How to Make a Tow for Your PVC Pipe Boat Cradle

by jreeve17 in Outside > Boats

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How to Make a Tow for Your PVC Pipe Boat Cradle

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This instructable will show you how to make a tow for the PVC boat cradle that I made in a previous instructable (https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-A-PVC-Pipe-Boat-Rack/).

Materials:
Hot Glue
Remote Control Car
Boat Cradle
3 LEGO wheels
1 foot of wire
Paper Clip

Tools:
Drill
Small drill bit
Philips head screwdriver
Needle nose pliers
Hot glue
Wire  snippers

The Car

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This step will show you how to prep the car to be attached to the cradle.

Materials:
Wire

Tools:
Philips head screwdriver
Drill
Small Drill BIt
Wire Snippers

First, take the plastic top off of your car. This is usually done bu removing a few philips head screws from the bottom of the car.
Next, locate 2  structurally solid points on the back of your car. Make sure that these points do not move or will interfere with any moving parts.
Drill 1 small hole through each of these points, each just large enough to get the wire through.
Once the holes are drilled, thread the wire through each hole and bring it back out, making sure that the sections of wire are equal.
Once the wire is through, twist it around itself, like a rope.
Bend it back, making a loop a little less than halfway down the wire.
Twist the loop until you run out of wire, or space to twist the loop onto.

Replace the top and set the car aside until you are ready to attach it to the cradle.

The Cradle

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This step is about how to prep the cradle for attachment to the car.

Materials:
3 LEGO wheels
Boat Cradle
Hot Glue

Tools:
Hot Glue Gun

First, Locate the points where you want to put the the wheels. I put one in front and two in back.
Hot glue the wheels to the back, making sure that they are square and lever, otherwise they won't roll properly. Also, make sure that you do not get glue on the wheels as it can stop them from rolling.
For the front wheel, I put an extra LEGO block on top of it so that the boat is on an angle and will help the cradle roll better.

Attaching the Car to the Cradle

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This step is forming the extremely simple latch that keeps the boat connected to the car.

Materials:
Large Paper clip

Tools:
Drill
Small drill bit
Needle nose pliers

Straighten the paperclip out
First, bend about an inch of the paperclip into a 90 degree angle. Take the same end and about a half inch up, make another 90 degree angle.
Go to the other end of the clip and make yet another 90 degree angle about an inch up. Then, on the same end about half an inch up, make a 45 degree angle. This whole end should be at a 90 degree angle to the other end.

Drill a hole in the front, bottom part of your boat cradle.
Insert the end of the paperclip with the 45 degree angle all the way in so that you can't see any of the bends. Take the other end of the clip and insert one bend into the loop.

You're done!!!!
Drive the car around, and the boat will follow.