How To Build A Rokkaku Kite

Complete Instructions For The MBK 2-Skewer Rokkaku Kite

This set of instructions on how to build a Rokkaku kite assumes you know absolutely nothing about kite making. You might already have some of the simple tools and materials required. Anything you don't have is easily bought. If not exactly what I used, then at least something pretty similar!

The instructions on how to make a Rokkaku kite might look awfully long, but that's because they are so detailed. For those who like pictures, every detail is illustrated with photographs too. Just quickly work your way through, skimming over any detail that you don't need. All in all, it should be quite hard to make a mistake!

The MBK 2-Skewer Rokkaku Kite is a medium-sized rokkaku 58 cm across and 73 cm tall, with no tail necessary in light winds. Some 'dihedral' on the upper spar gives stability and an adjustable amount of bow on the lower spar allows for just enough extra stability to fly without a tail.

This 2-Skewer Rokkaku is a very efficient light wind flier. Take it out when it seems there's barely enough wind to fly any kite!

Have you read the page on kite materials? If you haven't already, do it now to see what's needed for building a Rokkaku kite.

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Frame

For this Rokkaku, you need to glue skewers together to form the 3 spars. Since this kite has plenty of sail area for its width, there is no need to worry about selecting the lightest skewers! In fact, stiffer and heavier skewers would be good for the vertical spar. As for any kite, it's best to try and match the left and right horizontal spars as well. Having said all that, just using any old skewers at random should not present any real problems. Careful bridle adjustment and enough tail will cure just about anything...

• Snip one skewer to exactly 1/2 a skewer length - keep the other end (with point) for poking holes in plastic later!
• Snip the points off 6 more skewers, then check to see that they are all exactly the same length.
• From another skewer, snip off 4 lengths of bamboo, each 0.15 x (one skewer length) long - and mark the center-points with the marking pen if you want to be extra-precise!
• Arrange all the bamboo as in the photo, with some paper underneath to catch excess glue.
• Prop up each end of the 2-skewer spars to about 1/10 of a skewer length above the table, to give them 'dihedral'.
• Get down to table top height and look along the spars, and make sure they are as straight as possible.
• Lay down a thick line of glue all the way down each join, as in the photo.

Note: The photo actually shows 0.2SL reinforcers, that's why they may look a little longer than yours! Using 0.15SL will save some weight, and is quite strong enough - it's what the Sode uses.

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Sail

The template shown above represents one side of the kite sail. You will now transfer these measurements to the sail plastic as follows...

• Firstly, take the large bag that you will be using for the sail, and lay it flat on the table.
• Make sure the spars are dry, then lay them down on the plastic to show where the sail corners are - see the photo on the left.
• Mark the corners of the template shape with dots, at each spar end - notice that marks are also made on the side edge of the bag, which is the center-line of the kite sail.
• Remove the spars then use the marking pen to rule lines between the dots - I have made the dots big so they show up, see the photo on the right.

Note: Arranging the spars on the plastic by eye is quite accurate enough, as long as you take some care. Since both sides of the sail will be identical, any small error in judging the 90 degree angle has almost no effect. The exact place where the lower horizontal spar crosses the vertical spar doesn't matter either. If it looks similar to the photo, it'll fly just fine!

• Flip the plastic bag over, and trace over all the black lines using your marker pen and ruler.
• Cut out a rectangular section of the bag containing the kite sail, open it out and lay it flat on the table - you can now see the complete six-sided sail outline, as in the photo.

• Lay clear sticking tape along all the lines with each line showing through the center of the tape - that's 6 pieces of tape in all.
• With scissors, cut along the black lines - this will leave half the width of the sticking tape inside the sail outline.

Note 1: I pull off the length of tape required, plus a bit extra on each end, then lay it down in one motion, pressing to the plastic at both ends at once - then I smooth along the tape with a finger, making sure it is stuck down firmly along its entire length. Note 2: Don't worry about overlapping lengths of tape at the corners, it will all look tidier after the cutting is done.

