Sleeving?

[Mujician]

Could someone please explain what sledging is for and where I can get some if I need it?

[Mujician]

Damn autocorrect! Sleeving, not sledging!

[Paul LaMasters]

sleeving thickens the flying line loop,.... protecting the spectra fibers with a dacron covering.

some use it and some choose not to

If you don't use sleeving you need:

~ bigger attachment loops, since you can't untie spectra, bigger loop can have more tuning knots added if necessary to shorten the length

~ a stopper knot built into the line BEFORE you make the loop

~ close-off the loop with a "figure-of-eight" knot as it moves in two directions and is very permanent when you place it

~ a longer top leader, such that you can reach WAY out there for catches and 3D tricks, assume it needs to be the length of the gap between the 2 attachment points

[SparkieRob]

If you put sleeving on a piece of thin wire, a high "E" guitar string, works well.

Double the wire over, load the sleeving onto the wire, thread the line through the wire loop, slide on the sleeving and then pull the end of the line back through.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wayne Dowler]

Most either buy material already made for sleeving, some buy bridle line and pull the core out to make it. In the past, it was thought to buffer the Spectra fiber line from cutting into itself, making knots stronger. Not as needed today as the lines has gotten better. Whether you use it or not depends on personal choice!

If used, the guitar string works well to pull your line through.

[Hadge]

You can get a sleeving kit with the sleeving and threader for £3.60 from here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spirit-of-Air-Sleeving-Kit-Needle-and-Kite-Sleeve-for-Dual-Line-Kites-Kite-Parts-/291447417441?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43db9eaa61

This is how you use it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXA-mNtDNQE

[Mujician]

Thanks Hadge. That's great. But I'm afraid I don't know if I need it or not! I don't have any powerful kites or four line kites yet. I have just re-handled a cheap stunt kite and my mini single line kite. What do you think?

[makatakam]

I prefer to not use sleeving on my lines for quad-line kites. It adds weight, and even though it's only a gram or two depending on what you use, every little bit counts. A gram here, a gram there, and pretty soon you have an extra ounce of weight that the sail must lift. I try to get rid of every last bit of unnecessary material, sleeving, bungee, connectors, etc.

On dual-line kites, if you do a lot of tricking, it is helpful in reducing wear to the flying lines, bridle and sail edges. Many flyers use bridle extensions so they can wrap the line multiple times, for instance when doing yo-yo's, because the flying line will eventually start cutting through the sail.

On single-line kites there is no need for it until you get into the huge stuff that puts more than 100 pounds of pull on the line. Then you might want to use sleeving or an alternate method of fastening flying line to bridle, to keep the two from cutting each other.

So, depending on your intent, you may want to use some type of "sleeving" to protect lines, sail and bridle. It's up to you, and your flying style is what determines if you need it.

[Hadge]

Thanks Hadge. That's great. But I'm afraid I don't know if I need it or not! I don't have any powerful kites or four line kites yet. I have just re-handled a cheap stunt kite and my mini single line kite. What do you think?

Probably not to be honest if you only have a couple of cheapish kites, it won't make any difference. If you are enjoying your kite flying you would be better putting the money towards a better kite, many of which come with sleeved linesets ready to fly. £20-£40 would get you a decent starter.

[Dave362]

I use it all the time, but I'm a dual line trick flyer. I make extended leaders to protect the trailing edge and lower spreaders in wraps. If it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't use it and I must admit I use it mostly out of habit. If you buy a line set that's sleeved, go ahead and use it. When you start making your own, I recommend not bothering with it. Mark is right on point, your flying style will dictate your sleeving requirments.

[povlhp]

If you have Dyneema lines, it makes sense. Also makes it easier to equalize line lengths. If you have cheaper lines, probalby does not make any difference at all.

For standard Dyneema / Spectra lines, I use this kit: http://www.emmakites.com/freilein-line-sleeving-tool-8pcs_p483.html

It is $3 including shipping (slow). Fits the 100 lbs lines fine. Comes with the tool (bent wire).

I see you are in the UK, so just get the other one from eBay. Been buying more stuff from Go kites. Way faster than the 4 weeks on slowboat from China. And never any issues with them.

Just had a line on the HQ Symphony Pro 2.2 tearing itself apart, do to some strange sleeving method that put a half knot around the sleeving closer to the line. It slipped off the sleeving, and a knot on a line is bad. So it snapped just half an inch away from the knot. It was manageable to open the sleeved loop on the other line, and adjust/resleeve.

I believe in sleeving if you are pushing the weight rating of the Dyneema line. If you do not push the line, then no need.

[Mujician]

Okay, I don't know what half the words you guys are saying mean. So I'm guessing I don't need it. However, I'm going to do my best and try and do as much flying as possible so I'll come back and read this thread when the time comes!

Thanks folks!

[Tmadz]

Knots weaken the force a line can take by about half. With sleeving, it disperses the force and decreases he possibility that a line will snap at the knot. Used on sport kites where you may fly at the top end of the wind conditions for the lines you're using. I over simplified, but still true.

[Paul LaMasters]

the correct knot for spectra is the "figure of eight", it is four thicknesses of line at the center without a tight right angle turn, in more than 20 years of sport kite flying I have never broken an unsleeved line at the knot. I routinely use 50# lines as well as 90/100# in all wind conditions, even under water.

Sleeving is just a tangle waiting to happen with a quad, particularly offensive during set-up, when the lines get hung-up instead of sliding apart naturally when separated towards a single point.