How do you make a fire torch?

[sharp88]

Iv been wondering for a while now, how do you make a propper fire torch?

I can think of a variety of flammable substances but which is the best and which is most weather proof? I dont really feel like burning my face off so does anyone know of a suitable inflammable substance?

Tar soaked rags wrapped around a stick perhaps?

Suggestions would be appreciated.

J. Sharp.

 

[Draven]

I presume you mean basically a ball of fire on the end of a stick?

I think that tar-soaked rags would be OK, probably traditional, though tar his hard to light and doesn't burn bright. It does burn slow though, which is good.
I think it'd be kinda difficult to find a good mixture of something thin enough to light easily and burn brightly, but something thick enough to burn slowly. Obviously things like petrol and lighter fluid would burn too quickly, so I'd say for simplicity's sake, tar would be good, just keep in mind that it'd be a very smoky flame indeed, so try not to inhale.

Another option might be petrol and styrofoam. If you saturate petrol with styrofoam (dissolve the styrofoam in the petrol until it won't dissolve any more) you should get a syrup-like substance that burns relatively easily, though personally I think it'd be too dangerous and I've no idea how long it would last.

I reckon you should just get a flashlight, but I understand the desire for something more home-made...

You also face the problem that if you want a torch for camping, you'd either have to carry about two-foot-long sticks with tar-soaked canvas on the end, or you'd have to carry around tar and rags wherever you go, both of which seem pretty inconvenient.

Sorry if that sounded a bit defeatist

I do, however, recall that Ray Mears used a big torch in his Aboriginal Britain episode of Bushcraft. No idea what he used for it though...

 

[sharp88]

Yeah its not ideal, but im not really thinking about the purpose. Its just a pyro thing and a hint of nostalgia.

Im thinkin of the cruddy old movies where they explore caves, etc.....etc......

I might just shred an old t-shirt, soak it in tar and light it in a small amount.

 

[rich59]

Is tar easy to come by around you?

I have not tried this but have pondered it occasionally. In particular I noted that burning some cloth soaked in Linseed oil gave a long burn. So, I wonder if cloth wrapped round stick (securely) and then soaked in an oil might be a possible setup.

How would you secure the cloth so it didn't unravel and fall on your head?

 

[gregorach]

I think the traditional "torch-wielding mob" torch is a bundle of reeds soaked in pitch.

The modern equivalent is a metal rod with a wad of absorbent wicking material on the end, soaked in parrafin.

Petrol is very dangerous due to it's high combustion temperature and low vapour point. I believe all fire performers (at least, those who now what they're doing) use parrafin, as it's much safer - although it's still not "safe".

 

[Tadpole]

Yeah its not ideal, but im not really thinking about the purpose. Its just a pyro thing and a hint of nostalgia.

Im thinkin of the cruddy old movies where they explore caves, etc.....etc......

I might just shred an old t-shirt, soak it in tar and light it in a small amount.

If it is just a pyromaniac thing then I would suggest an oil rag torch, it lights easily and will relight if it’s been put out quickly in a bucket of water.
I used one once when I was about eight to explore the underground flood defence system that was being built next to an old airport next to where I lived.

It smoked a fair bit and at the beginning doesn’t smell very nice. It would take a bit of heat to get going, (say from a lighter or a fire, rather than a match,) but burnt quite well.
You’d need to cut/tear the rags in long hand wide strips and soak them in oil (we used engine oil from a broken down digger) wrap them round a thick stick, it has to be long enough to hold without the flames being next to your hair or blowing back on to your face.

We wrapped the rags on quite tightly, as we didn’t want the rags too burn quickly (the tunnel was about quarter of a mile long, and half flooded at the deepest part. That is why we/ I know that the torch, if made correctly, will relight if it gets wet for a few seconds) the rags were held on by wrapping them with stolen wire. We tried string, but soon as it burns through the whole burning mass ‘uncoils’ down the stick you are holding

 

[janiepopps]

I have a couple of fire staffs (for performing & generally showing off!)

Make one with a broom stick or similar. Shave one end down & slide on a 6" piece of metal pipe. Buy some wick (pop 'fire staff wick' into e-bay) wrap around and screw the wick to the pipe to the wood.

Let soak in paraffin / Kerosene for a good 10-15 minutes & light.

The paraffin burns at a much cooler temp than petrol and if it splashes on you alight it wont hurt - NEVER substitute with petrol and I would steer clear of tar too, if that drips on you you'll know about it.

