Kitebuilder.com

[Dennist3]

Ok Line sets get very expensive and fast....I have heard that some people make there own......

How do you do that?
Squid has mentioned that lines should be within a 1/4 inch ...how do you make sure a (for example) 100 foot set is the same length of you are space challenged...

thanks,
Dennis

[knotronda]

Put a dog stake in your yard at 50 feet and double the line. Put two stakes in and go around three times. Just thoughts.

KR

[KiteSquid]

To "Tune" a sport kite line set.....

I put one end over the trailer hitch on the KiteMobile and then stretch the lines out...

I put the other end over a kite stake that I hold in my hand. One line runs between my first and second fingers and the other between my third and forth fingers to separate them some...

Pull tight and pluck the lines to get the fibers to lie down.

Put lines together. I.e. between your first and second fingers.

Pull the lines tight and slowly slack them...

Both lines should droop at the same time.

If one drops sooner then it is longer than the other one...

To be AR about it, the lines should be EXACTLY the same length, but I can’t tell a difference if they are 1/4" different.

It is that easy... no special equipment unless you count the very EXPENSIVE KiteMobile


To build a sport kite line set, well that is a horse of a diffrent color.... If you want to know, just ask and I can try to write up a procedure for you or better yet, help you build one some day soon.

BTW Quad line sets take more time to build.
_________________
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.

[Spence602]

This topic has been hashed over many time in many places. A follow-on topic is 'to sleeve or not to sleeve' and THAT one has had even more discussion.

Here's one way.
Here's another.

So, to step by step:

Make (or buy) a sleeving tool,
Buy bulk line, sleeving (2 colors), straps, and winder,
Set out stakes in the length you want,
Loop one end of the bulk line around a stake and bring both 'free' ends to the other stake,
Stretch, stretch, stretch the lines,
Cut your line (include an extra 2' of line for the sleeved portions),
Sleeve one set of ends,
Tie loops in the sleeved end and put around stake,
Go to the other end and stretch the lines again,
Even out the lines and mark them both,
Sleeve them,
Tie a loop in the shorter line (one usually will be shorter no matter what you do),
Tie (and re-tie) the other loop until both are even.

Here is how I sleeve an end of a line:

Cut all 4 1' pieces of sleeving - 2 each of 2 different colors,
Push the end of one sleeve over the fid (sleeving tool) and singe the end so it doesn't fray,
Push the rest of the sleeve over the fid and singe the other end,
(Singeing the sleeve while it is on the fid prevents the the end from entirely closing),
Put the line through the eye of the fid,
Pull the sleeve off the fid, so now the line is through the sleeve,
Pull the sleeve so that it is ALMOST at the end of the line,
Tie an overhand knot at the end,
With your fingers, work the sleeve away from the knot so that it is fully stretched out,
Tie a figure-8 knot at the 'inside' end of the sleeve (this is to prevent "scrunching"),
(I'm told an overhand knot decreases the breaking strength of the line in half because of the sharp angles in the knot, a figure-8 doesn't have as sharp of an angle),
Put the knots together and tie a figure-8 knot as close to the other knots as you can.

Make sure you put the same colored sleeve on the same line (if you're using 2 colors).

Another way to stretch the line is to attach it to an SLK and fly it for an afternoon (Marty's suggestion).

To clarify: After making the loops on the first end, I put the loops around the stake and go to the other end. I stretch the lines again, make sure they're even (see Squid's post about 'droop' ) and then (with a Sharpie) make a mark on both lines close to the end. When I put the sleeving on, I push the end of the sleeve up to the mark, and make sure the mark is just outside the end of the sleeve before I tie the overhand knot.

If this seems anal to you, it probably is. I've made many linesets and learned the hard way. But now when I make them, I usually only have to tie the 'final' knot once and the lines are even. And no "scruching" or breaking at the knots after hundred's of hours of use. If my lines DO break, it's where they've rubbed against the 'trick line' too many times (Dacron vs Spectra - Dacron wins again!).

HTH
_________________
Spence
www.kiteshark.org

Air: Refreshing when stirred up and served cool on a hot day.

[KiteSquid]

BTW, I dont sleve my lines, but I do use tip knots.
_________________
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.

[stevef]

Be sure to also review techsheets 42-45 for more info on sleeving and termination.

http://www.kitebuilder.com/techshee.htm
_________________
Steve Ferrel
Measure once, buy twice!

[Stan]

Yet another fine post by Spence!

For many years I've used a big dulled needle to sleeve lines with lengths of dacron SLK line. Last week I used a wire tool from the kite shop for the first time, and it works pretty well and came with some fancy sleeves.

To make a pair of approximately 50 foot lines, I start by sleeving each end of a 100 foot length, stake the loops together and stretch the lines, cutting at the other end's natural center point. Then I wind them up on a homemade birch plywood winder marked with line type before I forget.
All my winders are different to help identify them.

Stan

[dpb]

Pre-stretching the lines was always the biggest pain when making your own stunt kite lines. I remember from years ago, people making a big coil of the Kite Line, and then attatching it to a clothes line or tree branch. Then they'd hang a weight on it overnight.

I also remember using the line on an appropriately sized kite, and flying on it for an afternoon to stretch out the lines.

I love pre-stretched lines.
_________________
Cherry Blossoms fall like rain,
A lively kite steals the sky,
Paradise in a moment.

[Spence602]

[kiteguy]