Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Forum for kitesurfers
User avatar
marlboroughman
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3368
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:12 pm
Style: Oldschool
Gear: Naish
Brand Affiliation: Make Kiting Great Again!
Location: CubaKiteLessons.com
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 61 times
Contact:

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby marlboroughman » Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:29 pm

OzBungy wrote: Riding an old Frankenstein kite is kind of cool, especially if you can charge past the kiter with all the new gear but no idea.
We must be related or something. :lol: Even when I buy a new kite I change the bar set up to my liking. The last Airush Vapor 3 that I got had a bridle so I imediatelly took it of and put fifth line on it. Now I had a problem with my 12m Vapor 2's struts failing because of the way they make them so I removed all of them and joined the strutless movement. :lol:

User avatar
Starsky
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4373
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 12:12 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Ontario
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby Starsky » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:13 pm

Glue fixes have their time and place. I will never travel for kiting without it. Last trip I had a LE puncture while self landing and was on the same kite The next day with no shop visit required. Tairaid on the bladder puncture, Dacron backing inside the LE and a 3x3cm grid/goop on the outside of the LE. Didn't even take out the LE cause it was close enough to a zipper access. I tried a double sided Dacron repair without glue and it would bulge too much and would have have torn there into massive repair on the first big crash. With the glue fix patch it doesn't bulge at all and you can tell just by looking at it at full inflation that is no more a stress point than it was before. Has held up solid for the season so far. Kite is worth less for sure, but its not new either. Glue fix/aqua seal is the bomb for valve repair too.

User avatar
edt
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 7316
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:27 am
Kiting since: 2010
Local Beach: Michigan
Gear: ride hard, no regrets
Has thanked: 530 times
Been thanked: 664 times

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby edt » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:20 pm

Starsky wrote:Glue fixes have their time and place. I will never travel for kiting without it. Last trip I had a LE puncture while self landing and was on the same kite in hours. Tai raid on the bladder puncture, Dacron backing inside the LE and a 3x3cm grid/goop on the outside of the LE. Tried a double sided Dacron repair and it would bulge too much and would have have torn there into massive repair on the first big crash. With the glue fix patch it doesn't bulge at all and you can tell just by looking at it at full inflation that is no more a stress point than it was before. Has held up solid for the season so far. Kite is worth less for sure, but its not new either. Glue fix/aqua seal is the bomb for valve repair too.
It's not hard to hand sew, you can make the patch as strong as you like depending on the type of material you aren't limited to dacron. So maybe it takes an hour maybe two hours to sew the patch by hand while glue takes 5 minutes you still have to wait for the glue to dry. I really don't understand why some kiters are allergic to sewing.

robertovillate
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1508
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: PASA Level III Instructor FL- OBX - MI - the world
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby robertovillate » Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:47 pm

Starsky wrote:Glue fixes have their time and place. I will never travel for kiting without it. Last trip I had a LE puncture while self landing and was on the same kite The next day with no shop visit required. Tairaid on the bladder puncture, Dacron backing inside the LE and a 3x3cm grid/goop on the outside of the LE. Didn't even take out the LE cause it was close enough to a zipper access. I tried a double sided Dacron repair without glue and it would bulge too much and would have have torn there into massive repair on the first big crash. With the glue fix patch it doesn't bulge at all and you can tell just by looking at it at full inflation that is no more a stress point than it was before. Has held up solid for the season so far. Kite is worth less for sure, but its not new either. Glue fix/aqua seal is the bomb for valve repair too.
I agree with Starsky.... a Kitefix repair kit can be a huge life-saver on a trip during a good stretch of kiting weather/ or on a trip with no easy access/no time for repairs at a sail loft. I never go on a trip without a Kitefix repair kit + a good amount of dacron tape + a whole bunch of bladder patch + sewing kit + other board/kite repair materials.

I do not agree with the OP that using a "kitefix" system is universally bad. If done improperly, or used inappropriately....perhaps yes. But sending a kite out for loft repair is usually very time-consuming, costly, often involves shipping, and almost always lost time on the water. I some cases I would agree a loft repair is a nice option. I used to send kites to the loft without hesitations, but now I try to repair them myself with Dacron tape or Kitefix if those systems are appropriate.

I recently dumped a fairly new kite in big waves in Ireland and it tore the kite from leading edge to trailing edge...next day I had it repaired (with Kitefix) and was back on the water with it the next day after that. Total cost: about $15usd. Total time: maybe 2 hrs of work max.

Since then I have had this kite out in super gusty conditions, WAY over it's designed wind range, and the repair is holding fine. Same day a mate snapped his chicken loop because it was so gusty.. My confidence in the repair is 100%. I've done other similar repairs in the past and they are holding up fine as well.

