From: "Hans Siemons" <hans@mediaport.org>
To: "Shanna Browning" <danker@bellsouth.net>,
Subject: Re: You're Cheating!
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 22:13:45 +0200

> As a newbie in the balloon art, I am having soooo much trouble blowing up
my
> balloons.

Same here, last year November, I blew up a few rocket balloons (very thin
350's) and my chest hurt for a few hours. Now I can fill a 260 with very
little discomfort.

> I would like to blow them up
> by mouth but I haven't been able to even get one started (I know that for
you
> lungpower people, that is hilarious).

Getting one started is the most difficult part of blowing up a balloon. Try
making a starting bubble with a pump, and blow it up from there. If you
can't do that, blow up 350's. If you cannot do those, try 5" rounds or 6"
hearts. And then practice practice practice.

I am still learning and increasing the strength of my lungs. I can do a
non-metalic qualatex 260 now in one blow, and am working with pre-inflated
160's now. And a few months back I couldn't even blow up a 6" heart. Just a
matter of practice. Take a bag of balloons, and while you watch the telly,
just blow and blow. Use balloons which you can blow up, and if they go
easely, start working on a more difficult balloon.

As for the technique used to blow up a 260, that area is more then covered
in the section "how to blow up a balloon" in the Guide. In that chapter is
little information on which material you should practice with and I hope
this message is a little help in that direction.

Hans.