Rubber-Band Paddleboat

By Robert Wojtkowski

If you ever get tired of playing with battery-operated toys, you can make your own toy boat. It’s easy and inexpensive to build. You just wind it up and watch it paddle itself across a pond or swimming pool or even the bathtub!

You will need: 4″ x 8″ piece of solid wood approximately 1/4″ thick, new 1/4″ wide rubber band, crosscut saw, coping saw (or hammer and wood chisel), pocketknife, medium-grain sandpaper, paint, and paintbrush.

1. Using saw and pocketknife, shape point on one end of wood as illustrated.

2. On each side of boat’s stern, measure in 1/2″ and cut out 2 1/2″ x 3″ piece with coping saw or with hammer and chisel (see illustration).

3. Trim removed piece to 2″ x 2 1/2″ for paddle.

4. Notch extenders on both sides of paddle as illustrated. Sand boat and paddle, then paint if desired.

5. Assemble boat by holding paddle in place and stretching rubber band over paddle as shown. While holding boat with one hand, turn paddle clockwise until rubber band is tight. Place boat gently on water’s surface and release.

Enjoy the boat alone or have fun racing your friends’ paddleboats.