I want to work with fire

[A_Lee]

For my next photo project, I would like to work with fire.
I am thinking of lighting ice cubes on fire; which brings forward to questions:

Make ice cubes with 75% water, and 25% vodka (or some similar ratio), OR make ice cubes with nothing but water, and then soak the ice cubes in vodka?

If I go with the first route of making water and vodka ice cubes, will they catch fire at all? Likewise with the latter options ... will the ice cube light?

Another thought is to make water/vodka and ice cubes, then soak those hybrid cubes in vodka, then light them.

Thoughts?

 

[eldiablosrt8]

i dont htink the vodka will melt? will it???

 

[tuberider]

i dont htink the vodka will melt? will it???

You mean freeze?

 

[A_Lee]

i dont htink the vodka will melt? will it???

If you did mean "vodka won't freeze," I am not sure because I do not drink. That's why I am seeking others thoughts ...

And if anyone has any other alcohols to recommend, please do. I figure alcohol is a pretty cheap and flammable liquid

 

[tuberider]

Maybe some rubbing alcohol on an ice cube?

http://www.instructables.com/id/make-crystal-clear-ice!/

 

[r0ck0]

if you cant do it, fake it. Take an ice cube, a drop of lighter fluid or gas on top and light away. Or even hollow out the cube and fill it full of flammable liquid.

 

[A_Lee]

if you cant do it, fake it. Take an ice cube, a drop of lighter fluid or gas on top and light away. Or even hollow out the cube and fill it full of flammable liquid.

I am aiming at igniting an entire pile of ice cubes, not just one; drilling this many and individually lighting them may prove to be a task for myself.
Maybe I can have a pile of ice cubes, and soak the pile in lighter fluid -but I was hoping utilizing alcohol would provide with more interesting flame, or color flame?

I don't have any alcohol at home to try it on, so I was hoping to get some feedback here, and then going out and buying some.

 

[r0ck0]

fire = heat + fuel + oxygen

I'm not a scientist, I don't know of any frozen fuels that will burn. Sounds like a neat project and a great concept, can't wait to see the pics.

 

[ModernReefKeeper]

I got an idea...

Ice cube Flambe'

Pile of ice cubes,
Pour on chilled vodka (so it dosent melt the ice, but it will moisten them making them all clear, instead of opaque on the outside.

Id say in a cerial bowl, or a plate with a slight edge, so the vodka will have a place to pool a tad

and lite em up.

The flames should engulf the icecubes easily, it theres a even layer of vodka at the bottom of the surface.
Not sure how long it would stay lit, as the water may be heavier or lighter than the vodka so have the camera ready on ignition.

(meaning water from melting ice may or may not extinguish the flame)

 

[Gomer]

Ethanol freezes at a temperature WAY lower than you can achieve with your home freezer. Coating them with vodka won't work either.

Also note that vodka will probably burn almost clear. Ethanol flames are hard to see.

Some ideas:

hydrogen soam foam (or other gases in soap bubbles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmbVnWV7rmw

magnesium wick/rod inside a frozen block
or magnesium under water

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Fun with chemistry...

For "low temperature" fire, use a 2:1 mixture of carbon disulfide and carbon tetrachloride and flambe your ice cubes with it.

That's the mixture used for doing magic tricks with fire.

I'll let Tony tell you all about toxic and carcinogenic effects of the compounds.

 

[Gomer]

I'm going to highly recommend not trying that unless you want to die or do lovely environmental damage...but the photo will rock!

 

[seminolecpa]

I know we used to make some killer flaming drinks in college with Barcardi 151.

 

[A_Lee]

Does any alcohol in particular burn a certain color? Or do they all burn orange?

 

[Gomer]

ehtanol pure burns clear. It is the "impurities" that add color. Different salts can add color. An old college friend did a color flame rainbow:

Each vial has a different salt in it (dissolved in methanol. Ethanol may also work. Be aware that methanol is bad for you. Dont get it on you or drink it or go blind or worse ). When the methanol burns, the atoms from the different salts get excited and emit different colored light. Lithium is red, calcium is orange, barium was supposed to be yellow (I will use sodium next time), boron is green, copper is blue and potassium is violet.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=399052838722&ref=mf
(not sure if you can get to this link)

 

[Ibn]

Lemon drops (the drink) burns with an orange flame.

As for freezing vodka, you'd need some really low temps or it won't work. I used to leave vodka in the freezer to keep it chilled (wouldn't freeze).

 

[Gomer]

Rubber cement fresh out of the jar was one of my favorite childhood things to burn.

 

[A_Lee]

Can't view the video Tony, but thanks!
Is there any way I can get these salts and burn them?

Eric -good to know I won't be able to make my water and vodka ice cubes. I guess I'm down to soaking the ice cubes in some sort of fuel ...

 

[Gomer]

Sodium Chloride burns orange (easy). Potassium Chloride should burn violet. (NuSalt..salt substitute at the market..I think it is potassium chloride). Wonder if you can get a copper treatment (cupric sulfate?) for copper. Not sure where you can readily get the others. You could also see what reefsalt burns as (likely just orange with all the sodium)

 

[A_Lee]

I would still need to get methanol to soak the salts in?