The Popular Mechanics Boat Book 1931 Edition by Past Bandit

rA l l the Y e a r Round

rts

WITH THE AII) OF THIS GREAT BOOK The new, revised and enlarged edition of Outdoor Sports the Year Around, just published by Popular Mechanics Press, contains hundreds of ideas for new and popular sports and pastimes as well as the old favorites. Attractive to Young and Old Alike'is the interesting variety for all seasons. The intensive follower of a few sports will appreciate the wealth of suggestions that render the pursult of any hobby more enjoyable. For example, for the hunter there are important details on the care and handling of guns; for the swimmer, complete instructions in fancy diving; for the camper, ideas that tend to make camping one hundred per cent comfortable and convenient; for the fisherman, many practical kinks, etc.

Sport Enthusiasts will be amazed at the large number of devices that furnish thrills and excitement. Probably the most unique feature of the book is the MECHANICS fact that it contains complete instructions that enable P R E S S any handy man or boy to make sport devices or equipment a t very little cost. Some idea of how comprehensive is the list of subjects covered may be gained by glancing through these partial contents: Aquaplaning Archery Bait Casting Baseball Boats and Boating Bows and Arrows Camping Out, Tricks of Canoes, Roller Track for Casting Rods Circular Swing, Novel Coaster Monorail coastink Bobsled Crossbow Cycling on Snow and Ice Diving, Fancy Diving Springboard Diving Tower Fish Trophies, Mounting Fishing Kinks Fishing Rod Making Fishing Shack, Portable Fly Casting Golf in Your Backyard Guns How to Take Care of " ~ u h a n Checkers" Game for Beaches Hunting Hurdle How to Make Ice ~ d c k e y

Ice, Merry-Go-Round for Ice Sled for Sailing Ice Yacht Jitney Golf Kite Making and Flying Lawn-Tennis Marker Merry-Go-Round Model Airplane Building Night Croquet "Outboard Motor" for Youngsters Outboard Motor, Novel Use for Outdoor Cooking Outdoor Photography-FilmLoading Devlce Paddle Tennis Plane for "Lindy Junior" Pole Vaulting Pushboat Rifle Sporting How to Use ~ e e & w~ e r r $ ~ o - ~ o u n d Shooting Blinds How to Build "Shooting the Chutes" Shotgun How to Use Skate-SLiling Skating Whirligig Skins Preparing for Mounting Skis gnd Ski Running Sleds

35%Pages (large size, 7 x 10 in.) 650 IUrstrations. ~ 1 0 t h ind ding

Sleds Motor-Driven Snow)shoes Spring Gun Swim Learning to Swi-ing Pool Boat for Swimming pool' for the Backyard Swing Airplane ~ a r g e Shooting i Tennis-Court Backstop ~ ~ ~scraper ~ i ~ Tent for Bathers Tents, How to Fold Toboggan Toboggan S!ide, Building Trap Shootlng Traps and Trapping Trout Fishing "Tumbling Barrel" Sport for Bathers Twisting Thriller Merry-GoRound Water Bicycle Water Ferris Wheel for Bathers Water Scooters Water Skipper Water Toboggan and Slide Weights for Athletes, to Make Wind Wagon with Aerial Propeller

[ PRICE $2.00

POPULAR MECHANICS PRESS 200E.OntarioSt.

- - - - - - - -

CHICAGO, ILL.

Make It Yourself q q ,

I ; '3 s

the title of a book recently published by Popular Mechanics Press

HIS is a book for all those 'who like to make things. The home mechanic, whether young or old, amateur or professional, will take pride and delight T in making many of the devices described therein. Both father and son will find fas ' ation and an association of interest in making useful anErnamenta1 articles for mother to admire upon their completion.

900 Articles -All Different There are attractive ship models, a great variety of toys that operate themselves by means of an ingenious application of mechanical principles, novel amusement devices for indoors and outdoors, for both water and land, unique designs in furniture for children, score of useful appliances for the home, things of beauty and utility for lawn and garden, etc. Special articles instruct the amateur mechanic in the care and use of tools, special tools for special purposes, how to read and use plans, how to solder, the making of a handy workbench, cuts, joints and methods in wood-working, automobile repairing, installing radio equipment, house wiring, fixture hanging, working in glass, leather, metal, celluloid, lathe work, utilizing parts of old machines to make equipment that would be expensive to buy, etc.

The following are a few of the articles selected from the hundreds contained in this book: Tools for the Home Mechanic Soldering for the Amateur Mechanic The Tricks of Camping Out Ship Model Maker's Tools Makin Valance Boards Build Your Own Ship Model (corn- Bird $oouses d e t e instmct~onsfor bu~ldtnga Monorail Coaster (Amusement Deinodel of the Half Moon) vice) How to Read and Use Ship Model Writin Cabinet Plans Make %our Boat Watertight Celluloid Craft ~ u i l iYourself i a Water Sprite Keep Your Cellar Dry Puzzles A Refuse Burner Crazy Clown (Toy) Removing Ink Stains Walkin Wampus (Toy) tian Ash Tray E winter%obPggan Shde orkbench for the Home Shop Colomal Bnc-a-Brac Merry-Go-Twist (Amusement De- Tea Wagon vice) Installinn Radio A-~.~ a r a t uon s the Farm Beautifying Your Home Garden Hints for Fishermen Wig ling Pup (To ) A Lawn Canopy Cat Bench &r Children Attic Aerials Two Christmas Toys Skating Whirligig - (Amusement De- Making a Camp Car Mortise and Tenon and Dado Joints vimi Makina Useful Thinas from Leather A California Cooler Musical Instruments from Cigar scm@ Boxes A Venetlan Swing

