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Mlander
Since 06 Oct 2010
34 Posts
Mosier, Or
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 Thu Aug 09, 12 1:42 pm Uneven front kite lines |
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The other day my wife was complaining that her control bar wasn’t pulling evenly anymore. A couple of days later I flew her kite and sure enough with the kite a 12:00 the bar instead of being level, was at a 2 o’clock to 8 o’clock position. In addition, when the kite was to one side it wanted to fly up and the other side it wanted to fly down. I quickly landed the kite and switched to one of my bars, relaunched the kite and everything was fine. When I got home I laid out the lines and hooked the ends up to a carabineer, and stretched the lines out. It turned out that the back lines were even but one of the front lines was 3” longer than the other. I stopped at several of the shops in the Gorge and received several different views as to how this could have happened that ranged from:
"hmmm, never seen that before.”
To:
"Yep, I see it all the time."
In addition, everyone seemed to have a different idea about how to correct it.
I ended up creating a knotted loop 3” long out of 1\8" Spectra line and added this loop between the pigtails and the kite line. I connected it loop to loop on one end and with a larks head on the other. I haven’t used the bar since and before I do…..
Can anyone advise as to….
1. Is this kind of line stretch dangerous?
2. Has anyone seen line stretch like this before?
3. Is my solution a good way to handle unequal line lengths?
Any advice is appreciated.
It’s a 2010 LF CPR bar and neither front lines have any adjustment.
Thanks |
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Nak
Since 19 May 2005
4304 Posts
Camas
Site Lackey
CGKA Member
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| Thu Aug 09, 12 2:16 pm |
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It sounds like your longer line missed getting a pre-stretch at the factory. Dangerous? It shouldn't be. Check the line very carefully along it's entire length. If you have any fraying then it's time for new lines. If the line looks good, it just stretched. Totally within the range of normal if it wasn't adequately pre-stretched.
What I do in cases like this is to add an extra pigtail to the short line, loop to loop below the terminal pigtail. what you did may work--or it may not. Spectra/amsteel is notorious for poor knot holding. It's very possible that your knot will slip over time. Regular super glue WILL NOT adhere to spectra. It'll seem like it does at first, but it will give way over time. Loctite makes a two part super glue just for plastics like spectra. A drop or two of activator and then a drop or two of glue on the knot should lock the knot. The glue is available at Home Depot.
After all of this, you'll need to re-tune your bar as your front lines are now longer than your rear lines. |
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Pepi
Since 16 Jun 2006
1831 Posts
Pure Stoke Sports
Shop Owner
CGKA Member
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| Thu Aug 09, 12 3:30 pm |
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| Nak wrote: | | It sounds like your longer line missed getting a pre-stretch at the factory. Dangerous? It shouldn't be. Check the line very carefully along it's entire length. If you have any fraying then it's time for new lines. If the line looks good, it just stretched. Totally within the range of normal if it wasn't adequately pre-stretched. |
To add a bit more detail, you want to see if there is a section of the 'stretched' line that shows either a bunching or thinning of the line where a section of the inner-cord of the line may have torn or come loose. This would indicate that the line will break soon. If the line feels very even and smooth throughout the entire length of the line, then you could be okay.
Definitely second Nak's comment on the extension. Use only specifically made pigtails to accomodate line length adjustments. Tieing a knot in a line will weaken it easily by 50-70% due to the knot pinching the inner cord material, or even coming undone under stress load.
The line stretch (if not prestretched) can occur during a decent tomohawk wipe out where the lines are given a ridiculously solid yank from the pull of the kite and the force of hitting the water/ground.
_________________
Pure Stoke Sports
Hood River, OR
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Nak
Since 19 May 2005
4304 Posts
Camas
Site Lackey
CGKA Member
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| Thu Aug 09, 12 4:32 pm |
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| Pepi wrote: |
To add a bit more detail, you want to see if there is a section of the 'stretched' line that shows either a bunching or thinning of the line where a section of the inner-cord of the line may have torn or come loose. This would indicate that the line will break soon. If the line feels very even and smooth throughout the entire length of the line, then you could be okay. |
Pepi, I'm not up on current equipment from the manufacturers... Are some of them using line with an inner core? I know Q-line has an inner core, but the stock stuff I've seen has all been hollow core line. So yeah, absolutely, if you don't know for sure you have hollow core line you must check for thin or bunched areas. Actually, it's probably even possible for a hollow core line to "thin" in that manner as a prelude to failure. I haven't seen it, but it sure could happen. Good point Pepi. 
BTW, when I've pre-stretched my home made lines a foot or more of permanent elongation is typical. If a line wasn't pre-stretched normal use would end up with three inches of stretch easy. You'll know that's the case if the line stretches even more with use. |
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achen
Since 03 Apr 2012
39 Posts
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| Thu Aug 09, 12 5:13 pm Re: Uneven front kite lines |
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| Mlander wrote: | The other day my wife was complaining that her control bar wasn’t pulling evenly anymore. A couple of days later I flew her kite and sure enough with the kite a 12:00 the bar instead of being level, was at a 2 o’clock to 8 o’clock position. In addition, when the kite was to one side it wanted to fly up and the other side it wanted to fly down. I quickly landed the kite and switched to one of my bars, relaunched the kite and everything was fine. When I got home I laid out the lines and hooked the ends up to a carabineer, and stretched the lines out. It turned out that the back lines were even but one of the front lines was 3” longer than the other. I stopped at several of the shops in the Gorge and received several different views as to how this could have happened that ranged from:
"hmmm, never seen that before.”
To:
"Yep, I see it all the time."
In addition, everyone seemed to have a different idea about how to correct it.
I ended up creating a knotted loop 3” long out of 1\8" Spectra line and added this loop between the pigtails and the kite line. I connected it loop to loop on one end and with a larks head on the other. I haven’t used the bar since and before I do…..
Can anyone advise as to….
1. Is this kind of line stretch dangerous?
2. Has anyone seen line stretch like this before?
3. Is my solution a good way to handle unequal line lengths?
Any advice is appreciated.
It’s a 2010 LF CPR bar and neither front lines have any adjustment.
Thanks |
I had this happen on a bar, the rear lines were so out of whack that the pigtails couldnt be adjusted to match the lines up. I just ended up putting an extra pigtail on the short side. |
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cgka
Since 18 Jul 2006
278 Posts
Obsessed
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| Thu Aug 09, 12 5:54 pm |
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| Nak wrote: |
Pepi, I'm not up on current equipment from the manufacturers... Are some of them using line with an inner core? I know Q-line has an inner core, but the stock stuff I've seen has all been hollow core line. So yeah, absolutely, if you don't know for sure you have hollow core line you must check for thin or bunched areas. Actually, it's probably even possible for a hollow core line to "thin" in that manner as a prelude to failure. I haven't seen it, but it sure could happen. Good point Pepi.
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You're actually correct, I should not have described it as the 'inner core' of the line, but just some of the 'woven infrastructure' of the line. We've seen some stretched lines that had fibers or woven sections that had begun to separate and come apart, henceforth the either 'thin-ness' of a section that may occur where the thread had been pulled apart partially.
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