my Put - Put Boat

This page has been up for barely two weeks and already I'm starting over. Seems every time I make another boat, I get a lot of new ideas for improvements. Working on the new one but in the meantime, this page will be JUST FINE.

When the new one is done, I'll leave (for awhile) a link here to this ("old") page.

I've put a LOT of effort into this page; I'd like it to be as close to "perfect" as possible. IF YOU see any errors or room for improvement, please let me know; thanks!

This is a FUN project; not only does the little boat have POWER, but it SOUNDS like it has a tiny DIESEL motor!

It is a good educational project for young folks too; teaches about steam power.

You might have seen all kinds of websites about Put-Put Boats. I saw it on the Discovery Channel so I Googled it and, being retired, I thought it might be a neat little project. So I made one. Now I'm so enthused about it that I want to share with you how I made mine. They are also called "POP POP boats" or "PUTT PUTT" boats.

Probably I'll be making a lot more of these. Likely this page will evolve as better ideas come to mind.

WARNING: This neat project requires parental guidance.

THIS IS VERY NECESSARY and that's a GOOD thing because parents and grandparents will enjoy this as much as the younger folks!

- WATER: danger of drowning
- RAZOR BLADE: danger of injury
- CANDLE: danger of fire
- POWERFUL GLUE: danger of sticking things better left un-stuck

Hopefully spring 2008, there will be a decent video clip of my boat here. For now, this is the best I can do, and please don't yell at me about the ring in my bathtub.

A couple of definitions first:
"gunwale" is the top edge of the sides of the boat
"bow" is the front of the boat
"stern" is the back/rear of the boat
But you KNEW all that.

It worked perfectly first try. It did take me quite awhile to get it all put together.

I used the VERY DETAILED instructions provided by Slater Harrison in Pennsylvania at his site which lives at http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/boat/makeBoat4_07.htm and I thank Slater for sharing this with the world.

This is not something you are likely to start one afternoon and finish by dinner-time. Expect to take a day or two, working on it a bit at a time.

The PARTS or MATERIALS you will need:

* I like J-B Weld because it is incredibly strong and can take exceptionally high temperatures without problem; it does not dry fast like other similar products though. Get some of this and you'll find dozens of other uses for it. If you want to complete your boat much faster, get some QUICK-setting epoxy glue.

NOTE: if you are pressed for time, or don't have ready access to the parts or tools, maybe I can help. I plan to make quite a few of these, and so will have most or all of the parts for "a bunch of them" ready all the time. Maybe I can mail you a package of all the parts partly made, sort of like a KIT. Details near the bottom of this page.

The Boat:

Right-click on the 3 images below, and print out the 13 patterns. Note that the measurements are in centimeters, not inches. I opened them in Irfanview and, to print them, this worked best for me:
- the image on the left (9 boat parts; DO NOT MISS the little tiny one; part F):
....."best fit to page"
- the image in the middle (the deck):
....."Customize, and Width: 17.30, Height: 25.58 and "aspect ratio" checked
- the image on the right (boat hull):
....."best fit to page"

Here is all the detail about these nine parts:
A - support for the "tail-pipes" and it measures 5.5 cm x 1.5 cm

B - the cabin; overall length is 12.5 cm; the middle part is 2.5 cm wide and the edges are .7 cm wide; cut all the little short lines so that you have 42 (assuming I counted correctly) tabs for gluing it. NOTE that it does not matter which side you call the top or the bottom; you choose.

C - the transom support; it folds in the middle and is glued over the actual transom to give it more strength; 6.5 cm x 8.2 cm.

D - pattern for cutting the soft-drink can which becomes the "engine"; 10 cm long; the middle part is 2.5 cm wide and the two edges are .8 cm wide (Part D is NOT cut out of the milk-carton paper)

E - brace to keep the sides of the boat a proper distance apart; 7 cm long; each part is .7 cm wide. Crease the 4 lines well and FOLD it so that you have a "triangular tube" and glue or tape it to hold that shape.

F - This part is cut from the DOUBLE edge of the milk carton so it is 2x as thick as all the other pieces; it is for the rudder, it measures about .5 cm x .5 cm and has a pin-hole in the middle

G - roof of the cabin; two cuts are for holding the chimney; overall it is 10 cm x 8.6 cm

H - the chimney; the one tab on the end slides into the cut in the other end

I - rudder; folds in the middle

These are the final patterns; "K" is the deck of the boat.