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Electrically Driven Hedge Trimmer Tire Repairs in the Home Garage Wiring Your Home. Hanging Electric Rxtures Snow Box for Amateur Stage Homemade Baseball GameAn Inexpensive Crystal Receiver Cvclinn on Snow and Ice AGO-p'iopeller Shaft Installations Buildan a Small Turblne Motor Tools d a d e from Sewing Machine Heads Easil Made Small Valves ~ e n c Lathe x (Simple Desim) Making an Auto Glare ShiZld Washinn Machine Cvlinder Hoist Cutting-and Drilling Glass Seesaw Mer Go-Round Convenient ?impfire Hob Water-Driven Ferris Wheel for Camp Reshingling Your Roof Two Simple and Interestina Toys How to Save Your BatteryHints for the Amateur Mechanic

480 Pages-823 Illustrations. Size 7 x 10 x 11/2 inches ATTRACTIVECLOTHBINDING--BEAUTIFULCOVER IN COLORS

Price $3

li POPULAR MECHANICSPRESS, CHICAGO,ILL.

?'HE BOAT BOOK

Ins For , ~nboard, ope1led Craft

POPU LAR

-t

PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.

A M A T E U R boat builders and small boat owners throughout the country have long felt the need of a really good book on boating; something which would explain in comprehensive, step-by-s'tep form all the details of boating, boat-building, and boat-maintenance. I t is for these amateur builders and small boat owners that this book is written; and it is hoped that every boating enthusiast will find something of interest in the following pages. Especial attention is called to the how-to-make-it articles on "Roamer''-A Speedy Outboard Cruiser. Here is a boat that is really worth building well, and a boat so thoroughly explained that any amateur craftsman can build it well. Other excellent how-to-build stories are treated in easily understandable form, and include both inboard and outboard designs, fast boats, safe boats, sailing boats, and hand-propelled craft. Besides the construction material, there is a wealth of information on seamanship, boating sense, navigation, rules of the road-everything which might be of interest to the man who owns a boat. Space is taken here to present our acknowledgments to a number of persons and companies who have lent valuable material and assistance to the making of this book: William Atkin, L. J. Gorenflo, L. B. Robbins, Dick Cole, Edw. B. Vail, Morris Rosenfeld, Capt. F. F. Chamberlin, John Edwin Hoag, C. Ed. Packer, Bob Becker, Henry E. C. Ditzen, B. Francis Dashiell, Lowell Brown, J. B. Welch, Inc., The Sandusky Boat Works, Outboard Motors, Inc., Delta Specialty Company, Lodge Motors, Inc., Wilcox, Crittenden Company, and Geo. B. Carpenter Company. To these, and to the many who contributed to the "Boat Kinks" division of this volume, we wish to extend our sincere "Thank you!" POPULAR MECHANICS PRESS Chicago, March 1931

Main Contents I . SMALL BOAT CONSTRUCTION Starting to Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hull Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Decks and Decking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Motor Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

P O W E R CRAFT "Roamer," A Speedy Outboard Cruiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r . . . . . . . . 22 "Popular I;'lyer," A Racing Hydroplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 "Crack," An Outboard Runabout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 "Rambler, " An Inboard Runabout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 "Flash. " A Snappy Inboard . Runabout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Getting The Most Out of Your Outboard Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Transporting the Outboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Fitting the Outboard Motor for Cruising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Riding the "Flying Fish" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

I11. CANOES AND ROWBOATS How t o Pick Your Canoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 How to Recanvas a Canoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 With Oar and Paddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 A Flat-Bottom Rowboat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 "Saunterer," a 12-Foot Rowboat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 I V . SAILING This Sailing Skiff is Easy t o Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Rigging a Sailing Canoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Sails and Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 "Chum," 12-Ft. of Sailing Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

V . W H A T T H E BOATMAN S H O U L D K N O W What the Boatman Should Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Laying Up the Boat for the Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Knots for the Boatman Government Regulation of Motor Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 How Much Equipment, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 VI

BOAT K I N K S Make Your Own Boat Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 How to Make Your Boat Watertight ...........................233 "Pepping Up" Old Outboard Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Automatic Switch for Outboard Speedboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Supercharger for Outboard Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 Glossary of Boating Terms and Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

E R H A P S there

making of craft

in the world which

i r k 2 5 ft. in length.

