This
is done in 5 easy steps:
Step 1: Remove the cork from the bottle of wine
This is where I got lost for the better part of 2 hours until I had finished the bottle of wine, by which time I was well over the point to commence with step 2, but did anyway....
Step 2: Drill a hole in the cork
Make sure you drill the hole in one of the round ends of the cork, otherwise the next steps tend to get a bit tricky. Using a 4mm diameter drill you will not need any other means of controlling the flow of air through the cork. If you use a larger drill you need a cable tie or something similar to reduce the diameter at the balloon.
Using a Bosch power drill will give you that extra bit of professional attitude, plus it keeps my employer happy.....
Hint: Cork is a material which is not very well suited for drilling a hole in it. You might find that after drilling once, the material will slowly close the hole again. Drill a number of times to achieve the optimum result.
Step 3: Glue cork onto CD
You want to make sure that the cork sits right in the middle of the CD. Use the less wine infested side of the cork, otherwise the glue will not hold properly. If you find the CD - cork - connection a bit instable, use some duct tape for improved stability.
Step 4: Put balloon onto cork
Shouldn't be too much of a problem, this is a task most of us have mastered in different situations as well.
Step 5: Blow up the balloon and launch the hovercraft
"But it's already attached to the cork / CD". Not a problem, you can blow it up through the CD, you just need to press your lips firmly against it. Once it is filled, put the CD firmly onto a flat surface. This will keep the air inside the balloon until you launch the vehicle. Once released, the vehicle might behave in 3 different ways:
Vehicle does not move at all:
- make sure you did not miss step 2
- see whether some loose bits of cork are blocking the hole (this will happen on the first few attempts)
- remove some of the duct tape, your craft might be too heavy
- use a clean, flat surface (a table or timber floor will work best, carpet will not work)
- in case you blew up the balloon too large, the air resistance will be high. This problem should cease in a few seconds.
Vehicle generally moves in a vertical direction
- use some cable tie to limit the air flow
Vehicle moves in a horizontal direction
- very good, that's what you wanted it to do
- if it moves too slow, improve the flow of air (you should understand the principle by now...)
Step 1: Remove the cork from the bottle of wine
This is where I got lost for the better part of 2 hours until I had finished the bottle of wine, by which time I was well over the point to commence with step 2, but did anyway....
Step 2: Drill a hole in the cork
Make sure you drill the hole in one of the round ends of the cork, otherwise the next steps tend to get a bit tricky. Using a 4mm diameter drill you will not need any other means of controlling the flow of air through the cork. If you use a larger drill you need a cable tie or something similar to reduce the diameter at the balloon.
Using a Bosch power drill will give you that extra bit of professional attitude, plus it keeps my employer happy.....
Hint: Cork is a material which is not very well suited for drilling a hole in it. You might find that after drilling once, the material will slowly close the hole again. Drill a number of times to achieve the optimum result.
Step 3: Glue cork onto CD
You want to make sure that the cork sits right in the middle of the CD. Use the less wine infested side of the cork, otherwise the glue will not hold properly. If you find the CD - cork - connection a bit instable, use some duct tape for improved stability.
Step 4: Put balloon onto cork
Shouldn't be too much of a problem, this is a task most of us have mastered in different situations as well.
Step 5: Blow up the balloon and launch the hovercraft
"But it's already attached to the cork / CD". Not a problem, you can blow it up through the CD, you just need to press your lips firmly against it. Once it is filled, put the CD firmly onto a flat surface. This will keep the air inside the balloon until you launch the vehicle. Once released, the vehicle might behave in 3 different ways:
Vehicle does not move at all:
- make sure you did not miss step 2
- see whether some loose bits of cork are blocking the hole (this will happen on the first few attempts)
- remove some of the duct tape, your craft might be too heavy
- use a clean, flat surface (a table or timber floor will work best, carpet will not work)
- in case you blew up the balloon too large, the air resistance will be high. This problem should cease in a few seconds.
Vehicle generally moves in a vertical direction
- use some cable tie to limit the air flow
Vehicle moves in a horizontal direction
- very good, that's what you wanted it to do
- if it moves too slow, improve the flow of air (you should understand the principle by now...)