Model Yachts and Boats: Their Designing, Making and Sailing

By J. Du V. Grosvenor

This vintage book contains a comprehensive guide to building, rigging, and sailing model sailing yachts and boats. Written in clear, simple language and full of helpful illustrations and detailed diagrams, this book is ideal for the novice model builder, and will be of considerable utility to those with a practical interest in building model boats. The chapters of this book include: “Plant and Construction”, “Tools and Appliances”, “Materials”, “Preparing Working Drawings from Designs”, “The Block and Vertical Section Methods”, “The Water Line Method”, “The Built Model”, “Keel, Deck, Stem, and Sternpost”, “Painting, Bronzing, and Varnishing”, etcetera. Many antiquarian books such as this are increasingly hard to come by and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern, high quality edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on model building.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473384330

Book preview

PART I.

PLANT AND CONSTRUCTION.

Model Yachts And Boats.

CHAPTER I.

INSTRUMENTS, TOOLS, AND FITTINGS.

IN order not to encumber the text further on with a description of the tools and appliances used, I will begin by giving a list of requisites for model building. This plan will also have the advantage of enabling the intending model builder to form an idea at the outset of the plant and stock he must provide himself with.

I shall only mention here what I consider most essential; but as we go on I may have occasion to point out special tools calculated to accelerate or simplify the work.

DRAWING INSTRUMENTS.

A 30in. board and T square to match, a large set square, a pair of compasses, with pencil holder and pen, a drawing pen, a thin batten, 36in. long, 1in. wide, a few drawing pins, lastly, some cartridge paper for designing, and some large sheets of brown paper for working drawings and patterns. I need scarcely mention pencils, india rubber. and Indian ink.

TOOLS AND APPLIANCES.

Chisels.—A stout 1 1/2in. for rough work, a light 1 1/4in. for paring, and a 1/2in. for general work.

Gouges.—A strong 1 1/2in., a 1 1/4in. flat gouge for paring hollow curves, a 1in. and a 1/2in.; a carver’s small 1/2in. flat gouge, curved as sketched (Fig. 1), will also be found very useful.

FIG. 1. A CARVER’S 1/2IN. FLAT GOUGE.

Saws.—A large hand saw, with moderately fine teeth, a tenon saw, a small sweep saw, and a key-hole saw.

Planes.—A jack or roughing plane, a trying plane, and a smoothing plane.

Spokeshave.—One of medium size will be sufficient. The kind sold in American tool shops is very convenient, being fitted with a common flat iron like a plane.

Screwdrivers.—A large and a small one.

Hammers.—A carpenter’s light hammer, and a smaller one of the kind used by clockmakers.

Rasps and files.—One rough wood rasp, one smoother, and a half round file; also a small round file, about 1/4in. diameter.

Bradawls.—Half a dozen, ranging from the finest to about 1/8in. diameter.

Set square.—An ordinary carpenter’s square.

Pincers and pliers.—A pair of pincers, two pair of light pliers, one flat, one round, and a pair of nippers to match.

Sand paper.—Two sheets of No. 3, No. 2, No. 1, and No. 0.

Shears.—A tinman’s small pair of shears.

Ladle.—A tinman’s 6lb. ladle.

Brace and bits.—A brace and set of bits will also be of great service; there is a cheap kind of German make sold in most tool shops which will answer the purpose.

Grindstones.—It is not necessary to say anything about a grindstone, as it is always easy to get access to one; but I must urge the intending model builder to get a good oil stone, and to keep his tools as sharp as razors.

Bench.—Of course, to work conveniently, a bench of some kind will be required. Carpenters’ benches can be bought secondhand very cheap; but if one is not to be had, there are several ways of supplying its want. A common kitchen table, for instance, can be made to answer the purpose very well. It only requires two pieces of 2in. deal, cut to its length, planed clean, and screwed flush with the edges, from underneath. This gives weight and strength to the table, and supposing the 2in. boards to be of such a width as to leave a gap of not less than 9in. between them in the centre of the table, this will be available for wedging the hulls of models, and holding them firm whilst working. For planing against, all that will be required is a stout 2 1/2in. screw (Fig. 2) driven in at one end of the table in the centre of one of the boards, with a countersunk hole for its head, so that the latter may protrude as little as may be required for thin boards. Should the table be found rather shaky, it can be stiffened by nailing or screwing 9in. boards, 1in. thick, as shown in Fig. 3, to the legs. Another plan is to use two trestles about 3ft. high, setting them, say, 5ft. apart, and fastening to them pieces of 3in. deal 6ft. long. These may be screwed on, the screws countersunk, and the whole planed over. If care is taken to brace the trestles together by means of one or two 1in. boards, a very strong bench will be the result.

FIG. 2. SECTION OF COMMON TABLE WITH BOARD ADDED.

FIG. 3. TABLE WITH LEGS BRACED.

MATERIALS.

Wood.—Some 1/2in. yellow pine planking for spars, a piece 6ft. long out of an 11 in. plank will suffice for a dozen models, some 1/8in. red pine board for decks, and a strip or two of 1/2in. American elm or oak for sterns, sternposts, &c. The wood required for the hull varies somewhat with the mode of construction, and will be pointed out further on. But in all cases it must be thoroughly sound, fine grained, and as free from knots as possible, so that it will be as well when laying in a stock to secure the assistance of a practical man, who will for a small consideration help to select the best pieces.

Lead.—Some 6lb. or 8lb. of lead cuttings or scraps will be required for casting the keel, &c.

Varnish.—Say half pint of best copal varnish.

