Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mechanical

What would you do if you had an engineering degree?

MechEng — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:55:15 -0800

What would you do if you were a recent engineering graduate? (What companies would you be looking into across Canada?) Suggestions for all branches of engineering are welcome.

A bit of background about myself:
Recent Mechanical Engineering graduate. ( with ~ 2 years of co-op experience). I am interested in almost anything Mechanical Engineering related, from vehicle engineering (aircraft, trains, automotive, etc) , HVAC, to power generation. What would you suggest as companies to apply for within Canada?

Willing to move anywhere for the right Job / experience. (Although Major cities of interest are Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto)

It has also been suggested to go back to school for something business related (seen a bunch of links about mba on ask metafilter)

I understand that mechanical engineering is a wide branch of engineering on it's own, and would like some suggestions as to which direction I should take.

Is there a simple way to integrate Salesforce and Mechanical Turk?

brokekid — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:46:38 -0800

Is there a simple way to integrate Salesforce and Mechanical Turk? Any tips on using Mechanical Turk and Salesforce at work?

Use for M Turk

Xhris — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:22:37 -0800

Help me spend my $100 Mechanical Turk credit !?! I have about $100 credit with Amazon's MT system and I haven't used the service for about a year. I just don't need it for anything. If you know what Mechanical Turk is (see here or here if not) please tell me how you would blow through $100 just for fun (or good use or charity or save-the-planet, etc.)

Seeking undergraduate research advice

nel — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:04:41 -0800

Advice on seeking undergraduate engineering research I am an undergraduate student majoring in mechanical engineering. I switched majors, so although I'm technically a senior, I'm really more like a sophomore in ME. I attend a public university, and I would like to go out of state for my masters degree, if possible. It seems to me (from what I have learned/heard) that if I want to have a chance at getting my graduate degree funded as an RA, it is imperative that I have undergraduate research experience. There is a program at my school that allows undergraduate honors students, such as myself, to do funded research. However, before applying for the program, I must already have a faculty mentor and some kind of research idea in mind (i.e., having collaborated with the mentor).

My main question is, if I have a faculty member in mind, how do I go about approaching them? I don't really have any solid relationships with any engineering faculty members, and I feel presumptuous emailing a professor that I don't know and essentially asking them for a research opportunity. Maybe I have the wrong idea, but I don't think I can just JUMP into doing research. I would be very interested to hear about anyone's experiences with doing undergraduate research.

Washing Machine: Boom!

greekphilosophy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:34:30 -0800

Was that a helicopter in my kitchen? No. It was the washing machine. Um. Help? I was just sitting here reading MetaFilter and drinking some coffee when I heard a terrible noise downstairs. The washing machine was on its final spin cycle, but was bucking around the kitchen. I turned it off immediately, and looked inside to find the basket just sitting there - no longer centered - and hanging in a sad sort of not-right kind of way.

1. I'd like to know what's going on and how to proceed.
2. I need to know if this is something I can fix myself. And if not, what do I need to tell my repairman so that she can bring the right tools/parts to make it go again?

Information:

It wasn't overloaded. I was doing a light load. But there was a rug in there, which I am willing to bet was a little lopsided.

The washer model is a Whirlpool Heavy Duty Thin Twin. (Stacked washer/dryer combo.)

What are the metal blocky things on roofs?

Sully — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:46:30 -0800

What are those blocky, meta-encased things on top of buildings? Hi. I was on the train today and we are slightly elevated, and I'm passing all these buildings, and I can see their roofs. There are some things that are obvious. For example, there are those vents, that come up, curve around and have an opening. I can only assume they curve around so as to keep rain and snow out. But what are they venting?

But then I see these grey metal things that look like very large boxes. Sometimes there are two of them. Sometimes three. What are they? And how come some roofs have two and others, three? What purpose do they serve?

Thanks to you all.

Mechanical sculptures in mount prospect

Reverend John — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:37:08 -0800

Northern Chicago Suburbs filter: I'm trying to find info about a group of mechanical sculptures which were once installed at Mount Prospect Plaza. They were there around the mid 80's to early 90's. The current owners of the mall were not the owners at the time, and didn't have any info about the sculptures. Additionally, as far as I can tell the mall has had 100% turnover of its stores since that time, so I don't think any of the current workers there would remember it. I also visited the Mt. Prospect historical society and the public library, and neither had any info.

