AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN LAKE FREIGHTER
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 in Fig. 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 a very substantial power
equipment with little regard for weight.
[Illustration: FIG. 84]
[Illustration: FIG. 85]
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 of 1/4-inch pine board. Seven hatches are
added to the deck. Six of these hatches can be made by merely gluing a
square piece of 1/4-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 from clean 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 of 1/4-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 with six bollards and
two covered ventilators, each 1/2 inch 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
in Fig. 85, which will also give the reader an idea of the appearance of
the finished model. 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 is made 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.