Model Boats for Boys by Claude W. Horst – 1935

MODEL BOATS for BOYS CLAUDE WILLIAM HORST The Manual Arts Press MODEL BOATS for BOYS BY CLAUDE WILLIAM Horst s Sr ial Engineering Training in Naval Archi- tecture; During the World War, Installation Engineer, U. 8. Shipyard; Later, Construction Manager, Ship Building Company Instructor of Woodworking MILWAUKEE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL MILWAUKEE, THE WISCONSIN MANUAL ARTS PEORIA, ILLINOIS PRESS Copyricut, 1935 CLAUDE WILLIAM HORST Printed in the United States of America PREFACE HE purpose of this book is to provide suitable material for boys who are interested in models of modern boats, with special emphasis on proper design, so that they may get a true conception of modern yacht designs and other essential details of construction. The material as presented is sufficient to aid in the construc- tion of simple and yet properly designed boats by using the drawings in the book or those that the boys may find in other books or magazines. This book is primarily intended for school manual-arts shops, but the directions are sufficiently simple to be of value to any ambitious boy in his home work-shop. During my four years as a teacher of manual arts in the Tacoma schools I watched a growing interest in the building of model yachts. An attempt was made to create models that were exact in the essential details, but the whole activity was greatly handicapped by the dearth of suitable material. The requests coming to me from other instructors for plans and directions, and the results obtained in my own classrooms, were the inspira- tion for this book. The author wishes to thank Mr. T. M. Rowlands, of the University of Washington faculty, and Mr. Charles T. Miller, Vocational Director, Tacoma Public Schools, for their help and encouragement. and Gilbert Wojohn and Stanley Boedecker, former students. CraupE W. Horst. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE 3 CHAPTER I. Models. Types or Crart . Sailboats. 7 Sailing. Power-Boats. Types of Hull. Accurate Details. CHAPTER II. Woops, Toors, anp Fish… Suitability. Varieties of Wood. Air-Dried Wood. Tools. Fi Water-Line. CHAPTER III. How To Use Line-Drawines Seale of the Drawing. Plan. Seetions. The Body Plan. The Baek-bone. 11 The Profile Plan. The Main Sheer. The Rabbet-Line. The Half-Breadth The Raised Sheer. Offset Table. Instruments. Stern. Layout. Fairing Up. CHAPTER IV. Tue Brock Meruop or Construction: Selecting the Material. Interior. Preparing the Block. Deck-Beams. CHAPTER V. Layout. Material. Pieee Template. Finish. Layout. Gluing. Transom. . Interior Templates. Shaping the Hull. Deck-Beams. 21 OneDeeks. Cabins and Deck-Houses. CHAPTER VI. Tue V-Borrom Tyre: 30” Runazour . “ 29 Materfal. Layout. Sawing. Gluing Up. The Deck. Finish. CHAPTER VII. Moprern Saruine Crarr: 30” Suoor . Selecting the Method. Beams. Sails. 18 Templates. Tue Lirr Meruop or Consrruction: 30” CRUISER Templates. Support. 2214” RuNABOUT The Deck. Making the Fin. Rudder. Masts and Spars. CHAPTER VIII. ROS = Attaching the Fin. Lateral Resistance. oes Deck- Laying Out the Sailing. The Stand. Power-PLanrs aNp PROPULSION Types of Propulsion. 31 The Serew Propeller. Installing the Drive-Shaft. 39 Constructing a Propeller. The Electric Motor. The Steam-Engine. The Spring Motor. CHAPTER IX. Firtincs anp Harpware . Purchase or Make? lard. Life-Boat. Binnacle. Smoke-Staeck. Spray-Cloth. Anchor. ee Ventilator-Cowl. Hateh. Port-Hole. Chocks and Cleats. Rudder. ee e Side-Light. Wireless. 43 Bol- Railings. Quadrant. Deck- Finish. CHAPTER X. Recarra OrcanizaTion . Important Factors. Navtica Terms Site. Judges. Trials. ai 46 Programs. 47 CHAPTER I Types oF CraFr Models. Miniature ships are usually hold their own with steam for numerous called models because originally they were types of nonperishable cargo on which constructed by the architect to show what low freight rates were more important the ship he had designed would look like than speedy transit. when it was built. on, foreign trade and competition rapidly increased, and ship-owners continued to This is still the pur- pose of many models, and all are expected But, as time went build larger and faster ships, until today to be exact reproductions on a small scale of a definite type of craft, if not of an individual ship. There are many different types of the sailing vessel is unable to compete commercially with motive power. boats, each belonging to a particular class Sailing. It is, however, very doubtful if sailing as a sport, will ever die. There and serving a definite need. A study of the outstanding details of a few of the is nothing that will take the place of the thrill that one gets from a