of the various arts and crafts rmx5--Ev a s boat building. - Aside from 2 a comparatively few very large factories, most boats are constructed in small shops turning out three or four boats of variea designs each year. Thus vou will often find that one man, i n addition to doing the many jobs of carpentery, will attend -ti the plumbing, install the wiring, fit the motor. paint and varnish the fin&hed boat, and-even attend to minor details in the scroll work and striping. ii 7 I t is quite obvious, then, that any one mean that you are to change the plans attempting to build a small boat must given to larger dimensions; such a Pro- , ,-A% be a veritable iack-of-all trades. Aside cedure would be impractical and more or t.d from this mania1 skill, printed instruc- less certain to lead- you into difficulties. tions as to their application in boat build- Every boat is designed with certain eleing are necessary. And that is the whole ments of balance, buoyancy, and trim 5 purpose of this boat book. Each of the carefully considered, and a changing of, 'iq how-to-build articles gives all the essen- say, the overall length o r b e a m of t h e tial dimensions and explanations neces- boat, will surely effect these basic prinsary t o construct the boat described, and ciples. Minor change in the way of inwhat construction details are skimmed terior arrangement, paints, decking, and over on one boat, are described in detail other small odds and ends can be underin another. For example, you will find taken with perfect assurance, but changes that the stem detail in "Flash" is merelv in length, breadth o r freeboard should not be attempted unless you are familiar with indicated by a paper pattern of the and a sentence o r two t o the effect that the principles of naval architecture. '1 5 Minor changes, in fractions of inches, the stem will be moulded t o shape and rabbeted, while the whole ~ r o c e d u r eof will undoubtedly be effected by every !$? shaping i n d rabbeting the stem is treated builder. I n expanding the small drawin "Roamer." You will understand, then, ings given in this book to the full-size lines of the boat, as described in the foI. that a reading of the book from cover t o cover s h o u l d b e the first thing in acquir- lowing pages, you may find, here and there, lines which do not run in perfect ing this boat-building knowledge. Such details as are not treated in the sweeps when plotted as dimensioned. -'. actual construction stories are detailed in This is a recognized part of naval archithis division. No attempt has been made tecture-the full-size lines when ext o describe the construction of larger panded from the architect's scale drawing craft; rather, only such explanations as should be "faired-up" a quarter of an inch here and there in order to make the - fit in with the small-boat nature of this ?3 book have been given. T h e general prin- lines run true. D o not change the di- Y ciples of small-boat construction, how- mensions in a haphazard manner. Make ever, can be applied successfully to the sure that your own drawings are correct.

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the boat suitable for the particular water you will sail her on? Questions like these must be answered before you build. Alright! You find the boat you have been looking for-say, a double cockpit outboard runabout job seating four passengers. Imagining the design is found in this book, you will find that there is a certain amount of paper work to be done before actually sawing wood-various paper patterns of essential pieces must be made. This is the first actual task of building, undertaken only after a careful selection of the design, and a thorough reading of the article which describes the boat which you are to build. Now for the first job-the paper patterns. First on the list, you wil need a pattern for each frame, each pattern made on brown, red or gray building paper, to the dimensions given in the article from which you are working. I n every construction arti'cle in this book you will find the frame drawings have at least five principal dimensions, A, B, C, D and E, Fig. 1, and from these you draw each pattern, as shown in Fig. 2. You will notice that the paper is doubled so that

CONSTRUCTION

POPULAR MECHANICS' BOAT BOOK when cut to shape and opened, you will have a full-size outline of the frame. The curved dimension, E, is drawn by measuring in the required distance and springing a light stick between the three necessary points. The actual frame will be made from 2% or 3-in. wide stock, so in order to get the complete outline, you will take a compass, and, keeping the point over the edge of the pattern, run in a line the required depth. I n every instance, the pattern shows the actual size of the frame, but the side pieces, when actual construction work is started, should be made 3 or 4-in. longer than this. Every paper pattern should be cut out to show the keel notch. The depth of this is usually included in the distance D, and must not be added to this dimension if such is the case. Study the plans from which you are working to see if this is so. Various other notches must be cut on the actual frame, but these need not be outlined on the paper pattern, since they can best be measured directly on the wood. Working along the same lines, you will make a pattern for the stem and the knee, drawing these as one outline; then you will need a paper pattern of the keel form (the "bench" upon which the boat is constructed). With all of the paper patterns madeframes, stem and keel form-you should lay down the lines of the boat full-size. This is not specified in any of the articles, i t being taken for granted that you will do this if you are a wise builder. Laying down the lines is quite simple. First of all, you will make the top view plan which shows the outline of the boat as you look down from the top. Tp do this, get a long piece of building paper sufficiently long and wide to accommodate the length and one-half the width of the boat you are building. O n this paper, draw a straight line along one edge. This is usually done with a chalk-line, snapping in the line and then going over it with a pencil in order to establish it permanently. A t one end of this line you will erect a line a t right angles, this line to mark the extreme forward edge of the boat; then a t certain intervals as indicated on your plans, you will erect other perpendicular lines, these lines indicating the location of the various frames and called station

