Fig. 66
The blocks should now appear as sketched inFig. 66. It is now ready for the shaping of its exterior. A plane, a chisel, and a draw-knife are the only tools necessary to bring the hull to the correct shape. The cardboard templates must be cut, one for each half-section, as shown in the body plan,Fig. 67. These templates serve to show the proper outside shape of the hull. The block for the hull must be cut away until each one of these templates fits properly into place. The various stages are indicated inFigs. 68and69.
Fig. 68
The interior of the board is gouged out with a gouging chisel, and if the builder desires a uniform result he should make inside templates. In gouging out the interior of the hull the chisel or gouge should be handled very carefully; otherwise it is liable to slip and spoil the entire hull.
Fig. 69
The next job is to cut and properly fit the raised portion or forecastle. A piece of wood 11/4inches thick, 15 inches long, and 61/4inches wide must be prepared and laid in place on the hull. The shape of the hull is marked off with a pencil and the wood sawedalong this line. The inner portion is also cut out, thus making a V-shaped piece which must be glued and screwed in place, as shown inFig. 70.
Fig. 71
The oval air-vents shown in the drawing can be cut at this time. The hull is neatly finished by cutting in the sheer or curvature of the hull and sandpapering it all over. A cross-beam or support,C,Fig. 70, is cut and fitted as illustrated. This particular piece supports the fore-deck, and also carries the main-deck, as well as bracing the boat together. This piece should be3/16inch thick and cut from solid oak.
The decks can be made of a good quality of white pine. The builder should select clean pieces, free from knots and blemishes. It only requires to be cut to shape and then fixed to the hull with a few brads. The edge should be cleaned up flush with the hull by the aid of a plane. The opening for the cock-pit, shown in the drawing inFig. 71, is to be cut in the deck. The coamings and seats are cut to the sizes indicated in the drawings. They are then glued and pinned together. When fitted to the deck the result will be somewhat as shown inFig. 71.
Fig. 72
The fore-deck is prepared in a similar manner; but, since this is to be removable, two battens must be fitted to the under side to keep it in place. The openings for the hatchways can be cut and the hatch-covers made by cutting another piece of wood3/16inch thick to form an edging. A cover piece to go over the small pieces, removed from cutting out the hatch opening, is shown atFig. 72. A coping-saw will be found very useful for this work. The covers are neatly rounded on the edge and nicely finished.
Fig. 74
Fig. 73
Fig. 73 will give the reader a very good idea of the appearance of the boat at this stage. It will be seen that the sketch shows the deck broken away so as to render the cross-batten visible, which also shows the fair-lead atF,Fig. 73. This is cut from two small pieces of3/16-inch stuff, glued and pinned in place. The forward deck is completed by the addition of cowl-ventilators, cut from hard wood and screwed in place. The flag-mast is made from a short piece of1/16-inch wire. The details of the mooring-cleats are shown inFig. 74. They are fashioned by using a small screw-eye and soldering a short piece of brass wire throughthe eye. An oblong metal plate is then cut and a central hole drilled. This plate is soldered to the shank of the screw-eye and the cleat is complete. One of these devices is to be fitted to the fore-deck and two on the main-deck and stern.
Fig. 75
The rudder and steering gear will be considered next.Fig. 75shows the stern of the boat with the rudder gear mounted in place. It will be noted that the rudder-blade is merely a piece of sheet brass cut to shape and soldered into the rudder-postM, which is slit to accommodate it. The rudder-post is hung in two screw-eyes on the stern of the boat. A small wheel about 1 inch in diameter, with an edge filed in it, is soldered to the top of the rudder-post. A fine cord or string, well stretched and oiled, is attachedto the wheel and led through two screw-eyes on the deck. From this it is led through an opening in the coaming to a drum on the steering column, which is turned by another small wheel similar to that used on the rudder-post, but with a round edge. The steering column is merely a piece of1/8-inch wire, held in place by two small screw-eyes fixed in the coaming and with a tube-brush soldered on to keep the wire in position. The drum is simply a hard-wood bushing driven tightly in place.
