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Permalink Reply by Ariel on April 7, 2011 at 8:41am

You'd maybe want to wire the paper wicks to the spokes. I use a thin 19 ga wire for that. It's what I do for my fire fans and fire eating torches, should work fine for a hoop.

For attaching the spokes to the hoop, the good designs I've seen go like this, and I hope I can make this sensible:)

Mark your hoop into even sections based on the # of wicks. Get dowel rod that is the same diameter as the OD of your tubing. Cut the dowel rod into 1 1/2" sections- cut one piece per wick. Next, drill your hoop where you want your wicks to go. Use a drill bit that's the same diameter of your steel cable. Then drill your dowel pieces. Use a coat hanger or something similar to push your dowel pieces through the hoop to match up with the holes in the tubing. This is a bit of a bitch, just be patient :) Obviously, you'll want to start from the middle and work your way toward the cut ends. Once you have that all together (make sure its lined up perfectly!), fill your drill holes with a bit of a good epoxy, like JB weld. Then jimmy your wicks into the holes, be sure that its a tight fit. If it's loose, you'll wind up with a sketchy hoop. Let the epoxy cure and away you go!

The key to making this work is patience, making sure everything lines up and is the correct size. Otherwise you'll go though a lot of pain and frustration. I hope this helps, if you try it, let me know if it works!

 

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Permalink Reply by Saor in Aisce on April 7, 2011 at 8:50am

Thanks so much.  do you know how to exactly attach the wicks to the spine?

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Bond on April 7, 2011 at 1:25pm

awesome!!! thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Breanna Falconer on April 7, 2011 at 9:48am

Do you have pictures? I am super interested in this.  :)

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Permalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on April 7, 2011 at 10:27am

you should think about covering the paper with clear vinyl tape to help protect the paper from the environments and for added protection from the flame.

 

Also be sure to do a test run with this hoop before doing it at a show, be sure to check if the cotton wicks wont fall apart as you are hooping. 

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Permalink Reply by Ariel on April 7, 2011 at 10:58am

I don't have any photos of my own, but I'll link you to photos of hoops that others have made. I should clarify just to cover my butt that this is not a design of my own at all. I've seen it in hoops made by others and other companies and just de-constructed it in my head.

Synergy uses a somewhat similar design, although they don't use steel cable. Not quite sure what they're using.

http://www.synergyfirehoops.com/collections/frontpage/products/poly...

A seller on Etsy-

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70930135/polypro-fire-hoop?utm_source=t...

Martika definitely brought up a good point about testing the wicks. No matter how well you wire them on, I feel like they will disentigrate quickly and start falling off in burning chunks. Maybe there could be a way to "cage" the wicks with steel mesh or something to help keep that from happening?

And a correction- I said to get dowel the same diameter as your OD- thats wrong, I meant ID.

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Permalink Reply by Sir Trifugal Force on April 7, 2011 at 11:42am

I would be concerned about the wicks deteriorating during the perfomance and flaming bits flying out towards the crowd.  Wire wrapping the outisde of them once they are on the spines is an excellent idea.  Having the spine penatrate the wick is a good idea too, not just wrapping the paper around the spine.  I would take two strips of the paper at a right angle to each other and do an accordian fold, punching holes as you go that will line up and let you slide the spine through the center,  then wire wrap like mad.  Definitely test this hoop several times before game day though.  Any fast moving flaming object that isn't secure and will only get less reliable as it burns makes me nervous.

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Permalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on April 7, 2011 at 1:49pm

Have you seen a wire wool poi before, they have the wire wool wrapped in a cage but even though it's professionally made in a cage pieces of wire wool still fly out the cage. What i'm getting at is that no matter how good you think your wrapped it bits can and will fly out. 

 

I don't want to come of as being mean but I wouldn't fire hoop with the hoop your making because the material and construction of your wicks is so unsafe on top of the fact you wrapped paper around the hoop and haven't properly covered the paper with a tape that can with stand the high temp.s I know you tested the glue but when your hooping it's going to be light for at lest a full minute and the over all heat from the wicks could cause the hoop to catch flame. 

 

Your teacher doesn't really understand everything that goes into making a fire hoop so I can see how he  wouldn't know that making a fire hoop out of a book is really freakin' hard. 

Here is a link to clear vinyl tape to cover the paper with, I buy this for my fabric hoops and the tape is a little thicker (not thick enough to add much weight to a hoop though)than normal vinyl which would be great for you hoop. I hope everything works out safely

http://www.tapebrothers.com/Clear-Vinyl-Tape-1-x-36-yd-Roll-p/tbcvt...

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Permalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on April 7, 2011 at 1:33pm

the more i think about it the more concerned I am about the material you are using for your wicks, you should think about buying Kevlar online, I found this seller on ebay for a good price, I belive you will need a little over a foot per wick and Kevlar thread is super cheap. Burn safe and don't forget about the fire safety tools and spotter you will need for your show.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250464016831...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390300342893...

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Permalink Reply by Saor in Aisce on April 7, 2011 at 5:47pm

Sorry to worry you guys a bit, i should have clarified.  i completely understand the danger and risk of the materials i am using.  the performance will b video taped and put on display at a gallery show.  i will not b performing for a crowd because i am not by any means a fire hoop maker and god forbid something go wrong like a flying spoke.  it will b me and my spotter, with a photographer/videographer far away.

 

that being said, i made a few make shift spokes today and they do fly off in burning chunks so i will be trying out the cage idea.

 

dont worry guys, mannnyyyyyyyyyy trials will b done before hand.

 

thanks for all the help

hoop l<3ve

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