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Build a delta kite from an umbrella

by bigape on September 26, 2013 Table of Contents Build a delta kite from an umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Build a delta kite from an umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Gathering the parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Sewing part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Sewing part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 5 7 9

Step 5: Link-ups part I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 6: Link-ups II & framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Step 7: Basics in cord attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Step 8: Finished kite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Intro: Build a delta kite from an umbrella

First of i have to admit, that when i started working on this project, i was mainly driven by my ego. I would appreciate it, if any of my ideas become valuable for somebody. So, why would anyone build a kite from an umbrella? The fabric used in common umbrellas is very light and durable Nylon. For this build i used an old and broken pocket umbrella, i had lying around. Also on rainy days people often leave their umbrellas in public places, so you can grab one for free! xD This project set a lot of challenges concerning kite-design and minor problems, which were either solved or developed throughout the build.

Step 1: Gathering the parts

Parts your will need: - your umbrella - bent bicycle wheel - yarn - 2 x aluminum pipes 8mm x 1m - 3 x plastic pipes 8mm x 1m - 30cm rubber hose 14mm thick - 50cm rubber hose 8mm thin - elastic band - 4m plastic belt - back part of a maxi-CD case - an empty hair gel tube - 2 x washers Tools: - all sorts of pliers - sewing machine - rulers in different sizes - normal and fine scissors - hot-glue-gun with lots of ammo - a candle - matches - jigsaw - pircer - drill with 6 and 8 mm drill bits Starting of with the umbrella, you will need to detach the nylon fabric from the carcass. Use your scissors to cut the yarn loops. When you're finished, you may want to clean the fabric in a washer. The bent bicycle wheel is useless except for the spokes. We will need 6 of them.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. rusty spots...wasn't easy to remove all of them

Image Notes 1. stripped carcass 2. i've cut off this part off to use it for the cross linkage

Image Notes 1. salvaged nylon fabric

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. i've picked the wrong pipe with a smaller diameter, so i had to attach rubber hoses on both ends

Image Notes 1. yeah, don't make the same mistake!

Image Notes 1. these belts were salvaged from a broken suitcase

Image Notes 1. i used a 28 inch wheel

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. back of a maxi-CD case

Step 2: Design
Since all umbrellas assemble an octagonal shape, i figured a way to utilize most of the fabric. By detaching the fabric into 8 equal triangles you can rearrange them into a "delta kite friendly" rhombus shape. In my case this was the only reasonable decision, since the diameter for the fabric was only about 1m. If your umbrella is bigger than mine, you may cut the fabric without detaching it and design your own kite! For the purpose of better visualizing the finished kite, i've built a 1:10 scale model.

Image Notes 1. if you feel unconfortable about the metric system, feel free to convert every unit into imperial format! Golden rule: devide by 2.54

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. disassembled skeleton

Image Notes 1. this angle is actually 55 and is typical for a standard delta kite...however mine is 68!!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Step 3: Sewing part I

In order to detach the 8 triangles, you need to loosen up the seam, by pulling the yarn gently with a fine scissors, loop by loop. When you're finally done, iron the triangles. Prepare your sewing machine and set it up for dotted seam. First sew the triangles into 4 equal, small rhombuses. Follow the instructions shown in the picture and continue sewing the 4 parts into the main rhombus. Ironing the edges before sewing can spare you frustrating moments! xD

Image Notes 1. these rods will come in handy for a future project 2. this cylindrical part will be added to the spine

Image Notes 1. loosen up the seam and pull the yarn one loop after another

Image Notes 1. better wash and iron these

Image Notes 1. apply on the edges 2. apply within the rhombus 3. follow the color marks

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. set your sewing machine to dotted seam mode

Image Notes 1. the triangles were sewed into 4 small rhombuses

Image Notes 1. I ironed the edges, so its easier to sew the parts together.

Image Notes 1. secure the overlays with safety pins before sewing

Image Notes 1. finished material

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Step 4: Sewing part II

Set up your sewing machine to zig-zag line mode. Take the plastic belts and shorten two of them to 97 cm and one to 71 cm. Now cut 5 holes, like its shown in the first picture. Melt all the cuts with a candle. Sew the 71 cm long belt to the middle part of the kite and leave out the bottom grove in order to fit in a plastic pipe (the spine) later on. Fold the plastic belts by half along the long side, attach it from both sides to the edge, make sure to leave enough space to fit the plastic pipes inside and start sewing. Don't forget to attach elastic band loops on the lower parts, underneath the belts.

Image Notes 1. zig-zag seam

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. center hole

Image Notes 1. elastic band

Image Notes 1. this leftover will be provisionally attached later on

Image Notes 1. spine section

Step 5: Link-ups part I

First of cut 6 equal square shapes out of the leftover plastic belt. Then cut a hole in each of them and melt the cuts with your candle. Next grab the back plate of the maxiCD case and cut out 6 small circle shapes with a scissors, which should be half the size of the squares. Now you will need 6 snippets from the thin rubber hose sized 4,5 cm. Cut 3 legs in the snip and attach it to the circle with a load of hot glue. If you're done, pull these snips though the hole of the small squares. Finally sew these 6 linkups to the fabric with a zig-zag seam, like its shown in the picture.