The power machinery for theNancy Leemust be considered at this time. This is really one of the most interesting parts of the construction. The general appearance of the power plant can be seen by referring toFig. 77, which is a view of the complete boiler and engine mounted together on the same base. The boiler is shown atAand the safety-valve and filler atL. The base or fireboxBprotects the burner from stray drafts of air, and also supports the boiler.
The lamp or burner consists of a receptacleCfor containing the denatured alcohol. The denatured alcohol is inserted throughthe filler-tubeE, which is kept closed with a cork. The upright tubeDis fitted so that air can go into the receptacle containing the alcohol. Three burners are necessary to fire the boiler. These are fitted as shown inF, and they give sufficient heat to produce steam enough to drive the cylinderG. The steam is conducted to the cylinder through the short pipeK. The steam-cylinder has the usual piston and rod, which drives the circular crankH. This crank is mounted on a crankshaft carried on the metal tubeM. As will be noticed, the cylinder is of the simple oscillating type mounted on a standard, formed as part of the boiler casing, and stiffened by two angle-platesL.
A heavy flywheel,J, is now fitted to the inside end of the crankshaft. This wheel should be a lead casting, and as heavy as possible. A heavy flywheel contributes much to the operating efficiency of the engine. The propeller-shaft and crank are shown atNin the insert.
The boiler is made from a strong tin can about 13/4inches in diameter and 41/2inches long. It is cleaned inside and out, and allthe seams are double-soldered. The lid is also soldered on the can. This little boiler, although not elaborately made, will be found capable of standing up under considerable steam-pressure, and so no fear need be had of accidents by explosion.
Fig. 83
A little safety-valve and filler-plug suitablefor use on the boiler are shown clearly inFig. 78. A piece of sheet tin is cut out to the size and shape illustrated inFig. 79atA. The piece is bent up at the dotted lines and the seams are soldered. Two angle-plates,B, are then cut and fitted and soldered in place. Next a piece of brass tube with a1/8-inch bore and 1 inch long is cut and soldered in place for the bearing of the crankshaft. A lead flywheel 11/4inches in diameter and1/2inch thick is then mounted firmly on a piece of straight steel wire 13/4inches long, which acts as a shaft.
The shaft is made to run freely in the crankshaft bearing that was previously soldered in place. The cylinder is shown in section inFig. 80. If the reader will refer back to the construction of the engine described in Chapter 4 he will readily understand the operation and construction of this particular engine.
A little crank must be cut from1/16-inch brass, and soldered to the crankshaft after fitting a wire crank-pin to the outer edge. This crank-pin should be of such a size that the joint on the end of the piston-rod shownatA,Fig. 80, turns on it easily. The throw should be only half the stroke of the engine, which is3/8of an inch.
The boiler is now fixed in place by bending the lugsB,Fig. 79, so that they just support the boiler nicely. They are then soldered in place. Next fit the short steam-pipeKbetween the boiler and the steam block on the cylinder. The builder should take care to keep the steam-pipe well up to the top of the boiler.
The lamp should be built at this time. The container for the denatured alcohol is made from a well soldered tin box of suitable size. It can also be made by cutting a sheet of tin to the size and shape shown inFig. 81. The corner joints are soldered and then a tin lid is soldered in place. The builder should not forget to make the filler-tubeEand air-tubeD, as shown inFig. 77, before soldering the top piece in place. The burners should be made as high as the container, and these should be made from little pieces of tin bent to shape and soldered on to a bottom pipe, as shown inFig. 77. The builder should also remember to cut the holesthrough this pipe so that the alcohol can get into the burner-tubes, and also to solder the open end of the bottom or feed tube. Before the wicks are put into the lamps, the container should be tested by filling it with alcohol to see that it is perfectly tight at all joints. If it is not the container should be gone over again with solder to assure its being leak-proof.
