HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE BOATS, WITH AND WITHOUT POWER DRIVE
THIS Chapter will be devoted to the construction of very simple types of
boats. The boats described will be constructed largely with blocks of
wood cut into various shapes and sizes. The results obtainable by this
method of construction are surprising, and there are few types of boats
that cannot be modeled by following the method. After the model-builder
has constructed a few boats along this principle he will be able to
duplicate the general appearance of almost any craft he sees by
carefully planning and cutting the blocks he uses.
The first boat described is a submarine. This is shown in Fig. 20. Four
blocks of wood form the basis of its construction, and these are cut
from 1-inch stock, as shown in the drawing. Such a submarine can be
made practically any size up to 12 inches in length. Beyond this size
they begin to look out of proportion and they are more difficult to
propel. After nailing the blocks together as shown in the drawing, a
small piece of sheet brass is bent at right angles and tacked to the
stern piece. This is to act as a bearing for the propeller.
[Illustration: FIG. 20]
[Illustration: FIG. 21]
The propeller-shaft is bent into a hook over which rubber bands are
placed. The opposite end of the rubber bands are fastened to a screw-eye
driven into the under side of the bow. A heavy piece of copper wire is
fastened to the stern of the boat by staples, and bent as shown. A
rudder is then cut from thin sheet brass, and the end of it is bent
around a piece of wire larger in diameter than the wire used for the
rudder-post. It is then taken from this wire and slipped over the wire
on the boat. It should be pinched in place by a pair of pliers, so that
it will stay in any position in which it is put. The end of the wire is
bent over so that the rudder will not slip off. The boat can be steered
in a circle or it can be made to go straight, depending upon the
position of the propeller.
The horizontal rudders are mounted forward, as shown. They are made from
thin sheet brass bent as indicated in the little insertion. A hole is
drilled in them as shown, and a screw is placed through these to hold
the rudders to the side of the craft. The screws should be tightened so
that the rudders will stay at any angle at which they are put. If the
boat is to be submerged the rudders are pointed as shown. If the boat is
to travel on the surface of the water the rudders are brought up into a
horizontal position or parallel with the deck. A little gray paint
placed on this model will greatly improve its appearance.
Another submarine, more complicated than the one just described, is
shown in Fig. 21. The body of this submarine is formed by a part of a
broomstick or shovel-handle. This submarine is truer to type and can be
made with very little trouble. The piece of broomstick or shovel-handle
is cut 22 inches in length. It is pointed at each end, and part of it is
planed off to form the upper deck. When this is done, a small flat piece
is cut as shown, and nailed or screwed to the flat portion. The
conning-tower and periscope are placed on the upper deck, as shown. The
rudder on this craft is not made adjustable, so that it always travels
in a perfectly straight line. The horizontal rudders however, are made
adjustable, and the boat is therefore able to travel upon the surface
or submerge, depending upon the position of the rudder.
The power plant of this boat is made up of rubber bands. The power
transmission to the propeller is a little different than the one
previously described. A gear and a pinion are salvaged from the works of
an old alarm-clock, and mounted on a piece of brass, as shown. A little
soldering will be necessary here to make a good job. By using the gear
meshing with the pinion a considerable increase in the speed of the
propeller is obtained, and therefore the speed of the boat is
considerably increased. The method of holding the power plant to the
bottom of the boat is made very clear. In order to bring the boat down
to the proper level in the water, a strip of sheet lead can be tacked to
the bottom. The builder should take care to get a piece of lead just the
correct weight to leave the surface of the deck awash. A coat of gray
paint will also greatly improve the appearance of this craft.
[Illustration: FIG. 22]
[Illustration: FIG. 23]
[Illustration: FIG. 24]
Attention is directed to the construction of boats of different types
made without power plants. Many interesting little crafts can be
produced in this way, and the energetic model-builder can produce a
whole model harbor or dock-yard by constructing a number of boats of
different types according to the following instructions.
The first boat described will be the tug _Mary Ann_ shown in Fig. 22 and
Fig. 23. The blocks necessary to construct this boat are shown in Fig.
24. The hull of the boat is produced by three pieces of wood sawed out
to the same shape with a keyhole saw and glued together. After the glue
is dry the blocks are placed in a vise and the top one or deck block is
planed down as shown. It will be seen that the deck inclines slightly
toward the stern of the boat. When this is done the hull is turned
upside down and the bottom of the stern planed off as illustrated. The
outside of the hull can be finished up with a sharp knife and a
jack-plane.
The little bow piece can also then be tacked in place. After this the
pieces that form the hull can be nailed together from the bottom and
from the top. This is quite necessary, for glue will not hold them in
place after the boat has become thoroughly soaked with water.
The cabin and engine-room are shown very clearly in the illustration and
little need be said about erecting this part of the craft. The two doors
and window on the side of the cabin are made by cutting out small pieces
of cigar-box wood and gluing them to the cabin and engine-room. A good
substitute for the wood can be found in tin, but of course this would
have to be tacked on. The little skylight on the back of the tug is made
by a single block covered by two pieces of cigar-box wood.
