While you should always be careful when playing with flammable liquids and should be supervised by an older person when doing it, you can try some amazing fire magic tricks, with just the things you have at home. The technique is quite simple. With these circus-worthy tricks, you can impress your friends, or maybe fool them into thinking you're an Avatar-level firebender. See Step 1 for more information.
CAUTION: You must be very careful when doing this. It is not recommended to handle flammable liquids without proper protective equipment
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Method 1 of 2: Using Butane Lighters
Step 1. Take safety precautions
If you want to do this trick, you'll need to follow a number of steps to ensure that you don't burn yourself and your home. Do this outdoors, or in a vacant lot without plants or any flammable items. You'll also need to have a bucket of water ready if you want the fire to go out quickly, and of course adult supervision.
If you wear gloves, use old leather or striped garden gloves that are tight and feel rough on the soles. While wearing large heat-resistant gloves is the best way to protect your skin from a fire, this type of glove will extinguish it before the fire can start. On the other hand, wearing cloth gloves won't do the trick, and could even put you in danger, as the gloves will absorb the gas from the lighter and make it more likely that you'll burn the gloves as well as yourself
Step 2. Try to make a fist with one of your hands, but leave some distance between your fingertips and the surface of your palm
Bend your four fingers toward the surface of your palm as if you were going to make a fist, but leave enough room for the lighter to be used. Your fingers should be very close together so that the thin film of butane that forms from the gas released by the lighter doesn't flow out of your hand. Use your thumb to cover the empty space at the top of your fist, which is right next to your index finger.
Imagine that you are holding water and trying to keep it from flowing out of your hand. This trick is done by pouring a small amount of butane gas into the fist, then the fist is opened and the gas in the fist begins to burn at the same time
Step 3. Insert the tip of the lighter into your fist
Place the end of the lighter that is the place to start the fire in your hand, precisely inside the fist you make. Push it deep enough so that the gas hits the inside of the fist directly. The trick will not work if the lighter is held right at the end of the fist. You have to put it in.
Step 4. Press and hold the button on the lighter for 5 seconds
Start the trick by pressing the red button on the lighter which releases the gas inside and doesn't release it. Do not immediately start the fire by scrolling the small wheel that is right next to the fire outlet, but just press the red button.
- The button can be pressed longer or even faster, depending on the gas outlet in the lighter and the size of the fireball you want to create. To keep yourself safe, it's best to press the button for about 5 seconds–long enough to release the required amount of gas, but also short enough to produce a fire that only lasts a short time.
- As you get used to the lighter, you can create a bigger fire (if you want), by pressing the button for a longer time, which is about 10 seconds or so. But if this is your first time, start by making a small fire. However, this trick is quite dangerous and you definitely don't want to get yourself into an unsolvable problem.
Step 5. Take the lighter out of the fist and place it some distance away
After 5 seconds, you must immediately take the next step so that the gas in the fist does not evaporate immediately. Hold the lighter within 30 cm of the fist, then light the fire by scrolling the wheel next to the fire pit and pressing the red button again.
Under no circumstances should you light a fire while the lighter is in your fist. This action is very dangerous
Step 6. Bring the lit lighter close to the open end of the fist, i.e. on the little finger and then open the fist
Quickly bring the lighter into your fist, and at the same time begin to open the fist in your hand by stretching your fingers one at a time outwards, starting with your little finger. Do this quickly too. The butane gas in the fist will immediately burn. Once all your fingers are stretched, quickly show your palm as if you could "control" the fireball in your hand.
It takes a lot of practice to find the right time to light a fire while opening your fist so that this trick looks authentic. You may want to start by "moving" your fingers away from the lighter, then stretching out your little finger, then your ring finger and continuing until your index finger opens your fist. If all your fingers are stretched at the same time, the gas will probably not burn, whereas if you don't open your fist at all, you could burn yourself. Hands should not be left in a clenched fist under any circumstances
Method 2 of 2: Using Combustible Hand Sanitizer
Step 1. You have to be very careful while using this method
Granted, this method is used quite often at parties and many people do it on YouTube, but you shouldn't try to do it without adult supervision or care. If not done quickly and without protection, this trick can be a great way to injure yourself.