Before operating the engine with steam, it can be tested with a small bicycle pump through the opening for the safety-valve. The engine should turn over briskly at every stroke of the pump, providing it does not come to rest at "dead center." If it does come to rest at "dead center," where no air can enter the piston, the crankshaft should be given a little twist and the engine will then start. Before steam is applied it will be well to experiment until the engine runs with the air-pump.
Having made the engine run smoothly with air, steam can be generated in the boiler. The wicks should not be placed too tightly in the burners. After they are in place the container may be filled with denaturedalcohol, and the burners lighted and placed under the boiler. In a very few minutes steam will be up. At the first indication of pressure in the boiler the engine should be given a twist with the fingers until it starts and goes of its own accord. The constructor should remember to keep his engine well lubricated.
The propeller-shaft is merely a piece of steel wire, perfectly straight and fitted with a crankA,Fig. 82. This crank is similar to the one fitted to the engine, but with a small slot cut out for the crank-pin to fit into. This is done so that, as the crank-pin on the engine turns around, it also turns a slotted crank on the propeller-shaft.
A short piece of tube,C, is now fitted to a flat brass plate,D. The plate is mounted at an angle to the tube, so that when it is in place on the stern of the boat the propeller-shaft will be in line with the crankshaft of the engine.
A clearance hole is now drilled through the hull, so that the propeller-shaft can be put in place. Solder the tube to the plate, and punch four small holes in the plate, sothat it can be screwed firmly to the hull. Solder a short piece of tube, as shown atB,Fig. 82, to keep the propeller-shaft in position.
The propeller must now be made. This is easily done by cutting out a disk of brass 11/2inches in diameter, as shown inFig. 83. The shaded portions of the brass disk are cut away. The blades are bent to shape, care being taken to see that they are all alike. This done, the propeller is soldered to the propeller-shaft.
The only part of the job that remains is to screw the boiler in place under the fore-deck of the boat. This done, theNancy Leeis ready for her trial. The fore-deck should be made removable by fitting it with pins or screws with the heads cut off, so that the deck only needs pushing into place. This little boat should be capable of attaining a speed of from four to five miles an hour if it is made carefully and according to the directions outlined in this Chapter.
A PROTOTYPE of the model lake freighter described in this Chapter will probably be familiar to many readers. It is a type of boat used on the Great Lakes, and, owing to its peculiarity of design, it lends itself very well to construction in model form.
The lines of the boat may be seen very clearly inFig. 84.
The hull of the model freighter measures four feet over all, and the beam at the water-line is 8 inches. The extreme draft will be in the neighborhood of 5 inches. This model, when completed, will be capable of carrying considerable weight; in fact, it is able to accommodate thirty-five pounds in weight when used in fresh water. This will give the builder an opportunity to install avery substantial power equipment with little regard for weight.
Fig. 84
The hull is made according to the built-up principle, and the constructor will have to cut his templates before attempting the shaping of the hull. Owing to the depth of the model, it will be necessary to use about ten planks. The plank that is used to form the bottom of the boat is not gouged out. Every other plank is gouged out with a saw and chisel.
The bottom plank is shaped with a knife to conform to the lines of the boat. In building up the hull with the planks, they should first be smeared with glue, and when put in place a few brass brads should be driven in. As mentioned in an earlier part of this book, iron nails should not be used in work of this nature, owing to the fact that they will rust and cause trouble. The brass brads are placed about one inch apart the entire length of the boards. The hull is finished with a plane and sandpaper, and after it has been brought to shape in this way and finished, a coat of paint is applied. Black with dark red trimmings makes a very good combination for a boat of this type.
The deck is made from a piece of1/4-inch pine board. Seven hatches are added to the deck. Six of these hatches can be made by merely gluing a square piece of1/4-inch wood to the deck. The seventh hatch should be made with a hole cut in the deck, so that access can be had to the power motor.
