Adding Rudder Control to a Putt Putt or Pop Pop Boat Putt putt boats or pop pot boats are inexpensive toy boats that are fun to use. They basically use a simple steam engine, a boiler that is mounted in the centre of a boat frame and when water is filled into the boat heater pipes and heated at the boiler, it causes steam to be expelled from one of the pipes which causes more cold water to be sucked in. The expulsion of the steam causes the boat to move forward and creates a suction/expulsion cycle. As the only motion that is provided is forward motion, it would be very desirable to have turn control. This is done by using a rudder. Implementing the Rudder Control on the Putt Putt boat This mechanism needs a rudder a piece of metal/wood/plastic and turns left or right depending on the control from the user. To achieve this mechanism, simple off-the-shelf parts or parts available from the numerous online electronics hobby stores were chosen. A simple SG90 servo can provide the lef...
Teeny space in the WebVerse to shamelessly brag (document) about things that were attempted, things that worked and that did not, both in the professional and hobby fronts. Topics include hacking, modding, new ideas/ways of doing things in many domains (electronics hardware/software, making stuff, mechanical, etc). Maybe to inspire, learn, ignore or forget. It might not work for you. Try at your own risk. Thank you for stopping by and would be delighted to hear from you.