Boomerang throwing is an exciting activity, a great option for outdoor activities. There are several basic models of this air projectile - classic, three- and four-blade. In our article, we will talk about how to make the most elegant traditional L-shaped boomerang from improvised means at home, striking with the exquisite smoothness of the lines. You will see - it is very simple.
You will need:
- Plywood sheet 8 mm thick, size 370 x 370 mm;
- A sheet of thick paper of the same size;
- Scissors;
- Jigsaw;
- rubber glue;
- Flat and semicircular files;
- sandpaper;
- Lacquer and paint on wood.
The best material for making a boomerang, from which the natives of Australia actually carved it, is wood. However, it is quite possible to use thin plywood - finding an unnecessary plywood box is not difficult at all. In the diagram, each cell has a side of 50 mm. Therefore, to make a boomerang, you need to take a piece of plywood with a size of at least 370 x 370 mm.
Sequence of work
Visual material
In conclusion - a video on how to make a boomerang. The process of its polishing and coloring is shown.
Attention!
Remember that even such a seemingly harmless toy made of solid material is a real weapon and can injure others, and in unfortunate circumstances even lead to death. Train in open spaces, in the absence of strangers.
Good luck with your launches!
It's time for summer and outdoor activities!
When I was 13-16 years old, they made a boomerang with my dad (then I did the second one myself). This topic is interesting to me to this day, which we will continue to talk about.
From prehistory:
As a child, in some magazine, I saw a boomerang with a drawing and instructions on how to make it. Dad and I got excited about this idea and made a boomerang. It was a "classic" boomerang (well, like the natives of Australia;), because it was their weapon). Here we have such a boomerang. Its wingspan was approximately 50-60 cm.
We made a boomerang from plywood 10 mm thick (both the first and second).
After the blades were turned and given the necessary shapes and proportions, we puttyed the recesses in some places and painted them. Boomerang became a little heavier.
As I remember now, we went to the test))) ....
We had a meadow near our house. Very large, a house was being built on the outskirts. People had gardens, in some places reeds grew.
Learned to throw a boomeran d. He returned, but returned with such force that once flying through the reeds - he mowed them down, mowed some potatoes in the gardens)))), Once he returned, so far (he returned 100 meters back from us), that from all over mahu crashed into the house, fortunately not through the window .... the neighbor jumped out with horror and round eyes, hearing a strong slap.
As a result, this boomerang broke, hitting a stone. But we let loose enough :)
Then I made a second one! I lost it, or rather I didn’t find it;) - in windy weather I flew into wheat. The search was unsuccessful.
What do I want to say?
Boomerang is a fascinating and interesting "toy" for both children and adults!
On the Internet, I accidentally came across a scanned copy of the magazine, the drawing on which I made the first and second boomerangs, which prompted me to write this article.
Here is the pattern template that needs to be transferred to plywood
Boomerang is best made from wood. Usually, strongly bent roots and branches of hardwoods such as beech, oak, birch and linden are used. It is important that the wood is dense, heavy and well dried. If there is no such piece of wood, then we use plywood.
For convenience, we fix the boomerang blank on the frame with clamps and proceed to processing with a planer or rasp, and then with a file.
The blades of the boomerang should resemble a "propeller" on one side and be smooth on the other. We process as shown in the figure, observing the dimensions and cross section. To the ends of the boomerang blades are thinned to 6 mm. In the center - boomerang thickness - 8 mm.
After you have processed the workpiece to its final state and all proportions and dimensions are observed, you can start grinding it with sandpaper. The boomerang should be completely smooth and without roughness.
We varnish the boomerang in 2 layers. You can start testing immediately after the varnish has dried, or before varnishing to check the flight performance. Suddenly it will have to be improved.
How to launch boomerangs correctly
The boomerang is launched strictly in a vertical position (and slightly up) with the right hand from behind the head so that the convex side of the boomerang should be on the side of the thumb.
If the weather is windy, then the boomerang should be launched into the wind, if it is downwind, then it may not return.
Here is such an approximate flight path of the "classic" boomerang, which I wrote about above.
