Tips and Tricks to Repair Kites - add your experience!

[kiterron66]

What about finding a slow leading edge leak? It takes 60 minutes to lose the pressure and it is still quite flyable. The micro leaks can be from cactus or beach grass
I usually can't hear the leak unless it is large.
Thanks in advance

[sonny]

What about finding a slow leading edge leak? It takes 60 minutes to lose the pressure and it is still quite flyable. The micro leaks can be from cactus or beach grass
I usually can't hear the leak unless it is large.
Thanks in advance

Pump up the bladder in the kite, spray soap water on the leading edge and you should see bubbles. This method will help isolate the area with the slow leak, take the bladder out and dunk the general area of the bladder in a tub to find the exact spot then patch.

[Kosh]

A lot of people here mentions Aquaseal. I guess you mean Aquasure? Aquaseal is for fixing neoprene. Aquasure is Uretane rubber glue, and is excellent for fixing "everything" , though it must dry overnight, if the accelerator Cotol-240 (I think) isnt used.

[tolios]

there is a product used in sailing.
do you think that would work on ripstop fabrics to prevent early damage from salt and sun.
this is what it is about:
303 High Tech Fabric Guard
303 High Tech Fabric Guard is an advanced fluoropolymer
fabric treatment specifically developed for exterior
applications.
â–² Excellent water and oil repellency.
â–² Superior stain resistance and soil release characteristics.
â–² Durable protection lasting up to 3 years.
â–² UV screening to help control fading.
â–² Will not alter fabric color, feel, flammability or breathability.
â–² Resists mildew formation.
▲ No CFC’s. Ozone safe. Non-toxic and odourless when dry.
High performance dry lubricant.

[trikstir99]

I noticed a 1-2 inch area in the canopy by the LE where the stitching frayed. The stitching doesn't seem to be holding a seam together or anything. The canopy is one even piece where the stitching passes over. Is there an easy way to fix this. Could i use Sail tape or could i re-stitch it as the stitching doesn't seam to be holding anything together.

[Kosh]

I noticed a 1-2 inch area in the canopy by the LE where the stitching frayed. The stitching doesn't seem to be holding a seam together or anything. The canopy is one even piece where the stitching passes over. Is there an easy way to fix this. Could i use Sail tape or could i re-stitch it as the stitching doesn't seam to be holding anything together.

First, I would atleast put some glue on both sides where the seam is still okay, to stop it from expand even further.

[tolios]

still waiting for an answer about the 303 hig tech fabric guard

anyway if you are lookin for a strong glue to repair sails there is also this one used in sailmaking.


Vinyl Adhesive
â–² HH-66 vinyl cement is easy to apply, fast drying and a very versatile
adhesive for vinyl, plastic, metal, wood and leather.
â–² Permanently bonds all vinyls.
â–² Waterproof - repairs leaks in fabrics and may be used as a seam sealer.
â–² Dries in minutes and remains flexible.

its really easy to find in the u.s.

[eazyrider]

I landboard using C kites and as a result I find the leading edge wears away quickly. Here's a link to a post I did about repairing holes in the leading edge. http://www.racekites.com/forum/forum_po ... ?TID=20362

[PBKiteboarding]

Thing is with waterproofing is that tape patches won't stick well when you need to fix the canopy... for do it yourself repair.

[merl]

Done some big canopy repairs and they have worked well. Spinnaker tape and sew.

I'm thinking about doing a major leading edge repair (see pcture). Any advice for how to go about it? I know that you need to open the main front seam first, and that any tape work must be sewn.

The main question is whether it is enough to join the torn edges together with dacron insignia cloth on each side, or whether you need to use a thicker bit of dacron on one side (inside?), fixed with double sided tape and then sewn.

Any leading edge repair experts out there?

Just an update. Here is what I did: opened up the main seam and then taped the tear together with insignia tape on both sides. I was unsure whether this would be enough so I cut a bit of dacron to follow the tear and stuck it on with double sided tape. Then I sewed it, and added a larger patch on the outside to give a better cosmetic finish.
In the end this was probably overkill. Looked OK. Hardest bit was sewing the leading edge back together. That's tough. Had to go over it again in a couple of places. Kite sold.