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Dye on kite lines

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lewmt
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Dye on kite lines

Postby lewmt » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:06 pm

This probably seems like a weird question but when snowkiting & all 4 lines are solid white it is impossible at times to tell 1 line from the other. I like to leave the bar & lines attached to my kites between sessions but when you unwrap & get ready to launch its impossible to tell which way to weave the bar through your lines to get them clear back to the kite for flying.

I have contacted SS about whether dyes would work & whether there would be a degrading effect on my lines. They were no help & are uninterested in having colored outside lines. So I wondered if anyone in the sphere of kf has dyed their kite lines & what success or failures you've experienced? Thanks in advance for any advice

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby alamos_kiter » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:25 pm

Get yourself a set of Qpower lines, they come in colors and at your preferred length. They are also sturdier than usual kite lines, especially against abrasion.

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby GregK » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:36 pm

If you want to colour-code your white Slingshot lines, use permanent markers with wide tips ( chisel point or wide point, not the tapered tips ) to colour a line. At first it will be slow going but pretty quickly the felt tip of the marker will form a groove that makes it easy to run the line through the tip, marking more of the line in a pass. Maybe wear a pair of latex or rubber gloves if you want to keep your hands free from marker ink.

Permanent marker ink is reasonably colour-fast, but may bleed a bit if wrapped inside a wet and white or light-coloured kite. Colour will fade a bit over time but will show for a long time.

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby SupaEZ » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:39 pm

Personally have not done it but i can't see why you could not with that with permanent chisel Sharpie
You could dye the left back line in red and the right back line in blue

Image

Just sayin this might work
Good luck

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby 14ToeSide » Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:51 am

+1. Just SAYIN also!

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby GregK » Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:03 am

I've done it, it works, use a brand new marker ( per line ) and be prepared to use up the entire marker to get it to look good. Takes a couple of quick passes to get the ink in heavy enough that the colour is consistent, or a slow & steady pass then flip the line over to do the opposite side. If you go lightly then you get "camo-red" or "camo-blue" and white lines.

Also much easier to do if the lines are stretched out with some tension.

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby rtz » Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:25 am

I don't know if this will work; see this video at 2:34 into it:



I had no idea this stuff would even phase plastic; but apparently it does?

Image

Might search and read up on it or experiment with that stuff.

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby lewmt » Tue Feb 10, 2015 3:31 pm

I looked at dyes in the fabric store & they all said to boil the fabric in the diluted dye for an hour. I don't know what happens to kite lines that are boiled but I'm not thinkin its good. Opted for the Sharpies & like the results! I'm sure the longevity isn't fantastic but should get me through snowkite season. 2 passes on each line seemed to be enough for full coverage. Thanks !

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby CaptainArgh » Tue Feb 10, 2015 3:55 pm

GregK wrote:If you want to colour-code your white Slingshot lines, use permanent markers with wide tips ( chisel point or wide point, not the tapered tips ) to colour a line. At first it will be slow going but pretty quickly the felt tip of the marker will form a groove that makes it easy to run the line through the tip, marking more of the line in a pass. Maybe wear a pair of latex or rubber gloves if you want to keep your hands free from marker ink.

Permanent marker ink is reasonably colour-fast, but may bleed a bit if wrapped inside a wet and white or light-coloured kite. Colour will fade a bit over time but will show for a long time.
What a great idea, thanks!
Always wondered about this. The all white lines don't bother me except when I'm on the snow. I don't have any issues with tangles or laying them out (as OP stated) BUT, it's nice to have them visible so somebody doesn't ski over them and cut your lines! :o

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Re: Dye on kite lines

Postby Cab Driver » Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:30 pm

This works with decent results (an ambassador did this and reported back results). I would be weary of putting RIT or chemicals on the lines as this could alter the chemical makeup of the line and reduce the working load limits. The reality is that Dyneema is super difficult to hold color.
SupaEZ wrote:Personally have not done it but i can't see why you could not with that with permanent chisel Sharpie
You could dye the left back line in red and the right back line in blue

Image

Just sayin this might work
Good luck


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