| Kitefix Mini Kit$28.99 | Glufix 1oz tube $12.98 |
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| Kitefix RipStop Refill Kit$22.99 | KiteFix Self Adhesive Dacron Tape $8.99 Red, Blue, Black, White or Green |
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 Peel2Fix 3 pack |
Peel2Fix Valve repair System 3 Pack (This repair system allows you to re-attach your OEM valves to the bladder) |
 FiberFix 7 Color Pack |
FiberFix 7 Colors |
GluFix Thickness…How Much Is Enough?
I received a call the other day from a customer who had been riding in some pretty strong fall winds, had a problem and ended up releasing his kite and got pulled by a buddy 1/2 mile to shore. He found his kite parked against a fence with a 2 foot tear in the middle of the canopy (lucky for him it was only a 2 foot tear). Being an engineer he wanted to make sure that the tear was properly fixed so he dried his kite, cleaned the area, put some painters tape on the back of the tear to join the tear, and proceeded to put the FiberFix and GluFix. Being a bigger guy, he wanted to make sure that the tear would hold so by the time he was finished, he used the full 1 oz. tube of GluFix on his 2 foot repair. He thought the repair looked a bit thick so he gave me a call and told me his story.
I confirmed to him that it was probably too thick and realized that other people may have the same thought, which is why I wrote this blog. Essentially the GluFix needs to completely cover the FibeFix but without excess. The first image below shows the FiberFix without any GluFix. The second and third image shows the FiberFix with the proper amount of GlueFix. When applying the GluFix, use the applicator to apply a generous amount of GluFix to the FiberFix to ensure total coverage. Then, as a second step, run the applicator over the FiberFix a second time to remove the excess GluFix. When applied properly the GluFix should be dry to the touch in about 15-20 minutes.
As a guideline, a 1 oz. tube of GluFix should easily fix a 4 foot tear.
Stitch or KiteFix…You Decide
In early June we received an email from a KiteFix customer in the Boston area wondering whether our products could fix his 2007 Cabrinha Switchblade that he had trashed the season before. We knew we could fix it, but we thought it might be an interesting project to compare the cost and downtime you would experience given the various options out there.
Here are a couple of the pictures of the kite before it was fixed:
We sent the above pictures to the most popular sewing based kite repair shops in the country. We received estimates on how much it would cost and how long it would take. We then estimated shipping charges using Boston, Mass as our “From” shipping address. You can see the results below.
| Company | Estimate ($$ & Days) |
Shipping ($$ & Days) |
Total ($$ & Business Days) |
| Airtime | $325, 4 | $40, 3 (each way) | $405, 10 = 2 Weeks |
| WindFire Designs | $190, 3-5 | $40, 3 (each way) | $260, 13 = 2 1/2 Weeks |
| Company#3 | $500, N/A | $40, 3 (each way) | $540, 6-10 = 2 Weeks |
| KiteFix | $70, 1/2 Day | None | $70, 1/2 Day |
As you can see, a KiteFix solution is at least 3.5x times less expensive and 20x faster than sending your kite away to get fixed!
To repair this kite, we used 2 Ripstop Refill Kits, 1 GluFix, and one roll of Dacron. Total time working on the kite, including drying time, was about 1/2 day.
Here are a couple pictures of the kite after it was repaired:
We decided to write this post not to bash other companies, but rather to hit home the point that if you have “Do it yourself” tendencies, want to save money, and don’t want to miss sessions, than KiteFix is a fantastic solution for permanent, aesthetic kite repairs, even on the most damaged of kites.
Mark Rivers
Sales and Marketing Manager
Leading Edge Repair With FiberFix, GluFix and KiteFix Self-Adhesive Dacron
Have a tear or small hole in your leading edge? If you haven’t yet, you probably will. Most of us at some point have self landed our kites and had them drag on the sand, over rocks or across some sticks. Kite manufactures do a lot to build strength into this part of the kite because they know it gets abused. Even so, the leading edge is under so much pressure that it only takes a small object to cause major damage. Traditional methods of repairing this usually involve major time to open the leading edge and replace the tear. This entry will explain how to fix this problem quickly, professionally and permanently using FiberFix, GluFix and KiteFix Self-Adhesive Dacron.
- Apply KiteFix Self-Adhesive Dacron to the tear on the inside of the leading edge. Clean the inside of the tear using the alcohol swabs and then apply the Dacron accessing either via the tear itself, or via the leading edge zipper. This will provide strength from the inside and will also provide the backing for the next step.
2. Apply the FiberFix and GluFix to the outside of the leading edge. Again, clean the surface to ensure proper adhesion. Let dry to the touch (approximately 20 minutes).
3. Next, cut a strip of KiteFix Self-Adhesive Dacron to go over the FiberFix and GluFix. Round the edges of the patch and apply.
4. As a final step, seal the edges of the Dacron with the GluFix. Let it dry to the touch and you are ready to ride.
