Costume on Fire

August 14, 2009 6:10 PM

Bizarre question. Where would I get a fabric tested for flammability in NYC on a Saturday? Asking for a friend, I assume it's for a theater production going up tomorrow night!
posted by roomthreeseventeen to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

I've never had to have fabric tested when I've needed flame-retardant material for theatrical use. I've always sprayed it with a fireproofing solution like Flamecheck for curtains and such.
posted by xingcat at 6:31 PM on August 14, 2009

Ditto. Though if the production's going up tomorrow night, your friend may be limited in the flame-proofing agents he/she can use. The ones we used usually involved dunking the fabric in a liquid and then leaving it out to dry overnight.
posted by ocherdraco at 6:35 PM on August 14, 2009

If white cloth would work, how about the fiberglass cloth used for auto body and boat repair? That would actually be extremely fireproof, I believe you could bake it in an oven with no ill effects. Some hardware stores and marine supply stores would have that.
posted by XMLicious at 9:13 PM on August 14, 2009

How do you test something for flammability? Is this really the question?

You try to light it on fire. Expose it to whatever conditions you're worried will cause it to ignite, preferably outside and with fire extinguisher at the ready, and see if it does.

I would have thought this would be pretty obvious.
posted by valkyryn at 6:28 AM on August 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: valkyryn- Assuming the theater company is preparing for a visit from a Fire Marshall, they like to see professional documentation, not just some dude saying, "Hey, I tried to light it on fire, and I couldn't."
posted by mollymayhem at 2:25 PM on August 15, 2009