I picked up a older kite, where every valve had come away due to possibly being left in a hot car. After removing ALL bladders and re-gluing them back on using StormSure, that part was fixed. However, there was two large rips in the main leading edge bladder about 10cms long, each. Personally, I have always had trouble fixing these type of leaks, so I thought that I would try something a bit different, and the outcome worked perfectly! I blew up a balloon and fitted it inside the bladder, away from the rip, and then postioned some very flexible black vinyl tape on the inside of the bladder and carefully stuck the rip together. This made positioning the TearAid Part A much easier. I then positioned the balloon behind the rip and pulled down equally on the bladder and tied with tape. The TearAid patch was then applied over the rip joint and smoothed out as best as possible, this stuff really sticks! With the balloon still inflated inside, the bladder was inflated and was completely fixed. Then the balloon was positioned under the deflate valve and the neck pulled though the valve. I then used a pin to deflate it and pulled the balloon out in one piece. This was really just a experiment for myself, and it worked really well, but I'm sure that there are other ways of doing this repair, as well. And yes, in retospect, the colour of the balloon was possibly a bit unfortunate, because I now know what it looks like!!

So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches in the photos... it's only a matter of time before the air leaks out of there if it's not already happening. A well applied tear aid patch should have zero creases, otherwise you need to start over again.

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KiteBud said..
So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches in the photos... it's only a matter of time before the air leaks out of there if it's not already happening. A well applied tear aid patch should have zero creases, otherwise you need to start over again.

Possibly you are correct, but this was a concept experiment on a old kite that I thought that I would share. Certainly no leaks ATM, and I have found that TearAid won't move once stuck.

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coastflyer said..

KiteBud said..
So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches in the photos... it's only a matter of time before the air leaks out of there if it's not already happening. A well applied tear aid patch should have zero creases, otherwise you need to start over again.

Possibly you are correct, but this was a concept experiment on a old kite that I thought that I would share. Certainly no leaks ATM, and I have found that TearAid won't move once stuck.

very easy to remove tear aid using small amounts of methylated spirits on a piece of cloth. you then need to re-clean very well with alchohol before reapplying a new patch.

I don't recommend you put this back in your kite as you will have leaks

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coastflyer said..

KiteBud said..
So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches in the photos... it's only a matter of time before the air leaks out of there if it's not already happening. A well applied tear aid patch should have zero creases, otherwise you need to start over again.

Possibly you are correct, but this was a concept experiment on a old kite that I thought that I would share. Certainly no leaks ATM, and I have found that TearAid won't move once stuck.

Someone on here suggested chilling the Tear-Aid to make it less sticky while working with it. sounds like good advice! KitBud is correct in saying that any little wrinkle will eventually leak. Even the overlap where you use 2 pieces of Tear-Aid to get a big enough patch can cause leakage. Air under pressure loves to find a way out!
You definitely need a firmer, flatter surface than can be achieved by using a balloon if you want to do a proper Tear-Aid repair.

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Sandee said..

coastflyer said..

KiteBud said..
So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches in the photos... it's only a matter of time before the air leaks out of there if it's not already happening. A well applied tear aid patch should have zero creases, otherwise you need to start over again.

Possibly you are correct, but this was a concept experiment on a old kite that I thought that I would share. Certainly no leaks ATM, and I have found that TearAid won't move once stuck.

Someone on here suggested chilling the Tear-Aid to make it less sticky while working with it. sounds like good advice! KitBud is correct in saying that any little wrinkle will eventually leak. Even the overlap where you use 2 pieces of Tear-Aid to get a big enough patch can cause leakage. Air under pressure loves to find a way out!
You definitely need a firmer, flatter surface than can be achieved by using a balloon if you want to do a proper Tear-Aid repair.

Thanks, was just a idea on a old kite. The main problem with the tear was that the bladder had curled up on the edges making it very difficult to work with a patch. I have plenty of old bladders lying around, so could possibly cut out the repair and replace with a patch glued and TearAid around the edges. I remember once that someone had tried using a hot iron to fuse bladder material together, but that probaly wouldn't work either! I have never intended to use this old kite, just to try something different on as a experiment.

Yes, good idea to experiment and learn various techniques before you someday need to repair a favourite kite! It is recommended that any stretched /curled up edges around a tear should be trimmed away before attempting a repair, and then of course you need to prevent the patch from sticking to the other side of the bladder. (As you're doing with the vinyl tape. if it lasts). I actually prefer to open a wingtip and apply a TearAid patch on the inside of the damaged area, as well as another on the outside. Kitchen heat sealer or a hot iron works great to re-close the wingtip.

I like your balloon idea and the socket and quick grips trick pretty cool ive always used dumbell plates instead.

