The stern piece is thicker than the side pieces, being made of 1/2-inch wood. It is cut to the shape shown at [Fig. 58], and beveled along the bottom edge to enable it to be fixed on the slant. The bow piece is a triangle 23/4 inches in length.
After the parts are thoroughly finished with sandpaper the stern piece is fixed in position. In making all the joints on the boat the builder should see that plenty of fairly thick paint is run in while the joint is being screwed up. This will help greatly in making the boat water-tight. Plenty of 3/4-inch brass wood-screws are used in assembling the hull. All the holes for the wood-screws should be countersunk so that the heads will come flush with the surface of the hull. Now one of the sides should be screwed to the stern piece, at the same time bending the bottom and side to meet. This is done gradually, inch by inch, and screws are put in place at equal distances. When the bow is reached, the side piece is beveled to fit the bow piece, which should already have been screwed into place. The other side of the boat is treated in a similar manner, and the young worker should take care to keep the side and bow piece perfectly square and upright. This may sound easy on paper, but it will be found that a good deal of care must be exercised to produce this result.
After the hull has been assembled it is given a good coat of paint inside and out. When the first coat is dry the holes left by the screw-heads are carefully puttied over, and the hull is given a second coat of paint. This procedure will produce a perfectly water-tight hull.
The stern tube is 3/8 inch, outside diameter. A hole is bored in the bottom of the boat to receive the stern tube. This job must be done cautiously; otherwise the bottom of the boat may be ruined. It is best to screw a substantial block to the inside of the boat. This block should be cut to fit the bottom and will act as a support for drilling. It will also help greatly to make a water-tight joint around the tube. The distance from the point where the stern tube passes through the bottom to the stern should be about 121/2 inches. The stern tube should be mounted as nearly parallel with the bottom as possible, since on this depends the speed of the boat. As the angle of the propeller-shaft increases, the speed of the boat will decrease. In drilling the hole the boat-builder should be careful to keep the drill running along the central line of the boat.
As before mentioned, the stern tube is a piece of brass tubing 3/8 inch in diameter and 8 inches long. It is filed square at both ends, and a brass plug is fastened with solder in each end. The tube is then filled with melted vaseline, which is allowed to cool. The hole in the hull around the tube is then well smeared with thick paint. When this is done, a layer of red lead or putty is placed around the joint both on the inside and the outside of the boat.
While the putty is drying the spray-hood or turtle-deck can be made. This is bent to shape from a piece of tinplate and extends half way down the boat. When the turtle-deck is finished, it is best to lay it aside, before finally fastening it in place, until the entire boat is completed.
The wooden part of the deck is made of 1/8-inch wood and scribed with a sharp knife to represent planking. This method of producing planking was described in detail in Chapter II.
Toward the stern of the boat and just behind the motor a hatchway is fitted to give access to the batteries and starting switch.