Boomerang
Yes, it really is possible to make a boomerang that comes back when you throw it. Each side of a boomerang has an airfoil shape. These airfoils face opposite directions so the correct edge is always leading while the boomerang is spinning. This is what gives boomerangs lift. A gyroscopic effect causes them to curve in a circular path and return to their origin.
The plywood you choose should have several plys and be around 1/4 inch thick. Birch is an excellent choice because it is light and strong, but others will work also. You can either draw your own boomerang shape or use the link below to download a .pdf with two premade patterns.
danger level
- negligible
- moderate
- high
- do not do this
tools
- D. Coping saw or scroll saw
- E. Sanding block or orbital sander
materials
- A. 1/4" birch plywood, 20" x 16"
- B. Pattern (download .pdf)
- C. Spray paint or clear lacquer
images
how-to
- Trace your pattern onto the plywood and use a saw to cut out the shape.
- Use a sanding block (and a lot of elbow grease) or an orbital sander to give each side of the boomerang an airfoil shape. The direction the airfoil faces depends on the hand with which you throw.
- In the middle of the boomerang blend the two airfoils together. You want the whole surface to be smooth.
- Give it a final sanding with fine grit paper then apply a thin coat of spray paint or clear lacquer to help protect the boomerang and make it look nice.
Now you are ready to throw it. Find a very large, open space (at least a full baseball field). Hold nly the very tip of the boomerang in your throwing hand. You should throw the boomerang nearly vertical but angled outward sligtly. Aim just above the horizon. Throw it hard and overhand like a baseball and flick your wrist as you let go.- Go fetch the boomerang. It will take some practice and experimentation before you can get it to come right back to you.
Jan 30, 2007 | 2:44 am
Tony wrote:
If this flies right back to you, does that mean that you will get a bruise on your head?
Jan 30, 2007 | 7:24 pm
stupok69 wrote:
Yes.
Feb 1, 2007 | 12:08 am
Anonymous wrote:
That airfoil shape is a lot harder to get down than you would think!
Feb 2, 2007 | 3:29 am
grrr wrote:
Nah, it was simple.
Just take a board and remove everything that doesn’t look like a boomerang, then remove everything from each side that doesn’t look like an airfoil.
Voila.
PS. Mine likes to return; it ju8st doesn’t like to STOP. It’ll fly around in a circle, then overhead, and then back out the way I threw it. *sigh*
Feb 8, 2007 | 8:33 pm
Helper wrote:
Hi!
If the boomerang starts to go out again, try throwing with less power, or put small elastic bands on the tips. That will slow down the spin. Also, to make the boomerang more stable, don’t make the trailing edge too pointy. Leave about 1/6th of the thickness there.
Feb 11, 2007 | 3:58 pm
iroe wrote:
this really works! but i used a dremle and made things go faster.
Feb 20, 2007 | 3:27 pm
Anonymous wrote:
is there a way I can use plywood?
Feb 22, 2007 | 1:09 pm
Syncubus wrote:
> is there a way I can use plywood?
Didn’t the instructions call for plywood? Baltic birch plywood is a great option if you can find it. It’s denser and has less pits than typical construction plywood. Ask about it at your local homecenter? They may have smaller sheets you can buy.
Feb 23, 2007 | 4:41 pm
Anonymous wrote:
I made the tri-blade boomerang. it does not come all the why back. What should I do?
Feb 24, 2007 | 5:50 am
xdc wrote:
throw it steeper….
Feb 25, 2007 | 9:46 am
stranger wrote:
I always wanted to make a boomerang but i never knew how. I am gona try this and tell u if ir worked!!!
Mar 2, 2007 | 7:36 pm
Abo wrote:
You might try making a skew in the wing tips to make it return to you, a skw in the opposite direction will make a non return type.
Mar 11, 2007 | 11:57 am
micah wrote:
there are no instructions for sanding the tri-wing. We made the two-wing and had success, but would like to try the tri-wing. Can you advise?
Mar 11, 2007 | 1:12 pm
Dangerously Fun wrote:
@micah:
The three-wing boomerang uses the same principles as the two-wing version. Just make all three airfoils face either clockwise or anticlockwise, depending on your handedness.
Mar 11, 2007 | 5:59 pm
hbvagfrg wrote:
It sounds easy enough I tell ya now !.
Mar 14, 2007 | 3:37 pm
DD wrote:
When you want to make a new one, how can you get rid of the old one?
Mar 16, 2007 | 12:36 am
Paulithimus wrote:
DD, you are a funny man.
Mar 18, 2007 | 7:25 pm
hawaiian gurl wrote:
can you make a giant V-shaped boomerang out of plywood and would it fly or is heavy duty foam good
Mar 20, 2007 | 3:00 pm
andre the giant wrote:
the heavier the foam the better.
Mar 24, 2007 | 7:18 am
wendy wrote:
where do you find a plywood and how much
deos it cost?
Mar 30, 2007 | 8:10 am
KiwiMan wrote:
Amazing this works better than I could Have Possibly Imagined ** I guess the Australians are good for some things!!**
Apr 1, 2007 | 2:21 am
Anonymous wrote:
Generally one can find plywood at a lumber yard or home improvement warehouse. One would also find the tools required for making this project at a hardware store or home improvement warehouse.
Apr 3, 2007 | 7:31 pm
shellsh0ck wrote:
what do you do where the wood “meets”? i mean for the V boomerang what do you do where the obtuse angle is in the center?
Apr 3, 2007 | 8:18 pm
Jim wrote:
Blend the contours together.
Apr 6, 2007 | 10:35 pm
VSK wrote:
Sounds awesome! I’m thinking of making one soon. I’ll let u know as soon as i get results. Do you think using a dremel will work fine?
Apr 7, 2007 | 7:35 pm
Zyphix wrote:
Dear god! I thought you said it’ll take some experimenting to get it to come back to you. I first tried the 3 wing one and it ended up curving a little. My second boomerang was the traditional two wing. I finished it up just after sunset and wanted to see how far it would go. I threw it, and quickly lost track of it because it was getting dark. Just as I started thinking that it must not have curved and just went straight and landed, I hear a voowooosh, go on my right. The dang thing went straight out and straight back, about taking my head off. Too bad it landed on concret and busted.
Apr 16, 2007 | 10:05 am
jet967 wrote:
I have solved the problem of using costly materials/weakness of cheaper plywoods.Being an experienced woodworker I used my understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the gran of the wood.Plywoods biggest problem when you carve it is the fact that its strongest layers of wood are the veneers on the outside plies,when you carve it into a profile youre removing all the strength.To solve this just use 2 pieces of 1/4” oak veneer laminated with the grains opposing each other. when you carve your profile it will leave a double layer of the stronger material in the center of the profile where it is widest and needed most for strength.Yes,this means alot more removal of material,but result is a much more durable boom thats rather inexpensive.Instead of using sanding blocks or files,a belt sander will remove material much faster ,if you have access to one.
Apr 17, 2007 | 11:07 pm
yesssssss! wrote:
wow what fun but spent half my time chasing it and the other half running away
Apr 20, 2007 | 9:55 am
Addicted wrote:
With some jointing skills you can make a boom thats nearly indestructable. I made a 4 wing type out of 3/16″ X1 1/2″ solid oak. It had some odd filght characteristics,but after adjusting my throwing technique (nearly throwing it upside down) it performed even better than the 2 wing types i had made before.
Apr 20, 2007 | 10:14 pm
sabatouer wrote:
you can also make one out of thick card board like from a cereal box. the thicker the cardboard the better, but you make 4 points instead of 2 or 3. the shape can be very squared or better put like a positive sign or a simple cross. it works great and it wont hurt as much if you miss the return. i seen it when i was a kid in a chinese circus and tried it to my amaze that it worked
Apr 24, 2007 | 2:09 pm
bluekiwi wrote:
How long does it take to make a boomerang that actuly can come back?
Apr 26, 2007 | 5:34 pm
V>^ wrote:
Will the boomerang still work if you make the edges of the boomerang more blunt? (I mean, I’m gonna try this, but I don’t want my head cut off).
May 1, 2007 | 7:35 am
Venom wrote:
hey all… i’m thinking of making a boomerang as an extra credit project in my wood-working class/for my own personal uses… so i’m confused… for the air foils, what exactly do you do? sand each edge down to make it like a blade? on each side? sorry if this is a stupid question, i just have limited access to wood and i want to get it right on the first try.
May 1, 2007 | 6:14 pm
Rockit wrote:
I’ve been building rangs for 20 years. I just use 3/4 inch plywood because it’s cheap. On the smaller rangs, I drill small holes and insert small led fishing weights at the wingtips. I draw my own designs with a sharpie pen on the plywood. I have a huge design of a two winger, about 24 inches wingtip to wingtip. That thing will send you to the hospital if it hits you. When they crash and break, I glue them back together with a C clamp and Gorilla glue.
May 4, 2007 | 6:18 am
yo wrote:
i have to make one for tech ed.
May 6, 2007 | 11:21 am
jackofalltrades wrote:
What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back??? A Stick!!! LOL ;) My son and I are gonna make one one of these (not a stick), thanks for the plan!
May 18, 2007 | 11:21 am
freddie wrote:
I hope the boomerang is going to be easy to make and hopefully I will be able to catch it and throw it too. I have always wanted to be able toplay with a boomerang and hopefully I will be able to follow the instruction that you have.
Thanks
May 21, 2007 | 2:30 pm
ohhhhoohoohooho wrote:
IT ROCKS!
May 23, 2007 | 1:03 pm
Bart wrote:
A few tips:
1) The flat goes against your palm. Before you make the airfoils, put it against your hand, so you know which are the leading (front) sides, and which are the traling (back) sides. They are opposite for left and right handed people.
2) When you throw, toss some dried grass into the air to see which way the wind is blowing. You want the wind to be blowing so that it will bring the boomerang back to you; about midway between towards your front and towards your left, if you’re right handed, and about midway between towards your front and towards your right if you’re right handed.
3) You CAN catch them. Wear eye protection (regardless), and try and trap it between your hands.
May 24, 2007 | 11:38 am
marty wrote:
i made one at school, we had a visiting australian taecher who showed us, i threw it, it came back and hit him round the head,,lol hes gone back to australia now!!
May 28, 2007 | 6:07 pm
13Bender wrote:
Anyone make the tri blade one know how well it works?
my friend likes to spend lots of money buying boomerangs, and i figure its better off to try to make some. Especially if people like me break them.
Boomerangs were used as hunting weapons in Australia by the natives. They were rather sharp, and by the sounds of it, they didn’t really try to catch them. Either they hit their target or they ran like no other. Not sure.
But seriously now, iknow their are lots of different kinds of boomerangs out their that go all sorts of distances and such. Any suggestion on how to make a balanced boomerang that goes out 60 yrds plus?
Jun 8, 2007 | 4:01 pm
jimmy wrote:
Boomerangs were not used as weapons and they were not rather sharp. Kylies were used as hunting tools and they were not meant to return. They followed a rather straight path near the ground and it was their weight and size that proved to be formidable to the birds that were their typical target.
Drilling holes in the wing tips and elbow will add distance to the boomerang’s flight.
Jun 10, 2007 | 9:49 pm
mollo! wrote:
hi all.
im making one right now.i started about an hour ago,and im halfway done.
ps:im 13
Jun 22, 2007 | 6:45 am
Kola wrote:
Hi There All!!
I just try making a boomerang with a boxpapper! It’s good and the boomerang go back, i just have litle problem with the wind, and a wide place to use coz’ about 14 boomerang that i made just “gone” on the roof that i cannot reach! lol
anyway… it’s good to play boomerang! i like to make more! and i just want to make one boomerang from a plywood but still hard! Ha..ha..
Jun 25, 2007 | 8:40 pm
rollinrock666 wrote:
i made a 1/8 inch aluminum one , it kept bending , sure it came back , but i ran like hell. now i am going to make a 1/4 inch aluminum one.
i wear leather glove , in the unlikely event i try to catch it
Jul 1, 2007 | 9:47 pm
PhNtM wrote:
are you insane? an aluminum bommerang will kill you eventually.
Jul 3, 2007 | 7:34 pm
Knightmare wrote:
Is it necesary for the thing to be that big?
And by the way you guys describe it, it must have a completely flat side, right?
Jul 18, 2007 | 9:33 pm
new enthusiast wrote:
I have finished my second traditional shaped boomerang. I fixed what I thought were the problems with the first one in my new rang. It looks great and I don’t see any reason it sholdn’t work great too. I can’t get them to come all the way back around though when I try to fly it. Instead of making a circle it makes more of a “U” shape and lands too far on my left (its a right-handed rang) to catch. I’ve tried different throwing angles with little to no wind. Is this a problem with my boomerang or the way I throw it? Thanks in advance.
Jul 23, 2007 | 4:54 am
Abel wrote:
Hi all! will the boomerang works with balsa wood?
Jul 23, 2007 | 8:10 pm
new enthusiast wrote:
Balsa wood is probably too light but if it does work it’ll probably break real fast. Particle board is harder than balsa but it still broke after a crash.
Aug 1, 2007 | 3:38 am
radon wrote:
hey new enthusiast try making it spin faster by flicking it out of your hand practice with faster and slower spinning and speed forwards
KOx2 the shape will be fine if it is close you might have to experiment with the throwing though do a quick google for making boomerangs and you can find all kinds of shapes including kangaroos, frogs, and monkeys. The main thing is to get the airfoil correct and as near even on all three legs.
Aug 7, 2007 | 10:31 pm
aint skeerd wrote:
if a boom is made light enough and thrown right catching one is not as dangerous as one might think,the ones I have made usually come back rather gently. after many trial and error attempts , a 3 wing boom shaped like a T seems to be the best design i have tried so far.
Sep 2, 2007 | 3:15 am
Toro_aussie wrote:
in aus we ued to make boomerangs out of two wooden rulers, the ones which have an airfoil slant on each side, we got these two rulers and just crossed them (X) with both airfoil sides the same way up, just stickytape that shit together using a X shape tequnique with th tape. just throw that shit and it will come back to u mate. dead set. its fun and easy to make and cost nothing ifya just pocket them from the ol’ classroom. have fun ay’
Sep 16, 2007 | 9:37 am
Boomerang-Squirrel wrote:
These instructions are very good. I wish I could make my very own boomerang at this instant, but I haven’t acquired the required tools. Elbow grease, sander (whether electronic or a sand box), and the sheet of wood are what I haven’t acquired yet. I don’t even know how any of these things look. I got confused with a sand box and sand paper. Also, if you know, from what to what measurement must the boomerang be from tip to tip? Must you have Dihedrals in the tips? If so, how long?
Sep 23, 2007 | 5:06 pm
guilhugas wrote:
the thing is, i built this boomerang and it really needs a lot of practise to thrown. in my best thrown the boomerang passed by me at about 1 meter from my head.
Oct 7, 2007 | 6:21 pm
hehe wrote:
Do these boomerangs really work, i need one for a science fair project and there are no retailers in my area
Oct 15, 2007 | 3:29 pm
rangaroo wrote:
Quick question, does it matter if you throw the boomerang with the concave or convex side forward as long as the front of the airfoil is pointing forward?
Oct 16, 2007 | 9:50 am
Dangerously Fun wrote:
@rangaroo:
Yes, it matters. That’s why it’s necessary for lefties to have different boomerangs than righties. The top of the airfoil should face toward your head as you throw it.
Oct 19, 2007 | 2:33 pm
rOwl wrote:
Hey I have been making boomerangs for years. Ply with small laminations best. I rate each out of 10 on rate of spin, climb, catch-ability, turning circle & write the rating on the wing. From that I can throw and catch sometimes without moving a foot. Its a zen experience. Also I throw just right of head wind, helps the turning. I shape with a spinning sanding disk and take block & paper into the field for mods. Excellent. The general public become totally excited when faced with the prospect of throwing a boomie. They are empowering. Throw away then……
Nov 17, 2007 | 8:11 am
Anonymous wrote:
Can you make the rang any size u want as long as u stick to the airfoil shape?
See im 14 and i love any thing that flies.I guess its mostly because my fathers side of the family is mostly pilots.And does it matter wat type of board it is?
Nov 30, 2007 | 10:00 pm
MMC wrote:
For some extra fun, try lighting one end on fire before throwing it! Just make sure it’s a good flame or it’ll blow out.
Dec 20, 2007 | 5:48 pm
maximus wrote:
when u throw. aim to wind; throw perpendicular to ground, ‘flat side’ on right side of hand when right-handed….throw hard with some spin…
Dec 22, 2007 | 9:22 pm
Jesse wrote:
About the left/right handed boomerangs… Can’t you just grab it on the other end? And voila - an ambidextrous boomerang!
Jan 9, 2008 | 10:12 am
Dangerously Fun wrote:
@Jesse:
No, the direction of the airfoil needs to be opposite for left-handers.
Feb 27, 2008 | 9:04 am
Anonymus wrote:
Hello, I tried the boomerang, it was very difficult to cut. When I thew it for the first time, it did not come back. And the second time it got stuck in a tree. Any suggestions on an easier method to cut the wood.
Apr 4, 2008 | 6:15 am
boomthrower wrote:
Hey all.
I’ve been making booms for a while now, and if you follow these instructions your boom will work, but you’re doing way too much work!! You don’t need to “blend” the airfoils. Boomerangs work best with a rough airfoil. Read this page:
http://boomerang360.tripod.com/tips.htm#semi
Have fun and good luck!! :)
Apr 4, 2008 | 7:06 am
boomthrower wrote:
Oh! I forgot to mention DIHEDRAL. Dihedral is very helpful to the return of your boomerang. Not all booms need it, but most do. These guys are the experts, I’ll let them explain…
http://www.kendalldavis.us/boomerang/tuning.html
http://www.sports-boomerangs.com/resources/twisting.htm
And look here for an AWESOME boomerang plans database:
http://www.kutek.net/boomplans/plans.php
Fantastic stuff. You are about to be sucked in to the world of boomerangs…
Apr 7, 2008 | 5:08 pm
sioux fan wrote:
I have to make a boomerang for geography class. But it is going to be out of cardboard with poster board to make it heavier. Does anybody have any tips on how I’m supposed to make this?
Apr 18, 2008 | 10:48 pm
Person wrote:
Yeah, like the instructions, using an orbital sander is so much easier than using sandpaper with your bare hands. In my advisory, because I’m in Industrial Arts, I make boomerangs cause I usually don’t feel like doing anything else
Apr 23, 2008 | 7:25 am
blageto1 wrote:
can i use a rasp then sandpaper
Apr 27, 2008 | 9:16 pm
fighterpilot wrote:
So i just spent 3 hours making one it came out almost perfect. just the leading edge needed a little work and it was a little heavy. So of course i put it through a machine to take of 1/16 of inch of wood off the bottom and SNAP!!! Broke right in half.