• Place the long vertical spar over the plastic, with the edge tape facing up.
• Cap the ends of the spar with electrical tape, as in the photo, by sticking it down over the bamboo and plastic then folding it under the plastic to stick on the other side - a bit tricky, take your time!
• Next, lay down the 2 horizontal spars and cap each end with electrical tape - pull the slack out of the plastic, but don't pull it really tight.
• Secure the upper horizontal spar to the vertical spar by running lines of glue above and below where the spars cross, as in the photo.
• Secure the lower horizontal spar to the vertical spar with a drop of glue above and below where the spars cross, as in the photo - the white piece of tape is just temporary, holding the spar in place

Note: The camera has made the kite look out of shape - it's actually quite square, as you can see in the flight photo at the bottom of this page!

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Bridle

The bigger a Rok kite, the fancier the bridle needs to be. For this one, a 3-leg bridle is about right. The bottom leg is positioned so that the vertical spar doesn't flex too much in strong wind.

Is all the glue dry? If so...

• Cut off some flying line to a length of 2 skewers, and tie a very small overhand loop into each end.
• Poke holes in the plastic, on either side of the upper horizontal spar - so 4 holes altogether, 0.4SL from the vertical spar, as indicated by the black dots in the photo.
• Tie each end of the line to the bamboo, through the holes - use a single half-hitch, and pull tight against the knot of the small loop.
• Cut off some flying line to a length of 3 skewers, and tie a very small overhand loop into one end.
• Poke holes in the plastic, on either side of the vertical spar - so 2 holes altogether, as indicated by the black dots in the photo.
• Tie the looped end of the line to the bamboo, through the holes - use a single half-hitch, and pull tight against the knot of the small loop.
• Tie the other end of the line to the mid-point of the upper bridle line you did first - use a shiftable knot such as the Prussik. (see photo further down)

Now take a length of flying line about half a skewer long, and tie one end to the longer bridle line with a Prussik knot. Tie a small simple overhand loop into the other end, just to get a nice big knot.

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Bow The Lower Spar

• Cut off a short piece of flying line about 1 skewer length long, and another longer one about 3 skewer lengths long.
• Tie the lines to the spar and pass the longer line through the 2 loops - see the photo below.
• Pull some extra bow into the spar before securing the truckie's knot with a couple of half hitches.
• Put a drop of glue on both the knots that have been tied against the bamboo - they must never come loose!

At this point, you've pretty much finished making the 2-Skewer Rokkaku!

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Preparing To Fly

Finally, make up a flying line and attach it to the bridle with a Lark's Head knot. See the photo above.

As a final check, lay the kite flat and lift the bridle until all 3 lines are tight. Shift the Prussik knot along the longer bridle line until it is over or just below the upper horizontal spar.

Also lift the kite with a finger under the nose and a finger under the tail, balancing it on the vertical spar. Try this a few times, and if it's clear that one side of the kite is heavier, add small bits of electrical tape to the spar caps on the lighter side, to balance it up.

How To Build A Rokkaku Kite - Flying!

Assuming there is some breeze outside, just dangle the kite at arm's length until the wind catches it. As long as you feel the kite pulling, let out line slowly by letting it slip through your fingers. If it refuses to climb despite pulling on your hand, shift the Prussik knot towards the nose a bit, and try again. Keep going until the kite behaves itself!

Another approach is to get a helper to hold the kite up and let it go, with maybe 10 or 20 meters of line let out. This way, the kite soon gets high enough to make it easy to let more line out.

Finally, if the kite doesn't seem stable enough, looping around even in light wind, just put some more bow in the lower spar. Take the tension off the bow line, unpick the half hitches and re-tie with some extra bow in the spar.

Have fun flying!

Here's a picture of the MBK 2-Skewer Rokkaku Kite in flight, at the local flying field.

Hope you've enjoyed learning how to how to build a Rokkaku kite!

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Last updated: 25 Aug 2008