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DIY Foil Kites

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Kevin Brooker
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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby Kevin Brooker » Sat Dec 24, 2016 3:34 am

I have tried to pull the loop back as you have shown but have no luck. The fid seems to pop out of the tubular weave and I have no joy getting it back in. Any tips or hints on getting the fid to stay inside the weave?

Really enjoying the build and photos. Thanks again for posting.

stefmoris
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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby stefmoris » Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:56 am

Thanks guys!
Foilholio in my opinion for a given stitch length triple stitch zig zag is appropriate in a shear load only, not a peel load as it will point load the material that way.

Kevin I think all different types of line each have their own personalities and have to be experimented a bit to find the best fid and way of finger trapping/sleeping. I use everything from wire, to blunt needles, to rounded pieces of coat hanger to do mine. If it is catching and trying to exit then your fid may not be blunt/rounded enough. Also sometimes I have to pull the line on, sometimes I have push it onto the fid, sometimes I have to hold the line vertical to let gravity keep the fid centered in the sleeve -- it just depends on the line. The liros D.C. 60 is the easiest I've ever worked with though. The coating they use really makes things quick. -stef

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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby andy666 » Sun Dec 25, 2016 3:51 am

downunder wrote:Hey guys,

is that the walking foot pressure (in red round thingy)?

$_20 - Copy.JPG

I do not have a manual, it's 30-35 years old gem. How do I regulate the pressure than? Trial and error for every fabric?

The machine perfectly does a ZZ with cotton, but man, the rip stop is making my life miserable....Even a retired 'pro' did not have much success (she did not adjust any tension other than a bobin).

Thx
OMG! I have exactly the same machine. They are brilliant. I have sewing a custom buggy seat with it and it punched through multiple layers of canvas and webbing with ease.

Yes the bit in the red circle is the foot pressure and you have it at full pressure. Push the outside collar down (look from the to) and it will release the foot pressure. You want light foot pressure for sewing ripsto nylon and either a teflon or walking foot. The walking foot works best and you can get a cheap universal one off eBay.
Also you are better doing a triple zigzag rather the single wide zigzag on ripsto or it will bunch the ripstop too much.

stefmoris
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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby stefmoris » Tue Dec 27, 2016 12:12 am

Image

Image

I'm all done and very satisfied. I will post video of a ground test as soon as weather, time, and holiday obligations permit. Happy holidays everyone :) -stef

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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby kitexpert » Tue Dec 27, 2016 3:32 pm

Looks good again. Some remarks/suggestions: I think there should be some possibilities to adjust A, B, C above the mixer, now it looks there ain't. Also for brakes, which I see you have designed differently than other line rows. I like it and I have done the same, because brakes have a bit different function than other line rows they can very well have different locations and spacing.

I once designed every linerow separately and differently, but I think now it is not usually necessary.

If brakes are positioned at TE, location can be even mid-cell. Then 1,5 cell spacing is possible, if every second feels too wide. If kite cell is wide, it is very possible to bridle every rib for brake. Then TE turns smoothly. But again miniribs have their role there, of course making the TE area better.

You can add short adjustment lines above the mixer if needed.

If I see correct primary bridle line pinches the loop in the kite. It could be done better, so that there is "more loop" inside the bridle line. Correct way to do it is to put the bridle line loop around the loop in the kite and then thread free end of the line through.

stefmoris
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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby stefmoris » Tue Dec 27, 2016 6:37 pm

Hi Kitexpert, my mixer is totally adjustable, and I have a pigtail with knots above the mixer for the brakes but you are correct, I have no above mixer adjustment for the others. Good point about my line attachments, I'll do as you suggest on the the next kite. :) -stef

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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby Mossy 757 » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:26 pm

Stef, looks like a cool project! Is the 1.98kg the whole kite plus bridle and mixer?

stefmoris
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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby stefmoris » Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:34 pm

Hi Mossy, yes it is the all up weight. That is the advantage to a low number of cells (25 in this case) :)

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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby foilholio » Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:37 am

The weight is light but seems heavy compared to Pulsion. You must have used heavier fabric, what was the fabric weight?

I like the mixer adjustments, nice and simple. Do you depower onto A or A and B? It seems you can't keep a static limit on B with your adjustments, don't worry even flysurfer hasn't worked that out either :-).

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Re: DIY Foil Kites

Postby kitexpert » Fri Dec 30, 2016 9:48 pm

foilholio wrote: It seems you can't keep a static limit on B with your adjustments, don't worry even flysurfer hasn't worked that out either :-).
What does this mean? At low AoA some limit for B to not to get any lower? I don't see there shouldn't be much difficulties to achieve that, but it would be better not to have need for it.

But if kite is not stable enough (can't tolerate flying on A lines only) it is a good idea to limit B line row movement. Meaning fixing A and B at low AoA's. Then some depower is theoretically lost, but it is better than collapsing the kite. More crude method is to fix A and B permanently, at some tolerable AoA.


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