Overview of a week as a Independent Intern

The first Monday of an independent internship is spent on an orientation to 'Shop systems, safety, and basic tool use. After this orientation, you will spend building time working on your susan skiff.

The Intern schedule is very flexible, but we find that many interns work best when following a schedule similar to that of 'Shop staff and apprentices: we begin our days at 8 a.m. Each day begins with Morning Meeting at 8:15. This is a time for apprentices, interns, and staff to come together as a community to make announcements and discuss community issues.

We take an hour for lunch, and are finished each day at 5 p.m. Although these hours allow a good amount of building time, interns usually want or need to stay late and come in on weekends to work on their boats and personal building projects.

The remainder of the week is devoted to working on boats. On Fridays the 'Shop has Walkaround, where apprentices and interns can ask questions and look at various construction styles. Each crew shares what they have learned during the week, and discusses their project in detail.

The Susan Skiff: Week by Week

The following schedule is based on our standard 6-week internship. Internships that are shorter or longer in duration will follow modified schedules appropriate to the time required for completion.

Week 1: Backbone Construction

Topic Mastered:
Stem finished with rabbet cut

Skills Learned:
How to select wood and grain
Use of a chisel and mallet
Use of hand saws and chop saw
Theory of a rabbet
How to change a two dimensional picture into a three dimensional object
How to cut a rabbet

Topic Mastered:
Transom complete

Skills Learned:
How to spline and glue
Use of a Table saw
Theory of a bevel and how to cut one
Use of hand planes
Block plane
#4 Finish plane

Topic Mastered:
Stem, transom, and chines in place on jig

Skills Learned:
Bending wood
Steam bending discussion
Discussion of other ways to bend wood
Decision on how best to bend wood
Bevels
Learning about Fasteners (types and uses)
Fastening and bedding techniques
Theory of a jig
Jig Setup
Truing a Jig
Basic Backbone structure of a boat


Week 2: Fundamentals of Planking

Topic Mastered:
Keelson in place

Skills Learned:
Layout of a keelson
Fastening techniques
Use of a thickness planer
Carving appropriate bevels for landing a plank

Topic Mastered:
Lining off completed

Skills Learned:
Design and layout
Creating a planking plan and schedule

Topic Mastered:
Garboard installed

Skills Learned:
Planking techniques
Scarf techniques
Fasteners with various thicknesses
Bevel Planes
Cutting gains
Fitting to keel


Week 3: Planking

Topic Mastered:
Second strake and sheer installed (remaining planks)

Skills Learned:
Planking continued
Bevels continued
Spiling

Topic Mastered:
Chines Faired for bottom planking

Skills Learned:
Use of Block planes
#4 block plane
Slick

Topic Mastered:
Techniques to keep a boat dry without caulking

Skills Learned:
Clench nailing
Planing and cleaning plank lap joints


Week 4: Bottom Planking and Longitudinal Structure

Topic Mastered:
Bottom Planking installed and caulked

Skills Learned:
Milling
Fastening and bedding continues
Caulking bevels
Caulking with cotton

Topic Mastered:
Keel, Keelson and rub strips installed

Skills Learned:
Use of a router for rub strips
Coving techniques


Week 5: Fitting and Structural Components

Topic Mastered:
Frames, breasthook, quarter knees and inwales installed

Skills Learned:
How to read wood grain
How to select knees
Fitting and beveling
How to use a chisel and plane
Camber fairing
Structure of gunwales
Finish carpentry


Week 6: Finish Carpentry and Final Detail

Topic Mastered:
Thwart risers, thwarts, oarlock pads, rub strips, & finish work

Skills Learned:
Longitudinal strength of a boat
Aesthetic optical illusions
Structure
Oarlock pads
Hardware selection
Oars
Finishes and Coatings for wooden boats