Baking

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  • b loony
    Member
    • Oct 2018
    • 99

    Baking

    Does baking actually make the loon bigger and whats the method ,also whats better baking or tumble drying in a bag ?
  • b loony
    Member
    • Oct 2018
    • 99

    #2
    Re: Baking

    So if i put a 20 in the tumble dryer .in theory should go to 30 ?

    Comment

    • b loony
      Member
      • Oct 2018
      • 99

      #3
      Re: Baking

      I gave up years ago and gave all my kit too a looner girl i knew so trying to get bigger stuff on a limited budget so biggest can get just now is 20 from asda

      Comment

      • OverTheTop
        Senior Member
        • Dec 2013
        • 711

        #4
        Re: Baking

        I've had a lot of experience heat stretching balloons. Both the oven and clothes dryer are effective depending on the balloons.

        For new (never inflated) balloons, the oven works best: Preheat it to 290°F, and put the balloons in on a baking sheet for 5-15 minutes once it's hot, depending on how stretchy they already are. For example, Cattex are naturally pretty stretchy, and work great with 5-7 minutes, while Amscan or Qualatex take 10 or more minutes. If you do use previously inflated balloons, cut the time in half since they've already been stretched out.

        For used (previously inflated) balloons, the clothes dryer works better. Use high heat, and 15-45 minutes. The time will vary the same way it does for an oven, and it will also vary some depending on your dryer. I usually put the balloons in a ziploc bag to keep them protected from getting caught or wet (if you're also drying clothes at the same time).

        In either case, once the balloons come out, try to inflate them while they're still warm - it helps get the most out of the stretching.

        Also, keep in mind that while putting balloons in for too little time will only result in a small effect, too much time will make the balloons very weak and frail. I'd advise you to start with shorter times until you get the hang of it. You can also play with the temperatures to help find what works best for you.

        Comment

        • LoudPopper
          Senior Member
          • Jan 2016
          • 228

          #5
          Re: Baking

          So is it the fact that Mexican balloons melt more easily that I ruined my whole baking pan? Did I just put them in for too much time in an oven that was too hot? Is it really okay to just put the balloon directly on the metal baking sheet? That's what I was afraid of doing, and exactly what I feared is exactly what happened. The loons turned into goo and got stuck right on the sheet. I think the last time I tried, I didn't have such detailed instructions however. I'm willing to give it a go again. How much bigger do you think a Bebal 14" would get? Also, I read that a Tuf-Tex 17" can get up to 40". Is that true? How big to you think a Tuf-tex 24" would get?

          Comment

          • OverTheTop
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2013
            • 711

            #6
            Re: Baking

            Originally posted by LoudPopper
            So is it the fact that Mexican balloons melt more easily that I ruined my whole baking pan? Did I just put them in for too much time in an oven that was too hot? Is it really okay to just put the balloon directly on the metal baking sheet? That's what I was afraid of doing, and exactly what I feared is exactly what happened. The loons turned into goo and got stuck right on the sheet. I think the last time I tried, I didn't have such detailed instructions however. I'm willing to give it a go again. How much bigger do you think a Bebal 14" would get? Also, I read that a Tuf-Tex 17" can get up to 40". Is that true? How big to you think a Tuf-tex 24" would get?
            What temperature and duration did you use? It is true that cheaper balloons tend to melt more easily, rather than stretching properly. I usually line my baking sheets with aluminum foil, and although I've never had a balloon outright melt into the pan, it does help keep the balloons clean of any residue that may be left on the pans.

            I don't think a Tuf-Tex 17" would be able to reach 40", but it really depends on the balloon. Tuf-Tex in particular are already hit-or-miss, so I wouldn't expect the results to be very consistent. Also, keep in mind that heat stretched balloons will also be thinner and weaker, so if it does reach 40" it will pop extremely easily.

            If you have any, I prefer Cattex for heat stretching. The results are consistent and significant, and the latex is high quality. I have a 32" longneck that I put through the clothes dryer which reaches 40" on the bulb while still being strong enough to ride, and a baked GL1200 that blows up at least 40" thick. I also have a GL700 that I baked and then put through the clothes dryer which is longer than my ceiling is tall...

            Amscan balloons are also pretty good for baking, and cheaper. I've baked their 12" balloons for 10 minutes at 290°F, and the result was 16"+ balloons with a nice neck as well.

            Comment

            • Whoopsapopperlips
              Junior Member
              • Jan 2019
              • 24

              #7
              Re: Baking

              Baking, boiling, dryer, steaming all seem to help loosen things up.
              Baking between 260-290F for between 5 and 30 minutes seems to work. Depends on the brand and how soft it already is.
              Boiling for 20 or so minutes, using a household steamer, or in the dryer in a pillow case (damp) has also been known to yield results.
              I find that baking produces the most extreme results, have melted a few, but if you catch them just in time and inflate carefully, 1.5 to almost 2 times rated size can be achieved.
              I like to fully inflate a balloon one or two times (cheating, starting with the neck to make sure the whole balloon is evenly stretched), prior to heat treating. This seems to produce a very soft, yet still quite strong specimen.

