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Easy-To-Build "Mini Paddleboat"
"My grandchildren have a lot of fun with it, and it cost little to build," says Jerry Lanser, Longmont, Colo., about the mini paddleboat he built out of pvc pipe.
The paddleboat measures just 5 ft. long by 2 1/2 ft. wide and weighs 40 lbs. "It'll support kids weighing up to about 80 lbs.," says Lanser.
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Easy-To-Build "Mini Paddleboat" FARM HOME recreation 32-3-31 "My grandchildren have a lot of fun with it, and it cost little to build," says Jerry Lanser, Longmont, Colo., about the mini paddleboat he built out of pvc pipe.
The paddleboat measures just 5 ft. long by 2 1/2 ft. wide and weighs 40 lbs. "It'll support kids weighing up to about 80 lbs.," says Lanser.
The paddleboat floats on 4-in. dia., schedule 20 pvc pipe and on a 2-ft. sq. piece of 1 1/2-in. high density styrofoam at the back. Its six direct-driven paddles are formed from 3-in. wide by 6-in. long flat plastic and are located in front, between the pedals. A metal frame made from 3/4-in. electric conduit supports the paddles. The frame is secured to the pipes with 3/8-in. thick, 24-in. long plastic zip ties.
The seat consists of a wooden board with a backrest made from high density foam insulation. Steering is provided by a joystick attached to a rear rudder.
To build the paddleboat, Lanser cut a 10-ft. length of the pvc pipe into sections which he then joined together into a "V" shape on front. There are two sets of pipe, one inside the other, and they form a 90 degree bend on front with a 45 degree bend on each side.
"My grandchildren play with it in a shallow irrigation ditch in our back yard, and also on a nearby pond. They and their friends have a lot of fun with it," says Lanser. "I spent less than $100 to build it. I paid $30 for the pvc pipe and fittings, $10 for the conduit, and $15 for the paddles and brass bushings.
"A short length of 1/2-in. dia. steel forms the hub for the paddles. I welded metal tabs onto the axle and then bolted the paddles to the tabs."
Lanser says he used plastic zip ties to hold everything together instead of screws "so that I wouldn't have to make holes in the pipes and risk water leaking. I applied glue between the frame and pipes before zip tieing them together for added reinforcement."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Lanser, 2518 Cambridge Drive, Longmont, Colo. 80503 (ph 303 776-3815; jrlanser@assoc-elec-prod.com).
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