K54 - Nova #2
This was a commissioned kite. The owner of Nova #1 wanted a second one for her husband.
This build went mostly smooth if we discount one major mistake. When I was building the kite, I placed one of the vertical wear strips off by an inch, and didn’t notice until after it was sewn. So, I ended up starting over from the beginning, which set me back quite a bit.
Things that I did differently:
Wing Template
The major mistake that I made was placing a wear strip 14.5” from the edge instead of 15.5”. Since it is easy to make mistakes measuring specific dimensions with a ruler, I decided to modify my process. I created a printable wing template that includes markings for reinforcements and also serves as a guide for trimming the sail. This eliminates the measuring by providing clear “do the thing here” sorts of indications. This made my second go-around much faster and more reliable.
Extra sewing on LE tip down mesh section
I’ve been double-sewing the tips on the leading edge, but I thought it would be nice to carry that down through the bit of Dacron below the leading edge, so it meets the trailing edge hem. I think this turned out very nicely, and I think I’ll continue to do that.
3d printed T fittings
I got a 3d printer not long ago and have been printing up a storm. I built my own model for a T fitting, with an angled T that matches the angle of the vertical rod on the kite, and also added a hole and groove for the bridle line. The fittings are printed in a semi-flex material (specifically Sainsmart 95A TPU). I had a pair that I had retroactively applied to Nova #1, so I thought it was only right to put them on Nova #2 as well. I have a few OSKUSA T fittings I’d like to use up at some point, so I’m not sure if I’ll switch future projects to the printed fittings yet.
Laser cut templates
After I finished Nova #1, I got some laser printed templates from SendCutSend. These are aluminum templates for reinforcements as well as a template for cutting holes for the T fittings in the leading edge. These templates were very useful and definitely sped up my process.
Bridle
This bridle is white and red. I ran out of red bridle line and have not been able to get more. :’(
