THE braces are intended to serve the same purpose as the guy-ropes of the ordinary wall tent, and are three in number on each side. They consist of stout sticks (two by four inches is a good size) long enough to reach the ground from the top of the wall (five and one half feet in the present case) at an angle of forty-five degrees. At the upper end, underneath, which is beveled to stand flat against the face of the wall, the brace is armed with a strong hook. This hook sets into an eye inserted into the top of the outside cleat, just as the rafters are hooked to the ridgepole. At the lower end, which also is beveled off to fit the ground, is fastened a large ringbolt. This is on the upper side, so that when the brace is in position, the ring lies flat on the ground beyond it, and through it is driven a barbed pin of iron. These braces not only hold the wall from sagging out, but equally prevent it from pulling in, which is just as great a danger. How they are arranged is seen at a glance in fig. 7.
There is also another brace which goes across from the corner of the side wall over the doorway to the upright, where it is hooked into an eye placed six feet above the ground. This cross-brace forms a lintel to the door, and serves to make solid the otherwise somewhat shaky end of the right-hand siding.
Now comes the setting up and roofing; but before you can do that you must provide fastenings at the corners of your walls. I have reserved this for the last, since it is the most difficult bit of mechanism.
Go to a blacksmith and have him forge for you six pieces of iron of the shape shown in fig. 8, each about an inch and a half wide, and an eighth of an inch thick; the shafts, or straight ends of three of them, should measure six inches from the point marked a, while the shafts of the others should be nine inches in length, the elbow being alike in both cases. In the shaft should be punched two holes big enough to pass stout bolts through; but in both sizes these holes should be within six inches from the straight end. Having provided yourself with these bent irons, bolt one of the short size upon each end of the outside of the rear wall of your house six inches from the lower border, and in such a way that the bent end which is to be turned upward, shall project beyond the end of the wall just enough to leave a space of a quarter of an inch between the inside of the curve and the edge of the cleat to which it is bolted. Draw the nuts on your bolts very tight. Now take your remaining short one, and put it upon the lower corner of your front wall, so that its lower edge shall be just seven inches from the bottom of the wall, and with the elbow projecting as before, but turned down.
You have now left your three longer pieces of iron. One of these must be placed on the lower rear end of your right-hand side-wall (as you face the door) at seven and one half inches above the bottom, and with the elbow turned down. The other two go on opposite ends of the left-hand wall, that at the rear end turned down, and that in front turned up, the former seven and one half, the latter six inches above the bottom edge. But all these long ones must project three and one quarter inches, because they must reach past the edge of the adjoining wall, as you will see when you stand the walls up; the edge of the rear flush with face of the sidings, and lock them together, as shown in fig. 9.
Though I have seen the same arrangement at the top, yet a better way is as follows: (Figs. 10, 11 and 12.)
Have your blacksmith make three flat pieces of iron, each six and one half inches in length, having a closed loop turned up at the end, which carries a link six inches long, as in fig. 10. Bolt this piece of iron near the upper corner of each of the end walls—that is, above each of the short hooks, allowing the loop in which the link hangs, and no more, to project. Get at the same time three squarely bent hooks of round iron (fig. 11), with a thread and nut at the long end, and the bent-up point no longer than the inner diameter of the link, lengthways, so that it will freely pass through the link. Set these hooks in those unprovided upper corners of your remaining walls that come opposite your links when the walls are set up, at such a distance that when the link is bent around the corner it will snugly fit over the hooks. In order to do this, however (and you can see what I mean by a glance at fig. 12), you must set your hooks so loosely that you can turn their points backwards. The link is then slipped over, and the reversion of the hook to the position shown in fig. 12 binds the two walls cornering there as securely together as the interlocking hooks hold them at the bottom.
You will notice that I have no clamps or link at the front end near the door. There is no chance for any. Instead we trust for solidity to the outside brace, which is specially important, and to the horizontal brace which extends across from the top of the wall to the forward upright. (See fig. 13.)
The next thing is your canvas. Measure how much you need for your roof, and determine how far down your walls you want it to extend. If you are going to camp in very cold weather, you would do well to have it all the way to the ground. It would add greatly to the warmth. As a rule, though, you will only want it to come well over the top of the siding, with some lapping in front and rear to keep out driving rains. When it is sewed into a big sheet you must attach to it at frequent intervals a short stout strap. Opposite these straps (fig. 15) nail to the outside of your walls straps containing big buckles (fig. 14) whereby you can buckle down taut your canvas roof. I know of no more secure and convenient method of holding the tent cover than this; but I would advise you to experiment on the reach and “full” of your cloth before nailing the buckles to the wood work.
Now comes the setting of your tent-house up. The first consideration is the position. I can only say that it should be level, and where water will not drain into it in case of heavy rains. The next thing to be decided is, Will you have a floor? If so, lay it a few inches larger than your building, set your house on it, and nail down a narrow cleat all around inside close to the wall; an upright bolt dropping into the floor in the centre of each side, will be well also.
First set up the centre poles and ridgepole, placing the latter on top of the former, and sliding the iron pins down through the eyes. (Fig. 3.) Then place in position the rear wall. The side walls will come next, their clamps dropping easily at the corners into those of the end wall, and holding them firm while you slip the links over their hooks and twist them tight. Then set up the braces at the door end, and put up the front wall, turning down the tent pin on the ridgepole, to hold it firm, and locking the whole structure with the last link. Next, hook on the rafters, bolt the triangular gable walls to the upper part of the ridgepole, and set your braces at the sides. Nothing remains but to draw over your canvas, put your door upon its hinges, and hang up your hat. You are at home; a home you have put together at leisure hours in your barn or woodshed during the winter, have taken to the woods in a lumber-wagon, and set up with the help of a single companion; and when you are done with it you will carry it back to town and store it away in the woodshed or stable again.
In respect to the cost, I can give no estimates so good as in a few moments you can compile for yourself. It all depends on the price of materials and the cost of blacksmithing in your own neighborhood. The weight and breadth of the canvas purchased is also to be estimated variously, according to your selection, and the expense will be increased according to the degree of finishing, painting, and decoration put upon the structure. If I should make one for myself in New York or New Jersey, I should not anticipate its costing me more than twenty-five dollars ready for setting up; but this includes no floor and no painting. The interior furnishing of cots, cupboards, tables, stoves, et cetera, I presume you will understand as well as I. Also that you can contrive to put in windows as you want them, and provide a means of carrying your stovepipe through a tin ring in the canvas roof so as to be safe from ignition. I only wish I might help enjoy all the fun you will have!