An idea occurred to me the other day that maybe it's possible to make a homemade inflatable suit out of the material that they use to make pool toys and air mattresses. I have absolutely no talent or knowledge when it comes to crafts, but I'm think I might be able to muddle through it. The part where I'm lost is what type of glue is best for that material, where do I find an air valve for this sort of thing, and how do I attach the air valve?
Inflatable Vinyl Suit
Fri, 10/10/2008 - 21:24
#1
Inflatable Vinyl Suit
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 01:43
#3
inflatablesteeve wrote:
i guess for glue maybe some superglue. But honestly, you are better off with light ruber for fabrick for the suit
The reason I don't want rubber is because I want a more durable material. For example, a rubber suit would never stand up to the type of pressure I've see you put on beach balls in your videos. Rubber suits are enjoyable, but they can only do so much.
I'm tired of trying to use store-bought inflatables and trying to position them just right inside of clothing to get the shape I want. I would think some other folks feel the same way.
I want a rugged inflatable suit made for the purpose of simulating body inflation, shaped to my liking, that can withstand a fair amount of pressure, and won't pop if I accidentally brush up against the corner of a coffee table or something.
The other issue is that I want to use a material that is cheap and readily available, like maybe cutting open beach balls and gluing the material together to make a suit. Hmm...
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 05:16
#4
You can buy large queen or king sized air mattresses very cheaply and cut them open to use as a material, the benefit would be they also come with an air valve installed in them. I made one once like that, it worked out pretty well but was pretty heavy.
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 10:27
#5
Cyanoacrylate (super glue) would not be the right adhesive to use on vinyl, rubber, or latex because it is absolutely rigid -- no flex. There are some experts on the forum (KinkyKing and RubberKat) who might be able to suggest better adhesives. Working with heavier gauge materials will be harder for a number of reasons, from less flexibility to making air-tight seams. Vinyl is probably the best material for what you want. It is soft and flexible and can take quite a bit of punishment, where latex is softer, more stretchable, but also more fragile. The eBay store D-n-L Toys sells some ridiculously large beach balls. The 72" is heavy enough to take quite a bit of pounding -- like bouncing the weight of a person dropped from a meter or two up. Just keep in mind that any inflatable will spring leaks from time to time. (NOTE: The beach ball sizes are the uninflated diameters. Figure about two-thirds for the inflated diameter.)
I think the best "adhesive" you can get for vinyl would be electronic welding, like the seams on commercially made beach balls and other inflatables. There are seal-a-meal gizmos for closing freezer bags, so I imagine there might be something for vinyl work. (I've used an insulated nichrome wire to soften plexiglas for bending.) Check cosplay craft sites, as the hobbyists often use vinyl, although not in an inflatable capacity. Still, you might get some tips on vinyl tailoring -- and any kind of shaped or contoured clothing will be a greater challenge than "unfitted" garments.
Speaking of unfitted, you might consider using some outer garment to control shape with some loosely volume-filling inflatable inside, like the neoprene "bladders" used to fill advertising inflatables, or weather balloons from a science store. "Darts" and pleats on the outer garment will give the desired shape. If you make darts with long stitches, they will break, thus allowing an outer garment to accordion open with sufficient pressure. (Denise Nickerson's inflatable suit for the 1971 WONKA movie was pleated, but merely held together by a belt.) With this method, a costume might start out looking fitted, then expand. Depending on the break-away stitches, a consistent pressure will be felt by the wearer -- plus the costume will make plenty of cool seam-bursting sound effects. (Yes, I've tried this.)
Good luck in your endeavors.
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 11:15
#6
Captain Inflatable
About my way, if i pimp too much and i put way to much pressure on the beachball, i rip or pop open. But its true, they are very strong.
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 11:55
#7
There is a manufacturer that makes an inflatable pvc suit, www.pvc-u-like.com.
I came across this site, http://www.furry.org.au/Cyrin/index.php?page=features&feature=toy-mods , a while back. It has information on creating inflatable stuff dome vinyl pool toys. Youtube also has a couple videos of modified inflatable orcas into inflatable suits.
i guess for glue maybe some superglue. But honestly, you are better off with light ruber for fabrick for the suit
"I JUST PUT THE TIP OF THE HOSE IM MY MOUTH...JUST PUMP TILL IM TOO INFLATED TO MOVE...AND DONT STOP PUMPING" Captain Inflatable.