Kitebuilder.com

gduran · Joined: 03 Mar 2004 Posts: 36 Location: Argentina

I am not a very skilled kitebuilder, so perhaps I come up with the same problems you (experienced guys) have in your first kites.
I try to make exactly equal lenghts bridles. I cut all of them of the same lenght first, but when you do the loop and the knots at the endings never ever are equal, just milimeters of diference but not equal at all.
How do you do exactly equal lenght bridles?
I was trying a board and so on but there must be a technique or tip to do that.
Thanks
Gerry

wdrwilson · Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:55 pm Post subject:

Hi gduran,

I would recomend a birdle board. Tom White has plans for one that works quite well. I am not sure if the link, but I think if you do a search in the forum you will find it.

Good luck,
Bill

wdrwilson · Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject:

Here is a previous thread on a similar subject.

http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=156&highlight=bridle+board

--Bill

Spence602 · Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 352 Location: USA TX Houston

Here's the way I do it - without a bridle board.

Make a loop, pull it tight, snip the loose end and seal it.
Mark where the knot at the other end goes. Tie the knot, with your mark just on the inside. Pull it tight, snip the loose end and seal it.

Take another bridle, repeat.

If you tie the loop first, it doesn't matter how big it is or if they're exactly equal. Then you can put the loop around the end of your ruler and measure from the inside of the loop.

Another thing you might want to do. With some white Bridle Line, tie an overhand knot in one end of the line and then tie a clove hitch around another piece of line. Mark where the 'inside' of the knot comes to.

Then untie the clove hitch and measure from the inside of the overhand to the mark. Know you know exactly how much "extra" to measure a line when the instructions say "no knot allowance".

Do this with a few knots (larks head, slip knot, prussic, etc.) and write them down, along with the size/strength line you're using.

If you have other strength lines, do the same thing.
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kiteguy · Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2004 10:24 pm Post subject:

I use two nails in a piece of wood. Tie a loop of any size on one end and loop it over one of the nails. The nails are measured to the length of the Bridle Line I want. Then I pull the line around the other nail, and mark it with a felt marker. Give a few inches allowence and cut. Then I pinch the line at the mark on the line and tie my overhand knot to secure.

Yep, the line is perhaps 1/8 (2 or 3 mm) inch short, but all of them are short the same amount, so they work fine for me.

I am a TLAR type builder.
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Dave Ellis
Kites + Kids = Education

Grant L · Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:06 pm Post subject:

I had trouble with the same thing. Even using a bridle board, I found it hard to tie a knot with a line under tension and having it end up where I wanted it. Now I am a fan of knotless knots. I think Progcraft uses them too, ( sorry knotronda Embarassed

) The first link below gives you a rough idea of how to make them. If you download the NPW9b, (or the NPW5) program from the second link, under the bridling section, they have a very good description, with the dimensions to use for making the loops at the end of your lines
http://members.cox.net/npwbill/WireLoops.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/kiteman/Downloads.htm

Progcraft · Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:21 pm Post subject:

Yup. Knotless loops. I use 'em everywhere. Even the UL-indoor Rebel kite I built uses knotless loops on the bridle. I found Tom White's bridle board to the be slickest thing around. I use it for any line I need to cut. You can even make up 4 or 6 lines at once. I'm even useing it to cut tails for my Eddy arch kites.

P.
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knotronda · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:30 am Post subject:

KiteSquid · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 8:04 am Post subject:

To get my bridle lines or train lines even I mark were the end of hte loop goes, fold the line at the mark and grab the lines were the knot goes with a pair of 6" straight forceps.

Tie a figure of eight loop and you have the end of the loop were it needs to be..

Easy....
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KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Shocked

Doesent he ever shut up???

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

stevef · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 9:20 am Post subject:

Most of the kites I make do not require me to measure.... I just guess.

All I have to worry about is tying two loops (that don't have to be the same) and then find the mid point. The whole bridle is a combination of that procedure.

In the old days, when I measured everything to the 1/16" I had a seperate "bridle jig" for every kite. It was a 2x4 with a series of finish nails and marks.
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Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
Measure once, buy twice!