Here are a few "notes" about Fireplay.  I would always recommend practice prior to actually playing.  Be sure of Y/your equipement and items Y/you are going to use.  Keep a damp towel, fire extinguisher and other safety items handy at all times.  Use this information carefully and cautiously.  I cannot vouch for the validity of all the information here.  If Y/you have further ideas about it please send them to the Librarian@Prophett.net.

Solution:

To keep the alcohol from spreading too quickly and "dripping" onto areas that are not desired mix the alcohol with a bit of liquid soap.  Check for desired consistancy, I think a 70/30 alcohol/soap is correct but try it first on a counter or such.    The soap will also help sooth the skin and provide just a bit more of a "buffer" to increase the time the fire can burn just a bit.  Practice first!

Batons:

The way that they are made out here in CA, is to use a wooden dowel with a  notch cut about 2" down to hold the thread.  Take cotton balls (must be  100% cotton as polyester melts and burns) and put 3-4 on the top, and crowd  another six or so around the circumference of the stick.  Then take a strip  of 100% cotton quilt batting and wrap around the cotton balls to smooth  them out.  Finish by taking a double thick piece of 100% cotton gauze and  covering everything.  Take 100% fine cotton crochet yarn or 100% linen  waxed thread (leather STINKS when it scorches) and tightly wrap the gauze  up against the knob of cotton and quilt batting.  Make sure you get a few  rounds into the notch and KNOT often.  Keep winding and knotting until you  get a tight, secure knob on the end.  Shake it hard to make sure it won't  fly off.  It should look like the beater for a kettledrum.

The stcks I was taught to make wwere made with cotton balls covered buy 2 cotton socks .. finished off with
leather strips that tie tihe top .. the leather I was told would hold for the life of the socks