Making the Cheerio Bubbler Prototype
This is the story, in pictures, of how I made my cheerio bubbler prototype. Please note that there are certainly better ways to do this and I'll build my next one differently. This one will likely have a limited lifespan. Nevertheless, it performed surprisingly well. It's really fun to fly!!!
Not pictured in this gallery but also needed are: wire cutters, light household string (cotton or cotton blend), and a hot glue gun.
The wick
The connecting line
Needle options for fishing the line through the cord. I found the dtraight one with the blunt tip easier.
20 gauge brass wire. Copper wire is good too. Maybe better.
Mark cuts in cord with bits of string. These have 4 inch (101mm) centers
Cust the pieces of cord, straight across between the marker strings.
Cut pieces of wire about 1/8 inch (3mm) longer than the cord pieces.
Bend a loop in the tip of the wire. It helps when fishing the wire through the cord. With more rigid wire, this may not be necessary.
Bend the loop into a rough circular shape with its ends as pictured.
Pull the marker/braid binding strings off.
Apply a drop of hot glue to the center of one of the cord ends.
Push the cord ends together and hold for a few seconds.
Before the glue has cooled completely, roll the connection between a thumb and forefinger. Use the glue gun tip to smooth down frayed braid pieces.
Check the connection's strength. Better to find problems sooner than later.
(Optional?) Make a common whipping across the connection. See my blog entry on whipping for details.
Form the whipping's lock loop.
Wrap the whipping's loop, going across the glued connection.
Feed the wrapping string through the lock loop.
Pull the lock loop's tail through the wrapping.
Take up slack in the wrapping's lead end.
Pull the lock loop into the body of the wrapping.
Finished whipping. Trim the ends.
A finished loop.
Mark points at opposite sides of the loop.
Thread the needle with sufficient line. Feed most of the line through a bit of the braid at a marked point. Leave enough for a leader at the end.
Make an overhand knot around that bit of braid.
Make another knot on top of the last.
Reinsert the needle into cord at the point where the braid was parted from the previous knot, going away from the glued connection and toward the other mark.
Feed the needle through the cord and exit at the other mark. You might have to exit and re-enter the loop along the way if your wire is very stiff.
Insert the needle through a bit of braid near the exit point.
Make an overhand knot around some braid at the exit point.
Repeat the stiching for the next loop. I used a spacing of about 1/2 inch (13mm).
Bleach it until bright white.
A section of completed loops.