Many people enjoy throwing boomerangs, especially if it is constructed from scratch. Boomerangs use the spinning force applied by the thrower to fly in a rough arc. The fun of boomerangs resides in their return process. A thrower does not need to hunt for a thrown boomerang. The toy comes right back to the thrower if thrown correctly. Wood is a perfect material for creating a personalized boomerang. A few key construction steps will result in a quality boomerang for many years of use.
Print a boomerang pattern from a computer website. Cut out the pattern. A basic boomerang shape resembles a roughly drawn capital “V.”
Trace the pattern onto a one-quarter-inch piece of birch plywood.
Place the plywood onto a band saw. Cut the boomerang shape out of the plywood with the saw’s motioning blade. Use a smooth arm movement to create an even edge along the boomerang’s sides.
Sand the edges and surfaces with sandpaper, removing all rough wood protrusions.
Create fine sloping surfaces along the boomerang’s edges with sandpaper. Similar to an airplane’s wings, the boomerang needs leading and trailing edges for generating lift in flight. Make sure that the leading rounded edge extends into the boomerang's surface by .25 inches. In contrast, the trailing edge extends from the edge into the surface by 1 to 1.5 inches. This shaping effectively creates a helicopter's rotor design for easy lift into the sky, according to "Popular Woodworking Magazine."
Things You'll Need:
- 1/4-inch birch plywood
- Paper
- Pencil
- Band Saw
- Sandpaper
Tip
Do not decorate the boomerang until all of the sanding is complete. Users should test the boomerang multiple times between sanding the leading and trailing edges. The edges’ slope may not produce the correct flight that the user is striving toward, resulting in more sanding refinements. The decoration should be applied after the user has created an adequate flying boomerang.
Warnings:
- Use caution while operating the band saw. A band saw is a power tool that can easily injure an inexperienced user. Only operate the band saw with an experienced user nearby.
Tips
- Do not decorate the boomerang until all of the sanding is complete. Users should test the boomerang multiple times between sanding the leading and trailing edges. The edges’ slope may not produce the correct flight that the user is striving toward, resulting in more sanding refinements. The decoration should be applied after the user has created an adequate flying boomerang.
Warnings
- Use caution while operating the band saw. A band saw is a power tool that can easily injure an inexperienced user. Only operate the band saw with an experienced user nearby.
Writer Bio
Writing professionally since 2010, Amy Rodriguez cultivates successful cacti, succulents, bulbs, carnivorous plants and orchids at home. With an electronics degree and more than 10 years of experience, she applies her love of gadgets to the gardening world as she continues her education through college classes and gardening activities.
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