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Old 05-02-2011, 07:47 AM
 
362 posts, read 695,643 times
Reputation: 200

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About this same type of weather pattern of my youth brought out the kitemaking and flying them.
The farm ground was to thick to drink and to thin to plow so it was time off to enjoy some of lifes joys.
We always gathered a good supply of sticks in the fall that we worked smooth and about the same size from one end to the other. For small kites we used the brown paper bags fromn the grocery. You could color them or paint them any way you wished. For bigger kites we used news papers, both easy to glue the string in around the rim.
We also had a box kite or two most didn't survive the summer as the cotton kit string of the day would usally break allowing the kites to crash breaking sticks and tearing paper.

We made a good sized box kite we all liked. We had taken the front forks from a old tricycle from the frame removed the tire as a place for the string to wind to. The pedals made dandy cranks for retreaving the box kite, we had 300 yards of string hooked to that one.

The hay fields were the ideal place to fly a kite then. Close to home, open area with out a bunch of trees to worry about getting hung in or power lines.
What fun to lay in the sweet smelling grass watching the kites and clouds not to mention the Bob O Links swaying on slender stems of hay.

I'm getting a hankering to build a kite again. Maybe if it were to last long enough the grand kids and I could go to the horse farm and fly it. I am sure the owner would allow it and even enjoy watching the kids & ME.
Easy to make with a table saw to cut the shafts from one by, and a sheet of news paper. I have also seen thin nylon materal in boughten kites.

How Make a Kite: Fly Kites Making Plans Directions Home Made Build Plan

Homemade Kites - Some Yarns About And Photos Of The MBK Skewer Kites (http://www.my-best-kite.com/homemade-kites.html - broken link)

Kites


YouTube - How to make a home made kite with your kids


Last edited by alleyyooper; 05-02-2011 at 07:55 AM..
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Old 05-02-2011, 12:09 PM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,708 posts, read 79,764,742 times
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They often fly some awesome kits out at that hilltop park in New Hudson (A hill made of trash). there is one guy who is there almost every decent weekend, and quite a few other kite clup people join him. It is not only a great place to fly a kite, but great place to see some amazing kites and learn about them. They are always ready to talk about how to make kites, fly kites or buy kites or how they work (different kites work differently).
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Old 05-03-2011, 09:21 AM
 
528 posts, read 885,459 times
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Oh, fantastic idea, Al!

And I think you live too far north, but I've got 20+ acres of pasture, you're welcome here if you don't have a friend with pasture closer. I've got 10 acres wooded, should be able to find wood for sticks.

Kids and I are going to have to try that. You want good strong breeze, but not heavy winds, right? Been forever since I've flown a kite...
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Old 05-03-2011, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Ocqueoc, MI - Extreme N.E. Lower Peninsula
275 posts, read 441,638 times
Reputation: 277
We bought some nice kites a few years ago when we were down at the Outer Banks. I'm looking forward to trying them out along the shore of Lake Huron.
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Old 05-03-2011, 01:49 PM
 
362 posts, read 695,643 times
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idw2s, Thanks for the offer of the pasture to fly my kite in. I am really at least 3.5 hour trip south east of you. I still have the farm in Evart but I am afraid there just isn't money for fuel to get there this year. We have even marked out the areas about 10 feet from the house that gets mowed (maybe) this year. thinking about asking the horse farm owner for a couple of his horses to mow the rest of the yard. People we bought the place from used to pasture the front and back yards.

With the delta 2 stick kites about any breeze will allow them to fly. The stronger the breeze the longer the tail needs to be we found as kids. I'm sure some of the old tricks will return/come to mind.

Al
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