# make balloons pop with no one holding them.



## djstams

I am looking for a way to make some balloons pop while they are on top of a barrel. Any thought? A easily triggered device? Any ideas would be helpful.


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## ajb

A push-type solenoid with a pin on the end of it?


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## derekleffew

A mousetrap and a length of black thread or monofilament?


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## coolbeam

Very accurate pea shooter or BB gun?

Stagehand in the barrel with a stick pin?


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## MNBallet

djstams said:


> I am looking for a way to make some balloons pop while they are on top of a barrel. Any thought? A easily triggered device? Any ideas would be helpful.



I saw a cool youtube video where a guy took a Star Trek toy lazer gun and opened it up to put in his own "real" lazer. then he shoots balloons with them. pretty cool stuff!

Ok....disclaimer (never point a lazer at someone!!!!!)


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## JCarroll

High powered laser and a black baloon or black dot on the baloon. Pops em instantly if done right.


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## Footer

MNBallet said:


> I saw a cool youtube video where a guy took a Star Trek toy lazer gun and opened it up to put in his own "real" lazer. then he shoots balloons with them. pretty cool stuff!
> 
> Ok....disclaimer (never point a lazer at someone!!!!!)



You also have to have a license to operate high powered lasers. They fall into the same category as pyro in may places. Yes, it is possible to get a high powered laser through China but they are not legal to own and operate without proper permits and license.


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## shiben

Footer said:


> You also have to have a license to operate high powered lasers. They fall into the same category as pyro in may places. Yes, it is possible to get a high powered laser through China but they are not legal to own and operate without proper permits and license.



You can actually use the laser out of a CD burner in a new housing, but I dont know if they are considered high powered enough to require a laser license. If it does, dont do it. I feel like lasers are wayyyyyyyyy over-engineering this in the first place. A mouse trap with a piece of fish line to trigger it, or some sort of solinoid would be perfectly fine. Do you need to move the device off? Im sure the guts of an RC car would be plenty sufficient in terms of reliablity and power to make a pin pop a baloon.


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## JCarroll

Anything over 5mW
High Power is typically around 100mW and something powerfull enough to pop a baloon is around 250mW...


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## Morpheus

coolbeam said:


> Very accurate pea shooter or BB gun?


Err...
I'm going to vote 'no' on this idea...


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## erosing

Stick an air tank somewhere run a hose to the barrel and put the balloon on a nozzle with a hose clamp, fill it up so that it's almost ready to be popped, slowly let more air in when you want the effect and the balloon will pop. alternatively you can fill them so they are normal sized then at the right time you can just begin filling them more until they pop.

Any way you do this a popping ballon can still be harmful so make sure everyone keeps some distance from the balloons when popping them. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BrianWolfe

I am thinking simpler like a spring loaded pin inside the barrel activated using a trickline by a stagehand.


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## DuckJordan

i would just use a sylynoid in the barrel with any kind of pin atached with a remote control or just two small black wires leading out from the barrel.


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## tomed101

A tiny section of resistance wire. Apply 12V of a suitable current and it will heat up and pop the balloon.


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## WooferHound

Yes , What @tomed101 said.
I would use Estes Model rocket igniters or some other kind of squib.


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## kendal69

I do this all the time one cool thing to do is fill HUGE balloons with confetti and have them rigged in the ceiling and you explode them with a squib. 

You ruin the squib TAPED to the balloon so when you fire the squib with a 9 volt detonator.

You hold the button till it reaches full charge the BAM . You can daisy chain several balloons to the same wire and blow all at one. 

Do a search for BALLOON DETONATOR.


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## shiben

JCarroll said:


> High powered laser and a black baloon or black dot on the baloon. Pops em instantly if done right.



I saw a laser that would work great... Dont even need to find a black dot, the beam is about the size of the balloon. Its designed to shoot down ICBMs from halfway around the globe, and can light tungsten on fire as soon as it gets turned on. Would pop your balloon alright...


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## NickVon

Think we need someone to define "squib" in the dictionary. As far as i know they are people born into the wizarding world but can't perform magic like the cat lady that lives down the street from Harry Potter


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## philhaney

NickVon said:


> Think we need someone to define "squib" in the dictionary. As far as i know they are people born into the wizarding world but can't perform magic like the cat lady that lives down the street from Harry Potter



We shouldn't have a definition of "squib" in our dictionary, as a squib is used in pyrotechnical effects, and our TOS prohibits us from mentioning pyro:


> The users of ControlBooth, in a effort to police themselves, have evolved the following: No discussion of "how-to" of rigging, pyrotechnics, human flight, stunt falls, weapons and electrical will be permitted. Our stock answer to these questions is always "Consult a qualified professional."



By the way, NickVon is correct. Mr. Filch is also a squib, which is why he's so mean.


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## zddh13

back in high school I worked at a county club and we used the toothpicks with the frills shot out of straws to get the balloons down from the ceiling.

granted when you missed the toothpicks were stuck in the ceiling, but it worked.


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## renegadeblack

shiben said:


> You can actually use the laser out of a CD burner in a new housing, but I dont know if they are considered high powered enough to require a laser license. If it does, dont do it. I feel like lasers are wayyyyyyyyy over-engineering this in the first place. A mouse trap with a piece of fish line to trigger it, or some sort of solinoid would be perfectly fine. Do you need to move the device off? Im sure the guts of an RC car would be plenty sufficient in terms of reliablity and power to make a pin pop a baloon.



