I finally gave my steel wool spinner device a test run this past weekend, and it was more impressive than I expected. After a rainy friday and a quick shot from the garden hose before I did it, the yard was ready to handle the flaming steel wool. To accomplish this effect, I set up my tripod and waited till the ambient light dropped and my exposure was around 8 to 15 seconds at f11.At that point, I put on long pants,a long sleeve shirt,a hat, a face shield,and gloves and grabbed the steel wool device. This is nothing more than a steel kitchen whisk with steel wool stuffed inside, connected to a steel cable on a handle and then it gets lit and rapidly spun. You light the steel wool by touching a 9-volt battery to it and then spin it quickly to give the burning steel wool as much oxygen as possible.
The top image features me spinning the contraption all around me and you can see the steel wool even bounced on the grass a bit,and the bottom image was spun in just a circle,but the bright area shooting up to the right is actually a piece of steel wool that broke loose and landed in our tree.If you are brave enough to try this, do it in a safe setting,keep water nearby and protect yourself and camera.There was a fellow on the internet that had a flaming ember land on his eighteen hundred-dollar lens and fuse fast to the front element,which would not be good. Each ball of steel wool burns about 30-60 seconds and then you load a new piece. Also the real fine stuff works better than coarse steel wool.
Donald Reese Photography 
WOW! Very Cool
thanks,I want to try it with a propane truck in the background.you can drive it
Awesome! You did it! These are amazing images!
Thanks,want to take it to another level,but need a good flame proof locale first. Maybe with your military connection,you could try it with a tank? the desert is pretty burn proof isnt it?
My husband does work with all the ammunition. I might be able to pull some strings. But unfortunately the desert is extremely burnable. We have so many wildfires because it’s so dry, no water, and a bunch of dead plants blowing around catching on fire. I want to try this when I’m back east this fall, I wouldn’t even dream of doing it out here.
This would be a good way to clean up the debris then. good luck if you get brave enough to try it.
Neat———-“Hello 911, my neighbor is ——————–!!!!!
Yeah,maybe I will try it in the middle of winter.that should make a cool contrast.
Very interesting. I see a steel wool suit in Morrie’s future.
He doesnt move fast enough to keep it lit or I would try it. thanks for the idea.
Great shots! Well thought out! 🙂
Thank you
Absolutely fabulous, Don.
Jim and Sandy
yeah,sparklers on steroids
Could Walmart be far off from selling something like this, makes a great photo though! Richard
Most likely.