Ducky
Back in the game!
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
If you have access to the drawing/CAD programs and you have free time....might as well design the pole of your dreams. It wont cost you anything but time.
Any mechanical engineers on here? Or engineers in general..
- Thread starter Roseand
- Start date
Don't have lots of free time, but a dream pole is kinda pointless due to it being all fancy, and fancy means way more machining costs, which means it won't really help the ski industry anyways.. Too many overpriced poles out there anyways. What we need is more affordable a/m products that still perform very well.
Ducky
Back in the game!
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Then it shouldnt take too long to design a simple, affordable pole!
I can probably rep it out over a long weekend I have, and I have a guy with a cnc in his garage that'll help me with a prototype, so I may do that.
It'll be slim and sleak, with truly unlimited adjustability.
Mark44
Katie's Boss
- Location
- 100% one place
I have some of the most advanced 4th axis machining equipment at my facility along with water jets 3 D printers ext. I looked into building ski parts one day and found out it wasn’t cost affective no money in it. I started with pipes like TNT hand poles cylinders stuff like that.
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
I have heard that same statement from quite a few CNC shops. They wouldn't be in business if not for their "other" work, the machines wouldn't turn a profit building ski parts alone.
Mark44
Katie's Boss
- Location
- 100% one place
Yea its a cool business if you want to do it for fun, but fun doesn't pay the bills.
DAG
Yes, my balls tickled from that landing
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
That's what everyone wants you to think... "It's all a conspiracy theory I tell you lol"
- Location
- Jackson MI
- Location
- Wayzata, MN
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
Good to hear it was the right choice. Like everyone else has said take advantage of internship offers early, even if they are unpaid. It will give you far more leverage in the long run!
I'm one of the fortunate ones with a 50/50 split of desk vs. hands on working on some pretty awesome Motorsports projects! Keep at it!
- Location
- Midwest
Have you had a chance to hit up AJ bombers yet?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MegaManAU
Budgets are made to be broken!
- Location
- Auburn, AL
Late to the party, but this topic hits home on a few levels. One, I started school as an ME. Realized I was only getting book knowledge and not enough hands on. So I lost interest, found out about Industrial Design, fell in love with it, got my undergrad and masters in it. I am now working for a company in Columbus, GA, designing cooking products. BBQ Smokers, grills, fryers, and Hitch-Haul brand automotive cargo carriers. Ironically when I started we had 30 employees, I was a hired as an industrial designer, but was tasked with everything from cradle to grave. Design, engineering, managing project, etc. Still with the company 7 years later, I was in charge of design and engineering and just hired a new engineering manager so I can run the design team more efficiently. We are looking for someone with CAD knowledge for our engineering team. We are building a new fab shop, and I am fortunately in charge of that department and budget, so some nice machinery is in the works. We currently have the basic sheet metal bashing equipment now, but planning to get some nice CNC items. I'm always getting out in the shop building something for work or personal use. Just picked up a nice tig, so planning to build something nice with it. Just need to learn more about the components and principles of my ski before I start designing new items.
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MegaManAU
Budgets are made to be broken!
- Location
- Auburn, AL
Not sure if your school has either a Mini-Baja SAE, or Formula SAE race team, but I highly suggest looking into joining one. It's a great way to get hands on practical knowledge in racing and build a car from the ground up. It also works wonders in an interview process when the person interviewing you knows what that is. One thing to think about... Think about a stereotypical car mechanic, they typically do not drive the best looking car on the road. Normally it is an old beat up truck that's just barely running. Why? Because they fix cars for a living, the last thing they want to do when they get home is work on their own car. I'm the same with design, I have to find a happy medium to separate my hobbies and my job. Hope some of this helps. Most important piece of advice that was already said. It's not always about what you know, but it can be about who you know, especially if you want a small business career.
- Location
- La Crosse, WI on the BIG River
I went to school for Computer Engineering. I loved programming, so I wanted to learn everything about computers from the transistor up. The Electrical Engineering department was a joke at Mankato State. They had professors from hell, and I just didn't care after circuits II. I fell in love with Computer Science, switched majors, got a job, and I never graduated.
There's two types of folks to who want to become engineers.
1. The I was a good student at math and science, and engineers make good money.(book smart)
2. I've tinkered since being a child and still take everything apart. I want to know how the world works.(hands on)
I was definitely hands on. I asked all the questions professors with no real world experience hate, "sir how would I use this in solving a real world problem, so I can better grasp the concept?" Professor: "That's not my job" Me: WTF college is a joke! Looking back now with real world experience, I could not ever go back, it was that sad.
There are NO WOMEN in Engineering. Take a Gen Ed each semester just to have some girls around, seriously. I use to wander through the Nurse's Hall and just look around at all the women. I don't care if you have a girlfriend now, you're in college, get out and meet everyone. I was in IEEE (President, Treasurer, etc) we put on job fairs each year. I met lots of industry people that way and through our tours.
I'd drop out again sooner if I could. I love what I do now, I'm the Lead Developer in a team of 5, at a company of 600+ people. I get to talk with the owners at least once a month, and I've been asked to do much more than programming at my job because folks realize your the one who solves problems.
Don't dink around with bad professors, if you have a hard time with Physics, math, etc. Take the time to find a professor that will help you.
good luck and keep Jet Skiing(I had to sell my ski to pay for college junior year!! sad sad day)
There's two types of folks to who want to become engineers.
1. The I was a good student at math and science, and engineers make good money.(book smart)
2. I've tinkered since being a child and still take everything apart. I want to know how the world works.(hands on)
I was definitely hands on. I asked all the questions professors with no real world experience hate, "sir how would I use this in solving a real world problem, so I can better grasp the concept?" Professor: "That's not my job" Me: WTF college is a joke! Looking back now with real world experience, I could not ever go back, it was that sad.
There are NO WOMEN in Engineering. Take a Gen Ed each semester just to have some girls around, seriously. I use to wander through the Nurse's Hall and just look around at all the women. I don't care if you have a girlfriend now, you're in college, get out and meet everyone. I was in IEEE (President, Treasurer, etc) we put on job fairs each year. I met lots of industry people that way and through our tours.
I'd drop out again sooner if I could. I love what I do now, I'm the Lead Developer in a team of 5, at a company of 600+ people. I get to talk with the owners at least once a month, and I've been asked to do much more than programming at my job because folks realize your the one who solves problems.
Don't dink around with bad professors, if you have a hard time with Physics, math, etc. Take the time to find a professor that will help you.
good luck and keep Jet Skiing(I had to sell my ski to pay for college junior year!! sad sad day)
- Location
- LaSalle, ON
This is the best advice I've seen so far... Absolutely join one of those teams if you can!
I was heavily involved in my schools FSAE team, and this is by far the best thing I've done. Made some life-long friends and it's the reason I scored a good job out of school without any real work experience (the job required 3 years experience minimum). I totally agree with MegaMan, it does wonders in an interview!
If you do join FSAE and go to the MIS competition, let me know. I usually do tech inspection for that competition.
speedysprocket
Alex
- Location
- Chesapeake, VA
I designed all the suspension geometry and components for my Formula SAE car. The shop actually did the CNC work, but I cut and welded all the control arms and frame mounting points, and was the only one who understood the suspension. Was a good time!
MegaManAU
Budgets are made to be broken!
- Location
- Auburn, AL
Ironically enough, I am judging the Design Competition Portion of the Mini-Baja-SAE Race in Auburn, AL this year.
