"Burn Blankets"

the_iconoclast · Post by **the_iconoclast** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 10:35 am

WHat are these and where can you get them? I have done numerous searches on the ePlaya and have hunted desperately on the BM site to locate this info. There are many references to them, but no real source is even hinted at. I had a few ideas for art submissions that would be burned, but the lack of info on where to get these pseudo-mythical items is dis-heartening - anybody have any clues?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:22 pm

I carry a fire blanket. It is for putting fires out where there is little water. Have one in the house also.

the_iconoclast · Post by **the_iconoclast** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:36 pm

So.... when they say art to be burned is to built on top of burn blankets, they are referring to these?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:45 pm

the_iconoclast wrote:So.... when they say art to be burned is to built on top of burn blankets, they are referring to these?

~
Most art that is to be burned is displayed for awhile (days). Then transported to a burn platform. You are asked not to burn paint or other shit like that. Plywood is more glue than wood;( Also you are ""expected"" to to pick nails screws wire and so on out of the ashes. Some one will drop by this thread and give you a link.

Post by **actiongrl** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:55 pm

Burn blankets are made of Kevlar and some camping sites have them, but they're usually not very large. You have to custom order them in sizes above campfire size, AFAIK. I don't know what companies do that, but maybe searching "kevlar blankets" would do the trick? I can ask around, too, on Monday.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 8:52 am

Assuming the OP is talking about fire resistant fabrics, here's one thread, among a few:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=3272

Also see:
http://www.burningman.com/themecamps_in ... allations/
and
http://www.burningman.com/themecamps_in ... lines.html
and
http://www.burningman.com/themecamps_in ... s_art.html
and
http://www.burningman.com/themecamps_in ... ntion.html
and
note that Burning Man isn't in the business of listing commercial suppliere for every notion under the sun.

There were lengthy discussions on burn platforms on the old eplaya from a couple years ago, but the admins made a de facto decision to prevent access to the cache. It's still nominally searchable via Google if you insert "site:oldbbs.burningman.com" among the search terms.

Re: materials used for "welding blankets", some are kevlar, some are nomex, and some are heat-treated high-purity silica, which resists higher temperatures than kevlar or nomex. Any affordable thickness of these fancy fabrics would be compromised by sustained direct exposure to fire, but they're good in the short term for fire suppression, spark shields, etc.

The woven fiberglass fabric normally used with resin on boats and such melts at comparitively low temperatures, but it's used for the platform under the Man to physically isolate the playa from the couple of inches of imported sand placed on the fabric. David Best has also used the same method. The sand itself serves as insulation and catches the ash and debris from the burn.

Squares of the high-tech silica blanket material are sometimes used by low-impact campers underneath camp or cooking fires, and for small-scale fire suppression per others' posts, but for open fires on the ground it's intended to be used with a couple of inches of dirt or gravel on top of the cloth, otherwise it melts through or becomes brittle and disintegrates under sustained heat.

Anyhow, the OP didn't explain what the intended use is, so whatever.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 8:56 am

Dear Admins,

Fuck. Why can't I edit this?

Please replace

Re: materials used "welding blankets",

with

Re: materials used for "welding blankets",

Cordially, etc.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:17 am

Bob wrote:Why can't I edit this?

Its comming, just a question of when now.

Bob A · Post by **Bob A** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:58 pm

I've seen in old posts people talking about using corrugated metal like the type used for those metal hut type structures. Just make sure the metal itself does not cause a scar, use layers. The trick is to keep you fire and heat off of the playa directly. Layers of metal, bringing in sand (and then taking it out when done), or the fancy blankets. Using the supplied burn platforms is also a good option if your art is small enough.

Bob A