Kitebuilder.com

[Russ Mozier]

My wife and I recently returned from the Phoenix Arizona area. We were visiting my son and his wife Becky. Becky is a third grade teacher in El Mirage and since it was National Kite Month we offered to do a workshop. It turned out to be for 5 classes of 25 third graders each. We built simple Tyvek sleds 12 x 16 inches with 2 dowels. I make the kits and they cost us about 50 cents each with string. We gave the skins to Becky ahead of time so the kids could color them in advance. This really made things go faster. We got a thank you note or card from each kid, 125 in all. Great reading.

The "Frustrationless Flyer" does have sticks, two of them running vertically. South Jersey Kite Flyers used them in the past but is now using one that is a sled with cells (no sticks). The "Frustrationless Flyer" is an expensive kite for workshops, about 3.00 each. If you charge, kids will tell you they can buy a neater kite at Wal Mart for less money. Pat and I do not charge, we donate the materials.

[KiteSquid]

[wdrwilson]

I have been working on getting supplies for Kids workshops for my area. So far I have raised some money by building a corporate Rokkaku. I also contacted DuPont and they are sending me a 50 yard roll of 6 mil Tyvek (not the soft stuff) for free.

Now I just need to find a spnsor for some dowels and we will be all set !

It's amazing what you will get if you just ask

Cheers,
Bill

[imagin]

Bill, when I build the small tyvek sleds with kids I use drinking straws (4 straws...two tucked one end into the other). These sleds are always great flyers. 100 straws are only $1. I haven't tried using the match stick curtain bamboo yet on them, but going to see how it works, I expect just fine. I made a small Della Porta this week using the matchstick bamboo, and it's flying quite well. Both options are a lot cheaper than dowels.
_________________
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

[Russ Mozier]

I have used the window shade bamboo for 9x12" Sodes and it works fine. I usually go to a place that sells the window shadesd, like Pier 1 Imports, and ask them if they have any damaged ones they want to sell. Any length works because we are usually cutting about 12" pieces. If they have a damaged one they usually sell it to me at half price or less. You would be surprised how many kites you can get from one shade.

As far as the dowels, I use 1/8" dowels. The hardware shop I buy them at sells the 48" ones for 16 cents each. Using 2 pieces 12" long per sled makes the cost about 8 cents per kite. They also sell surveyors tape, 1" x 300 feet in quite a few colors for 1.50 per roll. Using 6 feet (2 tails 3 feet each) per kite costs about 3 cents per kite. I was using bulk string and winding it on floss cards and later tongue depressors. That was a lot of work. I now buy string, 100 feet pre-wound on a plastic tube and it costs me somewhere around 26 cents per kite. Up till now the Tyvek has been donated but I am running low.

Another note, you can use old video tape for tails. Check with your local Blockbuster Video or other video rental store. They throw out damaged tapes.

[wdrwilson]

Wow great ideas .. I guess I am all set and no need for dowels.

Cheers,
Bill