Guide to making a boat. Homemade plywood boat. How to make a boat from boards with your own hands

All photos from the article

A boat is an indispensable element of fishing or summer holiday on the river. Of course, it's a good flotation device, even if it's small boat, is quite an expensive pleasure. However, you can make it yourself from plywood, and this task is not as difficult as many might think.

In this article we will look at how to build a plywood boat yourself, which can diversify your vacation.

General information

To build a plywood boat you only need a simple set of tools that everyone has home handyman, as well as suitable material, patience and the desire to get a quality result.

It should be noted that in addition to ease of manufacture, plywood floating craft has many other advantages, such as:

light weight, which is very important, because before launching the boat into the water, you have to walk some distance. In its lightweight version, this product weighs 10-15 kg, so two adults can easily carry it. True, if the boat is made according to frame technology, the weight increases, however, it is still not critical for transferring over short distances;
depending on the type of project, the capacity of the boat is up to 5 people, which is quite enough for a small family;
If the manufacturing technology is followed, the design is strong and durable;
for the manufacture of a watercraft you will not need large financial costs , since the price of all materials is quite affordable.

Therefore, if you have free time and the desire to build a boat, there is no reason to abandon this idea.

Tools and materials

Main characteristics future boat, such as strength and durability, depend on the plywood from which it is made. Therefore, its choice must be approached very responsibly.

Regular FK plywood, which is used for making furniture, is not suitable for these purposes. Therefore, it is best to use sheets of the following brands:

Brand	Peculiarities
BS	The veneer layers of this plywood are impregnated with bakelite glue. As a result, the material is resistant not only to water, but also to various aggressive environments, temperature changes and other negative influences. The disadvantages include high price, besides, it is very difficult to find this brand on sale.
BC	Bakelite varnish is used as an impregnation for veneer. Thanks to this, this material is also resistant to moisture and other negative influences, while its cost is slightly lower than the BK brand.
FSF	It is made on the basis of phenol-formaldehyde resins. This brand is the cheapest and most accessible. Therefore, it is excellent for building a boat if it is not possible to purchase BS or BC sheets.

In addition to the type of plywood brand, when choosing, you should also pay attention to its quality:

there should be no gaps at the ends of the slabs;
There should be no knots or other defects on the surface.

Note!
You should not use plywood that is too thick, as the sheets must be flexible.
That's why optimal thickness is 5–6 mm.

In addition to plywood, you will also need some other materials:

boards and bars - must be dry and of high quality;
fiberglass - it is more convenient to purchase in a roll and then cut into pieces of the required size;
yacht varnish or waterproof paint.

As for the tools, the set is quite simple:

jigsaw;
sander;
plane;
hammer;
clamps;
tape measure and pencil;
putty knife.

Making a boat

Blueprints

Before you start work, you need to prepare drawings on how to build a boat with your own hands from plywood. I must say that on the Internet there is a large number of all kinds of projects. Some of them are also available on our portal.

However, before choosing optimal project, you should decide on the basic requirements for the watercraft, such as:

size and capacity of the boat;
appearance products;
the complexity of the design is selected depending on the level of your skill. If this is your first time doing this kind of work, it is better to take a simpler project.

Having decided on these requirements, you can consider existing boat designs for self-built from plywood, and choose the most suitable one. If necessary, they can be slightly adjusted according to individual wishes.

Sawing parts

So, we have sorted out the choice of project, now we are building a boat from plywood with our own hands. As an example, let's look at how the simplest punt is made from one.

You should begin work by marking and cutting out parts.

This process is carried out as follows:

first of all, you need to mark the line of the bilge and transom (in diagram A, B, C);
then a part of the sheet is cut along the marked line with a jigsaw;
then the resulting workpiece should be applied to opposite side and circle with a pencil. Thus, it will serve as a template and ensure the symmetry of the boat. For convenience, the workpiece can be attached to the main sheet with clamps;
then the second part of the sheet is cut along the intended line;

after this you need to mark a line that will separate the transom from the bottom, and cut the transom along it;
At the end of the work, the cut areas need to be treated with sandpaper.

