Page:Kitecraft and kite tournaments (1914).djvu/106

98 box, the portions remaining at the sides preventing the kite line from getting off the ends of the spools. The portion remaining should be a little wider than the thickness of the flanges of the spool. The axle will usually be a broomstick owing to the ease with which it may be obtained and being hardwood, is very satisfactory. A piece of pipe can be used but is hard to drill thru for the pins that hold spool and crank to axle, also the holes that take pins on each side of box to prevent slipping endwise. Iron washers are used on the outside of box and between spool ends and inside of box.

The crank is shown in the drawing and needs no special directions. The pin holding the crank to the axle might be a small bolt with a nut, which adds strength in the prevention of splitting of the end of the wood. A good spool for the reel might be found at a hardware store. Chains come on well made spools that are excellent for reels. These can be fastened to axle by slanting pins; nails will answer if they are not left out too far thru the outside of the flanges of the spool; also pins may be put down thru the drum part of the spool thru the axle. In this case small holes would have to be drilled from opposite sides of the drum.

Other drums can be made similar to Fig. 194. The axle is secured to two wooden disks and the center is built up of other pieces as in Fig. 195, or by wooden rods as in Fig. 196.

A brake is a great convenience when letting out string, as the reel sometimes runs ahead of the kite and so entangles the string; by a little pressure of the foot on the brake, the unwinding ceases. The brake should act directly on the edge of the flange of the spool. The lever of the brake would pass thru the left side of the box, not more than two inches up from the bottom, Fig. 197. In case the spool is too short for the width of the box, wooden blocks can be used to fill in the space, but the opening in the end of the box that the kite line