Is anyone into heatstretching?

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  • lilolover82
    Senior Member
    • Mar 2014
    • 196

    #16
    Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

    How quickly would it go flat
    Washington State, United States

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    • Jkloon
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2013
      • 357

      #17
      Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

      A one inch split? A matter of second for a BB

      Comment

      • lilolover82
        Senior Member
        • Mar 2014
        • 196

        #18
        Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

        Even on a 48" turned to 72" by heat stretch? I figured it'd go down quick, but not instantly.
        Washington State, United States

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        • Q24heaven
          Junior Member
          • Nov 2016
          • 15

          #19
          Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

          The one thing that comes to mind with boiling inflatables is leaks in seams? I have thought about doing it, but am worried that something like this would weaken the seams? I would love to do this with my few remaining bop bags.

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          • MegaInflator
            Member
            • Oct 2019
            • 91

            #20
            Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

            Yes I am. Don't get many opportunities to do it anymore (limited inflatables season, no work space, no option to work outdoors (exposed backyard/nosy neighbors) ...) but I still like to go over design size!

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            • Seasidelad
              Senior Member
              • Sep 2018
              • 191

              #21
              Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

              The more boiling water the weaker it goes. There is a YouTube channel where the guy has done several inflatables till they popped. Having watched them it gives you an idea how far to go before it goes too weak. Some videos were done by hot steam inside the toy but I don’t the right steamer parts to try that method.

              He did a tutorial using a Bestway clear whale using boiling water over the toy. One comment I did notice was if well over stretched when you deflate and reinflate they can go misshaped. So it could ruin the inflatable. Always best to try out on a cheap or toy you don’t bother if it pops.

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              • MegaInflator
                Member
                • Oct 2019
                • 91

                #22
                Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                Actually a quality tip is to avoid using boiling water altogether.

                Sudden seam splits can shower you with scalding droplets. (Yes I've had this happen to me)

                What I found was a good alternative is a hot shower (hot water from your boiler is about 65-70C - still hot enough to hurt, so respect it!!) and applying a little more internal pressure.

                Yes the process is a bit slower but it *does* give you a lot more control over your stretch since it's pretty easy to aim the showerhead and you can keep spraying rather than having to stop to reboil water.

                Drawback is that most shower stalls are fairly small and this limits the size of stuff you can bring in.
                My biggest job so far has been adding about 20-30% size to a single airbed using this method.

                I use an electric raft pump which puts out quite a lot of air (like, single airbed goes from flat to full in 12 seconds) and I've rigged a switch so I can quickly turn it on and off.
                My methid is to pump till mildly overinflated, hose it downn with hot water, trying to maintain an even growth, then repeat with another quick blast of inflation followed by more water.
                Last edited by MegaInflator; 25-10-2019, 13:02. Reason: clarification/expansion

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                • heaviest
                  Senior Member
                  • Jun 2018
                  • 501

                  #23
                  Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                  Originally posted by MegaInflator
                  My biggest job so far has been adding about 20-30% size to a single airbed using this method.
                  In another thread you added 75% to the volume of an airbed. I'd like to add 30% to the volume to see if I can get a favorite design (a double swimline with one air chamber) to float more weight in the pool. Planning to do it with a hair dryer. I'm hoping starting modest I can do this without weakening the seams. The vinyl is strong enough to take a very heavy load without a lot of stretch, so I think it'll still be strong enough when heat stretched, but I'm worried about the seams, particularly around the pockets. With the shape of the thing, though, the vinyl on the top and bottom of the inflatable will be closer to the heat source than those pocket seams, so I'm hopeful.

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                  • heaviest
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2018
                    • 501

                    #24
                    Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                    I heatstretched a 30 inch swim ring in the shower, and then finished it off with a hair dryer. Grew it from 22 1/4 inch around the tube to 30 1/2 inches. While it was no harder than normal at that size, so not overinflated, a 205 pound woman sat on it. First in the center and it held, then to one side, but instead of concentrating on one side exclusively to stretch the other side, as we normally do, she rotated the ring periodically. Flipped it over and did the same. She was on it for about ten minutes doing this, and then she sat to one side and stayed there, as she normally does. After about five minutes she wasn't quite bottomed out yet when it started to leak, and then popped. I didn't measure the expanding side while she was on it, so I don't know how much additional stretch she got out of it.

                    This is a pretty normal endurance for a 30 inch ring. On the disappointing end of normal, but not substantially weaker than an unstretched tube.

                    That's a 37% stretch, and if my math is right, an 88% volume increase. 205 pound girl sinks a 30 inch ring in the pool, but I'm pretty certain heatstretched it would float her. I don't know anyone between 205 and 285 well enough to test inflatables so we'll try the heatstretched 30 incher with 285 pound girl, too.

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                    • SuTeKh
                      Member
                      • Sep 2018
                      • 90

                      #25
                      Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                      I love heatstretching! Ive gotten the best results from doing so in the shower. Ive taken some 24" bestway beachballs and almost doubled them in size! Its awesome to see how much you can increase their size want to try some bigger ones next!

                      Comment

                      • poppinbags
                        Member
                        • Nov 2017
                        • 45

                        #26
                        Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                        There used to be a yahoo group with lots of pictures from peoples heatstretched toys. Some were incredible big! I should have saved those pictures on my pc when I still could...

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                        • PBK
                          Senior Member
                          • Mar 2019
                          • 372

                          #27
                          Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                          An Intex Explorer left out in the Texas summer sun with the bottom (black) side up.

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                          • somerando
                            Junior Member
                            • Feb 2020
                            • 8

                            #28
                            Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                            Does anyone know if heatstreching works with balloons? I'd love to try it but I figure it only works because of the material inflatables are made of

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                            • Vicci
                              Blown to bits
                              • Oct 2009
                              • 655

                              #29
                              Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                              People bake balloons which makes them stretchier - there's a thread on here somewhere, perhaps if you search for "bake" or "baking"
                              Vicci x

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                              • TowableStretch
                                Member
                                • Jun 2017
                                • 70

                                #30
                                Re: Is anyone into heatstretching?

                                Heatstretch/sunstretch season is slowly arriving

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