Cut two pieces of cardboard 7½ inches by 1½ inches. These are for the decks (Fig. 286), and their stern ends must be shaped to correspond to the stern of the boat. Place them together on the foundation and make holes right through along their edges about ½ inch apart.
Cut two pieces of stripwood ½" × ¼" × 6½". Place them one over the other and drill a hole (¼ inch in diameter) at P, about 1¾ inches from one end; this hole is to receive the mast, B. Along each piece of stripwood mark little doors and windows or port-holes. Glue each piece of stripwood along the middle of each cardboard deck, as in Fig. 285, having made holes in the cardboard corresponding to the holes P drilled in the stripwood. Now glue the stripwood of one piece to the middle of the cardboard of the other piece, taking care that the holes in each piece of cardboard are over each other (Fig. 286). While these pieces are drying, drill a hole about 2 inches from the bow for the mast A; drill holes along the edge of the bow (C D E), 1/3 an inch apart. Cut pieces of cane 7/8 inch to fit through the holes in the cardboard, and pieces about 3/8 inch in length for railings round the bow. Now glue the stripwood, G, to the boat so that ends H and K correspond with the edge of the stern. While this is drying prepare the masts. The mainmast is about 4 inches in length; this length allows it to stand 3 inches above the upper cardboard deck; the foremast is about 5 inches. Round the foremast glue a circular piece of cardboard, M, resting on a nail passing through the mast. Hammer a nail through at L for a spar, and put a piece of cane through a hole at N.
Glue the masts into position. Put in a nail at O in the stern, and a piece of cane, D, at the bow. Hammer in three nails in side D C and three on the other side for rigging. Insert the strips of cane through the holes in the cardboard; put a little glue into the holes in the wooden deck, and tap the cane in very gently; put the smaller pieces of cane into the holes round the bow. Tie cotton round the pieces of cane as in Fig. 284; tie cotton to masts, etc.
The funnels are made of rolls of paper. If the liner is a Cunarder, the funnels should be red with black bands round the top and two black lines lower down. The wooden sides of the boat are painted dark brown.
CHAPTER III
MOTOR-CAR (Plate VIII), SWINGING CRADLE,
DECK-CHAIR
A piece of flat wood 2½ inches by 5½ inches forms the bottom of the car. Two pieces of wood, 5½ inches by 1 inch, are marked out and sawn as in Fig. 287. If it is found too difficult to saw out the corner pieces E F G and H K L, piece A E C M can be cut right off, by sawing along a line E M; G M H N can be cut off by sawing along lines G M and H N, the same with L N B D.
The corners E, F, G, H, K, L should be rounded with a file, as shown in the plate. The two side-pieces are then glued at each side of the bottom. Front and back pieces are then cut, and fitted between the bottom and sides; also a top to fit over A E, and seats to fit over G H and L B.
These seats are then provided with backs and arms as shown in the plate. Axles and wheels should be made and put on as described in Part I, Chapter XIII. The wheels should be ½ an inch thick and have the edges rounded to represent the tyre. Lastly the steering pillar, with cardboard wheel attached, is fixed into bottom.
A drawback to this toy is that it is made of so many separate pieces of wood, but children delight in it and can make it most successfully. Children from nine to twelve have turned out most effective motor-cars.
A Swinging Cradle (Fig. 288). The cradle is a wooden box, 5 inches by 2¾ inches, and 2 inches deep. Before nailing this together, holes must be drilled in the two short sides, large enough to take a wooden axle about ¼ inch in diameter.
A and B are two pieces of stripwood ¼" × ½" × 5"; their tops are rounded and holes similar to those in the cradle are drilled in them about 1½ inches from the top.
A is fastened to E, which is 4 inches in length, by means of triangular pieces of wood, C and D, which are glued and nailed to A and E.
F and K are wider pieces of wood, 5 inches by 1 inch. E is glued and nailed to F; a wider space must be left on one side of E so that the supports, H and G, can be fastened securely to F. G and H are 5½" × ½" × ¼".
For the axles on which the cradle swings two pieces of stripwood, ¼" × ¼" × 1¼" must be cut and rounded, passed through holes in A and B, and glued securely to the holes in the sides of the cradle.
