Paddle wheels

[Lorie LongParticipant @lorielong61920]

I teach first grade and we want to make flat boats with paddles for propulsion so that we can play with them at our local park pond. I am having a hard time finding a source for small paddles (of course cheap, I need 29 and have to get them out of a small yearly budget), for our boats. I have in mind a paddle about 2 or 3 inches in length and 2 inches in height? I am in Oregon State, US. Any leads?

[Lorie LongParticipant @lorielong61920]

I am looking for a source

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Hi Lorie,

 

I doubt if you will find something like that commercially available. Most of the offerings are complex feathering paddle assemblies intended for scale models.

 

You may find that simple home built items with fixed flaps on an axle will do the job quite adequately.

 

Regards,

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Lorie

 

If you post a drawing of what you require, you should then get a few good suggestions for paddle wheels

 

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

hi guys, actually there are commercial sets for sale……..look here

 

http://www.clydemodelboats.co.uk/

 

and here

 

http://www.waverleymodels.co.uk/

 

here

 

http://www.loyalhannadockyard.com

 

and here

 

http://www.floataboat.com.au/Newsletter.htm

 

and if you want any help with your build or paddler, have a look at this site.

 

http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=forum

 

 

neil.

[Lorie LongParticipant @lorielong61920]

Neil, Bob and Colin,

Thanks for all of the input. I often get a notion in my head and then am amazed that it is unavailable. The paddle on the Paddle Tug Neil sent would work but probably not price-wise. Bob suggested drawing it, which is a great idea but my scanner is broken so I will try to describe it better. I have a small paddle in mind like an X. A rubber band would be the force and each child could wind their own. I am sure it sounds simple to make and perhaps it would be but I need 29 and last year we made boats with props which we hot glued and they all fell apart during the sail. They also didn’t work. Luckily I had done a practice run the day before and so I had them launch where the pond ran emptied into a small creek so the kids thought the were so of traveling.

I don’t have fancy tools but I do have an eXacto knife and if you have any further ideas I would be open to a different sort of boat. Our study is simple machines so I want something that propels.

Thanks,

Lorie

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

I would think an adaptation of the old “rubber band tank” would work with paddles set into the cotton reel and working against a balsa platform for a hull.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Here you go, Lorie!

 

Instant paddle boat!

 

You could easily make the paddle a four blader!

 

Show us your efforts, when you`ve made them please?

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Maybe mount the paddle on a thin spindle across the notch in the back of the hull. Then you could experiment with applying a bit of friction to it to slow the paddle down and prevent it acting like a duck taking off – room for more experimentation on Bob’s excellent basic design perhaps.

 

Colin

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Lorie,

Have a look at the photos in my Photo Albums of Son of SS Great Britain, this was made out of a Fruit Juice carton.

 

Len.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Len

You’ll need to post your photo….I ca’t find it!

Colin….the paddle blade will act as damper in the water and slow the mechanism down….Hopefully!

The size of paddle needs to be developed
The hull will need to be wider than my sketch, in order to get more rubber in too?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

True Bob, it might flap about a bit if not controlled though. But, as you say the only way is to try it and see and then experiment a bit which would be a good educational exercise. Lorie could encourage slightly different variations to see which ones work best. It’s actually quite an interesting exercise really. This one works better than that one – why?

 

I think it is great that kids are being encouraged to do this sort of thing

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Lorie

Here comes Mark II……

Longer life motor and a four blade option!

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Making the paddle out of plasticard would be easy;, easy to cut and also glue and would be instantly waterproof,

 

Putting expanded polystyrene (ceiling tile) under the hull would raise the gubbins a bit and so only half the blades would be in the water for better efficiency.

 

Ashley ; knows what he is talking about as has working rubber band craft !!!!

[Barry GibsonParticipant @barrygibson15259]

Drawing from the book ‘The Australian boys book of Crafts, Pets, Sports and Hobbies’

 

I make the laser cut plastic paddlewheel kits for most of the companys list earlier. A suggestion for a simple stern wheel is below. 55 mm. wide by 50 mm. Dia.

If that looks like some you could use I can work out a price for you.

 

Edited By Barry Gibson on 03/09/2011 13:41:02

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Bob, All that fame must have gone to your head, you must have seen this before.

 

Len. ( Click on the photo for more shots ).

Edited By Len Ochiltree on 03/09/2011 18:28:04

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Ashley, can we see some rubber band craft please.

 

Len.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Len

 

You can`t expect a star of the silver screen to remember everything!

 

But in your case…..I do remember it now!

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Len..only two craft..one in my album..the dazzle painted thing, and the other one looked very similar to a Bowman rubber band job. sorry picture not to hand of 1st boat.

 

Barry. Like that design. I stern wheel boat with the drive on one side would enable the entire boat length to be used for the rubber motor.

 

A problem I thought long and hard about when making mine was the method of winding up the motor. Twiddling a paddle with your finger for any length of time is a bit boring, and winding anything for 200 turns is mind numbingly so.

 

A dog at the end of the shaft on a stern wheeler would allow the use of an electric drill, or possibly battery powered aircraft winder. OR perhaps a little permanent hand crank?

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Len…

The last one with HRH Prince Phillip driving is modelled on the Bowman and was my prototype for gaining experience and ideas , the other was designed for max motor power and ease of winding. You only have to dock the boat on its stand, wind the hande 50 or so times and off you go.

 

Sorry, has no particular relavence to this thread.

 

Ashley

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