sailboat as she most common types will make your models more interesting to you, and your building of them more accurate. All noses her way through the spray; nor replace the howling of the wind through the rigging; nor the occasional drenching; ships are divided into two general classes: nor the tense moments that come in an those propelled by some form of power extreme list. The miniature sailboats in this book are within themselves, and those propelled by different types, depending upon the pur- modeled after the famous racing craft, the most common of which are single- pose for which each ship is intended. masted sloops. sails. Each class is subdivided into many Sailboats. The hull is a rather recent type developed for racing. Sailing vessels reached. the It has a very deep fin with a large amount of lead on height of their development in the clipper the bottom to counterbalance the effect of ships of the first half of the nineteenth the wind against the sails. eentury. Their supremacy was due to the superiority of their hull design and to the efficient rigging of their sails. The hull was narrow and rather pointed at both ends in contrast to the wide, bluntended ships of previous days. Most clippers were three- or four-masted barks; that is, they were square-rigged on the two or three foremasts, and fore-and-aft rigged on the aft mast. To handle such rigging required a very large crew of This enables the boat to carry a larger amount of canvas, thus increasing the speed. The boats vary considerably in size, but from 25 to 40 feet is a fair average for length. Aside from the sloop featured in this book there are several popular types in use today. Figure 60 shows the sail combination of a ketch; see page 38. The rigging forward is much larger than the aft rigging. The yawl rigging is very similar, except that the aft mast is placed men. Sailing vessels were able, for a time, to on the overhang aft. 7 The overhang is that 8 MODEL BOATS FOR BOYS part of the boat which projects past the lines have made more than 90 miles an water-line. hour. A schooner may have two or more masts. rigging is If two are used the small forward, and the large aft, Some of the advantages claimed for the V-bottom boat over a round-bilge one are: which is opposite to the ketch and the greater speed, greater stability, and more yawl. floor space. See Fig. 60. If the schooner is a large one having more than two masts, Some of the disadvantages are: it is more costly to build; it is not so they are usually all of the same height, seaworthy; and it rocks more in a choppy and are fore-and-aft rigged. sea. Power-Boats. There are many differ- The round bilge is accepted as a better ent types of power craft, but only a few seagoing craft; it is cheaper to construct; of the most common of the modern ones and it is thought by many to have a better will be considered here. appearance in the water. These show far This type of more variety of hull construction than do hull design is used more for cruisers, com- the modern sailing vessels. mercial vessels, and various types of sail- draft Mississippi The shallow River boat, and the square-ended automobile ferry bear little boats. Fig. 22 shows a 30” round-bilge cruiser resemblance to an ocean liner. Due to the of the type used today. keen Modern cruisers vary in size from a small competition of modern business, builders are coming more and more to de- one sign each boat for the particular service having in which it is to be placed. Each freighter, eruising. for example, is designed for a specific of 25 feet to a See page 21. very large accommodations Accurate Details. for This book has been type of cargo, and even tugs and barges designed are highly specialized. actually going through the process. Types of Hull. Boats are classified as to teach yacht extensive model building by Care has been taken to work out every step in a to hull construction as either V-bottom or simple manner. round-bilge. carefully followed you should have no The V-bottom has proved If the instructions are very popular during the last few years trouble. for runabouts and express cruisers, be- amount of true information and training cause of its speed qualities made possible out by a comparatively flat underwater body, use drawings and data from authentic which sources, and to work out the major details makes the boat, power is used, run when sufficient over the water, or of In your order work, to it get is according to an exact scale. the greatest advisible to The more at- “plane,” instead of running through it. tention you give to details the more your With a well designed boat of this type, a model will resemble a real ship, and the spread of 30 or 