Advice!
The boat can be made larger.
In this case, before cutting the material, the sheets of plywood must be glued together, treating the joints with a plane.

Now that the main parts are completed, you can begin assembling the boat.

Assembly

Instructions for assembling the boat are as follows:

along the edge of the stern and transom, holes with a diameter of 1.5 mm should be drilled in increments of 150 mm;
then the transom must be screwed to the bottom with copper wire;
then the bottom needs to be laid on three stools. To ensure the necessary deflection, planks or books should be placed on the outer stools;
Next, the sides should be made from the two sections remaining after cutting out the bottom, taking into account the inclination of the transom. To do this, the workpiece must be attached to the cheekbone of the bottom. To make marking easier, you can make a hole in the upper part of the transom and screw the side to it. For this operation, you will need an assistant who will hold the side near the bow;
along the intended line, after which it should be used as a template for the second side;

then, along the edges of the side and the cheekbones of the bottom, holes with a diameter of 1.5 mm must be drilled in increments of 150 mm;
Now you need to fasten the parts with wire, taking into account the following nuances - the sides should be installed on the bottom and wound with wire with twists outward. The transom should be between the sides;
then the wire needs to be upset and tapped with a hammer;

Next, you need to insert a frame (partition), which can first be attached to the sides with self-tapping screws, as well as a can (seat). The design of the latter is a frame on top of which a board is attached;
then you need to make the strips and glue them along the sides;
At a distance of 300 mm from the seat, holes are made in the slats for oarlocks. In this place they can be strengthened with additional bars;

then the joints of the parts need to be glued with three layers of fiberglass and epoxy glue. The width of the bottom strip should be 25 mm, the middle - 40 mm, and the top - 50 mm. Before pasting, you need to bite off the outside of the paper clips;
after this, you need to finally glue the partition and the jar;
wooden dowels must be glued into the holes for temporary screws and other fasteners with epoxy;
then the external seams are glued in exactly the same way;

to give the bottom greater strength, as well as protect it from damage during mooring to the shore, with outside The keel should be attached as well as the outer stringers. For the latter, it is best to use larch slats. You can attach the slats using self-tapping screws and epoxy glue.

At this point, the main part of the work is completed, now all that remains is to finish the product.

Finishing

Further processing of the boat is performed in the following sequence:

first of all, all irregularities in the epoxy glue should be sanded with sandpaper;
existing defects must be filled with moisture-resistant putty;
then the product is opened with varnish or painted. It is better to paint the boat with pentaphthalic paint intended for exterior use.

Advice!
To give the craft a more attractive appearance, you can combine paint and varnish.

This completes the boat manufacturing process. Now you just need to buy oars or make them yourself.

Having gained such experience, you can find more complex drawings of plywood boats for self-building, for example, with a motor, and make a boat for long trips along the river.

Conclusion

Building a plywood boat, as we found out, does not contain any difficulties. The only thing is that this process should be approached step by step and slowly. Particular care and accuracy are required in the process of cutting the material and cutting out parts; otherwise, you just need to adhere to a certain sequence of actions.

The video in this article provides additional information on this topic. If certain aspects of making a plywood boat are not completely clear to you, you can ask questions in the comments, and we will be happy to answer them.

DIY plywood boat, drawings and stages of its construction.

Let's look at the cross-sectional drawing of the presented model:

Breshtuk – wooden beam 114x60 (mm)
frame – plywood 16 (mm) thick
sternpost – plywood 16 (mm) thick
keelson – wooden beam 30x80 (mm)
bottom – plywood 6 (mm) thick
side – plywood 6 (mm) thick
handle – chrome tube with a diameter of 16…20 (mm)
floor – planed board 20x100 (mm)
deck – plywood 6 (mm) thick

A little about the material used:

Structural plywood
two types of sizes: 6x1500x3000 (mm); 16x1525x1525 (mm)
longitudinal arrangement of fibers
quality grade "E"
polished on one side “Ш1” (6х1500х3000)
unpolished “NSh” (16x1525x1525)
classification for moisture exposure “FB” or “BS”

Overall dimensions of a plywood boat

Let's start work with making: a breshtuk; five frames; sternpost; keelson

We will install it on the staple and secure the gap; five frames; sternpost

We insert the keelson into the grooves, having previously lubricated the contact planes with glue, and let the structure dry.

