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Hey Quad Heads! Looking for help please!


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Hey guys! I managed to stay out in wind a little stronger than I should have for my old Spirit Quad line kite. It was a sad thing to see her fold up in the sky and flutter to the ground like that, and I am determined that she will fly again! But....I need help - I can't find a supply for them (the spars or rods) already made, so I am going to have to make it myself and I am unsure as to the best way to proceed. The spar (or rod) was a 3 piece with a total length of 79" (200.66 cm) and the dia is 5/16' (.312" or .79375cm). This might be part of my prob - I am not even sure I am measuring this properly, having never done this before. Listen - ANY advice at all from you guys would be greatly appreciated and humbly recieved........you would be helping a great kite get back into the sky :) Thanks in advance,

Ed

I have attached a pic of her in flight for inspiration!

post-6888-0-46902500-1340390889_thumb.jp

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Are there any local shops you can take the bits to and see if you can match it up at all?

I would think someone on here might know what they are made up of.

Dont know the kite too well, is it worth getting different dtrength rods for different wind conditions while you are searching?

Good luck in finding the right Ones.

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Hey Baloo! Thanks for the interest! I am in the Tri Cities on the Eastern side of Washington so no kite stores at all! I tried the local hobby store, but they don't have anything that would work...(they did suggest a glue and tape workaround and I am trying that now) i was thinking of getting carbon rods and some ferrule and making my own - the real prob is the measuring - like the Kite shoppe has all kinds of rods, but tapered,inner vs outer diameters and will it fit in the center fitting on the kite - I am having a hard time telling without an actual rod to see if it fits! I have sent inquiries to The Kite Shoppe and to New Tech Kites who manufactured the original Steve Laporte designed kite - hopefully I will hear from them soon!

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Measure the inside diameter of the tubes. Most non-Rev sport kites are built around arrow shaft spin off tubes, thus they have an internal diameter of 0.244 inches. Rev tubes (rods) have a slightly different internal diameter since they make their own product. The carbon fiber arrow shafts are made by wrapping carbon fiber cloth around a steel mandrel, curing the epoxy, removing the mandrel and dressing up the final product to length. The outside diameter is an indication of the stiffness of the tube (other, non-measurable variables will affect stiffness also) and will help you decide on a replacement tube.

With inner diameter, outer diameter and length in hand, look at this website to see if anything comes close. Look under the P-series tubes first since they're the most commonly used. If that fails, then call Jon at Skyburner and ask for his help ... he's an extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful individual.

Cheers,

Tom

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One indispensable tool for kiters who want to do repairs is a digital caliper. It can measure inside and outside sizes to about 1/1000 of an inch (which is close enough for government work).

You can get dial calipers, but if you do, get one that measures 1/1000 (.001") rather than the ones that measure to 1/64" (those are only good for woodworking).

You should expect to pay $25-$40 for a good pair. There are cheaper ones, but maybe not as durable or reliable. There are (much!) more expensive ones, but unless you intend to go into precision machining, you don't need them.

A useful feature is the ability to read (and convert) between decimal inches, fractional inches (to 1/128), and metric measurements.

Google [ digital calipers ] to see the selection. Amazon.com has over 1000 choices, and can easily deliver them to you.

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Thank you very much Jeepster and Pete, I appreciate the advice and will take it and any more anyone wants to dish out!

I will try anything to get the old gal flying again, including custom making the leading edge spar if I have to!

You guys are awesome for sharing the knowledge you have!

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Hey guys! I managed to stay out in wind a little stronger than I should have for my old Spirit Quad line kite. It was a sad thing to see her fold up in the sky and flutter to the ground like that, and I am determined that she will fly again! But....I need help - I can't find a supply for them (the spars or rods) already made, so I am going to have to make it myself and I am unsure as to the best way to proceed. The spar (or rod) was a 3 piece with a total length of 79" (200.66 cm) and the dia is 5/16' (.312" or .79375cm). This might be part of my prob - I am not even sure I am measuring this properly, having never done this before. Listen - ANY advice at all from you guys would be greatly appreciated and humbly recieved........you would be helping a great kite get back into the sky :) Thanks in advance,

Ed

I have attached a pic of her in flight for inspiration!

Hi Ed,

Got your e-mail! We've all been to the Lincoln City, OR festival this past weekend and just returned.

I have spars.

I just don't seem to find my Spirit spec sheet. Used to stock them years ago.

But we should be able to match up something for replacement for you. Are they a tapered tube or a straight tube?

Theresa

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...But we should be able to match up something for replacement for you. Are they a tapered tube or a straight tube?

Theresa

He is going to get a digital caliper, and measure his broken spars at both ends, inside and out. With that information he should be able to describe what he needs accurately.

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