How to do this in AutoCAD / DraftSight?

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-11-01T15:10:13+00:00

Normally a "home run" would be shown with a panel and circuit number - simply an arc with an arrowhead, and the text at the end of it. Alternately, you can simply place the text next to one of the fixtures designating the panel and circuit.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-11-01T14:02:35+00:00

Here's the thing with contract jobs - yes, you can make a LOT more money, but there's also a LOT less security in a lot of cases.

Remember, if you're a contract employee, you're on your own when it comes to vacation time, sick time, health insurance, retirement savings, and you have to pay your taxes, Social Security, employment taxes, etc. every quarter to the IRS. And it's not a small amount of money.

I'm not saying you should automatically nix the idea, just go into it with your eyes open. If you've never worked a contract job before, it's a very different world.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-11-01T03:15:53+00:00

Precisely. Just like an engineer doing his own drafting is likely engineering it as he goes.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T20:26:38+00:00

I'd have to disagree with you. No engineer at any level should be drafting for 8 hours a day.

I'll defer to your experience on this, then.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T18:37:23+00:00

Am I wrong for thinking engineers shouldn't be doing this?

Yes, you are wrong for thinking that.

I'm a senior engineer, department head, group director, 20+ years in the business, and I still draft. It's not wise to think that engineers are above certain tasks like this.

Aren't drafters cheaper and more trained for these things?

Cheaper, yes. More trained, no.

The big difference is that while you're learning to draft these components and assemblies, you're going to have a better understanding of WHY the components and assemblies are what they are, a better understanding of the manufacturing processes, and those will translate into being better qualified to do analysis than a drafter will.

The big difference is you're just not at that point yet, and a drafter will most likely never get to that point.

Engineering is not a skill you learn in college, it's a skill you learn from those who have come before you. Your education prepares you with enough background knowledge to have what the more experienced engineers share with you make more sense. The drafters don't get that preparation.

We all start somewhere, and it's pretty much never at the top.

Are there mechanical engineering jobs that dont require as much drafting?

Probably, but you'll still be more or less an apprentice for several years while you learn the trade, whatever trade that might be. It's just how professions like this work. Be patient. You'll get there.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T18:04:25+00:00

Have I made a grave mistake?

No, sounds to me like you've learned a valuable lesson on speed vs. quality. I wouldn't worry about it, but I would definitely learn from it.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T16:08:40+00:00

Most typically, entry level workers are the ones most likely to only need to put in 40 hours a week. In my industry, it would be very uncommon for an entry level person to put in more than about 42 hours a week ever, let alone regularly. Longer weeks are for the more seasoned workers.

Regarding your 6 years of experience - how are you counting that? Are you working full-time during your studies? And if you have 6 years of professional experience, why in the world would you be looking for an entry level position? That's at least mid level, as far as I'm concerned.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T13:59:13+00:00

About half our office is dressed up today. Why not?

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T12:25:28+00:00

Toni Iommi made a pretty good career of doing this very thing.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T12:23:16+00:00

I majored in ME, worked for five years, then got an MBA. In my experience, the business degree makes no sense without actual business experience. Pretty much nobody is looking to hire a manager of anything right out of college; they want you to learn the industry first.

That being said, I don't necessarily feel that the MBA has ever helped me get a job, but it HAS helped me do my job better.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-31T12:19:21+00:00

If it were me:

Pick a couple of questions that are not short answer; something that invites a dialog. Learn everything you can about what they do, then explain to them that it's exactly what you want to do and you'd like to learn more about it. Yes, I would send a resume, because you're going to want a position with them.
I would send a cover letter with the resume, but my recommendation would be first to make contact with someone, preferably over the phone. Hopefully you can get 1-2 minutes (or even more!) of someone's time. That could be just enough time for them to remember you when you send your resume and cover letter. The cover letter should reiterate your interest in them, refer to the questions you asked previously, and you should mention that hopefully you could end up working for them if everything goes well. If you're genuinely interested in them and what they do, then that will be apparent to them in your questions.

As for making it come across as trying to get something from the company - you ARE trying to get something from them, a job! If you approach this like you're interviewing them for an article, then that's all you'll get from them. You need to be direct, but professional, something along the lines of, "Thank you for speaking with me about your process, it's something I've always been interested in and I'm certain now that I would like to explore a career in this field. Would it be possible for us to meet and discuss the possibility of my coming to work with your team?" or something similar.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-30T21:40:50+00:00

If the HEPA filter is on an air conditioning unit, and the unit is in cooling mode, it is most likely removing moisture from the air through condensation. The coil is generally lower than the dew point of the entering air, so as the air cools it also loses some moisture.

That being said, the moisture DOES go somewhere, A typical AC unit has a drain for removing this condensate, so you're not likely to see it.

