HOW TO BUILD A KITE

[toyolink]

nervewrecker,everything you are posting i am taking note of.Nothing offered by any tuner will be over-looked.

[nervewrecker]

you ever examine a normal kite? you might get an idea of what I talking bout from there.

btw, flappers & zingers are for ricers but dont be afraid to put the razor blades in your kite tail.

[eurogirl]

my dad thought me how to make a kite ..

but the 1 for $10 by wong does wuk better

[Dj_Bee]

I cud teach yuh how to make a mad bull

bring's back some good memories....miss those days.

[toyolink]

The good ole days are not gone,they have been covered over by a set of clutter.
I continue to live my life according to what was instilled in the ole days.
A simple example is-i really enjoy things that i create with some sweat.
----KITE FLYING TO ME MEANS A LOT MORE THAN PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE WIND---

[matthewmazda]

It rel hard how to explain how make a kite especially how to make the compass someone will have to show you in person, as for tail requirement once you
try to fly it the first time then you will know if it needs more tail or less.
Built a 6ft mad bull for my son ,used brown paper and bamboo flyin it with nylon
that thing pulling, but he cant fly it he's only 4 but he loves it

[toyolink]

Honestly,it has been many years now i have been at it.My last experience resulted in my "kite thing" getting hug up on my roof and it stayed there for almost a year.
The damn thing on my roof was a constant reminder of my folly.
My brain storm to come to tuners for advice has proven to be a good move.
In fact i hope others can use the information being provided.
I am a little under the weather today so my posts may reflect same (just some kind of bug).

[nervewrecker]

I myself have gotten a bit dull on it, its been so long since I made a kite (momz had to always make the compass for me though).
it nice to hear that you actually attempting a DIY project, just about everyone else is gonna buy one from side the road. I agree its not the same enjoyment you get from one that you bought for $10.00 as opposed to see something you made from scratch flying high.

what is sad is that 95% of the youth's in this rounds are never gonna attempt to ever make a kite, they dont know what they missing nah.

good luck man.

[eurogirl]

kite making is kinda fun ... me n my dad use to make

long time u use to get licks from taking yuh mammy cocoyea broom to make kite ..

now u can get fiberglass rods and it will bend and make BIGGGGGGGGG Kites !!

[toyolink]

Memory lane real nice!----Good medicine for al the downers out there.
--IS YOUR RIGHT TO FEEL GOOD---

[psykomorf]

An article "Kites of Trinidad by Judith Johnson" in Kitelife magazine (pg 40-45) has good info. including chikichong, our normal kite and madbull. You can register on the site and download the backissue for free. KiteLines WINTER-SPRING 1983 (Vol. 4 No. 3) issue http://kitelife.com/forum/index.php?autocom=downloads&showfile=474

Here's a plan

Kite Plan

[toyolink]

WOW.Real good stuff again.

[crazybalhead]

Nice! That's what I remember! The mad bull eluding my brain right now.

[V2NR 3.0]

I too am taken back to my younger days with kites - bought one of the really huge rainbow coloured ones on the highway for 100tt this morning and the dam thing come with dry-rotted thread ! - bought some twine and launch it up up up - but it only diving to the left. I put a counter balance on it and it not working.

Anyone know who does make madbulls ? - i wold like to purchase a really huge one hat i would have to use my van tray to cary around !

[d spike]

The image of the kite shown by psykomorf is the one my father taught us to make, using coconut "flex" and kite paper - and is the one I taught my kids to make. I never learned to make a "mad bull", but I have seen magnificent homemade specimens while growing up in Toco, one in particular, was made out of bamboo and black garbage bag plastic (God knows what they glued that together with) and was at least 5 feet tall. It flew with 'marlin' and had to be launched near the coast in a large open area. It was tied to a lamp-post (maybe they couldn't pull it back down ) and left up for a few days...

