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Nazko .85 Projects

Sat Mar 21, 2015 2:58 pm

Hi,

After my first ever foray into Freestyle Kite Building and with the success of my Eolo Genesis facsimile build (the post is on here) and success for me meant it flew! ( quite well :-D ) I thought I would move onwards and build a more focused Freestyle kite.

I have looked long and hard at the interweb and came up with a couple of options, the most complete being Toms site about the build of "Le Quartz" http://www.tweelijners.com/tom/tomskite ... /Home.html
This is an invaluable site and resource for the budding kite builder and I took a lot of info and inspiration from it.

However I was always tempted by the "Nazko" on the kite plan data base http://www.kiteplans.org/planos/nazko/nazko.html as I`m quite a visual person and would rather fly a kite that looked pretty and flew crap than an ugly trick monster! ;)
The only issue for me was the size.
For a second time builder it is quite a large kite plus my flying area deems that I have to (and like to) keep things to about 2.2m total span.
I decided to download the plans at 85% and see how it works out so this is my post, just starting, about this build.
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:20 pm

First...

Get your plans :-D

And if you are reading this the you have a computer right? And probably a printer?
So all I did was download the plans from the interweb and scaled them down by telling the printer to print at 85%.

Now.... I have no idea of the scale in real time but I do know that the printout is smaller and more importantly it is scaled down from the plans on the net.
It dosn`t matter to me if my printer is off.....in RELATION to the print out everything is in scale and I`ll frame to the sail when it`s stitched together taking relevant points such as centre "T" and stand-offs from MY printout and not the web....makes sense?

I have however taken notes and dimensions from the site and scaled them down 15% (for an 85% build) and it will be interesting to see how they corelate (er...match-up) ;)

My original build was made using an old Frister+Rossman model 45 MK2.... this was my Mums old machine and was only capable of straight and Zig-Zag stitch (mentioned in the Eolo build) and served fine.
I can see the point in having a stitch that will give slightly and I can see that sewing such a "Chiffon" like material such as the parachute silk I used in that project would be a bitch and pucker!
So that is where this mythical 3-step zig zag....... digression :wink: reminds me of Kill Bill 2 and the "Five point palm exploding heart technique!!!" comes into play.
It will stitch slimey frictionless ripstop without it puckering and not give a seam that acts as a perforation.. perfect.

So I needed a machine that would do just that.
Bought one from (a popular auction site) and rebuilt it.

So a few pics and caveats!
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:25 pm

This is the new machine with new drive belts fitted and tested.

Now I have something that can do the "Five point explo....etc" and build a proper kite.

Wait....I cant....the stitching is way out! So some tuning first using Verniers to measure the stitch widths....note to self never go by what is printed on the label!

Point in question here..
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Sat Mar 21, 2015 3:31 pm

And finally....

Always buy quality and test several times before committing to the stitch!

Bought this zig-zag presser foot off ( a popular auction bloody site) and it was total crap!

So I lifted the foot off the older machine (part of the reason I bought same make! ;) ) and now I can sew the project and be confident in my choice of stitch (and I`m not going to drop dead in five pace.......) :badgrin:
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Sat Mar 21, 2015 4:27 pm

A new sewing machine is always an interesting experience.

Mike
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:55 pm

Being as I am still waiting for grey "Icarex" like material :wink: for the Low wind kite build I`ve decided to plough ahead with the High wind build. :-D

I still need to order sticks etc for the HW (typical as I have everything I need parts wise for the LW) but have decided at least I can start on the sail.

So a couple of pics.

The material is Black , Grey and Blue 42gsm ripstop and the White is Chinese "So-called" Icarex which is 35gsm.
Being as these are only my second and third builds I can`t quite warrent spending £18 a metre for genuine Icarex and these materials are a quantum leap in terms of feel and "crispness" from the parachute ripstop I first used.

The sail is just taped together and not yet sewn or joined together (still waiting for a new presser foot for the machine) and layed out for a quick picture so ignore the apparent "baginess" of the panels :-D
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:23 pm

Looks good.

Was the venting in the plans?

Mike
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:49 pm

No Mike,

I looked at most of the previous constructs and decided that the "flash" small panel was around the centre of pressure and it would be best to vent that area rather than cut holes all over the others.

