For the engineers out there...

[GTom]

• Aerospace Engineers Design The Aerodynamics
• Electrical Engineers Design The Guidance and Electrical Systems
• Chemical Engineers Design The Delivery Package
• Mechanical Engineers Design How The Above All Fits Together
• Civil Engineers Design The Targets

Quote of the year!!!! Hopefully I'll be doing the final one soon!

[gjuu]

seeing all that took me on a stroll down memory lane.
I did my Toolmaking apprenticeship many (MANY) years ago - learning on all those non cnc machines...
The bridgeport mill, colchester lathe, optical comparator, the old school edm, pantograph, manual and auto surface grinders, the deckel, plus the all the other bits and pieces ... sine plate, wheel dressers, tool grinders etc

ahhh the memories.....It is funny how you can't let go of these things...I still have my toolbox with sine plate, grinding vices, parallels, micrometers, wheel dressers, zues, v-bocks. All the stuff needed to ensure accuracy of work without having to rely on the workshops shared tools.

And i haven't been on the tools for 20 years...lol

[Mr.B]

Luckily, I've done a Mech Eng degree via TAFE which set me up for most of that stuff and have progressed onto doing a uni degree. Although no formal qualifications in operating that sort equipement, I know how much of it works and know my way around the machine. Mind you, many mechanical engineers end up on 2 paths, consulting for ridiculous amounts, or setting up home workshops similar to this and operating from home.

+10 points for that guy though.

[craig_the_german]

Hi,

I am a fitter and turner by trade and most to the workshops I have worked in would not have that much gear

[Preen59]

Man, that's impressive!

That's pretty much what i want to have eventually (I'm a Fitter & Turner/Toolmaker/CNC Machinist by trade). The old man and I are slowly acquiring this and that as we go but it is hard and machines are extremely expensive if you can't make them earn money straight away. My Lathe alone barely pays for itself, and on some months i have to top up the business account just to pay the loan... But hey.. It's worth it!

That's a wicked workshop. You will find though that basically the vast majority of Mechanical Engineers will have no idea of how to use that equipment. That's where the confusion about what/who an Engineer is and does comes in.

Mechanical Engineers do the design work on what something is to look like, be made of, have tolerances, how it will be put together, finished etc. Then the Tradesperson (Machinist or Fitter and Turner or Boiler Maker etc) manufacturers the item (in some cases in a totally different manner as the Engineer doesn't live in the real world which isn't actually perfect). There are other types of Mechanical Engineers as well who aren't involved in fabrication.

Exactly! There's plenty of people i have to deal with on a day to day basis that have NO mechanical aptitude, knowledge or experience.

Even simple things like "Make this and harden it to 50-55HRC" And then the next day "Oh i need to you modify this..." Idiot!

Thanks for adding that, Trent.