If you look for the repair you will see it, but most people can't see it unless I ask them to look for it. And I am taking about more than a 5 foot long tear. Personally I don't care what the kite looks like - as long as it flys OK, and as long as I can use the kite again ASAP I am happy. I agree that it might effect resale value a bit...but personally, if done correctly and neatly, I don't think it devalues the kite any more than any other (sewn) repair. In some cases I've see a sewn repair job actually diminish the value of a kite if it was done poorly. A lot of times a loft repair job requires pulling many of the panels apart to do the repair and then reassembly. A repair job with the Kitefix system actually preserves the original construction of the kite more than any else. I'd say if it adds any weight it would be less than an ounce.

If the tear is such that it can be easily repaired with dacron sail tape that is my first choice. If the tear is bigger and more I like to use the Kitefix. Dacron is actually a great repair material because it has good dimensional stability due to the warp/weft of the fabric,,,,which allows it to flex and "give" according to the forces acting on a canopy full of wind. I have found that the ripstop tapes do not have the best adhesive qualities (inferior to th Dacron repair tapes)...so I might only use the ripstop tapes for very small pinholes and such.

eree
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:49 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: shallow sea
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby eree » Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:07 pm

Starsky wrote:Glue fixes have their time and place. I will never travel for kiting without it. Last trip I had a LE puncture while self landing and was on the same kite The next day with no shop visit required. Tairaid on the bladder puncture, Dacron backing inside the LE and a 3x3cm grid/goop on the outside of the LE. Didn't even take out the LE cause it was close enough to a zipper access. I tried a double sided Dacron repair without glue and it would bulge too much and would have have torn there into massive repair on the first big crash. With the glue fix patch it doesn't bulge at all and you can tell just by looking at it at full inflation that is no more a stress point than it was before. Has held up solid for the season so far. Kite is worth less for sure, but its not new either. Glue fix/aqua seal is the bomb for valve repair too.
i'm with MM here.
if you travel you can use adhesive dacron or teijin(spinnaker) tapes for temporary repair. it will hold for the time of your trip all right. afterwards you can let it sew professionally or yourself if you can. or change the panels if needed.
imo only excuse for using glue during the travel is LE main seam rip, which is very rare occasion and still the job that needs stitching.

glued kite is worth nothing second hand. well may be for some beginner it has some value...

User avatar
Gigi;)
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 555
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:23 pm
Location: drtuba.eu, kite-stuff.org, eXtremist.si, kajtar.si
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 12 times
Contact:

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby Gigi;) » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:21 am

We're doing it if it will cost less to repair or if customer demands it. Only in rare cases.
William Munney wrote:
Gigi;) wrote:I'd sure advise to go and fix the kite @ pro's especially bigger tear, but sometimes you simply dont have another option to glue the kite together. Glued kite, if done correctly, will withstand a lot of crashing. And with good machine you can sew over the glue.

[vimeo]https://www.vimeo.com/48168480[/vimeo]
(I've actually kite with this kite several times thru a great 2 weeks staying on Sardinia, in some strong winds 20+kts)

We are using lighter ripstop tapes where possible on both sides of the kite, plus sewed sealed, we found it better than only one layer of heavier ripstop, but we stock virtually all colors of LL175 (dacron) and teijin T9600 (canopy) fabrics for doing panel replacing or for more demanding customers.

:bye:

What is your opinion on panel replacement?

User avatar
Gigi;)
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 555
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:23 pm
Location: drtuba.eu, kite-stuff.org, eXtremist.si, kajtar.si
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 12 times
Contact:

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby Gigi;) » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:35 am

Check the humidity/temperature resistance of the glues used... not all the same... some brand's glue "fixes" turns into shitty and expensive ones when heat raises above 35 degs C...

usually most (pu) glues, which is fairly elastic after cure, are good for canopy fixes.

If you don't like to glue the bladders I can suggest our new hot-melt bladder patches. The heck you can even patch the smaller canopy tears and yes you can even sew it! ;)


Starsky wrote: Glue fix/aqua seal is the bomb for valve repair too.

yojimbo
Medium Poster
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:08 am
Local Beach: dillon
Style: kite surf
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Don't use glue fixes on the kite

Postby yojimbo » Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:10 am

marlboroughman wrote:I got another kite for repair that was repaired with glue and screen. Guys don't do it. It is the worst thing to work on afterword. It will not hold the leading edge. It will stick to your bladder. The canopy can not be sewn after. It's a bloody mess. If you do your kite is worth 0 $ for sure. Put some ripstop tape on the canopy or dacron tape on leading edge which can be sewed after. That's it.
Yes it will stick to your bladder, that's why you need to place dacron tape between the bladder and the canopy. I use Kitefix, and recommend it highly for repairs.


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Baidu [Spider], Brent NKB, Google [Bot], purdyd, suisd12, Vivo3d and 358 guests