Let's take cardboard and bend it along the plane of the sides and draw the outline of the side.

Let's take cardboard and bend it along the plane of the bottom and draw the outline of the bottom.

After making sure that the contour measurements are accurate, we transfer them to plywood and carefully cut them out. We should get four parts - two left and two right, and the right parts are a mirror image of the left ones.

We start fastening from the bottom.

We use brass or galvanized screws and epoxy glue to secure the parts cut from plywood to the structure frame. After the glue has hardened, smooth out the contour with a sanding machine.

We fasten the sides in the same way.

We fasten the joints of the plywood parts as follows:
1. Drill along the joints, at the same distance, through holes with a diameter of 3 (mm).
2. Insert a nylon cord into the holes.
3. We tighten the parts together.

After the glue has hardened, smooth the contour and joint surfaces with a grinding machine.

From above, by analogy, we will secure the deck. Let's level the joint surfaces.

We will cover all joints with two layers of fiberglass and let it dry.

It won't hurt if you treat the entire body with fiberglass.

We will finish the body and paint it an interesting color.
For structural rigidity, we will strengthen the bottom of the seat wooden blocks at both sides.
We will lay boards on the floor. We will install metal handles on top of the deck.
DIY plywood boat made by:

According to the proverb “Prepare a sleigh in summer and a cart in winter,” it’s a good idea to think about building a good and reliable boat with your own hands. We present to your attention a master class on how to build a small practical boat with your own hands from ONE standard sheet waterproof plywood. Moreover, the design is not some kind of plywood or wooden punt, and boats with correct contours that improve its seaworthiness and course stability. The boat project was implemented, the boat was manufactured, tested and showed decent seaworthiness for its size. There is a drawing of the boat. The boat is steered and propelled by a kayak-type oar. Transporting a homemade boat does not cause any problems; this boat does not require a trailer :).

How to make a boat out of plywood with your own hands

As shown in the video, to make a homemade boat you need to have some experience in carpentry. List of basic tools: jigsaw, screwdriver, manual frezer, grinding machine, set of clamps. Materials for making a boat - a sheet of waterproof plywood 4-6mm thick and 2500x1250 mm in size, planed boards ~25-40 mm thick, slats, brass nails, screws, epoxy resin, varnish The main dimensions of the future boat are as follows: boat length 3480 mm, boat width 747 mm.

Step-by-step instructions for building a plywood boat

1. Transfer the contours of the pattern to a sheet of plywood, this is easy to do according to the ““ pattern.

Cutting contours

2. Use a jigsaw to cut a sheet of plywood into four pieces. We cut carefully with a jigsaw finishing file.

3. We fold the symmetrical sheets in pairs and check the size matches, if necessary, eliminate inaccuracies.

Sheets connected

4. We connect the four hull blanks in pairs, forming halves of the bottom and sides. We connect using an overhead strip, brass nails and epoxy resin. The strips must be in the inside of the body. We carry out the connection with full responsibility - forever.

5. Further work will resemble the work of a surgeon. We sew all seams with wire in increments of 300-350 mm. To do this, in the place of each stitch, we drill two holes at a distance of 20 - 30 mm from the edge of the sheet. Insert the wire staple and twist the ends until the plywood sheets are joined at the seam. Using spacers between the sides we give the desired shape to the boat hull. A narrow hull will reduce the boat's carrying capacity. A hull that is too wide will reduce the boat's stability on course. It is recommended to make the width of the housing as in the drawing.

6. Manufacturing of frames. Two frames must be made at a location with a step of 300 mm from the middle of the boat in each direction. There will be nine frames in total. You will also need four sheet connecting elements at the bow and 2-3 elements at the stern of the boat (these elements form the stern and stem of the boat). To obtain even cuts when preparing frames, it is better to use a circular saw.