              Comment

              • Smothered by tits
                Senior Member
                • Mar 2019
                • 221

                #8
                Re: Baking

                Would any of these techniques work with cloudbusters?

                Comment

                • OverTheTop
                  Senior Member
                  • Dec 2013
                  • 711

                  #9
                  Re: Baking

                  Originally posted by Smothered by tits
                  Would any of these techniques work with cloudbusters?
                  One way to find out!

                  Comment

                  • Smothered by tits
                    Senior Member
                    • Mar 2019
                    • 221

                    #10
                    Re: Baking

                    Sadly i don't have that sort of disposable income.

                    Comment

                    • Unicks
                      Member
                      • Nov 2020
                      • 80

                      #11
                      Re: Baking

                      Has anyone tried the newer Cattex crystals?

                      I have tried the usual 190F for 10mins. and found no real significant gains in size or softness, compared to one that was just out of the bag. They seem stiff and quite firm when inflated.

                      Is it possible the Cattex crystals need some different thermal love? I baked 2 Cattex LN32 balloons together for 10mins @190F, both regular clear and not the new crystal colored. They were perfect! Inflated to over 36" first time, same result with their LN32 standard colors as well.

                      The 2 clear LN32s were put through some stress testing and did not disappoint either! I use one of those x-power pet dryers for inflating these monsters, 40+ inches is not a problem, so is riding them at this size at over 100Kg!

                      Does anyone know if Thirtythreerooms or BalloonDorado do this to make those Cattex balloons look that much bigger?.. especially the necks!

                      So if there is something I may be missing with the colored Cattex crystals, please help out!

                      Thanks

                      U

                      Comment

                      • Unicks
                        Member
                        • Nov 2020
                        • 80

                        #12
                        Re: Baking

                        Great idea with using the tumbling oven tho! I have one of their air-fryers which turns out to be a piece of crap, it tips over backward when you open the lid. Now try that when its at 400F.

                        In my case, I have a gas convection oven that is monitored by a very accurate thermometer, so even heating is not really a problem.

                        I find the clear latex balloons from Cattex share very little with the Crystals, if you treat the regular clear latex with 10 minutes @290F, they become like condoms.. but still amazingly strong! Try the same with the newer crystals.. no real change. So the latex formulation is obviously different. Like you mentioned, possibly an additive making the latex more heat resistant, which I doubt was really their intention.. possibly something for the color.

                        Ultimately, I would like to get the same reaction with the Cattex crystal latex as with their clear and standard formulations, without having to inflate them a couple times before baking them.

                        Remember the "old shape" of the SA24? I tried a couple from my stash that went a bit firm over the years, 5 minutes @290F and if you could stand the sulphur smell.. they are fantastic!

                        Cheers!

                        U

                        Comment

                        • OverTheTop
                          Senior Member
                          • Dec 2013
                          • 711

                          #13
                          Re: Baking

                          Originally posted by Unicks
                          Great idea with using the tumbling oven tho! I have one of their air-fryers which turns out to be a piece of crap, it tips over backward when you open the lid. Now try that when its at 400F.

                          In my case, I have a gas convection oven that is monitored by a very accurate thermometer, so even heating is not really a problem.

                          I find the clear latex balloons from Cattex share very little with the Crystals, if you treat the regular clear latex with 10 minutes @290F, they become like condoms.. but still amazingly strong! Try the same with the newer crystals.. no real change. So the latex formulation is obviously different. Like you mentioned, possibly an additive making the latex more heat resistant, which I doubt was really their intention.. possibly something for the color.

                          Ultimately, I would like to get the same reaction with the Cattex crystal latex as with their clear and standard formulations, without having to inflate them a couple times before baking them.

                          Remember the "old shape" of the SA24? I tried a couple from my stash that went a bit firm over the years, 5 minutes @290F and if you could stand the sulphur smell.. they are fantastic!

                          Cheers!

                          U
                          I think it comes down to the specific color with the crystals - I've baked a crystal orange and crystal blue GL700, and the orange one was much softer (although not so much as clear ones) while the blue one wasn't very different from before.

                          Comment

                          • Unicks
                            Member
                            • Nov 2020
                            • 80

                            #14
                            Re: Baking

                            I have to agree with colors having a bit of influence as to how soft the latex will be, orange, yellow and sometimes red. Now whether or not it's the actual formulation of the particular color's latex or the reaction those materials are having to heat is the question.

                            Is this process actually causing a cross-linking bond of the polymers used in the rubber formulation? I've mentioned it before as annealing, because vulcanizing uses a cross-linker material like sulphur generally. Thermoset rubber is usually rigid as well, but that is ultimately left up to the polymers added to the rubber prior to thermal vulcanizing. It would be interesting to know what is being added to their latex for these balloons, as it is much different than the regular ones.

                            I worked in the plastics industry (pipe) years ago and there was a guy that would mix up the hoppers of base materials like a mad scientist! We would have special utility orders for kilometres of flexible poly gas pipe, he would show me the differences of what materials and what they did. Like lube for the thermo extruder and pigments to color it etc. I think I would have had more fun working in a balloon factory, that is for sure!

                            U

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