Shame the kites not worth $20 spent quite a bit repairing something worthless

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KiteBud said..
So many creases and channels on your tear-aid patches ...blahblah

As soon as someone mentions something they've found works (time will tell), or they've got a new idea or a new product, Sbrz just can't help to throw in a punch here or there... fair dinkum

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Froth Goth said..
I like your balloon idea and the socket and quick grips trick pretty cool ive always used dumbell plates instead.

Shame the kites not worth $20 spent quite a bit repairing something worthless

Thanks, appreciate the encouragement! I've had a couple of rolls of TearAid lying around for years, and the Stormsure seems to last forever, if kept in the freezer. I've always used sockets when sealing valves, and have never had one let go, but the balloon was just a brainwave moment as I had some lying around after a Grand Final party!

I am going to take some lsd next week and sit down and listen to rammstein and see if I can come up with an idea as ingenuitive and cool as that ..and an even more different way of doing it

I bet I cant

Good job
thinking outside the 'box'

Actually Winnie the Poohs version of Rammstein would be better for that

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Coastflyer - worth a try and if it works, great. An added tip, sometimes if the repair is big and not flexi - it can make the kite steer to one side... experimented out in the middle of nowhere desperate for a kite and yeah...

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SaveTheWhales said..
Coastflyer - worth a try and if it works, great. An added tip, sometimes if the repair is big and not flexi - it can make the kite steer to one side... experimented out in the middle of nowhere desperate for a kite and yeah...

Good point
True. .

Has anyone ever used tear aid to restick an old bladder valve? Just thinking for an old kite I have I don't want to spend money on new valve patches, could it work to just patch over the existing valves, even though they have the bumpy and harder kind of plastic around their boarder?

Jesus christo lazarus of all the threads to ressurect you chose the home made wife one

I know the bumpy yadda yaddas your talking about.

When one comes off they generally all come off so save yourself a whole heap of drama with the tear aid and simply peel off all the valves use whatever cleaner i believe cbud said think it was metho but double check i cant even remember what i use. But if it was metho itd be a bit of a one for you one for me situation and wed end up ranting about how being hooked in doesnt count and once both surfaces are properly clean simply use the tried and true and proven STORMSURE glue to reapply the valve i like to throw dumbell weights on em once ive ensured theres no runners and veins etc etc

Just give youtube and reattaching kite bladder valves with stormsure a google youll find a few tutorials im sure.

That whole throwing a tear aid patch over the top is an absalute mugs game dont do it unless your planning on just totally ripping off someone on gumtree or cashies cause theyll spend more then what the kites worth trying to remove said tearaid and haveing to do it properly again with stormsure.

Or heres a wild idea

Check seabreeze for sale section for kites under 300$ take a loan out or just tap ya head to the rhymn of the voices on the casino steps while holding a cup out and youll have enough dosh to get yaself a sweet 2010 model switchblade with welded valves in no time

Haha ok got it cheers~ storm sure it is.and some magic beans and a 25 Woos stuck to my kite lines to get a 3D mathematical evidence of my 200mm kiteloops

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Samuellae said..
Has anyone ever used tear aid to restick an old bladder valve? Just thinking for an old kite I have I don't want to spend money on new valve patches, could it work to just patch over the existing valves, even though they have the bumpy and harder kind of plastic around their boarder?

That''d depend what the old valve is made of, as they generally seem to be some sort of vinyl, which Type A TearAid will not like to stick to.

Seeya at the circle in the kooyong law dog

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Samuellae said..
Haha ok got it cheers~ storm sure it is.and some magic beans and a 25 Woos stuck to my kite lines to get a 3D mathematical evidence of my 200mm kiteloops

Hahahaha i think 10 will be sufficient enough to summon The Shred

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Samuellae said..
Has anyone ever used tear aid to restick an old bladder valve? Just thinking for an old kite I have I don't want to spend money on new valve patches, could it work to just patch over the existing valves, even though they have the bumpy and harder kind of plastic around their boarder?

U can cut an extended circle from a ruined bladder and use a glue with methyl acetate such as stormsure.. which requires a fridge. Or Tarzan grip with acetone if you are camping with no fridge...
possibly some others but they are the only ones that I have found to hold for years and work
Put the glue on the tear aid anyway then it will stick I wouldn't trust the adhesive on tear aid unless it's just a pinprick/v slow leak (yes I have used tear aid and bladder patches on kite valves for my own use but never without extra adhesive...don't trust it)..
And as said above no good on some valve material

Goodluck

hi not being smooth maybe the problem.
Ive had success placing a cut on the tip of bladder maybe 100mm long and turning bladder inside out,then doing one patch on inside.
Turn back inside then do patch on outside.Then fix cut at end.often ive found it easier and quicker to buy new unless u have nothing better to do.Temu has Tear aid for $5 a roll also.Maybe a copy though.

I stand corrected yet again. Definitely ignore anything i said and cut more holes in the bladder and give temu your credit card details