Fabric help: Light vinyl fabric

wes

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I need to find some light vinyl fabric, I was asked to make a inflatable costume.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Has anyone had any experince in this area?
 

Melonpool

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Wow -- I have no idea how to tackle this one! I'd say you'd have to melt or glue everything and figure out how to put in some kind of valve for inflation. I know that sewing will perforate whatever you use so that it won't hold air. I wonder if some kind of nylon like is used for kites and flags would work, if it's going to be something like those big buddha costumes they have at Halloween (I believe they're inflated by a small fan on your belt that inflates it faster than the air can escape).

Good luck!
 

wes

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Yeah I think I sort of bitten an Elaphant on this one!
 

shtick

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I'd say do some reverse engineering.

Buy one of those inflatable sumo costumes and you pretty much have everything you need. You can use the fan that it comes with.

Th material is probably listed in the inside of the costume in a tag or something. Take it to your local fabric shop and get the desired color and or size you need.
 

staceyrebecca

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would it be awful if you called and said "yeah I was just wondering what material you guys use for those"?
 

wes

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thanks James I'll look into that!



would it be awful if you called and said "yeah I was just wondering what material you guys use for those"?
I'm almost to that point!
 

Melonpool

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My parents had friends that used to make wind socks and flags out of that material. I never saw them myself, but my parents told me that they had these special scissors that cut and melted the pieces together. There was no sewing involved, from that they told me, and this allowed the wind socks to hold air to some extent.

I would think there must be some info somewhere on the web as to what these scissors were called, as well as the material.
 
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