A Deck-chair (Fig. 289). Two pieces of stripwood, ¼" × ¼" × 6", A B, C D, are taken. These are nailed and glued to E and F, each 2¼ inches. E and F should not be placed too near the ends of A B and C D, as the wood may split when the nails are driven in. E and F may be rounded. For the smaller frame of the chair, cut two pieces of stripwood, 5 inches in length. To get the measurements for the bars, M and L, place G H and J K inside A B C D as in Fig. 289, and measure distances G J and H K. This must be done very accurately. Before nailing G H and J K together, notches must be cut in them as in Fig. 290. The wood is partly sawn through at N and O, and the notch is then filed out, the safe edge of the file being turned towards N and O. To make the support, two pieces of wood are cut 2 inches in length, Q R and U V in Fig. 291, which shows how the length of the piece of wood S, which fastens Q R and U V together, is obtained. Frame G K is now nailed to frame A D (Fig. 289). Fix the point for the nail at T about 2 inches from H and B. When hammering the nail in at T, the bars A B and G H should rest upon the edge of the bench or table.
From A and C measure distances of 2½ inches to R and V respectively. To these points nail the arms of the support, Q R and U V.
A piece of coloured print or casement cloth is fastened to E and L.
Other toys which can be made in a similar manner are a camp-stool, a clothes-horse, a screen.
CHAPTER IV
A TRAM-CAR
This toy is made of wood, cardboard and paper (cartridge).
A piece of wood, E F G H (Fig. 292), 8½ inches by 2¼ inches is required for the bottom of the car, and two pieces, A B C D, 5 inches by 1½ inches, for the sides.
The supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) are pieces of stripwood ¼" × ¼" × 3½".
Glue three of these to one of the sides as in Fig. 293, allowing A B C D to project beyond them for a space equal to the thickness of the wooden bottom of the car, E F G H. This forms one side of the car; make the other in the same way.
Fig. 294 shows how the sides and seats are fastened to the bottom of the car.
The seat is a piece of stripwood ¼" × ½" × 5".
The top of the car is made of thick cardboard cut as in Fig. 295 to the given measurements. Before the top is fastened on strips of cartridge paper are gummed round its sides. These strips are about an inch wide, and are doubled in half; one half is gummed to the cardboard as in Fig. 296. The other half bends downward and the names of places to which the car runs are printed on it. Similar pieces are gummed to the top and bent upward to form the railings round the top (Fig. 297.)
These pieces are painted yellow and edged with dark brown. Fig. 298 shows the entrance to the interior of car. J and K are pieces of cardboard, coloured yellow, and glued into position; L is a similarly coloured piece of cardboard or paper glued to supports 1 and 4. The other entrance is finished off in the same way.
Cut two pieces of cardboard, 4½ inches by 1½ inches, as in Fig. 299. Make half-cuts along the dotted lines. These pieces are bent round and glued to the ends of the bottom of the car (M, N, O in Fig. 292).
These are also coloured yellow and their edges are dark brown.
The wheels are put on as the wheels of the engine (Part I, Chapter XIII).
Cut two pieces of cartridge paper (P in Fig. 292), colour as described before, and gum under each end of car.
Part Q is a piece of cardboard one inch wide, coloured like M N O, and gummed along the side, so that it covers at least half the wheels.
The top can now be glued on. Thin strips of wood or pieces of cane (S and T in Fig. 292 and 296) are gummed in position.
The steps into the car are made of cartridge paper coloured black.
Fig. 300 shows the simplest way of making the stairs leading to the top of the car.
W Y is a piece of cardboard, 1 inch wide, to which pieces of stiff paper are gummed as in diagram. X is a flap of paper which fastens the steps to the top of the car.
Seats for the Top. Pieces of cartridge paper are cut out, 1¾ inches by ¾ inch, and coloured yellow. These are folded and cut as in Figs. 301 and 302. Part a is gummed to the side of the car, flap b is gummed to the floor. The second seat is gummed back to back to the first seat (Fig. 303). The top of the car will hold about six of these double seats. Single seats can be gummed in the corners.
Steering-wheels are made as in Fig. 292. The top is of cardboard, cut or marked as in the figure and coloured black. This is gummed to a round rod, about 1¾ inches in length, which is fastened to the end of the car (N in Fig. 292). A similar steering-wheel is fastened to the other end.
