Any mechanical engineers on here? Or engineers in general..

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Little bit of an update:
Already through two full trimesters at MSOE and I can tell I definitely made the right choice. Yeah, I absolutely love hands on work but turns out I actually like using solidworks and some other computer work too! It's so satisfying designing things.
If anything, college has definitely proven to me that I chose the right major :)
 
Keep at it! Whatever you do don't quit... doesn't sound like you would, but I've seen several people just give up on it and haven't done a thing with their lives since.

Also, don't get stuck in a process engineering job; they are plentiful but they suck and are stressful. Do something with design/product engineering. I got to do it for a while for an ATV/SxS parts manufacturer and it was fun but didn't pay enough. Although, they do pay me $60/hr to come back and design for them part-time when they get behind.

Some days I wish I could just fabricate and weld all day...
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Keep at it! Whatever you do don't quit... doesn't sound like you would, but I've seen several people just give up on it and haven't done a thing with their lives since.

Also, don't get stuck in a process engineering job; they are plentiful but they suck and are stressful. Do something with design/product engineering. I got to do it for a while for an ATV/SxS parts manufacturer and it was fun but didn't pay enough. Although, they do pay me $60/hr to come back and design for them part-time when they get behind.

Some days I wish I could just fabricate and weld all day...
Absolutely man! I definitely won't quit. I've already got friends and people I know dropping out all over the place..i didn't chose an easy school either, but it's nice getting into major specific courses right away your first year. Except I'd rather not use matlab for the rest of my life lol.

Yeah! For sure. Working with a company that would allow me to help in the design process and then see the final product and possibly R&D the final product would be awesome. I've had some people I know say that some companies they've worked for in the past(internship or real job) have been small enough where you can design the piece in CAD, go back and cnc it yourself, and then get right into testing. That would be sweet. Either way I would love to be on the analytical side of designing a product and being able to see where it goes. Now I just gotta find a company this or next summer that has cnc machines that I can use to make some ski parts in my free time ;)
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Haha, I love machining and welding stuff for a hobby. I've got a mechanical engineering degree 6 years ago and haven't used it yet...
Do you have any hopes of using it in the future? If anything I'm sure you've been able to apply the knowledge you learned from it in some way. All I know is even after under a year, I already think if everything in terms of physics and stuff Haha.

Machining and welding is definitely something I'd like to do on the side. Only have access to steel welding equipment and have zero access to a machine shop which sucks.. I'd love to start working with mills and such.
 
There's lots of money for engineers in the medical field. Lucky for you, there are a ton of medical device companies in Wisconsin ands the neighboring states. Also, medical device doesn't always mean huge corporation. There are lots of start ups all the time, and some of those start ups do all of their own prototyping with the engineers playing a large role in the manufacturing process. Plenty of opportunity to get your hands dirty. Just don't confuse this with machine shops that are vendors for medical device companies (job shops). You do NOT want to work there lol.
 
Do you have any hopes of using it in the future? If anything I'm sure you've been able to apply the knowledge you learned from it in some way. All I know is even after under a year, I already think if everything in terms of physics and stuff Haha.

Machining and welding is definitely something I'd like to do on the side. Only have access to steel welding equipment and have zero access to a machine shop which sucks.. I'd love to start working with mills and such.
It's given me a better understanding of how things work which I've been able to apply to help me while out on ships when sailors tell me something isn't working right because of such and such, and I can tell them actually no, that's not the reason. But I am not paid to be an engineer. Whenever I get out, I have intentions of being some sort of an engineer, though.
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
It's given me a better understanding of how things work which I've been able to apply to help me while out on ships when sailors tell me something isn't working right because of such and such, and I can tell them actually no, that's not the reason. But I am not paid to be an engineer. Whenever I get out, I have intentions of being some sort of an engineer, though.
Oooh okay! Wait, so what's your job right now?

I'm telling ya man, we gotta start an xh2o engineering firm
 
Oooh okay! Wait, so what's your job right now?

I'm telling ya man, we gotta start an xh2o engineering firm
I'm a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. Essentially means jack of all trades for surface ships... I'm on shore duty right now designing and executing operationally realistic tests for new acquisitions, though...
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
I'm a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. Essentially means jack of all trades for surface ships... I'm on shore duty right now designing and executing operationally realistic tests for new acquisitions, though...
Well thanks for your service man! That sounds like it'd be really cool but at the same time I have no idea what that all involves aha.
 
Agreed there are more of us than I thought. It's kind of surprising more people aren't designing and building prototype items such as poles pipes and other items. That being said I don't usually feel like working when I get hone from work so that might be why.
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Agreed there are more of us than I thought. It's kind of surprising more people aren't designing and building prototype items such as poles pipes and other items. That being said I don't usually feel like working when I get hone from work so that might be why.
True that. I feel like skis brings together an innovative group of people.
I was working on a new pole design for a bit but then freeform came out and is going to design a pole too, and I'm sure they have better resources than me and could come up with something cheaper and better than me right now. So I laid off on that project for now..
 
I have a design on my computer at home, but i left the company i was working for where i could have made it. Now i don't have access to the machines i was planning on using.
 
This would take a laser, press brake and a saw basicly. It's a very simple design that i saw something very similar to on here. It could be made fairly cheap IMO and i really liked the look depending on the hull it was on.
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
Would it be an adjustable design?
My design is stupid simple to machine as well.. I designed it so each part is literally the same except different lengths, so not much would need to be adjusted between parts.
 

DAG

Yes, my balls tickled from that landing
Location
Charlotte, NC
I was working on a new pole design for a bit but then freeform came out and is going to design a pole too, and I'm sure they have better resources than me and could come up with something cheaper and better than me right now. So I laid off on that project for now..
if you give up that easy you won't make it very far in designing and manufacturing parts for yourself. For 1 FF is not selling a pole. If you got scared by their threat they allready won. And Secondly RRP and nearly everyone that makes a pole currently "has more resources" but it has to be a building block. Everyone starts somewhere. We need as many people making parts as possable
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
if you give up that easy you won't make it very far in designing and manufacturing parts for yourself. For 1 FF is not selling a pole. If you got scared by their threat they allready won. And Secondly RRP and nearly everyone that makes a pole currently "has more resources" but it has to be a building block. Everyone starts somewhere. We need as many people making parts as possable
I've been talking to FF, they are coming up with a pole. Jordan honestly encouraged me to go for it anyways lol. I'm just saying, it might not be realistic at this time on a super low college budget to release a part and risk alot yet. I'm not the type to give up easy I'm just trying to be realistic.
 
Top Bottom