The panel was cut as per the plans and then slots hot cut to my own design, once it is sewn I`ll use Mylar tape to "surround" each slot carefully cutting out with a sharp kife and then apply the tape.

The design for High wind is a bit deeper than that on the material front, the material increases in weight from the centre out as I want lift in the centre and mass at the outer edges.
The framing will be all straight arrow shaft using the equivilant in weight and diameter of P400 spine and P300 leading edges and lower spreaders, upper spreader 6mm pultruded, fittings, all APA standard fayre :-D
Unfortunately I cant source any Mylar sailcloth so all reinforcement will be either in rip-stop or Dacron or Mylar tape sewn in? :-D

I`m aiming for something that just won`t pull me off my feet in winds above 17mph but will still trick (even at the edge of the window) and to be honest have no idea how it`ll behave until I`ve built it :D as I have nothing in my bag that will do that at the moment.
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:53 pm

NIce, that looks great =D>
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:03 am

Looks a bit like an old R-Sky Frenezy I had, I like it :)

Good work Crafter, do keep posting, your threads are interesting and inspiring.

-Frazer


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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:20 am

The panel layout looks a bit Atelier to me....

Mike
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:02 pm

So I finally finished it today :D
And needless to say it has been the windiest day of the year so far along with random hail showers, too much to even take pics in the garden so I`ve taken a couple of shots to show the kite.

I know it has no bridle in the pics as I was trying to catch some decent light but it only took me an hour to bridle it up.
I used Climax dyneema cored 90kg bridle line and followed the dimensions for the bridle from the website but down scaled the lengths by 15% as per the rest of the kite.

I have no idea how it will fly or perform :-D but everything "looks" right and as someone once said "if it looks right it probably is ;) " and I`m looking forward to testing it out.

Oh despite not caring about the weight it has turned out remarkably light!
All in, including a 20g tail weight and sticks equivilent to P400 (spine ) and P300 everything else it tops the scales at 270g. Even for a "small" 2.2m kite that is light and flying will test if I`ve built it too light for spanking around in 15-20mph winds which was my aim.

Here are some pics and I`ll try to get some more shots when I get it out to a field.

Next project is Nazko .85 LW and as I finally have all the materials and parts for that I`ll crack straight on with it.
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Coogee
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Tue Mar 31, 2015 9:41 pm

That is a good looking kite.

Have fun flying!

Mike
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:01 pm

Thanks Mike,

Again it taught me a few lessons and I`m more than happy with it but I will do just one or two things differently for the Nazko LW build.

At least i have that to do while I wait for the weather to test it :D
 
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Re: Nazko .85 Projects

Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:58 pm

So cracking on with the next Nazko :-D

I`ve shifted the borders on the templates and have hot cut and taped the panels to them.
This time all the largest panels are "Icarex" (chinese) and the smaller ones are "Shicarex" (french), I know it`s not the done thing to mix and match but I figure why not? The wing tips are going to get more tension and a bigger work out than the centre panels so why not make them out of stronger material? Plus it puts a few more grams of weight at the tips and I like the difference in texture the size of the "grain" gives.
A kite design is very much like a stained glass window in that it changes dimension when the light gets behind it :D

Both sides are done and I`ll start sewing them up tomorrow, I`ll post a pic of the basic sewn but not completed layout and point out the material difference.

My template with run notes scrawled all over it! ;)

Just for those confused why there is no plan layed out anywhere.....I dont find it easy to build that way.
I`ll print out a plan then cut it into panels.
The printed out panels are then traced and cut out again in stiffer card stock (now called the template) with notes for seam allowance.
The kite material is then rough cut with scissors to the approximate shape and then taped to my Melamine board.
The template is edged with lo-tack double sided tape and stuck down onto the material.
The panel is hot cut around this and remains stuck to the template, repeat for each panel until all are done.

Each template is then butted up and tacked with normal masking tape until you have the entire half of the kite. Flip it over and tape (or glue) the seams and peel the templates off leaving a precise half of kite ready for sewing. :D

The image above has the material panels on the other side just waiting to be flipped and seams taped/glued.

I reuse the templates and sprinkle Talcum powder on the side just used to take the tack off...re-tape the other side and repeat!
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