262 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[Feb. 13, 1909. 
In mentioning all this I am simply reaching 
out for that sympathy which I feel is mine 
wherever a casting club has a target committee, 
and I am sure that I will get it. 
When the committee finally reported it did 
so by inviting those interested in the matter to 
come down to the house and take a look at the 
target, which was made as shown by the 
sketches included in the following descriptive 
matter. The target was in use and last sea¬ 
son proved satisfactory in every way. Doubt¬ 
less a better scheme may be found by others, 
but our own experience may furnish a starting 
point from which to make a beginning. The 
sketches of the detail parts will, I hope, be 
found sufficiently clear to enable any one in¬ 
terested to understand the construction, and 
they may suggest several improvements I may 
have overlooked. 
The actual cost of the target, including the 
target line and sheaves, amounted to $15, out 
of which probably $i worth of surplus material 
was left over. No charge was made for the 
work; this being contributed for the good of 
the cause. Our first target cost about $70, and 
was a failure. 
Size of Target. 
There is little to be said in favor of the 12^2- 
foot target and much to be said against it on 
the score of handling and housing on the 
grounds, and storing in the winter time, even 
when made to fold up in the manner shown in 
the sketch. As the scoring of those casts 
which go outside the target depend on good 
judgment for accuracy, the quality of this is not 
greatly altered by the difference in size of the 
targets, as the majority of casters, after a sea¬ 
son’s experience, are able to hit the 8j4-foot 
target, or seldom come very far off. Our 
target had to be made in the basement of the 
house—the only place available for doing the 
work—and as a size larger than 8^2 feet could 
not be taken out without jacking up the house, 
this in itself was an important reason for con¬ 
sidering the smaller size an advantageous one. 
In the choice of woods for a target, where 
lightness is a desirable factor, and the absorp¬ 
tion of. water is to be avoided as far as pos¬ 
sible, it is necessary to select those of a more 
or less non-porous character, like the cedars, 
bald cypress and Douglas spruce. Any of the 
good woods used in canoe construction will be 
satisfactory. I used cypress, as this was the 
only wood I could obtain at the time. 
Speaking of canoe wood brings up the canoe 
builder, and it occurs to me that a man fol¬ 
lowing this occupation would be an ideal one 
to build targets of the type here shown. He 
has every facility for doing the work and being 
a good judge of sound material, ought to be 
able to turn out a first class article. 
Summary of estimate for target displace¬ 
ments and weights: 
Actual 
Cubic Weights 
inches, in Lbs. 
3 rings finished complete and oiled. 382 7.0 
Radial arms complete and oiled. 1013 18.5 
30in. pan. No. 20, B.W. gauge, galvanized 4 10.1 
30in. bottom plate, No. 18 B.W.G., galv. 4 10.0 
6in. can, Tin. high, No. 22 gauge. 0 1.0 
Hinges, clips and screws. 2 1.5 
Totals, displacement and weight..... 1405 48.1 
One thousand, four hundred and five cubic 
inches of water at 0.036 pounds per cubic inch 
equals 50.6; less 48.1 pounds for target, equals 
254 pounds to be added for counter-balance 
and sinking to waterline; 2% pounds of ma¬ 
terial in the shape of strips secured to the H 
arms, between the pan and bottom plate, was 
used to sink the target to the desired distance. 
Had I used a bottom plate of No. 16 gauge 
instead of the one of 18 gauge, the weight 
would have been 3 pounds greater and the 
loading just about right. But it is risky to sail 
too close to the estimated displacement, as a 
slight error in centering the pan and rings, and 
a slight lack of uniformity in the section and 
displacement of the various parts might call 
for an amount of counterbalancing greater than 
the target would stand. 
The target as we have it can be sunk as 
desired by simply tilting it enough to let some 
of the air escape from the lower edge of the 
can. This, we find, is preferable to the screw- 
top we originally had on the can for this 
purpose. 
Rings. 
In ordering material for the rings, get the 
strips several inches longer than the lengths 
marked in Fig. i, and order at least two 
extra pieces of each length, as it is more than 
probable that some pieces will have splits or 
spots, or be otherwise defective or unsuitable 
for use. As the strips will have to be ripped 
from 14-foot, T2-foot and 8-foot planks, it will 
be well to order these lengths; and, remember 
this, lay special stress on the need of strictly 
first-class wood; the same precaution must be 
taken in calling for exact and uniform thick¬ 
ness throughout, as any variation in this re¬ 
spect will have to be balanced at the final ad¬ 
justment when the target is placed in the water. 
