Evening star., 1905-11-04
A Record Breaker for the Boys.

l used to have great fun making boats
and sailing them before the breezes Of
palmIeaf fan. in a bath tub filed within
two inches Of the top with water.
Finally I thought sailboats too slow and
unreliable and determined to invent a pro-
peller boat. using rubber band for the
power. I know from experience that no
boy cares to take the trouble to make any
thing which turns out to be disappoint-
ment, so 1 will tell you at the beginning
that If you make the boat 1 have designed
herewith you will be rejoiced at its be-
havior
Now I will tell you how to make. 1t, and
give directions for a boat one foot long
Overall" If you make 1t rather narrow
in width you will have faster boat. The
ideal boat for racing Is modelled after the
form of a brook trout's body. That Is. hav-
ing the greatest width about one-fourth
from the bow. Select nice block of white
pine a little over one foot long, three and
one-half inches wide and about three inches
thick After outlining your boats general
shape (top view on the largest surface of
this block, proceed to whittle out the hull
with sharp jack knife. leaving rather
broad keel space. Cigarbox wood Is good
to make a rudder of. it Is strong, easily
worked and will not lose it's shape after
long soaking in the water | used to make
the rudder with a pointed top so 1 could
in any position Give it a generous one,
which ii will mind this craft is a swift
one.
After finishing the hull and rudder get an
empty tin can "a tomato can is good and
mark a propeller three and one-half inches
from tip to tip fiattened side or smooth
top Of 1t. Gig. - 1t is best to have one
this size as 1t turns slower under water
and thus keeps the boat moving steady.
Put this propeller on block Of wood and
with a large wire nail make a hole in its
center, little smaller than the one in
the spool. which must be attached to the
back of it. Now place 1t on one end of
common sized SPOOL letting the rough
edges around the hole in the tin go into
the hole in the spool Work nail around
In this hole in the propeller and enlarge 1t
TIL it fits the inside of the spool snugly
Next, make four little holes with small
wire nail at the neck of each propeller
f1ange and through these four holes tack the
propeller securely to the head of the spool
(as in fig. ID.
Whttle the other end of the spool down
to thin edge, so it will help as a cut
water, and then bend each propeller blade.
very carefully, to an angle of about forty
five degrees, taking care that all are bent
the same amount and same way. Now get
strong, iron wire "a galvanized one won't
rus) which you can bend readily. and file
off a piece of 1t six inches longer than your
boat Make "kink'' Q5) in It's middle and
secure this by double tacks or little stables
to the keel of your boat having the wire
your stern (at the keeD. Be sure to fasten
the "kink" Qx) down well, as that keeps
the wire from swinging from side to side
at wv.
Just back of where your rudder will
come down make bend in your wire at
right angles to the keel. and make a hook
in the end of this. which should be, for
the size of your propeller two-and-three-
fourths inches from the keel Bend the
other end just back of the bow, having 1t
the same length as the first one, and
finish 1t also with hook Make a little
hole with awl. Just back of the spool
fiange at m for a nall, which must go
directly through the center of the spool.
A rubber band comes next and last, one
an eighth of an inch thick is about right
for this sized boat, or you can use several
very thin bands instead.
Pull the dividing nail (n) out far enough
SO you can push the rubber band through
the spool and then press down the nail so
it will divide the two strands of the rub
ber. Now. hang the propeller on the wire.
rod hooks and let the rubber be just taut,
not tight. and see that your propeller Is in
the middle of the rubber and that the point
ed end of the spool faces the bow. You
may now try your boat by winding up the
propeller by the spool and then placing it in
the water The propeller will move around
easily If your rubber band is just the right
strength. If it buZzes around under water
your rubber Is entirely too strong.