Make a Boat out of Clay
Did you know, that even though soft natural clay is much more dense than water, you can still make it float? Better yet, make a boat that can support a little weight. If you're looking to making a toy boat that can hold a lot of weight, then clay is not the way to go, probably paper is, but making clay boats is still fun.
Steps
- Find some clay. You can use store-bought, but I prefer natural clay, which can be found along the banks of a creek or stream. Be sure that it's not mud you're using. You can tell by the texture. If it's tangy, then it's probably clay. Also, if it's blueish or orange than it's probably clay.
- Knead it. Keep kneading it for about five minutes and make sure you get every stone, stick, weed, and clump of dirt out.
- Using your hands, knead it into a ball.
- Take your thumb and press a large thumb print into the top of it. (you should go just more than halfway through the sphere.
- Now start making the walls and bottom of your boat as thin as possible, but still watertight. Make the bottom as wide as possible to displace more water, and avoid making a canoe.
- Let your boat dry. (Or at least dry enough so that somewhat it holds in thin, frail, shape.)
- Gently set your boat in water. It will probably sink so that the water line is almost at the top of the boat. If there is a significant amount of clay sticking out of the water, congratulations! You have made a boat that can probably hold some significant weight.
- Finished.
Tips
- For your boat to hold max weight, you need to give your boat the right shape. Try to find the half-way point between having a flat sheet of clay, and having a test-tube shape. From the very bottom of your boat to the top rim should be about 45 degrees.
- You don't need to let your boat dry before sailing it, but it is recommended because the thin structure will easily get mashed up when handling or accidental sinking.
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