marks or station lines. On these lines you will then project the dimensions A and B of each frame, that is, on the first station mark (after leaving the stem mark) you will measure out from the base line the dimension A, as indicated on your pattern for frame No. 1, likewise the dimension B, taking these dimensions by laying down the paper pattern and making marks a t the required points. You would proceed in the same manner with all other patterns, as shown in Fig. 4, establishing a series of marks for tke dimension A and another series of marks for the dimension B. After the marks are all in, take a long slender stick and nail it over the various points, showing the dimension A, putting in a nail a t each mark. Now, look a t the stick. Does it run with a graceful sweep from one end of the boat to the other, or is it humped up a little here, showing a slight hollow there? Check the off-dimensions over again very carefully and then, finding your measurements right, move the stick in or out very carefully, and only the quarter or half-inch which will be necessary so that the line will sweep fair and true. Indicate these various corrections on your paper patterns -"out, % in., in, in., etc. Run the stick through the various markings for the dimension B and repeat the process. Correct your paper patterns if necessary. Now, you can be positively assured that the sheer line (established from dimensions A) will be sweet and true from the centerline out; also that the chine line (established from the dimensions B) will show a graceful curve. However, you're not finished-the dimensions C and D must be likewise checked over. You can do this on the same piece of paper, using a black pencil for your half breadths and a blue one for these next dimensions. I n this case you will tack the keel form pattern over the paper, keeping the bottom of this level with the base line or a t a slight angle to i t (this is necessary for "Roamer"). Now, visualizing the boat, you can see that the keel is to fit on top of the keel form, so you will run in a line above the keel form pattern to indicate the thickness of the keel (this dimension is taken from the plans you are working from). At the stem end of your base line, you will tack

POPULAR MECHANICS BOAT BOOK

I I

the paper pattern of the stem. Now, on the proper station lines, project the dimensions C and D of each frame, as shown in Fig. 5. I n doing this, remember that the frames will be set over the keel, that is, the notch in each of your frame patterns must extend over the keel markings. Before projecting the final frame (transom), check over the plans ;to see if this is raked or not, and if so change the station line to agree. From your experience in laying down the lines, you can readily understand that the keel form, the keel, the stem and knee, and the frames must be shaped individually before the boat can be set up. Let's consider the keel first. You will find that while the keel is a uniform width at the aft end, it tapers forward to merge into the stem which is usually 1% in.. thick. The proper shape is, therefore, transferred to a piece of the specified lumber and cut to shape. You will find that a rabbet must be cut along the underside of the keel in order to form a recess in which to fit the bottom planking. The shape of this cut will vary, depending upon the angle taken by the bottom frames, but the first cut is usually put in square, by machine, as shown in Fig. 6. The exact angle of the cut can be determined when the frames are made by fitting each frame into position at the proper station mlark and marking the amount of bevel necessary, . - . a s shown in Fig. 6-A. After roughly shaping the keel, you can make the frames. The proper shape for each of these will be obtained from your corrected paper patterns, assembling the various pieces required for each frame directly over the proper pattern. Fastenings can be either screws or rivets, as shown in Fig. 7, and these must be inserted so that they will not interfere with the cutting of the chine notch, as shown in Fig. 7-B. The exact shape for the chine notch is best found by using a short stub of the actual lumber which will be used, pencilling around this at each of the frame corners, as shown in Fig. 8. Suitable limbers must be cut in each frame. These are small holes cut near the keel notch, their purpose being to allow any water collecting in the bottom of the boat to pass from one frame to the other and thus settle at the lowest

Showing the Various Steps in the Shapin of the Stem and the Stem Rabbet. Stem struction is Not at all ~ifficuliif a . Clear Undemtandii of the Work can be Grasped Before ~ctua%ySawing Wood. the Drawing Shows the Shaping of Both the' Solid and the Build-up Stem- Both Modes of Construction are Recognized'. the Sdid Stem is Preferred Although the ~uiit-upJob is Recommended. to Amateurs Because of its Simplicity

8011-

can be cut at either side of the keel notch, or, as in Fig. 7-A, the limbers can be centered over the keel. I t will be apparent that the side-cut gives the better drainage, but quicker results can be effected with the larger top opening. Turning back to the keel again, you will notice in Fig. 9 that the various station marks should be plainly indicated across the face of this in order to furnish a guide for the location of the various frames. Fig. 9-A is a detail of how the rear of the keel is shaped to take the transom board. You will notice that the upper half of the keel is cut away to form a recess in which the transom can be fitted. This will be beveled if the transom is raked, and a straight cut if the transom is vertical. I n case the keel is made from two different widths of wood bolted together (this is very often done, and is sound construction) the notch for the transom is automatically formed by fitting theupper board (the keelson) in about 1 in. from the lower board (the keel proper). As will become apparent as you build, it is advisable not to cut the batten notches until the framework is set up, but the various markings necessary can be put in a t this time. If the exact location of each batten notch is not given on the plans, you can easily find the proper position by dividing the sides and bottom of the frame into so many eqtial portions, depending on the number of planks to be used. These markings are taken from batten centerline to batten centerline with the corner of the chine as a starting point; therefore, the top plank will be a half-batten's width wider than the others. Five in. spaces are set off from the keel rabbet to determine the bottom batten centerlines. Now for the stem. Commencing on this job, you will find that your plan calls for a paper pattern, somewhat on the order of the on,e shown in Fig. 13. This you will enlarge to full-size, transferring the rabbet and the bearding lines as marked on your plans. The full-size pattern is then used as a guide in shaping the stem and the knee, cutting the stem from one piece of lumber and the knee from another; and then bolting the two together with suitable galvanized or brass carriage bolts. The heads

