The Urban Oarsman makes Bailers
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-title-page.jpg)
The Urban Oarsman Makes Bailers for Gwragedd Annwn from plastic 1gal. bleach bottle jugs
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-10.jpg)
The Urban Oarsman will turn this ordinary 1 gal. plastic jug…
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-11.jpg)
From recycleable plastic trash…
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-12.jpg)
To a bailer capable of saving your boat.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-13.jpg)
Or drenching your enemies with untold gallons during a water fight.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-01.jpg)
Typical plastic 1gal jug. Quite often you can find them in laundromats. I get my plastic jugs from work, ask the janitors, many cleaning products come in them.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-02.jpg)
To turn this ordinary plastic jug into a bailer extraordinaire, follow these steps:
1-Make a template for the mouth of the bailer:
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-03.jpg)
Fold a letter size piece of paper in half.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-04.jpg)
Fold into half again.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-05.jpg)
Draw a smooth curve approximately 6″ tall and 4″ inches wide.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-06.jpg)
Cut out the template.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-07.jpg)
Unfold the template.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-09.jpg)
Finished Template for the bailer mouth.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-111.jpg)
Take your jug. find the seam that runs along the handle.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-121.jpg)
Make sure that the handle is big enough for your hand to fit.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-131.jpg)
Mark the bottom mold line
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-14.jpg)
Determine how far from the handle you want the mouth of your bailer.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-15.jpg)
Close-up shot of the mold line/seam.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-17.jpg)
Put template on jug, aligning the centre fold with the mold line/seam.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-18.jpg)
Trace the curve onto the jug.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-18a.jpg)
Bailer mouth lines traced onto the jug.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-18b.jpg)
There is usually a smooth curve from the Bailer mouth line to the jug bottom seam line. Here I am using a “toonie” to draw the line.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-18d.jpg)
The resulting “toonie” curve drawn in.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-18e.jpg)
You do not have to use something to get your curved line. Here I drew it freehand.
Another way is to cut off the bottom of the plastic jug and use it as a template to draw your bailer mouth curve.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-19a.jpg)
Cutting off the jug bottom.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-19b.jpg)
Carefully poke the scissors into the jug and cut the bottom off.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-19c.jpg)
Try as much as possible to follow the mold line. If you leave any of the mold line behind, the bailer will not work as well as it should.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-19d.jpg)
Almost cut off.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-19e.jpg)
I will trim the cut edge so that it is smooth and there is not mold line edge left.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-21.jpg)
Using the bottom of the jug as a template for the bailer mouth line.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-22.jpg)
Drawing the bailer mouth line freehand.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-24.jpg)
If I am making these at work, I will do all the cuts freehand. After a couple of hundred, you tend to “get the song in your head” and can crank them out quickly.
I am a member of the Hollyburn Sailing Club. The club runs a sailing school in the summer. I make enough bailers for the entire fleet for the summer training season.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-25.jpg)
Actually, I make enough for every member of the club to have one in their boat too.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-26.jpg)
If you do not have a bailer (as required by law), if you drop by the club, I am sure that we could spare one for you too.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-27.jpg)
You never know, a bailer could come in handy some day.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28.jpg)
Ready for cutting.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28a.jpg)
A quick snip with the scissors.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28b.jpg)
Following the line.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28c.jpg)
It takes longer when you are trying to get pictures of the cutting.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28d.jpg)
Note that I have yet to remove the “flash” line from the side opposite on the jug. The “flash” line on the underside of the handle is visible too.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28e.jpg)
Bailer mouth piece cut out.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28f.jpg)
Drawing the curves for the side of the mouth.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28g.jpg)
Most of the times I just eyeball the curve.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28h.jpg)
Time to cut the curves. I will smooth out the bailer mouth cut out and the bottom cut. Any lumps or real unevenness will prevent the bailer lip from following the curve of the bilge and scooping up most of the water.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28i.jpg)
Finishing the cut.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28j.jpg)
Smoothing out all of the cuts.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-28k.jpg)
Still have the bottom cut to smooth out.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-36.jpg)
The finished Bailer. I outlined the edges in black to make them more visible.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-33.jpg)
The freehand curve Bailer. Note that the mouth cut is relatively shallow.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-34.jpg)
The toonie curve Bailer. The mouth on this bailer is relatively deep.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-35.jpg)
The cap curve Bailer. The mouth cut for this one is of average depth.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-36.jpg)
The deeper you make the bailer mouth cut, the more flexible the leading edge of the bailer becomes. It can usually get the last bits of water better with a deep mouth bailer, but the deep mouth bailer is not as strong as a shallow mouth one.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-37.jpg)
Comparison of Bailer mouth depths. I usually have two bailers in Gwragedd Annwn. Just in case I break one.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-38.jpg)
“Flash” on a plastic jug neck.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-39.jpg)
“Flash” in the handle.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-40.jpg)
More “flash”. “Flash” is caused by the molds used not fitting together perfectly. It is annoying and can cut your hands when they are wet and soft. You should remove the flash.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-41.jpg)
I cut and scrape it off with my pocket knife.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-42.jpg)
Some times I use a piece of sandpaper to smooth the seam out.
![The Urban Oarsman makes bailers](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Making-Bailers-43.jpg)
Almost done. Another Bailer ready for action (bailing).
![Urban Oarsman](http://www.urbanoarsman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/56-Tee-Lighthouse-park-four-colour.jpg)
Happy rowing in a dry boat.
Mike
Hey man – nice bailer! If I may, I’d like to offer a bit of (no doubt unwelcome)advice on your design.
If you cut right up to the ridge next to the handle, and leave a gap slightly wider than your thumb, it works better. Now you can grip it with your thumb. Less fatigue during vigorous bailing! Happy to send a pic if my words are inadequate.
Cheers, Sandy from Maine
Hello Sandy from Maine,
You are absolutely right. In a further bailer build, I did make a “notch” for my thumb…perhaps not a big as you describe, but it did help me hold the bailer better.
If you send me a pic, I will add it to the blog.
All the best, and I trust that your bailer does not get much use!
Mike
Is it possible to sketch out what you are describing here with the thumb notch? I am having a hard time figuring it out. Thank you!
Hello SP,
I am sending you four photos explaining the “notch”.
Mike
This is a great tutorial, thank you for making this.
This was excellent! Thank you!
I was looking for instructions on how to turn a bleach bottle into a bailer for my Old Town Saranac canoe.
Fair winds and following seas…