| Building kites can be quite easy but building them
with precision and attention to detail is not so easy, Of
ten builders rush and the quality of pockets and patches
deteriorates as a result, Here you will find a selection
of scans of actual pockets, for different locations on
kites.
Making Basic Pockets Basic pockets are best made in batch form from ripstop nylon, for most sizes of kite the basic principle remains the same. Cut a rectangle of ripstop of the colour of your choice, this rectangle should be around 11 inches or 27 cm long and about the same width, Cut the rectangle as squarely as possible and remember to keep the grain of the fabric parallel to the edges, now fold up the rectangle twice, halfing each time so that you have a long strip of 4 thicknesses, on the next fold do not fold evenly but leave a smaller and larger side, the difference need only be around 4mm, this long pocket can now be cut into smaller pockets, to do this use a smooth flat surface, preferably a piece of glass, and use a fine pointed soldering iron and a glass rule ( any small straight cut piece of glass will do ) and cut off strips of pocket from the wider strip, these will seal as you go and will be easy to sew on later. you can also use this method for small reinforcing patches,.
Attaching Pockets to the kite in various positions
This Pocket is at the edge of a polyester cotton LO-DO kite, the bowing spar has been secured to the kite through the body of the pocket by melting 4 holes through the kite and the pocket, using a fine pointed soldering iron
This 12 Watt iron is inexpensive and idea for the job of hot cutting Patches Patches are areas which require extra strength in the main body of the sail of the kite, the can be used to hold spars to the rear of the kite and to allow bridle lines to be attached.
This is the rear view of a patch on the bow of a rokkaku, enabling both the bridle to be attached and the bowing spar to be held in place.
This is the same patch viewed from the front surface of the kite, it is very neat and unobtrusive. More Pockets
This pocket shows how bow lines can be attached to a pocket simply by melting a couple of small holes through the pocket and the sail with the soldering iron, this pocket is on the corner of a LO-DO but the principle is the same on rokkakus, or anywhere else where bow lines are required. If you want any further help or advice about pockets patches or other building problems, drop me an e-mail and I'll add it to this section. |
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