Sleeving lines
Why we sleeve our lines.
Spectra lines must be sleeved when tying knots. Spectra line, although extremely strong, has a very low melting point and when tied in a knot the pressure will melt the lines. When a knot is tied in a line the breaking strength drops by up to 50%. Sleeving Spectra line will increase its knotted strength up to 50% of the line strength. This means you loose almost no line strength after sleeving.
Sleeving your lines.
Sleeving is a length of hollow braided Dacron put on the ends of the line before it's tied. You can purchase line sets pre-sleeved or get a sleeving kit and do it yourself. After you've stretched your lines and made them equal length you're ready to sleeve them. Sleeving kits come with simple instruction and a sleeving tool. Explained here are the basic steps for you:
- Begin by sleeving one end of each line. Be sure to put a different colour piece of sleeving on each line or use a felt pen to colour code the sleeves. Follow the instructions in the sleeving kit for applying the sleeving or follow the instructions below.
- Insert the sleeving tool through your Dacron sleeving. Pull the tool a few inches through the sleeving.
- After the tool is inserted through the Dacron take a lighter or match and heat seal the ends of the Dacron for a clean looking sleeving job. Make certain the ends are left open not sealed shut. This prevents the Dacron sleeving from unraveling.
- Thread your Spectra line through the end of the sleeving tool, then pull the tool back through the Dacron sleeving bringing the spectra kite line with it.
- Your sleeving is now on your line; remove the sleeving tool.
- Slide the sleeving towards the end of the line but leave approx. 1” hanging out the end. Do not pull the sleeve too far towards the end or you will have to start over.
- Tie a knot in the very end of your sleeving line.
- Stretch the sleeving back up the line to be sure it is not bunched up.
- Tie another knot at the opposite end of the sleeve. This will keep the sleeve in position and stop it from scrunching.
- Bring these two knots together and then tie an overhand knot to make a secure loop, which is used to attach your flight lines to your kite and hand straps / handles.
You have now sleeved your line. Repeat the steps for your other line being sure to have the same colour sleeving on the ends of the same line.
