Pin Hole repairs

[keegster17]

I have three pin holes on my kite, and when I say pin holes, they are almost that size, a very slight increase than a pin hole. I think this has happened from the rubbing of the main valve or the valve cover when the kite has been packed up. My question is, should I repair asap, or can I leave them? I was going to use tear aid, and make two small circles to repair, as two of the holes are almost next to each other. I heard of glue being used. I am looking for something that is going to provide the best clean look. The kite is only a year old, and I am not really ready to place two patches on it just yet, if I don't have to.

[seaplus]

I've heard of people using "Aqua-Seal" droplets on pinholes.
Sounds like a good idea.

[rogue_kiteboarder]

Are you talking about a pinhole in the bladder of the LE casing?

If it is the LE casing, a couple of small dacron tape patches will work for a while and protect the kite from further damage. In the short term. Long term, get it repaired by a professional. if the look is more important than the function, try to place the patch on the inside of the casing.

if it is the bladder, use tear aid patches with rounded corners. Just be sure to clean the bladder with an alcohol wipe before applying the patch.

[edt]

You don't need to repair pinholes except for cosmetic reasons. The ripstop inherent in kite fabric is sufficient to hold the kite together. Once the pinhole gets to hmm a 2mm size? Something like that, where you can put the tip of a pencil through, then you need to patch it. I had an old kite which the previous owner had left out flapping in the wind too long and it had hundreds or thousands of pinholes, looked like van gough's starry night when you peered from under it on a sunny day. Eventually it wore out but not from the pinholes, the whole fabric was too weakened from UV radiation and came apart. If you put patches on it, yes make sure it looks good cosmetically because that's the main reason to patch a pinhole. Does no good to put a patch on a pinhole on which devalues the kite because it looks bad. Of course once a hole is big enough, you must patch it even if it looks bad cosmetically or quit flying it, as a big enough hole can rip up the entire kite.

[keegster17]

Here are some pics.

[edt]

up to you.

[rogue_kiteboarder]

Where are they in regards to the center zipper? If you can reach them from the inside, patch them on the inside.

[keegster17]

edt, so your saying not to large to worry about now?

Rogue_kiteboarder, they are easy to get at, 6" down from leading edge, and 4" over from main strut and not on leading edge or strut, on kite material.

[edt]

I'd rather not give a specific recommendation and just keep it to generalities. If you don't patch it and the kite explodes well you would be pretty mad at me. And if you patch it when it doesn't need it go to resell it and the off color patch knocks $300 off the value of the kite, well that would suck too. I'll let others gives specific recommendations. In general you don't need to patch pinholes. Once the hole gets "too large" (here I would guess too large at something a little bigger than 2mm) you must patch it. For holes between 2mm and about 2cm I would just slap a small circle of sailtape on but I only have white & black in sailtape. I don't trust tear aid because it is not as strong as sailtape. Looks better though because it's clear. Anything bigger than an inch or so I would put sailtape on and sew it in place or use the proper fabric and sew it on.

[rogue_kiteboarder]

edt, so your saying not to large to worry about now?

Rogue_kiteboarder, they are easy to get at, 6" down from leading edge, and 4" over from main strut and not on leading edge or strut, on kite material.

My first recommendation is to get it repaired professionally.

But short of that, patch them from the inside, at a minimum, with sail tape. I would tape them on the inside and outside if it were my kite.