DIY: Personal Hovercrafts

Set the 6 mil plastic sheeting down on a wide flat surface. Draw a 6-by-10-foot rectangle on the plastic sheeting with a marker and use the utility knife to cut it out. Measure and draw a smaller 2-by-5-foot rectangle in the center of the larger 6-by-10-foot rectangle. Create a six inch wide rectangular pattern using duct tape around the outer edge of the center rectangle.

Place 1/2-inch holes every 6 inches in the duct tape rectangle. Make sure the utility knife cuts through both the plastic sheeting and the duct tape.

Find the center of one end of the sheet of plywood 8 inches in from the edge and mark the location. Set the end of the leaf blower, which is being used as the lift motor, roughly in the center of this mark and trace around the end of the blower. Cut out a hole with the jig saw following the outline of the end of the blower. Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the center, 8 inches in from the edge at the opposite end. Repeat with the second sheet of plywood and make sure all holes line up.

Spread quick drying epoxy over the area of the center rectangle on the plastic sheeting. Place one of the plywood sheets carefully in the middle of the plastic. Set some weight on top of the plywood and allow the epoxy to dry.

Wrap 4 inches of the plastic sheeting up and around all the edges of the plywood and staple it down, roughly every 2 inches. Tape over the heads of the staples and where the edge of the plastic meets the plywood to help keep the air from escaping when the skirt is inflated. Glue the second sheet of plywood to the stapled side of the first sheet with quick-drying epoxy and allow to dry. Make sure the holes and edges match up.

Saw the 2 x 4 in two sections using the circular saw; one section should be 4-feet long and the other should be two-feet long. Drill a 1/2-inch hole through the center of the 4 foot section. Cut the nylon strap in half and staple the end of one of one of the halves to one end of the 4-foot piece of 2 x 4. Set one of the leaf blowers on the 4-foot 2 x 4 between the edge and the center hole. Place the nylon strap over the top of the leaf blower, pull it down tightly to secure the leaf blower to the 2 x 4 and staple the loose end of the strap to the 2 x 4. Repeat with the second leaf blower. Attach the ends of the 6-foot string to the trigger of each leaf blower to use as throttle cables.

Screw the 2-foot piece of 2 x 4 to the 4-foot piece with wood screws. Place the 2-foot piece towards the center of the 4-foot section but make sure it is perpendicular to it. Do not cover the center hole. This will function as a steering arm.

Tip the plywood up on its side and find the 1/2-inch hole. Place duct tape over the plastic sheeting in the area where the 1/2-inch hole is located. Poke a small hole through the duct tape and plastic. Slide the carriage bolt through the hole in the plastic and the plywood base -- the head of the bolt should be on the bottom of the base. Thread the nut down on the end of the bolt to hold it in place, then apply epoxy where the head of the bolt meets the base. Let dry.

Place the plywood base plastic side down and take the nut off the carriage bolt. Set the three washers on the carriage bolt. Place the two leaf blower assembly over the carriage bolt. Screw the nut down so it's tight enough to hold the assembly in place but loose enough to allow the 4-foot section to still rotate. Set the third leaf blower in the hole at the front of the base.

Sit in the center of the hovercraft. Start the leaf blower at the front of the craft and allow it to fully inflate the skirt. Grab the throttle cables and once it's hovering, start the rear leaf blowers. Maneuver the craft with the steering arm and control thrust with the throttle cables.