DATE: Saturday, August 16, 1997             TAG: 9708150095

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Larry Maddry 

                                            LENGTH:   96 lines

CREATOR OF THE WATER WHEEL NEVER RUNS DRY OF IDEAS

WELL, WOULDN'T you know it.

The ink on the column about the Surf Bike - a surfboard with a bike on top that propels it over water - was barely dry when a reader phoned.

``We've got a guy here in Virginia Beach who has invented a trailer that pulls a bike or a motor bike, and the whole rig works like a boat, powered by the bike or motor bike,'' he said.

Well, they say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. But a trailer that speeds across the water driven by a motor bike or bike?

Yep, there is such a thing. It's the creation of Steve E. Lening of Plainsman Trail in Virginia Beach. He calls it the Water Wheel.

Lening is a professional handy man with a streak of genius. Before the inventor took his Water Wheel for a cruise this week, I met him at his home to look at a few of his other creations.

The Water Wheel was in the driveway. It's a pair of pontoons on wheels that can be pulled behind a bike or car to a lake or wherever. Then a bike or motor bike can be placed on the Water Wheel and away you go.

Lening showed me a home video of his invention sputtering across a nearby lake. Atop it was the motor bike - he built it himself - powered by a 3-horsepower lawn mower motor he found in a trash dump. He looked very at ease on the bike seat as the craft sped across the lake at 45 mph.

Amazing. He appeared to be going about 5 mph as he pedaled the craft using a bike. In the front of the vessel is a metal pipe where a sail mast can be inserted. The Water Wheel will support three adults, he said, and can be folded into a 3-by-5-foot size. It has a braking system, and the motor bike engine can be reversed.

Leming is a born tinkerer.

When he was a child, he made his own toys, he said.

``I'd make flying saucer-like undersea vehicles that fired their own missiles,'' he remembered.

He's been working as a handy man since he was 11 years old. At age 14 he could install electrical wiring for a house. And when he was 18, he was reading blueprints and installing the pipes, ducts and connections for home heating and plumbing systems.

``I can make about anything I can see,'' he said. ``And usually make it better.''

It's true. When Leming's father was hospitalized and found it awkward to operate his wheelchair and pull an I.V. pole (the rolling, upright pole holding a bag of fluid connected by a tube to the needle in his arm), the inventor was challenged.

So he invented a bar that tows the I.V. pole behind a wheelchair.

Another of his inventions is a small but useful item that - like all of his inventions - has patents pending. It's a switch box screw that is made of red paraffin. When the box temperature rises above 150 degrees, the screw melts, leaving a trickle of blood-red wax on the outside to warn of fire danger. Very useful for homes with aluminum wiring, he said.

In the side yard of the Leming home is a 7-by-50-foot camper that sleeps four, comfortably, inside.

``You can also sleep about ten folks in sleeping bags on the roof,'' he said. `This baby is sturdy.''

It's also novel. ``I don't have a lot of money, so most of this camper is made from stuff I found in trash heaps,'' he said.

The first thing you notice about Leming's camper is the nearly burglar proof windows and doors, which he designed and installed. They also provide plenty of fresh air for the camper. As you enter, there is a shower and toilet in a broom-closet-size alcove. The toilet seat was flat against the wall, out of the way.

``If you want to use the john, you simply raise it like this,'' he said, pulling on the seat, which came magically off the floor, mounted on a telescoping dryer hose. ``Why have both a toilet and a shower when you can have both in the same space?'' he asked.

Why indeed.

The hot water for the shower - and the sink - is heated by a stove Leming invented that was made from a propane tank used for an outdoor gas grill. The small stove not only heats water for the camper but also provides heat in winter. He's cut a door in the side of the tank to use it as a wood stove.

When the windows are closed, the camper is ventilated by a rather unique but inexpensive cooling system. He has installed aluminum gutters with holes punched into them, and air is blown through the guttering by a fan from a copying machine.

A large circular hole above one of the upper bunks also provides ventilation but can be used to reach the top of the camper. He's planning to build a tent apparatus that will cover the camper's top.

``Steve can wear you out showing you all the things he's invented,'' said his wife, Donna, laughing.

Leming is looking for a financial backer so he can put many of his ideas into production. So far, he hasn't found one.

He wanted me to mention that the Water Wheel trailer can be outfitted with a tent for use in rainy weather, or simply for camping on the water.

His mind just goes faster and faster, thinking of things to invent.

He patted one of the Water Wheel pontoons and said, ``I've been seriously thinking about putting a 400 or 500 cc (cubic centimeter) motorcycle on it.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

GARY C. KNAPP

Steve E. Lening...

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