|
The cover may be decorated at this stage. A bright bold design looks most effective. Small details are useless. A pleasing design is illustrated in Chapter 7 under the heading 'Accessories'. It is advisable to produce the design on a separate piece of paper if a paper cover is used, and then glue it in place. One of the proprietary brands of lacquer goes well on paper and is easy to apply. If a cloth cover is used, then either a paper pattern may be glued on, as above, or the design may be painted on direct, using fabric painting oil colours.
Apply glue to the backbone and the crossbar and lay the cover in place. If it is a paper cover, apply glue to the outer half of the margin, fold over the bracing strings and fasten down. A cloth cover is sewn down. Note that the cover is divided at the top by the prongs. Glue extra strips of material around these for strengthening.
The kite line is attached to the bridle by means of a bowline knot and a reef knot. The line is generally located a little way above the centre of gravity. To find this, place the kite by its backbone upon the end of a stick. The point at which the kite balances is the centre of gravity.
A tail is fitted which is about 7 ft. in length. Two tassels may be suspended on strings from the ends of the crossbars. The ends of the framework should be protected by strips of insulating tape.
It may be said, by way of general comment, that this kite is of the traditional style which is a great favourite because of its satisfactory performance. To achieve the latter, however, it may be found necessary to make certain adjustments, such as altering the position of the line on the bridle, or increasing or decreasing the weight of the tail by adding or removing paper pieces.
|
