Understanding Engineers

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Originally Posted by dalford

Speaking of roundabouts there is one on St. Simons Island and right off of it is a great BBQ place. Southern Soul. Diners, drive-ins and dives place. Went there and food was great. So spin the circle and give it a try if your in that neck of the woods.

Been there, done that...great joint!
In fact, it's impossible to go hungry on the island...so many great restaurants & joints all over the place

[Herk7769]

You may have this dreaded killer and not even know it!

Dilbert - The Knack - YouTube

[old guys]

Wow Herk. It's true if you look near the beginning of this thread. What goes around does come back around. By the way one of my sons favorite sayings is: Mechanical engineers build bombs because civil engineers build targets. Old Guys (Brian and Joanne) p.s. Sorry I missed meeting you at Goshen. Maybe next time.

[dalford]

Difference between a male engineer and a male physicist:

Each are asked the same question: A female is across the room from you. If you can only move toward her at half the distance left after each move, how long will it take you to reach her?

The physicist said.. You would never reach her.
The engineer said... You would get close enough.

[AMarrs]

Originally Posted by dalford

Difference between a male engineer and a male physicist:

Each are asked the same question: A female is across the room from you. If you can only move toward her at half the distance left after each move, how long will it take you to reach her?

The physicist said.. You would never reach her.
The engineer said... You would get close enough.

My brother, who is an engineer, tells this joke but with a male engineer & male mathematician. They are told that they can take turns walking toward the woman; each time they can go half the remaining distance. The mathematician doesn't even try, saying that you can't halve any number and get zero, therefore he can never reach her. The engineer starts walking, saying maybe he can't reach her, but he can get close enough for practical purposes. LOL!

[Cowracer]

Inside each engineer is a frustrated teacher just dying to get out. That's why my wife tells friends to just let me fix things, and not ask me what I did or even worse... why.

She calls me a pathological compulsive fixer. She says I cannot see anything not working properly without itching to fix it. I denied her claims, of course. But my case was lost when she reminded me that I once went out to the car to retrieve a screwdriver so I could properly adjust the automatic door closer at an IHOP once.

In my defense... the stupid door was slamming each time it closed and it was driving me nuts...

Tim

[Schnooks56]

In my 34 year engineering career, I have to agree with "Understanding Engineers." We are a different breed, but we make good house pets. And I fixed the hydraulic slide-out on our new RV without recourse to the dealer. My neighbor thought that was pretty cool.

2013 Cardinal 37' 5th Wheel
2012 Ford 3/4 ton King Ranch Diesel
From beautiful Ding Dong, TX

[campnqueen]

Cowracer... your wife is a lucky woman to have a pathological compulsive fixer.
Wish I had one...but alas.. I have a pilot.
(Who hires pathological compulsive fixers to fix out stuff! :O )

[B47]

Hey - I have nothing against engineers. In fact I think that every RV owner should have one.

[Taylorgso]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

Inside each engineer is a frustrated teacher just dying to get out. That's why my wife tells friends to just let me fix things, and not ask me what I did or even worse... why.

She calls me a pathological compulsive fixer. She says I cannot see anything not working properly without itching to fix it. I denied her claims, of course. But my case was lost when she reminded me that I once went out to the car to retrieve a screwdriver so I could properly adjust the automatic door closer at an IHOP once.

In my defense... the stupid door was slamming each time it closed and it was driving me nuts...

Tim

Tim: There's a vacant house next door to us - how about moving in?

[dwaynerz]

who here has worked on their car/truck and thoght.... i want to get my hands around the neck of the engineer who designed this. or designed it to be placed in such a way that if you didnt have a wrist that bent in 3 directions, and fingers that turned around completely, you needed a 300 dollar wrench for a 1 time 5 minute job?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by dwaynerz

who here has worked on their car/truck and thoght.... i want to get my hands around the neck of the engineer who designed this. or designed it to be placed in such a way that if you didnt have a wrist that bent in 3 directions, and fingers that turned around completely, you needed a 300 dollar wrench for a 1 time 5 minute job?