Step 2. Purchase a flammable type of hand sanitizer
To do this trick, you must first 'start a fire' by burning some hand sanitizer and then rubbing it on your hands quickly, and after that you have to immediately turn off the flame. For the trick to work, you have to make sure that the type of hand sanitizer you buy is the right one: watch for "ethyl alcohol" or "isopropyl alcohol" on the bottle label.
It may be that the hand sanitizer used contains several ingredients, or only one or two ingredients, but the presence of one particular ingredient that is always present in this type of cleanser will make the liquid in the bottle flammable, even if it contains other ingredients as well. Currently, manufactured hand sanitizers tend to be non-alcoholic, so they won't work for this trick. Make sure to read the label, or the trick won't work
Step 3. Follow the specific safety regulations for this
This trick is done by smearing a flat surface with a small amount of cleaning liquid and setting it on fire, creating a blue flame, which you can wipe with your finger– very, very quickly, and then extinguish it. It's important that you wear gloves when performing this trick, and also have a bucket of water available in case you ever need to put out the fire.
Look for a type of place that is fireproof and suitable for this trick. You have to do this outside, and preferably on a small plot of concrete. The flatter the place, the better. Clear the field of anything flammable, such as twigs or small grass, if any, and scraps of paper. You should make sure that the fire only burns the cleaning liquid on your gloves and not anything else on the ground
Step 4. Apply a thin layer of liquid on the surface of the land and burn the liquid
Pour a small amount on the concrete and smooth it out thinly using your fingers. Then wipe off any remaining liquid on your finger so that when you apply it to the burned liquid, your finger doesn't burn first. Burn the liquid with a lighter before the alcohol in the liquid begins to evaporate. The resulting flame will be blue in color and not so bright that it may be difficult to see.
- It's even better if the trick is done at night, so that the sparkle of the fire can be seen properly. Make sure your eyesight is still good enough so you know what you're doing. You can also try it in the afternoon, when the sun is not too bright and the fire can still be seen.
- You should never smear your hands with hand sanitizer and burn them under any circumstances. This trick only works because it's done quickly, not because the liquid is safe to use on fire. This action is very dangerous and you will get serious burns. Don't do this.
Step 5. Swipe your finger over the liquid
If done quickly, you can pick up some of the burning liquid, and your finger will look like it's filled with fire for a while. However, while you're doing this, you don't have enough time to admire the trick you've just done, because the fire will quickly burn your fingers if you leave it for more than a second or two.
You will feel heat, or a strange sensation, such as a combination of hot and cold. Hand sanitizer usually provides a cooling sensation to your skin, which can also trick you into thinking your skin feels hot. However, you don't have enough time to feel anything, because in this trick, you'll just have to brush the burning liquid with your finger and stare at it for a few seconds, after which you must immediately extinguish the flame
Step 6. Flick your wrist quickly to turn off the flame
The best way to extinguish a fire in a small place like this is to cover the area around the fire or suppress it, such as in a candle. If you blow hard, this will actually make the fire move further away from where it was, and can make things even more dangerous for you. Needless to say: you have to put out the fire right after you touch it or you'll burn yourself.
Make sure to have water nearby when you do this so you can soak your hands in it in case something happens. Don't let the fire burn off the alcohol, or you'll get serious burns
Tips
- Once you've mastered these two tricks, try learning how to 'throw' fire.
- You can do these two tricks elsewhere or on other items with a flat surface, such as a table, bottle cap, or small cup holder. Be sure to use fire-resistant items.
- Do these two tricks quickly, otherwise the gas or liquid on your hand will evaporate quickly.
- When doing these two tricks, don't forget to wear thick police gloves. Things can get very dangerous and you may get serious burns.
Warning
- The first time you do this, make sure to have someone nearby, so they can seek help if you accidentally set yourself on fire.
- Be sure to keep your hands away from the rest of your body as well as your friends while doing this. It would be really uncool if your hair got burned by it.
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Always be careful when playing with fire.
Do not practice this near flammable items or near small children.