fere with the later shaping of the cutwater. I n shaping the cutwater, you will first draw a centerline down the forward edge of the stem and knee assembly ; then, draw two other lines, each of these f/4 in. from the centerline except at the base of the knee where they widen out the full width of the lumber, merging into the keel. You may find that the keel projects a trifle beyond the knee and this hump should be planed off before going any further, as diagrammed in Fig. 14. Now, it is a simple matter to shape the cutwater by simply planing away the forward edges of the stem from the rabbet line on either side to the off-center line on the same side, as shown in Fig. 16. Cutting the rabbet is the tough part. F o r this, the stem is usually unfastened from the keel. Guide notches are then cut in, as shown in Fig. 17, each notch starting from the rabbet line and extending into the wood the depth of the planking; then making a right angle to come out on the bearding line. A block of wood the same thickness as the planking should be used in fairing-up the notches. Once the guide notches are all in, it is a simple matter to fair-up the wood between. If desired, the stem can be made from two pieces. Thus, either edge of the rabbet can be planed away instead of being chiseled; and the finished job, held together with bolts as in Fig. 18, is perfectly solid construction. A stopwater is required a t every point where the bottom of the rabbet crosses a joint in the wood. Only one is required in the sketch shown in Fig. 20. Regardless of the number used, the stopwater is invariably a plug of soft wood inserted through a hole drilled a t the proper point. When soaked with water, this plug swells up and makes the joint watertight. After the stem rabbet is cut and the frames set up, a testing batten of the same thickness as the planking .can be run from the first two or three frames, and in this manner check the rabbet for any little jobs of trimming which may be necessary, as pictured in Fig. 19. I t is advisable always to leave the rabbet a trifle full, cutting down as the actual planking is fitted, rather than to cut it too deep at the start.

NCE the keel, stem and frames have

O been made, the boat can be set up. F o r the small boats described in this book

the simple manner of upright construction has been followed. This usually requires a keel form moulded t o the proper shape, as shown on the plans from which you are working. T o this, the keel and stem assembly is clamped, as shown in Fig. 21, plumbing a vertical upright a t the forward end of t h e keel form against which to butt the stem. T h e keel form is usually from 2-in. thick stock, a t least six inches wide and a two-by-four can usually serve for the vertical upright. T h e keel form is supported by sawhorse legs which should be made fast t o the floor. I n addition to clamping the, keel, it is sometimes necessary t o use a pin fitting into a hole cut in the top of the form and in the bottom of the keel, as shown in Fig. 22, in order t o prevent the

keel from slipping sideways. Two of these are usually used. T h e holes are plugged with regular boat plugs after the construction is complete. Once the keel assembly is in place, the various frames may be fastened a t the designated station points. I n fastening the frames, any of three o r four different methods may be followed, the simplest being t o screw-fasten the bottom of each frame directly t o the keel from the upper side, as shown in Fig. 23. I n case the bottom frames are too wide to allow of this, the screws can be inserted from the underside of the keel rabbet into the frame, as shown in Fig. 24. Again, and especially where the keel is of surh a depth as to make screws impractic: through bolts are sometimes used, as in Fig. 25. Naturally enough, a combination of all three methods can usually be effected t o good advantage.

POPULAR MECHAlU C S BOAT BOOK -&-

e After fastening the frames they should screws center-lined) are l ~ k e w ~ sbev3ed be trued-up, both vertically, horizontally, off at the forward end to lie snugly against and diagonally. This is usually accom- the stem immediately behind the rabbet. Once the chines and battens are on, the ~ l i s h e dby three nailing strips, two of ihese extending along eiiher side and the planking may be applied. For small boats other fastened2ownthe center, as shown this is usually j/s in. thick and averages in Fig. 26. The fastenings in these various about 6 in. wide. ' You will understand, strips should not be put in until the va- of course, that 6 in. wide is not a Gin. rious dimensions are checked and equal- wide board, since it is often necessary to ized. Thus, between every frame the dis- use a full 12-in. wide timber in order t e tance CC must be checked with the dis- get out a curved 6 - i ~wide plank. You tance DD before nailing the center strip will easily see this once you start coverwhich goes on first. Then, before nailing ing your boat. At any rate, the first plank the side strips, the distance AA must be to be applied is invariably the second one the same as the distance BB. Properly above the chine, that is, the one fitting measured, these nailing strips will give between the first and second batten cenyou perfect vertical balance. The hori- ter-lines above the turn between the sides zontal balance is controlled by short and the bottom. The plank should first lengths of wood extending from the frame be fastened a t the stem, using 4 or 5, 1% corners to the floor. These are usually in., No. 6 flat-head wood screws and then clamped in position in order to allow of fastening the plank in a similar manner adjustments, but may be nailed if the a t each of the frames. After inserting the screws, the plank should be nailed to clamps are lacking. , After once setting up the framework the battens using 1 in. No. 15 copper nails, it is advisable to recheck the whole thing, spaced at 1% to 2%-in. intervals. Of especially the horizontal balance which is course, before even fastening the plank, controlled by the corner supports, as you must saw it to the required shape. shown in Fig. 27. I n the usual manner I n order to determine this shape, various described in this book, your boat will methods are used. Where the curve of the boat's sides is not excessive you will probably demand two "settings-upy'-the first being necessary in order to deter- find it practical to clamp the j/s in. plankmine if the batten and chine notches are ing material directly to the hull's side, true, and in order to get the proper an- pencilling around it when in place in order gles for the frame bevels; the second and to get the proper shape. Since your pencil permanent set-up being undertaken after marks would be guided by the inside or the batten notches have been cut and the outside edge of the batten you would, the frames beveled. After truing-up the of course, add or deduct the batten halfboat in this second set-up, the first pieces width in order to have the plank fit from of timber to go on are the chines. These batten centerline to batten centerline. are the more or less hewy timbers which Some amateurs make use of paper patare notched into the frames at the corners terns, shaping these by a cut-and-try methand extend the full length of the boat. od until the paper fits properly, after which Fastenings for the chines are usually flat- the plank is sawn to the same shape and head wood screws of suitable size. These applied. For the average case, however, should be well countersunk, especially the spiling board is the only practical forward, in order that the wood may be method. One excellent manner of doing later planed away to line up with the this is described in the "Roamer" series; edges of the frame, as shown in Figs. 28 another is the compass method, shown in 29. At the stem, the chine is usually bev- Figs. 30 and 31. This makes use of a spileled off to lie flush behind the stem rab- ing board made from %-in. thick wood bet, but in some cases, like "Flash," you stock and fashioned to shape so that it will find that the specifications call for fits very roughly within the area which - - a letting-in of the chine in order to keep the plank will cover. On this spiling board the wood sufficiently heavy at this point. are erected perpendicular lines at interAll of the battens (these should be fasten- vals of say, 4 in. I n using the board, it ed at their respective points with suitable is clamped or nailed into place between

