Balloon Preservation

by Don Caldwell

On June 21st, 2005, six, simple balloon dogs were twisted in an attempt to once and for all put to rest the quibbling and urban legends that revolve around the longevity of balloon sculptures. All six were created using red Qualatex 260’s from the same bag to insure consistency. All but the freezer dog were placed onto a wooden dowel and suspended to avoid handling of the test subjects. All six were twisted to the exact same measurements to insure accurate measurements. These are the results.

Air Inflated Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated using a hand pump.
Rate of Shrinkage: After two weeks, the model had reduced to 1/2 of its original size.
Observations: After two weeks, the model had reduced to 1/2 of its original size (Duh).

Mouth Inflated Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated by mouth.
Rate of Shrinkage: After two weeks, the model had reduced to 1/2 of its original size.
Observations: No distinguishable difference between the mouth inflated dog, and an air inflated dog.

Armor All Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated using a hand pump, and then coated with Armor All.
Rate of Shrinkage: After two weeks, the model had reduced to 1/2 of its original size.
Observations: While the model did shrink at the same rate as the two untreated balloons, it remained shiny and new in appearance. Aside from it’s reduced size, it still looked brand new.

Hair Spray Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated using a hand pump then sprayed liberally with hair spray.
Rate of Shrinkage: After one week, the model showed little shrinkage. After ten days, the model had reduced to 2/3 of its original size. By day fourteen, the front legs and body of the dog had completely deflated.
Observations: The model held up extremely well for the first ten days, then deteriorated very quickly. Also note that as the model shrinks, the hairspray cracks and flakes leaving a white powdery residue on the sculpture.

Ultra Hi-Float Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated using a hand pump after treating the inside of the balloon with Ultra Hi-Float.
Rate of Shrinkage: After two weeks, the model had reduced to 4/5 of its original size.
Observations: The balloon held up beautifully with almost no noticeable shrinkage.

Freezer Dog:

Treatment: Balloon Dog inflated using a hand pump, then placed into a plastic bag and stored in a freezer.
Rate of Shrinkage: After two weeks there was absolutely no shrinkage.
Observations: Not only was there no shrinkage in this model, the balloon remained just as firm and shiny as a brand new sculpture. There was absolutely no noticeable difference between the balloon dog stored in the freezer and a brand new model. One thing that was strange was that the nose bubble softened considerably.

Follow Up: After the original two week test, freezer dog was removed from the freezer, and placed onto the wooden dowel with a brand new balloon dog. After one week, the now thawed freezer dog shrank at the same rate as the dog that had never been frozen. In short, if you freeze a sculpture, it will not start deteriorating until you take him out.

I decide to try several follow up tests, and with repeated tests results remained mostly unchanged. All of the tests used either Qualatex or Betallatex 260’s in a variety of colors. I did find that Betallatex worked even better with Hi-Float, in fact there was almost no shrinkage at all after almost three weeks. I also found that all worked better when the balloons were kept in a cool dark place.

So why is this of any importance? Well, I actually had two very good reasons for doing this.

The first, is that I am now working on projects that require longevity. I am discussing doing a gallery showing, I want to do a stage production with balloon props, scenery, and costumes, and of course Balloon Manor II with Larry Moss. For all of these projects, having a sculpture that could last longer would not only mean that the project would last longer, but would allow me a greater lead time going into the project. Imagine doing a gallery showing or a fashion show knowing that instead of a matter of days, you have several weeks to prepare. Imaging how much more elaborate the sculptures could be. Now I just need to figure out where I can get a walk in freezer cheap.

See you next time,
Don Caldwell