CARDBOARD BOAT BUILDING 101by United Way of Elkhart County

What floats your Cardboard boat...

United Way Kick OffAugust 28, 2015

r The ENTIRE boat must be built of cardboard, duct tape, and one-part polyurethane.

r Only exceptions are the paddles & decorations

r Use Cardboard boxes, “blocks”, carpet tubes

r NO pre-treated cardboard allowed

r No Sona-Tubes, waxed or ‘treated’ cardboard

r NO wood, plastic or fiberglass

r NO caulking compounds or two-part/mixed adhesives

r NO wrapping in duct tape, plastic or fiberglass

r Duct tape may be used to reinforce seams

CONSTRUCTION RULES

r Waterproof the boat with Varnish, Paint or Polyurethane (one-part, paint-like substance)

r Decorations are encouraged -as long as they don’t effect structural strength or buoyancy

r The crew compartment CANNOT be enclosed so as to interfere with escape

r Every crewmember must wear a personal floatation devise (PDF) and proper footwear

CONSTRUCTION RULES

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Permissible Materialsr Corrugated Cardboard m Appliance or grocery stores

r Cardboard “blocks” m Furniture stores

r Cardboard Tubes m Carpet/linoleum stores

r Fastening material m Duct or masking tape m Liquid nails adhesive

r Latex Paint, Varnish

Materials NOT Allowedr Wood, Styrofoam

r Plastic sheathing

r Fiberglass

r Sona-Tubes, coated cardboard

r Silicon, Wax, Tar

r Caulking compounds

r Metal

r Staples, clamps, screws

Judges decide on the interpretation of the rules

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALSEXAMPLES

Carpet Tube(about 4 ½” dia.)

CardboardBlock(2-3” thick)

Cardboard Box -cut open

CARDBOARD BOATDESIGN

r Consider its size -building & transporting

m Big enough to hold crew, small enough to carry

m Wider is better, but still be able to paddle

- No surfboard style designs are allowed

-Rafts are allowed

m Consider total weight of all materials when wet

m EVERYTHING must be removed from the pond

r Boat decorations and crew costumes are encouraged -use your imagination you will be awarded for your creativity!

CARDBOARD BOATPHYSICS

“How much will you sink?” - Displacementwater

boatdisplaced

waterdisplaced volume of water (V)

V = L x W x H

Weight of Water = Water Diplaced (ft3) = Weight-of-boat-&people-lbs62.4 pountds/cubic-foot 62.4lbs/ft3-H2O

Depth (ft) boat sinks ____________________

EXAMPLE: Box boat, 3ft x 6ft, 1 ft tall (high) Boat volume= 3’ x 6’ x 1’ = 18 ft3

Boat displacement= 18 ft3 x 62.4 lbs/ft3 = 1123.2 lbs Which equates to 93.6 lbs per inch of boat height

MORE CARDBOARD BOATPHYSICS

“Wider is Better”- Center of Bouyancy

EVEN MORE CARDBOARD BOAT PHYSICS

Movement Through the Water

CARDBOARD BOAT DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

r Set the Design Goal: Fun, Speed and Appearance

r Sketch out your design

m build a scale model from manila paper:

- estimate materials or plan how to use what you have

- plan out what construction techniques will be used

r 1’x1’x3’ box: will float 187 lbs.

m if it’ll hold you, it’s big enough to float

r Flat bottom, sit-to-paddle & canoe styles -are the best/easiest

r Rudders help keep you straight but make turning difficult and adds complexity to your design.

MORE CARDBOARD BOAT DESIGN SUGGESTIONS

r Long boats go fast -but are harder to turn

r Short boats (<8’) -are difficult to keep straight

r Best Length: 8-12 feet

r Best Height: 18 inches

m allows room to sit/kneel & still paddle over the edge

r Best Width:

m 18”-30”(max) for 1 person

m 48” wide for 2 people side by side

r Kneeling is a “power” position but sitting is more comfortable

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES I

r Cover all edges of cardboard -acts like siphon

r Cardboard Tubes make great frames

m Cut for joining & bending

m Fasten tubes together

r Cardboard Hull

m 1-2 layers, fasten & cover the seams

m With 2 layers, overlap the seams & polyurethane in between

m Decorate, paint & varnish

r Reinforce the area where you sit, kneel or stand

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES II

r Carpenter’s glue and liquid nails work well

hot-melt glues will melt in the heat and sun

r Duct tape only non-painted surfaces (tubes or frame that will be covered)

m Duct tape shrinks when painted

m Duct tape should be covered with masking tape if you need to paint it

m Clear tape melts when painted

m Masking tape works well on glued edges & seams

m Kraft paper with spray adhesive may also be used

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES III

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES IV

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES V

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES VI

CONSTRUCTION TIPS &TECHNIQUES VII

GO BUILD YOUR BOAT

WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE CORPORATE PONDAUGUST 28, 2015

Boats arrive August 27th at United Way by NOON.

If you have questions, contact:

United Way of Elkhart CountyJess Koscher601 CR 17

PO Box 3048Elkhart, IN 46516

574-295-1650www.unitedwayec.org