Now the sky lanterns have become quite fashionable, which came to us from the east, but have already managed to fall in love with many. You can buy them, but some may be interested in the question, how to make a flashlight? This will be discussed later on.
To make a flying sky lantern, you need to be prepared for the fact that it takes a lot of patience. It may well turn out that a couple of the first samples will not take off at all, but unsuccessful flights have the potential for perfection, since from their experience you will understand where and what mistakes were made, which will then significantly improve the design. So, you should know that sky lanterns include a lightweight paper dome on a wooden frame, as well as a burner located inside. Now let's understand in more detail.
How to make a flashlight: the choice of material for the dome
Traditionally, the dome is usually made of rice paper, however , it is difficult to call this material readily available in our region. To make a sky lantern, you will need paper, which is strong enough and lightweight, while thin and moisture resistant. Ordinary stationery tracing paper meets these requirements best. It is worth choosing the thinnest.
How to make a flashlight: fire retardant paper processing
Now, so that your flashlight does not catch fire, the paper should be impregnated with a flame retardant, it is such a substance that protects against fire. They can be in the form of a powder or a ready-made solution, which can only be impregnated. There are many compositions on the market, for our purposes the most suitable are those that are designed to impregnate decorative fabrics. Such products are usually offered in hardware stores. They are best applied by spraying.
How to make a flashlight: dimensions and shape
Best of all, if the size and shape of your flashlight will correspond to those produced by Chinese industrial production - 40x100 centimeters. The easiest way is to make the frame of such a product from wire, which will hold the mold with high quality, but at the same time they should be quite flexible and easy to use. It is worth using a wire with a diameter of about one millimeter. As a first experiment, it is best to make a flashlight in the shape of a cylinder or a cube. To make the base of the flashlight a cylindrical shape, it is enough to roll a wire into a ring, and then place it in the center of the body made of tracing paper. The crosspiece on which the burner will be placed should be made of the same wire.
How to make sky lanterns: burner
Here you will have to conduct several experiments in which you will be able to adjust the duration of combustion and the height of the flame of the burner. To make a burner, it is worth taking several strips of fabric half a meter long and 4 centimeters wide, soak them with a mixture of molten paraffin and campfire breeding fluid. Roll the fabric, then leave it to harden. Set fire to one roll. With a very high flame, it is worth removing several layers of fabric, when attenuation before ten minutes, you need to add turns. This is how the optimum dimensions for the burner can be verified.
How to make a paper flashlight: control weighing
Before you send your product on a trip, you must weigh it on a kitchen scale. The standard weight for a Chinese lantern is 250 grams. If your product turned out to be heavier, then the design must be facilitated.
They make sky lanterns solely for the sake of the manufacturing process. Now their cost is so low that it is no longer difficult to buy. You can also make them yourself, because it brings great pleasure.