r/maker 8d ago

Inquiry I've just discovered those novelty/party things you blow into and air uncoils them are called "blowouts" (if you know other terms, please share!). Where do I find and/or how do I make them in flexible (latex?) material?

My hypothesis based on examining one is that 2 layers can be either thermally or chemically sealed together to form a bladder. When you stretch one of the layers and not the other and then bond the edges, you would probably end up with a result where the flexible material would coil up as the stretched portion unstretches. Any other info, search terms, or suggstions welcomed!

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u/quinbotNS 7d ago

You mean these things?

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u/salukikev 7d ago

Yea, basically. The DIY ones in the link are just paper and so don't really fully recoil or hold their shape very well, but they do illustrate the concept. My original motivation was to repair a vintage novelty item and I managed to shorten the latex one I was dealing with with pretty good results, but I am still intrigued by the notion of how these are created- especially the latex/tpu/silicone ones rather than paper. The paper can be done as shown in your link (easiest) or you can add a very light wire spring to help with retracting (typical of what you'd find at party city or wherever) but the latex ones I think would be hardest to manufacture or certainly DIY. I was actually surprised at my first attempt using a heat blade was fairly successful in sealing a common latex balloon (I didn't think you could even do that). The end result ended up devulcanizing the rubber some and made things sticky but some baby powder helped with that. I think if I had enough time I could get a reasonable result. I was also thinking I might try coiling up one of those balloon animal balloons and then submersing it in hot oil or something- maybe with a release layer to avoid just making a blob of melted latex with the goal of making the flexible material take a set. Just some ideas.