Inflating A Ball Without A Pump
To inflate a ball, it is always advisable to use a ball pump. Always lubricate the needle adaptor with Glycerine before inserting into the valve. Should you need an alternative, sewing machine oil is also suitable. However if you have purchased a ball and do not have a pump to hand then you may be looking for other methods to inflate the ball.
I created this video with my brother, John, to see if you can inflate a ball without a pump. We decided it was possible to put air into the ball with the power of your lungs. It is possible to inflate an air bed or pool inflatable with your lungs. So surely you can inflate a ball.
We explored a number of inflating methods. Each one required a hollow tube that would fit into the valve without damaging the ball. This was trickier than we had imagined as most of the vessels we found were bigger than the optimal 3mm diameter. We settled upon an ink chamber from a cheap pen. Ensure the vessel is empty before inserting into the ball or mouth. If not empty, then it needed to be more than 50% used, otherwise you would get a mouthful of ink.
How To Inflate A Ball With Your Lungs
I cut a small notch into the end of the makeshift needle, to assist with air dispersion or at least, that was the theory. If i’m honest, i’m not sure it made any difference. In the video posted on our YouTube channel, I made an error when lubricating the air vessel, as I used saliva. Saliva isn’t a lubricant and I should know better. *See note above about using glycerine when possible.
Getting air into the ball is the hard part. John was on filming duty as it was his mobile phone. Over a minute or so later, my face is worryingly redder than is probably healthy. But I continued to try to prove the theory was possible, risking a burst blood vessel in the process. If you do try this method then please do take care and maybe share the task with others. I still believe it is possible to inflate a ball with a pump, however the size of the valve opening makes it extremely challenging.
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