In order to stabilize the craft and to bring her down to the proper
water-line, a lead keel must be nailed to the bottom. The weight of this
keel will have to be adjusted until the boat rests properly in the
water. The reader will notice that no dimensions have been given for
this boat. This is because most boys will wish to build different sized
boats, and therefore it has not been deemed advisable to dimension the
boats described in this Chapter. What the author desires to do is to
impart the principles of construction, so that every boy may use his own
ingenuity in regard to size and proportion of length to beam.
If tugs are constructed according to the design outlined above, the
model boat builder will also desire to have something that the tug can
haul. A very simple barge for this purpose is outlined in Figs. 25 and
26. This is formed of a single slab with the ends cut at an angle as
illustrated. A square flat piece is then tacked to the upper deck, which
acts as a cover. Four posts are then put in place in the same way as
those on the tug. One is placed in each corner. A boat or a scow like
this is generally painted red, and the model described can be made to
look much more realistic by painting it this color.
[Illustration: FIG. 25]
[Illustration: FIG. 26]
[Illustration: FIG. 27]
[Illustration: FIG. 28]
These barges are so easy to construct that the model-builder should make
three or four of them at a time. If the pieces for several are cut out
at the same time, the construction will be just that much easier. If the
boat does not sink far enough into the water, a piece of lead should be
placed on the bottom to bring it down. This piece of lead should be
placed as near the center as it is possible to get it. Otherwise the
boat will list or tip at one end or the other. With a little patience
and care the weight can be so adjusted on the bottom as to bring the
scow to a perfectly level position. The reader will understand that the
water-line of a scow or any boat made according to the directions in
this book will depend largely upon the nature of the wood. In the first
Chapter of the book it was pointed out that the specific gravity of
different woods varies, and therefore the buoyancy will vary.
A model freighter is shown in Fig. 27. The hull of this boat can be
formed by two 1-1/2-inch planks. These will require a little hard work
to cut out; but, on the other hand, the effort will be entirely
justified by the pleasing appearance of the little craft that can be
produced in this way. A bow and stern block to raise the deck are cut
out and nailed in place, as shown. A cabin is also placed on the stern
of the craft, and this is formed by a block with a piece of cigar-box
wood placed on the top. The cigar-box wood should project a little over
the edges to form a canopy. The center of the deck can be raised by a
third block; and three independent blocks, two large ones and a small
one, form the main cabin. Sandwiched in between these blocks are three
pieces of cigar-box wood. The remaining details of the craft are so
simple that they may easily be made by following the diagram.
[Illustration: FIG. 29]
Let us turn our attention to model war-ships. A torpedo-boat destroyer
is clearly illustrated in Figs. 28 and 29. This is very simple to
construct and makes a pleasing craft when finished. The hull is formed
by two blocks. One of these forms the raised deck on the bow of the
boat. The cabin is built up on this raised deck. It will be seen that
the part of the hull that rests in the water is formed by one block. In
building boats of this nature the constructor should be careful to keep
them long and slender, since torpedo-boat destroyers are always of this
type. They are high-speed craft, and their displacement must therefore
be as small as possible. Some of these boats carry four stacks and some
two. The author prefers four stacks as giving the boat a better
appearance than two. The two little cabins near the stern of the boat
are placed there merely to take away the plainness of construction. The
guns mounted forward and aft are merely round pieces of wood with a
piece of wire bent around them and forced into a hole in the deck.
[Illustration: FIG. 30]
The boat-builder should not be satisfied with one or two of these craft;
he should make a whole fleet. This will afford the average boy a great
amount of pleasure, since he can add to his fleet from time to time and
have official launchings. Each boat can also be given a name and a
number. A little gray paint on the hull of these boats and black on the
stacks gives them a very presentable appearance.
[Illustration: FIG. 31]
[Illustration: FIG. 32]
A battleship is shown in Fig. 30. A battleship should be at least twice
as long as a torpedo-boat destroyer. A view of the battleship as it will
look in the water is shown in Fig. 31. By carefully examining this
drawing the builder will be able to see just the number and shape of
the blocks that enter into the construction of the craft. The battleship
is provided with four main batteries mounted in turrets, one forward and
three aft. A mast is also built, and strings run from it to the top of
the main cabin and to the end of one of the turrets mounted aft. A screw
is placed through the centers of the fore and aft turrets, so they can
be turned to any position. Battleships should be painted gray. It will
be necessary to place rather a heavy keel on the boat just described in
order to bring it down to the proper depth in the water. Otherwise it
will be topheavy and will capsize very easily. A fleet of battleships
and battle-cruisers can easily be made according to the foregoing
instructions, and the builder should not be satisfied with producing
only one.
A pleasure yacht is illustrated in Fig. 32. The hull of this craft is
formed by two boards nailed together. The cabins are very simple, being
formed by a solid block of wood with a piece of cigar-box wood tacked to
the top. The windows and doors are marked in place with a soft
lead-pencil, and the stack is mounted midway between the two cabins. A
wireless antenna should be placed on the boat, with a few guy-wires from
the masts run to various parts of the deck. A lead-in wire also runs
down into one of the cabins. The hull of this boat should be painted
pure white. The deck can be left its natural color, while the stack
should be painted black and the cabins white with green trimmings.
Almost any type of boat can be produced by the use of simple blocks of
wood and other miscellaneous pieces easily brought to shape from
ordinary materials. This method of construction offers a wonderful
opportunity for the boy to exercise his creative faculties.