CHAPTER V
A CRANE
A Crane. Foundation, Arm, Pulley. Cut a piece of wood about 5½ inches by 4½ inches (H in Fig. 304). Cut a second piece a square, A, side 2½ inches. Cut off the corners. This forms a stand on which the crane, etc., is fastened.
Cut a piece of stripwood, ¼" x ½" x 8". This is the arm of the crane, C, and is usually inclined at an angle of 45° to 60°. To support this arm cut B with sides about ¾ inch, angles 45° or 60° and 30°.
Cut two pieces of stripwood ¼ inch by ¼ inch, each 2 inches in length; shape like E and F in Fig. 305. These can now be glued and nailed to the arm C, projecting an inch beyond.
A wheel for the pulley is cut from a round rod about ¾ inch in diameter.
If a groove is to be made round the circumference, the wheel should be about ¼ to 3/8 inch thick. The groove is made with a file. A simple way to make the groove is to cut two cardboard discs a little larger in diameter than the wheel and glue them to each side of the wheel, in which case the latter need not be quite so thick. A hole is drilled through the wheel and enlarged by a round file to ¼ inch in diameter.
A piece of wood is now rounded for an axle, so that the wheel turns on it easily. This must fit tightly between E and F. Pass it through the wheel and glue it in position (G in Fig. 305).
Winding Gear. Cut two pieces of stripwood, ¼" x ½" x 2", J and K in Fig. 304. Round their tops, drill and enlarge holes in them.
A hole must now be made through the centre of A, to enable this part to rotate on the foundation H, so that the crane may swing round in any direction. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to use a rivet, but if such is not procurable a screw may be used; the hole in A is made large enough for A to turn easily on the pivot which can be screwed into H. Before this is done, pieces J and K are fastened to A about one inch apart. To do this, drive nails right through A in correct positions, glue the ends of J and K and hammer them on to the nails. The head of the nail should rest on a piece of metal when the wood is being hammered down on its point.
The support B should now be glued and nailed to A. When B is firmly fixed the arm C is fastened to it. The hole in the centre of A must be left clear.
A is now riveted or screwed to H. A wooden axle, P, is made to pass through holes in J and K, and to the ends of this axle wheels are glued. (The figure shows one only.) The wheels can be made from reels, or several discs of cardboard gummed together. Before glueing on the wheels, wooden handles, L, are fastened to them. A wooden handle O is fastened to A. This is used for turning the crane. A piece of stout thread is tied to and wound round P and passed over the pulley. To the end of this a hook is fastened, made from wire or a bent pin. Bags can be made and filled with sawdust, etc.
CHAPTER VI
WINDMILL, WATER-WHEEL, AND WELL
Windmill (Plate XII). Cut a square of wood, side 5 inches. This is the stand A in Fig. 306. To the centre of this glue a large reel, B.
Next cut two 4-inch squares of wood and drill through their centres holes of about ¼ inch in diameter. Glue one to the top of the reel so that the holes coincide. Next cut and glue into position the supports, C. For these stripwood ½ inch by ½ inch can be used.
Cut two pieces of wood, 4 inches by 6 inches. These form two sides of the windmill; glue and nail them to the other 4-inch square, which forms the bottom of the windmill.
Next cut two pieces of wood as in Fig. 307, for the other sides of the windmill. Drill a small hole in each at D about 1½ inches from the top.
On one of these sides mark and paint a door and windows as in Fig. 308, and over the door make a small roof, like the roof over the porch of the signal-box (Chapter XII). The windows and door may be cut out with a fret-saw and the door hinged on by means of a strip of strong linen. Glue and nail these sides in position. Make and fix the roof.
The Sails. For these, two strips of wood, ¼ inch square and 12 inches long, are necessary.
