I’ve broken one line from a new set, so I want to shorten them all to the same length. Any advice about how make the loops in the end of the line? I’ve seen something on re-sleeving and sewing the sleeve.

What kind of thread should I use and can I stitch up the sleeve by hand?

I’ve seen advice that you can just make a loop in the sleeved line and tie a knot in it. Is this OK ? I’m a bit paranoid about knots as that’s what broke the line in the first place.

Any tips (on shortening lines) appreciated. Cheers

Or you could just take them to Hold The Line Kites and hand over some cash and Neil will sort it out for you.
The 7.5 Bandit that I bought last season came with 24mtr lines but as I like shorter lines when wave riding I took the new bar and lines to HTL and had 4mtr's cut off and made into extensions.

You can just use polyester thread, a thicker upholstery one is fine, ask the ladies at the haberdashery shop. You can make it a bit easier by making a cardboard jig so that the foot of the sewing machine doesn't fall off the lines you're trying to sew.

Who is Neil?
Can you put his contact detail here?
I have a little problem with my trim line that he might be able to help me.

Good Winds
Alex

You're a clever Gonzo Hunter S. My attorney advises me that you are bang on.

Save yourself the hassle, go see Neil at HLK. Got a set of lines shortened for $20 .

By the time you run around getting this and that you will have spent that much in fuel, needles and thread

tightlines said...

Or you could just take them to Hold The Line Kites and hand over some cash and Neil will sort it out for you.
The 7.5 Bandit that I bought last season came with 24mtr lines but as I like shorter lines when wave riding I took the new bar and lines to HTL and had 4mtr's cut off and made into extensions.

Does anyone know if anybody in the Sydney area does these sort of repairs. I have never thought of gettin broken lines fixed, always just bought new ones.

There's a cool knot called a Zacher knot where you can splice the line without sewing. I have used it as a fall back if I can't be bothered stitching the splice.
Just google zacher knot.
By the way don't be intimidated by splicing lines it's extremely easy once you've done a few.

Hunter S said...

Thanks guys.

I will have a go "myself". I don't live in the metro area so the drive up is the cost and "I" should have everything I need to do it. The biggest hurdle is the aforementioned "nice lady with standard sewing machine" who will require some subtle treatment before I can get her to expose her nice machine to my salt encrusted lines.

Cheers

I'll try to explain it in the least number of words

Hook the loops on one end of the lines to be shortened to a common point like a rope around a tree or a fence post.
Get a black texta pen, and pull the lines tight. Test they are all pulled tight by wrapping them around a bit of stick and pulling on them level with your eyes, then release some tension, if they all fall together, they are ready for the next step.

The next step is to mark the lines with the texta pen, simply make a mark across all 4 lines.

Then cut 4 pieces of sleeving all the same length, singe the neds of the sleeving slightly while a sharpened pencil is inserted into the hollow end, go easy it only needs to be sligtly singed to stop further fraying.

Get a piece of 10amp or "light" circuit fuse wire, or any fine wire approx 1/2mm thick, approx 40cm long.
Double it over and bend it tight in the middle.
Then insert this all the way through one of the sleeves untill the doubled over end emerges from the sleeving.
Then poke about 5cm of line through the double over section of the wire and pull it back through the sleeving, until the line emerges from the sleeving.

Make another mark on the lines 1cm from the end of each line, slide the sleeving back to this mark, then hand sew the sleeving to the line with a few back and forth stitches and tie off the thread and cut off the thread.

Repeat to all four lines.

Then cinch the sleeving down tight on one line at a time and use a clamp to hold the two ends of the sleeving together.

Then hand sew the two pieces of sleeving together as best you can, if you don;t know how to sew, look it up on the net, or just go back and forth through both lines and sleeving for at least 3-4cm, tie off the sewing line thoroughly, trim off excess thread.

Repeat to all four lines.

Then check them for length using the method above, and they should be perfectly even, if not you can corrrect using pigtails.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McKitemacgyver.

Hunter S said...

Thanks guys.

I will have a go "myself". I don't live in the metro area so the drive up is the cost and "I" should have everything I need to do it. The biggest hurdle is the aforementioned "nice lady with standard sewing machine" who will require some subtle treatment before I can get her to expose her nice machine to my salt encrusted lines.