There are also four-blade and three-blade boomerangs and they belong to semi-sports and sports
The pictures below show how to make these boomerangs. I also had a cruciform (four-blade) - this can be made even from 2 wooden rulers. He had a flight radius of 20 meters, and if he started it hard, he could make 2-4 circles and return. It is also easy to do - from 2 wooden plates (well, or from a single piece of plywood or wood). The wing profile is exactly the same shape.
More boomerang sizes
There are also a large number of forms, so to speak, of designer boomerangs.
For example, here is this boomerang pattern ... maybe someone will like it))))
What kind of boomerang to make - you decide!
During testing and further launches, safety precautions should be observed, because. it's still a throwing weapon:
Here is the permanent address of this article:
I wish you a good warm season, creative ideas for you too!
Not everyone knows that the boomerang, in fact, is a kind of throwing wooden weapon. But those days when it was used as a weapon are long gone. Today it is a toy that is wanted not only by children, but also by adults. We will tell you how to make a boomerang with your own hands.
Boomerangs are widely known for their ability to return to the place from which the person made the throw. But there are also such boomerangs that do not return (combat).
What other boomerangs exist?
A - combat boomerang; B - "pil-pil"; B - boomerang "kylie", which, like "peel-peel", can return, but only in the event of a throw against the wind; G - sports and hunting returning boomerang; D, E - multi-blade returning boomerangs.
Do-it-yourself boomerang
You will need:
- Cardboard sheet;
- Plywood or wood;
- Varnish or paint;
- Jigsaw;
- Plane;
- Sandpaper.
First of all, you need to draw the selected boomerang model exactly in full size on a thick and thin sheet of cardboard. It is recommended to choose a sheet size of 50x60 cm. After that, a grid with a square side of 50 mm must be transferred to the cardboard.
Next, we redraw the outlines of the boomerang on it from the drawing shown in the figure.
How to make a plywood boomerang
From the resulting template, we cut a blank from plywood. Its thickness is 10 mm.
Now you need to process the workpiece. This should be done with a small planer in a vise or with the help of a device, which is shown in the image (d). The boomerang needs to be planed, starting from the middle, moving towards the edges of the blades. Their end should result in a thickness of 6 mm. The blades must be exactly the same in shape. To simplify the task, you can make counter-templates of the blades from plywood and apply them to check the correctness of the forms.
The surface should be perfectly smooth, so the next step is sanding. You can use sandpaper for this. After grinding, the almost finished boomerang is covered with a primer, and then with varnish or paint. It is best to use bright paint so that the boomerang can be seen from afar and is easier to find when it falls. In addition, parquet varnish can be used for coating, which preserves the aesthetic structure of the product. So it’s relatively easy to make a boomerang with your own hands in an hour or two.
How to make a wood boomerang
If possible, it is recommended to make a boomerang out of wood. For this, as a rule, bent branches and roots are used. It is important that the tree is dense, heavy and well dried. For the manufacture of a boomerang suitable: oak, birch, beech, linden. The manufacturing process is exactly the same as in the case of plywood. But it should be remembered that the tree deteriorates much faster than plywood, so it must be varnished or painted especially carefully.
If you followed all the rules when creating a boomerang, then it will have excellent flight qualities and a beautiful appearance. We figured out how to make a boomerang with our own hands, now we need to figure out how to launch it correctly.
How to launch a boomerang
1. Place for training
Launching a boomerang for the first time, despite all its apparent simplicity, is quite dangerous due to unpredictability, so some caution and attention will be required. You can quite hit someone with a boomerang, so experiments should not be started in crowded places. The optimal place for training agility and accuracy is a meadow or clearing with a radius of 40-60 meters (the more, the better). In the city, such a clearing can be a football field or a wasteland.
The launch of a boomerang is specific in that the trajectory of its flight is a figure eight. Therefore, a person throwing a boomerang should only throw it from the center of the place chosen for training. The projectile will fly forward, making a loop in front of the thrower. He will noticeably return and make the same loop already behind the thrower, thereby forming a figure eight, the execution of which depends on several parameters - the strength of the throw, the quality of the boomerang, the experience of the thrower.