The deck-house, wheel-house, and chart-house, as well as the bridge, should be constructed of tin, which may be salvaged fromclean tin cans. The bridge is provided with spray-cloths made from white adhesive tape, as outlined in Chapter 9. The port-holes in the deck-house and hull are made by little pieces of brass forced in place over a small piece of mica. The life-boats, which are carried on top of the engine-house, are whittled out of a solid piece of wood and painted white. Life-boats are always painted white, regardless of the color of the boat upon which they are used. The life-boats are held by means of string and small dummy pulleys to davits made of heavy stovepipe wire. A rub-streak made of a piece of1/4-inch square pine is tacked to each side of the hull just below the sheer-line. The rub-streak should be tacked in place with nails such as those used on cigar-boxes.
The funnel measures 1 inch in diameter by 4 inches long. A small exhaust steam pipe, which can be made from a piece of brass tubing, is mounted directly aft of the funnel. The forward deck fittings consist mainly of a steering-boom, two bollards, two fair-heads, and four life-buoys mounted on the bridge. The main-deck is equipped withsix bollards and two covered ventilators, each1/2inch in diameter. The foremast is properly stayed in the deck, and should be fitted with rat-lines. The rat-lines can be made with black thread and finished with varnish, which when dry will tend to hold the threads in shape.
The rudder is cut from a piece of sheet brass to the shape shown, and fitted with a quadrant. The engine cabin can be made from cigar-box wood. The windows and doors can either be painted in place, or the windows can be cut and backed up with sheet celluloid. A good substitute for painted doors will be found in small pieces of tin painted a different color from the cabin. The same procedure may be followed in fitting the windows and doors to the forward cabin.
We are now ready to consider the power plant. Owing to the large displacement of the boat, it will carry a fairly heavy storage battery. The electric motor and storage battery are mounted in the manner shown inFig. 85, which will also give the reader an idea of the appearance of the finishedmodel. As the drawing indicates, it will not be necessary to tilt the motor to any great degree in order to bring the propeller to the proper depth. This is because of the depth of the boat. Instead of a string or belt to connect the motor with the propeller, the shaft of the motor is taken out and replaced by a longer steel rod that will serve both as a motor-shaft and a propeller-shaft. The propeller-shaft extends from the motor through the stern-tube. The propeller used for this model is a three-blade affair, 3 inches in diameter. It must be of this size in order to propel a boat of these dimensions at a consistent speed.
Care must be taken in mounting the motor in this way. If it is not mounted directly in line with the stern-tube the propeller-shaft will have a tendency to bind. However, with a little care no trouble should be experienced from this source. The storage battery used should be of the four-volt forty-ampere hour variety. This boat will be capable of carrying such a battery and this weight should just bring the craft down to her load water-line. The whole deck ismade removable, so that the storage battery can be taken in and out at times when it is necessary to recharge it. A battery of this capacity, however, will drive a small motor similar to the type used on the boat for some time.
THE submarine chaser design given in the drawings and described in the text of this Chapter is a presentable little boat with pleasing lines and deck fittings. There is nothing difficult about its construction, and, considering the amount of work necessary to produce it, it is probably one of the most pleasing boats described in the book. If made correctly it will look "speedy" and shipshape.
The general outline of the boat can be gathered fromFigs. 86,87, and88.Fig. 86gives a side view of the craft;Fig. 87shows the bow, whileFig. 88gives the deck-plan.
Fig. 86
Notice first the construction of the hull. This is made according to the Sharpie type, but the lines are changed to give the boat a more graceful appearance. This is done by changing the shape of the deck and the bottompieces.Fig. 89shows the various pieces necessary to construct the hull. It will be seen that the forward portion of the bottom piece is narrower than the deck piece, and broadens out so that it is wider at the stern than the deck piece. The deck piece has a maximum width of 5 inches, while the bottom piece has a width of 4 inches at the forward section. The deck measures 31/2inches at the stern, while the bottom piece measures 41/2inches at the stern. This produces a half-inch taper on each side of the stern. Ahalf-inch taper is also produced on the bow portion.
