ___
| | | | | | \_____\|/_____/ / /\ \ / \ / \
| | | | | \|/ | / / \ \ | || |
| | | | | | | /_/ \_\ \__________/
| | | | | | | | ||
| | | | | | | | ||
| . | | | | . | | . | ||
|___| |___| |_____| |____| ||
finished finished
I feel most comfortable putting my middle and ring fingers through the two loops, with
the chains going out from the back of the hand.
Chains
Ball chain (15 guage) is best, I think. You can also use lightweight linked chain, such as
for a dog chain, but linked chain has a tendency to
twist and
tangle, something you want to
avoid while twirling flaming balls. If you use ball chain, you will want to get 4 type A
connectors to attach the ball chain to the other components. With linked chain, you don't
need anything fancy; just connect to a link.
Start with pieces of chain about as long as your arm, shoulder to wrist. Attach the key
rings on the grips to one end. You can also use key rings to attach the wick-eyebolts to the other
end of the chain, but it's handy to use a quick-release mechanism there, such as a
carabiner or a little D-ring with a screw closure. That way you can easily remove your wicks
and/or add other interesting things to twirl, like glowsticks.
You will probably want your chains to be short enough so that the whole chain, including the
wick, will pass comfortably under your arm (while your hands are wearing the grips) without hitting
yourself in the torso. For most people, a little over a foot of chain is long enough.
You can always cut the chain long, then adjust it as you figure out what is comfortable.
Practice chains
If you are making a set of chains just for practice, you might want to use something other than
the wicks on the ends. You could try bean bags,
stuffed animals,
rubber balls, etc. For practice at night, attach glowsticks or photon lights. This can
work for performance too, if you are in a place where you just can't light up.
Considerations
The heavier your wicks or weights are, the slower they will spin and the steadier they will feel. Also,
the longer your chains are, the slower they will spin, giving you more time
to react. However, heavy weights make you tire easily, and
long chains are more prone to
tangling; plus, there are certain moves you
just can't do with chains that are past a certain length. I believe that practice with
slightly lighter-weight, faster-spinning chains is a good thing -- if you feel
steady
with those, you will feel rock-solid with your heavier fire chains.
Materials list
OK. Here is a list of the materials used:
- 2 4-foot lengths of kevlar wicking
- 2 3/16" eyebolts, with shafts 3 inches long
- 2 washers
- 2 3/16" acorn nuts
- 2 pieces of leather 1 inch wide by 12 inches long
- 2 key rings
- 2 carabiners, or D-rings with screw closure, or another 2 key rings.
- 2 lengths of ball chain, 2 feet long or less. Regular
linked chain will also do.
- If you use ball chain, 4 type-A connectors.
Conclusions
Have
fun! Read the stuff at
Learning to spin fire if
you don't already know how.
Respect fire.