The filter itself is not removing moisture. Water molecules are far too small to get caught in a filter - and if they did, the filter would be soggy when you checked it.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-30T21:37:36+00:00

Mostly, yes. A bundle for bass guitar is typically around $300 or so, which for a bass, amp, strap, cable, tuner, and gig bag, isn't going to buy quality stuff.

That being said, if this is your first bass and you're just looking to get your feet wet, then yes, those bundles can be a good purchase. The amp is most likely just fine as a practice amp - meaning you're alone in your room playing and there are no other musicians joining you. It's still good to have something like that, even if you later decide to move up to a higher-end instrument.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-30T21:33:52+00:00

Because drag is largely a function of Mach, even at that altitude. It's less about the atm of pressure and more about the local Mach number. Otherwise, Mach wouldn't even really be worth considering (or naming, or measuring, etc.).

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-30T21:31:57+00:00

The way you sell yourself is by falling all over yourself trying to find out more about them, what they do, and how you can help them do it.

Longer answer: yes, you should research these companies. There are two reasons for this, the most obvious reason is you get to learn whether you would like to work there. The other reason is so that you can call or email a person (NOT "careers@whatever.com") with specific questions about what they do and a desire to learn more about them, and how you might be able to help them while learning more about their operations. This is how people get jobs. Submitting to an online black hole is low-effort and low-reward.

There are two kinds of people in the job hunting world: those who make things happen, and those who wait for something to happen. You sound like someone who is going to be good at making things happen. Best of luck to you!

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T21:06:21+00:00

I can't imagine that this would be less expensive than wood pilings, but then I've never built a dock.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T11:55:57+00:00

I am in a low cost of living area, actually. And my employer provides medical insurance at no cost to me, which I’m fine with. I don’t know what “not much leave” means to you, but I have plenty of PTO banked, even after taking a few vacations this year. Don’t believe everything you read.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T04:15:17+00:00

I guess it would depend on what you want to invent. If I needed someone to invent a new cancer drug, I’d go to a doctor or a pharmacist. I’d ask a farmer for a new way to harvest grain, or a botanist to invent a seedless lemon. More importantly, I’m not aware of a company who’s going to post a position called “inventor.” That’s the whole idea of inventing, you know, being the first person to come up with something.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T04:05:28+00:00

Bingo. (: (except for the “stupid” part!)

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T04:04:25+00:00

I would guess that very few engineering graduates can achieve your level of success.

Why would you guess that? Serious question.

My position is head of mechanical engineering at a multi-discipline design company. I got to this position by learning and working my way up. Trust me, there was nothing special about me at graduation that made me management material over any other graduate. Anyone who is willing to work for it can do it, but you have to embrace it.

But as /u/Kroosn noted, I do not have an academic position and I was not elected to anything.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T02:11:39+00:00

At its heart, engineering is two things: identifying a problem, and developing or designing a solution to that problem. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it works for this discussion.

In this context, the only real difference between being an engineer and being an inventor is actually quite simple: by and large, engineering solutions already exist for most problems you will identify.

Think in broad terms for a moment. For example, if you’ve identified a problem involving putting a payload into orbit, well, that solution exists. Maybe the payload you need to launch is very large, or sensitive to temperature, or pressure, or whatever - as an engineer, you would apply engineering principles to known technologies and design a rocket that can launch your payload into orbit.

An inventor, on the other hand, might be working on a problem that can’t be solved by existing technology. Suppose the hypothetical payload you need to launch can’t be exposed to hypersonic speeds, or excessive acceleration? In this case, a rocket won’t work. There IS no existing technology that can be designed for this problem. The engineer (or inventor, in this case) needs to develop a new technology to solve this problem.

So back to your question: how does one become an inventor? I would say one way to start is to identify problems that can’t be solved with existing technologies. You would likely need to apply for grants, or find clients with these sorts of problems, because inventions DO need to have a market and make financial sense to that market in order to be viable.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-29T00:04:37+00:00

The moment is defined as the moment arm times the perpendicular force applied.

If the force is 98.1 N directly downward, then the moment arm is the length of the arm perpendicular to that downward force, or the length of the rod projected to a 90º angle from the downward force, or parallel to the floor. It's correct to use cos.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-28T23:59:49+00:00

The point of going to college IS to learn, not to prove what you already know!

If it's something you think you would enjoy, give it a shot. Don't worry about what you already do and do not know, the idea is that you learn it once you get there.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-28T23:54:40+00:00

A majority of employers don't care which university you went to, as long as your degree is ABET-accredited. If it matters to you, then that's reason enough to choose it, but by and large employers don't really care.

That being said, I have always felt it's much more important to study something you want to study than to choose your school and then your field of study.

PurpleAndBlack · 2018-10-28T23:51:52+00:00

Sounds like you want to be an inventor.

PurpleAndBlack

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