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By Leslie Hunt
In preparing this collection of kites, I have tried to make the directions as complete as possible without needless repetition. More details are given in the first group than in the others.
After a successful two-stick kite has been made and flown, attention having been given to the lashing together of sticks, wrapping of stick ends, papering, etc., further kite making will resolve itself into following the patterns.
There may be better ways of lashing and framing kites than those given here, and, no doubt, there may be objections raised to making large kites by these methods. But this book was designed as a guide to the making and flying of moderate-sized kites, and it is not planned to treat of knots and lashings, nor to go deeply into the professional aspects of kite making.
On the contrary, everything else is kept subordinate to the idea of presenting such directions for making kites that fly as can be carried out, without previous kite making experience, in almost any home.
I have rarely indicated the thickness of the sticks. Unless specified, the thickness is to be 3/16 inch which is about the thickness one is able to get from the material described. If one wishes to make a kite twice as large, it will be better to double the thickness of the stick instead of doubling the width.
Of course, other material will have to be used, or the sticks built up as described in Chapter VII.
I have allowed a liberal amount of the stick to project beyond the margins of the kites. Experience has taught me that a broken stick is easier to replace than it is to make extensive repairs in the paper or to repair both stick and paper. The projecting stick ends save the paper, and do not render the sticks any more likely to break.
I have recommended slitting the ends of the sticks with a thin saw to receive the framing string. If no thin saw is at hand, the sticks may be notched with a sharp knife and lashed in place as shown in Figure 2.
Some kites cannot be framed entirely with framing string without using too many sticks. I reduce the number of sticks to the minimum, and use a dark-colored framing string, letting it go where it will. A dark-colored string is not noticed when the kite is flying. If any sticks show, a little ink and chalk will tone the color of the wood to a tint that will be little noticed.
Of course, there will be places in the kite that will need stiffening. I use trough-shaped papers like that shown in the central sketch in Figure 4 for such stiffening, and if such support is not easily fitted, I use shavings or slivers of wood glued to the paper as shown in the lower sketch of the same figure. When the papers or slivers are dried under moderate pressure, that part of the kite becomes quite rigid, and but little is added to the weight.
Many methods of tying, stiffening, and trimming will suggest themselves to the kite maker after the work is begun.
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