Pop Pop Steam Boat Update 01/09/2021 Dinghy STL Added.

I have seen these Pop Pop boats on numerous occasions and always wanted to have a go at making one.

With the Elements Speed Challenge in mind and only 3 Days left I will show you how I made one that will not encompass just one but all 4 of the elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Air.

My vessel for the Pop Pop project is the newly named SS Indestructable it's a Fusion 360 designed 3D Printed Dinghy which I already had, it was made for a whirligig project which never really took off:) it may be a bit too heavy but only time will tell.

So onto the 4 Elements and how we can achieve these:

Earth:

The Vessel needs Ballast, not too much, something which can be easily put in and removed along the bottom of the boat, Garden Soil was crushed in a plastic bag, then spread out along the bottom of the bottom until the steam pipes were just out of the water to achieve the pop pop noise.

Air:

The Air element can be fulfilled in this case with wind, SS Indestructable will have a sail fitted and this will catch a breeze to assist the steam pump and coupled up to the Tiller this will also steer the craft.

Fire:

The Fire element will can be fulfilled with a Tea candle, the flame will create enough heat for the boiler, thus creating the steam necessary to propel the Pop Pop boat.

Water:

The Water element is not only achieved by pumping water into the coil, which in turn is heated up to create steam, but also the vessel needs water to float on.

With all the elements outlined.

Its 3 sheets to the wind with this build!

Update: Dinghy STL added, I printed Vertical from stern up ok.

For starters a vessel of some sort, I used the 3D printed boat because it was available, people make them out of sardine tins, Alloy drink tins etc etc.

Small bore flexible copper pipe

Former to make the coil, I used a piece of 23mm broom shaft.

MDF or similar for the floor of the boat.

Soil(optional)

6mm Dowel for the sail and and 2mm x 2mm balsa for the spars.

Material for the sail, In this case its an A4 Adhesive backed Label

Eye screws

Tea Candle

Hot glue

CA Glue

Scrap piece of wood for the tiller

With my 3D printed boat to hand I needed to make some sort of a platform which would form the bottom of the boat and also be a platform for the Tea Candle.

I had some 3mm MDF and roughly marked the outline of the boat onto it then I just kept trimming it down on the band saw until it fitted neatly into the bottom of the boat, before I secured it in place, I drilled a 5mm hole where the mast(6mm Dowel) for the sail will go, this and the MDF was just secured in place with hot glue, the ballast can be added with a spoon later when the boat is sat on the water, the propulsion pipes need to be half in half out the water for the pop pop noise to be created.

Creating the coil:

I had to purchase some 5mm flexible copper pipe from a Popular online supplier, which was with me the next day, and then set about creating the coil for the boat.

The Copper pipe is straightened out and then using a 23mm wooden brush shaft off-cut I started to form the coil, pressure needs to be applied to keep the coil close to the shaft, and 3 or 4 turns will create the coil, manipulate the 2 ends to get them into a position where they fit through the stern of the vessel.

I then Cut the 2 ends flush with a dremel slitting disc and filed the ends, I then offered the ends up to the stern of the boat and drilled 5mm holes to suit the pipes, these were secured with CA Glue, very carefully I manipulated the coil into a position where I could place the Tea Candle underneath it.

At this point I thought it might be a good thing to test the coil, Using a big syringe bought for a Submarine project I cut the nozzle so it fitted over the 5mm Copper pipe and filled the coil with water.

I sat it in an old Washing up bowl and added ballast to suit, I then carefully lit the Tea Candle and placed it under the coil and waited, I was outside and there was a bit of wind blowing which didn't help the flame but eventually there was a pop pop and propulsion was created, albeit within the confines of the bowl, this gave me the confidence to continue, so its time to fashion the sail.

With the mast already in place, I used another piece of dowel for the boom, this was cut to size and using an opened out eye screw slid it down the mast and I marked this off in a position just above the coil.

I drilled a hole at the marked off point and threaded some wire through, wrapped it around a couple of times, this would stop the boom from going any further down the mast.

Using some pieces of 2mm x 2mm balsa I made the basic shape of the mast and secured in place with CA glue and added a further Eye ring at the top of the spars so it would slide up and down on the mast pole, a further 2 spars were added for strength.

For the actual sail material, I'm just going to use an A4 Adhesive backed full size label, I will cut in half and stick back to back on the sail framework on both sides, and trim off any surplus.

To finish off, I made a Tiller and Rudder out of bits of scrap and in turn this was attached to the sail, the theory being when the sail moves the tiller goes with it steering the vessel.

Time to launch this craft, and see if it can circumnavigate the bath:)

Well the Pop Pop boat works, steam is created and in turn creates the necessary propulsion to propel the boat.

The coil is an easy way of making a boiler so to speak, but there are other methods which can be used, looking online can give anyone some ideas.

The criteria of the 4 Elements Speed challenge I think is fulfilled

It was a cheap fun project to do and when it actually works and popping it brings a smile, what can be better than that, it's just a bit of fun.

As always I hope you enjoyed this Instructable and thanks for looking.