You might want to make TWO of part K and glue them together, to make the deck stronger.

Part L is is a tool to help place the cabin (part "B") precisely on the deck.

Part M is to hide all the little tabs of the cabin after attaching the cabin to the deck. Part M is now obsolete. Don't bother with it.

If you have any difficulty printing this out to size, this is how I did it. I opened the image in Irfanview, clicked "File" and "Print" and set it at "Custom" with a "width" of 17.30 and a check-mark beside "aspect ratio" causing the height to automatically change to 25.58.

Now glue the 11 of the 13 patterns to the two opened milk cartons as I did here. Use the BACK, the PRINTED side of the cartons, ignoring "M."

NOTE that part F is on the SEAM of the carton, that is, where it is DOUBLE THICKNESS.

AND, pattern D IS NOT CUT FROM the carton; it is for the aluminum CAN! Also note that I have ONE part of a carton left so that I can use it to make a SECOND copy of the boat deck, part K to make it twice as thick.

After you have glued the patterns to the carton, use a ballpoint pen and ruler to crease all the lines which are going to be folded; this applies, of course, to patterns A, B, C, E, I and J.

Note that there are two short lines which need to be cut; one on either side of the middle, larger part of the stern of the boat. Crease the other lines with a ballpoint pen. Cut out the small rectangular hole AFTER you make these creases and after making the folds. Then fold and staple but apply some caulking on the two tabs at the back of the boat as well as in the bow before stapling. Here it is before and after stapling. The two tabs on the back can stay on the outside.

UPDATE:

NOTE: instead of stapling the gunwale, you can use sandpaper to scrape off the plastic coating and use a glue stick to glue the long gunwale in place. Be sure to clamp it well, and give it enough time for that glue to set 100% though.

For the bow, I quit using the stapler also. I put the brace, "E" in place, 10 cm from the back of the boat, and just under the gunwale, and then put the aluminum tape on the bow. Then I put a good "bead" of caulking into the bow and pressed it into place with a wet finger-tip.

After stapling, use the pliers to flatten the ALL of the staples, PARTICULARLY the transom.

Take the "brace" (part E) and slide it into the boat, to keep the sides apart, 10 cm from the back of the boat. If you push it down to sit directly below the folded gunwale of the boat, it should stay there; a drop of glue at each end should keep it there.

Now fold part C, the transom on the line and fit it into the boat, over the transom, to make SURE that it will fit perfectly. Then glue it to strengthen the transom. Use plenty of the J-B Weld and clamp it as well as you can until it has fully dried; best left overnight. NOTE: I plan to make quite a few of these boats so I made a little tool to help with this step. I cut two pieces of VERY THIN plywood the size/shape of the transom and taped them together. Now, after gluing the part C in place, I slip this wood pad over the transom and clamp them with a "C" clamp like this. This little tool can be used to form the rudder as well.

Part H, the chimney: pull this part over the edge of your kitchen counter a time or two, printed side UNDER, to make it nice and round. Then push the little tab into the slot and glue it so that the chimney stays round.

Now take part G, the cabin roof, (the printed side is the UNDERside) make sure the two curved slots are cut, and then slide the two tabs of the chimney into those slots, on the TOP side. These slots are curved, so use a round object like a pen to "curve" the two little tabs so they will fit into the slots better. Put a dab of J-B Weld on the tabs on the underside of the roof and also INSIDE the chimney to hold that tab in place.

Now take part B, the cabin. You might like to draw or cut windows on this before going any further. I didn't. Like the chimney, roll this part over the edge of the counter to make it nice and round, printed side IN. Put glue on the (42?) little tabs and glue the cabin on the underside of the roof.

Prepare the engine:

First, take the CLEAN soft-drink can and cut off the ends. A brand-new (one-sided) razor blade should be sharp enough to cut it. Then cut it down one side to salvage as large a piece of thin aluminum as possible. Avoid dents and creases. This should result in a piece of aluminum measuring 20.5 cm long and pretty close to 9 cm wide. Using a straight-edge, (ruler) cut one of the long sides perfectly straight. That done, fold this sheet of aluminum in the middle so you have it measuring 9 cm x 10.25 cm. Fold it with the printed side OUT. Lay this on a hard surface and press on the fold with your ruler to make that fold very tight, like this.
At the open end, put tape to keep it "together" for now.

If you cut the can carefully, this piece of aluminum provides "engines" for TWO boats. KEEP the leftover strip.

