We’ve had a few people ask us how to use the Super Stuffer machine works so we thought we’d get Mark to come in and show us some tips as he has owned one in the past! He will also show how to create some great designs with it.
So to start with let’s take a look at the machine itself; it comes supplied in mostly one unit, the lid is separate and has to be attached but it isn’t hard to put on. If you are transporting a Super Stuffer, then you will need to take the lid off as you don’t want to damage the seal between the two halves in transit. Also included in the box is a skirt for protecting the neck of the balloons when you stuff them and a balloon stretching tool that Greg is fascinated with. The machine is electrical so you will need to plug it in to a mains outlet.

To use the machine, the first thing you need to do is turn the balloon you want to fill inside out. You then place it over the pins of the balloon stretching tool, making sure to push the neck of the balloon all the way down on the tool. Squeezing the handle will stretch the balloon out evenly without the risk of tearing the balloon. Drop the tool over the top of the aperture on the Super Stuffer machine, making sure that the balloon is touching the tabs all the way around. Gently release the handle and then push down on the tool with one quick motion, the balloon will stay onto the neck of the machine and you can remove the stretching tool. Invert the balloon so it is the right way round and inside the machine, then press the button on the back of the machine to inflate the balloon! You will hear the noise of the machine change slightly as the balloon becomes fully inflated so you need to keep going until you hear that noise change. Put the skirt inside the balloon to protect the neck of the balloon when you are putting items inside.

It’s a girl present

You can put whatever you wish inside the balloon, the only limit is your imagination! Just make sure to stay away from anything sharp that is going to damage the balloon or cause it to burst. For Mark’s first design he has inflated some 6 inch heart balloons and a spiral 160Q. He then puts “My Teddy” inside and moves the balloons until he is happy with the finished design. He has also tied some nylon line to the top of the teddy’s head that he will tie into the neck of the balloon to keep it upright, always tell the recipient of the gift that there is nylon line attached because this should be removed before you give it to children.

Next we need to tie the balloon, if you find that the balloon has deflated slightly then a quick press of the button at this stage will make sure the balloon is fully inflated. You can now take the neck of the balloon of the balloon off the top of the machine and amazingly the balloon will still stay inflated! Twist the neck of the stuffing balloon around and tie the neck using an un-inflated 260Q. At this point there is still pressure on the balloon keeping it stuck in the machine so you need to gently press on the top of the stuffing balloon to release the pressure. If you are having trouble tying the balloon using this method; you can twist the neck, release the pressure and then remove the balloon from the machine and tie like you normally would.

Flower in a heart

You can also use the tube at the back of the machine to stuff smaller sized balloons like heart shaped balloons we are doing here. Mark puts silk flowers in a vial and then places that inside the tube on the Super Stuffer. He then stretches the neck of a heart shaped latex balloon over the top and inflates the balloon by pressing the button on the machine. He then holds the neck of the heart balloon and pushes the tube down, inserting the flowers inside. He ties a 260Q quickly around the neck to prevent any air escaping.

That’s it for this week, if you fancy getting your hands of a Super Stuffer machine then click here!
See you next time.

Rob

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