Image Notes 1. back of a maxi-CD case

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. this material is very thin, so its easy to cut it by hand

Image Notes 1. cut 3 legs in the hose snippet

Image Notes 1. yeah, i made more than 6 of them

Image Notes 1. the yellow squares symbolize the places, where u need to attach the link-ups

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Image Notes 1. this one had to be removed later on

Step 6: Link-ups II & framework

Cut one of the aluminum pipes in half with the jigsaw. Now shorten one of the 3 plasic pipes to 75 cm. Remember that small cylindrical piece, i've salvaged from the umbrella? This will be attached to the spine to hold the aluminum pipe in place. Cut off the piece you can utilize for this project with the jigsaw and drill 8 mm holes perpendicularly to each other, like its shown in the picture. Next cut 4 times 5 cm long pieces off of the thick rubber hose. Drill 6 mm holes through each of them and round the edge on one end. These will be the edge linkages that will hold the aluminum pipes in place. Now cut one 6 cm as well as 3 times 3 cm long pieces off of the thin rubber hose. The 6 cm piece will assemble the arrow part of the kite. Pull the 1m long plastic pipes through the stitched belts and don't forget about the 4 rubber hoses. Do the same with the 75 cm pipe. Attach the 6 cm long rubber hose to both ends of the 1m pipes and put the 3 cm pieces onto the other ends of the pipes. Before that you may want to round the edges of these ends. Continuing with the remaining link-ups, we will need the 6 spokes with screwed on caps and two 4 cm long pieces from the thick rubber hose. Use pliers to straighten out the spokes and make 3 holes with the piercer in each of the rubber hose pieces. Pull each spoke through the hole, like its shown in the picture. Finally attach the link-ups to the fabric as well as to the aluminum pipes. In order to hold the two linkages in place, u can cut small stripes out of an empty hair gel tube or any other similar material.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. 75 cm long pipe 2. 1m long pipe

Image Notes 1. the spine

Image Notes 1. 6 cm hose pulled on both ends of the pipes

Image Notes 1. edge linkage is attached to the plastic pipe

Image Notes 1. cut a grove to secure the elastic band

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Image Notes 1. i used a 28 inch wheel

Image Notes 1. pierce 3 holes

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Image Notes 1. screw the cap back on, when u pulled the spoke through the rubber hose

Image Notes 1. a fourth spoke won't be needed! I attached it for testing purposes

Image Notes 1. finished wing

Image Notes 1. remains of the hair gel tube

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Step 7: Basics in cord attachment

To begin with, you will need to buy or find braided nylon cord as well as two spool winders. I found mine lying at home. You will also need two iron or aluminum rings. I've used 12 mm washers. Take the cord and cut it into 2 x 40 cm and 1 x 35. Follow the measurements on the picture and tie 3 knots on each end to the link-ups as well as to the ring. Lit up a match and carefully burn and melt the left over cord, so that the knot won't loosen up. Now take the rest of the cord, divide it in half and wrap up the spools. Attach the windings to both sides of your kite and you're done!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

Step 8: Finished kite

Finally its done! One last question remains: Can this beast actually fly? Well i will find out and upload a video to prove it. At least it tends to fly forward, if u drop it face down. Also this kite only weights about 400 g, while a standard delta kite weights approximately 250-300 g. So it might hover in the winds. I hope so! xD Update 27.09.13: I tried it outside today, but the wind was too weak (about 8 km/h). At least the kite seams to behave like an ordinary delta kite. According to the weather forecast for this Sunday the wind speed should top 25 km/h. So updates will follow.

Image Notes 1. looks weird, doesn't it? reminds me of the Wu-tang logo! :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

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Comments
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shazni says:

Sep 28, 2013. 4:53 PM REPLY love the way you have made the connectors...will try to improve mine later with tubes. which do you think is lighter...bamboo or plastic or aluminum tubes?

bigape says:

Sep 29, 2013. 12:08 AM REPLY Guess it depends on your certain build. Personally i would prefer thin bamboo sticks over anything else. Those plastic tubes i've used, are highly flexible, so u're able to bend them into shape (down to 60 degrees before they start to brake). Although i have to admit, that the spine is way to loose, which could affect the flight characteristics of the kite. And those aluminum tubes are needed to straighten the skeleton and give it some rigidness, so that the kite won't bend in the wind and keeps its shape. I couldn't find anything lighter and suitable for this project.

profort says:
Wonderful job

Sep 28, 2013. 11:16 AM REPLY

padbravo says:
yeap.... indeed... good idea for a broken umbrella

Sep 27, 2013. 5:51 PM REPLY

antioch says:
I've seen so many dumped umbrellas in the streets. I could be Grand Emperor of Delta Kiteness had I known this sooner!

Sep 27, 2013. 2:08 PM REPLY

bigape says:

Sep 27, 2013. 3:54 PM REPLY Yeah, its a sad situation. There must be 1000 ways to utilize those umbrellas! Or u could also start collecting them and carry 2-3 around with you in order to give 'em away, under certain circumstances, as an act of generosity!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-delta-kite-from-an-umbrella/

audreyobscura says:
What a rad idea! Great work!

Sep 27, 2013. 1:29 PM REPLY

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