However, I'm 100% sure they were there, my brother and sisters remember them also. Most were wind powered, however there was one which was electric. This one was in the middle of a large sunken circular garden. At the edge of the circle was a control console consisting of four large switches. Each switch controlled one motor on the sculpture. The sculpture was a long jointed pole, with a motor at each joint, and one at the base to rotate the pole. At the end of the pole was a large ball. The height from the ground to the first joint was such that, even when all the joints were in their extreme 'down' position, the height of the ball was still about 10 feet off the ground so it couldn't hit anyone. Additionally, at the edge of the circle was a second pole, about 20 feet tall, with a tab at the top. If you used the switches to swing the ball to hit the tab a bell would ring. It was quite awesome, and I've been dying in the years since its disappearance to know what happened to it, if it moved, if it exists somewhere else, if its creator has done other works, etc.

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering questions

atm — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:09:51 -0800

I'm trying to choose between bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Other than jobs where you are actually "engineering" things, what jobs would each one be able to get? Also, I hear that engineering disciplines overlap in some ways. What are the similarities and differences between electrical and mechanical? Thank you.

Pressure on people - people on streets

pickingoutathermos — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:21:04 -0800

Mechanical Engineers: calculations for sealing an underwater enclosure ? I'm designing an underwater enclosure for a movie camera, made from 1/4" Aluminum tubing. One end will be welded shut, but the other will have a removable cap with a gasket squished between two mating surfaces.

Assuming a maximum water pressure of 300psi, how do I calculate the required clamping force to keep the gasket seal in tact ? I can't quite wrap my head around the free body diagram....

Calling All Engineers!

Black_Umbrella — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:19:32 -0800

I am stuck on a "design of machine components" project. Anyone care to take a crack? Its actually a pretty simple spring problem. Overview:

I am messing around with the design for a helical torsion spring but am having trouble finding part of the force.

Specifically the spring that is used on the end of barbells to prevent plates from sliding. I do not know how to determine how much force the spring is putting on the bar.

What i figure is it has to do with the coefficient of friction, number of coils, diameter of the inside of the coil**, etc.

My professor who is a goof ball told me to solve for the angular spring rate, does that sound right?

**as it is a helical spring, when the handles are forced towards each other the numbers of coils increases (i.e. 4.375 turns --> 4.5 turns). As this happens how does the inner diameter change? How does this effect the force when the original diameter is a little smaller then the diameter of the barbell (lets say the barbell is 2 inches and the UNFORCED spring is 1.9, forced its 2.1...)

As you can see I am a little lost....I know the hive mind is usually not so good at engineering questions but I thought I would ask anyway.

Can you help me find an engineering job in Los Angeles?

rybreadmed — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:33:16 -0800

Can you help guide me in finding a mechanical engineering job after graduation? Our economy is (pardon my language) in the shitter. But I don't want to be. I graduate in December of this year with a degree in mechanical engineering. Meanwhile, the automotive industry is on the brink and people are getting laid off like it's the hot thing to do.

I'm looking for a relatively stable job in the metro Los Angeles area (but am very willing to leave LA if the opportunity is there, particularly Arizona or even Nevada). I've checked out many of the usual suspects--big defense, aerospace, utilities, as well as some government (local and federal) agencies and departments. I want to make decent money while not worrying too much about getting laid off. Any ideas? Can you think of any stable industries or companies that aren't on the "beaten path?" Somebody who's hiring? I'm not saying stability is the key to my happiness...but it helps.

Keep in mind I've got a special little lady in my life, so I can't just take off to some shithole of a little city out in the middle of nowhere. She has to be able to find a job, too.

Wind-up light that does not use a battery to store power?

yesno — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:16:51 -0800

Would a wind-up light that doesn't rely on charging a battery, but uses a clockwork mechanism to directly power a small generator which lights up an LED, be possible? However cool wind-up radios and lights are, they all seem to be based on twisting a crank to charge a battery, and then using the battery to operate the device.

Would it be possible to have a light or radio that operated more like a mechanical watch, and did not rely on the intermediate step of charging a battery?

Why won't my pickup start?

lysistrata — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:27:07 -0800

Please help me figure out what's wrong with my truck. It's driving me nuts! I own a 1990 Ford Ranger. For the last three weeks it has been intermittently refusing to start. This usually happens after it has been driven for a short while. (Example: I'll drive it the store a few miles away, run in, come out and it won't start. The engine cranks/revs but won't start.) Once the engine cools down completely it will usually start fine and I can run it long enough to get it to a garage.

I've been to four different mechanics about this and it still isn't fixed. Two of the mechanics couldn't duplicate the problem and told me they had no idea what it could be. A third thought it was my fuel pump relay and replaced that but it didn't help. The latest mechanic told me it was my ignition coil and replaced that. This was a few days ago. I drove the truck for one day afterwards and it was ok. Then yesterday I took it to the store and when I came out it wouldn't start. I let it cool down completely and went back and it still wouldn't start. I left it overnight, went back this morning and still all it does is crank without starting. So it seems that the problem is getting worse. Now even it when it cools down it won't start.

