SnipFold

Open Rowing Skiff

Original seven-facet flared open rowing hull with a pointed bow, narrow transom, two supported benches and two laminated oars in cheeked rowlock trays. Flat floor for dry tabletop display.

Materials

  • 200-240 gsm cardstock
  • PVA craft glue
  • Scissors or craft knife and cutting mat
  • Ruler and blunt scoring tool

Finished size: 179.2 long x 184 wide including displayed oars x 28 high mm; hull beam 53.76 mm

Steps

CutValley foldMountain foldGlue area

  1. Print, cut and score

    Print at 100% actual size; the ruler must measure 50 mm. Cut all 16 pieces. Score dashed folds before cutting small laps. F is the 160 mm long floor: sharp point is bow; 24 mm edge is stern. Keep each H number with its piece.

  2. Start the two long sides

    H2 and H6 fit the two 80 mm straight floor edges. Fold each 5 mm bottom lap inward and glue on TOP of F, leaving 4 mm clear at each end. Keep the rim 24 mm above the table and 2.88 mm farther out than its floor edge. Hold until tacky; do not glue the corner laps yet.

  3. Close the narrow stern

    Fit H3 and H5 to the two 32.31 mm aft floor edges, then H4 to the 24 mm stern edge. Glue all 5 mm floor laps onto F. Glue the right-edge lap of H2 inside H3, H3 inside H4, H4 inside H5, and H5 inside H6; each corner lap reaches 5 mm onto its neighbor. Upper stern width is 26.88 mm. Allow 10 minutes to set on the flat floor.

  4. Form the pointed bow

    Fit H1 and H7 to the two 55.46 mm forward floor edges. Bond their 5 mm bottom laps to F. Bond H6 corner lap inside H7, H7 lap inside H1 at the sharp bow, and H1 lap inside H2. Align top corners at 24 mm height and keep the upper bow 10.2 mm ahead of the floor point. Pinch each seam gently; let dry 20 minutes.

  5. Fold and place two benches

    For B1/B2 score at 5, 23, 63 and 81 mm along each 86 mm strip. Fold 90 degrees to make a 40 x 12 mm seat, two 18 mm legs and two inward 5 mm feet. Glue feet to F with seats across the beam. B1 center is 47 mm forward of the stern floor edge; B2 center is 97 mm forward. Both seat centers lie on the centerline. Keep seats horizontal and dry 15 minutes.

  6. Fit the rowlock supports

    On R1/R2 fold both 4 mm cheeks up 90 degrees. Fold the 5 mm neck fully back underneath the 8 x 10 mm tray, then bend the final 8.06 mm lap down to follow the inner hull wall. Glue this lap inside each long side centered 75 mm forward of the stern floor edge. Tray centers sit at the rim, 24 mm high and 26.88 mm each side of centerline. Cheeks run outward across the boat. Let dry 20 minutes.

  7. Laminate and mount the supplied oars

    Glue O1a to O1b and O2a to O2b, aligning their full silhouettes. Each oar is 84 mm long with a 4 mm shaft and 14 mm broad blade. Press flat under scrap paper until dry. Lay one shaft between each rowlock pair of cheeks, blade outboard; handle tip sits 8 mm from the boat centerline, blade tip 92 mm out. Glue a 4 x 6 mm shaft patch to each tray for static display. Leave the flat floor on a level dry table overnight.

Notes

The 3D model shows each piece in its finished, idealized shape; the exploded view only spreads the pieces apart. It is not a paper-physics simulation: curved shapes are forming guides, not exact physical folding or proof of developability, and intermediate fold shapes are not supplied.