The Sides of the House-Boat
are 16 feet long, and to make them you need some sound two-inch planks. After selecting the lumber plane it off and make the edges true and straight. Each side and the centre-piece should now measure exactly 16 feet in length by 14 inches in width, and about 2 inches thick. Cut off from each end of each piece a triangle, as shown by the dotted lines at G, H, I (Fig. 114); from H to G is 1 foot, and from H to I is 7 inches. Measure from H to I, 7 inches, and mark the point. Then measure from H to G, 12 inches, and mark the point. Then, with a carpenter’s pencil, draw a line from G to I, and saw along this line. Keep the two best planks for the sides of your boat, and use the one that is left for the centre-piece. Measure 2 feet on the top or straight edge of your centre-piece, and mark the point, A (Fig. 114). From A measure 8 feet 10 inches, and mark the point C (Fig. 114).
With a carpenter’s square rule the lines A, B and C, D, and make them each 10 inches long, then rule the line, B, D (Fig. 114). The piece A, B, C, D must now be carefully cut out; this can be done by using the saw to cut A, B and D, C. Then, about 6 inches from A, saw another line of the same length, and with a chisel cut the block out. You then have room to insert a rip-saw, at B, and can saw along the line B, D until you reach D, when the piece may be removed, leaving the space A, B, D, C for the cabin of the boat (see Figs. 116 and 117).
Fig. 116.
At a point 9 inches from the bow of the boat make a mark on the centre-piece, and another mark 5 inches farther away, at F (Fig. 114). With the saw cut a slit at each mark, 1 inch deep, and with a chisel cut out, as shown by the dotted lines; do the same at E, leaving a space of 1 1/2 feet between the two notches, which are made to allow the two planks shown in the plan (Fig. 116), to rest on. These planks support the deck and the hatch, at the locker in the bow. The notches at E and F are not on the side-boards, the planks being supported at the sides by uprights, Figs. 116 and 117.
All that now remains to be done with the centre-piece is to saw some three-cornered notches on bottom edge, one at bow, one at stern, and one or two amidships; this is to allow the water which may leak in to flow freely over the whole bottom, and to prevent it from gathering at one side and causing your craft to rest upon an uneven keel.
Next select a level piece of ground near by and arrange the three pieces upon some supports, as shown in Fig. 115, so that from outside to outside of side-pieces it will measure just 8 feet across the bow and stern. Of 1-inch board
Make Four End-Pieces,
for the bow and stern (see A, A′, Fig. 115), to fit between the sides and centre-piece. Make them each a trifle wider than H, I, Fig. 114, so that after they have been fitted they can be trimmed down with a plane, and bevelled on the same slant as the bottom at G, I, Fig. 114. It being 8 feet between the outside of each centre-piece, and the sides and the centre-piece being each 2 inches thick, that gives us 8 feet - 6 inches, or 7 1/2 feet as the combined length of A and A′ (Fig. 115). In other words, each end-piece will be half of 7 1/2 feet long—that is, 3 feet 9 inches long. After making the four end-pieces, each 3 feet 9, by 9 inches, fit the ends in place so that there is an inch protruding above and below. See that your bow and stern are perfectly square, and nail with wire nails through the sides into A and A′; toe-nail at the centre-piece—that is, drive the nails from the broad side of A and A′ slantingly, into the centre-piece, after which trim down with your plane the projecting inch on bottom, to agree with the slant of the bottom of the boat.