I have a newer car that I use on a daily basis so I'm ok on transportation but I use the pickup to haul stuff for work so I'd really like to get it fixed if I could. Plus I just love the thing and don't want to give up on it yet. But I'm running out of patience, time and money.

I'm having it towed back to the garage that replaced the ignition coil so they can take another look at it but I thought I'd put it to the hive mind as well since it seems no one can give me a proper diagnosis.

Does anyone have any idea what might be going on? Or is it time to give up on the old boy and look for a newer truck?

Engineering Skills

gzimmer — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:52:27 -0800

Engineers: What skills do you use most often that you learned in college or anywhere else? I'm a college student currently pursuing a mechanical engineering degree (not totally set on mech though), and I wanted to know what skills I was learning that really mattered in the day to day workings of an engineer.

Why does my car A/C only work around town but not on the highway?

wheat — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:58:31 -0800

The A/C on my car ('92 Honda Prelude) works great from 0-40 mph. Above 40 mph, the ratio of cool to hot air moves decidedly in favor of hot. Any ideas (besides the obvious: take it to the shop).

Paper or Plastic?

penciltopper — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:15:19 -0800

Which is "greener"? Her metal & plastic mechanical pencils manufactured in Japan, or my Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils made in North America? She says my wood pencils kill trees. I say we can plant more, and the industrial byproducts of pencil maufacture are wood shavings and whatever toxins are in the yellow paint, which I can take or leave (I think...I do like the yellow).

I say she's adding to the world's supply of cheap plastic toxic junk. She counters that I chew/lose/use up lots of pencils, while mechanical pencils can last for years. (I call shenanigans on that, noting that she loses hers all the time). She compares my cutting down rare and precious trees instead of using nonrenewable materials to make pencils is like running a car on whale oil and saying I can always make more whales.

Okay, MeFites.
That should get y'all started. Please chip in on our fight.

Los Angeles: How do I find an internship in mechanical engineering?

rybreadmed — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:15:21 -0800

How do I find a paid internship or part-time job in mechanical engineering that will work around my school schedule (in Los Angeles)? I am working towards my BS in mechanical engineering (my second degree) at a university in Los Angeles. I currently have an internship in the engineering field and have been there almost a year, but am not feeling the love (my boss treats me like crap and the projects I've been getting lately seem more like 'busy work'). Though work now makes me frustrated and anxious, it pays pretty well and I can't leave without finding another source of income. I have a degree in English and an MBA (in finance) already and I'm still pretty young (27). I suppose I should have no trouble finding a job, but I want to find something to do with mechanical engineering in the Los Angeles area that can work around my school schedule. I look in online job boards, Craigslist, Simplyhired, Monstertrak, etc. and can find very few (if any) listings. I went to the career center at my school and spoke with the most idiotic of career counselors I've ever met (it's a wonder he he even got his job); the information he gave me was lousy (he suggested I joined the Navy--yes you read that right and I'll let you read that again--the freaking NAVY). And meanwhile, I figure that the way to find a job (particularly an internship) is to know somebody. I know nobody. Also, in the long term, I would like to get a masters degree in financial engineering (computational finance), so would be interested if I could get in the door doing that, also. And as mentioned, I've got bills to pay, so it can't be an unpaid internship or volunteer experience. To summarize: paid internships in mechanical engineering, financial engineering, or something related. Any ideas out of the mainstream? Any steps for finding internships or part-time jobs? People you might know personally who need a fella' like me? Some little-known web resource? Should I just stick it out at my current job until I graduate (year and a half!)?

Why is this so hard?

Heminator — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:21:37 -0800

Anybody know how to change the license plates on a '95 Honda Accord? I know this procedure is usually idiot proof, but the top two bolts on the front plate are just just spinning and appear be held from behind by some kind of nut (not that I can see anything to verify this is the case). Trouble is, if there are nuts holding it in place they are well into the bumper assembly totally inaccesible from the engine, on top or underneath.

Curiously, changing the plates is not mentioned in the owners manual, the 1400+ page service manual and Google is a big zilch.

FWIW, bolts are very rusted. Thanks for any help you can give.

Power Window Power

Jon-o — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:48:30 -0800

Can anyone with classic car restoration experience help me with a strange electrical problem that I'm having with a 1961 Lincoln Continental? This car came with a feature where by the rear power windows would descend about an inch or two upon initial opening in order that they clear the deployed soft top. When shut, the window would then re-extend itself into the fully closed position. There's a pin switch in the door frame that, when the open door allows the spring tension to close the switch, a relay in the trunk is energized and the window motor is activated. There's a limiting mechanism in the door that cuts power to the motor after the window has descended the correct amount. When the door is shut, it actuates the pin switch again, and the motor scrolls the window up until the limiting mechanism de-energizes the motor to prevent it from running constantly.