Tip:

If you are going to use a high-speed rotary tool with a "cut-off wheel" and the proper "mandrel" to hold that wheel, be SURE TO USE EYE PROTECTION!!!! If you do not, you will probably wind up BLIND forever. And if that happens, you will not likely ever SEE your boat in action. Using a wheel like this, as I did here, can provide a nice clean cut but you will have to use sandpaper on the sharp (!!) edges when done.

Now take the two drinking straws. A straw has a "short end" and then the "accordion-like" piece that allows it to bend, and then the "long end." Cut a short piece off each SHORT end so that there is only 2.5 cm of "smooth" straw left from the "accordion" to the end. Use sandpaper to "roughen" these 2.5 cm so that the J-B Weld will hold better. KEEP the short pieces you cut off. We'll refer to the aluminum part and straws as the "engine." The end of the straw furthest away from the "accordion" will be the "Tail Pipe." Set all this aside for now.

Now that we have the patterns cut out, take D, the pattern for the engine. Take two short pieces of Scotch Tape and make little "donuts" out of them with the sticky side OUTside; use that to stick pattern D to the engine, so that one of the solid lines is on the "perfectly straight edge." Then cut along the other line. Move pattern D over so that you can recover an identical piece for your NEXT boat. Save the aluminum scrap for now.

Then mark on the aluminum, the edges to be folded; use a ballpoint pen to scratch the 2 lines onto each piece. That done, fold the edges over along a sharp edge such as the kitchen counter.

Next, carefully bend the edges further and when they are bent far enough, lay the piece on a hard surface, remove the bit of tape which is still on the open end, lay a ruler on top and pound it once or twice with your fist to press the edges down. On this picture, the one on the left is done and the other has yet to be pounded down.

Now make 4 more of those tiny "Scotch Tape donuts" and stick them on the underside of the engine, that is, the side which does NOT have the folded edges. Have your donuts big enough to stick to the aluminum, all the way across, from one side to the other. Take a piece of leftover milk-carton paper and stick the engine on that for now. Press it down good and tight to the paper. Here, the one on the left has the donuts on it; the other shows the OTHER SIDE of an engine.

Now take your two drinking straws on which we have shortened the short end. Push both of the LONG ends into the engine as far as they will conveniently go. This will be awkward; you may want to push a sharp object such as a pencil into the engine just a little bit, to open the end enough for the straws to go in. In this picture, I have cut the straws to make it easier to see that the bottom of the engine should stay FLAT while the top is ROUNDED.

Now mix up a good sized gob of J-B and apply it to the engine to seal the sides well. Use that strip of scrap aluminum to get it between the layers of aluminum in the folded edges. Use lots; do NOT yet seal the end nor get any J-B on the straws; just be sure the straws are pushed all the way in. This step should do two things: 1. SEAL the engine 100% and 2. help it KEEP its rounded (on one side) SHAPE. This is an awkward yet important step (as they ALL are!) and one way you might use to get the glue in BETWEEN the layers of aluminum, is to pry them apart a tiny bit with your razor blade and then push in toothpicks to hold it open while you push in the glue. The scraps of aluminum left from cutting out the engine can be used to "push" the glue between the layers.

When that has fully dried, pull out the two straws and carefully remove the engine from the Scotch Tape donuts. You have, earlier, used sandpaper to "roughen" the short ends of the straws, right? Now, mix up a large gob of J-B and apply it around the SHORT end of each straw, BUT, leave about 4 mm right next to the "accordion" with NO glue on it. Slide the straws into the engine just so all the glued part goes in. Apply a generous serving of J-B all around where the straws go in, filling the end of the engine so that it is completely sealed. Don't forget to put some glue in between the straws as well. Lay this down on something so that any drips of glue won't be a problem. Let this dry completely. Note the 4 (prox) mm of straw left between the glue and the accordion. Test for leaks when glue is dry.

The Heater:

Take the roll of aluminum foil (approximately 30.5 cm wide) and cut off a piece 10 to 15 cm wide. Roll this foil, from one end to the other, around a drinking straw. Scotch-Tape the ends of the foil so it does not unroll. Flatten all this well and then put a small gob of J-B near one end. Stick your little 1 cm long candle on that and let that dry well. Here it is: (note that I bent the end a little)

Install the engine:

Before we actually install it, let's be sure it is water-tight. I used a syringe for cleaning ear-wax from ears to squirt water into one straw. The water should come out of the other straw, of course, and NOWHERE else.