Really? You think that a laser is over-engineering? If you ask me, I'd say that a mousetrap with a line and what not is getting close to a Rube Goldberg, and starting to dissect an RC car certainly wouldn't be the easiest way to go. Use a CD burner (or perhaps BluRay ) laser. Point and shoot... quite literally. Doesn't get much simpler.


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## Studio

renegadeblack said:


> Really? You think that a laser is over-engineering? If you ask me, I'd say that a mousetrap with a line and what not is getting close to a Rube Goldberg, and starting to dissect an RC car certainly wouldn't be the easiest way to go. Use a CD burner (or perhaps BluRay ) laser. Point and shoot... quite literally. Doesn't get much simpler.



just don't laser anyone's eye out


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## kendal69

Sorry, A Squibb is an electronic spark. You tape the electronic spark to the balloon with clear tale and run a wire from the sqib or multiple squibs and then tun a charge through the wire wire which fires the squib NO NOISE from the squib but all the balloons popping at once is a huge crowd pleaser and then the confetti rains down.

Also if you've seen someone get shot on TV they used a larger squib to give that being shot look.

Also 
Conwin Online - Exploders


Balloon HQ presents: Balloon Special Effects


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## jonliles

kendal69 said:


> Sorry, A Squibb is an electronic spark.



Note Item 3 below. *Electric OR Pyrotechnic*. You need to specify electric squib. Though the thought of using something that is design to burn for just a moment attached to something that is potentially flammable in a building with an audience is not my idea of a good *safe* time

From Merriam Webster:
squib (skwib)
Function: noun 
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: circa 1525
1 a : a short humorous or satiric writing or speech b : a short news item; especially : filler
2 a : a small firecracker b : a broken firecracker in which the powder burns with a fizz
3 : a small electric or pyrotechnic device used to ignite a charge


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## GreyWyvern

jonliles said:


> Note Item 3 below. *Electric OR Pyrotechnic*. You need to specify electric squib. Though the thought of using something that is design to burn for just a moment attached to something that is potentially flammable in a building with an audience is not my idea of a good *safe* time
> 
> From Merriam Webster:
> squib (skwib)
> Function: noun
> Etymology: origin unknown
> Date: circa 1525
> 1 a : a short humorous or satiric writing or speech b : a short news item; especially : filler
> 2 a : a small firecracker b : a broken firecracker in which the powder burns with a fizz
> 3 : a small electric or pyrotechnic device used to ignite a charge



Part 3 of that definition would be better if it read as follows:

a small electric device used to ignite a pyrotechnic charge

or even better:

a small electric device *that creates a spark* used to ignite a pyrotechnic charge

A squib is a pyrotechnic device. While I see where Jon is coming from, is a balloon flammable enough that a momentary spark will ignite it? In my experience, walking too close to balloon with a sparkler didn't set it on fire, but simply popped it. Now helium filled might be a different story...:shock:


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## ruinexplorer

I think you meant _hydrogen _filled. Helium is an inert gas.


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## producer

GreyWyvern said:


> a small electric device *that creates a spark* used to ignite a pyrotechnic charge
> 
> A squib is a pyrotechnic device. While I see where Jon is coming from, is a balloon flammable enough that a momentary spark will ignite it? In my experience, walking too close to balloon with a sparkler didn't set it on fire, but simply popped it. Now helium filled might be a different story...:shock:


 
Last I checked, yes, a squib is a pyrotechnic effect (requiring a properly licensed and certified pyrotechnician), however, a pyrotechnic squib requires an e-match to ignite it. By definition, a squib cannot be a device to ignite a pyrotechnic effect. Unless you consider an e-match a squib....


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## derekleffew

producer said:


> ... Unless you consider an e-match a squib....


Every pyrotechnician I've ever worked with has used the terms "squib" and "electric match" interchangeably in casual conversation.


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## producer

I thought I replied to this already! I must not have pressed the reply button. 

I did not know that. I'm in an awkward situation, being possibly the only pyrotechnician in my area. There may be one other one here, but I haven't been able to find them. As a result, I only know my stuff from the book. It's a bit like being socially awkward and only knowing what a book says to say in certain situations. I don't have the luxury of "casual conversation" with another pyrotechnician. I guess its what I get for living out in the middle of 2 big cities with all the production companies.


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## GreyWyvern

derekleffew said:


> Every pyrotechnician I've ever worked with has used the terms "squib" and "electric match" interchangeably in casual conversation.



Yes, being a pyrotechnician in a former life, I was taught (and read) that a squib is an electric match is a squib. Now, there may be different types of squibs/electric matches. Depending the the manufacturer, they may be labeled one or the other, but it is just that a label/name. ...potato...potatoe...


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## producer

is it against the TOS for licensed pyrotechnicians to discuss pyro? I'd re-read the TOS but I'm just heading out for dinner. It would be awesome if I could network with other pyrotechnicians for ideas for shows, or even just general stuff.


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## ruinexplorer

You cannot discuss "how-to" in the forums. If you are sure who you are networking with is also a licensed technician, you are free to PM them. Problem is, since everyone can read the forum, we don't want someone who isn't licensed to attempt working with pyro.


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## producer

good to know. Would i be safe to guess that discussing different pyrotechnic effects without the how to part would also extend to that?


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