2. The key to success in the right grip
The boomerang has two main surfaces. The convex front side, on which, as a rule, a pattern is applied, creates its own effects when rotated. The back side, in most cases, is flat, you can also see the pattern on it, but with proper throwing, you can usually see only the front side.
It is customary to hold a boomerang like this: the thumb always lies on the front side. Holding a boomerang correctly means holding it facing you and seeing the pattern well.
The boomerang can be held with both the wing back and the wing forward. This is not fundamental and in any case it is correct - as it will be more convenient for you.
Boomerangs are light and heavy. You can determine the type yourself - the hand will tell you which boomerang you are holding.
A light boomerang in the hand must be fixed with three fingers - it is clamped with the middle, thumb and forefinger (it should be recalled that the thumb, with a correct grip, should always lie on the front side).
It is rather difficult to hold a heavy boomerang with three fingers, so it must be fixed in a fist, up to the little finger, i.e. the grip comes out with four fingers, so the fixation is quite rigid. You can grab deeper, but when throwing a boomerang, then it will be inconvenient to release, so it is not recommended to grab heavy boomerangs deeper than four fingers.
3. What slope should be in the hand
Many beginners, on a subconscious level, launch a boomerang, tilting it like a sickle with which they cut grass, almost parallel to the ground. This is completely wrong. In a boomerang, the aerodynamics are designed so that to throw it correctly means to throw it almost perpendicular to the horizon, at the same time, the slope to the horizon line should be to the right of the imaginary perpendicular. The boomerang should be released during the throw at an angle of no more than 45 ° to the horizon line.
You can also come to this experimentally on your own - with an excessive tilt, the boomerang will take off sharply upwards, after which it will also dive sharply to the ground in front of the thrower. If the throw is made at an angle of more than 45 °, then the boomerang will never even come close to the thrower.
4. What should be the throw
The boomerang should be thrown sharply and strongly. When launching a boomerang, one must take into account the fact that the projectile needs force not only to fly from the thrower, but also to return and loop behind the thrower. Therefore, you should throw extremely hard and sharply, especially if you use a real wooden boomerang for training, and not a toy plastic copy. As a rule, the first throws are timid and cautious, especially if a woman or a child is throwing. But do not be afraid! Any high-quality boomerang is designed for a powerful throw, because if you throw it weakly, it will soon fall somewhere along the trajectory, which is not very good for him.
It is necessary to throw a boomerang directly in front of you, looking and focusing on the horizon line. There is no need to throw the boomerang up - it is better to throw it straight ahead, because the design of the projectile is such that it will gain the required height on its own.
5. Spin the boomerang
During the first throws, a situation may arise that, as it may seem to you, you are throwing a boomerang sharply and strongly, but it still flies smoothly, without twisting as required. In this case, you need to master some spinning skills. If you throw the projectile correctly, it will spin as fast as a propeller - the pattern will merge into a solid circle, the blades will not be visible. To ensure maximum spin, a good grip is essential. In addition, the boomerang should not be pushed too hard in the fist (the correct grip was described above).
There are many ways to spin a boomerang, but we will focus on the simplest and most common.
So, we swing and throw sharply, but at the very last second before the boomerang comes out, you do not let go of your hand to the end, but quickly stop it, as if pulling it back. Many of us used a mercury thermometer, so this movement is familiar to everyone - it completely repeats the shaking of the thermometer.
With such a throw, we leave a kind of footboard for the boomerang, we hook the running leg and he, stumbling, rolls head over heels. A boomerang twisted with such a stopper will twist more strongly.
6. Wind accounting
We figured out how to launch a boomerang, but you should also take into account the wind. The wind is almost the main factor that affects the flight path of not only a boomerang, but also all aircraft projectiles and vehicles. Its influence should be taken into account when throwing no less than the strength of the throw and the correct grip. If the wind is very strong, sharply changing direction and strength (intermittent), it is better to postpone the training and work out the theoretical part again. It is better to start training in calm calm weather or with a slight wind that does not change direction. If you are throwing in the wind, it is recommended that you throw towards the wind a little to the right of its movement. With such a throw, the wind will help the boomerang return to the thrower. Among other things, the wind has a strong influence on the accuracy of the return of the projectile, because the behavior of any aircraft depends on the available air currents. You can make friends with the wind, but it comes only with experience and after numerous trainings. From the first time to comprehend this art is simply impossible.
