Water Carousel

As is well known, sun, air, and water create the most favorable conditions for recreation. So it is no surprise that on a hot sunny day so many people gather on sea beaches and by the banks of a river or pond that there is literally no room to spare.

Unfortunately, well-equipped beaches are few. Yet various attractions — any diving tower, water bicycle, or carousel — are not merely entertainment, but means of active and enjoyable recreation.

In today’s issue of the “Home Craftsmen’s Club” we offer a simple design for a water carousel. It will bring a lot of joy both to children at a pioneer camp and to those who spend the summer at a dacha or in the countryside.

This simplest sports and recreation device — a water wheel or carousel — can be used for both play and sports. Its reserve of buoyancy is calculated for the weight of an adult or several children.

The design is modular and demountable, which makes it convenient to store and transport. Making the carousel does not require scarce materials or special fixtures. It can be built in two or three evenings in a home workshop or on a balcony.

First of all, it is necessary to cut about ninety foam float sections. Then, from duralumin tubes Ø 20 mm, six pieces approximately 2200 mm long are prepared and bent into arcs with a radius of 1000 mm. To join the arcs into two rings, threaded bushings and special studs with square heads for an 18 mm wrench are turned. The threaded bushings are press-fitted into each end of a tubular arc. About 180 intermediate washers must also be cut from foam. They will be placed in the gaps between the foam sections.

Now assembly can begin. The arcs are joined into two rings (three arcs per ring), leaving one joint open on each. The foam sections are threaded onto the rings together with the intermediate washers. After the whole wheel is filled, the open rings are closed with the studs. The carousel is ready.

It can be upgraded to make it more mobile in the water. Thin plywood paddles are cut out and placed instead of the washers between the foam sections. It is not necessary to install them at every joint: they may be spaced every four or five sections. If several such structures are made, competitions such as “Who is fastest” can be held, for example at a Neptune festival.

“M-K” 7’89, S. YANOVSKY