BOAT FITTINGS
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 in Fig. 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 95]
[Illustration: FIG. 97]
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
mentioned here 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 in Fig. 96 they 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 98]
[Illustration: FIG. 96]
A simple searchlight, easily made by the model boat builder, is shown
in Fig. 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 at _A_, 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 in _B_, 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 in Fig. 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 the flashlight 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 to Fig. 98 will 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.
[Illustration: A POWERFUL GASOLENE BLOW-TORCH
For a metre racing boat. Such a torch will deliver a steady, hot flame
for fifteen 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
the average young model-builder. A very simple method of producing
imitation planking is shown in Fig. 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.
[Illustration: JUST AFTER THE RACE
A 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]
[Illustration: FIG. 99]
[Illustration: FIG. 100]
[Illustration: FIG. 104]
[Illustration: FIG. 101]
A small life-boat is shown in Fig. 100. This can easily be carved to
shape from a small 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 in Fig. 101, at _A_ and _B_. 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 a very 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 at _B_, 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 102]
The method of producing port-holes is shown in Fig. 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 a 1/2-inch bit is used, brass tubing 1/2 inch
in diameter 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 in Fig. 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.
[Illustration: FIG. 103]
A torpedo-tube for use on model destroyers and battleships is shown in
Fig. 104. First two disks of wood are cut. Then a circular piece is
cut, as shown. Two brass nails are then driven through this piece into
one of the disks. An upholstering tack is driven into the end of the
circular piece, as pictured. The method of attaching the torpedo-tube to
the deck is clearly illustrated in Fig. 104 and no further directions
need be given. If the model-builder has a small piece of brass tube on
hand suitable for use in this case, it will make a much better appearing
tube than the piece of wood illustrated.
A wireless antenna is shown at Fig. 105. This is a fitting that will do
much toward improving the appearance of any craft. Very fine copper wire
is used for the aerial. The little spreaders are cut to shape from wood,
and a tiny hole is punched through them through which the wire is
placed. Black beads slipped on the wire serve very well as insulators.
The lead-in wire which drops to the wireless cabin is attached to the
aerial by winding it around each one of the aerial waves. The aerial
should be suspended between the masts of the vessel. A few words should
be said about masts in general. If there is one way in which a
model-builder can destroy the appearance of a model boat, it is by using
badly proportioned masts. The average boy seems inclined to use a mast
of too great a diameter, which makes it out of proportion with the rest
of the boat. It is better to have a mast too small rather than too
large.
The method of producing railing is shown in Fig. 106. The same small
brass rod that was used for the davits can be used for the rail
stanchions. One end of the stanchions is hammered flat and drilled out.
The stanchions are fastened to the deck by first drilling small holes
and forcing them into it. Thread or very fine wire is used for the
railing. Fine wire is preferred owing to the fact that it will not break
so easily under strain.
[Illustration: FIG. 105]
[Illustration: FIG. 106]
[Illustration: FIG. 108]
[Illustration: FIG. 107]
[Illustration: FIG. 109]
[Illustration: FIG. 110]
Fig. 107 shows a good method of producing stairs. It must be remembered
that stairs are often used in model-boat construction. First a strip of
tin is bent as shown. Then two more strips, which act as side pieces,
are cut. One of these strips is soldered to each side of the stairs.
Then six stanchions, which can be made from heavy copper wire, are
soldered to the side pieces, as shown. The railing can be made from
copper wire or black thread.
Fig. 108 shows a small skylight placed on the deck. This is easily made
from cigar-box-wood glued together. The holes in the top pieces for the
windows are cut with a very sharp knife. It will be necessary to use a
little patience in this, to prevent the piece from splitting and to
prevent cracks. A piece of celluloid is glued underneath the top pieces
before they are finally glued in place.
A small quick-firing deck-gun is shown in Fig. 109. This is a very
simple fitting and can be made with very little difficulty. The base of
the gun is formed by cutting a thread-spool in half. A piece of small
brass tubing is used to form the barrel. A little piece of sheet tin is
looped over the back of the gun to represent the breech. A tiny piece of
wire is held to the side of the breech with a drop of solder, to
represent a handle. The shield of the gun is cut from a piece of tin,
as shown. A hole is made in the bottom of this, so that the nail that
passes through the barrel of the gun will also pass through this hole
and into the spool. The center of the spool should be plugged to hold
the nail. After the gun is painted gray or black it will appear very
businesslike, considering the small amount of labor spent in producing
it.
Anchors are more or less difficult to make (Fig. 110), and unless the
builder is endowed with a great amount of patience he will not be able
to file them out of solid metal. A dummy anchor can be easily cut out of
wood, however, and when painted black it will answer instead of a metal
one. The anchor shown at _A_ is a very simple type made out of a solid
piece of wood. The one at _B_, however, is made out of two pieces of
wood fastened together with a pin, as shown. The bottom piece of the
anchor shown at _B_ should be rather thick to get the proper effect, and
the two points should be tapered nicely. The center of the bottom piece
should be hollowed out to accommodate the vertical piece.
A common hatch is shown at Fig. 111. This can be made in the form of an
open box from cigar-box wood, and glued to the deck. It is not necessary
to cut a hole in the deck for this purpose.
[Illustration: FIG. 115]
[Illustration: FIG. 116]
[Illustration: FIG. 111]
[Illustration: FIG. 113]
A cargo-hoist for use on model freight-boats is shown in Fig. 112. This
is a very simple piece of work and will need little description. Several
stay-wires should be fastened to the main-mast and held to the deck with
small screw-eyes. The boom should be made a trifle smaller in diameter
than the mast. The pulleys are dummy, like those on the life-boat. A
little hook bent to shape from copper wire is placed on the end of the
thread, as shown.
[Illustration: FIG. 112]
[Illustration: FIG. 114]
Fig. 113 shows a method of making a whistle and an engine exhaust. The
engine exhaust is made of a piece of wood, and the furled top is
produced by an eyelet such as those used in shoes. The engine exhaust is
always placed immediately back of the last smokestack. The whistle is a
simple device made almost entirely of wood. The whistle-cord is of
thread attached to the small piece of wire, as shown.
Fig. 114 shows the method of making spray-cloths for the top of the
pilot-house. Small brass brads are driven into the top of the
pilot-house, and white adhesive tape is placed on the brads, as
pictured. Advantage can be taken of the adhesive substance on the tape
which holds it in place on the brads.
A rudder is shown in Fig. 115. The rudder-post should be a piece of
brass rod so thick that it can be split with a hacksaw. The sheet brass
that forms the rudder proper is placed in this split and soldered. In
the case of an ornamental boat the rudder can be fixed as shown in Fig.
115. It will be seen that it is quite impossible to keep the rudder in
adjustment in this way.
If the rudder is to be kept in a certain adjustment a quadrant is
necessary. This is made by using a semicircular piece of heavy sheet
brass and filing little notches in it. The lever of the rudder rests in
these notches, and by this means the rudder can be held in any one
position, so that the boat will either turn in a circle or go straight.
Fig. 116 illustrates such an arrangement.