In the centre of each of these, cut a slot half-way through the wood so that one may fit tightly into the other (F in Fig. 309). The sails are made of cardboard, and are rectangular in shape, measuring 5 inches by 2 inches. They are coloured light brown, with dark markings on them, as shown in the plate. Shape each end of the arms of the sails as in Fig. 309. This is easily done by filing, if the wood is fairly soft. Saw half-way through the wood at E, and file, or cut off the wood with a pen-knife. To this flat surface the sails are glued, so that they may be inclined to the wind. Now glue the two arms together, and when they are firm make a hole through the middle, F, where the arms cross. Take a short steel knitting needle, about 6¾ inches; fix one end into this hole with glue; then glue a small piece of cardboard or wood over it, and a cork washer behind, to keep the sails from touching the walls of the windmill; pass the needle through the holes in the sides of the windmill and glue a little knob of wood to the other end to prevent the needle slipping back. If a needle cannot be obtained, an old bicycle spoke, or even a wooden meat skewer, will do, but in the latter case the holes in the walls must be made larger, and the sails fixed to the end of the skewer by a small nail.
Now glue a piece of round rod into the reel (H in Fig. 306) so that it projects about an inch. Place the mill on this stand, so that the rod passes through the hole in the bottom of the mill. The mill can be turned round in any direction so that the sails may catch the wind. Make a small ladder to reach the door.
A very pretty but somewhat more difficult windmill is shown in Fig. 310. It is made of cardboard. The foundation, platform and railings can be made as described in the case of the lighthouse (Chapter XIII).
The truncated hexagonal pyramid forming the body of the windmill is made as follows. With centre O (Fig. 311), and a radius of about 10 inches, describe an arc, A B.
From any point on this arc mark off six spaces, each 2 inches.
Join the several points to each other and to O. With radius about 3 inches make arc C D. Join points where C D cuts radii, by dotted lines. Draw the flanges; make half cuts along the dotted lines, cut out along the dark lines, and fold into shape. Fasten together with seccotine; turn in the flanges at the bottom, and fasten them to the platform.
The Top of the Windmill can be cut from one piece of cardboard. Draw square, A B C D (Fig. 312), large enough to project beyond top of hexagonal pyramid (side of square should be about 3 inches). On the middle of D C draw M K = 4 inches, and draw a similar line on A B. Join A J, J B, K D and K C, by curved lines. Produce A B and D C both ways. Make B F, C E, D H, A G, equal in length to arc B J. Draw the flange E F P O. Make holes in the middle of A J B and D K C through which the knitting-needle (on which the sail is fastened) may pass. Draw flanges on B J, J A, etc. Make half cuts along the dotted lines, and cut along the dark lines.
Before fastening the top together, put a very small paper-clip through the middle of square, A B C D, and fasten it to a square of cardboard of the same size, so that it turns freely on it. This second square will be gummed to the top of the hexagonal pyramid, so that the top of the windmill may be turned in any direction. Bend up A J B and D K C at right angles to square, A B C D. Bend up B C E F and A D H G and gum them to the flanges of A J B and D K C; gum flange F O to A D H G. The sails are made as already described.
A Water-wheel (Plate XII). The Wheel. Cut two discs of cardboard, 4 inches in diameter. Make holes in the centre, glue them to a small reel (about an inch high), and pass a round rod through for an axle. This wheel is an overshot water-wheel—that is, one that receives the water shot over the top, and must be fitted with 'buckets.' These receive the water at the top of the wheel and retain it until they reach the lowest point (see Fig. 313).
The 'buckets' may be made of stiff paper or thin cardboard. Cut pieces 1 inch in width, and in length the distance of the two wheels apart plus ½ an inch. Mark these out as in Fig. 314, where a b is the distance between the wheels, and c, d, e, f are flanges for fastening the bucket to the wheels. Fold as in Fig. 315. Make at least twelve of these buckets; divide the wheel into twelve parts, and fasten the buckets between the wheels.
(Chapter VII)
To make the toy technically correct, the buckets should rest against a solid wheel contained within the two outer ones, as in Fig. 313, so that no water can run down toward the centre of the wheel. This can be easily managed, if desired, in the following manner:
Before fastening the wheels to the reel, cut a long strip of paper, with flanges, as in Fig. 316, in which a b is the distance between the two outer wheels. Describe a smaller circle on one of the wheels, about 3 inches in diameter; glue the reel in position, then bend down the flanges of this strip of paper (Fig. 316), and gum these round the smaller circle of the wheel. Now gum the other wheel to the reel and to the flanges of the paper.
