Bamboo kite making info?

[CaroleMeckes]

From: Darrel DeBoer June 15, 2001

Does anyone have references to bamboo kites?
Some students at Humbolt StateUniv. in Northern California want to know:
Quote:
I am also working on a project to make a kite that will fly to 1,000 feet and hoist a wire to that height to test the draw we can get from the earths magnetosphere. The kite will be out of bamboo, do you know of any designs/designers?
Arron
--------------
From: CaroleMeckes June 15, 2001

>Here is an old (1997) archived message I saved on my computer re kites. This is an email from Terry Crumper:

KiteMakers' Bill Lockhart & Betty Street, put on a Kite Retreat once a year where Master Kite Makers from around the world come and teach those of us that are fortunate enough to make it there.

That is where I met Satoshi Hashimoto, A Master Kitemaker from Japan, who Honored me when he took me aside and gave me private instruction in bamboo splitting.
I also met Mohd Nasir from Malaysia, who was there with his stunt kite team, after showing them some new manuvers and tricks, I gave them a gift of a set of stunt kites I had made not knowing who they were at the time.
Later I was invited to their room where Nash informed me that he had heard of my desire to learn about splitting and shaping of bamboo, he sat me down and commenced to teaching me the Malaysain way of splitting bamboo. Six hours later he gave me a gift of a hand pounded splitting Knife with a beautiful handturned handle, a Piece of Art in itself.
This was a great trip.
T C
-------------------
From: Derick Calderon June 15, 2001

In Guatemala there are no Master kite builders per se but the Indians of Sacatepequez every year have an event at which they fly kites made of bambu and paper
The smallest ones are 20 feet in diameter. The event takes a morning in November when there is enough wind.

Cordially
Derick Calderon
Guatemala

[robert]

Split bamboo is great for some applications in kites, I have used it in many, but you must be prepared to spend a lot of time and care dealing with the taper and nodes with a razor sharp blade.The most basic trick to splitting any material is to always divide in the center and pull on the wider piece to control the direction of the divide. Stated another way, the split will run towards the side you pull on.
My preference is to leave the "skin" (technical term for this, anyone?)surface on the spar, in the belief that it adds strength.
Mark the midpoints of transverse strips so you can check balance. Carpet thread lashings with a drop of glue work well for holding members together, and also prevent splitting at notches.
A badly formed kite will require more tail than one more perfect in its symmetry.
I think I can speak for the list in saying that we are always interested in how peoples projects turn out, so keep us posted.

[greg kono]

KiteMakers' Bill Lockhart & Betty Street, put on a Kite Retreat once a year where Master Kite Makers from around the world come and teach those of us that are fortunate enough to make it there.

I noticed bill and Betty's kite collection is now online at The Drachen Foundation's Website. The images are low res, but still quite an impressive collection.
http://www.drachen.org/archive_streetlockhart.html

[greg kono]

Dan Kurahashi published a book called; Japanese Kites: Concepts and Construction.

from KiteLines Bookstore:
One of the better self-published kite books, with detailed, knowledgeable contents. Shows techniques for working with bamboo plus plans for 6 traditional Japanese kites and 6 Western kites. Includes sections on trains, mini kites and figure kites. Softcover, 74 pp., 8-1/2" x 11", $14.95.

He usually teaches a workshop every year at Fort Warden Kite Making Retreat in WA.

[greg kono]

Drachen Foundation Library Online

Among the world of research, a collector’s library is one of the most important tools of scholarship. The Drachen Foundation is no different in their support of kite research, and has collected books on kites and those that mention kites since it has incorporated.

From our first volume, we have combed continents and closets to collect publications that reference kites. We have made their home in our Study Center, housing over 1200 volumes.

For the first time, we make our collection available to the public’s eye. The listing is comprehensively international, and as more are added to the collection and catalogued, updates will be made.

Note that our collection covers publications 100 years old to the present, representing many countries and languages and many areas of interest about kites. Kite references will be found in aviation, history, art, culture, science, recreation and literature.

Although these books are not for lending, we are more than happy to copy anything you find interesting and for personal research, not for commercial use. Research can be posted for a small service charge. We charge $2.00 USD per page ($10.00 minimum) or $25.00 USD per hour, whichever is less, plus the cost of mailing.