I don't agree with the suggested size in psykomorf's post (10.5") for a beginner to attempt, as the kite, being so small, could easily be weighed down if the maker uses too much glue, or too large patches to hold the "flex" in place. On the other hand, too large a kite will cause other problems for a beginner, as the "flex" might not be strong/stiff enough, causing the kite to warp instead of lifting when you tug on the string. Anywhere between 14" and 16" is safe for a beginner IMO. (Bear in mind that I only learned one way of making a kite, so my tunnel vision is set on "extreme" )

The flex used to make the bow and the spine should be chosen carefully. (Don't tief 4 flex from de mudder-in-law broom - tief de whole broom, take yuh time choosing flex, den replace broom.)
Pair off the flex, making sure each is as similar to its partner as possible.
Make sure all the leaf material has been removed.
You'll notice that each flex has a slightly twisted base (the first inch or so) and then tapers off. It will then get so thin that it becomes whip-like.
Cut off both the twisted base and the whip-like tip.
If you're lucky, you will have 4 straight, evenly tapered flex, all the same length - AND WIDTH. If not, well... go fetch the broom once more.

With each pair, place each flex opposite to each other. Tie one end of the pair together with sewing thread (something else yuh might have tuh tief from de ol' lady) and tightly wrap it around the two flex in a spiral until you reach the other end, then tie it off. As glue will be put at each end in a while, you don't need a seaman's knotting know-how to tie the thread, just wrap it a few times (5 at least) then pull the end between the two flex. The result should be an evenly sized stick, with no taper. (Choose the better looking one to be the bow - saves on headaches afterwards.)

When you are tying the end of the pair of flex you have chosen for the bow, don't cut the thread, just pull the thread (after passing it between the end of the flex to secure it) back to the other end of the stick, making it form the bow.
The form of the bow is important to the stability and rigidity of the kite. Notice how in psykomorf's image of the kite, the leading edges are very close to (or almost match) the bow's arms from the tips to along much of its arms? That's how it must be.
Too much arch, and the tips of the bow will not reach the corners of the kite... too little arch, and less of the leading edges will be strengthened by the bow.
(My easy way out is to make the bow first, then use it to decide what size paper square to use )
If the spine is too weak, the bow will "cap", or flex along its length.

The only other headache is the compass: don't tie it to the "corner" of the kite, as psykomorf's image shows, but tie it to the spine about two inches from the corner. (This has served me well, but I am no Master in this art-form, so if some sawati tells you otherwise, then try it their way.) The other end is tied to where the bow meets the spine - tie this end first, making sure it goes around both sticks, helping to hold the contraption together.
The compass' size is determined by pulling its middle to the corner. If it is too long (if it can fit over the corner) catastrophe is inevitable. Just make sure it almost reaches the corner.
Tie the thread to the compass so that when pulled tight, the end of the compass that is tied to the bow and spine junction (the upper end) is at 90 degrees to the kite.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers

[d spike]

you ever examine a normal kite? you might get an idea of what I talking bout from there.

btw, flappers & zingers are for ricers but dont be afraid to put the razor blades in your kite tail.

Oh, gorm, man... next you will be telling him to grind glass to put on his string...

All those streamers and geegaws have no place on a beginner's kite, just make the kite and enjoy flying it first... see what it can do. Those "shop" kites can't stunt (they would have been easy prey for a kite loaded with zwill and mange... Nervewrecker, who fights kites these days? Or dem days done, thanks to Xbox?

[Mark!]

allyuh ever come out yuh house long time and find somebody kite in ur yard

[sMASH]

tings really bad when man muddah hadda tell them how to make kite.

but the fun is makin it, when it gets up in the air and stays there, that moment is the trophy.

with all this saga and wii, dexterity and patience is being modified. these things like marble pitch and kite making makes for better motor skills.

making a kite, getting it wrong then doing something different and getting different results, helps a lot with training a brain to work with the senses.



a tuner kite flying weekend would serve good for the kids. the quality time and skills during preparation and re-working would be the real aim, culminating in the weekend flying it.

[toyolink]

The observations made by sMASH are all true.In fact a tuner going to a parent for support on kite building and admitting so, is for me quite exemplary (how many today have that relationship).
I am putting my plans to go after this project down on paper and hopefully i can work on it Sunday coming.

[nervewrecker]

you ever examine a normal kite? you might get an idea of what I talking bout from there.

btw, flappers & zingers are for ricers but dont be afraid to put the razor blades in your kite tail.

Oh, gorm, man... next you will be telling him to grind glass to put on his string...

