Scouting, Volume 18, Number 8, August 1930 Page: 215
205-229 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Taking a crooked pruning knife from his tool kit, he sharp-
ened it carefully and while the boys held up the stern end of
the canoe he cut the canvas, following the contour of the end
but leaving about six inches hanging over This he repeated at
the bow and the canoe came clear of the clamps dressed in its
new coat.
Fastening the Bow Canvas
Next, the canoe was laid across two carpenter's horses, bot-
tom-side up, and with Y%" brass brads, Mr Jones secured one
side of the canvas to the end of the stem post. Trimming it off
carefully he painted over that with a coat of white lead and
then threw the other side across the end and in turn tacked
it in place.
"It fits perfectly!" one of the boys exclaimed.
"Yes, it does fit well," agreed the Scoutmaster, "but it would
not have done so had I cut the canvas too far back over the
ends. If that mistake had been made it would have been almost
impossible to make a tight ob. Care must be used at that
point."
A few minutes later the other end was completed and then
the canvas that came above the gunwales was trimmed off
"Tomorrow, boys," said Mr Jones, "I will have the filler mixed
and we will be ready to apply it. In the meantime, Jimmy, please
ask your father if he will be good enough to have a pair of
canvas mittens without thumbs stitched up for us at his awning
shop which we can use for putting on the filler "
Filling
The next morning the boys were on hand again, eager to get
to work, for although they were enjoying the repair work, they
were anxious to get their canoes completed and in use. Mr
Jones appeared with a gallon can full of a white, thick substance
that looked like paint, but did not smell exactly like it.
"This is the filler, boys," he said, "it is a mixture of 1^4
pounds of white lead, 2y2 pounds of silica, sometimes known as
silex, two quarts of boiled oil, and one quart of turpentine, to
which I added a half pint of coach painter's Japan dryer"
In the pail was a large brush with which he carefully painted
on the heavy mixture. Then, with the canvas mitten which
Jimmy had brought, he rubbed the filler carefully into the pores
of the canvas until the canvas seemed to be perfectly smooth all
over the hull.
"We will let this set till noon," he said, "and then we will
put on a second coat and that we will rub down with a smooth
rubber mitten which will almost give a polish. Then, I am
sorry to say we will have to set this canoe away to dry for
a week."
"But, Mr Jones," said Buddy Brown, "my father will have
to use the barn tomorrow night. We won't be able to leave it
in here. I'm sorry "
"That will be all right," said Mr Jones, "the canoe must
stay« under cover for only twenty-four hours. By the time your
father needs the barn, we will have it outdoors. If it should
be put out before that time, however and it should happen to
rain, most of the filler would be washed off but after it has set,
it will dry almost as well in the rain as it will inside of a
building. In the factories where they make these canoes, they
are allowed to dry for about six weeks. By so doing, they can
get a very much finer finish which, of course, is one of the
things which helps to sell their product."
"What will happen after that, Mr Jones," asked Jimmy "can
we use it as soon as the week is up?"
"Not quite, Jimmy," said the Scoutmaster "We shall have to
treat it very much as we have the other canoe. We will rub it
down carefully with sandpaper paint it with slow drying paint
and then give it two coats of spar varnish inside and out. Of
course, before we put on the varnish we will have replaced the
keel, gunwale strips and bang plates."
Two Weeks Later
Two weeks later eight members of Troop No. 5, assembled
at the boat house on the river for the first actual paddling
instruction. At a word from Mr Jones, they moved into the
boat house, to reappear immediately with two fine looking canoes
in perfect condition, whose flashing grey paint bore testimony
to a perfect ob of reconditioning.
"Was it worthwhile, Scouts?" asked Mr Jones.
"You bet it was " they replied.
"We have learned a lot about canoe building and repairing and
I guess that is a pretty important thing from what I can find out,"
said one of the boys.
"It sure is,'' replied the Scoutmaster "it is something that will
always stand you in good stead, wherever you go, if you plan
to use canoes."
rE wish to call the attention of Scout Leaders to an im-
portant revision in the Merit Badge on Journalism which
has been authorized by the Executive Board and which is also
mentioned elsewhere in this issue.
Specifically the alternative requirement heretofore used has
been changed to read as follows
"Conduct an authorized, chartered, amateur publication under
the standards set by the National Council, Boy Scouts of Amer-
ica, for at least five consecutive issues.
"Scouts who are members of the Editorial Staff editor-in-
chief and not more than three assistants) of an authorized,
chartered Local or Area Council publication and who work
under supervision of local Scout authorities may also receive
the Merit Badge in Journalism."
Hitherto only one Scout, the editor or editor-in-chief of a
chartered publication, could win the Merit Badge in Journalism
by publishing five consecutive issues of his paper Under the
present alternative to the requirements three assistants to the
editor-in-chief of a Local or Area Council paper may also re-
ceive this Merit Badge, provided they have helped publish five
issues after the paper has been chartered. In other words, four
boys may now receive the Merit Badge when only one could
do so before.
This change was made in respect to Local and Area Council
papers as it was felt that often the assistants to the editor on
these larger publications do as much work as the editor himself
and therefore ought to enjoy the same privilege of winning the
Journalism Merit Badge.
Page 215
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 18, Number 8, August 1930, periodical, August 1930; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth310846/m1/11/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.