How To Make A Roller Kite

Dowel Roller: Template, Tips, Step-By-Step eBook

Here's how to make a Roller kite! The Template and Tips might be sufficient, otherwise try the step-by-step eBook for making the MBK Dowel Roller Kite. Every kite in the Dowel series is made to be transportable, rolling up into a convenient long, slim package like a Sled.

The Template and Tips below should be enough if you are keen kite person. If you have put together a number of kites before, with a few different kinds of bridles, the Dowel Roller should be reasonably straight-forward. Everything you need, apart from the dowels perhaps, might already be lying around your house somewhere. I'm assuming you know how to make a Roller kite with low overall weight and appropriate knots.

The MBK Dowel Roller is a large tail-less kite based on the old Pearson Roller design. Like the original, this kite is a great light to moderate wind flier.

The template shown above represents one side of the kite sail of course.

How To Make A Roller Kite - Tips

• 5mm oak dowels worked well for me. You might look at using 3/16" dowels, which is pretty much the same.
• Try positioning the template so the edge of a bag becomes the center-line of the kite.
• For more durability, edge the sail with sticky tape.
• Cap each spar tip with 2 pieces of insulation tape, wrapped around at different angles and stuck on both sides of the plastic sail.
• A 3-point bridle is the minimum for this kite. Two attachments going to the upper horizontal spar, and the lower one going to the keel at the rear. Attach the flying line with a shiftable knot to get an adjustable towing point.
• Anchoring the upper sail corner tethers might test your creativity a bit. Use flying line, for a start...
• Yes, both those horizontal spars are bowed!

The step by step instructions for this Roller are also included in an eBook covering the entire Dowel series. It's a nice reference if you want to eventually make a whole range of different kites, of similar size. The info is pitched at the beginner, with very detailed instructions on a range of kite-making topics. Including the technique for making the kites transportable. This is explained individually for each kite.

However, the book is well-organized so the more experienced kite-maker can quickly scroll through and pick out bits of detail that are helpful or interesting. The long Table Of Contents helps too!

Click here for more info on the eBook 8 MBK Kites To Make - The Complete Dowel Series.

How To Make A Roller Kite - Flying!

You know how to fly, so I won't elaborate here. Except to say that we have had some interesting flights with this sizable but very cheap Roller. This kite will easily reach 400 feet above ground on a 50 pound flying line. With a 3-point bridle, it is a steady flier with a respectable wind range from light to fresh. In fairly fresh winds, this kite will give a pretty firm tug on the line. The video up there shows the Roller in a gusty moderate breeze.

The in-flight picture over there gets close-up to the kite as it sits in a fairly soft breeze on a sunny day. In fact, it was a challenge keeping the kite up at all, the wind was so light! It was one of those reel-it-in, let-it-out flights, over and over again. You couldn't say it was boring, particularly as small patches of rising air helped the kite climb from time to time.

Have fun flying, and I hope you've enjoyed seeing how to make a Roller kite the MBK way!

By the way, if you would rather make a smaller Roller that is half as tall as the Dowel design, why not try the 2-Skewer Roller kite instead. Or, going half as tall again, the tiny 1-Skewer Roller kite could be just the ticket!

Last updated: 6 Jan 2010