All those streamers and geegaws have no place on a beginner's kite, just make the kite and enjoy flying it first... see what it can do. Those "shop" kites can't stunt (they would have been easy prey for a kite loaded with zwill and mange... Nervewrecker, who fights kites these days? Or dem days done, thanks to Xbox?

actually I have some 6 & 7 year old cousins, thats for them. books & car audio are my vice now. Btw, I dont even know what an xbox looks like, never played games at all.

allyuh ever come out yuh house long time and find somebody kite in ur yard

it dont have to be in my yard for me to salvage it, I climbing tree normal & taking it down. before the day done it up in the sky again, nobody name was on it
the best was the thread, burst my kite of my line, knot it to the edge of theirs & start to reel it in one time attach kite to edge of thread that has been added to my own & fly the new kite.

tings really bad when man muddah hadda tell them how to make kite.

aye aye aye, doh get tie up, momz was a boss!!!

[rossi]

There is a dummy who has his kite flying high in the savannah not too far from where I live. It makes a lot of noise throughout the day and night......some sorta buzzin noise or something so.
ah can't take it no moreeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toyolink]

rossi,find the twine or rope and armed with that info the rest should be fairly easy.

[sMASH]

once, i found some marlin from a kite that i-o'd in skinner park. i start to reel it in but it was tangled. lunch time was going to end soon so i pulled as much as i could, and i got quite a lot, enough to fill my pocket. i rolled it up in a ball and carried it home

that was like gold to me cause i couldn't divert funds towards marlin. i actually sat down and unraveled that whole bunch of string, and only had to knot it a few places to keep it as one length.

come to think of it, i still have some of it down stairs.

[toyolink]

I modified the thread caption to assist individuals like myself who may do a search to get access to the information here.

[gt4tified]

ched resurrection for kite season!

[toyolink]

Oh my,just happened to observe gt's resurrection.
The experience at the time brought to the fore the limitations associated with me getting older and the fact that my family always find my attempts at regaining a little of my youthful days absolutely hilarious.
I buying kite from now on,if at-all!

[eliteauto]

must have a kite for Easter man toyolink, age is just a number

[kevin5211]

how to make a kite. much better for family life than "what type of tablet to get a two year old."lol

heres how u make a mad bull. start small, take thread and tie two pieces of cocoyea broomstick together. make it 12" long. make three pieces like this.using two of the pieces and thread make an X and tie it tightly with the thread. add on the third piece across the larger section and tie the center tightly . then take the thread and tie it to the tip of one of the cross sections. follow through by stringing the thread to each tip. this will get you the basic shape. next get coloured celophane bags and cut into triangle large enough to fit each section with about 1 1/2" lap on each side. using the thread and frame lap and glue two opposite triangles, then fill in the remaining blank spaces by glueing the plastic to the frame. you shud now have your basic kite.

now for the compass. at the top of the kite tie a length of string between the two top points, make sure the string makes a V half the length of the section . now tie a piece of string fron the center of the frame to the point of the V of the first piece of compass string. tie you main line to this point.

tail: tie another string between the two botton points of the kite and attach your tail to this string. adjust the length of tail to suit . it may take some trial and error. hope this helps.

[toybago]

phhhhtttt....used to (and can still) make kites with my eyes closed

i not so good with embedding though.....

[Conrad]

how to make a kite. much better for family life than "what type of tablet to get a two year old."lol

heres how u make a mad bull. start small, take thread and tie two pieces of cocoyea broomstick together. make it 12" long. make three pieces like this.using two of the pieces and thread make an X and tie it tightly with the thread. add on the third piece across the larger section and tie the center tightly . then take the thread and tie it to the tip of one of the cross sections. follow through by stringing the thread to each tip. this will get you the basic shape. next get coloured celophane bags and cut into triangle large enough to fit each section with about 1 1/2" lap on each side. using the thread and frame lap and glue two opposite triangles, then fill in the remaining blank spaces by glueing the plastic to the frame. you shud now have your basic kite.

now for the compass. at the top of the kite tie a length of string between the two top points, make sure the string makes a V half the length of the section . now tie a piece of string fron the center of the frame to the point of the V of the first piece of compass string. tie you main line to this point.

tail: tie another string between the two botton points of the kite and attach your tail to this string. adjust the length of tail to suit . it may take some trial and error. hope this helps.

This would get you the basic madbull...quite likely to flex and collapse if the wind is strong enough.

You missed the "flap" that gives that distinctive madbull "HUMMMMM!!!" or "BUZZZ".

This is from somebody whose father had them go to school with a 4 feet tall madbull...in a taxi