Fig. 90
The hull of the boat can be made from1/8-inch mahogany. If this is not available, choose some other close-grained wood, free from knots and blemishes. Paper patterns are made to correspond with the general shape of the pieces that form the hull as given inFig. 89. The pieces, after being marked, are cut to shape with a keyhole-saw.After this is done their edges should be trimmed neatly with a jack-plane.
The two sides pieces are now screwed to the bow piece by small brass screws. After this is done the bottom piece is fastened to the side pieces the entire length of the boat. Next the first cross-piece, as shown inFig. 90, is screwed in place. This cross-piece should be 43/4inches in length, so that the width of the hull at this point is just 5 inches. The next cross-piece should correspond to the width of the deck piece at the section of the hull where it is placed. The same holds true for the third cross-piece. When the third cross-piece has been screwed in place, the stern piece is put in position.
The joints of the hull should then be smeared with either pitch or bath-tub enamel or a thick mixture of white lead may be used.
After having made sure that the hull is perfectly water-tight the worker can proceed to install the power equipment. This consists of a small battery motor driven with two dry cells. The design and installation of such things as stern-tubes and propeller-shaftshave been taken up in detail in an earlier part of this book. The strut that holds the propeller-shaft is shown inFig. 91. This consists merely of a brass bushing held in a bracket made of a strip of brass1/2inch wide. The brass strip is wound around the bushing and soldered. It is held to the bottom of the hull by means of two 8-32 brass machine screws. These screws should be tightened to prevent leakage. It would be inadvisable to use wood-screws for this purpose, owing to the fact that the bottom piece of the boat is thin.
Fig. 93
The two dry batteries for the motor are held in two tin troughs, as illustrated inFig. 92. These troughs are fastened to the side of the boat by means of small bolts. Theywill prevent the boat from shifting its cargo; in other words, they hold the batteries in place and thereby prevent the boat from listing.
The deck and deck fittings should now be furnished. The construction of the forward cabin is shown inFig. 93. The sides and back are formed with cigar-box wood, while the curved front can best be made with a piece of tin. The top is also cut to shape from cigar-box wood, and should overlap about1/4inch. The pilot-house is simplicity itself, being made of a piece of curved tin with three windows cut in it. Four little lugs cut in the tin are bent on the inside and each provided with a hole. These lugs are used to tack the pilot-house to the deck. A small skylight is produced from a solid piece of wood and tacked in place as illustrated in the drawing.
The builder is cautioned not to destroy the appearance of his boat by making the mast too large. After the mast has been nicely sandpapered, a little wire frame is bent to shape and fastened to the top, as shown inFig. 87. The little wire railingthat is placed in front of the mast is then bent to shape, and this and the mast are put in their permanent position. The mast can be held to the deck by boring a hole a little under size and smearing the bottom of the mast with a little glue before it is forced in. Pieces of black thread are run from the top of the mast to the railing at the bottom, as shown. These threads are used to hoist signal flags. Two little angle-pieces are placed on the forward deck, one on each side of the pilot-house. These are for the harbor lights. One should be painted green and one red.
This finishes the forward cabin. It should be placed in the center of the deck and the position it occupies should be marked out with a pencil. This portion of the deck should be carefully cut out with a coping-saw. The cabin is then forced into the opening. The fit should be fairly tight, so that it will not be necessary to employ nails or glue, as this is the only way in which the interior of the hull is made accessible.
Two ventilators are placed just back of the forward cabin. Between the forwardcabin and the cabin aft there is placed a rapid-fire gun. The details of this gun are given inFig. 94. The barrel of the gun is made of a piece of brass rod. A hole is drilled through this rod with a small drill and a piece of copper wire is inserted. A square piece of brass for the breech is then drilled out to receive the barrel. One end of the barrel is placed in this hole and held with a drop of solder. A drop of solder should also be used on the copper wire that runs through the barrel. The bearing and shield of the gun are made from thin sheet brass, as illustrated. Three holes are drilled in the bearing bracket, two through which the wire passes and one through which the small nail is placed to hold the bearing to the wooden standard. The shield is forced over the barrel and held in place with a drop of solder. When the barrel is mounted in the bearing, a drop of solder should be put in place to prevent the barrel of the gun from tipping.