Paint.—2lb. of white lead ready mixed.

Size for Bronzing.—Half pint of best Japan gold size.

Bronze Powder.—One packet (2s. 6d.) will last for several models.

Black Varnish.—This is required for painting the topsides of models, and is easily made, thus: Dissolve 2oz. of shellac in a pint of naphtha, and then mix up well with it two spoonfuls of lampblack or more, according to consistency desired.

White Lead and Putty.—About 1/2lb. of each for joints.

Glue.—Two or three pieces of Prout’s elastic glue (1d. each.)

Brass Tacks.— 1/2lb. of fine tacks 1/2in. long.

Brass Screws.—One dozen 1/8in. long, one dozen 3/4in., one dozen 1 1/4in., one dozen 2in., and one dozen 3in. long, 1/8in. diameter. The latter are required for fixing the keel, and are most useful in many cases. They are seldom found in stock, but any ironmonger can get them from the makers by ordering a gross at a time, for which quantity they charge about 9s.

Brass Wire.— 1/4lb. of wire 18 B.W.G.

Copper Sheeting.—A small strip of 20 gauge sheeting for cutting up.

Eye Screws.—Half dozen brass eye screws, fin. in the eye.

Rigging.—A hank of very fine or thread whipcord for bending sails, one of ordinary fine whipcord for sheets and halliards, and a ball of thicker stuff for stays.

This list looks more formidable on paper than it is in reality, and can be procured at a very moderate outlay.

CHAPTER II.

PREPARING WORKING DRAWINGS FROM DESIGNS.

A VESSEL has three principal outlines: the longitudinal outline or side view, the transverse outline or end view, and the deck outline (see Plate 1, page 8). On these three outlines are based the three plans which constitute a design. The hull is supposed to be divided into two longitudinally, and the halves being symmetrical only one need be shown.

In the first plan (Sheer Plan), this half is represented with its section exposed. the outline being the longitudinal outline referred to above. The level of the water when the vessel is properly loaded, is represented by the horizontal line A B, called load water line, and indicated by the initials L.W.L. The lines parallel to it represent other levels. The vertical line C D represents an imaginary transverse section (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal section), where the body of the vessel is largest. This section is called midship section, and the lines parallel to C D represent equi-distant sections parallel to the midship section.

The second plan (Body Plan) is an end view of the half hull in the position assumed by the vessel when afloat. A B represents the L.W.L. level, and the other lines the other levels. On one side are shown the transverse sections from the bow end to the midship section, and on the other the sections from the midship section to the stern. The midship section, it will be seen, is no other than the transverse outline of the end view.

PLATE I. LONGITUDINAL, TRANSVERSE, AND DECK OUTLINES.

In the third plan (Half Breadth Plan) the outline of the half deck is shown, the other curves being the shape of the vessel at the different levels parallel to the L.W.L. level, or in other words the shape of different horizontal sections.

The three above plans determine the design of a craft, and from them the ship builder prepares the plans special to his trade. In model building, however, no further plans are required beyond reproducing the design full size to work from. The first thing is to decide the size the model is to be. This, of course, is a matter of fancy; at the same time it is best to adhere to the sizes adopted by most Model Yacht Clubs, viz., 24in. and 30in. over all, so as to ensure more opportunities for competitive trials. And, in the case of a first attempt, the smaller size will be more convenient.

The size being decided upon, the scale of the design will have to be worked out. Most likely the amateur has one he wishes to build to; in that case he need only apply to it the following instructions; but for the sake of clearness we will suppose the design in Plate 1 to be the one chosen.

The intended craft being 24in. over all, and the design 4in., we see that the latter is one-sixth of the size, and that in the working drawing all the dimensions will have to be multiplied by six. Now take a sheet of paper of suitable size, the commonest will do, in fact, brown paper is as good as any, as it has the advantage of being substantial. Pin it on to your drawing board, keeping the edges fairly parallel with those of the latter, and with your T square resting against the left side of the board, draw in the L.W.L. right across the sheet, and at intervals four times greater than in the design, all the lines parallel to the L.W.L., including the centre line of the half breadth plan.

The great advantage of the T square is the ease and rapidity with which by its aid perfectly true horizontal and vertical lines can be drawn. Thus, by keeping its head sliding against the left side of the board all lines drawn along the stem will be parallel; by keeping the head fixed against the same side, and sliding the set square along the stem, all lines drawn along the edge of the square will also be parallel, and in the case of the upright edge they will be perpendicular to the first set of lines. However, having done with the horizontal lines, mark off, in accordance with the scale, the positions of the various vertical lines, and with your T square and set square, as explained above, draw them in.

Measure in the sheer plan (the distance above and below the water line), and as you make out each of them multiply it by four, and mark it off in a corresponding position in the working drawing; mark also the distance from the keel to the L.W.L., from the section No. 7 to the counter, from section No. 6 to the sternpost, and from section No. 1 to the fore foot. You have thus a dotted outline of the sheer plan. Place your batten so as to touch the points marked off above the water line, keep it in position by means of paper weights or blocks of lead, made on purpose, and run your pencil along it; proceed in the same manner for the curve of the keel, and finally put in the straight lines of the counter, sternpost, keel, and stem. Next measure in the body plan the distances of each section from the centre line, multiply by four, and mark off on the working drawing; mark off the thickness of stem and of keel, and draw in the straight lines; the curves are best put in by hand, but it must be done carefully and steadily. Finally, in the half breadth plan measure, multiply and mark off the distances from the centre line to the deck outline, and run a line through the dots with the batten, as before, and do the same for each of the other