Loxley
A Force-of-Nature **  
Member #: 1919 Posts 382
Registered: 26-5-2006 Member Is Offline Mood: all I need is everything...
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 08:12 |
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Leading Edge Bladder Repair Advice....
Hi all,
Not sure what happened but my 12m Aero2 was happily pumped up on Saturday and say waiting on the beach for half an hour.
Laid out my lines, fixed everything up, got a launch from Nick and as he picked it up it was obvious the air was leaking.
I have learned that there are some sharp pointy shells at black rock and guess one of them has punctured. Anyway, long story short....
how do i get the bladder repaired ? can anyone recommend someone who does it and how much ?
Any advice would be appreciated other than 'buy a new kite' ! LOL
Mind you, bit silly now, but thinking about it, I didnt actually check that I had the valve sealed ?!?!? Anyway, repair advice please
.....
Mark
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dunk
A Force-of-Nature *** 
Member #: 570 Posts 606
Registered: 2-3-2004 Member Is Offline Mood: Spaced out
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 09:32 |
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Dude,
Fix it your self, tie a line to the end of the bladder and pull the bladder out. Then fix it as you would a bike puncture. if you have
no patches, the leach ones for bike tyres are ok. If its leaking on the seam, use wetuit glue.
Pull the line to get the bladder back in, being carefull not to twist it, make sure its dry baby powder helps too.
Later
Dunk
KITE / SAIL REPAIRS
http://www.jonnieeisler.com
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Jonny
A Force-of-Nature ** 
Member #: 394 Posts 308
Registered: 6-10-2003 Location: North West Member Is Offline Mood: waitin for the next blow!
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 11:48 |
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Jsut to carry on with the theme of bladders.
I managed to pop mine over the weekend at Borth. It ruptured the leading edge of my kite and poped out like a baloon when I came to
land it at the edge of the window. I pulled the safety and then the kite rubbed against the sand and popped. The bladders a right of as
its a huge laceration about a foot long so no puncture repair kits gonna fix that.
I dont know much about bladder, types, costs etc. as its my first pop so was jus wantin some advice on where to get a leading edge
bladder from and how much they cost?
My kites an old Cabrinha C02 so are they all standard size bladders are or are they specialised to each manufacture of kite?
Jonny
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Loxley
A Force-of-Nature **
Member #: 1919 Posts 382
Registered: 26-5-2006 Member Is Offline Mood: all I need is everything...
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 12:32 |
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burst main line ...
Hi jonny,
well maybe not much use now but in egypt last year my mates main strut burst the bladder and the seam and the rip was nearly from top
to bottom. Ok, he didnt burst it, but i over inflated it with the compressed air line and then left it in the sun too long !
anyway the local kite mender stitched it up no probs !
so your kite may not be a complete write off.
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Kitefish
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Member #: 945 Posts 299
Registered: 31-8-2004 Location: Shrewsbury Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 13:14 |
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Jonny
Look at the above link on Dunks post - Cygnus sails.
They will do a good repair and you shouldn't have much of problem finding a bladder on the net. If you look in Kiteworld you will also
see an advert for main bladders that fit any kite (you position and stick down the valves where required) I did see these advertised on
ebay and fairly cheaply (about £20).
Mark
As dunk says open up the velcro fastening at the each end of your leading edge, attached a strong good length of string , push your
valves in and pull the bladder out at one end pulling the string in as you go. Then inflate the bladder and locate puncture as you
would with a bike innner tube, then repair the puncture like an inner tube. once repaired and your ready to pull back into the leading
do as Dunk mentioned, make sure that everything is very dry and heavily talc the bladder first, also before pulling the bladder in
check the puncture site on the leading edge (the pucture item eg thorn could still be there- caught me out once). Then gently pull the
bladder in using the string, to avoid twisting it is best if two people do this job one pulling and the other feeding in. Take your
time doing it, rush and you will stretch or damage the bladder.
There easy- even I have done it, but I rushed and did not talc ended up repairing the bladder three times.
Cheers Fish <><
[Edited on 24-10-2006 by Kitefish]
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Jonny
A Force-of-Nature **
Member #: 394 Posts 308
Registered: 6-10-2003 Location: North West Member Is Offline Mood: waitin for the next blow!
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 20:35 |
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Cheers for the advice guys.
The kites far from a rightoff, the rupture in the middle of the leading edge can be repaired with a sowing machine back and forth a few
times as it was on the seam.
Just need a new leading edge bladder preferbly for the weekend.
Jonny
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Jonny
A Force-of-Nature **
Member #: 394 Posts 308
Registered: 6-10-2003 Location: North West Member Is Offline Mood: waitin for the next blow!
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| posted on 24-10-2006 at 20:46 |
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Cheers for the advice guys.
The kites far from a rightoff, the rupture in the middle of the leading edge can be repaired with a sowing machine back and forth a few
times as it was on the seam.
Just need a new leading edge bladder preferbly for the weekend.
Jonny
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Loxley
A Force-of-Nature **
Member #: 1919 Posts 382
Registered: 26-5-2006 Member Is Offline Mood: all I need is everything...
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| posted on 25-10-2006 at 08:02 |
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great info lads, may not have time to fix it before the weekend but will try next week.
the annoying thing is that It was the first time i had used the kite this year !
Mark
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