At least that's what I can gather.

Only, this neat feature doesn't work with any consistancy. I know that the circuit is correctly wired and intact because it works SOMETIMES. I can hear the fist-sized antique relays clunking away in the trunk and I can consistanty operate the windows using the conventional switches. I can even sometimes roll the window down a little bit with the conventional switch and then actuate the pin switch in the door frame and watch the window roll up, like it's supposed to.

So there must be some problem with the limiting mechanism, right? Can anyone in MeFiLand lend me some insight or point me towards a (free or really inexpensive) resource that would shed some light on this for me?

Getting an unseen used vehicle 1000 miles away...

nTeleKy — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:46:27 -0800

I recently purchased this used vehicle on eBay which is located around Bangor, Maine, and I'm planning on driving it back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'm looking for advice to maximize my chances of actually making it back... I'm flying out friday morning, taking a taxi ~50 miles out of bangor to pick it up (I contacted a service and this is OK) and was hoping to get it home by the end of the weekend. I took off work on Monday and could call in for other days if necessary (ie I am stuck in BF, Nowhere). Should I make hotel reservations ahead of time? Am I forgetting anything in the travel arrangements?

It's sold as running condition (without a warranty), the seller claims to have driven it 100 miles with no problems, but that's a bit different than 1000 miles. I was thinking about trying to make arrangements with a local repair shop to have them look it over and tell me if there are any repairs that should be done. Could the feasability of a long trip be assessed immediately? I figured I'd get all the fluids flushed, in any case. Will it be problematic to find a shop willing to deal with a vehicle like this?

I was considering bringing out some parts and/or tools to do minor repairs if necessary, as I'm pretty mechanically inclined. This has an all-mechanical detroit diesel engine, which I'm told is pretty easy to work on, but I have no experience with. Are there any parts in particular I should be concerned with being able to find? Any parts I should replace just for the hell of it?

I was also thinking of getting something like an Allstate Motor Club membership, which should cover me (towing, lodging) if it breaks down and I have to get repairs done. Is this a good service, or is there anything better?

Is My Car Dying?

slowtree — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:01:04 -0800

Car makes an Odd Sound I have a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe . When driving down a quite street i can hear the car make a fluttering almost light clicking sound from underneath. It only makes this sound while I have my foot on the gas. If I back off the Gas the fluttering from underneath goes away. Its a faint sound and I dont notice any problems otherwise with the car. What could this be? Ive checked to make sure nothing is loose or ratteling. It almost sounds like a playing card in bicycle spokes but faint. Should I be concerned? Transmition? Cadalytic Converter?

Placement of spark plug wires

jazzkat11 — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:00:00 -0800

Placement of spark plug wires.. I just changed my plugs and wires and in the midst of pure automotive geniusdom, didn't mark which wires connected to which coil pack.

Does it matter?

Help me identify what this type of switch is called.

Symeon — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:57:56 -0800

What do you call this type of switch? There must be some sort of name given to these types of switches. I've tried "mechanical switch" and every combination of which I can think, but my google-fu is weak.

Even better, I'd be grateful if you can point me to an online store that sells such things. However, I'm more interested, at the moment, in just knowing what the bloody things are called.

I'm also open to the possibility that they don't have a special name, but something so bad-ass must have a name!

Part-time jobs for Mechanical Engineers?

sirion — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:21:55 -0800

What part time engineering jobs are there for a mechanical engineer just out of school? I've got one year left of a pair of degrees: Mechanical Engineering and Opera Performance. I'm gonna pursue the music degree when I finish, but could certainly use some $$ on the side to support this.

How do I use my engineering degree to make some bucks on the side without taking much time from my music studies?

I do have 1 semester worth of flexibility left, with which I could take a course or two that might help me be more qualified for some sort of job.

Qualifications:
-3.97 GPA from a good engineering department (USC)
-No work or internship experience (Though I have a number of independent student design projects that have been described on my resume in such a manner that it's not as blaring of a hole in my resume as it could be)
-Will have some machining experience, a semester of CAD (Program: IDEAS), very limited computer programming skills, fairly advanced(for undergrad mech engr) fluid dynamics/hydraulics

With such a seeming emphasis on $50k/year full time worker drone jobs for engineering graduates, what $10-20k/year jobs exist that require far less time?

Mostly looking for job categories that would exist in most cities, like 'CAD drone', etc, and general information that will help point me in the right direction

3D software for Mac os

retro88 — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:55:56 -0800

3D Mechanical Design software for Mac OS? Are there any decent 3D mechanical design parametric model programs out there that run on a Mac OS? I'm looking for the Mac equivalent to something similar to Solid Works, or Autodesk Inventor. Also if there is a better suited forum for this question.