The strips, after thorough drying, should be 
given two good coats of boiled linseed oil, well 
rubbed in and allowed to dry before any work 
is commenced on them. Next provide a tem¬ 
porary bench or table about 8 feet long and 5 
feet wide, on which scribe a circle about i foot 
less in diameter than the ring, or semi-circle, 
to be made, and on this line drive wire nails 
about 3 inches long, 6 inches apart. About ka- 
inch out from the nails—according to the thick¬ 
ness of the ring—drill 3-16 inch holes, into 
which other nails may be pushed to serve as 
plugs as the material for the rings is bent 
around the first circle of nails. 
Cut the inside strip of each ring to the length 
called for in Fig. i, and leave the outside strip 
an inch or so longer. The outside strip should 
have the rivet holes put in before the two strips 
are put together on the bending table, as this 
will save some labor. For the 4 ]/i-ioot circle 
put the first hole in the middle of the bar and 
space 6 inches each way toward the ends; and 
for the other two rings put the first holes 3 
inches from the middle instead of as before. 
This is necessary so that the last rivets will 
not come too near the end of the strips. When 
the strips are bent in place, the outer one will 
serve as a templet for locating the holes 
properly for the inside strip. A Yankee hand 
drill, with a drill 7-64 inch diameter, will be 
found suitable for this work. 
The copper rivets and washers come in one 
pound boxes, and one box of each size. No. 
10, k^-inch, and No. 10, f^-inch, should be 
ordered; also order a corresponding rivet set 
for the work, as this is necessary in order to 
do a smooth job of riveting. 
When the riveting is done, and before the 
rings are taken from the table, tie the two ends 
with a strong string, so that they will not 
spring out to less than a half circle, and also 
run a string from each end to the middle and 
draw tight enough to take some of the strain 
off the middle point. 
After the- rings are finished, the corners 
should be rubbed off carefully with a rasp and 
the whole surface smoothly sandpapered. 
The next step is the winding, which is done 
as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Select the best edge 
of the ring for the top arid loop the cord on the 
bottom side, as shown in Fig. 5. In starting 
this work make a hole with a brad or drill and 
run the string through and plug with a piece of 
wood. Use the same means for ending a given 
section. 
The cord used is a fairly soft one of three 
strands of pure linen, and comes in balls of 
about one pound, costing 30 cents. It is about 
3-64 of an inch in diameter and quite strong. 
In winding, I used a large double-ended “dis- 
gorger,” which held about 20 feet of line at one 
filling, and with this, starting the work at the 
left-hand end, the loops could be made con¬ 
veniently and quickly. When the disgorger is 
filled with the string, snap a rubber band around 
the body to keep it from falling "off as you slip 
it through the loops. By lifting a turn over' 
the jaw of the disgorger, the string is pulled 
out from under the band without trouble. 
The object of this winding is to make a firm 
and compact mass of the strips forming the 
rings, and make them as rigid as though made 
of a single piece of wood by steaming and 
bending, when this method of making is pos¬ 
sible. It also is a guard against injury through 
slivering of the edges and prevents water 
entering the joints and opening between the 
rivets. 
M. A. Beck. 
[to be concluded.] 
Greenville Bait- and Fly-Casiing Club. 
Greenville, Pa., Jan. 29. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The annual meeting of the Greenville 
Bait- and Fly-Casting Club was held Jan. 28 at 
the office of the secretary. The following offi¬ 
cers “Were elected: President, Dr. B. E. Moss- 
man, Jr.; Vice-President, John A. McNary; 
Secretary and Treasurer, Quinton J. Burnett; 
Captain, Richard Brodhead; Executive Commit¬ 
tee, Clint O. Smith, Murray Healea and George 
W. Boulger. 
The membership—limited to thirty-five—was 
filled at this meeting and several applications 
placed on the waiting list. During the past year 
the club placed a large number of yellow perch, 
pickerel, small-mouth black bass, blue gills, cat¬ 
fish and frogs in the Shenango River and con¬ 
fidently expects to plant twice as many this year. 
Illegal fishing, which was very common a few 
years ago, has, through the activity of the club, 
been reduced until now a case is a rarity, and 
we have one of the best protected streams in 
the State. Secretary. 
All the fish laws of the United States and 
Canada, revised to date and now in force, are 
given in the Game Laws in Brief. See adv. 
