CHAPTER IX
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.
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.
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.
A POWERFUL GASOLENE BLOW-TORCH
For 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 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.
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
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.
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.
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 aërial. 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 aërial by winding it around each one of the aërial waves. The aërial 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.
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.
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.
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.