Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 02:55:40 -1000 From: mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) Message-Id: <2121@leadingedg.win.net> Subject: Molded fittings Molded fittings would seen to have revolutionised the business of making sport kites, but based on my own experience I seriously wonder about this. It seems to me that the vast majority of the fittings offered are less than optimal, a poor fit, the wrong type of material, or otherwise flawed. I'm not sure that they are worth the expense, but they seem to have become a key point in selling high quality kites. Is it no longer acceptable to use well made traditional vinyl fittings? Or would you rather see a poorly fitting molded piece on your next kite? Michael Graves -- Michael Graves mgraves@leadingedg.win.net Leading Edge Productions http://www.interlog.com/~lepkites Brampton, Ontario, Canada phone(905)456-9494 fax (905)465-9493 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 07:11:22 -1000 From: skyvis@shell.portal.com (Richard P Cornwell) Message-Id: <3u68fq$lh9@news1.shell> Organization: Portal Communications Company -- 408/973-9111 (voice) 408/973-8091 (data) Subject: Re: Molded fittings Michael Graves (mgraves@leadingedg.win.net) wrote: : Molded fittings would seen to have revolutionised the business of : making sport kites, but based on my own experience I seriously : wonder about this. It seems to me that the vast majority of the : fittings offered are less than optimal, a poor fit, the wrong type : of material, or otherwise flawed. : I'm not sure that they are worth the expense, but they seem to have : become a key point in selling high quality kites. Is it no longer : acceptable to use well made traditional vinyl fittings? Or would : you rather see a poorly fitting molded piece on your next kite? I like the molded fittings. The manufacture (and wholesaler) need to do good product testing before selling them. Fittings may cost alittle more than vinyl, but they cut the cost of labor. I can frame a kite much quicker if I use molded fittings, than when I have to make vinyl fittings. I have also found that if you take care of your kites, i.e. always removing all spars from the fittings, rather than removing only one side and bending the fittings, that they last a very long time, longer than vinyl. Vinyl tends to stretch out after a few years, and the spars don't fit tight any more. Rich ========================================================================== Richard & Kim Cornwell skyvis@shell.portal.com Sky Vision Kites http://www.portal.com/~skyvis 415-112 No. Mary Av. Suite 111, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 733-9313 The 8' Flash Point's are now here...check out the Flash Fire. ========================================================================== = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 14:13:49 -1000 From: steveth@mindnet.com (Steve R. Thomas) Message-Id: <3u717o$l72@news1.best.com> Organization: NetMind Media Subject: Re: Molded fittings mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) wrote: >Molded fittings would seen to have revolutionised the business of >making sport kites, but based on my own experience I seriously >wonder about this. It seems to me that the vast majority of the >fittings offered are less than optimal, a poor fit, the wrong type >of material, or otherwise flawed. >I'm not sure that they are worth the expense, but they seem to have >become a key point in selling high quality kites. Is it no longer >acceptable to use well made traditional vinyl fittings? Or would >you rather see a poorly fitting molded piece on your next kite? Buena Vista Kite Company has been experimenting with molded fittings for a long time, and hasn't found one that fits the following categories: - Stiff. Made out of a stiff material. BV considers vinal stiffness to be very important. - Strong. Once Peter Werba showed me these really cool looking new fittings by [some company]; I said, "wow, cool new fittings"; he proceded to take the vinal (which was attached to a leading edge) and give it two twists--and the vinal was now in two pieces. Lot of companies used those fittings at the time, too. - Fits the rod well. Often, companies come out with vinals for thier rod, but as we all know, technology moves fast, and it's hard to stay with just one rod for very long. A fit should be tight as possible at first, and then loosen up just a bit. Note that others have different opinions about how tight fittings should be... As such, BV still uses a special tubing (some sort of special high-pressure stuff or something like that...) for the leading edge fittings (the tee-piece is machined UHMW). As such, I wouldn't say that BV uses a "traditional" vinal tubing... So far, nothing in the custom molded department has come about, and BV has, as always, has chosen performance over estetics. However, I've heard there might be some new developments in this department, and the issue might finally be resolved... Until then, I'll stick with my tubes... ____________ Steve Thomas steveth@mindnet.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 14:48:08 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <3ucc08$cag@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Molded fittings In article <2121@leadingedg.win.net>, mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) writes: >Molded fittings would seen to have revolutionised the business of >making sport kites, but based on my own experience I seriously >wonder about this. It seems to me that the vast majority of the >fittings offered are less than optimal, a poor fit, the wrong type >of material, or otherwise flawed. > >I'm not sure that they are worth the expense, but they seem to have >become a key point in selling high quality kites. Is it no longer >acceptable to use well made traditional vinyl fittings? Or would >you rather see a poorly fitting molded piece on your next kite? > >Michael Graves We have tried all kinds here at Jordan Air, but as others have noted, things change. Not to mention the weight. We use a high tech type of tubing which is not vinyl, very tough stuff. Weighs next to nothing, is stiff and grabs the rods like crazy and does not seem to mind having the rods left in. We spray silicon on the rod tips if we plan to remove them. aoxomoxoa = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =