denbecr

This works best with large ocean reels that have a level wind feature.

I understand how "subpar" can be misunderstood. I'm sure you meant it to mean "excellent". The special effects ARE excellent. https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar

Great instructables. Small correction needed. "Sub-par may seem to mean above average if thinking of a low (good) score in golf, but it actually means the opposite: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subparI'm sure you meant to say the special effects are excellent.

Right. 20 inch wheels are a great deal stronger when side loaded than larger sizes; lighter and lower too.

Copy a carburetor's needle jet to make this into a cooking & game timer.

Air compresses to easily to resist a kink and does not expand enough with heat to make up for it. Pressurizing it with a compressor in addition to heating it would work but hot sand is much more manageable.

Very well done instructable. Has it occurred to you that this design could be easily modified to become a siren? A siren would be a good candidate for hand cranking.

With very little modification this could be a siren. A hand cranked version with pulleys and a rubber band would be fun.

With a little alteration this could be a siren.

What is the purpose of the two shorter dowels? These usually are made with just the handle dowels.

Very entertaining instructable. I once got 3 long, narrow triangles of red, white and blue ripstop from a sailmaker's scrap bin and made a spiral tail like yours. It had an 8 in. opening and a 1 inch trailing opening so it inflated well but didn't spin til I cut 3 slightly cupped blade shapes from the shoulder of a gallon milk jug, pierced 2 holes in each and threaded them on the bridle lines. The taper caused the spiral effect to tighten and 'travel' more slowly toward the far end, reminiscent of jet or rocket exhaust. I liked the effect. I added a more conventional flat strip tail to keep the end of the spiral from flopping around. The inflated part was about 15 - 20 ft. long. This tail was used mostly on a red 84 in. delta conyne single line kite. I had the same problem with cr...

Very entertaining instructable. I once got 3 long, narrow triangles of red, white and blue ripstop from a sailmaker's scrap bin and made a spiral tail like yours. It had an 8 in. opening and a 1 inch trailing opening so it inflated well but didn't spin til I cut 3 slightly cupped blade shapes from the shoulder of a gallon milk jug, pierced 2 holes in each and threaded them on the bridle lines. The taper caused the spiral effect to tighten and 'travel' more slowly toward the far end, reminiscent of jet or rocket exhaust. I liked the effect. I added a more conventional flat strip tail to keep the end of the spiral from flopping around. The inflated part was about 15 - 20 ft. long. This tail was used mostly on a red 84 in. delta conyne single line kite. I had the same problem with creases from folding interfering with initial inflation. You came up with a clever remedy for that. I may still have mine somewhere. I've been making kite stuff for 35 years. Time for an inventory. I'm near Kankakee. We may have crossed paths at a kite festival. I recently joined I.K.E.

This can be approximated with plastic garbage bags, thin clear painters tarps, Walmart type plastic bags, leaf bags etc. Overlap or align plastic for seams to be welded with a small soldering iron n a flat surface. Place clear wax paper over the area you weld to keep the soldering iron from tearing the plastic. It takes minor practice on scraps to make good continuous strong seams. I made small tubes off the 'to be inflated' areas, just big enough to insert a drinking straw for inflation by mouth. For permanent inflation pinch the tube to keep air in, then roll the tube over a dowel to keep it in while you press a straight edge on the tube just above where you seal it with the soldering iron. Let it cool for a few seconds before you lift the straight edge. You can tie off the exce...

This can be approximated with plastic garbage bags, thin clear painters tarps, Walmart type plastic bags, leaf bags etc. Overlap or align plastic for seams to be welded with a small soldering iron n a flat surface. Place clear wax paper over the area you weld to keep the soldering iron from tearing the plastic. It takes minor practice on scraps to make good continuous strong seams. I made small tubes off the 'to be inflated' areas, just big enough to insert a drinking straw for inflation by mouth. For permanent inflation pinch the tube to keep air in, then roll the tube over a dowel to keep it in while you press a straight edge on the tube just above where you seal it with the soldering iron. Let it cool for a few seconds before you lift the straight edge. You can tie off the excess tube instead. Use the excess as a place to tie tails, spreaders etc. if you plan ahead. My first such kite was an approximately 18 inch tall ventless sled from a dry cleaner's bag. The 2 spars were about 3 in. wide when flat and needed very little inflation pressure to fly just fine. It was the lightest wind flyer I ever saw. It would drift nearly horizontally with only the slightest tension on the button thread I used for flying line. When fully reeled out, it climbed quickly to a good angle and flew just as well as any sled. The welding process scales up well. Play with it a little on scraps of various types and thickness to get an intuitive feel for what you can do.

There is much more fun to be had with the heads you cut off.