POPULAR MECHANICS BOAT BOOK

a compass in the manner shown in Fig. 30, that is, placing the point of thecompass on the required edge and inscribing an arc which intersects the perpendicular lines on the spiling board. This is done the full length of the board and for both edges of the plank. With the spiling board laid on a suitable piece of the planking material, as in Fig. 31, it is a simple process to reverse ,the compass marks and thus arrive a t the actual line for the plank. Great care must be used in'order not to twist the spiling board sideways when nailing it into position as any warp will be transferred to the plank. As in the "Roamer" series, a small block may be used instead of the compass, as shown in Fig. 32-most amateurs find this more practical. Working in either manner you would find the shape for each plank and then fasten i t into place. Planking should be applied equally on both sides of the hull; after applying one plank on one side you would apply the same plank on the opposite side. Since both sides of the boat should be identical, the shaping is usually done on 1 in. stock and this is

then ripped down the center in order t o make two planks, one for either side. I t will sometimes be neecssary, because of the excessive curve in the plank, to fit it in two pieces. The joint should occur between the frames and should be well backed with a butt block of suitable dimensions, as shown in Fig. 33, with the joining ends cut on a slight bevel leading aft. Some of the boats described in this volume have double bottom planking. T h e exact procedure for applying this is fairly well described and pictured in the "Roamer" series, the diagonal strips of thin wood being applied first, as shown in Fig. 34, and then covered with the regular foreand-aft planking. While the manner of building just described is entirely batten-seam construc-

-4

POPULAR MECHANICS BOAT BOOK

tion, the various principles are equally applicable to lapstrake o r clinker-built boats. You will notice in Fig. 35 that suitable moulds are used to determine the shape of the hull; but, unlike battenseam construction, these are not a permanent part of the boat; being removed when the planking is in position. The principal distinguishing feature of lapstrake construction is that the strakes (planks) are overlapped-hence, lapstrake. I n order that the lapped planking can be reduced to a single thickness to fit into the stem

rabbet, it is necessary to rabbet the top outside edge and the lower inside edge of each plank, as shown in Fig. 37, thus allowing the two planks to gradually come to a single thickness. When all of the planks are in place and securely nailed to each other, the moulds are removed one by one as the steaming hot ribs are bent into position, as shown in Fig. 38. The nails holding these in place are inserted from the outside of the planking, and they must bepartially driven in beforehand so as not to delay the fastening of the ribs. I n connection with the ribbing, the steamer shown in Fig. 39 will be found sufficiently large to accommodate the timbers used in small boats.

LAPSTRAKECONSTRUCTION TYPICAL SET-UP SHOWING HOW MOULDS DETERMINE THE SHAPE OF THE

General Details of Lapstrake Construction. The M o u l d s , Like the ~rarnesin BattenSeam Construction, Determine the Shape of the Boat but are Removed When the Planking is in Place

