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Old 09-28-2005, 03:34 PM   #1
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Flame Thrower

Anyone ever build a propane flame thrower?

I'm gonna build one soon, but would like a few pointers from someone who has done one before.

At burningman, there are ton's of HUGE flamethrowers, that's where i draw my inspiration.

I would like to shoot about a 10 foot flame vertically from the roof of my skoolie. This should be an eye catcher at parties.

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Old 09-29-2005, 09:45 AM   #2
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I saw this on Digg a month ago, if a British kid can do it you can too.

http://carpetmonster.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fj.htm

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Old 09-29-2005, 11:26 PM   #3
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I bet you could just use a propane tank with a ball valve. I have one of those blow torches for burning weeds and roof work. It uses a regulator so if you took the regulator off it would probably blow some fire. That was really cool how that thing shot.
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Old 09-30-2005, 03:42 PM   #4
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Hmmmm.... If you made the tank out of steel pipe, and substituted gasoline for the fuel...
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Old 09-30-2005, 10:10 PM   #5
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Leave me your bus in your will, please, (as you would obviously be a man on his way up ). . . at least you'd get a bang out of it! (Although, YOU would probably only hear the KA in the KA-BOOM!)
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Old 10-04-2005, 12:19 PM   #6
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Black Rock City back-pack

Your major problems besides COST are:
1 Fuel type: what do you want it to do vs. want it NOT TO DO.
Pressurized gas/vapor vs flammable liquid.
2 Storage/reservoir/re-fill: how do you get it into position.
3 "Throw" it: pump, pressurized tanks, catapult?
4 On-Off without "spray" (self immolation) or too much dripping,
or a place for burning drips to NOT be a problem.
5 A way to keep it lit. A BiC lighter will NOT work.
A small propane jet under the nozzle?
6 What-to-do if/WHEN you spray (your Skoolie roof) an area with
highly flammable liquid just waiting for a spark.
7 FIRE SUPRESSION !!! 4 guys with extinguishers are priceless.
Who are you going to share the flames with other than buddies?

One problem with propane is pressure. Another is VOLUME.
Otherwise your efforts may end up demonstrating a large BiC lighter...
Also, you can't just re-load propane just anywhere.

The picture of the 'British kid' shows LIQUID burning, not gas/vapor.
That is more of a flame-THROWER vs. a big lighter.

I saw a Back-pack on the Playa using cornelius kegs (soda kegs) commonly used in HomeBrewing applications (I have some myself).
They are "inexpensive", can take high pressure, and are easy to fill.
Check your o-rings in case your fuel eats them. I have never tried
the flame-thrower thing, but have thought about it, as you can see.

Those guys used Kerosene for its less explosion-prone properties.
They powered/pushed/PRESSURIZED using Nitrogen as it is relatively
inert, inexpensive, and resists going into solution. Using CO-2 yields
carbonated flame-thrower fuel, bubbles, and Co-2 bubbles at the
flame site decreases Oxygen needed for combustion.

I did see the "Moby Dick" with a water cannon (?) mounted on its roof.
During the day they could pump water so it could cool BRC residents.
At night they sprayed fire upwards about 10-20 feet, nothing ever
touched the ground, or roasted other 'burners'.

I guess that this would involve a pump, reservior, starter flame,
and a considerable inve$tment over the Corny Keg personal unit.

Have you considered military surplus, E-bay?

Good luck,
be CAREFUL,
get permits.

Marc
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Old 10-06-2005, 10:07 AM   #7
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I'm quite convinced that liquid fuel is a very bad idea.

I was at a post burningman party this past weekend and looked at a flamethrower they had.....very simple design, reliable, and relatively safe. (is anything that shoots a 20 foot + firball safe??)

it uses propane. The trick is the expansion tank that lets the fuel change from liquid to a gas.

I'll take some photo's along the way as i'm building this thing. It'll be pretty cool........

Now i have to see about the legality issues of an "open flame" lol
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Old 10-06-2005, 03:18 PM   #8
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I sware occifer its for cooking marshmellows.
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Old 10-06-2005, 08:31 PM   #9
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Y-e-a-h. . . and I'm not under the alfluence of incohol the way some thinkle peep I am.

Perhaps you should consult the book of armaments (Anarchist Cookbook) for more fun recipies for your Mad Max bus!
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Old 07-21-2006, 03:54 PM   #10
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i hate to resurect an old thread. But I'm doing it anyway.

Check out hot air ballon sites. Our xmas parade is at night, and the remax place has the remax balloon on a flatbed trailer. Well, just the basket, tanks, and burner. They'll throw a +30' flame burst straight up with it every couple hundred feet going down the road. Gotta watch out for powerlines and traffic signals, though.
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Old 07-21-2006, 07:24 PM   #11
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Well I might as well add something too.
Has anyone seen the supersoaker with wd40?
It has also been done with washerfluid too.

http://media1.break.com/dnet/media/cont ... ersoak.wmv
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Old 07-21-2006, 08:51 PM   #12
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just like to mention that the propane based flame thrower is very much related to the hot air balloon system, and it much much safer than trying to shoot burning liquids out of a plastic squirt gun

Shooting explosive liquid from the super soaker is highly impressive to watch, but even I am not crazy enough to try that.
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