Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Custom Airstyle T-Handle Developement

Forum for all hooked tricks
Macisback
Frequent Poster
Posts: 420
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:20 am
Local Beach: Kahuna Surf House, Kiti, Larnaca
Favorite Beaches: Kahuna Surf House, Les Dauphins, Soma Bay, Prasonissi, Boracay, Tarifa, Sotavento
Style: Airstyle, Hydrofoil, Wave
Gear: Naish, North & Zeeko Kites, Flysurfer and RL Boards, Zeeko and Iero Hydrofoils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Custom Airstyle T-Handle Developement

Postby Macisback » Thu Sep 26, 2013 12:57 pm

Hi guys,

I would like to produce a custom made handle for Airstyle.
6-7 cm high (as Tobi uses it), perfectly smooth rounded edges inside and outside the handle. Standard measures for easy mounting.

Just as we need it for Airstyle. To cover it with grip tape if needed will be easy too.

I found a very interesting company for this: cutworks.de
They offer a CAD Programm for free (and theres many others out there too) to plan the spare parts you need. Its easy: You order a spare part made from any material they offer (in our case a durable Aloy/Aluminium) by sending them the payment and CAD plan.

BUT: they only offer 3 mm thick alloyplates as far as I understand. I would prefer to have the handle be cut by a CNC machine out of one solid block of alloy. So they are easy to grab, wont hurt you and offer more comfort and safety that way.

Is there anyone out there who knows where to do that and if is familiar with CAD planning of such a handle?

Im sure theres a number of people who would like to get one of those handles even though they will maybe not be cheap?
Last edited by Macisback on Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50281
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 826 times
Been thanked: 2354 times
Contact:

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Toby » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:58 pm

sounds interesting!

Any idea how much it would be?

FrederikS
Frequent Poster
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:33 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby FrederikS » Thu Sep 26, 2013 5:15 pm

You can just 3D-print it much cheaper than milling.

Otherwise couldn't you just produce a way to extend the normal grips? A cylinder in ABS plastic and some longer screws will probably go a long way plus they are pretty standard components.

Macisback
Frequent Poster
Posts: 420
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:20 am
Local Beach: Kahuna Surf House, Kiti, Larnaca
Favorite Beaches: Kahuna Surf House, Les Dauphins, Soma Bay, Prasonissi, Boracay, Tarifa, Sotavento
Style: Airstyle, Hydrofoil, Wave
Gear: Naish, North & Zeeko Kites, Flysurfer and RL Boards, Zeeko and Iero Hydrofoils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Macisback » Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:43 pm

I had made some alloy carving plates for my skis - extreme carvers as the industry stopped selling those because a few guys broke their necks when using 8cm+ carvingplates.

Those where about 250 Euro - but it was a lot of alloy. And it was an easy shape - a long square block with 8 holes - so making them was easy.

Now with the handlebar im sure it should be somewhere between 30-100 Euros max., depending how much the CNC finishing costs.

@Frederiks: I had the same thought with cylinders and long screws. There is a few downsides to that though:

- a custom handle like Tobis is a bit longer and the angle of the side walls is 90 degrees - easier to get your feet in, longer handle to catch the board (the ones you can buy have a 50-70 degree angle of the side walls on top and are thus not as long, many also have grip cutouts for each finger)
- a long screw in the inserts would most likely have too much power and damage the insert sooner or later?

Do you think a printed handle could withstand the forces (I assume that it would break)

I guess the ideal handlebar for us would have:

- maximum lengt possible (easier to catch, more space) leaving only 2-3 mm distance from the mounting screws to the outside of the side walls of the handle
- that means the sides need to be in a 90 degree angle
- oval-round side walls and a oval-round top with smooth transitions (will ot hurt that much if it hits hour fingers or toes)
- seamless surface of polished alloy, if needed covered with foam grip or grip tape

Now all we need is 2 things:

- 1) Somebody with a bit experience in CAD 3D models to create the CAD data
- 2) A company that mills the handle with a CNC machine out of one solid slice of alloy (2cm thick slice, thats the width of the handle, 20 cm long (incl. the mounting) and 6-7 cm high

Question to all Airstyle Kitesurfers: Who knows anything about 1 + 2?

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50281
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 826 times
Been thanked: 2354 times
Contact:

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Toby » Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:06 pm

I already had two breaking on my...so yes, there is quiet some force on it...specially for those T-Handle KickFlips !

Macisback
Frequent Poster
Posts: 420
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 2:20 am
Local Beach: Kahuna Surf House, Kiti, Larnaca
Favorite Beaches: Kahuna Surf House, Les Dauphins, Soma Bay, Prasonissi, Boracay, Tarifa, Sotavento
Style: Airstyle, Hydrofoil, Wave
Gear: Naish, North & Zeeko Kites, Flysurfer and RL Boards, Zeeko and Iero Hydrofoils
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Macisback » Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:37 am

I gave this a little more thought tonight.

Tobi I need a bit of your help, I assume you use a 2-3cm wide and 0,5 cm high strip of standard aluminium that is bent into the shape of the handle, holes are drilled into it, edges smoothened and then you cover it with grip tape before mounting it?

- which grip tape do you use?
- what material/measures does your actual handle have exactly?
- Where on which spot/place of the handle did the handles break exactly?

When I looked at the original Flysurfer Handle more detailled (which I dont find convenient cause its not foam covered) I calculated that it would only need 2 cylinders made of hard plastic with center holes, 3 cm in diameter and 4 cm high and the screws 4 cm longer than original screws.
That way you have exactly 7 cm space under the handle which should be enough for most feet.

I think that way every handle could be turned into an airstyle handle.(will not be as long though)

I am not sure if the + 4cm screws + more pressure wouldnt hurt the inserts though - likely to much sidewards pressure in the inserts, because those screws will be pushed sidewards too much.

So I guess the best optionion will still be titan alloy that is milled into the exact shape, using the original inserts

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50281
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 826 times
Been thanked: 2354 times
Contact:

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Toby » Fri Sep 27, 2013 2:59 am

you assume right!

Aluminum.

Using a thick tennis grip tape, and a thin one on top.
Then I mount it.

Broke next to the screws.

FrederikS
Frequent Poster
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:33 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby FrederikS » Sun Sep 29, 2013 2:25 pm

Draw up what you want with some measurements on it I can do the CAD drawing. If you are not in a hurry I can probably do some carbon fiber handles based on a mold that is 3D printed. Not super high quality surface finish but it will be very durable.

User avatar
Toby
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 50281
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2001 1:00 am
Kiting since: 2000
Weight: 95 kg
Local Beach: Cumbuco, Brazil
Barra do Cauipe, Brazil
Favorite Beaches: same
Style: Airstyle
Gear: Rebel 2015 18
Brand Affiliation: None.
Location: World (KF Admin)
Has thanked: 826 times
Been thanked: 2354 times
Contact:

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby Toby » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:51 pm

won't break where its screwed to the board? I could imagine so...

FrederikS
Frequent Poster
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:33 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Custom Airstyle Handlebar Developement - CNC production

Postby FrederikS » Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:04 pm

It is probably just a matter of dispersing the stress better near the hole by glueing in a strain relief. Also the stress concentration near the final bend can be reduced with the geometry. The fiber version will also be much stronger than something build of 3mm aluminum, plus we can just go thicker if needed.


Return to “Airstyle”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests