How To Make A Rok Kite

Complete Instructions For The MBK 1-Skewer Rokkaku

About the only tool required by these instructions on how to make a Rok kite is a pair of sharp scissors. Any other materials you don't have are easily bought from local shops. If not exactly what I used, then at least something pretty similar!

Note: These instructions result in a little Rok that differs slightly from the one in the Plans section of the website. The kite described here is not so good in light winds, but an update is coming...

These instructions for making a Rok kite are not quite as detailed as for the earlier kites. I'm guessing you might have already made one or 2 simpler MBK kites before you try this one. The pictures should make things pretty clear. Just quickly work your way through from top to bottom, skimming over any detail that you don't need.

The MBK Skewer Rokkaku Kite is quite small at 29 cm (1 foot) tall. The version described here is rather rigid and a little heavy compared to most other 1-Skewer kites. It needs a fair amount of tail, but rewards you with great flying in moderate to strong wind conditions! Nothing like the traditional Rok, but hey, it's fun!

If you would rather make a bigger and more conventional Rokkaku, why not try the 2-Skewer Rokkaku kite instead.

Now's the time to read up on kite materials and other things needed for building a Rokkaku kite, if you haven't already.

How To Make A Rok Kite - Frame

First, the vertical spar. Take a skewer and snip the pointed tip off. Now measure its length, and divide the measurement by six, using the calculator. Scribble this number down somewhere, since it is the length of your unit.

Everything is in units. So for example if you need something 3 units long, you just multiply this figure by 3 to get the actual length on your kite.

1. make marks around the vertical spar skewer, one unit in from both ends
2. measure up and snip 2 more bamboo skewers to five units in length
3. mark the center of these 2 skewers, and also one unit from the center on each side

Put a small crease in the center of each short spar, using a knife or one edge of the scissors. Next, carefully bend the spars so they look like those in the photo. You will hear small noises from the bamboo, that's ok.

1. rest the vertical spar on something and put bits of paper down to catch glue drops
2. rest the bent cross spars over the vertical spar, using the marks to position them
3. do your best to ensure the cross spars are square with the vertical spar, bent about the same as each other, and secured on one side as in the photo
4. dribble glue liberally over the joints, letting the excess drip off

Use a slow-setting wood working glue like Aquadhere. The joints will still be flexible enough to adjust, after the glue is completely dry.

How To Make A Rok Kite - Sail

While the glue on the frame is drying, you can get on with making the sail.

1. cut a large freezer bag so you can open it out and lay it all flat on the table
2. using the felt marker, mark all the corner points according to the plan, then rule straight lines between them

Cutting and taping the edges of the sail is next.

1. carefully lay down tape all around the outline, with the black lines showing through the middle of the tape - also, don't worry about the excess bits at the end of each black line
2. with scissors, carefully cut along the black line, which will leave a thin strip of tape reinforcing every edge

The tape's a bit hard to see in the photo, but it's there all around the edge, and overlapping at each corner.

At all stages of the process below, try to keep the sail reasonably tight - that is, with no obvious looseness. Easier said than done, I know, with a small bamboo kite!

1. note that the plastic sail is on top of the bamboo frame in the photo
2. secure the sail at the top of the vertical spar with tape, as shown in red, so the tape sticks to both the upper and lower side of the sail
3. in the same way, secure the sail to the bottom of the vertical spar, gently pulling out any wrinkles
4. now attach each of the four remaining corners, bending the spars if necessary to align with the corners of the sail

How To Make A Rok Kite - Bridle

1. in the photo, the plastic sail is on top of the bamboo frame
2. now cut 2 lengths of flying line, each about one skewer length long
3. poke or snip holes in the plastic where indicated in purple on the plan, and secure the 4 ends of line to the cross spars with double wrap slip knots, or any other knot you're happy with
4. take another length of bridle line, this time about 2 skewer lengths long, and tie each end to the centers of the other 2 lines
5. I use triple-wrap slip knots so the knot can be shifted a bit one way or the other after it's tied

Detailed information on knot-tying for kite making is coming to this site later... There'll be a separate page on this topic, with close-up photos of all the knots!

At this point, you've pretty much finished learning how to make a Rok kite!

How To Make A Rok Kite - Finishing Off

This kite needs a little reinforcement so the cross spars don't bend under wind pressure, or with the rough-and-tumble of being pulled over the ground.

1. bend the cross spars to approximately the angles indicated in the plan
2. lay the kite down, and do what you can to make sure the spars stay at the correct angles
3. snip off 2 short lengths of bamboo, and glue them to the cross spars as shown in the photo

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

In order to be able to adjust the attachment point of the flying line, attach it to the kite bridle with a knot that can be moved along the bridle line, to adjust the flying angle of the kite. For the Sode, I tried the Sheet Bend knot, but with 20 pound line this proved very fiddly to adjust. It was very hard to loosen it up basically.

With the Rok, I'm trying a friction knot called the Prussik knot. See the illustrative photo. If you need to, you can just slide it one way or the other along the bridle line until the kite flies well. To begin with, adjust it so the knot is much closer to the top cross spar than the bottom one.

How To Make A Rok Kite - Flying Tips

Assuming there is some breeze, 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.

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.

Here's a picture of the completed MBK Skewer Rokkaku Kite in flight, soon after launch. I forget why I was looking down, but it was a nice picture of the Rok on a short line!

Have fun flying, and I hope you've enjoyed learning how to make a Rok kite.

All the above info, plus much more is available in a PDF eBook which covers the entire 1-skewer series of kites.

Last updated: 31 May 2010