Subject: PUPT: Re: Devils and flashers
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 11:13:56 -0700


We stayed with a puppeteer in Italy who used the rosin flashes.  He made his
device out of a tin can and I have a photo of him demonstrating it with a
flame that must be 15-20 inches up.  It is very dramatic, especially in
puppet scale.  He claimed that he was able to buy powdered rosin in large
quantities for little money.  For those who don't know, it is my
understanding that this rosin is powdered pine sap and is the same stuff
that you use to "rosin up your bow" before picking up your fiddle, only it
is in powdered form.  I have no idea where you might buy powdered rosin in
the US, (I suppose you could make your own from your backyard pine sap, but
it would be labor intensive I think) - it is a very flammable powder and
smells like a fragrant pine campfire when it burns.  Of course, it is real
fire with all the inherent dangers.
Michael Nelson




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