Pattern for an oldfashioned tin boat?

Question

I'm looking for a pattern or directions on how to make a little boat I saw once. It was about the size of a box of kitchen matches, made out of metal, and the coolest thing about it was that it ran on oil. It had a little wick and above the flame was this little diaphragm that would expand and contract and somehow power the boat to putt along on the water. I can't exactly figure out how to find that with an internet search engine, you know? Anyone have any ideas? Thank you so much!

Answer 1

If you do a web search on "putt putt boat" or "pop pop boat", you will find lots of info on these old time toys. This site has plans: http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/boat/inde...

I had one just like the second picture (from the 1933 mag).  Lots of fun in the tub for a 10 yr old!

Answer 2

Here how to build tin boat with a pdf pattern to go by; it is bigger than a book of matches, but the pattern can be sized:

http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/pop-pop/buil...

http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/pop-pop/

store bought ones to look at:

http://www.traditional-tin-toys.co.uk/po...

http://www.spacetin.com/navigation_bars/...

http://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/copy_o...