Power Kite Forum

Drying your kite

wiers - 16-3-2013 at 08:56 PM

Well went out today for the first time in a while. Winds 10mph gusting to 18 on a regular bases. Man what a great way to get dragged on my stomach. Anyway rain came in and I ended up hurrying to para pack and leave. Pulled the kite out at home to dry it out and spent 45 minutes untangling my birds nest that I created in my hast.

Nevertheless, kite is in garage drying. I was thinking of rigging up some kind of kite drying rack. Maybe PCV pipes on a stand to put in the cells to let it hang or something else. I want something that I can use for various sizes. Originally thought of rigging something up that I can hoist up to the ceiling in the garage. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas.

Thanks

bigkid - 16-3-2013 at 10:00 PM

I hang them off the roof of my deck. I use the cheep black plastic clamps from Harbor Freight to clamp the kite to the joists on the roof. I can hang 6 kites from 2m to 15m without any problems.

wiers - 17-3-2013 at 09:59 AM

I never thought of using plastic clips. I thought about the steel ones but they have to much pressure and I did not want to damage my kites.
Good Idea Thanks

Just4Fun - 17-3-2013 at 10:34 AM

I Use paperclips and bend them into hooks run them through the brake lines and hang the kites from my suspended ceiling works well

mahgnillig - 17-3-2013 at 11:00 AM

I was thinking of rigging something up with binder clips but have yet to decide what to attach the binder clips to. Anything is better than my current solution which is to drape the kite over the futon in my spare room then chase all the cats out and shut the door! It works (sort of) for my 7.5m, but will be much more of a pain with anything bigger. I do have some eyelets and rope attached to the eaves of my house to dry/air out camping equipment, but I heard that UV light degrades kites too much so I was reluctant to hang them outside :puzzled:

BEC - 17-3-2013 at 11:09 AM

Two saw horses spaced accordingly to kite size works pretty well...Just let it hang in the middle section...The weight of the kite that hangs over the horses will keep it in place...Air can get all around it..

shaggs2riches - 17-3-2013 at 01:51 PM

I lay my kites across the basement floor. Then I use a desk fan to inflate the kite from the intake vents (we are talking foils correct?). I will leave the fan run all night, and the constant pressure seems to quickly dry even the wettest kites. For larger kites I fold them in half, or roll out one half at a time.

Suds after thuds - 17-3-2013 at 03:16 PM

I lay 'em on the floor from the kitchen under the dining room table to the terrace doors with the heated floor set to 4. I have to get up before my wife walks on them though. dry in about an hour.

wiers - 17-3-2013 at 09:02 PM

Thanks for the ideas. In reading between the lines I'm hearing keep it simple.

snowspider - 18-3-2013 at 06:13 AM

In my basement I put some nails in the floor joists above and for lack of anything better put plastic clothes hangers on them and use wooden clothes pins to clip the kites to the hangers. Throw the bars and lines in the crossbracing above so the cats and dog don't mess with them. A big box fan on low overnight will have then dry and crispy in the morning.

Bladerunner - 18-3-2013 at 06:43 AM

I end up just using my shower curtain often since I'm an apartment dweller .

If the kite is large I have to shift it a few hours in. It's not fast but it dries overnight even turning the fan off when I go to bed.

Kober - 18-3-2013 at 07:15 AM

Drying 19m its not easy indoors ..... I use my van to hang it outside ......

IMG_0707.jpg - 149kB

bigkid - 18-3-2013 at 08:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kober
Drying 19m its not easy indoors ..... I use my van to hang it outside ......

What if it's raining? You could use it to keep your van dry.:smilegrin:
I can cover the motorhome with my 24m Synergy.

When an off shore gust took me and my buggy along with my 10m Century out to sea, I was a couple of miles from camp. After a long time and lots of panic pulling and then some simple thinking, I got the buggy, kite and myself out of the water. It took about 1/2 hour to empty the sand and water out of the kite, straiten the lines and another 45 minutes to finally get the kite to launch. For the next hour I was laying in the soft dune sand on my back, flying the kite as best I could with tugs and bounces of the kite in the air to help dry it out enough to buggy back to camp. The salt water and sand added about 5lbs to the kite, a bit hard to fly, and left a big mess in the driveway when I washed it out after I got home. Now the grandkids have a sandbox in the back yard.

BEC - 18-3-2013 at 02:21 PM

Kober...Are you blocking the door? looking at sign in picture..haha

Couple more weeks until we ride again....Can't wait...I'd love to try one of your kites (gin) while I'm there this year. :thumbup:
Quote:
Originally posted by Kober
Drying 19m its not easy indoors ..... I use my van to hang it outside ......

Cheddarhead - 18-3-2013 at 04:33 PM

My kites compete for space in the garage with the wifes car. Kite usually wins and wife has to put car outside when weather isn't condusive for drying outside. Wet kite + no space to dry=very crabby husband, so she usually gives in.:evil:

Kober - 18-3-2013 at 07:47 PM

BigKid .... look at photo below ....

That kite was weighting about 80lbs with all that sea weed on bridle after Martini crash into to my kite with another 19m and take both down at shore line .... I needed 3h to take all that s#$% off .... and then many hours of drying time .....

P1000754.jpg - 157kB

bigkid - 18-3-2013 at 08:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kober
BigKid .... look at photo below ....

That kite was weighting about 80lbs with all that sea weed on bridle after Martini crash into to my kite with another 19m and take both down at shore line .... I needed 3h to take all that s#$% off .... and then many hours of drying time .....

I hate it when stuff like this happens. :lol:
Was Martini a little envious of your kite, so he had to remove it from the sky?:smilegrin:

hvkmike - 21-3-2013 at 06:24 PM

I just use the cloths line & wooden clothes pegs.I fold the trailing edge over the line & peg every other cell.(or whatever is needed to make it secure)
If there is a slight breeze or sun they dry very fast & it is easy to brush any sand off with a soft brush/ broom.
I suppose if you can hang them indoors they'll dry slower but with less risk due to weather changes,UV,theft & bird droppings.lol
Good Winds
Mike

Nfish - 21-3-2013 at 07:23 PM

+1 on the plastic clips. This is how I wash and dry my Arc:

djinnzfree - 23-3-2013 at 01:35 AM

Side to side of the garage i got two clothes line(simple). Near 6 foot between those line. Put the kite on those line.