CHAPTER XIV

YACHTS AND BOATS; THE USE OF THE CHISEL

For the toys described hitherto, the chisel has hardly been required, but to carve boats from a solid block of wood it becomes somewhat of a necessity, the pen-knife being but a poor substitute. The use of the chisel has been postponed owing to the dangers which attend its use. However, when children have become accustomed to handle tools properly and to respect them, they are no more likely to cut their hands with a chisel than with a knife when sharpening pencils or peeling potatoes.

The following tools will be found useful in making exact models of boats, hollowing them out, etc.:

(1) A 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch chisel. This is a good one to start with.

(2) A smaller chisel about 1/4 inch wide.

(3) A gouge. A 3/8 inch and a 5/8 inch gouge answer most purposes. This is an indispensable tool when hollowing out a boat.

(4) A spoke-shave. This is used to smooth a curved surface after it has been roughly cut with a chisel or knife. It is not really necessary, as its work may be done with sand-paper or a file. However it is not expensive, and it leaves the wood with a 'clean' surface much superior to that obtained with sand-paper.

(5) A vice.

The best wood for making the following boats is _yellow deal_ or _American white-wood_. This, though not expensive, must be bought. One does not often find a piece of waste wood suitable for boat-making.

A very simple boat can be made in the following way. Procure a block of wood about 7" × 1-1/2" × 2". On the top surface of the block draw a plan of the boat as in Fig. 387; on the bottom surface draw the plan shown in Fig. 388. Take care not to make the keel too narrow, especially in first attempts at boat-making. The keel of this boat may be quite 1/4 inch thick. See that it is really in the middle.

Mark on both sides of the boat the lines shown in elevation, Fig. 386. Mark lines showing the stern elevation as in Fig. 389, at the other end the stern, as in Fig. 390.

Now saw away as much surplus wood as possible. It is well to begin by sawing along lines a b and _c d_ in Fig. 387, to roughly shape out bow. If a very curved bow is desired, saw off the corner _e f g_ (Fig. 386). To make the keel, saw along lines _a h_ and _c k_, about 1/4 inch deep (Fig. 388), at the stern end saw down to M and N. Now carefully round and model the sides and keel with gouge, chisel, spoke-shave and file, or simply with chisel and file.

Before finishing off with sand-paper or spoke-shave, the boat should be tried in the water, it will probably lean to one side; cut off a little wood from this side and try again. (Be careful to dry your tools if they get wet.) When the boat is properly balanced, nail a strip of lead along the keel.

A hole may be bored on the deck for a mast.

_To make the Rudder._ Saw a piece of wood out about 1 inch by 2-1/4 inches (wood should be about 1/4 inch thick). Draw a rudder on it as in Fig. 391, cut out this shape with saw and file. Round the top as at C for the handle. Make holes with a fine bradawl and insert two pieces of bent wire at _a_ and _b_. To put them in it is best to hold them with a pair of pincers. Ordinary pins with their heads cut off do just as well as wire. Make two wire loops and fix them in the stern of the boat (P and Q in Fig. 386), that the rudder may hook on to these, care must be taken that the eyes are exactly opposite the hooks. To make the tiller, drill a hole in a piece of wood, as in Fig. 392, and file it large enough to fit tightly round the top of the rudder, then work the tiller to shape.

This boat can be hollowed out with the gouge. First draw line R R R R round the boat (Fig. 387) to give the thickness of side. Before starting on the actual boat, it is as well for the amateur to practise cutting a few hollows. With satin walnut, pine, American white-wood, gouging is not a difficult matter. When the boat is being gouged out it should if possible be placed in a vice. (Always put a piece of thin wood between the jaws of the vice and the article you wish to hold to prevent marks.) Another way of hollowing the boat is to begin boring centre-bit holes as close together as possible, being careful not to bore too deep, then gouge out as much wood as you safely can, finish with file and sand-paper. When the boat is hollowed out, seats can be made for it. These should be cut the exact length of middle of boat, bevelled at the ends, and fitted into the boat by forcing them into position.

Figs. 393, 394, 395 show elevation and plans of a common type of boat. Saw off triangular pieces of wood to form the bow, cut out the stern with the tenon saw and chisel. Model the sides and keel with gouge, chisel and file as before. To put a rudder on this boat, notice that a hole must be bored through the deck for the rudder to pass through. There is no need in a boat like this, or indeed in any boat (when practice has been attained), to saw out the keel, the gouge and chisel are sufficient, but the sawing sometimes helps the beginner.

=A Schooner= (Plate IV). On a suitable piece of wood (a square prism, length 3-1/2 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 1/4 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, 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in depth.

The longer mast goes into hole B. The total length of the schooner is about 1-1/4 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.

To ballast the boat, nail a piece of lead along the keel. If too large a piece is used at first, it can easily be reduced.

The rudder F is cut out and fixed as already described.

H in Fig. 396 shows where the end of the bowsprit comes.

Fig. 399 shows a drawing of the masts and sails for a schooner. The gaffs, _a b_ and _c d_, and the corresponding booms, are fastened to the masts by wire loops. Lawn or Indian muslin make good sails. It is well to wash the material before using it.