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Kitesquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 1549
Location: USA Virginia King George
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 Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2004 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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30 minutes later and here it is:
| littleguy wrote: | | From reading posts here and elsewhere there seems to be 2 main types of materials used in making kites. OK, I know some kites are made of Mylar but isn't Mylar a DuPont brand - I guess there are no generic Mylar fabrics. |
Mylar is DuPont’s registered trademark for its brand of polyester FILM, like what potato chip bags are made of. Most people say Mylar instead of polyester film in the same way we say Kleenex instead of saying facial tissue. It is just easier...
And to be a little more technically correct, it is scrim reinforced polyester film sandwich. Or in the case of Orcon films it is a scrim reinforced polyester film, because it is just one layer of film.
| littleguy wrote: | | The 2 main types are Polyester and Nylon which are woven using the Ripstop method of weaving? |
Yes we kite builders use Polyester and Nylon fabrics as some of the other fabrics are VERY expensive. There are even woven Spectra fabrics out there, but Nylon costs pennies a pound while Spectra costs about $600 per pound from the manufacturer...
| littleguy wrote: | All the fancy names used are only brand names of the materials?
For example:
Some Nylon Ripstop brands are:
Carrington
Chikara
Telxon (I think this is a manufacturer which makes both Polyester and Nylon Ripstop)? |
Brand names or just the name of the manufacturer....as sometimes it is easier to say ¾ Oz Texlon instead of giving their model number of the fabric in question.
I think you meant to say Texlon. My posts are filled with spelling errors..... and Texlon sells both Nylon and Polyester.
| littleguy wrote: | Some Polyester Ripstop brands are:
Polycarbonate icarex (PC31)
Ventex (HQ version of PC31)?
Toray (not sure if this is a manufacturer or a brand model)?
Telxon (I think this is a manufacturer which makes both Polyester and Nylon Ripstop)? |
Icarex is a brand name of Polyester fabric. Icarex PC31 refers to their brand of Polycarbonate impregnated polyester fabric that happens to weight 31 grams per meter.
I cannot comment on Ventex as I can’t remember holding any in my hands...
Toray is a manufacturer
| littleguy wrote: | | Are there other well known brands other there? |
Yes there are...
Bainbridge
Challenge
Contender
North
Orcon (but the only manufacture a scrim reinforced polyester film that is popular in the building of indoor kites and lots of Fighters are made out of it too)
Texlon
Westmark
But I probably missed a few, and if Steve or Bonnie do not carry it, I probably do not need it.
| littleguy wrote: | | I saw the excellent summary of the general differences between polyester and nylon but are there differences between the brands within the same type of material? |
Yes!!!!!!!!
There are differences in the hand (a fabric term referring to the crispness and feel of the fabric. T-shirts have a soft hand while your chinos have a stiffer hand) of the fabrics due to the size of and density of the fibers used, rather warp or weft oriented, weather they were colanderized (mashing the fabric between heated rollers to put a set into the fibers to control porosity [how much wind will blow thru the fabric] and to try to control the warp, weft, and bias stretch of the fabric) and the proprietary coatings that they apply in an effort to control porosity, stretch and how much water the fabric will absorb (only nylon, because polyester is hydrophobic) during use.
How did I do in answering your questions and sparking new ones?
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another long winded post by the Squid..... 
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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Stan
Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 388
Location: 20 miles north of Tijuana
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| Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Oren,
It sounds like you are making a Naish-type kite for water sports.
Chikara is a commonly used fabric for water repellency and light weight, and I've found 1/2 ounce North Cloth to be very similar, at a lower price.
Most bladder pockets appear to be about 4 ounce Dacron.
Sounds like a fun project. Are you running Surfplan or Foilmaker?
Stan |
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Dennist3
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 564
Location: USA, Virginia, HAMPTON ROADS
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 6:51 am Post subject: |
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polyester is hydrophobic
that sounds like it is afraid of water
HEHEHEEH
Dennis |
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Kitesquid
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 1549
Location: USA Virginia King George
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:38 am Post subject: |
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Nope,
Water is afraid of it... 
It is the oppisite of Hydrotropic...
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA
P.S. Yet another long winded post by the Squid.....
P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier. |
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dpb
Master Kite Builder
Joined: 17 Dec 2003
Posts: 67
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Hydrophobic? Is someone getting rabid about fabrics?
Please forgive me for PUNishing you. |
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Dennist3
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 564
Location: USA, Virginia, HAMPTON ROADS
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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Glad I didn't say that first.....
HEHEHE
Dennis |
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