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Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat! How'd you do? This week we have a wood project for the kids that will need an adult's assistance. We made these toy paddlewheel boats as kids and played with them in the big pond we had at the back of our property. You can have that same kind of fun with this easy to build paddlewheel boat. Make these with your friends and have boat races. We suggest that you get some help from an adult with this project since it uses power tools although they can be built with hand tools. Here's what you'll need:
First you need to cut the hull of your boat. We used 3/4" fir and made it 3 1/2" wide and 8" long. Cut a point on the front of your boat. Cut a notch in the back for the paddlewheel. Leave enough wood on the sides of the cutout to support your rubber band. Make the cut-out 1/2" longer than it is wide.  Click on the picture for a bigger view. Make your paddlewheel out of 1/4" plywood or what ever thin wood you might have. Cut two square pieces about 1/4" narrower all around than the cutout in the back of your boat. Cut a notch in the center of each piece as thick as the wood and 1/2 the width of the paddle.  Put glue on the two paddle pieces and slide them together. Sand and paint your boat to make it look really neat. Put a rubber band over the paddlewheel and over the sides of the cutout. Wind it up, put it in water and watch it go. You may have to do some adjusting of the paddlewheel from side to side to make your boat go straight or in a circle.  If you think you have built an especially cool boat send us a picture and we'll post it in our newsletter. |
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