Re-sleeving

From KiteWiki

How to re-sleeve your lines

Buy sleeving and a sleeving needle (or a re-sleeving kit), then cut all lines to the same length.

When you cut them, measure them with the same tension on each line against a fixed object. I use two kite stakes, one to hold all of the distant ends and the other to mark the point where I will cut (e.g. 25M from the first. Pull firmly, mark against stake with a CD writer pen, for each line in turn, then snip them all and re-sleeve as follows:

Cut 4 equal lengths of Dacron sleeving, approximately 28cm long. For 180/110 lines, 3mm diameter is about right. Before you do anything else, singe the ends of the sleeving to prevent it from fraying. Put a small nail or something (you can use the sleeving needle) in the end of the sleeve before flashing a lighter over them to seal the ends from fraying. You can do this indoors before you set up to re-sleeve the lines.

Thread the sleeving needle through one length of sleeving, and when through, pass the line through the needle, and then pull it back through the length of sleeving. It should be a fairly tight fit, and you may have to bunch up the sleeving in order to get the line through.

At the very end, with just 2mm of line showing, tie a single overhand knot.

Repeat for all 4 lines, then stretch the sleeving fully, and then loop it round and tie another overhand knot where the two ends meet.

When you have sleeved them all, connect the handles with the distant ends still staked together. Pull evenly on all four lines using the handles. The tops of the handles (power lines) should line up perfectly with each other, and the brake ends should line up with each other too. If not, re-adjust the knots.

If the original sleeves were originally knotted, you can unknot them, and slide the old sleeves up before cutting the lines to lenght, so that you re-use them and don't have to re-thread them with a sleeving needle.

--Badger 01:16, 12 October 2007 (BST)