Please, take a visual search through our library. (http://drachen.pastperfect-online.com/32033cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks)

I just did a quick search through their library on bamboo and over 50 entries popped up.

[CaroleMeckes]

I working on learning a new skill - so now I am trying to make bamboo kite spars. I've got lots of split bamboo to work with.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/Making-Bamboo-Kite-Spars-DSCN3466.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1760)
I used a froe and mallet to split the bamboo and then used a combination of knives, the froe and a rasp.

It is pretty tricky work and I know that the pieces need to be about 1/4 wide to work best. One of them came out pretty thin and nearer to perfect but the other ones are wider than they should be and I was hesitant to try to split them further - not being very skilled at this yet so I thought I would just keep on making some more to gain experience.

The spar needs to be quite thin and flexible and I have to remove much of the inside part of the bamboo.

I am involved in a Bamboo Kite Making Workshop in July at the Blanton Museum of Art (http://blantonmuseum.org/index.cfm) in Austin, TX - which is why I am working on this new project.

Any tips would be appreciated....

Carole

[greg kono]

Hi Carole,
It looks like you're off to a good start! The best tip i can think of is to get lots of practice. You can always save the thinner strips for smaller kites. A 1/4" wide x 3/32" thickness should be a good size for kites around 24" x 36" depending on what style of kite you plan on building.

You probably can do most of the work with just the froe. Keeping the blade razor sharp is helpful for getting the split started. Some people clamp the froe in vise so they can have both hands free to guide the bamboo. You could also try using a block plane instead of the rasp to remove material quickly.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

[CaroleMeckes]

Thanks Greg,
Here's some tips I found searching the web:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1911/chinese.htm
The biggest problem when working with bamboo is, of course, splitting it into thin, straight strips of consistent width - assuming you've been able to procure decent bamboo in the first place (it should be straight, healthy and dry; knots as far apart as possible). Here are some suggestions I've received; I haven't tried them all, so there's no guarantee as to their usefulness:

Always split down the middle, producing strips of equal widths.
Don't cut the bamboo, just force it apart. I find I obtain the best results by manually pulling apart the halves after initiating the split with a knife.
Before using a knife to split from top to bottom, split the knots using a hammer and appropriate wood-working tool.
Remove the inner skin before splitting. In fact, when splitting very thin spars I first pare them down to the desired final thickness and then split.
The thickest canes don't necessarily produce the best spars. I'm currently using a 12cm diameter cane and I find the wall thickness makes it harder to split it evenly. It's also a lot of work to remove the excess material. Next time I think I'll select a medium diameter of maybe 5cm.
"Tonkin" cane is said to be a superior type of bamboo: straighter and stronger.
Carole

[greg kono]

A friend recently gave me this hacking knife to try out. I like it so far. The blade isn't long enough to spit a whole bamboo, but they are about half the price of most froes.

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/assorted/28k0260s3.jpg

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=54870&cat=1,51222&ap=1

[CaroleMeckes]

I wonder why they are using a hammer instead of a rubber mallet
http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/516/thumbs/1MVC-878F.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=867)
seems like the hammer would get damaged quickly used for the purpose of "pounding"
Carole

[CaroleMeckes]

I've been busy making bamboo kite spars. I've made about 140 so far. They are not all the same size and certainly are not at all 'perfect' - but I am getting plenty of practice.

I've been using the froe more.

I'm starting with pieces that have already split open naturally.
I cut the piece about 40 inches long. (it is easier for me to split a 40 inch piece than a piece that is longer)
I take a rebar and break out the nodes and then I use the bamboo splitter (x8) and get 8 pieces.
And then I sit down in front of a fan because it is 100 degrees outside and start to trim the pieces down.

Sometimes, I clamp the piece to the worktable and use a chisel and mallet and break the bamboo at the nodes, so that I can further split the piece into thinner strips.

My next step is to put together a "mock up" using paper that is 11" x 14". That way I will know exactly what size the bamboo pieces need to be and then I will re-survey all the pieces that I made so far and cut them down to the proper size.

The ground where I am working is full of "bamboo shavings" - I will have to take a picture of all the shavings.

I've been wearing leather gloves and goggles to protect my eyes from flying chips. My thumbs are a bit sore from this, but it has been a fun project.

