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Homemade Model Wooden Boats

Homemade model wooden boats are easy and fun to make. You can start with a simple boat, which takes less than an hour to make, and add to it gradually to make the model more detailed. Or, you can start afresh each time and make several boats, each one different than the previous one. Either way, making model wooden boats is a creative and pleasant hobby that parents and children can enjoy together.

Things You'll Need

Piece of rectangular wood (softwood or hardwood), 8-by-4-by-1-inch
Pencil
Ruler
Drill and 1/8-inch drill bit
CD
Hand saw or jigsaw
Sandpaper, Medium grit
Right-angled triangle of canvas or cotton, 5-inches tall by 4-inches wide
Piece of dowel rod, 3 3/4-inches by 1/8-inch
Piece of dowel rod, 6-inches by 1/8-inch
Waterproof glue
Paint
Paint brush

Instructions

- 1
  
  A humble piece of wood can soon become a thing of beauty.
  
  Take the 8-by-4-by-1-inch rectangular piece of wood. Draw two diagonal lines between opposite corners using a pencil and ruler to find the center point. Drill a hole using a 1/8-inch drill bit. Make the hole 3/4-inch deep.
- 2
  
  Sterns come in many shapes, including curved.
  
  Mark the center point (2-inches) on one of the short edges of the rectangular piece. Place a CD on the wood so that its edge touches the marked point and it sits centrally over the wood. Trace the curve of the CD to indicate the stern of the ship.
- 3
  Mark the center point (2-inches) on the other short end of the piece of wood. Mark a point on each long edge of the wood, 2-inches from this same short end. Join each point to your 2-inch mark with straight lines. Use a pencil and ruler to indicate the bow.
- 4
  Saw off most of the wood of the curve with a hand saw or jigsaw to follow the drawn line. Saw along the straight lines to make the bow of the boat. Sand the curve of the stern and the straight edges of the bow smooth with medium grit sandpaper.
- 5
  Make your sail. Glue along the four inch edge of the triangular piece of canvas or cotton. Place the shorter dowel rod on the glue so that one of its ends is at the bottom acute angle of the triangle. Roll the 4-inch edge to cover the dowel rod. Glue along the five inch edge of the triangle of canvas or cotton. Place the longer dowel rod on the glue so that one of its ends is at the top acute angle of the triangle. Roll the five inch edge to cover the dowel rod.
- 6
  
  A perfect place to sail your boat.
  
  Glue the projecting end of the longer dowel rod into the hole in the center of the rectangular piece of wood. Allow to dry. Paint your boat in any color you desire. Add a name to your boat. Allow to dry, then take it to a lake or simply sail it in the bath!

Wooden Toys