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Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

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evan
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby evan » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:12 am

That is no load bearing stitch. The canopy goes all the way to the leading edge underneath the dacron strip where it is fixed with the triple zigzag. But it doesn't look nice indeed!

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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby ichabod » Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:01 am

Cheap zips on kite bags are a bad idea (looking at you North) Either use high quality ones or even better make a zipperless design using toggles and flaps - far more sensible!

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Kamikuza
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby Kamikuza » Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:55 am

ichabod wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:01 am
Cheap zips on kite bags are a bad idea (looking at you North) Either use high quality ones or even better make a zipperless design using toggles and flaps - far more sensible!
Use big plastic zips and zippers. Metal invariably oxidizes or whatever it is that it does. All the metal zippers on the bags for kites that have sat in the shed over last summer and winter have seized. None were exposed to salt water or air...

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downunder
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby downunder » Thu Apr 19, 2018 2:58 pm

Yep,

Open a new thread for bags ;)

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Kamikuza
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby Kamikuza » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:24 pm

downunder wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 2:58 pm
Yep,

Open a new thread for bags ;)
:lol: I don't think "use nylon not metal" needs much discussion...? The rest of bag design is almost irrelevant :D

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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby marlboroughman » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:36 pm

2015 kite destroyed by the unnecessary webbing!!!
thumbnail_20180419_120257.jpg
Dacron failed from creasing created by webbing shrinkage. I will fix it and remove all the webbing reinforcements. This kite would end up in a dumpster if it wasn't 2015 Catalyst.

Except for line attachments and rescue handles webbing doesn't belong on a kite. But, but what if the giant wave ate it? I don't need a piece of fucking webbing as a souvenir.

Cabrinha has the best strut to LE connection. Flexible kevlar aramid cloth, which doesn't require any garbage webbing on a dacron reinforcements but they still use it and it shrinks including on the LE closing seam. Why? Because they like to make it look "bomb proof" :roll:

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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby Faxie » Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:19 pm

Cabrinha doesn't have webbing on the closing seam? Only insignia cloth like most others. They do have webbing on the bending part of the struts however.

Don't you mean Switch? They're one of the few that have webbing on the closing seam. Good luck getting that seam to fail btw...

I've seen more failures on struts without webbing than with webbing, for what it's worth... exception being the double seam struts.

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marlboroughman
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby marlboroughman » Thu Apr 19, 2018 11:48 pm

Faxie wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:19 pm
Cabrinha doesn't have webbing on the closing seam?
It does. It is very fine, light weight but it still shrinks. Every time I open Cabrinha LE I am missing 1-2 inches of the webbing when I put it back together that's how much it was shrunk and I can't stretch it back. The FX doesn't have and it is a good thing. I don't know about the new ones.

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marlboroughman
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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby marlboroughman » Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:03 pm

From Switch website:

CANOPY ATTACHMENT
Why are we not using one single row of three-step zigzag like all the others? Every added hole in the leading edge weakens the structure. If you need to add holes, they must be spaced out as far as possible. We use a more time consuming two rows of two-step zigzag to produce considerable added strength to the design.

Good intentions gone horribly wrong. The thread is exposed to shredding during self lunch and then it opens like lockstitch when one thread brakes. Very expensive repair especially that Switch among others uses nylon webbing to close the leading edge which has to be opened to repair their nightmarish creation.

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Re: Kite Manufacturing - free feedback

Postby Faxie » Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:41 pm

marlboroughman wrote:
Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:03 pm
From Switch website:

CANOPY ATTACHMENT
Why are we not using one single row of three-step zigzag like all the others? Every added hole in the leading edge weakens the structure. If you need to add holes, they must be spaced out as far as possible. We use a more time consuming two rows of two-step zigzag to produce considerable added strength to the design.

Good intentions gone horribly wrong. The thread is exposed to shredding during self lunch and then it opens like lockstitch when one thread brakes. Very expensive repair especially that Switch among others uses nylon webbing to close the leading edge which has to be opened to repair their nightmarish creation.
I've self launched multiple models plenty of times, and no problems whatsoever? I don't see what difference it would make with 3-step that's in the same place. The outer stitching (no load bearing) on the bridle attachment points however can damage from selflaunching after a while.


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