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The last flaming torches I saw were wire mesh on the end of the pole with fire lighters in them, they just bunged in another chunk if it started to run low. They looked fairly convincing on camera.

That would work . As it was I made mine with hessian and wax because that's what I had. The hessian was always abundant at work as the masons used it to cover their work overnight . A lot of the wax also came from work , a church that had thrown out loads ( and I mean loads , easily a full dustbin ) of broken or part used candles which I salvaged. A friend and myself first tried using it as a basis for a "fancy" candle money making idea that didn't really take off , then another friend asked about flaming torches for a re-enactment . I simply wrapped hessian round a stick and soaked it in wax. They worked really quite well and someone from the group saw them and asked about having some made for their stage entrance .
Ps they were the large Frey bentos pudding tins as well.

grenfell wrote:That would work . As it was I made mine with hessian and wax because that's what I had. The hessian was always abundant at work as the masons used it to cover their work overnight . A lot of the wax also came from work , a church that had thrown out loads ( and I mean loads , easily a full dustbin ) of broken or part used candles which I salvaged. A friend and myself first tried using it as a basis for a "fancy" candle money making idea that didn't really take off , then another friend asked about flaming torches for a re-enactment . I simply wrapped hessian round a stick and soaked it in wax. They worked really quite well and someone from the group saw them and asked about having some made for their stage entrance .
Ps they were the large Frey bentos pudding tins as well.

That's a heck of a way to suffer for your art, grenfell.

grenfell wrote:That would work . As it was I made mine with hessian and wax because that's what I had. The hessian was always abundant at work as the masons used it to cover their work overnight . A lot of the wax also came from work , a church that had thrown out loads ( and I mean loads , easily a full dustbin ) of broken or part used candles which I salvaged. A friend and myself first tried using it as a basis for a "fancy" candle money making idea that didn't really take off , then another friend asked about flaming torches for a re-enactment . I simply wrapped hessian round a stick and soaked it in wax. They worked really quite well and someone from the group saw them and asked about having some made for their stage entrance .
Ps they were the large Frey bentos pudding tins as well.

Why do masons cover their work in hessian?

It's mainly a measure to protect the lime mortar against low temperatures. Well it's the same principal with cement but we rarely used that with stonework. Worst thing that can happen to any mortar is to be caught by a frost , if any ice forms it will ruin it. Covering with hessian stops , or should stop , that problem unless it's a prolonged cold period.
The hessian came in rolls about five feet long and up to a foot in diameter . Of course it wasn't needed when the weather was decent so there were nearly always some lying around.

Thanks for that Grenfell, always handy to know.