Toy-Making in School and Home

by R. K. Polkinghorne; M. I. R. Polkinghorne

Fig. 397

A Schooner (Plate IV). On a suitable piece of wood (a square prism, length 3½½ times width) draw a line a a (Fig. 396) on the surface through the middle from end to end. Then draw a line across the middle b b, and divide the surface in three by lines c c and d d. Pencil out the deck as in Fig. 396. Now here is a piece of advice that it is well to follow in all boat-making. To mark off the deck make a cardboard template the shape and size of one half, taken from the middle line, a a. Lay the template on one half of the piece of wood and pencil round the edge. Then turn the template over on the other side and pencil round the edge again. In this way the shape of the deck is more accurate and both sides are symmetrical, which is very important if the boat is to float upright in the water. Now on the sides draw the elevation as in Fig. 397.

Cardboard templates will also be found useful in getting the cross-sections correct.

Now saw and file away the stern, D, and the bow, E, and chisel away the sides and keel as described before. Fig. 398 shows the appearance of the stern.

Having chiselled and filed the outside of the hull to correct shape and exactly equal on both sides, gouge out the inside as described before. Next make the deck from deal about 1/8 inch thick, cutting it the exact size of the outline in Fig. 396. Before fastening the deck, bore a hole at A for the rudder (a corresponding hole being bored in the hull), and holes at B and C for masts (with corresponding holes, not more than ¼ inch deep, in the hull). If need be (in large models) the under part of the deck where holes come can be strengthened by pieces of wood nailed across. With a hard pencil draw lines along the deck to give the appearance of boards.

A hole for a hatch-way may be cut out with a fret-saw. The hatch-way itself for a large boat can be made of pieces of wood nailed together.

Now fix the deck on to the top of the hull with small nails.

Another way of fixing the deck is to make it just large enough to fit inside the hull, leaving an edge or bulwark all round, ¼ inch to ½ inch in depth.

The longer mast goes into hole B. The total length of the schooner is about 1¼ times the height of the mast above the deck. The shorter mast goes into hole C and is very little longer than half the boat. The masts must fit firmly into the holes in the deck and hull.