jeepersjoey
Posts: 454
Registered: 1-1-2012
Location: Denvah Dahlin'
Member Is Offline
Mood: Vapor Trails...
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Tenacious Tape for the win!
In the past I used Tear-Aid type A to cover rips. It is $25 for 3" x 5 feet. I am typically only fixing a rip on a seam (i.e. 0.030"?). I have had
mixed luck. Which is 99% operator error since I am fixing kites full of playa dust at Ivanpah so that I can continue to fly. When I install on a
clean surface the stuff works better. But, the 3" width is overkill and at $5 a foot, the stuff is expensive.
Since the majority of my kites have rips I went searching for an alternate. I tried a few but found that Tenacious Tape by "Gear Aid" works really
well for our needs. The price and size is half that of Tear-Aid ($10 for one 1.5" x 5 foot roll or $15 for two). Plus, it has a feature that makes
it very easy to install, the backing is split so you don't have to place it blind like the Tear-aid.
Here is the package:
Tape install directly over the seam/rip:
One half installed:
Installing the second half:
Installed:
I use a heat gun and lightly heat the area and then press in all directions. I find that I need to do the heat/press sequence twice to make the tape
really disappear. Heat is used sparingly. The tape should not be too hot to touch when you press it to the fabric. While applying heat I could see
the glue in the Tape setting very nicely into the fabric.
I bought four 5 ft rolls to patch my Vapors that were all in pretty bad shape. I used 15 feet on the 3.8m Vapor alone! I have since bought six more
5 ft rolls of Tenacious Tape and am ready for my next Ivanpah session!
Hope it works well for you too!
Paul
p.s. Here is the Tear-Aid after one week at Ivanpah (again...not installed in the best conditions and no heat). It is not coming off easy to fix this
ugliness. Trimming the part that is not adhered is not a simple task
Peter Lynn - Resurrected Vapors (thanks to Tenacious Tape): 3.2, 3.8, 4.5, 5.4m. Size 2.3m (dead) - all internal bellows shredded
Pansh - Cerberus - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, 9m. (red)
Peter Lynn - Viper - 2.6m
Flexifoil - Rage - Rasta 1.8, 2.5 (dead), 3.5 (dead), 4.7 (v2). New backup of 2.5m and 3.5m.
Ozone - Method 6.5m (w/ Ozone Turbo Bar)
Libre - Bora - Yellow 3.0 & 4.5 (both on their last breath of life)
Peter Lynn - C-Quad - 6.3
HQ - NPW9: 3.4 & 5.3. NPW5: 1.0
Buggies (Kite and Land)
#1 Buggy: Libre Full-Race
#2 Buggy: Peter Lynn Suspension buggy
#3 Sailer: Homemade Land Sailer
#4 Buggy: Windspeed Pro Ivanpah Buggy named Bruce (because he weighs 130 lbs!!)
Paul's Photo Album
Paul's Videos |
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TEDWESLEY
Posts: 437
Registered: 1-4-2007
Location: portland maine
Member Is Offline
Mood: cat-like,I stalk the wind, finding little, I nap.
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That cleanliness thing is critical for any adhesive repair. Alkaline dust is so fine and pernicious that it is tough to clean without vinegar, water
and alcohol. Nice to see something that works acceptably under combat conditions. I have had good results with tear-aid under shop conditions, but
something better is always welcome! Thanks for your insight.
Reactors 2.8 3.5 6.9
Peaks 4m 6m 12m
HQ Neo2 11m Ozone Chrono V2 15m WASP 5m
Flexi wide axle w/mids and runners
Skis Nordic skates and winter stuff
Quatro Wing Foilboard Slingshot Foils
NAPKA US06
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tomdiving
Posts: 399
Registered: 3-4-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: thankful for this site
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use the heat gun again for removal? trim with an exacto knife or similar?
for application - putting 3m grip tape on worn out diving boards became really easy when i used an old roller skate like a rolling pin. the PU wheels
deformed enough to get the tape into the sand-covered paint quite well.
rolling a skateboard or mountain board over the tape using your upper body weight should attach the tape to the fabric nicely.
tom
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
Registered: 5-16-2015
Location: St George, UT, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Get in my buggy!
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iPaul - that's a fine post right there. I just ordered a two-pack and Amazon is now rushing me 120" of fine, transparent goodness. As a frequenter of
the belt sander that is Lake Ivanpah I am in particular need of this tape.
Though I do it far less often than I used to, I still on occasion touch a wingtip down at speed. I've actually seen a puff of red dust fly back from
the touchdown spot when I've done this. "Great" I thought to myself at the time, "I left buggy camp with a 5.0m kite and I'll be returning with a
4.9m..."
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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Ed Cline
Posts: 638
Registered: 5-25-2016
Location: Raleigh, NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Truth, Justice, and The American Way.
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Steve, Do you think 120' will be enough to patch the racestar? 
Flying mostly single skins, with some orphans, the American flag, and a PL buggy. US01
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Windstruck
Posts: 3338
Registered: 5-16-2015
Location: St George, UT, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Get in my buggy!
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I took iPaul's (Jeepersjoey) lead and got some Tenacious Tape. I had some particular challenges because I needed to apply the tape to a curvilinear
surface. The consistent wear point on my RaceStar+ kites is along the leading edge right where the semi-flexible "underwires" are sewn in to maintain
the ram scoop.
In all, I think I added about 15-20 little patches like this along my 5.0 and 7.0m RS+ kites. A nice little Sunday project.
Born-Kites:
RaceStar+ (3.0m, 5.0m, 7.0m, 9.0m, 14.0m)
RaceStar (9.0m, 11.0m)
NasaStar-4 (2.5m, 4.0m, 5.5m, 7.0m)
NasaStar-3 (custom 3.2m)
Flysurfer Kites:
Peak-5 (2.5m)
Buggy:
Peter Lynn BigFoot+ nose & tail; midsection VTT rail & seat kit; home-brewed AQR
NAPKA Member US2815
SWATK Member UT0003
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