How to Make a Kite String Winder From 2x4 Scraps

Summers are a great time for flying kites. If you buy a kite, the cheap string winder that comes with it will have some issues. Mainly they pay our super fast and take forever to wind back in.

This homemade kite winder splits the difference and gives you the satisfaction of making a something cool out of scraps someone else would have thrown away.

Also if you flow these instructions you may learn some new woodworking ideas like how to make 'round' dials on a table saw.

What you'll need:

2x4 scraps about 24" will do
Table Saw
Utility knife
Hammer
Don't forget safety glasses

Step 1: Get a 2x4 or Just Some 2x4 Scraps

I like the idea of making my projects out of a single 2x4 but some are small enough you can get away with making them out of just some scraps. Her I had a 2x4 that I had ripped in half for one reason or another and never used. I was able to make the kine string winder from about half of the half.

Step 2: Cut Two (2) 1-1/2" X 1/2" X 10" Pieces

The body of the winder is made from two (2) 1-1/2" x 1/2" x 10" pieces.

I did this by laying my 2x4 flat and ripping off a 1/2" length and then cross cutting the pieces to length.

Since the 2x4 is already 1-1/2" wide there is no more cutting required.

Step 3: Cut One (1) 1/2" X 1/2" X 24" Piece & One (1) 7/16" X 7/16" X 24" Piece

You will be making four (4) round dowels from these pieces, in the end the dowels will short but you need the to be long-ish 2-3' at this point so you can safely run them through the table saw.

So cut your pieces (Ill wait).

one (1) 1/2" x 1/2" x 24" piece
one (1) 7/16" x 7/16" x 24" piece

Ok... now set your blade at a 45 degree angle and lob off the corners of those pieces so that you square cross sections turn into octagons. Depending on where your table saw blade pivots you may need to move the fence in towards the blade a little. Experiment

What you're doing by making these different sizes is making one set of dowels that will eventually have a 'sholder' and another set of dowels that is just a tight fit. (you'll see - just cut the pieces)