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Jay




Posts : 10
Join date : 2010-01-25

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PostSubject: Fire Device   Fire Device Icon_minitimeMon Mar 01, 2010 3:35 pm

Kerry, You mentioned in one of your posts that you have a simple device for adding real fire to your picture. Could you explain that a little bit? Thanks, Jay
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Kerry Kistler
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Kerry Kistler


Posts : 151
Join date : 2010-01-12

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PostSubject: Re: Fire Device   Fire Device Icon_minitimeTue Mar 02, 2010 4:18 am

Hi Jay,

I picked up a 48" piece of aluminum U channel at a Ace or True Value hardware. It has a base of 1/2" and walls of 3/4". Thickness of the aluminum is about 1/16". See it at this link HERE. You can probably find it at your local hardware store.

Lay this on your chalk tray, toward your paper. I temporarily stick mine in place with two marble-sized balls of reusable putty (such as used for hanging posters on a wall). Now, inside the full length of channel lay a long piece of flash cord. This is heavy string that is specially treated with chemicals that make it burn VERY fast. You can see and purchase it HERE.

Leave a short tail sticking out of one end of the channel and when you need the fire reach into your chalk tray where you have secreted a lighter. Light the tail and just hold the lighter while the flames burn across the base of the drawing. Ditch the lighter back into the tray when reaching for the next stick of chalk.

Here is what it looks like in action in a drawing called The Drawbridge - the flame goes about 6" high. Test the position of the flame because this technique has been known to catch the bottom edge of the paper on fire Fire Device Affraid . Have fun! Kerry

Fire Device Drawbr10
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Jay




Posts : 10
Join date : 2010-01-25

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PostSubject: Re: Fire Device   Fire Device Icon_minitimeTue Mar 02, 2010 10:16 am

Thanks! That's way cool! Matt Bowman taught me a drawing of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Just before the blacklight is turned on showing fire from the altar, he used flash paper to cause a brief flash of fire. I tried the flash paper wrapped around a model rocketry nichrome wire. When a small electric current flows through the nichrome wire it heats up and ignites the flash paper. It too is pretty neat! Again, one has to be careful about the possiblity of fire. Jay
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Kerry Kistler
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Kerry Kistler


Posts : 151
Join date : 2010-01-12

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PostSubject: Re: Fire Device   Fire Device Icon_minitimeTue Mar 02, 2010 1:15 pm

Yes, I have used the rocket ignitor/flash paper combo in certain magic tricks - just push the secret button and WHOOSH!

Bill Hagg uses different special effects with chalk, including fire. Essentially, he uses a low-tech approach where he fastens a few cheap soldering irons up behind his light hood and runs the cords behind the drawing to an outlet/switch arrangement.

Then he wraps balls of flash paper around the soldering irons and when he need to simulate fire falling from heaven (Elijah, Sodom, etc.), he activates the switch. The only problem with this approach is that you can't predict exactly when the flash point will be hit. I think he said it takes about a minute for the fire balls to start dropping.

Caution is advised - some venues have strict "no pyro" rules in place.

Best, Kerry
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PostSubject: Re: Fire Device   Fire Device Icon_minitime

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