Hot Air Paper Balloons

[meandwi]

Does anyone know how to construct one of those candle powered paper hot air balloons? I would love to make an authentic one for my wife and child. I need to know size, type of paper, type of glue, materials for frame and type of ignition/candle. I couldn't find this online, so I'm hopeing someone here can help. Thank you.

Edited November 19, 2007 by meandwi

[Ieyuhrah]

I'm also looking at doing some balloons. There is an ad in the TV classified section offering to ship some but I do not need that many nor that size. Shipping combustables can be a USDOT hassle too. Do a search of "allthai" on You Tube to watch them fly some during Loi Krathong in Chiang Mai. They are waaaaay beyond the scale I want! I am trying to get info in how the 'wicks' are made as well as looking at the fuel sources/wicking materials used for fire spinning for a possible substitute. I do know that not only will I need to be careful about weather conditions (no breeze) but how dry it has been and doing some sort of tethering so that it cannot fly up or off very far (keeping it in the yard, below 2 meters). Once I had thought about using small ones to light my front yard for parties but the liability is just too much to play with them like that here in the States. You should be able to get kite materials locally or online, some paint-on fireproofing from the hardware store, and go for it. I know that various qualities of rice & tissue papers can be found at art suppy companies/paper specialty stores. I happen to have several sources for bamboo but plan to go the lazy route & use dowel rods. Balsa and model plane paper can be found at most any hobby shop. Just remember, the colder the better. Let me know how you do.

[Ieyuhrah]

As a follow-up,

You Tube has video of a similar festival in Taiwan (Pingxi lantern festival). Also a few vids of individuals elsewhere flying home mades. The ones in Taiwan look more like jellyfish when they float up......

[jaideeguy]

Living up north, i've flown many and they are made of a simple construction. the frame is split bamboo tied in a circle [any size] and reinforced by 2 wires that cross in the middle. paper, i think is lite weight kite paper and glued with simple elmers glue. the wick is simply a roll of tissue cut about 1/2 in afer being soaked in parafin and has thin wire to attach to crossed wires in base of lantern.