I T H the hull complete and the planking all on, the de.ck beams and decking may be fitted. I t is fairly apparent that some form of support across the hull is necessary to carry the long strips of finishing material. These supports are called beams and their placing and arrangement is usually indicated on the plans from which you are working. For the average small boat described in this book, you will find that beams moulded 2 in. from % in. stock and having a crown of 2 in. in 4 ft. are usually specified. That is, a 4 ft. beam would have an arc or crown of 2 in. The required crown for any other beam can be determined by multiplying the beam's length (say, 72 in.) by the specified crown (in this case 2 in.) and then

dividing by 48 in. (4 ft.). Thus, 72 times 2 equals 144 divided by 48 equals 3 in. That is, a beam 72 in. long would have a crown of 3 in. A beam 69 in. long would have a crown of 2.83 in. Working in a similar manner the crown may be increased to 3 or 4 in. in 4 ft. and the calculations made accordingly. Knowing the length and the required crown for a certain beam, the next problem is how to lay out the required arc in an accurate manner. There are many methods of doing this. One of the simplest is to use a triangular arrangement of three sticks, as shown in Figs. 40 and 41. You will notice (Fig\ 41) that the , +. base piece is a long stick. ailed to this stick are two shorter pieces of equal 13

POPULAR MECHA.NICS BOAT BOOK

length and fastened in such a manner that their intersection with the base piece will mark the length or width of the beam, while the distance between the top of the base and the intersection of the two legs will mark the required height or crown. I n working, nails are driven into the floor to mark the overall length of the beam. The sticks are then arranged as shown and the required arc is found by placing a pencil at the point of intersection and sliding the whole arrangement to the right and to the left, taking care that the wood pieces are a t all times kept in contact with the floor nails. The floor nails and the fastenings which hold the legs to the base piece must, of course, be changed to agree with the required width and crown of each beam. Another manner of finding the required arc is shown in Fig. 42. I n this a base line is drawn equal to the length of the beam. I n the center of this a semi-circle is scribed with a radius equal to the required crown. The quarter-arc of the circle is then divided into four equal parts ; the half-width of the beam is likewise divided into four equal parts. Parallel lines projected from the intersections on the circle will intersect the division marks on the half-width and establish the shape of the arc. A light stick sprung through these three points and touching the end of the line and the top of the circle will give you the required curve. T h e operation is repeated for the opposite side of the beam, or the paper may be neatly folded and the half-outline cut out in order to arrive at the full shape. I n actual working, the shape can usually be penciled directly onto the wood. ' After the beams are sawcut to shape they may be fastened into place. This is *: . done a t spaced intervals, as specified in the plans from which you are working, using the manner of fastening as given. I n most cases you will find that the beam ends are simply butted against the top batten, (this should usually be made a trifle heavier than the others) and held in place by means of two flat-head wood screws inserted from the outside of the planking, as shown in Fig. 43. Where the top batten and the planking are both very light, it is usually a good policy to fit a clamp under the beam, fastening with

through bolts to each frame, as shown. The beams, when finally in place, should be thoroughly checked with a straight edge in order to detect any bumps or hollows. Bumps, of course, can be planed down; hollow places may be shimmed-up with suitable pieces of hard wood, or a new beam made for the incorrect member. If there is a hatch framework, this will be made from the same stock and in the same manner as the deck beaming. For small boats the variofls pieces which go to make the hatch lid can be fitted together with simple butted joints as shown in Fig. 45, although the mortise joint, as in Fig. 46, or, for that matter, any good woodworking joint may often be employed t o better advantage. The application of the decking material is a fairly simple operation which demands, more than anything else, neat workmanship. There are many different types of decking to select from, but in every case, with the exception of canvascovered decks, the first piece of wood to go on is the covering board or planksheer. There are two of these, one extending along either side of the deck, as shown in Fig. 47. These pieces are usually moulded t o a uniform 4 in. wide, although they may taper slightly a t the bow. If not already fitted, support pieces for the covering board all along the inner edge must be provided. These supports will be halfcovered by the covering board and halfcovered by the regular decking which fits inside. Because of the wide sweep of the covering board, it is usually necessary to use two pieces, butting these together where most convenient and fastening with the regular deck fastenings, as shown in Fig. 50. A suitable block of wood would be fitted below the joint in order to give support at this point. I n a similar manner you will usually find a breast hook specified at the bow in order to take the ends of the covering board, as shown in Fig. 48. If you desire to have the stem project slightly above the decking, the covering boards, of course, will be cut out to fit, as can be seen in Fig. 49. The most-used type of deck consists of narrow widths of straight stock fitted lengthwise with the boat. The seams thus formed can be either butted, shiplapped, or tongue-and-grooved. If wider

POPULAR MECHANICS BOAT BOOK

POPULAR MECHA NICS BOAT BOOK

decking material is used, it is usually a good plan to use battens across the deck beams, fitting these in the same manner as described for the hull. The hatch lid is, of course, fitted with the same material as used on the deck, and the framework around the hatch should be covered halfand-half with the regular decking and the hatch lid decking. A fair idea of this inner decking may be gathered from a study of Figs. 51, 52, and 53. While 51 shows individual pieces of narrow stock as planking, the same effect can be imitated by using wider lumber and scoring this with sawcuts to resemble seams. I n any case, wood decks that are to be finished bright should be filled and plugged. Filling applies to the seams and it may or may not be necessary depending upon the type of deck construction you have used. Narrow decking material is usually beveled off along one edge to make seams like the ones shown in Fig. 54, and these seams must be filled with regular seam filler. I n the case of tongue-andgrooved decking, the rounded edge of the adjoining planks will make a neat seam requiring no further attention. I n all cases, however, the seam formed by the butting of t h e lengthwise decking onto the covering boards must be treated in the same manner as the seams in the regular decking. That is, if the decking seams are beveled and filled, the inside edge of the covering board on either side should be beveled and filled. The simplest manner of fastening the decking material is by means of galvanized boat nails, countersunk and plugged. The plugs used are usually in. in diameter, with the grain running across the face of the plug and not lengthwise as would be the case in a regular stick of wood. I n fitting, the plugs should be matched for color and inserted with the grain of the deck. Shellac or marine glue is used to keep them in place, as shown in Fig. 55. When dry, the heads of the plugs are chiselled off smoothly and the whole deck sanded in preparation for the various varnish coats. If the deck is not to be plugged, roundhead wood screws or finishing nails are usually used as fastenings. When decks are to be covered with canvas, the covering board is usually omitted and the planks run straight fore and aft,

