Looking for sky lanterns

Skarecrow · Post by **Skarecrow** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:28 am

does anyone know how to make these, or know of a burner friendly seller?

since I don't check this site that often.. I would apreciate if you could e-mail me instead of reply.

[email protected]

THANKS!!!!

Post by **AntiM** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 1:29 pm

Gee, it would help if we knew what sky lanterns were precisely. Anyone?

and p.s. I removed the cross-post over in Open discussion, really we'll all see it over here.

Post by **trilobyte** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:01 pm

I'm with AntiM on this. If you're going to ask for help, please be descriptive on your request. And even more irritating, if you're going to post a thread at least take the time to check back once in a while - in case anyone's got information, or like now - have additional questions. if you can't be bothered to read the responses, you probably shouldn't bother to make the post.

~Trilo~

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:06 pm

It's only been 3 hours since it was posted and on a Sunday at that, sheesh, give him a tiny bit of slack. He's likely out doing something offline and he'll check in later this evening or something.

But I would like to know what he's talking about...lanterns tied to kite strings maybe? He's got me wondering.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:13 pm

I suspect he/she may be referring to the tissue paper and tea light candle lanterns that float from the heat generated by the candle flame.

Seem like a big MOOP and free floating fire hazard to me, but never made any myself so I have no first hand knowledge. A few minutes with an internet search should turn something up.

frenchblue1 · Post by **frenchblue1** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:15 pm

Kinetic IV wrote:It's only been 3 hours since it was posted and on a Sunday at that, sheesh, give him a tiny bit of slack.

actually they were bashing because the poster said they were not going to check back that often. It seems like they were asking for advice but not wanting to take the step to communicate.
OK...now on to finding out what a sky lantern is. My education is that a sky lantern are those rice paper globes or designs from China that are lite up with lights. Cheap ones can be found at Pier One...is it something else?

frenchblue1 · Post by **frenchblue1** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:19 pm

Oh...thats right LaNoir. Now I know what they are. Typically used for weddings etc. Fly by lighting some fuel at the bottom and rises by heat.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:25 pm

It sounds like a moop generator but I'd like to see some pix before saying anything more.

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:34 pm

Sure lets all get some we could have little fireballs blowing all over the city...

Are you all nuts! This is called fire bombing a tent city! these things could not be legal here

Mozy bonz · Post by **Mozy bonz** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:37 pm

big MOOP and free floating fire hazard

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:45 pm

Mozy is the Starshade 600 made of Nomex?

Mozy bonz · Post by **Mozy bonz** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:51 pm

250 Denier Oxford Polyester—both strong and lightweight
Water Resistant, Fire Retardant, and UV Protected

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:31 am

Even with a tether, I'd fear free floating fire above a tent city.

When I was a little kid, my brother used to make these out of dry cleaning bags. Took him a while to figure out fuel source and weight ratio. Finally got one going and it flew beautifully, until it wandered in front of a rather large dish on top of a mountain. PHSTTT! Suddenly security was combing Navy housing. He told me we hadn't been out all afternoon, we'd been watching cartoons. It wasn't until decades later when I was in the Navy myself studying electronics that I realized, oh shit, exactly what happens when you hang a sheet of plastic in front of a powerful and sensitive transceiver. Yikes.

The lanterns don't work all that well at high altitude, and if it is windy, forget it.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:41 am

There was a wonderful picture of a mourning ceremony after the 2004 tsunami of hundreds of them in a night sky. I bet they are beautiful. But moopy, yeah.

And they were going out over the ocean, so the fire hazard aspect was much less pertinent.

bailiff of Sparseland · Post by **bailiff of Sparseland** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:04 pm

In a light breeze they will travel several miles before the fuel burns out.

The problem is the playa winds are not as predictable or friendly. If they tilt from a shearing wind they catch fire and come back down to ground as a fire ball or hot cinder laden moop.

Used all over SEA for festivals. Saw them in LOS last November. I wondered how often they catch the forests on fire? The way the Thai light off Fireworks is way scarier than the lanterns!

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:19 pm

Just wait till NorCal hears about this.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:05 pm

We could shoot them down with bottle rockets.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:14 pm

AntiM wrote:We could shoot them down with bottle rockets.

Bottlerocket wars? Oh hell yeah. Let's make sure that the bottlerockets trajectories have the man downrange though.

Mozy bonz · Post by **Mozy bonz** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:17 pm

little fireballs blowing all over the city ~~~check

bottle rockets~~~check

man I need to go shopping~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:59 pm

We used to make them too(UFO's) out of Dry cleaning bags, Sterno can, and wire coat hanger frame. And looking back on it all the houses around there had shake roofs....

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:11 pm

Heard tales of filling dry cleaning bags with natural gas....lighter than air, then an upside down candle(burns faster) for a cork.......Away it goes, up, up.....HOUSTON, WE HAVE IGNITION!

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:33 pm

Can't happen like that. NG is heavier than air. Hydrogen, on the other hand . . . oh, the humanity!

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:38 pm

True but ED's device would make a nice fuel air bomb at ground level. Lighting it would be a bitch though you would tend to use up the ignition technicians quickly.

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:06 pm

Had this thought for awhile--

Use a large helium ballon to lift a propane balloon. Run a wire up the tether and fasten it to the propane balloon with a model rocket ignitor.

Flick the switch--poof.

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:07 pm

Question: where do you get really big balloons--say 5-6 feet in diameter?

Post by **Eric** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:41 pm

suddenly I'm feeling like I need a new fire extinguisher this year

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:45 pm

NorCal get to you?

burnerboy33 · Post by **burnerboy33** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:51 pm

propane is good, but if you mix with O2 in about a 1 to 1 ratio you get a big Ka-boom

Post by **Eric** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:05 pm

SED wrote:NorCal get to you?

He's an easy one to ignore.

I was more worried about the flaming propane bombs and bottle rockets.

I hadn't quite figured out an anti-missle system for the RV this year, so I figured fire extinguishers.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:48 pm

An Anti-Missile camp defense system? Surely those fine folks at Apokiliptika Labs have already cooked up something in that regard. It's just a matter of figuring out what to trade them in exchange for the technology.

Looking for sky lanterns

Looking for sky lanterns

beautiful, but not made for playa winds.