Gold Flow produces continuous long golden trails with an effect that lasts several minutes, and is fairly quiet. A description of a typical burn timeline can be found under a separate heading in this FAQ.
Gold sparkle also produces continuous golden trails, but also adds in crackling sound effects, white flashes near the wick and small starburst/white sparkles inside the golden trails. It also has a slightly shorter active burn time, but activates sooner and sparkles a little when the wicks are stationary.
Fuel your wicks in your chosen fuel as per normal. Sprinkle the contents of the packet over the wicks to cover completely. Lightly rub the powder into the wicks, then sprinkle the remaining powder lightly over the surface. Use an entire packet after opening. See the video below! While the powders are safe to touch, most fuel should not touch your skin.
The powder additives have been tested with Isopar G, firewater, D60, white gas(colemans/crown), shellite, kerosene and lamp oil. A similar effect is produced with each of these fuels.
With Gold Flow, you get a sparkle effect that can last the whole burn! Here is the typical effect for applying the powder as recommended:
0-30secs: Starts with little effect, building up to full effect.
30secs to 2 minutes: Full continuous sparkle effect (yes, over 1 1/2 minutes of full effect!)
2 to 3 minutes: Continuous sparkle effect dies down, but bright sparkles are produced during stalls/wraps/sudden movements.
3 to 4 minutes: almost no effect, unless the prop is shaken or hit roughly. No visible powder left on wicks at this stage.
The above can change slightly, depending on the prop and how it is used. For example, if the prop is used very gently, not much of the powder will be dislodged during these times and the effect will last longer. If the prop is used very roughly, excess powder can be knocked off the wicks and the overall effect time will be affected.
As the powder can be applied thickly and takes a little while to warm up, we recommend you do not play with your props harshly near the beginning of the burn. Hitting/shaking/stalls etc early on can dislodge small clumps of powder, leading to a reduced effect later in the burn. After the 2 minute mark, however, go for it! Producing showers of sparks on demand looks magical!
With Gold Sparkle, you get a sparkle effect that can last the whole burn! Here is the typical effect for applying the powder as recommended:
0-20secs: Starts with light crackling and white flashes on a stationary wick, building up to full effect.
30secs to 2 minutes: Full continuous sparkle effect (yes, over 1 1/2 minutes of full effect!)
2 to 3 minutes: Continuous sparkle effect dies down, but bright sparkles are produced during stalls/wraps/sudden movements.
3 to 4 minutes: almost no effect, unless the prop is shaken or hit roughly. No visible powder left on wicks at this stage.
The above can change slightly, depending on the prop and how it is used.
As the powder can be applied thickly and takes a little while to warm up, we recommend you do not play with your props harshly near the beginning of the burn. Hitting/shaking/stalls etc early on can dislodge small clumps of powder, leading to a reduced effect later in the burn. After the 2 minute mark, however, go for it! Producing showers of sparks on demand looks magical!
No! The powders used are made up of very fine particles. While each individual particle glows, they are so small they hold very little energy and you can barely feel them if they touch your skin. However, if many touch your skin at once, it may sting a little.
The additives used are designed to be opened and used the same evening. The contents react with air (as they are biodegradable) and being exposed to air decreases their effect over time. If a single bag is opened and closed many times, the effects produced will slowly get worse.
The bags also contain a mixture of ingredients, measured to an accuracy of 0.1g. Large bags can cause the contents to become separated and produce inconsistent effects. We want each usage to be predictable,consistant and get the same reliable results every single time.
Yes! While we haven’t found a way to get around the amount of bags used due to the nature of the formulas, we have made sure all bags and packaging are fully recyclable. Check locally for your recycling options that accept metallised film.
Yes! All the additives are currently biodegradable, so some spilt powder is no problem to the environment. It’s also one of the reasons the bags are sealed and designed for one use only, as above.
No! We take great care in testing our products to ensure no harm comes to your gear. The powders cover the outside of the wick, and absorb excess fuel from your wick and stick to it. As the fuel evaporates and burns off, the powders are slowly released from the wick. This is when they meet the flame and start glowing. If anything, the powder coating protects the wick a little, making them last longer!
We must also mention that some people like to knock their props around a little more to produce showers of sparks on demand. It depends on the quality of your equipment as to how much punishment they can take!
If you’re familiar with clothes recommended for fire performing, then you don’t need anything extra! Like any fire performing, it’s also a good idea to wear some eye protection. This product slowly leaves the wicks of your prop, burning up as it does. However, there’s always the potential for a mistake and smacking yourself in the face! We’ve taken care to ensure the powders are non-toxic, but they are fine particles and getting any in the eyes or windpipe will cause irritation.
These additives are produced by a fully qualified pyrotechnician with over a decade of experience in pyrotechnic effects. The utmost care has been taken to ensure every product is safe to use for both yourself, your equipment and your audience. The contents are non explosive, non dangerous, non toxic, can be shipped safely, are safe for your equipment and look amazing!
We have extensively tested non-traditional chemicals made in our own unique manufacturing process to make these effects. Many of the traditional chemicals are far too toxic or create toxic by-products, and are a hazard to the performer, audience, equipment, and environment. Producing these effects safely is hard work and has taken months of testing and adjusting formulas for each individual product to produce the safest and most impressive effects possible!
Yes! We have had a significant amount of positive feedback from happy customers, so we have invested all sales money towards purchasing some new equipment to help us produce the powders a little cheaper. This means we can now wholesale!
If you are interested in distributing in your country, please send us a facebook message at TheFlowFX facebook page or use the contact form to send us an email. To qualify for wholesale purchasing you must be a registered business.