the Otherpower.com Discussion Board || Comments Do you have the Knack ?

Front Page - [Homebrewed Electricity-- (wind) (solar) (hydro) (steam) (controls) (storage) (mechanical)] - Classifieds - Site News
Everything - Newbies - [Remote Living-- (housing) (heat) (light) (water)] - Rants & Opinion - Diaries - Our Products

Do you have the Knack ? | 24 comments (24 topical, editorial)

Re: Do you have the Knack ? (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by Volvo farmer on Fri Dec 21st, 2007 at 06:08:04 AM MST
(User Info)

This brings up an interesting topic.

Do today's engineers really have the Knack? My Dad was an engineer. When he went to school in the sixties, he had to take classes like foundry and machine shop. He had to learn to make things with lathes and mills before they would set him loose in the world with pencil paper and slide rule. This no longer seems to be the way engineers are trained. I looked into engineering school in the mid 80's and didn't see much hands-on in the way of course work.

I spend my workaday life taking things apart and putting them back together. Maybe I just get to see more engineering nightmares than the normal person, but I swear, some of this stuff I fix is not designed with any regard for being taken apart, repaired, or put back together. Parts are no longer available individually but must be purchased as assemblies. Worn clutch pads? The clutch and motor are an assembly, $160 please.

Who is designing these things? It seems to me that pencil and paper people are. The ones with the Knack are out in the field putting things right again when they break.
Just my morning rant for the day :-)

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode

Re: Do you have the Knack ? (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by finnsawyer on Fri Dec 21st, 2007 at 09:18:55 AM MST
(User Info)

Actually they are designed by high school students. I bought a toy dog for my Grand Daughter for Christmas. You shake it and it barks, plays music and runs along the floor. Well, every time I went around a bend in the road the thing would turn on. So, before shipping it I figured I had to remove the batteries. Removed it from its wrapping and there on the bottom out of reach was an on-off switch. Yep, designed by high school students. The engineers must have something better to do. Hey, don't put down the pencil pushers. Now they push electrons around in a computer. The simulation has become God. At least when you do your own analysis with paper and pencil (and yes I use a calculator) you know how you got there. There's something satisfying about solving that tough integral in closed form which gives you all the possibilities rather than running a series of numerical integrations. But I'm not adverse to writing my own computer programs when it helps the process.
GeoM
[ Parent ]

Re: Do you have the Knack ? (3.00 / 0) (#19)
by ghurd on Fri Dec 21st, 2007 at 11:28:28 AM MST
(User Info)

A college EE student told me my dump controller circuit could NOT work like I said, because he ran it through a Computer Program, and it didn't work right.
I sent him Real parts, but he never bothered to built it because it didn't work.

I got the knack when I was 5. My parents must be proud, because they still display a photo of the following day, and always tell the story if someone walks past the photo.
The story starts "You would never believe what that kid did..."

Grandma gave me a non functioning electric razor.
I fixed it.
Went to the mirror to shave. The only facial hair I could locate were my eyebrows. Which were efficiently and completely removed. The day before "The Family Portrait" at Olan-Mills. Mom painted on new ones with mascara. She kept repeating "I can't believe you did that."

They grew back. Eventually.
G-

[ Parent ]

Re: Do you have the Knack ? (3.00 / 0) (#23)
by finnsawyer on Sat Dec 22nd, 2007 at 08:19:03 AM MST
(User Info)

I guess I would have told him there was an error in the program. But your experience does point out that one needs to be careful reading too much into simulations. The fact that he wasn't willing to build it doesn't say much for what kind of an engineer he will become.

As far as the knack is concerned I liked to mess with vacuum tube radios as a kid. I blew up a selenium rectifier once. Nice fire works. Ever try hooking up two transformers to greatly step up ac voltage. Got to see glowing bakelite with that one. Have a nice day.
GeoM
[ Parent ]

Re: Do you have the Knack ? (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by Warrior on Fri Dec 21st, 2007 at 09:50:24 AM MST
(User Info)

Volvo farmer, your absolutely right. Engineers today have zero hands on experience.

My college has a shop with a coupe of machines here and there, but very few guys use them. Most student's concern is finishing the career ASAP. Turns out when they're done they don't have the slightest idea of what a bolt or washer looks like!!

Part of my problem is that I spend my weekends doing stuff in my workshop instead of studying for my next exam. Shame on me but it's something I can't control...
Warrior__ "Why can't Murphy's Law be used to my advantage??"
[ Parent ]

Do you have the Knack ? | 24 comments (24 topical, 0 editorial)

Menu

· create account
· How to use the board
· FAQs
· search the board
· Google search the board
· Old Otherpower Board

Login

Make a new account

Username:

Password:

You must be a registered user to post here. It's easy and free, and the link is on the upper right side of your page.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Postings are owned by the poster, but may be deleted or moved at the ADMIN's sole discretion. The Rest © 2003 Forcefield.
You can Email the board ADMIN here. PLEASE include the username you signed up with!