Probably every fishing enthusiast at least once thought about how to make a makeshift boat. This is not an easy task, but it’s real to make such a craft.
Moreover, it is not necessary to be an engineer, all that is required of you is
enthusiasm and several hours of free time. And how to make home-made boats from plywood, you will learn from our today's article.
Manufacturing difficulties
Is it really difficult to make such a design with a minimal set of tools? As practice shows, even with such equipment a homemade inflatable boat (or plywood) can be easily done in 3-4 hours. Due to the fact that it takes a minimum of time to complete all these works, you can make a boat even in the open. Well, in the event of a change in weather, you can always cover it with a tarpaulin or a piece of plastic film.
What makes homemade plywood boats good ?
Firstly, plywood is a light, durable and fairly warm material. It is almost impossible to kill such a boat, and it does not weigh too much. Secondly, unlike rubber analogues, the space in the plywood boat is enough for a few people (while inside, between the seats, you can fit all the necessary fishing tackle). In store options, free space is sorely lacking.
Thirdly, being in a wooden boat, you do not feel any discomfort.
Preparation of materials
The main material from which homemade boats are made is plywood. There are no difficulties finding it in the market. Plywood is perhaps the most affordable and cheap material for such work. Yes, and working with her is very convenient.
Getting down to business
First of all, I would like to note that any work related to the self-production of a tool (whether it be a tractor or something else, it doesn’t matter) should be carried out clearly according to a given scheme. In this case, you should have drawings of improvised boats on hand. In some cases, drawings can be replaced with a sketch.
So how are homemade boats made? To assemble the case, you will need to prepare dry boards with a thickness of 2.5 centimeters and a 6 mm plywood sheet. The width of the boards for the stern and sides should be 30.5 centimeters. These are the most optimal sizes for a fishing boat. All other elements that are inside the structure (seats and struts) are made of boards 2.5 cm wide. At the same time, the length of these parts is 86.4 centimeters. It must be borne in mind that the dimensions of all these elements must be precisely maintained, since all of them are attached to the hull of the boat only with self-tapping screws.
The manufacture of all parts and elements of this design absolutely does not cause any difficulties and difficulties. This is due to their simple geometric shape.
In the course of the work, pay particular attention to fitting the mating surfaces and the frill of the boat. All abutting edges must be carefully adjusted and have minimal gaps along the entire length. As fasteners, either tinned or galvanized screws are used. As for the sizes of these fasteners, depending on the place of application, they can be as follows:
- 3x26 and 3x18 millimeters - for boat sheathing;
- 4x60 and 5x64 millimeters - for all other construction details (for example, seats, feed and side).
The bottom of the boat is made of 6 mm thick plywood sheet. But, since this part of the floating means will be constantly exposed to water, for the water resistance of the boat, the hull joints and the bottom should be additionally treated with “VIAM-B / 3” glue and fixed with screws around the entire perimeter. If there is no such product ("VIAM-B / 3"), oil paint would be a good alternative. Although it does not have good adhesive properties and characteristics, it provides a durable and waterproof coating. It is worth noting that the distance between the screws should be about 4 centimeters. External seams should be carefully glued with a cloth or percale using AK-20. In order not to sink the bottom of the boat, a rack grill is installed between the struts (the cross-section of the rails is 5x2 centimeters).
How to paint homemade boats?
Perhaps the most crucial step in building this floating craft is painting its plywood body. How to do it right?
Before painting the boat you need to carefully prime it. Here you will need to prepare a thick brush and natural drying oil, which will serve as a primer. In order for it to be better absorbed into the material, pre-heat it to the boiling point before application. Natural drying oil is applied not only to the outside, but also to the inside of the boat.
Immediately after applying this material to the wood surface of the craft, it is strongly not recommended to start painting it. First you need to wait a few minutes until the drying oil is finally absorbed into the tree. After the primer has completely dried, you can safely proceed to the application of paint.
What colors should I choose for a boat?
The most popular and, perhaps, harmonious will be a combination of white and red shades. Moreover, the first is applied to the bottom of the boat (to the waterline), and the rest of the surface is covered in red. The inner part is not necessary to cover the same, the most popular option is a light green tone.
Application Rules
It must be said that the paint that is sold in stores in cans and is often applied to wooden fences will not be the best option for our boat, which spends most of its time in water. Therefore, we will receive it in a special way. So what needs to be done for this? To get red, you need to use lead minium, and zinc and lead white will give a white tint .
The resulting liquid should be diluted with pure drying oil. In this case, the calculation is made so that the boat can be painted another 2-3 times. By its properties, liquid paint is better, it spreads more easily, and therefore gives a more durable and even coating. When applying this product on a boat, wide soft brush fleets are used.
Some enthusiasts use nitro paints based on their high-quality coating. However, we do not recommend using them for such boats, since they do not provide the necessary durability for wood (accordingly, the structure becomes less and less durable and unsuitable for use every year).
Important points
If home-made motor boats are made, then an additional drawing of special mounts for an electric or gasoline engine is made. However, a simpler and cheaper option would be to use regular oars. They are often made from a 35 mm birch plank. At the same time, a spike with a handle is installed at the end of the spindle, and brass plates are applied to the blade edge. Next, the oar is primed and painted.
And finally, some statistics. As practice shows, the average service life of plywood boats is about 15-20 years. Neither plastic nor even their rubber competitors can boast of such survivability.