Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 05:26:00 -1000 From: ben.woods@loebbs.com (Ben Woods) Message-Id: <1099.665.uupcb@loebbs.com> Organization: The LAND OF ENCHANTMENT BBS! Albuquerque, NM 505 857-0836 Subject: flying lines? I have a NEBIE question. As I am a fisherman, I have found the new braded kevlor (sp) lines to be excellant. They will not strech and do not have a memory. The 20 pound line is the same size as the old 6 pound line. The 80 lb line is as small as the old 20 lb line. How do these work on Kites and are they worth the extra money. Just thought I would ask before I unwound my fishing reel. Ben in Texas ben.woods@loebbs --- . SLMR 2.1a . Variables won't; constants aren't. ---- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | LAND OF ENCHANTMENT BBS! Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) (505) 857-0836 | | MS-DOS/OS-2/Windows - 60M a month! U'NI/Intelec/ILink/Basenet/P.E.N. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 10:21:05 -1000 From: kyteman@aol.com Message-Id: <9401151521.tn111229@aol.com> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Re: flying lines? Braided kevlar is great kite line, especially for controllable kites, WITH a couple of warnings: 1. It's abrasive, and will cut lines and flesh with ease. It'll even cut itself in a knot, requiring sleeving. 2. It's subject to ultraviolet deterioration. Most fliers have given up kevlar in favor of Spectra, which is a long-fiber high-density polyethylene. Much more slippery, nearly the same low stretch, don't need to sleeve it, and holds up well in UV. It's sold as Speedline, Spiderline, and others. so you can unwind your fishing reel, just be careful. chin UP brooks leffler kyteman@aol.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 10:47:54 -1000 From: sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: <1994Jan15.204754.19984@das.harvard.edu> Organization: Harvard OIT Network Services Subject: Re: flying lines? There are a few companies that make Spectra fishing line as well. As Brooks says, Kevlar can be a bit tricky to work with. The biggest difference between fishing line and kite line is the actual breaking strength. Fishing line is usually rated at it's maximum breaking strength, so when it says 80 pound, it means that it will test out to be no greater than 80 pounds, usually a pound or two lighter. This is especially true of fishing line that is IGFA, International Game Fishing Association, rated. Kite line is usually rated at it's minimum breaking strength, so when it says 80 pounds, it will usually break above 80 pounds. An example of this is Top Shelf line. Fran Gramkowski says that his 135 pound line actually is closer to 150. Other lines may have similar characteristics. Fishing line is less expensive that "kite line". I bought some 80 pound Izoline Spectra on a 500 yard spool. This was about 10 percent less expensive than a 1000 foot spool of U.S. Line Spectra. I haven't noticed the difference in breaking strength and have had no problems with the Izoline. I've probably mentioned this before, but one folks here in New England routinely flies his large single line kites on braided Kevlar, especially during "kite festivals". He isn't doing this to be anti-social, but he is insuring that his kite won't be cut out of the sky by a child's kite flying on cotton or monofilament line. -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sat, 15 Jan 1994 21:05:12 -1000 From: mark@murder.demon.co.uk (Mark de Roussier) Message-Id: <758729112snx@murder.demon.co.uk> Organization: damage Subject: Re: flying lines? In article <9401151521.tn111229@aol.com> writes: > Braided kevlar is great kite line, especially for controllable kites, WITH a > couple of warnings: > > 1. It's abrasive, and will cut lines and flesh with ease. It'll even cut > itself in a knot, requiring sleeving. > Yup, all true AFAIK. A claimed side effect of it's properties is that it is subject to catastrophic failure i.e. it's hard, it don't stretch, so when it gives it does so completely and without warning. No personal experience of this however. I've broken enough Spectra to think that it would be tricky for something to fail noticeably faster ! > 2. It's subject to ultraviolet deterioration. > This problem is usually handled by waxing. Indeed, I've yet to come across unwaxed kevlar, which is really the only sort I'd consider using for multi- line stunters. I've flown two sorts of kevlar on single line kites. The first is an unbraided type, used also by archers for making bowstrings ( using several strands at a time ). The breaking strain is in the small 10's of pounds. I've tried stunting with this - forget it ! After a couple of wraps it's uncontrollable, IMHO. For single line work it's fine for real light wind stuff - I know Dan Leigh uses it for deltas quite often, and it comes in quarter - mile spools I think ! I've also used some 150kg ( >300lb ) waxed stuff from Germany. The problem with this is handling the stuff - it can stick to itself and to your gloves just enough to give trouble. And because it's thin for its strength, that also makes it difficult to handle under tension. The wax also makes it impossible to sleeve yourself - the friction between it and the sleeving means you can't pull the sleeving along the line. > Most fliers have given up kevlar in favor of Spectra, which is a long-fiber > high-density polyethylene. Much more slippery, nearly the same low stretch, > don't need to sleeve it, and holds up well in UV. It's sold as Speedline, > Spiderline, and others. > You don't need to sleeve the whole length, but it's *soft* stuff, so you need to sleeve places where it wraps round hard stuff i.e. the ends of the lines. -- Mark de Roussier ************************************ Final thoughts, as breath is taken, Fall to rhythm, and the Edge of pure obsession, Resting in that wind blown cradle, Nothing moves, the world is still... ************************************ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =