How to Build a Hexagon Water Wheel

Draw a line down the middle of the plywood sheet on the long side. Use the T-square to make the line perfectly straight, and perpendicular to the long edges of the sheet.

Cut the sheet of plywood in half. You should now have two square sheets, 4 feet long on each side.

Make a mark in the middle of any of the sides of one of the squares. Make another mark in the middle of either of the two sides adjacent to it. Use the T-square to make lines at each of these marks. The point where these two lines intersect is the center of the board.

Tie the string around a small nail and hammer it in at the center. Tie the pencil to the string 2 feet away. Cut away the excess string. Draw a circle around the center of the board that has the same diameter as the board using the pencil, with the string stretched out its full length.

Remove the nail and hammer it into the board at any point on the edge of the circle. Draw another circle here. The pencil will be off the board for part of the circle, but this doesn't matter. Just draw the parts of the circle that sit on the board.

Remove the nail and hammer it in again at either of the points that the previous circle crosses the original circle. Repeat this process, each time starting a new circle at an intersection between the last circle and the original one. Once you have drawn all the circles that you can in this manner, you will have six such intersections.

Connect adjacent intersections with straight lines. Use the T-square to make the lines straight. You now have drawn a hexagon that is 4 feet wide at its widest.

Cut the hexagon out of the half sheet of plywood. Place the hexagon on top of the other half sheet. Trace a hexagon of the same size onto that sheet and cut it out.

Drill a hole in the center of each hexagon. Make the holes the same size as your bearings.

Cut six 1-foot lengths of 1-by-12 plank. Screw one end of each of these onto one of the hexagons, at the vertices. Use two screws for each board.

Place the other hexagon on top of the other ends of these boards and screw it to them. You now have two hexagons side by side, connected by six boards. Push the bearings into the centers of the two hexagons. Slide the axle into the bearings.

Paint, stain and/or varnish the water wheel according to your designs. Once it dries, your water wheel is ready to mount in whatever application you have designed for it.