May 1, 2008 | 11:31 pm
fighterpilot wrote:
ok so i went out and got 1/4″ birch and well ive made like 20 so far haha
May 7, 2008 | 12:10 pm
Mark 42 wrote:
You can make an indoor version from a foam dinner plate (or other foam food containers like take out food trays). Even a paper plate will work, but not as lightweight)
The boomerang doesn’t turn and come back because of gyroscopic effects - it turns because the wing on the outside of the spin/turn is going faster than the wing on the inside of the turn (it is spinning and moving forward, the inside of the spin is moving slower, possibly even backwards, the outside of the spin is adding to the forward velocity of the throw).
May 7, 2008 | 12:11 pm
Mark 42 wrote:
The faster an airfoil moves through the air, the more lift it generates.
May 12, 2008 | 1:46 pm
messedup wrote:
the one i made has the curves from the airfoil’s back and front however there’s a little bit at the top that is completely flat. will this be a problem?
Jun 22, 2008 | 10:46 am
Declanthedork wrote:
I tried the tri-wing and it worked great! It doesn’t come straight back to me, but it lands about 10 feet away.
Jun 25, 2008 | 9:18 am
bc1328 wrote:
I’ve been looking all over for a pattern. Brilliant good looking designs. Thanks.
Jul 9, 2008 | 2:09 am
TESCOS wrote:
Why dont you just buy one from TESCO
Jul 9, 2008 | 2:09 am
TESCOS wrote:
fucking bunch of inbreds having to make ya own shit… i hate you all…hope u die in a nuclear halacaust
Jul 12, 2008 | 9:31 pm
ilove2run wrote:
be careful wen u throw it mine hit a tree and snapped in half.
Jul 12, 2008 | 9:32 pm
bulldogplaya wrote:
wat happens if it makes like an s kinda curve and doesnt cum back?
Jul 17, 2008 | 12:31 pm
Didi wrote:
Can a boomerang have holes in the flat side?
Jul 18, 2008 | 5:44 am
kill1234 wrote:
I don’t think so because it will affect the flight.
Jul 18, 2008 | 5:47 am
kill1234 wrote:
P.S. my reply I live in China and it’s actually 7:46 PM here(in China)!
Jul 18, 2008 | 5:50 am
kill1234 wrote:
I made a 2-winged boomerang and it flew perfectly like a normal one should but it doesn’t come back. WHY?!
Jul 18, 2008 | 6:02 am
Battle Rage wrote:
can someone make it clearer?
what does “blend the two airfoils together” mean
i really can’t understand it
Jul 24, 2008 | 1:13 pm
naz wrote:
i made a cross stick boomer and when i threw it,it returned nicely but it stopped spinning and dropped about 10 feet short of me.is it because it’s too light?
Jul 25, 2008 | 9:24 pm
naz wrote:
so,i guess there ain’t any experts to answer my simple question huh?
Jul 27, 2008 | 6:26 pm
crash wrote:
the air foil is hard to get right
Jul 29, 2008 | 1:19 am
******* wrote:
dosent even work
Jul 29, 2008 | 1:20 am
******* wrote:
**$%@@$^%$$&^$& (capital)L(big and red)L
Jul 29, 2008 | 1:20 am
******* wrote:
**$%@@$^%$$&^$& (capital)L(big and red)L
Jul 29, 2008 | 1:21 am
***** wrote:
**$%@@$^%$$&^$& (capital)L(big and red)L
Jul 29, 2008 | 1:22 am
*%$%^#!~$&*() wrote:
loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aug 5, 2008 | 6:08 am
battlerage wrote:
can somebody answer my question?
Aug 5, 2008 | 8:52 pm
!@#$%^&*() wrote:
this is great it works thank you
Aug 11, 2008 | 10:33 pm
OMGaPOPUP! wrote:
I have a huge pile of old plywood and an old belt sander, this looks pretty fun, might try it, looks legit