rtz - 6-6-2019 at 09:46 PM
What is an "easy" or convenient way to measure out 4 equal pieces of 25m line off a spool? Preferably indoors.
Also; still haven't sourced any absolutely ideal, end all, be all sleeving material. What do the kite factories use that make the PL, HQ, Ozone lines
for a 4 line handle setup?
Also; making a tight jig for running the sleeves through the machines. I'd like to see what the factories use. I've dabbled a little bit with a
cardboard setup but it's a trick feeding it into the machine and not sewing through the cardboard.
I suppose the lines could be sleeved and unsewn and tied?
B-Roc - 7-6-2019 at 08:31 AM
I don't know about making them indoors but for making them equal I always start with just two lines of equal length. Sleeve both ends. Attach
sleeves to something solid and prestretch from the middle of both ends. Then attach the sleeves to the same fixture and use a hot knife to cut that
one line into two right in the middle. Now those lines are equal(ish) if you sleeve well. Repeat for the next pair
jeffnyc - 7-6-2019 at 10:24 AM
That's a nice solution... What do you do to pre stretch B-Roc?
B-Roc - 7-6-2019 at 01:17 PM
Sometimes I sleeve only one end and then prestretch while the uncut line is still attached to the spool. Or you can prestretch from the center of the
line with the bar of a screwdriver, a pipe or pvc or something smooth while the sleeved ends are hooked on a solid object. Or you can larkshead the
center point to a bar or handle leader and tug away. Once you cut and sleeve, stretch again and adjust sleeves until equal.
jeffnyc - 7-6-2019 at 02:01 PM
Heh - I guess my question really was what are you doing to weight the lines - you're just pulling them it sounds like... not attaching to a car with a
fuse?
And a quick search answered my question :D
http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=28758
ColinW - 7-6-2019 at 06:05 PM
So... If you had the room you could start with one really long line. Sleeve both ends, prestretch, cut in half, and repeat. this might be worth a try.
In the past, I've sleeved one end of each line then tied the sleeved ends to a fixed point and prestretched them by just leaning against them. Then I
hang the free ends of 2 lines over a horizontal broom stick between 2 chairs . I hang two equal weights on the free ends, and mark them with a
sharpy. Repeat with the 3rd and 4th line against one of the first ones. Then sleeve to the sharpy points and tie them up. As I recall, it's important
that the sleeves are the same length.
I have never sewn the sleeves. In theory , I want to be able to adjust them later. If the brake lines are lesser breaking strength than the flying
lines , you cant switch the tops with the bottoms and they stretch WAY differently. I just flew my new 3m with brand new line set and ran out of
adjustment at the handles because I was cranking on the power lines so much that the they stretched out more than the leaders.
my 2 cents.
colin
Cerebite - 10-6-2019 at 04:02 PM
To take the conversation in a different direction [or three]
I have only made sleeved lines for stunt kites and always just done a sleeved figure 8 but that is clearly a weakness in the line.
If you are working with Q line [and it looks from other recently updated threads that it may be hard to find as a consumer now] it can be knotted
without sleeving. I have flown these for years and abused them like a 19th century orphan without ever having a line break at a knot. As an asside
beware flying around cheap Department Store kites as that cotton string will go through your lines like a hot knife.
I have had great luck doing Brummel splices in 3 mm line and in one of the recent discussions on the subject of splicing someone put up a link to a
Popeye the Welder [welcome back Popeye] video of him splicing "normal" traction line.
As for measuring I just put a stake into the dirt driveway and roll out a long tape measure [250 -300 m] and lay it all out. BTW I have had great
success with 10 cm dedicated to the loop and a 15 cm bury/ lead [the official sites call for something on the order of 73 times the diameter which
IIRC is c. 11 cm.
pbc - 10-6-2019 at 08:07 PM
Brummel splice. No sleeves. No knots. No breaks. No snags.
Popeye's video is great.