ain as the ends.
Little advantage is to be gained from making the boxes proportionately
deeper than this. The distance between the boxes should be about equal to
the depth of each box.

CONSTRUCTION.

After these general remarks, we may proceed to a practical description of
manufacture, which will apply to kites of all dimensions. It will be
prudent to begin on small models, as requiring small outlay.

Having decided on the size of your kite, cut out two pieces of material as
wide as a box is to be deep, and as long as the circumference of the box
plus an inch and a half to spare. Machine stitch 5/8 inch tapes along each
edge, using two rows of stitching about 1/8 inch from the edges of the
tape. Then double the piece over, tapes inside, and machine stitch the ends
together, three quarters of an inch from the edge. Note.--All thread ends
should be tied together to prevent unravelling, and ends of stitching
should be hand-sewn through the tape, as the greatest strain falls on these
points.

The most convenient shape for the rods is square, as fitting the corners
and taking tacks most easily. The sectional size of the rods is governed by
the dimensions of the kite, and to a certain extent by the number of
stretchers used. If four stretchers are employed in each box, two near the
top and two near the bottom, the rods need not be so stout as in a case
where only a single pair of central stretchers is preferred.

Lay the two boxes flat on the floor, in line with one another, and the
joins at the same end. Pass two rods through, and arrange the boxes so that
the outer edges are 1/2 inch from the ends of the rods. (These projections
protect the fabric when the kite strikes the ground).

Lay the rods on one corner, so that the sides make an angle of 45 degrees
with the floor, pull the boxes taut--be careful that they are square to
the rods--and drive three or four tacks through each end of the box into
the rods. Then turn them over and tack the other sides similarly. Repeat
the process with the other rods after measuring to get the distances
correct.

The length of the stretchers is found approximately by a simple
arithmetical sum, being the square root of the sum of the squares of the
lengths of two adjacent sides of the box. For example, if each box is 20 by
15 inches, the diagonal is the square root of (20 squared plus 15 squared)
= square root of 625 = 25 inches. The space occupied by the vertical rods
will abou