Mar 29, 2017 | ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
It was a hot dry dusty day in a small town – What you see may not be what you see – The Power Of Perception
What You See May Not Be What You See – The Power Of Perception
You May be an Engineer or an IT professional or from another discipline, But….. What You See May Not Be What You See – The Power Of Perception- can be ably illustrated in the following humorous story.
It was a hot dry dusty day in a small town, way out in the middle of nowhere. An old tramp was shuffling along the street, head bent and old tired eyes squinting through slits of eyelids. Scanning the pavement for old cigarette butts, coins or anything which could be of value to him.
Then out of the corner of his eye, glinting in the sun he caught sight of a Rolls Royce. He lifted his head and looked in admiration. “What an absolutely magnificent motor vehicle” he sighed under his breath as he stood back and became transfixed. He remembered all of the stories he had heard of Rolls Royce and their legendary luxury and engineering excellence.
It looked very new, it was highly polished and it shone. As he stood there admiring the vehicle, intoxicated by the sight, he saw a lump of mud near the front wheel arch.
A gleaming Rolls Royce
He thought to himself “a Rolls Royce, the most magnificent, beautiful vehicle in the world, I can’t walk past it, I must clean off that mud”. He pulled a piece of rag out of his pocket (which normally passed for a handkerchief) and he bent over at the side of the vehicle. Carefully he removed the mud and was just about to polish the area back to its original glory when the owner of the Rolls Royce stepped out of a shop and saw the tramp.
The irate owner of the Rolls Royce was not happy
He yelled for the man to get away and ran over to him.
The tramp stepped back and lowered his head. He apologized profusely, “I’m terribly sorry” said the tramp. “I didn’t mean any harm”. He explained how he was admiring the Rolls Royce, be best motor vehicle in the world and saw the mud and just couldn’t walk past without cleaning it off.
He kept muttering “Rolls Royce, the most magnificent motor vehicle in the world”
The owner was full of regret for misjudging the situation and he in turn apologized to the tramp for shouting at him.
He said “you’re obviously down on your luck at the moment, let me see if I can give you a little something to help you on your way”. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a handful of loose change.
Amongst the handful of loose change were a couple of golf Tee’s.
The golf ball Tee was mixed in with a hand full of loose coins
The tramp had never played golf and had never seen golf Tee’s before. He looked at the open hand and pointed at the Tee’s. “What are those” he asked.
The man replied “Well, they are to rest your balls on when you drive off”
The happy owner was then able to drive away with a clean vehicle
The tramp sighed deeply and slowly shook his head in wonderment
“Well I’ll be stuffed” he said “Those Rolls Royce people think of everything don’t they”
There are three very important learning’s in this story
1 – Don’t jump to conclusions, wait until you know all of the facts
2 – Don’t assume – what is very obvious to you, may not be so obvious to others
3 – Don’t underestimate the Power Of Perception
Not Only – But Also…..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way – ”Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Mar 22, 2017 | ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Is A Better Bicycle Really Worth It
I admit it – I like to ride a bicycle. I think that it’s good exercise and I like to get out into the fresh air. Let me say at this point that I don’t ride on roads with high traffic, as I think that it’s too dangerous. My riding is on dedicated cycle ways and paths and its all about “smell the roses” along the way. A nice steady ride. None of the “head down tail up” stuff you see from the hard riding dedicated cyclists. And so I ask the question – Is A Better Bicycle Really Worth It – There are 2 questions –
- Better than what?
- Define the word “Worth”
I recently bought a new bike and this has caused me to ask a few questions and ponder “the meaning of life”.
My old bike was bought back in about 2005 and over the years there have been many parts replaced due to to wear and tear and the occasional spill.
But – just like soft brakes on an automobile can creep up on you, many things had started to creep up on my bike without me paying much attention to them.
Lots of old school bicycles – in the “good old days” (ha ha) most people rode bikes – today – most people drive automobiles
Let me also say that I’m not big on bike maintenance – As an Engineer – I know that I should be – but I always seem to have too many other, more important things to do – So I adopt the “If it ain’t broke – Don’t try and fix it” approach.
I think that I did clean it once over the 12 years or so – but normally relied on the next shower of rain that I got caught in to wash it down.
After all – Its only a bike and with fairly simple mechanical components – I always gave the chain and sprockets a good dose of lubricant – What could possibly go wrong.
I would have my ride and put the bike in the shed until the next ride. All Good
Its pretty simple mechanical Engineering – BUT – bicycle maintenance can be challenging
I won’t bore you with all of the details, but when I finally did give it the attention it needed I was looking at replacing wheel bearings, the sprocket assembly, the chain, various wheel spokes and there was a split in the wheel rim, a buckled wheel etc etc.
Obviously just not worth spending the money to fix it when compared with the cost of a new, similar bike.
So I bought a new bike.
Now – This is where the conundrum starts
With my old bike I was riding about 60 km (38miles) and after the ride there was a fair degree of aching in the legs and I generally would feel fairly whacked. This would carry over into the next day and it was only on the third day that I was back to normal.