Fig. 94
The cabin which is placed aft on the boat, is of very simple construction. It is made up entirely of cigar-box wood tacked together, and the top should overlap1/4inch. The cabin is then tacked to the deck of the boat. The mast should be only three-fourths as high as the forward mast, and a tiny hole is drilled near the top. Into this hole a small piece of soft wire is placed, and from this wire a thread runs to the cabin. A small flag can then be placed on the thread, as illustrated inFig. 86.
Six port-holes are now bored in each side of the hull with a1/2-inch bit. These can be backed up with mica or celluloid. Five smaller port-holes made with a1/4-inch drill are then bored in each side of the forward cabin. Three are placed in the aft cabin.
With the exception of painting, the hull is now ready to be launched. Before finally applying the paint the hull should be given a thorough rubbing with sandpaper. A battleship gray with maroon trimmings makes a pleasing color combination for this boat.
THE model boat builder generally has some trouble in producing the necessary fittings for his boats. It is practically impossible to buy such things in this country, and so it is necessary to make them.
Using a little care, it is possible to make presentable fittings by utilizing odds and ends found about the household and shop. In this Chapter the author will describe the construction of the more important fittings necessary to model boats, such as stacks, searchlights, bollards, cowl-ventilators, davits, and binnacles.
The smokestack is probably one of the easiest things to produce. A very suitable method of producing a smokestack is shown inFig. 95. The stack itself is cut from a piece of thin brass tubing. It is also possible to use a small tin can of the proper diameter.In both cases, of course, paint must be applied to improve the appearance of the brass or tin. If the stack is painted either gray or white a red band near the top of the stack produces a good finish and makes it look more shipshape.
Fig. 95
The method of anchoring the stack to the deck of the boat is shown very clearly. First a block of wood is cut about the same diameter as the internal diameter of the stack. This block of wood is then forced up into the stack. A small square base is then cut, and fastened to the block on the inside of the stack with a wood-screw. It might be mentionedhere that it is often necessary to drill a hole with a small hand drill before driving the screw in, to prevent splitting the wood.
After the base piece is fastened to the stack, the base in turn is held to the deck of the boat by two small screws driven up from beneath. The guy-wires can then be fastened on. The guy-wires should be made of very fine wire, since heavy wire would be entirely out of proportion. The wire can be fastened on the stack by drilling a tiny hole through the stack. A knot is then tied in one end of the wire, and the opposite end threaded through the hole. Small screw-eyes driven into the base piece are used to anchor the guy-wires.
Ventilators are a very important part of the boat. The model-builder will encounter considerable trouble if he attempts to make his cowl-ventilator from metal, unless he is very experienced in drawing copper out by hand. The writer has found a method of producing cowl-ventilators by the use of clay pipes. Clay pipes can be purchased for a few cents each, and when cut down as shown inFig. 96they form very suitable ventilators.The pipe can be cut as shown by the use of a file. The ventilator is held to the deck of the boat by being forced into a hole in the deck that is just a trifle under size. Of course, the forcing will have to be done carefully to prevent the stem from cracking. The inside of the ventilator should always be painted red, and the outside should be the same color as the boat. Ventilators made in this way absolutely defy detection and do much toward bettering the general appearance of the craft upon which they are used.
Fig. 98
A simple searchlight, easily made by themodel boat builder, is shown inFig. 97. This is an electric light, and the batteries used to propel the boat can be used for the light. First a small circular piece of wood is cut out, as shown atA,Fig. 97. The center of this is drilled out to accommodate a small flashlight bulb. A tiny brass screw is then driven into the piece of wood, so that it will come in contact with the center of the base of the flashlight bulb. This little screw forms one of the electrical contacts, and one of the wires from the battery is attached to it.