Carole

[CaroleMeckes]

Here are some pictures of the work area and the bamboo shavings on the ground. The picture of the froe shows a thin piece clamped down to the table and I am shaving off the inside of the bamboo with the froe to make a thin flexible kite spar. The mallet and the chisel are just lying on the table in this picture. A lot of the pieces that I made previously are too thick and I am now in the process of splitting them down more and thinning them out.
Carole

[CaroleMeckes]

I loaded these pics at The Kite Making Gallery (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showgallery.php?cat=556):

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/positioning_chiselDSCN3503.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1789) 1. Positioning chisel on the node to split the piece in half. If you don't split the node first - the piece does not separate well.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/spiltwithchiselDSCN3505.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1788) 2. After tapping on the chisel with a rubber mallet the node is split.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/openingSplitDSCN3506.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1787) 3. Separating the 2 parts using a knife.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/openingDSCN3507.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1786) 4. Working the knife to separate the bamboo into 2 pieces.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/2piecesDSCN3508.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1785) 2 pieces

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/shavingKiteSparDSCN3509.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1784) a bamboo curl created while using the froe to thin out the inside of the bamboo

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/usingFroeDSCN3510.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1783) Here is the froe resting in my lap.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/thinandflexibleDSCN3513.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1782) A thin and flexible piece of bamboo.

Carole

[greg kono]

Nice job Carole! It looks like you've been busy. What kind of kite are you planning on making?

Here are a few videos on making bamboo fighter kite spines and bows by Bruce Lambert:
http://www.youtube.com/user/br8080

[CaroleMeckes]

Hello Greg,
We will be making a kite very similar to the Toki Kaku Dako Kit (http://www.drachenstore.easystorecreator.net/items/diy-kite-kits-and-materials/toki-kaku-dako-kit-e007a-detail.htm) that you made when you were in Austin at the 15th Annual Texas Bamboo Festival, August 2007 (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showgallery.php?cat=557).

I ordered a kit from the Drachen Foundation (http://www.drachen.org/) so that I would have a model to go by. We will be using paper instead of washi paper and the size of the paper is 11" x 14" so I have calculated that I will need a 13" bow,a 16" vertical spar and 2 crossbars that are 19" long.

Thanks for sending the video links - I enjoyed watching the videos on making spars - sort of a different approach than the way I have been working - but still very similar.

Here is my "test piece" so far...
Carole

[greg kono]

I've done a simplified version for children with matchstick bamboo, 20lb 11" x 17" bond paper and scotch tape instead of glue. It does okay with lots of tail. I use about 4' - 8' surveyors tape on each bottom corner. Using Washi instead of bond paper will make a big difference, but is much more expensive.

The top bow and diagonal spars are critical and will affect the performance greatly if not shaped properly. A larger version of the kite is actually easier to make and gives you a little more leeway.

[CaroleMeckes]

Hi Greg,
I have some round 13 inch "bamboo skewers" that could serve as the top bow - except that they are a bit stiffer than the thinner strips. One advantage I see with using the skewers is that they are "symetrical".

What do you think about using the skewers as the top bow?

I am starting a collection of 13 and 16 inchers as I trim and access the 19 inchers.

Some of my pieces seem to end up like "matchsticks" :o
Carole

[greg kono]

The skewers might work, but they usually don't have any skin left on them and some tend to break more easily. They also tend to be too heavy and stiff for the lengths they come in. It's a balancing act to get enough flex and remove weight yet keeping the bow strong enough to prevent it from breaking too easily.

For the kids workshops I teach the bow is usually the weakest part and I always carry lots of spares for field repairs.

[CaroleMeckes]

Hi Greg,
Here are the instructions I've been following:

I am using paper that is 11" x 14" so I have to readjust the sizing and the length of the bridle...

I can't figure out how to do the bridle as they describe here - so I tried the method from the Toki Kaku Dako Kit where the bridle is attached 3 inches from the top and 5.5 inches from the bottom and that seems to work fine.