The wheel should be painted brown, with spokes marked in darker colour. The plate shows the wheel and the mill-house. A hole is made in the side of the house, into which the axle of the wheel is inserted; the other end is held by the upright standard shown in the plate. The shoot may be made of cardboard; it should slope a little and should come just over the top of the wheel, which revolves freely beneath it.
A chimney may be made of a cork, one end being cut on the slant, so that it stands upright on the roof, which is made of cardboard. The whole should be suitably coloured.
An Undershot Wheel. This wheel is very simple to make. It has a number of float-boards arranged round it and is turned by a stream of water moving against the float-boards at its lowest point (Fig. 317).
Fig. 318 shows how the float-boards, which are made of cardboard, are fastened between the wheels. With this undershot wheel, the shoot represented in the plate is not required.
A Well (Fig. 319). The round part of the well is made from a mantle-box or other round box. A is a fairly deep box turned upside down, with a circle cut out into which the mantle-box fits closely. This gives a fair depth. Cover the well with paper coloured to represent bricks; colour the box, A, green. The cardboard roof is glued to posts, D, and to triangular pieces of wood, B and C, glued to each side of D.
Holes are drilled through the posts to take the roller, E, which is a round rod about ½ an inch in diameter. Drill small holes in it at each end. Push a pin from the end F through the side post into the roller. Bind a piece of wire to form a handle, G, and push one end of this into the roller. Bend a piece of wire or pin to form a hook, tie this to a piece of string, wind it round the roller and fasten the other end of the string to roller with seccotine. If a small chain is used this can be fastened by one of its links to the roller with a staple, and should be so fastened before the roller is put in position.
CHAPTER VII
DRAWBRIDGE AND SIEGE TOWER
A Drawbridge (Plate XII). Two pieces of wood for the front, H and I (Fig. 320), must first be sawn 11 inches by 2½ inches. The white wood of chocolate boxes, etc., is the best.
Next two strips of wood, 7" × ¼" × ¼" are cut (satin walnut stripwood will do)—D E and F G in Fig. 321.
The bridge is made of a piece of white wood, 2-5/8 inches by 5¼ inches. The posts, D E and F G, are nailed to the bridge so that the bridge turns on the nails. (Note that the bridge is nailed about 3¼ inches from bottom of post.)
Next two lengths of stripwood, R S, are sawn 10" × ½" × ¼", these are nailed to pieces H and I (nails are about 8½ inches from bottom), so that the portions R T project about 5½ inches. The strips R S turn freely on their nails.
Before nailing them in position, their ends should be rounded as in the figure. The posts G F and D E (which hold the bridge) are then glued to H and I. A piece of wood, V, about 8 inches by 2-1/3 inches, is glued to the lower parts of H and I, and joins them together.
Next the piece of wood Q is cut; its width will be the distance of post F G from D E (about 2½ inches)—this distance should be carefully measured so that the piece fits well; its length will be about 5 inches. The arch is cut with a fret-saw. Piece Q is kept in position by having the ends of the arch glued to posts F G and D E, and by a length of stripwood (½ inch by ¼ inch) glued along the top as shown in the plate. Lengths of stripwood (½ inch by ¼ inch) may also be glued down the sides. Holes must be drilled in the ends, R, for wire loops, care being taken that these holes are over the bridge; wire loops must be placed on the bridge exactly underneath, and these loops are joined by chains, which can be made of wire or else bought from an ironmonger.
Fig. 320 shows the inside of the drawbridge; A, B, C and D are the lead weights for raising and lowering the beams. These weights can be cut from a piece of sheet lead or may be lead buttons. They are attached to the beams by chains and wire hooks. E F is a ledge for the defenders of the bridge to stand on. Sides have been added and a platform, L. The battlements, G, H, K, etc., are made of pieces of stripwood ½" × ½" × ¼", glued round the top.
The ladder is made of matches as described in Chapter IX.
A Movable Siege Tower (Plate XIII). Two pieces of wood (A and B in Fig. 322) are sawn to the shape and measurements of Fig. 323. To the broader ends of these, pieces of stripwood ½ inch by ½ inch are glued and nailed (C in Fig. 323), and other pieces, D, ¼ inch by ¼ inch (about three on each side), are fastened at equal distances apart. D3 and the corresponding piece on the other side must not extend to edge of B, but a space must be left of ½ inch for the posts of the drawbridge.