Summing up
Let's note the main rules for handling a boomerang:
- Throwing a boomerang should be from the center of a deserted place with a radius of at least 40-60 meters;
- With a competent grip, the thumb should be on the front side;
- When throwing a boomerang, you need to tilt it to the horizon from 90o to 45o, otherwise the projectile will simply stick into the ground;
- The correct throw is sharp and strong, pulling. The boomerang in this case twists well;
- If you are training in windy weather, then the throw should be directed into the wind a little to the right.
Only perseverance and patience, determination and perseverance will help you gain some experience and learn how to throw a boomerang correctly. It can fly perfectly both in winter and summer, you can always train, but it’s better not in deep snow conditions.
Throwing a wooden boomerang is an ancient method of communicating with the world and the surrounding nature. If you train hard, you will soon be able to understand the wind, air currents and other elements of nature. Over the years, many people have successfully comprehended this art and continue to learn it.
You have successfully been able to get acquainted with the theoretical part by reading this manual, so it is time to move on to the important and main part - the practical one. Practice and experience will teach you the art of throwing a boomerang, delivering a unique pleasure from the process of uniting with the outside world.
Boomerang for Russia is a very exotic weapon. At its core, boomerangs are sports weapons and are not qualified or prohibited in any way. Indeed, this is not a home-made crossbow and forbidding to throw a boomerang at a speed more than permitted by law - this is insanity and who should be standardized, a boomerang thrower? :)
So the boomerang is ignored by the law, as well as a homemade sling. Therefore, you can safely make and throw boomerangs without violating Russian law. The main thing is to ensure that the tested boomerang does not cause damage and does not fly to your head when returning.
The dimensions of the boomerang are not large, the distance between the edges is from 30 to 50 cm. Despite the small size, the striking ability of a correctly launched boomerang is very high.
Boomerang drawings
Homemade boomerang is made of durable, dense wood. Under normal conditions, it is best to take multilayer plywood 8-10 cm thick. It is better to choose imported waterproof plywood, unlike Russian, it does not delaminate and holds a blow well when a boomerang hits a target or a random tree. For small boomerangs, you can take a large kitchen cutting board as a starting material. It is a finely seasoned dry wood that lends itself well to being processed.
Look at the boomerang drawing below.
The coordinate grid has a cell size of 5x5 cm, scale it to the workpiece and you can start making a boomerang.
Here is another version of the boomerang drawing, it is adapted for manufacturing from plywood and has a simple profile.
Such a boomerang is much easier and faster to manufacture, and flies no worse than a boomerang with a complex streamlined profile.
As a child, we made boomerangs according to the drawings of the Modeler Constructor and the Young Technician. An example of such a drawing is below.
I must say that even several boomerangs made according to one drawing have their own characteristic flight features and throw features.
Among the drawings of boomerangs, there are also very original ones, for example, stylized as "Batman".
By the way, watch the video of throwing such a boomerang - it flies very well!
And these are drawings of a three-bladed boomerang.
When making this, the easiest way is to make each blade separately, and then connect them in the center using overhead elements.
Wood is not the only material for manufacturing, it is simply the cheapest and can be processed well. But, you can use durable plastic or metal.
How to make a boomerang with your own hands
First you need to transfer the outline of a homemade boomerang to plywood or the material from which you will make the boomerang and cut it out.
The easiest way to do this is with a paper template printed on ordinary office paper - here's an example of what fit on one A4 sheet.
The second part is printed separately and used after the stroke of the first.
An ordinary manual jigsaw works well for sawing. Slowly, but qualitatively, however, you can use the electric one - everything is in your hands.
The profile of the boomerang is controlled using counter patterns as in the figure below.
However, for simplified models according to those drawings of boomerangs that have a flat bottom and top, you can do without counter patterns - just draw the edges of the profiles, fortunately, the descents are not difficult.
