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[stevef]

Squid, you posted this question and picture a long time ago and nobody bit... so I will.

So... how did you make the black Carbon spars white? And how durable is the finish?


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Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
CONGRATULATIONS to all the forum winners at this year's AKA Kitemakers' Competition!

[Kitesquid]

They are SkyShark P300 spars. They are basically arrow shafts that did not balance right so us kiters get them

They have a diffrent makeup than most Carbon fiber kite spars as they have an inner layer of longitudinal Carbon fibers like a pultruded spar with an outer wrapped layer of Carbon fiber to add hoop strength. This makes it so you can cut htem anywhere along their length and they are still structaly sound. The wraping of the outher layer leaves the spar with a ridged outer finish that is not good aerodynamically speaking, so they grind it smooth before they remove it from the mandrel.

So the spars come from the factory with a sanded finish, that means that paint will adhear well.

I took a block of 2x4 and drilled a bunch of 0.244" holes using my drill press as stuck 0.240" Ferrels in them and then placed the spars over them.

I took it outside and sprayed them with flat white enamel paint from a rattle can. Several light coats. When the paint dried, I thread wrapped both ends. This adds hoop strength and makes them look good!!!

I added a water slip decal I made on a color printer that had a squid flying a kite on one side and my handle KiteSquid in Kanji on the other side. To see Kite Squid in Kanji, just look at my Avatar.

I then had to build a machine that would rotate them eight at a time as the epoxy hardened. I purchased a sixteen RPM gear head motor for this rig.

I coated them with a fishing rod epoxy that is water clear and flexible. This stuff has a low viscosity (I would guess about eighty weight) and takes twelve hours to cure. So I placed them on the rod turning machine and left them overnight.

There you go.....

Tons of time and lots of work and lots of expensive materials to get it done, but it is unique.

Every spar is signed by me
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VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA


P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.