Cheers

I was taught by Steve of KP-follow his instructions-it's a cinch.

Stitch by hand-forget the machine-absolutely unnecessary.

I did great quick job in Indo last year with the bare essentials I took with me-I use whipping twine.

Mattgyver-Steve stole my moniker......

bennie said...

Kitepower Australia said...

bennie said...

tightlines said...

Or you could just take them to Hold The Line Kites and hand over some cash and Neil will sort it out for you.
The 7.5 Bandit that I bought last season came with 24mtr lines but as I like shorter lines when wave riding I took the new bar and lines to HTL and had 4mtr's cut off and made into extensions.

Does anyone know if anybody in the Sydney area does these sort of repairs. I have never thought of gettin broken lines fixed, always just bought new ones.

Drop into Kitepower Sydney and I'll show you how to make the lines all the same length, 100% everythime
Sleeve them, and how to make your own sleeving tool.
Get the sleeving materials for a couple of $$
Show you how to hand sew them, so they are super strong.

No cost other than the sleeving, its 50c a M

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Sounds Good Steve, I live on the central coast so dont get to your neck of the woods too often. Next time I'm down that way I will drop in 4 sure.

cheers Bennie

Seriously, 5-10 mins and you will know everything you need to make your own lines, and I really enjoy sharing the skills I've leaned.

Back in the day boys I had to make and sleeve every spectra line set I sold, I've actually made thousands of sets of lines, and can still do many parts of the process without really even thinking about it, and yet the lines always come out even, blows me away how automated my mind/hands became.

@hardcarvel
Why would an instructor necessarily know, its not a skill that has anything to do with teaching kiting?
Lines are strongest if either spliced and sewn or sleeved and sewn, knotting of any sort is weakening to lines.

Cya and

Goodwinds
'
Steve

Steve
Instructers should know because it forms basic kite maintenance. Like you I started kiting many years ago and had to make my line sets up as well as making the rest of the bar.
Your right, most knots do weaken a line but when tied with the sleeving it reduces the chances of a break. I have Q power lines that are sort of pre sleeved and have only ever tied knots on them and have never had a line break. These lines I purchased from you back in 2001 and I still use them. I have never kited less than 120kg in weight and carry big kites in heavy wind.
What I do each season is cut the ends of and form new loops and resize the lines.
Maintenance of the lines is what should be done and like you said it's very easy and takes 5 minutes by paid professionals to teach.

Cheers

Remove lines from bar and flaten out loops.

Find a strong post in a park and tie a strong rope to the post with a tail hanging out with a simple over hand knot tied to the end.

Attach all lines to this knot as you would to your kite.

Run your fingers up each line and check for damage.

If lines are OK pull all lines at other end and try to apply even tension to each line.

You will notice all the lines are at different lengths. Cut lines about 100mm in from shortest sleeved end. Make sure cut is clean and cuts all lines evenly.

Buy 2.4m of 4mm prestretched polyester rope. Cut the end of the rope(not with a hot knife) and pull the core of the rope out and throw away. The outside braid is what you will use for the sleeve.

Cut the outside sleeve material into 8 off accurate lengths of 300mm long sleeves and melt all the ends very quickly so that the sleeve has open ends.

Slide 4 of these sleeves onto the cut ends of the kite lines.

Bring the the sleves to the very end of the lines and form a overhand knot about 10mm from the end and try to be consistant for each line. Pull the knot tight.

For each line hold the knote you just formed and try to slide the sleeving down the kite line which will tend to lengthen the sleeving and make it tight on the kite line.

Use a scale rule, measure down from the knot you formed in the new sleeve and find the half way length of the sleeving. mark this point with a pen.

At this point fold the sleeving over and tie a overhand knot that lays just above the note we tied on the end of the sleeving. This will form your loop. Pull tight.

Do this the same way with all other three lines and check them agaist each other and making sure the loops and knotes are all very similar. If not undo and try again.

Once all loops are done remove the other ends from the post and attach your new ends. Do the same process to the other old ends.

Once all this is done pull hard on each line to firmly set knotes.

This method with practice can achieve perfect length lines.

Time for bedd ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.........