Outdoor Flames

[martinkings]

My director is doing an outdoor production and has asked if I can just use braziers in the ground to light the actors. I understand what he wants (pretty much, those long metal poles with a 'basket' that you can burn stuff in - think medieval England).

 

Has anyone done this before and knows if this is achievable, or if the health and safety implications are too great. I thought I saw some enclosed flames in a similar thing, but this might have just been a dream I had.

 

Any advice from someone who has thought about/attempted something similar would be appreciated. If it turns out this is an absolutely no-go idea, let me know.

[Ynot]

Don't have any links as such, but when I looked at this a while back for a stage option, I came across quite a few gas-fired choices of medieval torches/braziers/etc, any of which could well suit your needs. I wouldn't recommend actual solid fuel options, if only because the gas versions are controllable and produce no fallout, whereas others may well do.

 

 

[kerry davies]

Send me an email address and I will forward some photos and possibly a video, but Walk The Plank have done a fair bit of this sort of stuff and their vids are on the net.

Check out the bottled gas flares used in the recent beacons project which I have forgotten the links to.

Beware of wood braziers because of the fall-out if you use anything above waist height.

Fire-cans, the big baked bean/tomato tins with sand ballast, sawdust and paraffin last about 20-30 minutes and provide good "footlights".

Fire juggler flambeaux or gas flambeaux is a possible Googler. Personally I much prefer paraffin flames to gas, much too "modern", gas.

 

DO NOT WEAR MAN-MADE MATERIALS LIKE NYLON. Think olde worlde firemen and serge, wool and the like.

Have one person who knows how everything is fuelled and how to use a suitable extinguisher as fire marshall.

Choreograph movement and block things as if your life depended on it, it does!

Have a pair of welding gloves for clean-up.

 

Then have fun, magic stuff performing with flame.

[annadeus]

I have spent the last 12 months designing and building a full range of flambeau lamps and flame projectors. They will all be british built ce marked bearing safety certs etc .A few members of this forum have seen the prototypes . The photographs and video footage will appear soon . I preferred to remain hidden selling nothing until I am in the position of offering a superb product from stock .I am now able to offer a full design and build service for specialist one offs . The prototypes have been tested and filmed ,They lie idle in my barn . Hiring out or selling them would be good . as this project has eaten a few thousand pounds to date. I can also offer a test and repair service as we have stripped and rebuilt most of the currently available lamps and flame projectors during the research phase .

 

in answer to the original post an old world style brazier or lamp on the stage burns with a yellow luminous fame as if it is oil or tallow and rag based or possibly a coal brazier The lamp is fed from a regulator and pipe from a propane cylinder hidden off stage If there are issues with remote propane cylinders the unit can be built to run off disposable cartridges at shorter duration with higher running costs. The flames are ignited by either hot surface igniter or spark ignition . On more advanced models safety features such as remote turn off and interlocks that prevent the flow of un- ignited gas are incorporated.

 

if anyone out there requires help and advice building these units do pm or call me best wishes steve