Non electrical background trying to make a cool little custom project - Help please?
4 AA's ? not a chance ... these are 1.5V 0.3A = 0.45W  * 45 = 20 Watts.

But here's the kicker.  For the conductor to reach a nice warm 2100'C it takes 10x or 200 watts to start and that decays to 20 Watts as/if it ever reaches that temperature.

Otherwise it is a short circuit and then the battery starts to rise in temp.

Better stick to Xmas lights with lower power or LEDs. and get much a better  battery that can handle the current.