Quad Style Flying Handles
Handles
for quad kites go for as much as $50 per set, sometimes more, and that makes me
cringe! Below is a way to make a good set of handles for about three bucks,
MAYBE five if you have to pay retail for everything. Your local Irrigation
wholesale supply store usually has scrap pieces of pipe in back and just might
GIVE you the needed pipe, If not, the charge would be very nominal.
The
enclosed pix are the result of what I'd been mulling around in my head after I
flew my "Benedictine", a 6.0M^2
NPW on a new set of 150foot lines. The handles I had been using had to be
totally re-adjusted. The handles were not only too short, but the brake lines
needed to be nearly a FOOT longer than the top lines, and I didn't have the
line length on the handles to make the necessary adjustment. I ended up
wrapping the top flying line around the top of the old style handles until the
lengths were "OK"... not right, but messy, and maybe even dangerous!!
My being in the irrigation
industry makes me appreciate the low cost of making these handles. They are
made from 2 pieces each ; 6" by 3/4"
Sch. 40 PVC pipe, and 7" of 1/2" Sch. 40 PVC pipe. Making the first
pair only took about 20 minutes. I used a special drill* to
drill out the inside of one end of each piece of the 3/4" Sch 80 to drill
a "Socket" for the 1/2" by 7" nipple. I drilled it about
1-1/2" deep, glued the 1/2" pieces into the 3/4" sockets.
(Although the drilling method isn't really necessary to make the transition,
you can use nested couplings to get the same results or use sch80 - ¾” pipe all
the way.**
After the glue dries, use a hair dryer to heat the pipe, mostly on the backside
of the handle. In about 2-3 minutes it's heated sufficiently to bend it just
below the ¾” connection to the angle that you like. Hold the bend in place
until the PVC sets up, or put it in cold tap water for a few seconds to harden
it. Do both handles, and match the angles of both.
Be
careful, the hot plastic can burn.
The wrapping of the cord around the top of
the handle makes it both non-slip and adjustable. Although it may not really be
SUPER easy to readjust for some folks, it does give one the option of infinite
field adjustments if really necessary. No clips or "thingies" to fuss
around with.
Use
a drill large enough to just accommodate the cord you will be using, and drill completely
thru the top of the handle about 1 full inch below the top. (
I like to fly with the line between my middle and index fingers). About
3/16" below that, drill another hole just thru the kite side of the pipe,
but not clear through it. You can see the pic on to the left how to wind the
line around the top (about 4 times to keep it from slipping), back in and down
thru the handle, and back 
out the single bottom hole to the front....
The top wrap is above the point the cord goes back out through the handle to
the flying line. I start with sixteen feet of nylon sash cord or small engine
starter/puller cord for the connecting lines.... That's two (2) eight footers,
one 
for each side. This way, there's a lot of
adjustment available if you need it, and only ONE knot at the end of the cords
leading out to the flying lines. You might like a shorter starting length, and
the length is NOT written in stone, but you'll be surprised at how short the
finished lines are!! Using one knot at the end of the line leaves little to no
chance of tangling.... (I hate stuff hanging or dangling off of flying lines,
anyway!)
Here is another way of tying handles for
lite duty flying and NPW's of 2.5 or less in lighter winds. It can be tied for 4 line flying, or
comfortable 2 line connections. Just use
one cord tied to both ends for the handle, and connect the flying line to the
center. Choose your angle of the handle
by sliding the grip up or down accordingly.
One's
imagination can get away tying these lines off.
Mine did and what you see is just a few of the ideas that came to
mind. All seem to work OK, and none have
come loose as yet… but like I said… I don't buggy or jump!
Another
source of previously bent pipe is at the local hardware store or electrical
wholesale shop. Buy a "short or long radius" or "long
sweep", 90 degree electrical elbow in either 1/2 or 3/4" Sch. 40 size
and use that.... It has a smooth 6" radius already bent in, and can be cut
to your liking.... The 1/2" size will accept bicycle handles for comfort (scooter
handles in this case) and a more professional appearance can be had. Just
remember: the price-tag will jump appreciably for your handles if you purchase the
pre-bent pipe, and grips. The pipe bends
are about 75 cents
Just wanted to share more
ideas..... The 2 sets of handles are examples of just a few minutes
work. Use your imagination and you will
be pleasantly surprised what you can do with a few feet of PVC, cord, an electric
drill, and a plain old hair dryer. 
Once I found a big game fishing store with
200#+ fishing line, the linesets & handles became so cheap that making a
set for each kite has become a reality.
Because I don't buggy or jump, and my largest NPW being about 6 meters,
I use small engine starter rope or widow blind sash cord for connecting lines
to handles.
These
clear handles were a gift from a friend and are made of gunshot proof
Poly-Carbonate plastic. These suckers are
for jumping, buggying and anything else you might want to put them
through. I was flying a 6.0 NPW on Maui
in '00 flying the "Trades" in 25Mph winds… nothing let go, but ME! Scary!
I just couldn't hold on even though I was anchored to a car. The handles DID NOT BREAK… Pretty strong, I
think! The stuff runs about $2.50 per
foot in 8 foot lengths wholesale. So,
for strength without metal… 's great!
* (There is a special tool called a
"Ram-Bit" that drills PVC pipe out of female PVC pipe socket
fittings. It's purpose is to recover fittings in tight
or awkward repair situations, but it works well here, too. I use it to accommodate ½” pipe into the
3/4" schedule 80 pipe) They can be found at most good
irrigation wholesale shops.
** (A third method of connecting the pipes is
to heat the 3/4" pipe all the way around (in the oven at 450 degrees, wear
heavy gloves!!) to make the 3/4" pipe end flexible enough to be able to widen
it and insert the half inch pipe into the ¾” for about 1-1/2" or as needed. You gotta be quick and careful… and use a
rubber or wooden mallet to pound it in.
The outer pipe cools rapidly once it comes in contact with the cooler
half inch pipe.) The pipes can be heated
and bent after gluing.
I
hope this helps. See Tom White’s page to
see how he made a jig for handles. Quick
and easy!
Bill
Painter- Phoenix, Az.----< NPWBill@cox.net>---- May the wind always BE at your back!!