Introduction: Popsicle Stick Motorboat
Hello! This is my instructable on how to make a Popsicle stick motorboat.
I am entering this into the Popsicle stick contest.
The motorboat works better the more space it has to float.
It goes faster the more you wind it up.
I have found boats like this before on the computer, but I made this out of Popsicle Sticks up myself.
Step 1: Tools and Materials
To make this you will need:
13 Popsicle sticks
1 Rubber Band
a Rule
Scissors
a Permanent Marker
and a Hot Glue Gun
Step 2: Body
First, get eight Popsicle Sticks. Lay them side by side, and made sure they are all lined up together.
Pushing another Popsicle Stick up against them, like in picture one, can do that.
Now glue all eight of them together. Next, glue another Stick across them.
Step 3: Motor-holder
On one of the sides measure two inches down and make a mark.
Now put glue on down to that mark and put a Stick on.
Now do the same thing on the other side so that it looks like picture 4.
Next, glue another Stick across the bottom of two you just glued on, like picture 5.
Step 4: Motor
Now take your last stick and measure one Popsicle Sticks width off both ends, like pictures 1 and 2.
Cut at the lines.
Next, take the Rubber band and stretch it across the ends of two motor-holder sticks, and Hot-glue it in place.
Now take the cut stick and put it in the Rubber band, right in the middle and perfectly straight.
Hot glue it in place, and make sure the rubber band is unwound all the way.
Put a dot on it with the Permanent Marker on the side farthest away from the body
Step 5: Wind Up and Release
Now it's done!
To wind it up, just turn the motor,starting with pushing the end with the dot down first.
The dot is to help you remember which way to turn it.
Now place it in some water with the motor in the back and let go.
There it goes!
You may want to put a sealant on it before you put it in the water to make it last longer.
8 Comments
7 years ago
Will school glue work?
Reply 5 years ago
Sorry about the extremely late response. For future reference, no, I
don't think it will. You can try, but it will probably just melt. Plus
school glue doesn't really hold wood together.
8 years ago on Introduction
do you think i could use duct tape instead of using a hot glue gun.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Oh, I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner. I've been away from Instructables for a few years now and am finally starting to come back. And yes, I think you could use duct tape, it probably wouldn't hold together as well as hot glue though.
P.S. If this shows up twice, sorry. My view is messing up, and I already made this comment but it's not showing up, so I'm doing it again.
10 years ago on Introduction
super crafty-fied and awsome!
11 years ago on Introduction
Hey! I have one too, like this but slower.
I'm gonna make this, thanks for sharing!
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Made it, waiting for the very LAST bit of glue to dry :)
Thanks for sharing, again :P
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Your welcome,
your boat is pretty nice too!
Thanks for the nice comments!