Assuming that there are no leaks, we install the engine like this. Put the engine into the boat so that the FLAT side is toward the BACK of the boat and the curved side with the two folded edges is toward the front of the boat. The straws go through the hole in the bottom of the boat. Lean the top of the motor toward the back of the boat. Temporarily, run a piece of tape from the top of the engine to the back of the boat to keep it nicely centered, but ALLOW the top of the engine to touch the underside of brace "E." On the underside of the boat, bend the straws toward the transom and temporarily tape them (centered on the boat) there. That done, squirt a LOT of waterproof caulking all around the area where the straws go through that hole and up the inside of the bow (front) of the boat. Also caulk the stern the boat; up the sides (corners) and across the bottom. ALSO: remember that strip of aluminum left over from when we cut the "engine" parts? Take that IF YOU LIKE, and glue a piece of it onto the UNDERSIDE of brace E to protect E from the candle flame. But I never do that.

While all that caulking is setting, attach the chimney (H) to the topside of the roof (G), that is, the side with NO printing on it. Just slip the two tabs into the slots of the roof; a tiny dab of glue on the underside, on each tab, should hold the chimney there forever.

Now take part M; the "Big Letter 'D'" and glue it onto the deck where you want the cabin to sit. On this picture I have it UPSIDE down to make it show up better.

Then attach the cabin (B) to the printed side (i.e. the UNDERside) of the roof. Note that you should not need to glue every single one of the glue tabs; a few will do. Again, YOU can decide which way you prefer as UP for the cabin.

IGNORE the little wood "jig" in the picture and also the C-clamp; they were just for a test.

UPDATE: In later versions of this boat, part M is omitted entirely and part B (cabin), instead of having 40-some little tabs on the top and bottom sides, has only THREE tabs on each side. After part L has been glued onto K, hold the cabin (B) on top of the deck, touching part L, and with a pen mark where there tabs are like this.

Then cut slots in the deck to accept the tabs. Bend and glue the other 3 tabs on the underside of the roof.

Finally, for this part of the exercise, attach the cabin to the deck. My deck is double-thickness. Apply glue to the tabs of the deck, set the deck on the cabin snug against part "M" and put weight on the roof to let the glue set. When the glue has set, put part "L" (the big letter "C") over the tabs to hide them. This is where "Alligator Clips" come in handy.

Be sure that the back, straight edge of the roof is parallel with the back of the boat; you don't want it crooked!

While that is drying, test your boat/motor. Remove the two pieces of tape. Squirt water into one straw until it comes out the other. Fill the kitchen sink (well, not "FILL" it!) and let the water pour out of the straws. Then set the boat in the water, light the candle on the Heater and slip it into the boat so that the candle can heat the Engine without burning the cross-brace. Wait for a few seconds to see if it works. The FIRST PROBLEM will probably be that the straws' ends are not submerged. FOR NOW, just put some weight in the back of the boat. We'll fix this later. There should be NO leaks, forward MOTION and the best part, the PUT-PUT SOUND!

The Rudder:

Take the large paper clip and make it as straight as you can. This should give you a wire about 15 cm long. With your pliers, bend it. The short little "handle" at the top end is 1/2 cm long and the next part, the "horizontal" section is 2 cm long. The longest part is 6.5 cm long to where it is bent into a loop. Slide part F, the tiny double-thickness square with the pin-hole, onto the wire, from the bottom of the wire, with the UNprinted side toward the top of the rudder. Then take one of the very short (prox. 2.5 cm) pieces of drinking straws, sand it with the Emory board so that the glue will hold it better, and slide it on so it is below part F. Now, with your pliers, grab the wire at a point 6.5 cm down from the bend and bend it there so you have a loop which can be hidden inside the folded rudder part I.

Cut off any extra wire and discard that. Now fold the rudder part I over that loop, glue and clamp until the J-B is dry.

When it is dry, take the other short bit of straw and cut it down one side, and push it INTO the other one, WITH the wire. Also slide a couple of toothpicks into the first short straw so that the rudder will turn smoothly but not loosely INSIDE that straw. The tiny square is there to keep the rudder up instead of hanging on the edge of the transom. You can add a tiny drop of J-B to hold it in place if you like.

Glue the rudder onto the back of the boat, centered as well as possible.

Trim the tailpipe to whatever looks about right.

Glue the tailpipe support ("A") to the underside of the back, 3 cm or so from the back of the boat.

