|
|
niva Inner circle Malta (Europe) 2970 Posts |
Hi everyone,
Sometime ago I heard about that chemical, which when comes in contact with water, bursts into flames. I was thinking of having a bowl filled with some of this and then I have one finger wet with water. All I do then is gesture at the bowl and at the same time letting a drop fall into the bowl. It would look like you magically started the fire. Do you know whether this is safe? I do not have any knowledge about chemicals. But I would really like to try this out. I know that this, like every fire effect, requires caution. Thanks a lot for your help. Ivan
Yours,
Ivan |
ClodAppleleft Regular user Manchester, NH 195 Posts |
From my old chemistry days, there are 2 elements that are volatile with water. Pure Sodium and Cesium. Neither of which you want to be ANY where near when they come in to contact with water. To give you an idea, I know someone that blew the front door off of their high school using a hunk of sodium that is smaller then a baseball, and cesium is about 10 times more volatile.
So if it is either of these 2 chemicals... Stay away! Jeff
There are many different ways to cut an apple.
|
Dark illusionist Loyal user pough town new york 253 Posts |
I believe Theatre FX has a liquid that you can put in water that rests on the surface and you can light it safely. Naturally it isn't safe to do this in a thick glass bowl as the interior would get hot and expand and the exterior would stay cool and you'd get an exploding bowl effect you didn't want.
Jonathan
Check out my brand new website:
www.ovationmagic.cjb.net if you like it sign the guest book, if you realy like it then realy sign the guest book. If you hate it then go away. |
Stick Man Regular user UK 178 Posts |
Lithium or potassium work fine, but only a small piece, the size of your little finger nail is quite big for a piece to be dropped in water, half that size and you should be fine.
|
Darkwing Inner circle Nashville Tn 1850 Posts |
Stay away from sodium. When mixed with water, it is highly voltile. It produces Hydrogen and will explode. Stay away from it.
|
MacGyver Inner circle St. Louis, MO 1419 Posts |
Another tip on sodium, what happens is that as it goes into the water a little tunnel of air gets trapped behind it, and when it starts reacting, it uses this hole of air as a cannon, since it is less resistance than the water, so whatever angle you throw it in, the metal will come back at you.
When you toss Na into water not all of it combusts, the energy from the first time you throw it in makes the rest shoot into the air, then it falls down into the water and reacts again. There have even been reports of a chunk of sodium about a baseball size being thrown 150 yards from where it entered the water. Also as a side note, butterflies are strangely attracted to the toxic (to most lake dwelling creatures like fish) water, and drink it up like crazy. There was a story of one man that set off the sodium in a kids pool in his backyard, and dumped the water in his driveway and for about a week there were tons of butterflies sitting on his property. |
mforteath New user Tasmania, Australia 62 Posts |
I think the effect you are looking for would look good, but to be honest, I really don't think it is worth the risk of injury. Maybe change the routine a bit, and try something just as effective, but safer, I know a way to get things to magically ignite very safely, whith no risk involved, providing, of course you do it correctly. But this does not include any liquids, as I believe most are to unpredictable and volitile.
Mark. |
nathanallen Special user Des Moines, Iowa, USA 522 Posts |
How about using a chemical on flash paper, in the Floating Rose effect. Get a dab of water (perhaps from the water tube on the rose) after the paper rose is formed and the chemicals react while the rose is floating.
No lighter. Just a rose that combusts into a real rose. Is this concept do-able?
Nathan Allen, The Maniac of Magic
www.maniacofmagic.com To buy a prop is nothing. To write a good routine is something. To really entertain an audience is everything. |
Fitz Elite user Phoenix, AZ 476 Posts |
Yes! Vito Lupo sold a self lighting cigarette that used two chemicals one of wich was gliserine and the other was... it was... oh come on I know this... Well I'm sure you can find out from dennymagic.com
What would happen was you place a very small amount of the powder on a single ply of tissue and make a small ball about the size of a pea. This would be placed into the cigarette. You would then have a small amount of gliserine on your finger nail and when it touched the tissue it would get very hot and that would catch the cigarette on fire. This also worked with flash paper, and matches. Hope this gave you an idea, Fitz KMN04
I have a daily web show all about magic at http://FitzMagic.info
|
KSMagic2007 Regular user Missouri 200 Posts |
In general, be VERY careful with all of the Alkali Metals!.
Kyle |
Powermagic Inner circle 1437 Posts |
No you do not want to use ANY chemical that reacts with air or water. Humid days could kill you!
It takes to much control and care to be using it. Potassium is highly dangerous. I had tried using it as the old books speak to light candles and what not. It was not easy to work with since as soon as you expose it to air it reacts with the moisture in it and you ahve to cover it fast. Then a small pellet will react with water and EXPLODE sending little tiny metall balls that will burn to the touch and they also will EXPLODE went water touches them. Your stage, carpet or arm can be burned. Sorry to say, the cool stuff never plays out as good as it reads or is hardly worth it in our modern age of electronics. |
prodigitalmagic New user West Olive Mi 48 Posts |
It was done by David Cooperfield
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Up in smoke! » » Is this Safe??? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |