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Step 6Safety first
So youve practiced a bunch with the water, and feel confident that you are ready to start using the real thing. Before you do though I must first give some advice on handling kerosene.
So I used to carry around the kerosene in an 8 oz. flask thinking I was cool. However, after a few weeks the kerosene had affected the little piece of rubber (I think it was rubber) in the screw on lid, causing it to expand to many times its original size, and it fell out. Thinking I had a strong enough seal just between the metal cap and the flask I filled it up anyway, slipped it in my pocket, and biked over to my friends house. When I arrived at my friends house I noticed that my pocket was slightly damp and checked the flask, which was dry to the touch, so I didnt think it had leaked. I moved it to another pocket where after 20 minutes the same thing happened, but by this time my leg underneath the first pocket started to itch. I was fairly certain that the kerosene was giving me a chemical burn, but there was nothing much I could do about it.
I emptied out the flask, rubbed it down with paper towels, and replaced it in my pocket, but it was too late my pockets were already soaked with the stuff. I wasnt able to change my pants so I had to walk around for the rest of the day with my kerosene soaked pockets rubbing against the sides of my legs. A few days later the skin was incredibly itchy, and about a week and a half later the skin from the 5x2 inch red square on my leg started to peel. Once the peeling stopped my leg was fine again, but the point of the story is that this is a dangerous chemical and do not leave it in contact with your skin for a prolonged period of time.
Even more importantly TRY AS HARD AS YOU CAN NOT TO ACCIDENTALLY SWALLOW IT. HOWEVER, EVEN WORSE THEN GETTING IT IN YOUR STOMACH IS GETTING IT IN YOUR LUNGS. IT RESULTS IN A SICKNESS CALLED FIREBREATHERS PNEUMONIA (hydrocarbon pneumonitis) SOMETHING YOU DONT WANT TO GET.
So I used to carry around the kerosene in an 8 oz. flask thinking I was cool. However, after a few weeks the kerosene had affected the little piece of rubber (I think it was rubber) in the screw on lid, causing it to expand to many times its original size, and it fell out. Thinking I had a strong enough seal just between the metal cap and the flask I filled it up anyway, slipped it in my pocket, and biked over to my friends house. When I arrived at my friends house I noticed that my pocket was slightly damp and checked the flask, which was dry to the touch, so I didnt think it had leaked. I moved it to another pocket where after 20 minutes the same thing happened, but by this time my leg underneath the first pocket started to itch. I was fairly certain that the kerosene was giving me a chemical burn, but there was nothing much I could do about it.
I emptied out the flask, rubbed it down with paper towels, and replaced it in my pocket, but it was too late my pockets were already soaked with the stuff. I wasnt able to change my pants so I had to walk around for the rest of the day with my kerosene soaked pockets rubbing against the sides of my legs. A few days later the skin was incredibly itchy, and about a week and a half later the skin from the 5x2 inch red square on my leg started to peel. Once the peeling stopped my leg was fine again, but the point of the story is that this is a dangerous chemical and do not leave it in contact with your skin for a prolonged period of time.
Even more importantly TRY AS HARD AS YOU CAN NOT TO ACCIDENTALLY SWALLOW IT. HOWEVER, EVEN WORSE THEN GETTING IT IN YOUR STOMACH IS GETTING IT IN YOUR LUNGS. IT RESULTS IN A SICKNESS CALLED FIREBREATHERS PNEUMONIA (hydrocarbon pneumonitis) SOMETHING YOU DONT WANT TO GET.
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Does it hurt?
Careful with the wind!!
When I fooled around teaching myself breathing fire, I figured out/thought about the following safety precautions:
- Use 100% pure paraffine oil rather than kerosen, as (I think) the latter may contain all kinds of things you don't want to know about.
- Clothing may act as wicks, making you burn more easily. Paraffine oil on bare skin does not ignite as readily.
- Do not underestimate/forget the danger of "chemical pnemonia"! That is, it is probably much more harmful to get paraffine oil into your lungs than into your stomach.
- Don't do this when drunk.
With a big torch, fire-breathing might be possible with wheat flour. I have tried this, but failed. Someone else might succeed.I have you to thank for getting me back in to fireblowing again... After the incident I had stopped and now I've started after seeing your two 'ibles float around for so long...