40 miles an hour is very more satisfaction you will get out of it common. when it is finished. Racing boats built along these CHAPTER IT Woops, Toois, anp FINIsH Suitability. There are many different kinds of wood suitable for use in model- making. Almost any kind of soft, finegrained wood will do if the model is to be painted. If an artistic natural finish is desired the choice is much more limited. In fact, if a dark model is desired, the very best modcl material is eliminated, as whitewood does not take a stain well. Whitewood is so extensively used for model-making because it has practically no grain; is soft, and yet stands up well; is excellent material to work with; and is light in weight. Aside from this wood there are many advisable to use some wood that will take a good finish. Air-Dried Wood. It must be remembered that wood which has just been cut contains a great deal of moisture (sap), and is unsuitable for use until it has been seasoned. If the boat is made of green material, some warping and shrinking will take place as the seasoning or dryingout process goes on. It is best to select seasoned, or air-dried wood rather than kiln-dried. Tools. The tools used depend somewhat on the training of the worker, and somewhat on the tools available. Most schools, however, now have such wellequipped and well-organized manual-arts departments that the model-maker will not be handicapped for lack of tools. The woods. Varieties of Wood. Honduras mahog- boy who proposes to do his model-making any is excellent, as it is easy to work, at home may find that it takes hima little stands up well, and takes a lovely natural longer to get results; but he need not be discouraged, since others have succeeded finish, dark brown in color. Lauwan takes an excellent finish, but one under similar conditions. Any intelligent must be careful to select pieces with fairly boy who has the right spirit and the de- others which do very well, and most of us will be forced to select what we consider the best from the supply of available straight grain. Spanish cedar works up well, is fairly light in weight, has a straight, fine grain, and takes a good finish. Southern white cedar is light, straight-grained, and easy to work; this is also true of Port Orford and Alaska cedars. Western red cedar is light and straight-grained; but most of it is a little coarse, so care should be taken to select that having as fine a grain as possible. This wood is soft and very easy to work. For cabins, deck-houses, and decks, which are usually varnished, it is termination to carry out what he proposes to create can do the same. Tools that cannot be borrowed can often be purchased from a second-hand hardware dealer for a very small sum. Tools that one should have are: saw, hammer, square, chisel, gage, mallet, coping-saw, brace, auger-bits (14” to * drawing-knife, wood-rasp, wood-file, jack- plane, block-plane, woodworker’s vise, sharp knife, breast-drill small enough to take a No. 60 wire drill, gouge, and a small nailset. 10 MODEL BOATS FOR BOYS For making the necessary metal equipment, such as the rudder, strut, propeller, for model work, and must be thinned with turpentine before they are used. Always and other parts, some metalworking tools will be needed: soldering set, tinner’s snips, small triangular file, small rat-tail file, machinist’s vise, pliers for cutting wire, hack-saw, center-punch, and compass. With this equipment the boy will be able to build almost any kind of model. be sure the paint is spread on thinly and Finish. In finishing a model a great evenly. Go over the surface with brush several times and see that the paint is well worked in. Two or three applica- tions of white-lead and oil make a good priming coat. dry They should be allowed to at least 24 hours between applica- tions, and should be well rubbed with No. deal of care should be taken to secure a neat, clean-cut job. This cannot be obtained by trving to hurry either the painting or the varnishing, an altogether too 4/0 sandpaper each time. common practice among amateurs. that of the rest of the hull. The the Water-Line. A boat looks better with a definite water-line, with the underwater body painted with a color different from A simple way various coats must be put on very thin, and each coat allowed to dry thoroughly and rubbed down with No. 4/0 sandpaper before the next coat is applied. All painting and other finishing should be done in a warm, dry, dust-proof room. Before any paint or varnish is applied the model must be well sanded, first with No. 4 and to find the water-line is to place the hull very gently in water, allowing it to float, then with No. 4/0 sandpaper. pier appearance, and is a