Wooden Dragon Kit Assembly

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Bring your wooden dragon to life. Follow the steps below, or download the photo instructions to print and keep beside you while you build.

Download the printable instructions (PDF)

Seven portrait US Letter pages. Select any photo below to view it larger.

Check your kit contents
  • One body, two matching wings, and the horns, fins or extras selected with your order.
  • Four precut fishing lines, each with a snap swivel tied at both ends.
  • One mobile hanger with hanging rings already installed.
  • One counterweight with its cord already tied at the weight end.
  • Six split rings: four preinstalled on the wings and two loose spares.

The body already has two double-ended eye hooks on the spine and a counterweight ring. Leave the installed hardware in place.

1. Paint and protect the wood

The pieces arrive presanded. Decorate both sides as you like. A clear coat is recommended; let the paint and clear coat dry fully before assembly, following the product labels.

You can tie a temporary cord to a body eye hook to hang the body while painting. Keep paint and glue out of moving joints and slots.

2. Fit your chosen horns or fin

Align the part’s slot with its matching position on the body. Slide the pieces together gently until seated, with the horn or fin crossing the body. Do not force a tight fit.

Dry-fit the horn or fin and check its position before gluing. The fit may be snug or loose depending on sanding. Once aligned, secure the joint with a small amount of CA glue (cyanoacrylate, also known as super glue) and let it cure fully. The blue horn below is painted a contrasting color to make the separate parts easier to distinguish.

Aligning the tail-fin slot with the dragon body slot
Align the fin slot with the slot at the tail.
Contrasting blue horn seated at the head
Blue horn seated at the head.
Alternate horn style fitted across the dragon head
The alternate horn style fitted across the head.
Tail/head fin fitted at the dragon head
TT1 can be fitted as a head fin or as a tail fin.

3. Join each wing to the body

Support the body and wing on your work surface. Match each preinstalled wing split ring to its corresponding body eye loop. Each wing uses two rings.

  1. Lift only the end coil with a fingernail, split-ring pliers, or a thin flat plastic tool.
  2. Start the body eye loop between the coils, then rotate the split ring through it.
  3. Continue until the eye loop is fully captured. Let the coils spring closed.

Repeat at all four wing-to-body connections. Avoid spreading the whole ring or bending it sideways.

Lifting the end coil of a wing split ring with split-ring pliers
Lift only the end coil enough to start the eye loop.
Wing split ring fully captured through the body eye loop
The eye loop is fully captured inside the closed ring.

4. Clip on the four suspension lines

The lines are precut and already tied. Attach one line to each of the two suspension holes around the middle of each wing.

  1. Ease the snap’s free wire end out from beneath the metal latch.
  2. Pass that wire end through a wing hole, then tuck it beneath the latch again.
  3. Clip both free line ends from the right wing to the right hanger ring. Repeat on the left.

Keep the lines separate and uncrossed. Check all eight latches: four at the wings and four at the hanger.

Open snap swivel with the wire end released from its latch
Release the free wire end to open the snap.
Snap swivel latched through a wing suspension hole
Latch the snap through a wing suspension hole.
Snap swivel latched around the hanger ring
Connect both lines from one wing to the matching hanger ring.

5. Tie the counterweight cord

Leave the existing weight-end knot in place. Support the counterweight while tying the free end to the ring beneath the body. Use a round turn and two half hitches, as shown in the diagram.

Eight-step diagram: round turn and two half hitches around the lower rim of the body ring
Select the diagram to enlarge it.
Read the knot steps
  1. Pass the free end over the lower rim of the ring.
  2. Bring the end behind and around the rim.
  3. Go around once more to complete the round turn.
  4. Bring the free end around the main thread leading to the weight.
  5. Tuck the free end through the loop you just made.
  6. Snug the first hitch, then wrap again in the same direction.
  7. Tuck through the new loop to form the second hitch.
  8. Pull the main thread and free end to seat the hitches.
Finished counterweight cord knot at the body ring
Check the finished body-end knot and the existing weight-end knot with a gentle tug.

6. Hang and check the movement

Hang the mobile from a secure overhead support using the hanger’s hanging ring. Keep supporting the dragon and counterweight until the lines take the load.

  • All four wing rings are closed.
  • All eight swivel snaps are latched.
  • Both counterweight knots are secure.
  • The horns or fins are secure and the lines are clear.

Gently pull and release the counterweight to check the wing movement. If a wing catches or hangs unevenly, support the mobile and check for crossed lines or a snagged connection.

Need a hand? Contact Berk’s Trading Post.

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