Hi all, I was wondering if any of you dabbled in actually making your own kites? Let it be stunt kites, single line or power kites. I'm interested in
possibly trying my hand at this and was curious as to what would be needed to get started, and if there were any good resources out there for this.
Hopefully, if I get better with time doing this, I would love to make a custom kite design and sell it. I Hope someone can offer me some advice.
Thanks again for all the help so far, this is a great community!soliver - 8-8-2014 at 01:30 PM
I've made a few single line kites, mostly box kites.
My wife and daughters participate in a home school group where every spring I teach a kite making class to the 10-14 age group. It's a great exercise
for teaching all kinds of stuff, from geometry to physics, the Bernoulli effect to meteorology all together with something I REALLY enjoy... It's hard
to fit it all in to the limited time they give you, but it's fun to lay out all my kites and see the kids react to the bigger foils ... Last time I
took the group out and showed them a demo with a 6.8m Viper S (traded that one out since).
Hope that helps.shaun413 - 8-8-2014 at 01:38 PM
Thanks for the great information! I was looking at starting with a Nasa wing or similar for a first try, as its only single layer. I really want to
eventually try making my own parafoil, but its hard to find any plans online. Has anyone tried making their own and can offer some advice?soliver - 8-8-2014 at 01:50 PM
Into the wind sells all colors of ripstop with the wind proofing on it... It's kind of expensive, but it's good kite material you may be able to get
cheaper somewhere else... Susan (kitemaker4) is a great resource on all things NPW... She's made hundreds of them I'm sure. If you contact her, I'm
sure she'll give you guidance.shaun413 - 8-8-2014 at 01:53 PM
Thanks, Ill be sure to contact her. Yeah, that fabric does seem a bit pricy, for a 3m foil that would have to be upwards on 8 meters of fabric used. I
guess thats why new kites are so expesnive! John Holgate - 8-8-2014 at 04:16 PM
I've made quite a few stunt kites many years ago, never tried a foil though. Found this site which looked very good: Kite Plans maybe worth a look.shaun413 - 8-8-2014 at 04:20 PM
Thanks! Now that I think of it, I might try to make a rev style kite to start, those seem awesome! And simple to make too? They cost like 300 dollars
new, So I bet I could make one for much cheaper...riffclown - 8-8-2014 at 05:45 PM
Fantastic! Does anyone have any additional spots to buy fabric and line? Also, what kite would be a good starting point to practice?riffclown - 8-8-2014 at 05:57 PM
Goodwinds has fabric, line, winders, fiberglass and carbon rods..riffclown - 8-8-2014 at 06:04 PM
Thanks! Now that I think of it, I might try to make a rev style kite to start, those seem awesome! And simple to make too? They cost like 300 dollars
new, So I bet I could make one for much cheaper...
I thought the same thing and I probably could have..In the end, I bought a Rev....and then 2 , etc...
ahh, I can't really afford anything new or used atm... But I was thinking a diy one may be doable depending on cost...Bladerunner - 8-8-2014 at 08:05 PM
Hopefully, if I get better with time doing this, I would love to make a custom kite design and sell it. I Hope someone can offer me some advice.
Thanks again for all the help so far, this is a great community!
There is an expression in the kite world. The only way to make a million dollars selling kites is to go in with 2million.
By the time you factor in lines, handles and spars it will cost you about as much to buy a used Rev', NPW or foil as it will to make one.
Markite, Deanoxo and a few others have been making kites for years but it ends up more a labour of love than a money making adventure. Don't give up
your day job! bobalooie57 - 9-8-2014 at 04:43 AM
And don't forget that a new NPW can be had for less than half the price of a new foil. The quality of construction available right here, made in USA
by one of our own(km4) has made me a big fan, and I don't do much more than sew buttons!Proletariat - 9-8-2014 at 10:58 PM
Yeah, talk to Susan. If you're into making it because you want to make it, she can help. If you're into making it because you want a cheap, awesome
kite, she can help (just let her make it for you). Just remember those NPW's look like Klingon birds of prey when seen flying from the side. It's
sometimes hard to remember how awesome they look, when all the pilot sees is something that looks like a rainbow waffle-iron. shaun413 - 10-8-2014 at 06:39 AM
Well, I want want to make my own kite as much as I want to fly it :P I think it always adds an aspect of fun and accomplishment if you can make
something yourself, then use it for its desired purpose. I do this a lot with many other things, and would love to try to make my own kites bobalooie57 - 10-8-2014 at 09:42 AM
