Jump to content
KiteLife Forum

My kite reel project for the high flier setup


Recommended Posts

Back when I was a kid, my dad had taken two aluminum wire reels and made kite spools from them. I flew a 16" Scott's Sled from one that had about 2000 feet of nylon monofiliment fishing line on it. That kite was out so far it was a tiny dot in the sky. One of the drawbacks of those reels was it was nearly impossible to wind the line up on the reel with the kite pulling on the line. Fast forward about 30 years and I got a idea to improve one of those reels. I mounted the reel in a oak frame, machined new shafts, crank, etc. for it in my home shop. I have the reel loaded with 3300 feet of 80# Spiderwire. It works by holding the frame against your abdomen with one hand, and cranking with the other. The crank handle does disengage from the reel to allow it to free wheel. I plan on adding a brake to control the reel during freewheel so it can be stopped while letting line out. I also plan on adding a lock pin to lock the reel in place once the kite is at the desired altitude. The pictures below show what I have finished so far:

This first one is of the two reels when I just started on it.

100_0694.jpg

100_0731.jpg

100_0732.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fine craftsmanship is always in fashion!

Thanks so much for posting the pictures.

Living near several major airports, I can't fly deep sky. But as a flier of fighters, I do make reels. I've found pleasure in making Indian-style reels.

Jim/Tottenville

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took it out today with my dad. we put up a 54" Ascension delta about 200 ft and let it fly for a couple hours while I tried to teach my self how to fly my new Rev. Other than the crank handle is a bit too stiff to turn, it worked out great! As to how much line it can hold, it depends on the diameter of the line. With the spiderwire, it is very very thin. This reel would hold several MILES of 80# spiderwire. I am overboard with the 3300 feet that is on it now. There are not many places near my home where I can fly that far up without endangering air traffic.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took it out today with my dad. we put up a 54" Ascension delta about 200 ft and let it fly for a couple hours while I tried to teach my self how to fly my new Rev. Other than the crank handle is a bit too stiff to turn, it worked out great! As to how much line it can hold, it depends on the diameter of the line. With the spiderwire, it is very very thin. This reel would hold several MILES of 80# spiderwire. I am overboard with the 3300 feet that is on it now. There are not many places near my home where I can fly that far up without endangering air traffic.

You've done an excellant job! I make all my swivels for my large spinsocks 12-90 ft. May I suggest using sealed ball bearings on your reel? I use them on my swivels. They work great, and last for years. They only cost 2-5 dollars each, at any bearing house. You would need to add a brake to your reel though, if you haven't already. Barry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

A removable handle and a pair of leather gloves is all you need. Without the handle on you can free wheel to altitude. Wearing gloves will allow for controlled ascension. The reel does not need to be a precision piece and friction is a good thing. We can adjust tension on our reel with wing nuts to the point where it will smoke if we are not careful. Having control is key. Once we have reached altitude we reverse the handle so the grip is locked against the frame of the reel. The handle is further secured with one of four straps used to secure the rig. We are flying two kites on 1000’ of 500# braid. The 9’ Delta is put up first followed by a 10.5’ sled. While both are lifters the Delta likes to fly high and the Sled likes to fly far. We hang all sorts of stuff from a large American flag and various laundry by day. At night we have been know to hang strobes and flashlights. It is always fun to watch the beach walkers at night marvel at the “UFO” light show!

We started flying kites at the beach with the kids a few years ago during a multi- family vacation. After successfully launching and maintaining flight of up to 26 kites at a time...we got bored. We decided to go bigger. We just started the second rig. Our vacation is in three weeks. We are ordering a couple more sleds and looking at 11’ Deltas.

MV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...