7. The frames are installed on the bottom using self-tapping screws. Do not glue the frames!

8. Turn the boat hull over and use a manual milling machine with a 6-12 mm cutter we go along the seam connecting the hull halves from bow to stern. Depth of routing to bottom edge of plywood. It is clear that the result will be an ideal gap with smooth and parallel cuts for high-quality gluing of the body halves. Look at the photo.

9. Sequentially removing the frames, we tighten the halves of the body and install the frames on the pulled sheets, using the same holes for screws in the plywood for fastening. As a result, the seam will be very tight.

Despite the abundance of fishing and tourist boats in specialized stores different forms and sizes, many are still interested in how to make a homemade boat from plywood. main reason Such interest lies, perhaps, in the ineradicable craving of our compatriots for creative work.

Even though you can buy anything today, there is some indescribable charm in a homemade dinghy or dinghy, made according to drawings almost from the magazine “Rybolov”.

In the article we will give some tips, using which you can quickly learn how to make homemade boats from plywood.

Materials and tools

Not so long ago, homemade mini plywood boats were very popular. This made it possible to work out methods for their production, as well as determine the most suitable materials.

Of course, today the list of available varnishes, impregnations and adhesives for plywood is much wider than it was even ten years ago - but to make a small-sized watercraft with our own hands, we don’t need anything complicated:

Plywood is the most important component. For the manufacture of boats, sheets of glued natural birch veneer with a thickness of about 5 mm are most often used. Individual parts, such as frames or keels, are cut from thicker (10 - 15 mm) material.

Note!
To ensure sufficient reliability for the sides, only high-quality plywood should be used for cladding, without cracks, delaminations, knots, etc.
Of course, the price of first or second grade material will be higher, but you will be confident in the safety of your boat.

Wood is used to install internal struts, decorate sides, and seats etc. It is advisable to use edged planed boards made of light wood.
Suture material is used for connection individual parts sheathing in one piece. Seams can be made using fairly thin and flexible wire, plastic clamps, thick nylon fishing line, etc.
Glue is needed to ensure proper sealing of the seams. Today, masters have practically abandoned natural compositions based on casein, and prefer modern polymer resins.

In addition, we will need special varnishes and impregnations that protect the wood from swelling and rotting. It is also worth stocking up on fiberglass or similar material for gluing all seams. As an alternative to fiberglass, you can use fiberglass - then the entire bottom and sides will be covered with it.

Well, don’t forget about the paint - after all, we want our ship to be beautiful!

As for the tools, the set will be almost standard:

Saw on wood.
A jigsaw with a set of blades of different lengths.
Sander.
Hand tool(hammer, pliers, chisels, etc.)
Clamps for clamping plywood when gluing.
Brushes for impregnation, varnishing, etc.

Making a boat

Drawings and layout

Before we start work, we decide what kind of vessel we need. Today, on the Internet you can find a variety of drawings of homemade plywood boats, so nothing is impossible either in building a fishing punt or in assembling a tourist kayak.

If none of the found drawings suits us, we can start designing ourselves.

True, in this case you will need certain skills to calculate the carrying capacity, otherwise the boat may turn out to be purely decorative.

Having studied available projects homemade plywood boats, or having made your own, we transfer the outlines of the main parts onto paper.
Using paper templates, we draw lines on the plywood sheets along which the frames and sheets for sheathing will be cut.
If the factory length does not suit you (and this happens in 99% of cases), then it is necessary to splice them. To do this, we cut the ends of the plywood at an acute angle so that the length of the resulting bevel is 7-10 times the thickness of the sheet itself.

Having attached the beveled parts to each other, coat them with glue and clamp them with clamps. This technique is called a “whisker” connection.
At the same time we prepare wooden beams, from which the frame of our future boat will be made.

