Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 17:29:41 -0500 (EST)
From: Larry Moss <moss@balloonhq.com>
To: Balloon Twister List <balloon@balloonhq.com>
Subject: Re: Qualatex Magic Pipe

On Fri, 19 Jan 2001 abett@mindspring.com wrote:

> I just got the magic pipe.  I seem to be bursting a lot of balloons. 
> Does anyone else that uses it have this problem? 

It's a very common problem with an easy solution.  At least, in every case
I've seen so far it's been the same problem, so I'll take a stab at it.

First, make sure that you're putting the pipe far enough into the balloon.
Don't just bring it up to the edge of the balloon, but push it in so about
half an inch to an inch of the pipe is actually inside the balloon.  (The
knot in the balloon should not be inside the pipe since it's harder to get
the balloon to break then.)

Now, the part that people forget -

Wrap your hand around the balloon and pipe where they overlap so that
you're forming a tight seal of latex around the edge of the pipe.  In other
words, the areaof teh balloon around the pipe should not have air in it.  

  end of balloon         magic pipe

    -----------\         _______
                |  <--  |
                |       |_______
    -----------/


In the next image, you see the pipe inserted in the end of the balloon, but
you can also see space around the outside of the pipe where the balloon is
inflated.  You shouldn't see that.  You should squeeze the balloon at that
point against the edge of the pipe.

    -----------\_______
             |
             |_______
    -----------/


It would only take a minute to show in person.  I hopethis makes sense.

Larry Moss 
BalloonHQ.com