See page 36 (http://www.mines.edu/research/k12-partnership/students/mattsilbernagel/documents/Kite_Building_Guide.pdf)
Japanese Children's Kite Plan
WIND: Light to Moderate (4mph to 18mph)
LINE: Button hole thread
SAIL: (1) 12" x 16-1/2" lightweight wrapping or tissue paper
(7) 1" x 1" reinforcing patches
SPARS: (1) 16" match-stick bamboo (spine)
(1) 13" match-stick bamboo (spreader)
(1) 16" flying line (spreader bow line)
(2) 20-1/2" match-stick bamboo (cross spars)
BRIDLE: (1) 35" flying line (upper leg)
(1) 18" flying line (lower leg)
TAIL: (4) 3/4" x 7' crepe paper strips
TAPE/GLUE: White glue
METHOD:
1. Fold sail in half widthwise to find center.
2. Snip a small hole for the center bridle point. Unfold sail.
3. Place the spreader at the top edge of the kite. It should extend 1/2" on either side of the sail. Fold 1/2" flap
and glue spreader to sail under flap.
4. Glue spine and cross spars to sail.
5. Glue tails onto kite.
6. When the glue on the spreader is dry, attach a bow line to the ends and bow the spreader 1-1/2" deep.
7. Attach reinforcing patches as shown.
8. Attach bridle as shown. Circles indicate bridle attachment points.
(note: they only show a picture of how to attach the bridal - but do not give written directions)

You are right about the skewers - I tried using one as the vertical spar and that seems to work ok - but it is not as flexible as the bamboo spars.

I've been using the froe and clamping the bamboo down to the work table seems to work best for me to remove the (I'm not sure what to call it) pulpy layer inside the bamboo.

Carole

[greg kono]

There are a few options for bridling that kite. The simplest is a 1 point bridle about 1/3 from the top. It's not as stable as the 2 or 3 point bridle and doesn't allow for any adjustments.

A good knot to use is a prusik knot, which is easy to loosen and tighten for making fine adjustments to the bridle points.
http://www.marinews.com/Prusik-Knot-516.php

I like using a 3 point bridle for most kites, with a prusik knot to adjust left/right balance and another prusik knot for the up and down angle (angle of attack).

[CaroleMeckes]

so the bridle in the instructions quoted is a 3 point bridle?
(I don't know much about kite bridles)
Carole

[greg kono]

Yes and bigger kites usually require more bridles. Here is some info on Edo style kite bridles from Mikio Toki's website. The long bridles help stabilize the kite by creating drag and eliminate the need for tails.
http://homepage1.nifty.com/mikiotoki/eng.edokaku.htm
Edo-kite is usually flown with long bridle lines and a long hummer. The length of the bridle lines are almost 20 times ( or more ) as long as the height of the kite. I usually put 14 or 17 bridle lines on it, and fly them with no tail. If the kite is big ( more than 2m hight ), I will put 29 or 37 bridle lines, because the frame is different from small Edo-Kites. In old time, there were people who flew Edo-Kites with short bridle lines and long tails.
http://homepage1.nifty.com/mikiotoki/hannyaitome.jpg

[CaroleMeckes]

Here are the finished bamboo kite spars ready for the workshop:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/556/thumbs/kitesparsreadyDSCN3534.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1792)
Carole

ps (I'm glad that now I can move on to other projects) :)

[friendshape]

yes i know and i experience those bamboo kites we know how to make it..they look lovely in the wind, this is kites compose of bamboo and some plastic materials...

i know this things

friendshape glenda, you can contact me if you like to order

[Hitch]

Do you all know if there are any bamboo kite workshops scheduled for 2009 yet? My travel options are pretty open. I currently live in northern Florida. I've made bamboo kites for years, but using a variety of woodworking tools rather than splitting with a knife. Need to unlearn some of these habits.

[greg kono]

I'll be teaching at the Maryland Kite Society Retreat on Feb 13 - 16
http://www.mdkites.org/

I'll also be at the Fort Worden Kite Makers Retreat on March 26 - 29. Nobuhiko Yoshizumi from Japan will also be at Fort Worden.
http://www.kitemakers.org/

I first met Yoshizumi 8 or 9 years ago. He was giving a demonstration at the Seattle Children's Museum. I was blown away watching him build a miniature kite, pluck a blonde girls fine hair, attach it to the kite and proceed to fly it around the room. He also built several of the kites in the book Pictures for the Sky by Paul Eubel. One of my favorite art kite books.