One Wheel Cardboard Stingray

This is a one wheel cardboard car, shaped like a stingray.

A larger wheel will make the stingray go a greater distance, but that requires more torque. To obtain more torque, I need a larger eyehook and more (side by side) rubber bands. The bearings are not required, but the stingray will travel a greater distance with bearings than without.

Drill with 1/16" bit

Glue

Cardboard

Scissors

Paint (optional)

Clamps (optional)

Paint (optional)

Googly eyes (optional)

Eye hooks, assorted

Two bearings (optional)

Large drill bits (optional, needed if you use bearings)

Rubber bands (optional--use your own if available)

Dowel rods, 6" x 3/8"

Cut three wheels from cardboard. I wound up using 5 inch diameter wheels (I started with 14" diameter, but didn't have big enough eye hooks or enough rubber bands to make them turn).

Using a 22" x 21" piece of cardboard, I cut a 3" x 16" slot for the wheel. You can use any size cardboard, just make the slot larger than the wheel and leave as much room as possible for the rubber band.

Glue the three wheels to the center of the dowel rod.

Drill a 1/16" hole in the center of both ends of the dowel rod.

Cut six 2" x 3" pieces of cardboard. Make two sets of three pieces by gluing them together.

Drill a 30mm hole and insert the bearing (on both sides). Add the screw hook into the hole drilled in an earlier step. Secure the bearing by gluing small pieces of cardboard on both sides of both bearings.

Cut slots on the stingray body (to hold the rubber bands). Insert the rubber bands (I needed at least two) into the eye hook.

Glue the bearing assembly to the stingray body.

Add a tail to the body.

I had to add extensions, then reinforce the extensions, to make the tail stable.

Attach the rubber bands to the edge of the stingray.

Paint and decorate with "googly eyes" as desired. Paint will cause the cardboard to "curl," so be prepared to put weights on the assembly to flatten it. Wind the wheel up and let it go!

For more distance: use a larger wheel, larger eye hooks, more (and/or stiffer) rubber bands.