# My little ‘Engineer’ re-rivets the boat



## DaleH (Jun 17, 2016)

Back to June 2015 … and my fiancé and I take in her 11 and 16-year old nieces due to an untimely death in the family. The bulk of the year and our time was spent making sure they were adjusted to living with us, getting squared away in new schools, learned to somehow accept the loss that they suffered, and otherwise ‘adjusted to life’ with new parents. 

Well the tiny younger one not only takes an interest in anything mechanical (we buy her robotic toys and the like), but she likes to be involved with whatever chore I’m doing around the house or the yard. But the one thing I’ve let go ‘late’ this year was getting my 12’ skiff back into the water, due to priorities of finishing the rigging on that 16’ skiff that I had put a new transom in on, plus replacing the previous 40hp power with a used/mint 60hp with new controls and such.

Anyway – to make a long story short – I finally resort to asking the youngest girl to help me re-rivet the 12’ Starcraft skiff – as I can’t do it alone – and I want to put it in the water this weekend. It will be the boat for both girls to learn boating in and to consider as their own. So I show her the rivets, the rivet gun and bucking tool and explained the entire process – showing her how we need to deform the tail end of the rivet by holding the buck against it as the gun hammers away at the head. Easily frightened by new or surprised sounds, I had her do a few tests on scrap metal and such to prepare her for the noise and vibration. I also gave her heavy gloves to wear while she held the buck up against the rivet. Add in some good ear muffs and off we go … 

We had ~15 new rivets to put in. After the 2nd one, wow – she was dead on perfect in assessing whether it was _’good to go’_ or if it needed just a little more deformation! Not only that – now she wanted her turn on the rivet gun. Also attached is the photo of her 1st driven rivet. She also put in a few blind rivets, but I had to help her with the hand-held rivet tool, as she’s so tiny for her age (50-pounds) that she couldn’t squeeze the grips at all. Attached you can see the hull with a few spots we fixed. Add in a little West Systems G-Flex epoxy and off we go!

_Watch out boys_ … this girl can now tell you which one a regular, Phillips or Allen screwdriver is and not only knows the difference between a closed and a blind rivet, but has even set them in place. _*My little engineer … what a girl!*_


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jun 17, 2016)

Life skills.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jun 17, 2016)

Very cool story!

If you see any roadside junk giveaways (like a lawn mower) take it home & let her dismantle it.


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## fool4fish1226 (Jun 17, 2016)

AWESOME


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## misunderstood (Jun 17, 2016)

=D> =D> =D> =D>


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## FormerParatrooper (Jun 17, 2016)

That my friend is proper parenting. She is learning a skill that will translate too many other areas of life. And I am sure being involved is helping her coping skills as well. Glad you have them and they have you.


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## KMixson (Jun 17, 2016)

Well, I see you have found your fishing partner. Nice.


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## Fire1386 (Jun 17, 2016)

=D> =D> =D> :lol:


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## Johnny (Jun 18, 2016)

Dale - be sure to post the tutorial of when
she reskins and pours her first transom all
by herself !!!
oh - and her first shot with the Flintlock !!!









Good Job young man !!






.


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## richg99 (Jun 19, 2016)

Wow. First, my compliments to you two for taking them in. Their loss can not be easily set aside, but with your kind of support...I feel that they will make it.

Then, you take a small, slightly built, afraid of loud noises ....young girl and introduce her to a world of fixing; building, and adding to the family's enjoyment. Lots of very good things going on there.

Whether she turns out to be the world's best riveter or not, she is already way ahead of many in her peer group. She can now DO things. 

Not just watch, and click on some keys...but, actually, turn a physical object into something better than it was when she first touched it. That is a heady lesson that 90% of our present children never get to experience and appreciate. 

Sounds like you've got another life-partner. Congratulations! richg99


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## Outlander (Jun 19, 2016)

Your post inspired me to make my first Tin Boats post, on Father's Day. What a great story of how you are introducing this young lady to a new world. Since you mentioned robotic toys, you may want to find out if there is a FIRST Robotics program nearby - she will learn technical and team skills in a supportive atmosphere.

Congratulations on bringing these girls into a new setting after what could only have been a difficult start in life for them. Not many young ladies can boast of being teen boat operators!

=D>


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## Happyrocker02 (Jun 19, 2016)

My girlfriend made a comment that you two should make videos of her helping you work on things . It'll be another way to bond plus she would love the YouTube attention. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Hanr3 (Jun 19, 2016)

Way to go!!!

If you are serious about her becoming an Engineer, I highly recommend you get her into STEM programs. I highly recommend a program called FIRST. FIRST target audience is kids from kindergarten through high school. https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll

I work with Engineers daily. One of them volunteers to run the FIRST Lego League for our area. It's pretty cool to see the stuff the kids build and the challenges they overcome. Most, if not all, of the teams are sponsored by technology corporations. Technology corporations know that we need kids in STEM and spend money to promote and teach our youth. 

Another gentlemen volunteers at the college level to monitor solar powered cars, you know the ones that race across the country. Yea, those events. Not only does he help provide technical expertise, he also coordinates the competition across the US. 

About FIRST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLJKFi0vHA

A winning run during competition. Remember, these machines are built from Lego's, yes the ones we grew up with, just a little more sophisticated. Plus the kids have to program the robot. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJSeMeAGmXE

Think your daughter's have any interest? Companies are hiring these kids out of college left and right. My son had a job offer, several actually, before he completed his electrical engineering degree.

Not to late to get them both involved in STEM. STEM is the future of our country. It's were the technical jobs ($$$) will come from. When I said I work with engineers, like 1500 of them. I see this stuff every day. If you thought the autonomous robot was cool. You should see a 20 ton earth moving machine run by itself and communicate with other machines at the site. Or drive one from across the country. 
Technology at work in heavy equipment. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY6ZyASJbzs


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## Fishfreek (Jun 22, 2016)

You are an AWESOME family to take in these children in there worst time of need.

The things you are teaching her will stay with BOTH of you forever. She is learning something at an early age that is so important to young women as they grow up...... SHE MATTERS she can be independent I'm sure she is feeling 12' tall with every project and experience.

I took in my granddaughter for 7 years when she was only 4 yrs old. It is amazing to see the person she is growing into now that she is 14 yrs old.


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## DaleH (Jun 22, 2016)

Thanks for the support and kind words all 8) !



Hanr3 said:


> Not to late to get them both involved in STEM. STEM is the future of our country.


Yes, thank you. They are both involved in STEM programs and/or Summer courses and I'm doing all I can to let them help me with projects around the house so that they can *actually do something with their own hands* ... _rather than reading about it or watching videos about it on Youtube or other ...[i/]_


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## Hanr3 (Jun 22, 2016)

Glad to hear it.
I see way too many new engineers that don't know what a wrench is or how to tighten down a bolt. All book knowledge and no practical experience. They need that practical experience. Good job!


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