New Ideas for American Boys; The Jack of All TradesBeard, Daniel Carter
General
New Ideas for American Boys; The Jack of All Trades
Beard, Daniel Carter
Amusements; Sports
As it is best to have the bottom of your house level, you must manage
to nail the A blocks the same distance above the ground on each side
of each tree--that is, if the ground is level; if not, you must allow
for the slant of the earth. Spike the blocks securely to the trees with
six-inch nails, using about three nails to each block.
[Illustration: FIG. 3.--End View of Corbel Resting on B Sticks.]
The foundation of the house may be higher than your ladder will reach.
In this case cut two more poles and four more blocks, and at the point
where the top of your ladder reaches spike on the blocks, and then rest
The B Poles
on them on each side of the two trees, as in Fig. 1. Nail the B poles
securely to the tree, and with plank or half-round sticks floor the
space between the trees, and you will have a good landing below your
house (see Fig. 5) from which a ladder may be run to the proposed
foundation. After the upper rods have been nailed to the trees and a
ladder adjusted, and for security nailed fast to the tree and lower
platform, you are ready to begin the serious work of building. Take a
good strong plank, two inches thick, and cut two pieces about six feet
long, and shaped as shown by
The Corbel Piece D
in Fig. 2; then cut four struts (E, E, in Fig. 2) and two king-posts
(C, Fig. 2). Shave off the ends of the struts, as shown in the diagram,
to fit the notches cut in the corbel pieces and the king-posts.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.--Perspective View of Corbels Resting on B
Sticks.]
It is not necessary to spike this frame together--the big nails might
split the timber--they may be fastened together slightly with wire
nails and strengthened by a piece of hoop-iron nailed on with small
nails, as shown in Fig. 2 at F, F, F, F, and this will keep the
pieces from accidentally slipping out of their bearings, or holes may
be bored and the parts held together with screws. The real strain being
an up-and-down thrust on the notches, the weight will not bear upon the
iron bands or screws. Great care must be taken to make neat-fitting
joints.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.--A Two-Tree House.]
How to Build the Foundation.
When the two pieces of the form of Fig. 2 are completed, make fast a
line to them and haul them up the tree; then slip the ends of the rods
B and B under the corbels D, until the king-post C lies flat against
the side of the tree-trunk. Spike C securely to the tree-trunk, as
shown in Fig. 3; do the same with the other frame on the far side of
the other tree, and you have a firm foundation that will hold more
weight than you are liable to put upon it. Now cut two more pieces of
two-inch plank, say, ten feet long by four inches broad; hoist them up
and spike them to the top of the corbel pieces D, D, so that they will
project the same distance beyond the tree at each end, as in Fig. 4.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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