A little strip of brass is then cut as shown inB,Fig. 97, and provided with three holes, one hole at each end and one in the middle. The brass is bent into a semicircular shape, so that it will be just a little larger in diameter than the outside of the wooden piece in which the flashlight bulb is mounted. This little piece is then fastened to a wooden post with a small brass pin, as shown inFig. 97. Two more pins are used to hold the wooden piece to the searchlight proper. One of these pins is driven through the wooden piece until it comes in contact with the base of theflashlight bulb. This forms the other electrical connection, and the second feed wire from the battery can be attached to the little brass piece that holds the searchlight. Both the feed wires from the battery can come up through a hole in the deck close to the wooden post upon which the searchlight is mounted.
Bollards are very easily made. Reference toFig. 98will make this clear. First a little strip of brass is cut, and this is drilled as shown with two holes, one at each end and two smaller holes in the center. Two little circular pieces of wood are then cut, with a hole through the center. A brass screw passes through these and into the deck of the boat. The brass screw should not be driven in too far, since the bollards should be free to revolve. It is also possible to use brass tubing instead of wood if the proper size is in the model-builder's shop.
A POWERFUL GASOLENE BLOW-TORCHA POWERFUL GASOLENE BLOW-TORCHFor a metre racing boat. Such a torch will deliver a steady, hot flame forfifteen minutes
A word will be said here about finishing the deck of a model boat. It is a very tedious job to cut separate planks to form the deck. In fact, this job is quite beyond the ability, to say nothing of the patience, of theaverage young model-builder. A very simple method of producing imitation planking is shown inFig. 99. A sharp knife and a straight-edge are the only tools for this work. The straight-edge is merely used to guide the knife. The cuts should not be made too deep, and they should be made a uniform distance apart. When the deck is finished in this manner and varnished over, a very pleasing effect is produced. In fact, if the work is done carefully, the deck looks very much as if it were planked.
JUST AFTER THE RACEJUST AFTER THE RACEA line-up of the entries in one of the power boat races held at Central Park, New York City. The author presented the cup to the owner of Elmara III, the winning boat, which attained a speed of nearly thirty miles an hour
Fig. 99
Fig. 104
Fig. 100
A small life-boat is shown inFig. 100. This can easily be carved to shape from asmall piece of soft white pine. The center is gouged out, and tiny little seats made of thin strips of wood are glued in place. Two small screw-eyes are placed in the boat, for fastening it to the davits. The davits are shown inFig. 101, atAandB. They are made by bending a piece of small brass rod, as shown. One end of the rod is hammered flat, and a hole is made in it with avery small drill. Holes a little under size are drilled in the deck, and the davits are forced into these. The method of suspending the life-boat from the davits is shown atB,Fig. 101. The little blocks of wood are glued on to a thread to represent pulleys, and they are, of course, only imitation or dummy pulleys.
Fig. 102
The method of producing port-holes is shown inFig. 102. A hole is first bored through the wood with a bit of the proper size. The size of the port-holes depends entirely upon the size of the boat. A piece of brass tubing is then cut off with a hacksaw to form a brass bushing. The outside diameter of this tubing should be the same as the size of the bit used. For instance, if a1/2-inch bit is used, brass tubing1/2inch indiameter should be purchased. Such tubing can be obtained from any hardware store. Celluloid, such as that used for windows in automobile curtains, is glued to the inside of the port-holes. This makes a splendid substitute for glass. It can be obtained at garages and automobile supply stores for a few cents a square foot. The model boat builder can also use either mica or glass for this purpose, although thick glass looks somewhat out of place.
A binnacle is shown inFig. 103. This is made from a solid piece of wood cut with a semi-spherical top. The steering-wheel is made of a wheel from an old alarm clock. The teeth of the wheel should be filed off. Tiny pieces of wire are then soldered in place on the wheel, as shown. A pin driven through the center of the steering-wheel is used to fasten it to the binnacle. The binnacle itself can be held to the deck either by glue or by a small screw.