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Making Spectra/Dyneema line "slick" again


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I pretty much did the same as Denny except I did 2 lines at a time, the stuff is really thick take a little time to soak the corner of a cloth.

I concentrated mainly from about 5ft from either end and really worked it in toward the middle where most of the wear occurs.

I would suggest flying for awhile after it helps it dry somewhat and wash your hands before grabbing the handles, that stuff is slippery and doesn't come off easily.

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Now you guy's been using this stuff for almost a year now is it still as good, as it first seemed

It all depends on what you put your lines through that will determine how long it lasts.

Example I used the sewers aid on my 50' set which is what I use the most, now I fly mostly on a grass field maybe 30 ft from the ocean tops and they have lasted quite well.

I would say its about time for another application that will maybe get me to early summer when I'll most likely replace the set anyhow.

I would think things like many twists from spins, flying on sand, water play would lessen the time between applications but I can say I'm a hard flyer and i beat my kites like I stole em and this stuff has lengthened my time before line replacement quite a bit.

I believe this set is 3 years old now and in the warmer months I do fly for hours daily so that is a good testament IMHO.

It's not a cure all or a miracle but for $6 for a small bottle it will prolong the life of your lines to make it worth the effort to apply.

Now that being said dirt, sand, sticks and cement park benches make for hell on a line set, dirty lines should be rinsed in fresh water because if it gets embedded that will shred your lines internally and there is no hope or fix for that.

Hope that helps somewhat.

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Now you guy's been using this stuff for almost a year now is it still as good, as it first seemed

Lots of flying time later, I see it this way:

Drano = NO!

Armor-All = no

Sewers Aid = Yes

Best yet, New lines. (If i was making money at this I would get a new set each year)

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Sewer cleaner has been ordered based on those recommendations. Anything that improves line life has to be a good idea.

BTW FortFlyer hope you are getting better at spins now - I saw Fraser at the Dunstable weekend and he seemed to have spinning off to a Tee. In fact it seemed spinning was all he could do - hovering, going in straight lines and not hitting the ground were all more problematic (although I am not in a great position to throw stones)! Maybe his lines were making him loose control a bit (Rubbing chin).

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Sewer cleaner has been ordered based on those recommendations. Anything that improves line life has to be a good idea.

BTW FortFlyer hope you are getting better at spins now - I saw Fraser at the Dunstable weekend and he seemed to have spinning off to a Tee. In fact it seemed spinning was all he could do - hovering, going in straight lines and not hitting the ground were all more problematic (although I am not in a great position to throw stones)! Maybe his lines were making him loose control a bit (Rubbing chin).

great another cheeky git :kid_brooding: lol

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I have been using "3-In-One" "professional" Silicone spray lubricant on my lines for some while now, works well, just spray on to line when its on the winder.

It has made a lot of difference to how the lines handle when setting up and how many more turns they will take without binding.

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I use pure silicone lubricant spray, found the the auto parts department of many hardware stores.

Stake one end, take the handles off and 'milk' each line by walking the length of the line while pinching it between a finger and thumbnail, to take any twists out of the lines.

Then saturate a clean rag with the silicone spray and walk the lines again, re-applying the silicone as needed.

Let them dry a while before winding up again.

It doesn't work miracles on old 'beach' lines, but the last time I did it the lines would start to squawk and bind with 3 or 4 wraps and after treatment they were good for around a dozen wraps before starting to bind.

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Has anyone hotwaxed their lines with parafin. I have done this with spectra fishing line that I use for fighter kites for a number of years. I have flown against guys using cotton and have not been cut. I have less tangles than the other fliers not waxing their spectra. I talked to a rep for Berkley and he said that the coating wears off after time on fishing line. So waxing helps keep it slick and gives it that little stffness to keep from tangleing. Also it is not liquid to grab sand and other junk.

Just my 2 pennies.

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Intresting,

John Mitchell gave some advice recently.One thats similar to yours.BEES WAX.If its good enough for JM,Its certainly worth looking at.

Now to catch a few Bees.

BRIAN... :wacko:

McLube is just about the slippiest stuff I've ever come across... used everywhere on boats and is super easy to apply ... works for me!

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Intresting,

John Mitchell gave some advice recently.One thats similar to yours.BEES WAX.If its good enough for JM,Its certainly worth looking at.

Now to catch a few Bees.

BRIAN... :wacko:

If you want some I'll sort you out I used to use it on my Dry suit zip

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Don't use Bees Wax or a candle (most candles have bees wax in it). It is sticky(picks up sand) and you may make 3 or 4 wraps before you can't do any more. Use parafin the type they sell for canning in grocery stores. If you are going to use wax.

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I put mine in the washer and the in the dryer. The I give it to my wife to untangle... :devil:

:lol: theres a funny thought. My wifes bored sometimes. B)

Whats funny really is that in thinking about it, I've never washed my lines. Never waxed them either.

Guess maybe all the rain I fly in keeps everything clean. ;)

Normally fairly good at keeping the sail clean while your at it. A VERY light amount of dish soap on your hands as you unwind your lines will slick them up for the time your flying. Only do it on a rainy day when you know you'll be flying for an hour or more and hang the sail when you get home along with the rods stood on end in a corner somewhere. After 10 plus years I recently bought an actual quad line set of 90#. I've been woodling my dual line sets down into quad sets. :blushing: Kite and line up keep isn't rocket science. Ok, maybe I've just had some really good luck. Just a thought.

Dean :huh:

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23 hours ago, 976herget said:

I would think that Armor-All would collect dirt and dust. I would look for some type of dry lubricant. Maybe baby powder or something along that line.

The armor all and the talcum powder will both accumulate dust and dirt, and the talcum will probably cause the lines to bind sooner. It's meant to ease the friction caused on skin by cloth. If you use any kind of lubricant on your lines I would recommend a silicon or teflon spray with a medium that will completely evaporate quickly. The best way to keep your lines slippery is to wash them occasionally. I usually put the winder with the line well secured to it in a cotton drawstring bag in with the laundry when I do underwear, and don't use any softener. When the wash is done I put the line in for an additional rinse by itself.

Once the lines get fuzzy from wear there isn't much you can do to keep them from binding. That's when you cut them down to shorter lines. The fuzziness shows up in the area where the lines cross most often and about 5 feet to either side.

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