Advice!
To make work on the project easier, you can assemble special trestles from beams with a cross-section of 50x50 mm.
It will be much more convenient to place all the parts on these sawhorses during the joining process, especially if you work without assistants.

Housing assembly

When everything is ready, let's start working:

Using a wood saw or jigsaw, . The deviation from the design size should not be more than 1 mm, otherwise the sides will not “converge” when sewing.
We glue the transom parts (rear side) and frames to obtain the required thickness and strength. The glued parts will be a little heavy, but that's okay!
If you plan to install outboard motor, then the transom should be additionally glued with fiberglass and reinforced with a hardwood board.

Advice!
To increase the strength of the connection, the frames and transoms can be additionally secured with self-tapping screws.
In this case, the length of the screws should be such that the tip does not pierce the part through.

We install the transom on pre-made trestles and begin to attach the bottom and sides to it, bringing them together at the bow.
We fasten the sheathing parts either using suture material (if not very thick plywood is used), or exclusively with glue, cutting off the edge of the plywood at an angle.

At this stage, it is very important that all elements match in size, since to reduce the gap you will have to disassemble the entire structure and partially trim the frames.

After the “rough assembly” you can start gluing.

Glue works

The instructions for gluing and sealing our vessel are as follows:

We prepare a mixture of epoxy resin and aerosil (silicon dioxide). Mix the components in a 1:1 ratio using a drill attachment. The optimal consistency of the mixture is like thick sour cream.
We strengthen the corners between the bottom, sides and transom using wooden fillets - small corners that ensure the rigidity of the connection.
We glue strips of fiberglass and fiberglass onto all the seams from the inside, thoroughly coating the joints with epoxy-aerosol compound.

Note!
Since the majority adhesive compositions contain volatile toxins, all paint and varnish work should be carried out using respiratory protection!

After the glue has dried, we install the frames in the selected places.
To fix the frames we use the same glue. If the dimensions of the vessel are large enough, then in order to strengthen the structure, the frames should be additionally fixed on the bottom and sides with overlapping strips of fiberglass.

We lay the flooring on the bottom, fasten rowlocks, seats and other parts provided for by the design.
If you plan to equip the boat with a cockpit ( closed space in the bow), install the cover, fixing it on the sides and frames.

After waiting for the entire structure to dry, we remove the boat from the trestles, turn it over and sand the outer surface. Then we treat the seams with an epoxy mixture and glue the bottom with fiberglass.

Coloring

At the final stage, we need to provide our boat with protection from moisture and give it an attractive spring look:

First, thoroughly degrease all parts.
Then we treat the wood with impregnation. The composition for sea or river vessels from Tikkurila is quite suitable here.
We putty all surfaces, masking cracks and irregularities, and then treat them with a special primer.
Paint homemade plywood boats You can use almost any paint, but if you want to ensure durability of the vessel, it is better to use special pigment mixtures designed for processing wooden vessels.

Average consumption paint is 1 - 1.5 l/m 2. It is best applied with a brush, but a spray gun can also be used.

Conclusion

Homemade boat plywood made using this technology will be quite suitable for fishing trips, family walks, etc. Of course, you shouldn’t go out into the open sea in it, but as practice shows, for big rivers and lakes in our country, such a design is quite reliable. In the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

Similar materials

Classic fishing on the river bank is, without a doubt, very convenient and in some ways even romantic. However, what to do if all the treasured fish are found far from the shore or in a place that cannot be reached except by water?

Boat - The best decision this task. But their cost in stores forces fishermen and tourists to sometimes show initiative and ingenuity, creating watercraft from literally nothing. What materials can you use to make a boat with your own hands?

Boat made of plastic bottles

Unusual, but effective material to create a boat can become banal plastic bottles. Since most The common volume of such containers is 2 liters, the most difficult stage in the design will be the collection of material.

In order to create a “bottle” boat, you will need the following materials:

Bottles;
Waterproof tape and glue;
Knife or scissors;
Wire;
Plywood and crossbars made of wood or metal.

