PLANNING AND DESIGNING THE NOAH'S ARK (1)

There are several questions that must be answered before you can actually start to design and built a Noah's Ark.

The first question relates to what will happen to the finished Ark and animals.  Will it join a collection and sit on a shelf or be a toy for children to play with.  If I know that the Ark will be for younger children to play with, I will be sure to design the Ark to withstand some active play.  I will also size the animals to avoid any possible choking accidents.  Most of the Arks that I make include anywhere from 12 to 24 pairs of animals.

The next question to consider is the size of the Ark.  I like to be sure that the Ark is some what in proportion to the size of the animals.  The larger the animals, the larger the Ark.

The next two photos, illustrate the two sizes of animals that this project will consider and feature.  Notice the difference between the sizes of animals on the same Ark.

The example Ark in these photos measures 17" long by 14" in height.  One must remember that we are dealing in pairs of animals, so Ark size does matter.  The smaller animals may work better for this size Ark.  Of course the number of pairs of animals will also have to be considered.  My personal preference is you'll need at least 12 pairs of animals.

The above photo is of a larger Ark with more room to accommodate the larger animals.

Once the decision on the sizes of the animals is made, move to designing the Ark itself.  This is where the fun can really begin.  Start by making sketches and adding measurements.

For other photos and examples of my Arks and how they are made check out my other older blog: http://tomsarks.blogspot.com/