Plastic Surgery (behind-the-scenes on Inflatables)

We've been hard at work this week on our life-sized inflatable outdoor pavilion. We've decided on a triangular structure with three inflatable ribs holding it up, joined to a bottom tube that allows air to flow through the entire structure. Our primary method of joining the plastic is still ironing. Once inflated, it will pop out without other structural components. The air is added through a small tube on the end.

Over the rib will be draped a layer of plastic 'skin'.

Cutting the angles for the edges

This is a joint between a bottom run and a triangular rib, which
are perpendicular to each other.
We cut a hole into the rib and ironed the ends of the
bottom piece into it so that the air flows through it
continuously.

Two people, three ribs.
I'm starting to get nervous about all this.

The rib attached to the skin. We ironed, we taped, and we might sew.

The structure is coming together!

We've had issues accidentally ironing holes into our plastic. We've also had issues with attaching members in the right place. Accidents happen, and we've had tubes twisted around and ironed to the wrong sides, in which case our pop-up looks like a rather unusable work of modern art.