Then, beginning at the bow, draw the ends of the ribbands to the bow piece one at a time, and cut them off so they will fit neatly into the rabbet. Screw them in place, being careful to space them as equally as possible, after which attach the stern ends in the same way. [Figure 205] shows the top view of the canoe at this stage of its construction.
Figs. 208-211.—Details of Deck Beam and Ridge.
The Deck Beams should now be made and put in place, one each side of the cockpit, or fourteen inches from the centre of the canoe (see [Fig. 207]). At this point measure the exact distance between the gunwales, and lay it off upon a four-inch board (see [Fig. 208]). The top of this piece should be curved as shown in the drawing, and a mortise two inches wide by five-eighths of an inch deep should be cut in the edge for the deck ridge pieces to fit in. As a means of preventing the gunwales from spreading, it is best to dovetail the ends of the deck beams into them (see [Fig. 207]). Cut a tongue half an inch long and half an inch thick on each end of the beams, as shown in [Fig. 209], [undercutting] it slightly, as in the drawing, to make it wedge-shaped. Then, having prepared the ends, place the beams in the positions they will occupy in the framework, and mark upon the top of the gunwales the shape of the tongues. Mortise the gunwales at these points ([Fig. 210]), so the tongues can be slipped into them and fastened in place. By examining the corners of a drawer you will see clearly how the dovetail joint is made.
The Ridge Pieces are strips running from the deck beams to the bow and stern pieces (see Figs. [206] and [207]). For this canoe, they should be made out of a strip two inches wide by five-eighths of an inch thick. Cut them of correct length to reach from the mortises in the tops of the deck beams to the mortises cut in the tops of the bow and stern pieces. Mortises two inches wide and a quarter inch deep should be cut along the top of these ridges, as shown in [Fig. 211], to receive the deck braces. Securely screw the ridges in place. Then cut twelve pieces of barrel-hoops for
The Deck Braces, and fit them in the mortises made in the ridge pieces. Screw these in place and bend their ends until they can be fastened to the inside face of the gunwales. The curve of these braces should be the same as that of the deck beams, so it will be possible to put on the deck canvas neatly (see Figs. [206] and [207]).
The space between the deck beams is left for
The Cockpit, the frame for which we are now ready to prepare. First remove the mould, being careful that the framework does not spread in doing so. Then cut two two-inch strips to fit between the deck beams, and fasten one on each side of the cockpit two inches from the gunwale (see [Fig. 207]). When this has been done take the strip eight feet long, four inches wide, and one-quarter inch thick, procured for the cockpit frame, and bend it around the opening, fastening it to the sides of the deck beams and the side strips. The top edge of the frame should now be shaved off with a draw-knife, so that it will be on a line with the deck braces at every point (see [Fig. 206]). This is necessary in order to make the curve of the deck around the cockpit the same as elsewhere.