First of all, you need to thoroughly clean the bottles of stickers and labels. However, the most important thing to do at this stage is give plastic container density and rigidity. The laws of physics will help with this. The bottles are placed in the refrigerator, where the lids are tightly screwed on, and then moved into a warm place. Thus, the air inside the bottles heats up and gives them an elastic shape. For greater reliability, it is advisable to secure the covers with waterproof glue.

Installation of a boat from plastic bottles

Original logs are formed from pre-prepared bottles.

First step- connecting two bottles with their bottoms. To secure, pull on a plastic ring cut from the middle empty bottle. This entire structure is coated with glue and tightly wrapped with tape in several layers.

The top parts of the next two bottles are cut off, after which the headless plastic is placed on the edges of the workpiece, again using glue and tape. This way, a reliable and sealed fragment of the future boat is obtained.

The further process consists of repeating the above steps and ends with the production of a log of the optimal size.

One float consists of eight logs, which are connected with strong wire, polyethylene and tape. Depending on preferences, the number of logs can vary up or down. The most important thing is to maintain balance and make the boat a reliable means of transportation.

The floats are mounted using crossbars made of wood or metal. The bottom of the boat can again be created from different material. It can be plywood, plastic or metal sheet.

The final touch in making a boat can be covered with waterproof fabric or finishing with strong plywood followed by painting. This will improve the boat’s reliability and aesthetics.

Plywood boat

In addition to plywood as the main material, to create such a boat you will need:

Jigsaw;
Screwdriver;
Saw;
Hammer;
Grinding device;
Clamps and brushes;
Wood;

Glue, resins, varnishes, drying oils, etc.

Installation of a plywood boat

The most acceptable option is large-sized plywood without defects in the form of delamination and cracks.

With the help of drawings, extremely careful marking of the material is carried out. If you make the slightest mistakes and discrepancies, making a boat without cracks will become impossible. To outline the plywood, you can use special patterns.

Next, each fragment is cut out with a saw and jigsaw. Special attention is given to the joining angles at the ends. The tailgate and frames will require installation of plywood in several layers to increase strength. If the design of the boat assumes the presence of a motor, then the tailgate supplemented with hardwood and glued with fiberglass.

Frames and transoms are fixed with tinned or galvanized screws. The bottom and sides are attached to the transoms using special glue and other materials for seams. It is advisable to strengthen the bottom of the boat with slatted flooring.

The seams are sealed with a special sealant, which contains epoxy resin and Aerosil in a 1:1 ratio. The fillets are stiffening ribs and are laid in the corners. All internal joints are treated with sealant, after which fiberglass is applied to them.

After drying the entire structure, frames, flooring on the bottom, seats and other planned elements are installed.

Before painting, all surfaces are degreased and sanded, then carefully treated with wood impregnation. If after all these actions the surface remains uneven and has cracks, a special putty comes to the rescue, and after drying, a primer.

Usually used for painting marine enamel, hard brush or spray gun.

Folding boat made of duralumin

To create a folding boat you will need:

Duralumin sheets;
Rubberized fabric;
Rivets and overlays;
Wood;
Metal scissors;
Primer and paint.

Installation of a folding boat made of dualuminium

Duralumin is the most advantageous material for creating a folding boat. It is light and very durable, and to create a watercraft you need only six elements: two for the bottom and four for the sides.

There are only three transverse struts in such a boat: one of them is the seat, the other two are struts made of wood with aluminum tubes at the ends. They are inserted into the holes on internal sides sides, which ensures rigidity and reliability of the structure.

Before you start assembling the boat according to the drawings, it is recommended to recreate its prototype from cardboard. This will make it easier to eliminate all mistakes, and besides, such cardboard parts will also serve as patterns for duralumin.

All six parts of the folding boat are cut out with tin snips, then trimmed and hemmed. Holes for rivets are drilled in the joints every 2 centimeters. After that, the fragments of the boat are fastened with rivets, which are sealed with paint. Installation of duralumin can also be carried out using rubberized elastic fabric.

The gunwale and seats are made from any available wood and mounted with galvanized nails. Finally, the finished boat is primed and painted.