If you stop and think, there is usually a reason behind why they did it like they did. You may not agree, but ...

[dwaynerz]

the reason probably being they wouldnt have to ever work on it would be my guess.

[Capt. Mike]

Originally Posted by dwaynerz

who here has worked on their car/truck and thoght.... i want to get my hands around the neck of the engineer who designed this. or designed it to be placed in such a way that if you didnt have a wrist that bent in 3 directions, and fingers that turned around completely, you needed a 300 dollar wrench for a 1 time 5 minute job?

We were remodeling our office at work several years before I retired. Every couple of days, one of the engineers - electrical, mechanical, or somebody - would come up with a change that had to be made in the plans...usually at a point when the general contractor had to re-do something he had just finished. The general contractor was fond of saying "There are only two places for engineers: On a train, or under it."

[B47]

Originally Posted by Capt. Mike

We were remodeling our office at work several years before I retired. Every couple of days, one of the engineers - electrical, mechanical, or somebody - would come up with a change that had to be made in the plans...usually at a point when the general contractor had to re-do something he had just finished. The general contractor was fond of saying "There are only two places for engineers: On a train, or under it."

Isn't saying that about engineers almost like killing the messenger? I oversaw several times in my FAA career in reviewing what the airline we oversaw calls Engineering Change Orders (ECO) and they all required justification before being approved for implementation.

Sure the mechanics griped about having to re-do work they already did,but they didn't know the reason Or reasons behind the ECO's.

Yes Sometimes I asked myself or the airline what the reason for the ECO was and in most cases there was usually a good reason.

I'm sure sometimes there might be a reason to want to throw an engineer under the train,but not always.

Remember there are always two sides to every story.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by B47

Isn't saying that about engineers almost like killing the messenger? I oversaw several times in my FAA career in reviewing what the airline we oversaw calls Engineering Change Orders (ECO) and they all required justification before being approved for implementation.

Sure the mechanics griped about having to re-do work they already did,but they didn't know the reason Or reasons behind the ECO's.

Yes Sometimes I asked myself or the airline what the reason for the ECO was and in most cases there was usually a good reason.

I'm sure sometimes there might be a reason to want to throw an engineer under the train,but not always.

Remember there are always two sides to every story.

In my career, there was usually justification for ECO's brought on by customer requests in probably 75% of the time and had nothing to do with functionality of the design.

[B47]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

In my career, there was usually justification for ECO's brought on by customer requests in probably 75% of the time and had nothing to do with functionality of the design.

I have no problem believing that and if I understand what you're saying correctly here is that it's the customer who usually initiated the design change after the final design was frozen.

So is that an engineer's fault - I think not.

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by dwaynerz

the reason probably being they wouldnt have to ever work on it would be my guess.

No. its because speed (and cost) of assembly rules the roost in automotive plants. You design a system that was 3 parts that had to be bolted together and is now two parts which saves 6 seconds of assembly time and 37 cents in cost, you will get a nice letter of praise in your file and bonus, and a dinner out with the wife at a expensive restaurant on the company nickle.

Design something that makes it easier on the owner to service but costs an extra 15 seconds on the line to assemble, and you would get career counseling.

Tim

[Capt. Mike]

Originally Posted by B47

I have no problem believing that and if I understand what you're saying correctly here is that it's the customer who usually initiated the design change after the final design was frozen.

So is that an engineer's fault - I think not.

Phewww...I was just repeating what the guy said to me. Actually, about 50% of the change orders were customer requests, but not all.

[B47]

Originally Posted by Capt. Mike

Phewww...I was just repeating what the guy said to me. Actually, about 50% of the change orders were customer requests, but not all.

Like I said - two sides to every story and perhaps two sides to every change order.

I know that's a very broad statement - my point being is sometimes,but not always, engineering changes are either required by some valid reason (s) or by customer request.