A dipping station is where you fuel your torches before a training session or performance. It sounds simple, and in practice it is. But getting it right matters. A poorly set up dipping station is one of the most common sources of preventable fuel incidents in fire performance, and most of it comes down to habits that are easy to build once you know what they are.
This guide covers what a dipping station actually is, what containers work and which donโt, the two main setups used by fire performers, and how to handle an emergency if something goes wrong.
What Is a Dipping Station?
A dipping station is the dedicated area where you submerge your torch wicks in fuel before lighting. It typically consists of a container holding enough fuel to fully submerge the wick, positioned away from your training or performance area, away from exits, and away from any vertical surfaces.
It is not just a pot of fuel sitting on the floor. A properly set up dipping station accounts for spills, provides secondary containment, and has a clear emergency procedure you have tested in advance. The fuel storage guide covers the positioning and handling principles. This article focuses on the physical setup itself.
What NOT to Use as a Dipping Container
Before covering what works, itโs worth being clear about what doesnโt.
Glass containers are a hard no. If a glass container is knocked over or dropped, you have burning fuel and broken glass in the same place at the same time. That is a situation nobody wants to manage.
Low-quality plastics degrade over time when in contact with hydrocarbon fuels. They warp, crack, and develop leaks. Even if they hold initially, they wonโt hold reliably over repeated use.
Food containers and drinks bottles should never be used for fuel storage or dipping. Beyond the material concerns, anything that could be mistaken for a food or drink container has no place in a fire manipulation setup.
The Two Main Dipping Station Setups
There are two approaches used widely by fire performers, both with their own advantages. Which one suits you depends on your setup, how often you train, and how much fuel you typically use in a session.
Setup 1: The Double Bucket System
The double bucket system is the traditional and most widely recommended approach. The concept is straightforward: a small inner container holding the fuel sits inside a larger outer container. The outer container provides secondary containment: if the inner container spills or catches, the fuel stays inside the outer vessel rather than spreading across the floor.
The inner container is typically a one-litre metal paint tin. Metal is the right material here: it wonโt degrade with fuel contact, it can handle heat if something goes wrong, and itโs stable. The outer container needs a sealable lid for emergency containment.
A practical and well-tested version of this setup uses an ammunition container as the outer vessel, with two one-litre paint tins inside: one holding fuel for dipping, one positioned to catch excess fuel that drips off the wick after dipping. Adding a small amount of white stones or similar weight to the base of the outer container increases stability and reduces the chance of the setup being knocked over. A rubber-sealed lid on the outer container means that in an emergency, closing the lid cuts off oxygen rapidly and extinguishes any fire inside within seconds.
One practical detail worth knowing: drill a small hole in the outer container casing. Without it, opening the lid after a fire can create a vacuum effect. The hole prevents this.
The key safety advantage of the double bucket system is what happens if something goes wrong and the station is left unattended with fuel burning inside. The outer container gets very hot, but the fuel stays contained. The fire burns through the available oxygen, runs out of fuel, and goes out. A fuel can in the same situation will eventually melt, potentially releasing its entire contents. Metal inner and outer containers are the safest combination available for a dipping station.
Setup 2: The Fuel Can
The second option is a dedicated fuel can: the kind rated for storing and transporting flammable liquids. Coleman fuel is classified as a Class 3 flammable liquid, the same classification as petrol, so a can rated for petrol will handle Coleman fuel correctly.
Fuel cans have a narrower opening than paint tins, which means you can only dip one torch at a time. Taller cans need less fuel to bring the level up to a dippable height but are less stable. Shorter, wider cans need more fuel to reach the right level but are more stable. The seal quality varies between products, so test it before use.
A fuel can can be placed inside a larger secondary container to create a double bucket effect, combining the convenience of the can format with the containment benefits of the double bucket system.
The limitation to know: if a fuel can catches fire and is left unattended, the plastic components will eventually melt. This is a meaningful safety difference compared to an all-metal double bucket setup.
Dipping Technique
The container is only part of the equation. How you dip the torch matters too.
Submerge the wick fully for one to two seconds. You want the wick saturated, not just surface-wet. Raise the wick just above the fuel level and pause briefly to let the excess begin to drip back into the container. Then roll the torch between both palms to spin off the remaining excess fuel, directing it back into the container rather than onto the floor.
If youโre dipping two torches, both can be rolled between the palms simultaneously until the excess fuel has been spun off. If youโre using torches with Nitro Grips, hold the torch body during dipping and spinning, not the grip itself, which will spin freely and make control difficult.
If your torches have silicone wrap on the body, donโt dip the silicone into the fuel. The combination of heat and fuel degrades silicone over time. Dip the wick end only.
Once torches are fuelled, close the dipping station before you light anything. This is not optional. An open container near a lit torch is a preventable risk that good habits eliminate entirely.
Station Placement
Where you position your dipping station is as important as whatโs in it. It should be:
- Away from your training or performance area. You move to the station to fuel, then move away to perform.
- Away from foot traffic. Nobody should be walking past or near an open fuel container.
- Away from exits. Keep escape routes clear in all directions.
- Away from vertical surfaces. If fuel spills, it should have nowhere to run except a flat floor.
- On a non-combustible surface. Concrete is ideal.
- Clearly visible and clearly labelled.
The station should always be closed when not actively in use. During a session, this means closing it between fuelling rounds, not just at the end.
Emergency Procedures: Know Before You Need Them
This is the part most people skip until they need it, which is exactly the wrong approach. Test your emergency procedure with your specific setup before you ever use it in a real session.
For a double bucket system: place the lid on the outer container and wait. The rubber seal creates an oxygen-depleted environment and the fire goes out quickly. The metal lid may be hot. A fire blanket over the top can help if needed but often isnโt necessary with a well-sealed outer container.
For a fuel can: place your palm over the opening using a fire blanket as a barrier between your hand and the can, or use the cap if you have the precision to do it safely. Be aware that HDPE components in some cans can melt with prolonged heat exposure.
The reason to test in advance is simple: you do not want your first experience of closing your dipping station under pressure to be during an actual incident. A quick controlled test tells you exactly how your setup behaves, how hot things get, and how long it takes. That knowledge is worth far more than the ten minutes it takes to do the test.
Labelling and Organisation
If you use more than one fuel type, label everything clearly. Low flashpoint and high flashpoint fuels should never be mixed or stored in unlabelled containers. A performer who grabs the wrong fuel for a technique is in a significantly more dangerous position than one who has taken ten seconds to label their containers correctly.
Keep your dipping station clean. Fuel residue builds up on the outside of containers over time. Wipe it down regularly and replace inner containers when they show signs of degradation or heavy contamination.
The Bottom Line
A well set up dipping station is one of those things that becomes invisible once youโve got it right. You dip, you spin, you close, you perform. The setup handles the rest. A poorly set up one is a source of risk that compounds over time.
The double bucket system with metal containers is the safest option available and the one worth building your setup around. Test your emergency procedure before you need it. Close the station every time. Keep it away from where you perform.
All of this is covered in more depth in the free safety course at the Fire In Your Face Academy, alongside fuel types, clothing safety, training space requirements, and everything else that belongs in your foundation before you light your first torch. When youโre ready for your own equipment, hollow fire eating torches are the right starting point, and the fuel guide covers which fuel to pair them with based on where you are in the world.
Tom Makinson is the founder of Fire In Your Face, a fire manipulation training school. He has trained over 1,000 students in person, builds the hollow fire eating torches used by performers worldwide, and runs the Fire In Your Face Academy, home to online courses covering the full spectrum of fire manipulation, from foundational techniques through to advanced vapour manipulation.