Hope that helps

j

 

[sharp88]

Ok, thanks everyone. The advice was greatly appreciated.

Im gonna have to be cautious on this one.

 

[drstrange]

Those firetorches look cool. I've seen a couple of movies (First Blood, and Indiana Jones) where the heros seem to fabricate them almost of the spot from odds and ends that just happen to be lying around. So my advice is, go to your local cave, or hidden crusader crypt and you should find all the correct materials that you need to make one.

 

[sharp88]

Drstrange, you truly are - STRANGE.

 

[drstrange]

Drstrange, you truly are - STRANGE.

You're not. You are very nice.

 

[jdlenton]

somebody talking about me not you again strange

edit: oi you just edited your post and now mine doesn't make sense ( wouldn't be the first time)

 

[drstrange]

somebody talking about me not you again strange

edit: oi you just edited your post and now mine doesn't make sense ( wouldn't be the first time)

Wouldn't be the first time I've edited me post, or wouldn't be the first time you didn't make sense? (I am a serial editor of my own stuff tho!!)

 

[Aliwren]

I used to do alot of juggling with firetorches these are basically a section of tube with wick screwed on which is soaked in paraffin - this fuel is used as it has a relatively low burn heat but looks good.

Here will sell most of what you require.
http://www.firetoys.com/juggling/fire_wick_fire_ropes.html

Please use responsibly! Always shake off excess fuel before lighting so it doesnt drip down your arm.

 

[Zodiak]

Another option might be petrol and styrofoam. If you saturate petrol with styrofoam (dissolve the styrofoam in the petrol until it won't dissolve any more) you should get a syrup-like substance that burns relatively easily, though personally I think it'd be too dangerous and I've no idea how long it would last....

Not completely sure about this but isn't that NAPALM!!!!

I can almost hear the thwop thwop thwop of hueys flying up the delta... the snap of a stick in the jungle.. is that a wild pig or is charley back?... the Doors playing "Riders on the Storm" from a phillips N3202 cassete player... Adrian Cronauer screaming out the radio...

Sorry flashbacks there for a moment, but that stuff is really dangerous, it catches fire then sticks to you!!!!

 

[Draven]

Not completely sure about this but isn't that NAPALM!!!!

I can almost hear the thwop thwop thwop of hueys flying up the delta... the snap of a stick in the jungle.. is that a wild pig or is charley back?... the Doors playing "Riders on the Storm" from a phillips N3202 cassete player... Adrian Cronauer screaming out the radio...

Sorry flashbacks there for a moment, but that stuff is really dangerous, it catches fire then sticks to you!!!!

Is it? I don't know, a mate suggested it to me in Physics once. Admittedly, we were dicussing waging a revolution just kidding lol I was looking for something to stick to a vertical surface and light for photographic value. (er... back in my more pyromaniacal, less responsible days) Never got round to it though, I realised that I don't actually enjoy photography enough to risk catching myself on fire. Plus, I couldn't think of anywhere to do it safely and legally.
I though that napalm was more of a gelatin and less of a syrup, but I'm probably mistaken.

 

[sharp88]

Its petrol mixed with vaseline, basically isnt it? Not something to trifle with.

Parafin sounds like the best idea. What about turpuntine though? I drizzled that on some woodshavings once n it was proppa sweet.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Napalm - the clue is in the name.
Naptha - volatile solvent - burns well; and Palm oil - very gooey, not unlike treacle, makes the mixture stick!

As for the fire torch - no ideas other than what has been said already.

Ogri the trog

 

[Montivagus]

Napalm - the clue is in the name.
Naptha - volatile solvent - burns well; and Palm oil - very gooey, not unlike treacle, makes the mixture stick!
Ogri the trog

Hmmm....
NAphthic and PALMitic acid were used to make metal(usually aluminium) salts (i.e. what passed for soap ingredients in the fifties) and added to petrol to make NAPALM. Though the name actually covers any number of recipes that basicly do the same thing i.e. gel thicken flamable liquids, modern NAPALM being benzene and polystyrene.
It burns at around 1100 celcius.
"Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine." This from the girl in a very famous photo from the Vietnam war..you know the one she's running down a road screaming in agony....

My advice; don't make it!

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thats the recipe I was told many years ago, but I bow to your deeper knowledge - I hadn't realised there were many ways of making the nasty stuff.
As for not making it - "too bl**dy right", wouldn't dream of doing so.

ATB

Ogri the trog