Not lanterns but balloons

**adder** · #1 04-10-2013, 08:53 AM

Before I begin I must tell you that I DO NOT use the wire that has been said gets stuck in the throats and stomach's of cattle, and I have spent many hours making sure that the burner isn't alight when the balloons eventually lands.

Well this could be classed as a paper craft although it is with tissue paper. I first saw one of those lanterns at a festival back in 1988.
And I said to myself 'I'm gonna find out how to do that.
It wasn't easy, I've spent many hours trying to get it right. You may ask why bother when you can buy them for a £ or two in the UK.
Well the main difference between the 'Chinese lanterns ' and the balloons I make is that the flame is inside the balloon in mine instead of being suspended underneath.
So when coloured paper is used you get quite a psychedelic effect.
My main source of information comes from south America where they have been building very elaborate and colourful balloons for many years now.
Although several of those country's have banned it now, not because of the reasons above but because their tradition is to let off fireworks with the balloon . And they frighten every animal and elderly person for miles.

Video here =>

A bit different from those Chinese lanterns aren't they ?
As I'm building my balloons on my own mine aren't as big as the one in the video and adding fireworks is something that I've yet to experiment with.
The main site for these balloons is Colombian and the translation isn't very accurate at all.
Some of the patterns I first started with can be found a little down the page ...

(I'll add the links once I've had around 10 posts. The odd thing is I can add a link to my signature so surely that defeats the point of restricting ULR's in new members posts!!)

You can find many different designs here under the title 'moldes' in whatever size you like but it's up to you to make sure it's safe.
Although early on I made a very simple pattern that creates very little waste paper that can use a flame or will fly for a short distance with the use of a hair dryer. Maybe a project that is safe for kids.

The first two pictures attached are the type I make. The first the more traditional shape is of my own colour pattern, this is my most reliable and stable balloon the other one is my own design in shape and pattern.
This one needs a little ballast to make it stable in flight. The others are a few interesting balloons made by the south Americans.

**adder** · #2 05-11-2013, 08:58 PM

At last I've reached 10 posts, so now I can post links for anyone who may be interested

All these links are in Portuguese so you might have to translate them :

The first links to various shaped balloons, just click on the name below the shape you like.

Here

In the next link Here you'll have to choose one of 6 types of balloon, all of which are made using gores or leaves that are joined together to create various shapes. If you choose say 'Piao' you'll get 19 variations. Then just enter how long you want each gore or leaf to be then how many gores/leaves you would like the balloon to be made of then enter the size of the seam or join that your gonna use. Press calculate and the result will give you the height and width of the inflated balloon plus the width of the gores/leaves, size of hole needed and surface area and volume of the inflated balloon. And below are the measurments to help you draw out the gores/leaves, their are further instructions within the site Here

Theirs some interesting shapes here

Enjoy.

**NYC Irishman** · #3 05-12-2013, 05:37 AM

Do you fireproof them? Not in a long term thing but enough that bursting into flames upon ignition is not a concern?

John

**adder** · #4 05-12-2013, 07:49 AM

I tried it once but when sprayed the paper was far to easy to rip. But as the flame is inside of the balloon and choosing a suitable shape the flame doesn't get that close to the paper.

**ashevilleangler** · #5 05-13-2013, 07:12 PM

Great balloons! How far do you have to chase after the balloons to recover them? I would love to have a detailed plan for one of the smaller and simpler ones that could be launched using a hair drier.

Curt

**adder** · #6 05-13-2013, 08:20 PM

Well the burners I make last for between 30 & 45 minutes and they can go out of sight so I never retrieve them. Although on one occasion I released a balloon next to a canal near my house. I watched it float away towards a near by hill and decided to release another one. Not sure how long it was but I got the fright of my life when the first balloon landed in the canal about 6 foot away from me. There must of been a wind traveling over the hill towards me that brought it back. Though the cooler water of the canal seems to draw the occasional balloon into it.
I'll have another look for the pattern but if I can't find it I'm sure get something together.

**ashevilleangler** · #7 05-14-2013, 02:14 AM

You should go back to that canal to see if you can re-create the original flight. It just might be an atmospheric oddity peculiar to that location. Albuquerque, NM is famous for just such an effect called "the box". Winds aloft go in the opposite direction of winds at ground level. I've seen it happen once during their balloon fiesta. As the last wave of balloons were lifting off during the mass ascension balloons from the first wave began landing on the takeoff field.

Curt