common prac- Most ready-mixed paints are too thick then remove it carefully and place a mark about 14” above the wet surface. After the boat has been allowed to dry thoroughly the underwater body is painted to this water-line. Allowing a little of the water-line to show gives the boat a snaptice today. CHAPTER TIL How ro Usr Line-Drawincs the profile plan, corresponding to the sideview of the block. Ln boat drawings these views are called “plans.” As both sides of the boat are the same, only half of the whole plan is shown, and both sides are Scale of the Drawing. In this Chapter the attempt is made to explain the use and application of lines so that one may adapt for model use lines from any source, particularly from boating magazines. To avoid confusion, only the data necessary made from it. to the purpose at hand will be dealt with. At the start it is advisable to sclect a drawing of a boat of the same length in feet as the proposed model is in inches. All measurements then remain the same difference between the various sections of a boat, owing to its shape. To illustrate, a perpendicular longitudinal section through the block anywhere would be the same as the side-view, Fig. 1, while in a boat no two perpendicular longitudinal as on the drawing, reading inches instead of the indicated fect. For illustration a full set of complete line-drawings of a 30° raised-deck cruiser will be used. In school sections are the same. A Station § —~-| or club work it is usually advisable to Buttock “1 standardize on one or two models so that a set or two of templates will suffice for HALE BREADTH \ PLAN the whole group. Showing Buttock “lon the Hall |Breadh, Profle v Body Flan A sct of lines gives the vari- Sections. ous transverse and longitudinal sections’ of a boat which may be compared to a solid, such as a rectangular block, which has length, breadth, and thickness. The block has a side-view, and end-view, and a top-view, Fig. 1. Passing plane thru block atabe ene we Fie. 1 There is, however, quite a Buttock iy ¢ 4 po | Buttock “I 2 ‘ zt : M) 3 iS see ‘o : , fa. Boom. xz FS7 Bf Sliding Mast Plate. FS2 Troveler: MAST DETAILS th FSS F.54 MAINSAIL Side Stond Mast Plote = { Suggestion peer Bt eck “Block Fosteneal = lor pga Suter | Beemilra Under Sidex 1 Seréw Eye i O4, , Fig50 Fra. 55, Pia, 56, Fic. 57 MODERN SAILING CRAFT 37 effort is a little forward of the center of of the sail combination, and the center of lateral resistance, Fig. 51. The amount de- lateral resistance of the hull, we are now pends on the shape of the hull and may be able to plan the location of the mast with altered slightly to meet changing weather a good deal of assurance that the ship will be out of balance very little, if any. Gh ch gh Ft t Sail too far aft Besides the mast a boom and a gaff are needed, Figs. 56 and 57. Other equipment. is merely listed here, as the details are => Sail teo far forward Correct balance Fic. 51 conditions. Fig. 50 gives the details of the arrangement. For this purpose an adjust- given in serew-eyes, Chapter IX: blocks, cleats, chocks, sail-traveler, mast- rings, turnbuckles. Spars and deck fittings should be varnished, see Chapter IT. able mast-step may be provided, Fig. 52. Sails are made of several different kinds of material, but longcloth is a sat- isfactory choice.’ It is probably wise to shrink cotton cloth before it is used. This is done by rolling it up in a wet towel or other heavy material, allowing it to lie several hours, and then pressing it out with an iron. In cutting, sufficient ma- terial must be allowed for the hem, which must be put in very carefully, preferably with a sewing-machine. Masts and Spars. Masts and spars may be made of spruce, an excellent ma- Sailing. Sailing a boat is a very inter- terial for this purpose, as it is tough and esting science, which can be learned only elastic. by actual experience. Care should be taken to select All sailboats react pieces having straight grain, and freedom differently to from knots and other defects. For a 30” tions, and it sometimes takes months for model the mast should be about 14” in a good sailor to find out the peculiarities diameter at the base, tapered to 14” at the of his particular boat. top, and 3514” high. are given to start the amateur out. Fig. 58. A piece 14” square is marked and tapered, as in Figs. 53 and 54. way. Other spars are made in the same Shrouds and stays may be made of eopper wire if turn-buckles are otherwise rigging line is advisable. used, Trav- The Stand. very important. different weather condi- A few sketches A stand for the boat is The stand holds the boat in an upright position so that it takes up less room and is in less danger of being damaged.