Processing is carried out with sandpaper, first we set coarse-grained, then finer. This work is best done outdoors - there is a lot of wood dust from sanding! A grinder will not hurt here, with its help you can make a boomerang in 30 minutes. But manually it can take a whole day!
After manufacturing, the boomerang is varnished. Yacht varnish has proven itself very well - it keeps well, gives the texture to the tree and holds the shock load quite well. The boomerang is covered with three layers of varnish with an exposure between varnishing procedures.
If you want to apply a drawing on a boomerang, then it is done after the first varnishing. Acrylic paints from a regular office supply store work well.
How to launch a boomerang
The boomerang is launched with the right hand, the throw is made at an angle of 10 to 35 degrees. The flight path depends on the throw angle. If the launch angle exceeds 45 degrees, then the boomerang will shoot up sharply and then also abruptly return along an almost vertical trajectory to your head.
The boomerang throw should be strong enough, while in the final phase of the throw, it is necessary to give the projectile a twisting moment with a sharp movement of the brush.
The flight of a boomerang is highly dependent on the wind, it is better to throw against the wind, then the wind will help the boomerang return. For accuracy rolls, it is best to use a calm day.
Watch the boomerang video.
Pay attention to the fact that catching a boomerang is carried out with the help of cotton with both hands! When trying to catch a boomerang with one hand, you can hurt your fingers!
Like a sling, a homemade boomerang requires a lot of practical experience to accurately hit a target. This is not a rifle or a crossbow, much depends on the weather conditions and the ability to correctly throw a boomerang in these conditions.
Here is a recording of boomerang flights from a quadrocopter.
As you can see, with proper skill, the boomerang always returns.
What is interesting boomerang for a survivalist
First, its uniqueness. The law does not prohibit the manufacture of a boomerang and a sling, you can safely train with them anywhere. Boomerang develops coordination and has a good effect on general sports training.In the case of a BP, the boomerang will not be perceived as a weapon, but the kinetics of its impact is very high, precisely because of the angular velocity of rotation of the ends of the boomerang.
The boomerang's ability to return if it misses is very handy when hunting birds. Of course, I mean hunting during survival, and not going out with guns and vodka at the usual time.
While flying through a flock of birds or over water - a boomerang can knock down more than one target, the size of a small bird is not so large as to stop it, add to this the return in case of a miss and it becomes clear - if you more or less own a boomerang, then hunting with he will be more comfortable than with a bow or crossbow. After all, after a miss, arrows and bolts must be sought, and even when hit, they tend to break. And the boomerang - wiped it with a cloth and is ready for battle again! :)
The video below shows the launch of a homemade boomerang that is already 20 years old, and during these years it flew on weekends, and did not hang on the wall.
Yes, and making a boomerang is much easier than a powerful bow or crossbow.
In ancient times, the boomerang was used as a formidable and powerful weapon. Nowadays, it is used more for decorative and sporting purposes. Making a boomerang with your own hands is not very difficult if you follow the instructions. But in order for it to fly exactly as intended and return along the correct trajectory, one should pay attention to its manufacture.
What you need to know to make a boomerang
Boomerang is best made from hardwood. These species include birch, oak, linden, beech, etc. But a boomerang can also be made from plywood.
To give the boomerang greater strength and aerodynamics, it can be glued with fiberglass with epoxy resin.
Making a boomerang
As a rule, bent roots and branches are used for boomerangs. The tree should be well dried, heavy and dense.
- take a tree or plywood 10 mm thick;
- draw a template;
- from the resulting template we cut out the workpiece using a small planer. We pre-clamp the workpiece in a vice;
- we cut off the boomerang, starting from the middle and moving towards the edges. The ends of the boomerang, in the end, should be 6 mm thick. Its blades must be exactly the same in shape;
- we grind the boomerang with sandpaper;
- cover with a primer and let it dry;
- then cover with paint or varnish.
It is better to take bright paint so that the boomerang can be seen from afar. If you decide to cover with varnish, then it is better to use parquet varnish, it will help preserve the aesthetic structure of the boomerang.