Put the tailpipes on that support and glue them in place. The roll of Scotch Tape, here, is to apply enough weight to hold them in place.

Note that the way I have the tailpipe support attached is NOT going to make for a FAST boat; if you are interested in speed, turn it 90 degrees.

Earlier when testing the boat, we found that the tailpipes were not down deep enough in the water and, temporarily, we had to put some weight in the back of the boat. Now, with the tailpipes attached properly, and pointing downward a bit more, no weight should be necessary. If it is, just glue a big nail or two in the back.

NOW, let us attach the deck and trim:

Apply a THICK "bead" of caulking all around the INSIDE gunwale of the entire hull, including the top of the transom. Then, put the deck in place and hold it down with Scotch Tape until the caulking is completely set, holding the deck down. Set the boat UPSIDE DOWN so that the caulking will move down to stick to the underside of the deck from front to back.

As for the trim, I like to add 3 small strips of foil tape to the front and back "corners" of the boat; see my picture below. The piece included in the kit should be cut lengthways into 3 equal-sized pieces.

Dry Dock:

Now that you have a really cool boat, you might want to make a rack of some kind to set it on. The one I show at the top of this page, made from scrap cardboard, might give you an idea of how you can make a really NICE one!

OPERATING YOUR NEW PUT-PUT BOAT:

Float the thing in your kitchen sink for awhile to see if there are any leaks and if it floats more-or-less upright. I hate boats that list.

If all looks "Shipshape" then it is time for the FINAL EXAM. Pour water into one of the straws so that it comes out the other straw. Now SHAKE the boat while holding your fingers over the ends of the tailpipes. Then hold the boat nose UP so that (most of) the water runs out again. Once again, put water into one straw until it comes out the other straw. Set the boat in the water and light the candle on the "heater." Carefully slide the heater into the boat so that the flame is under the engine, not so that it sets the brace, "E" on fire. Then let 'er rip. In 5 seconds or so it should take off. IT MIGHT be wise to set the rudder so that your lovely creation does not get away on you.

Some Ideas:

1. Have a contest to see who can add the nicest paint-job to his/her boat.

2. At some little pond, put a target at one side and have the boats launched at the other side and see whose boat comes closest to that target.

3. Before you take your boat out to play with it, make several more "fuel supply" strips with candles glued on.

4. Have a contest to see whose boat goes fastest.

5. See who can come up with the "coolest" name for his/her boat.

6. Design your own; maybe these free boat plans will help: http://www.svensons.com/boat/.

7. When you have completed building a boat, put a note on the underside of the roof, with your name, boat number and date of manufacture.

8. Have a contest to see whose boat will run for the longest period of time.

9. Have a contest to see whose makes the loudest PUT-PUT sound.

10. If you are going to some outdoor pond with your boat, take a fishing rod with very fine line, and a small piece of wood tied at the end. That way, if the boat stalls in the middle of the lake, maybe you can cast the wood over the boat to drag it back.

11. Keep in mind that water may continue to drip out of the boat for quite some time after use, so be cautious as to where and how you handle it.

12. You should not have the candle flame too close to the straws; even inside the "engine" they can easily melt.

13. To take a number of boats safely to the lake, without damage, put each boat into a shopping bag and hang all the bags on a coat hanger. Then just hang the coat hanger in your vehicle, like this:

What's next?

Well, as long as you can keep a secret: I'm working on one made of metal instead of paper. Slightly larger too. But I'm held up with problems; I need a wireless remote control system to move the rudder. Never having played with such type of remotes before, I'm stuck at the moment.

Resources on the web:

IF YOU WANT, I can help. I can send you the one I'm currently working on; I generally have one or two "on the go." What this "kit" includes:

- all the 12 patterns glued on milk cartons, ready cut out
- the rudder wire, bent
- the 2 straws (flexible)
- the aluminum, cut, folded, ready to use, i.e. one engine with pattern taped on
- folded foil strip (the "Heater") and 2candles
- single-edged razor blade
- aluminum to protect part "E" from the flame
- piece of metal foil tape for trimming the 3 "corners" of the boat
- Emory board for sanding the straws

If you like that, mail me $3.00 plus POSTAGE of $??????

Ken Laninga
9705 - 88 Avenue
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Canada T8V 0B6

and be SURE to PRINT your snail mail address on a note, asking for the boat plans, so I can cut it out and glue it on the envelope.

How to make your own "PUT-PUT BOAT" or "POP-POP BOAT"

STOP THE PRESSES!