| Project by hairy | posted 800 days ago | 1448 views | 13 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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And take one of these with you.
It’s almost that time of year . Rumor has it the rain will stop sometime this week. I’m ready for it. The only one that I have used so far is the smaller one, with the airplane. It worked very well.
They are made from scraps, and some common hardware. I’m using a 1/4 inch carriage bolt as the axle, inside a 1/8 inch pipe as a bushing. All the moving parts are lubed with paste wax.
The large kite reel could be a knucklebuster as the string is going out, but they both have a brake. The handle opposite the crank contains a 3/8 inch bolt that rubs the spool, to slow it down or lock it in place. The extended crank handle should bring it back in easily. If it is a problem, I can still cut it down.
The small one is version 2. Luckily, I have no pictures of version 1. Version 4 is still kicking around in my head. Any suggestions are gladly welcomed.
The large one is 12 inches long. It weighs 1 pound and 9 ounces loaded with 400 feet of mason’s string.
The small one is 11 inches and weighs 1 pound and 2 ounces with 200 feet of mason’s string.
The weight is a factor. I want it heavy enough so that it won’t take off when a child drops it.
Kites are so much cooler than when I was a kid.
-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...
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11 comments so far
gul
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399 posts in 1133 days
#1 posted 800 days ago
This is so cool.We don’t have this version here.It’s like a small drum roll thing over here.
NBeener
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4856 posts in 1345 days
#2 posted 800 days ago
The headline:
“Woodworker crosses paths with Engineering Sensibilities to Create Cool New Kite String Reel”
Nice !
-- -- Neil
Ken90712
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12676 posts in 1360 days
#3 posted 800 days ago
Nice idea and project!
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
CrossGrain (Josh)
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64 posts in 1189 days
#4 posted 800 days ago
Great idea and nicely done!
-- Josh, Virginia , http://crossgrain.wordpress.com
KnotCurser
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1410 posts in 1239 days
#5 posted 800 days ago
Very cool! Version 3 needs the wooden gears added so you can wind the kite in super fast! :-)
Also, it should have the “freewheel” option, but I would imagine that could get a bit dangerous….... ;-)
This site never fails to amaze me with the original ideas!
-bob
-- Man is a tool-using Animal. Nowhere do you find him without tools; without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all. - Thomas Carlyle http://www.ffrf.org
Roger
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9192 posts in 975 days
#6 posted 800 days ago
beautiful! I like the Indian Motorcycle sign in the background also.. :)
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net
natrous
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53 posts in 955 days
#7 posted 799 days ago
Super cool. Really neat idea! Although I must admit, I think I like the kites almost as much as the reel… I bet that star-kite looks awesome up in the air!
-- I do not like work even when someone else does it. - Mark Twain
zwwizard
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171 posts in 1880 days
#8 posted 799 days ago
Good idea!! I made some years ago. wasn’t as nice. I put a wrist strap on it So it couldn’t dropped. I was flying some big kites on the beach.
-- Richard http://www.PictureTrail.com/gallery/view?username=thewizz
peteg
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2281 posts in 994 days
#9 posted 799 days ago
Hairy, these are realy neat & will provide a lot of fun for a young one (or are they for the BIG KID who made them) : )))
very well made & detailed
-- Pete G: If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got
Mark Shymanski
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3966 posts in 1884 days
#10 posted 789 days ago
Cool project!
-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2
cosmicturner
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394 posts in 1566 days
#11 posted 95 days ago
Nice…thank you?
-- Cosmicturner
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