How to inspire children? With self-made cars, airplanes or ships – which also move themselves! We therefore built a so-called rattling boat and were completely thrilled that it actually drives and the rattling "drive" sounds a bit like a real engine. We also learned something about physics right away.
From Mareen
How to inspire children? With self-made cars, airplanes or ships – which also move themselves! We therefore built a so-called rattling boat and were completely thrilled that it actually drives and that the rattling "drive" sounds a bit like a real engine. We also learned something about physics in a moment.
From Mareen
A Knatterboot can really build anyone. If you pay attention to a few basic things, you will definitely not be disappointed. It would be a pity if the big moment has come, you let the boat of your own construction into the water and nothing happens.
HOW TO. DO IT.
In our HOW TO. DO IT.-In the following series we show you how to realize great (small) projects step by step. So, sit back and be entertained – or even better – be inspired! Have fun.
What you need:
You can fill the boat from Styrofoam, From Wood Or build from a combination of the two. We built a first prototype out of styrofoam and then rebuilt it as a wooden version. You also need a Brass or copper tube with a diameter of approx. 1-2 mm and a tea light. Required tools are Foliage- Or Hacksaw, a Carpet knife, an Drilling machine and "something round" with ca. 2-3 cm in diameter, with which you can bend the tube into the required shape, for example a broomstick.
First draw the shape of a boat on a piece of paper, then transfer the pattern to your chosen material. The styrofoam can be cut out with a carpet knife, for wood you need a saw of course. So that there are no sprouts, we have the wooden boat still a little with Sandpaper Edited.
Now you have to make a "loop" in the tube first. To do this, use the previously described round object and wrap it around there one and a half times. Make sure that there are no kinks, otherwise the drive of your Knatterboot will not work. You have to be very careful and cautious here, the material is very soft.
Now you can place the tea light on your boat. It is best to make the holes centrally, so that there is no slant in the water. Marks two points on the left and right of the tea light. These are for the holes through which you will later put the tube ends. With styrofoam you can pierce the holes with the tube itself, with a thin pen or scissors, with wood you have to use a drill. Place the holes a little closer to the tealight, so that when you put the spiral in, there will be a tension that clamps and fixes it later on.
Push the tube ends of the spiral down through the holes. Make sure that the loop is centrally located above the tea light. Then you bend the lower ends carefully diagonally away to the back. Now the two ends of the tubes should be as parallel as possible. Now you can shorten the tubes with the saw. They should stick out about 4 cm at the bottom.
Now you need to fill the tube with water. You hold one end of the tube under the faucet and wait for the water to run out of the other end. Now you have to close one end with your finger, so that the water stays in the tube, and launch it like this.
Then the candle can be placed and the wick lit. It takes a little moment, then the boat starts to rattle and moves slowly over the water.
And why does the boat run? Due to the heat of the candle, the water in the tube becomes hot and vaporizes. Steam is expelled and propels the boat. In addition, water continues to be sucked in, so that a circuit is created that makes the rattling boat move. So simple, so exciting – have fun with it!
HOW TO. DO IT.
In our HOW TO. DO IT.-series we show you how to implement really great (small) projects step by step. So, sit back and be entertained – or even better – be inspired! Have fun.
Mareen
"Hello, I am Mareen. The "do-it-yourself" and I have had a long love-hate relationship, but one that is slowly but surely turning into love, thanks to my two crafty sons and my DIY-addicted husband. When I’m not tinkering or holding spirit levels, I like to dig through my garden."