Next the wood is cut for the foundation and the platforms, J, H, etc.
A stands about 6 inches from B, so this must be the width of all the platforms, except the foundation, F, which is wider and projects about ¾ inch on each side of A and B, and the platform K, which rests on A and B.
The other dimensions of the platforms will be the same as those of the pieces of stripwood on which they rest. The platform K must be about ¼ inch narrower than tops of A and B, to leave room for posts L and M. A and B are now glued and nailed to the base by means of the pieces of stripwood, C, at their ends, and the platforms are glued in position.
Two pieces of stripwood ¼ inch by ½ inch, S and T in Fig. 324, are now cut equal in length to distance of K from H, for the supports of bridge. Place these in position between K and H, and measure distance between them; this gives width of drawbridge; its length is 6¼ inches. This can now be sawn. Fix in position as explained for previous toy.
Next cut two pieces of stripwood ½" × ¼" × 10½", L and M. At the ends of these drill holes, ¼ inch in diameter, through which passes the chain of the drawbridge. Fix these in position by triangular wedges glued to sides and to platform J.
On top, K, add struts to support M and L, as shown in the plate. The chains of the drawbridge are looped over nails driven into A and B, just above platform J.
The base may be mounted on small wheels and strengthened with projecting beams by which the tower may be pushed into position. (These are not shown in plate.) Ladders to reach the top can also be made (see Chapter IX), and a battering ram may be swung from platform H, as shown in the plate. A tower of this kind was used by the Crusaders in the siege of Jerusalem (1099).
TRAPGET
CHAPTER VIII
WAR ENGINES PAST AND PRESENT
A War Engine (Plate XIII). This piece of artillery was used at the time of the crusade of Richard I. It is a simple and interesting model to make. The sides (A B C D in Fig. 325) are built up of pieces of stripwood ¼ inch by ¼ inch, length about 3 inches, or the sides may be pieces of cigar-box. If made of stripwood, grooves can be filed in the two bottom pieces to make holes, E, when these pieces are glued together. A round rod passes through these holes to form a windlass. Two posts, F and G, ¼" × ½" × 3¼", are glued to the sides about 1½ inches from end, A C, as in figure; these must either have holes drilled through them for a rod of wood (or thick wire) or have circular grooves filed in the tops into which a rod can be glued.
The sides a b c d and A B C D should be about 2½ inches apart, and are kept together by pieces of stripwood glued across the bottom. Make struts as in the figure to support posts F and G.
The beam H K may be made from a piece of stripwood, ½ × ½ × 5", filed to a round shape. Two pieces of wire, L L, are bent to form a fork and two hooks, M and N are bound firmly to one end with thread. The other end, K, has a small screw-eye screwed into it through which passes a wooden bolt to keep the rings of lead, O, from slipping off. These rings of lead are easily made from strips cut from a piece of sheet lead and bent round the beam. (A pair of old scissors should be kept for cutting lead, or a knife and hammer may be used.)
Now the beam H K must be fastened to rod P Q. This may be done in different ways. The simplest but least effective way is to bind the beam firmly in the middle to the rod with thread or elastic.
A second way is to drill a hole through the beam, through which the thread or elastic that binds it to the rod can pass. The best way perhaps is to make the hole in the beam large enough for rod P Q to pass through, and then bind it to the rod with elastic or thread or, if a large model is being made, catgut. (A jeweller is generally ready to give away a small quantity of this.) A barrel, R, can be filed or cut from a small piece of wood or cork, or it may be a small reel.
To work the machine pull the beam down by means of a piece of thread looped on to the hook M and wound around the windlass. When the beam head is down, place the barrel on the fork and keep it in position by rope, S. When the beam head is released, it flies up and the barrel is shot forward.
This trapget or war engine was used for casting Greek fire, with which the barrel was filled. It may interest the maker of this toy to know its composition. In the words of an old writer: "You make Greek fire thus: Take quick-sulphur, dregs of wine, Persian gum, 'baked salt,' pitch, petroleum, and common oil. Boil these together. Then whatever is placed therein and lighted, whether wood or iron, cannot be extinguished except with vinegar or salt."