Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 20:01:04 GMT From: bobm@anasazi.com (Bob Maccione) Message-ID: <1993Mar17.200104.10082@anasazi.com> Organization: Anasazi, Inc. Phoenix, Arizona USA Subject: Knots Opps, I kinda crossed lines with another kite and as the instructions said my stunt kite line ( one of them ) snapped. In attempting to repair the break I've had a problem coming up with a knot that doesn't slip. Any suggestions? thanks, bob maccione = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: 18 Mar 93 13:38:49 GMT From: danr@crash.cts.com (Dan Rubesh) Message-ID: <1993Mar18.053849.16496@crash> Organization: CTS Network Services (crash, ctsnet), El Cajon, CA Subject: Re: Knots >You write: >Opps, I kinda crossed lines with another kite and as the instructions said >my stunt kite line ( one of them ) snapped. In attempting to repair the >break I've had a problem coming up with a knot that doesn't slip. Any >suggestions? >thanks, >bob maccione I'm unclear as to what type of lines you're using, but if it's Spectra there's no knot that I've found as yet that will successfully join 2 pieces of Spectra without slipping. Probably your best bet would be to cut the other line to the same length and make a short set of whats left. The type of line, what length it was to start, and about where it broke would be helpful information.. Good Winds and Tight Lines! Dan Rubesh Wind Wizard, Purveyor of UUCP: {ucsd, nosc}!crash!danr GO Stunt Kites & Accessories ARPA: crash!danr@nosc.mil FLY A P.O. Box 5747 INET: danr@crash.cts.com KITE! Ventura, CA 93005 (805) 859-5654 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1993 17:25:42 GMT From: sasaki@netop3.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-ID: <1993Mar18.172542.25710@das.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard University Subject: Re: Knots In article <1993Mar17.200104.10082@anasazi.com>, bobm@anasazi.com (Bob Maccione) writes: >Opps, I kinda crossed lines with another kite and as the instructions said >my stunt kite line ( one of them ) snapped. In attempting to repair the >break I've had a problem coming up with a knot that doesn't slip. Any >suggestions? If your flying line is Kevlar, the only way of rejoining without serious loss of strength is to splice the pieces together. Dacron line can be tied together using a blood knot, or a barrel knot. Spectra is tough to tie because it is slick. You might try a blood knot or a double uni-knot. The uni-knot is a fishing knot. A good book on fishing knots is "Practical Fishing Knots" by Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin. Sorry, I don't remember the publisher... -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Operations Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: 18 Mar 93 21:26:00 GMT From: dadams@dstrike.demon.co.uk (David Adams) Message-ID: <732489960snz@dstrike.demon.co.uk> Organization: Data Strike Computers Subject: Re: Knots In article <1993Mar17.200104.10082@anasazi.com> bobm@anasazi.com writes: > >Opps, I kinda crossed lines with another kite and as the instructions said >my stunt kite line ( one of them ) snapped. In attempting to repair the >break I've had a problem coming up with a knot that doesn't slip. Any >suggestions? > Sleeve the line with a thicked braid, it is a fiddly job but eased if you have a tool to do it, or a 12inch piece of fuse wire which you can stuff down the sleeve and pull the line through with - then the knot won't slip. Or were you asking for a knot that won't slip, knowing about and not wanting to, sleeve the line? -- David Adams = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: 18 Mar 1993 22:55:01 GMT From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Message-ID: <1oauk5$6ko@umd5.umd.edu> Organization: University of Maryland at College Park Subject: Re: Knots In article <1993Mar18.053849.16496@crash> danr@crash.cts.com (Dan Rubesh) writes: >I'm unclear as to what type of lines you're using, but if it's Spectra >there's no knot that I've found as yet that will successfully join 2 >pieces of Spectra without slipping. Probably your best bet would be >to cut the other line to the same length and make a short set of whats >left. The type of line, what length it was to start, and about where >it broke would be helpful information.. Marty has already suggested splicing if you're using kevlar. I would suggest splicing for spectra, though it's almost impossible with lines < 150#. Splicing is a rather nifty trick that takes advantage of the fact that your lines have a hollow braid. It's done with a tool that looks like a miniature latch hook, usually referred to as a 'fid'. Short ones are fairly common (I believe you can find them at sewing stores). High Fly also used to sell them, and you might be able to find one at another kite store. Premier Kites has just started making sleevers and fids out of surgical steel, about 1' long, These are probably the best such tools currently on the market. They blow away any other sleever/splicer you've used. In any event, the basic technique is: insert the fid in through the side of one piece of line an inch or two from the end, and guide the end of it out through the cut end of line I. Use the fid to pull the end of line II through the core of I and out through the side. At this point, the end of one cut line disappears into the center of the other cut line, and then exits through the side. Now reverse the procedure--insert the fid into the side of line II (at a spot an inch or so before it enters line I, and then bring the fid _back_ out the side, right at the spot where II enters I. Use the fid to pull the loose end of I into the core of II and then back out the side. Smooth out the splice and then trim the loose ends of line where the exit from the sides. And that's it! The beauty of this splice is that the harder your kite is pulling, the tighter the braid becomes, and the tighter the spliced section grips itself. I've got a set of 150# spectra that I spliced just under 3 years ago; I've flown a Tracer in 20mph winds on it, with nary a problem. And as you might expect, the splice is very smooth once the loose ends are trimmed, so you don't have to worry much about your lines sliding through each other when twisted. As should be obvious, this is almost impossible to do with smaller diameter lines simply because you can't get the fid to slide through the core. Particularly if the line is already a bit old and stretched (with a tightened braid). Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Fairies are the perfect people to do this | |(suffering Bad Grammar) | sort of work. Biologically, their upper | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | bodies are strong enough to wield a pickaxe...." |