Kitebuilder Online

[Progcraft]

Steve, do you have a teflon cutting wheel? Or does anyone know where to pick one up?
The Magnificent Book Of Kites has a how-to on building one but I have no metal working tools of any kind.
I'd really like one or two of these cause they could really help me keep my lines straight. I use a washer now, but it often slips underneath or even on top of the template and screws up my lines.

Thanks
P.

[Kitesquid]

Try the hardware store. Look in the bins of "strang parts" and you should be able to find a teflon washer that will do the trick.

I assume you are talking about the standoff for adding a seam allounce to a pattern...
_________________
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.

[stevef]

Sorry Prog, I dont have a source for those wheels... Actually, that technique seems kinda difficult. I dont know anybody using it. If my pattern is cut tto finish size and I need to add an allowance, i use a Tony Stick....
_________________
Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
Congratulations to Scott E Spencer for a job well done!

[Kitesquid]

but Tony Sticks are difficult to use on outside curves and do not work on inside curves.

I just eyeball stuff too.. As long as the fabric is marked where the seam goes, the seam allouance is not that critical, as long as it is STRONG.

It only has to look good if you are entering the kite in compititions.

If it is for fun, do what feels good...
_________________
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.

[wicastawakan]

Ok Steve, what's a Tony stick?
_________________
Clint

[Kitesquid]

Let me start to answer this question, but Steve please feel free to elaborate...

http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=34_96

The above link is were you will find Kite Studio's Other Tools. The Tony stick was the brain child of Tony _______ (I can’t remember his last name right now) that are a way of adding seam allowances to patterns easy.

You lay your pattern on your fabric, draw around it to mark where to sew.

Lay the Tony Stick against the pattern, and cut the fabric with one of the following methods:

Hot cut
Cold cut with a rotary cutter (Olfa etc)
Cold cut with snap off blade knife

Because the Tony Stick is Aluminum it will stand up to the abuse much better than your patterns.

But as I stated before, they can be used on outside curves, but don’t work on inside curves.


BTW I like the 3/4 by 1/2 inch one as it also works as a fabric weight.

Buy one WAY too long and that way you will always have one that is long enough....

Short peices work for other things too...



BTW while you are there buy a spar brush or two.
_________________
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.

[stevef]

Tony Reiser is the guy who first showed me this technique so I named the stick after him! His technique of joining two straight pannels goes like this:

His Oak Tag pattern is cut to finish size

Using the 3/4" x 1/2" Aluminum Tony Stick against the pattern, add and cut an intitial 3/4" seam allowance, then draw the sew line on the oppositite side of the stick.

After the two pannels are cut, place one piece of fabric on top of the other and line up the sew lines (light table comes in handy)

Place the 1/2" side of the Tony Stick on the sew line and HOT CUT off the remaining 1/4".

The pieces are now 'welded' together ready to be sewn.

The purpose of the hot cut is not to prevent fraying, but to weld the pieces together and prevent them them from slipping around while sewing. It takes a little more time, but really helps.
_________________
Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
Congratulations to Scott E Spencer for a job well done!

[smarties]

Steve,
This is a neat trick . I have to remember this on my next kite project.

Smarties

[Kitesquid]

OK Steve... How do you do curves?????????

That is what the teflon cutting wheel is designed to do!!!!
_________________
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.

[Stan]

For curves I use a washer for adding hem allowances with a pencil, and then adjust the template edge to the cut-line and cut along the template.
Trying to use a hotcutter in the washer was just too awkward for me, so I haven't persued the teflon wheel method.
Some drawings appear here: http://members.tripod.com/stanley119/sail%20panels.htm


Stan