Rev II Vented Sail Repair

[JeremyParr]

The vent material on my Rev II has started to tear away from the leading edge of this kite. Is there any way to repair this? Should I just get some new ripstop nylon and sew it over the venting?

[Penny Lingenfelter]

You can hand sew or machine stitch it back on. Till it gets to short, then you can add a new piece of venting. Those Rev.'s do keep on keeping on. I've had leading edges replaced after years of fun abuse.

BB

Penny

[nckiter]

If you are comfortable with the sewing, go for it, but I would keep the venting instead of covering it with sail fabric.

If you have a local kite shop, ask them about either sending it back to Revolution for repair. or Revolution will sometimes offer a replacement sail at minimal cost compared to a new kite.

Good Luck!

Kip

[Dorsal]

If you want to do the job yourself, get some fiberglass window screen material and simply sew it to the back of the kite, following the same thread lines as the original screen was sewn in.

Then carefully cut away the excess (new) screen from the outside of the new stitches from the back. Then carefully cut away the old screen from the inside of the new stitches from the front. Voila!

[JeremyParr]

Any particular thread that should be used to sew the venting back in?

[Penny Lingenfelter]

I use kite line. Really but someone will have a good answer for you.

[johnnmitchell]

I use kite line. Really but someone will have a good answer for you.

Using the same thread you use to sew the sail works fine!

Don't use normal window screen. It is simply too slippery and will pull out. The original screening is rubber coated fiber glass.

LongJohn

[Dorsal]

Many people swear by the Guterman 100% polyester thread that you can buy at any fabric store. Others swear by the #33 Nylon Bonded Thread sold at the linked store and via other sources.

I've used both, with equal success. I believe on a Rev, the Guterman thread is about the same diameter, and will look very similar. However, from more than 8 feet away, you'll never see the difference at all.

Most builders stay away from "standard" cotton thread, as the polyester and Nylon sail materials may have a tendency to cut the thread over time, and bonded Nylon thread or Polyester thread is less prone to sun damage (or so I've heard.)

My opinion: Since I've never seen a kite that failed because the thread was worn out, I think the differences are moot. Kites are usually worn out by sand and hard ground and asphalt driveways and trees and rocks - - long before the threads rot away in the sun.