-.F

y!; 4

with the ends fastened to the top of me planking and transom. The planks may be fairly wide, 3 t o 6-in., with tongue-andgrooved or ship-lap seams, and provided the material is sound and dry, small defects do no harm. Plywood or any of the many composition boards can often be used to good advantage. When the under side is exposed it looks better to use narrow material, 2 in. to 2% in., with tongueand-grooved, and beveled seams. I t is a good plan to give theeplanks a coat of paint or varnish on the edges and under side before laying. Not only is this good for the boat but a better painting job can be done later and time is saved. The best weight of canvas depends on the size and type of boat. For light speed boats, wagon cover duck or even heavy muslin is used. No. 12 cotton duck is suitable for light decks with little traffic on them while No. 10 or No. 8 is better for larger boats that have t o withstand hard use. Cotton duck can be obtained up to 120 in. in width so in most cases, avoid any seams. Choose a clear day for applying the canvas and see to it that the canvas is dry. It is a good plan to stretch it out in the sun for a while. When ready to put it on, dust the deck carefully as any small particles of dirt will show under the canvas. Now, give the deck a heavy, even coat of thick white lead paint, well strained, and immediately stretch the material and fasten it. The canvas must be stretched uniformly tight and smooth but it should not be unduly strained. A good scheme is to take a turn or two around a stick at each end ; secure one end and pull the other, using a light tackle if the material is wide and heavy. Then stretch it sidewise by hand and tack it fast. There should be a man on each side so that you can pull against each other. Next go over the whole surface and roll or rub the canvas to thoroughly bed it in the paint. The edge all around is turned down and fastened to the edge of the deck or sheer strake, using copper tacks spaced about 1 in. apart. After the half-round moulding is put on, the surplus canvas is cut off by running a sharp knife along the lower edge of the moulding. The painted canvas should be thoroughly sandpapered when dry and given one o r two additional brush coats.

N I N S T A L L I N G the inboard motor,

there are two general manners of support t o choose from-the short or the long bed. Each type possesses advantages, the choice usually being regulated by the boatman's own ideas on the matter. T h e main difference between the two is that

the short bed is supported a t frequent intervals over a comparatively small area, while the long bed is supported a t infrequent intervals the full length of the boat. While it might be expected that the longer beds would lessen the vibrations, it will usually be found in actual practice that

POPULAR MECHANICS BOAT BOOK

the short, well-supported bed will make the smoothest engine base. I n either case, the timbers and fastenings used must be sufficiently heavy to insure proper support. The bed logs are usually made from 2 in. thick white oak of a depth which may taper from 6-9 in. at one end to 2-5 in. a t the other, this tapering being necessary to accommodate the shaft angle. The floor timbers should likewise be from hard wood. I t is the usual practice in small runabout construction to space these about 6 in. apart, and additional bottom frames are usually necessary. As can be seen in Fig. 56, the floor-timbers are extended across the boat and securely bolted to the frames or to the extra bottom frames. The white oak logs are then notched into the floor timbers and throughbolted. The ,head end of the bolt will extend flush with the planking and the hole necessary for its insertion should be plugged in order to prevent leakage. The nut of each bolt is countersunk into the bed log, as shown in Fig. 58, in order that it will not interfere with the engine base. Fig. 57 is a fair explanation of the long bed. I n this form of engine base, long girders are notched into the regular bottom timbers which span each frame. The

bed logs are notched over the two floor timbers w h i c h t h e y s p a n , and are then bolt-fastened t o the girders as well as through-bolted to the floor timbers. These beds are typical examples of inboard i n s t a l l a t i o n amidship, but they may be easily adapted for the newer stern drives. You can easily see this from a study of Figs. 59, 60, and 61, which show the three most popular manners of inboard installation. Fig. 59 is the regular installation amidship. Fig. 60 is a vee-drive, with the shaft extending forward to a gear box and then back in the usual manner. Fig. 61 is the inboard-outboard drive which combines the features of both the inboard and outboard motor. I n outboard installation, the various modes of motor control is perhaps the only item worth considering, since the base or bed for this type of power plant. is simply the transom board to which it is clamped. The manner of control, however, offers somewhat of a problem. Fig. 62 shows the usual manner of installation. Fig. 63 shows a similar method, but much neater. Where it is impractical to run the lines down either side, the installation shown in Fig. 64 is used. The effect is the same except the lines are carried side by side to the rear.