Now with my new bike I am riding the same distance, but with none of the aching and feeling whacked afterwards. So – obviously the old bike was in pretty poor shape and fairly inefficient – to say the least.
But I’m not getting the “workout” that I was getting before !!!
• I could try and ride faster and with more intensity – but I ride on a shared path and there is always a steady stream of pedestrians (including children and dogs) and at 67 years of age I really don’t know that I’m capable of pushing the speed.
• I could ride further – i.e. a longer ride, but do I want to commit to more time in the saddle? (with extra aches in the butt)
• I could look at making the bike less efficient with maybe a slight steady brake on the wheel – but this is a bit radical and probably a stupid impractical/stupid idea!
• I could try and get in more, maybe shorter rides – but this would not make up for intensity.
I know that some people will say – buy an exercise bike or go to the gym and adjust the resistance but:-
1 – I have tried these exercise bikes and I don’t like them – I like to get out in the fresh air and see things.
2 – I’m lazy – if I’m riding a machine and get tired I will find an excuse to stop and get off – If I’m 30 km from home and get tired there’s no couch nearby, it’s grit your teeth and keep going.
Mmmmmm – So it’s back to the Drawing Board
Then again ………
Maybe having an easier ride isn’t such a bad thing after all !!
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way”- Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Mar 8, 2017 | ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA, ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Old Engineer Memories – Number 4: Simple And The Best
Can you remember being a young Engineer many years ago and listening to the old Engineers talk about how things have changed over the years? Old Engineer Memories – Number 4: Simple And The Best takes you on a journey back to Engineering in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s
And now it’s your turn to look back on your Memories.
If you are a younger Engineer wondering what things were like – all those years ago – Ask one of the older guys to explain.
You Know That You’re An Old Engineer …..
An Old Engineer will remember the early Cell Phone – It was big and bulky but it was mobile
- When you can remember marveling at the very first fax machine you ever saw and now the young guys tell you that the fax is dead – nobody uses that old technology these days
- When you can remember seeing your first mobile phone. It was the size of a large toolbox and weighed as much. Plus it had a very limited battery life and range
- When you can remember taking grainy Polaroid pictures which could barely be understood and boasting of the technology. Whilst paying exorbitant prices for the film
- When you can remember the teletext machines being “state of the art” for instant communication & you were under strict instruction to use the minimum words in your messages
- When you can remember a hacksaw being the common method used to cut steel (and not an angle grinder) – and as a junior Engineer you practiced and practiced (until your arm felt as though it would drop off ) attempting to get that straight cut. Without breaking the blade
- When you can remember using a cold chisel to cut a chamfer on steel and the pain of a misdirected hammer blow, – How many bruises and broken bones did this task produce ?
- When you can remember (as a young Engineer) being sent for a “Long Wait”
- When you can remember (as a young Engineer) being sent to get a “Glass Hammer”
- When you can remember watching a skilled tradesman bed a bearing with a scraper
- When you can remember that your clutch pencil was your most prized possession – together with a full range of leads and colors
Not Only Old Engineers:
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
Mar 7, 2017 | ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
A Breakdown in Communication
Sean – the Site Manager (of the web page that is) tells me that people are time poor and that I need to make the items short, sharp and snappy
So here goes:- Lets look at this post which details A Breakdown In Communication
There is a large construction site
On large construction sites – there is often breakdowns in communications
The guys have a meeting and send the union guy to see the site manager with an ultimatum
The best way to get a message across is to have a meeting
“Boss” he says – the guys have had a meeting and they are all in agreement – we need locks on the toilet doors” (my description – not his)
The Site Manager thought for a while and said “don’t be ridiculous – there is absolutely no need”
“Boss the guys are adamant – we need locks on the doors”
said the union guy
The Site Manager had another long think and said –
“I have been on Construction Sites for over 40 years – And I’ve never heard of a toilet door being stolen”
“Get Back To Work”
Not Only – But Also…..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Mar 1, 2017 | ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA, ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Old Engineer Memories – Number 3: Simple And The Best
Can you remember being a young Engineer many years ago and listening to the old Engineers talk about how things have changed over the years? Old Engineer Memories – Number 3: Simple And The Best takes you on a journey back to Engineering in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s
And now it’s your turn to look back on your Memories.
If you are a younger Engineer wondering what things were like – all those years ago – Ask one of the older guys to explain.
You Know That You’re An Old Engineer …….
It will make today’s Safety Officers cringe in horror – but in the old days it was standard practice – many old Engineers will remember this crane lift
1. When you can remember the crane dog man putting his foot in the hook and getting hoisted up by the crane and it was a perfectly acceptable practice
2. When you can remember an Erasing Shield not being a Star Wars Protective Device to Erase Missiles fired by the enemy
3. When you can remember – when that concrete slab (or similar) would be physically broken up, loaded and carted away by a team of workers in about a 5 day time span. Today the whole job takes 1 man with an excavator and truck about half a day
4. When you can remember rivets being the standard method of joining metal
5. When you can then remember stick welding being the “new way” to join metal
6. When you can remember your car having a starting handle and you can remember needing to use it
7. When you can remember your new car had a side valve engine
8. When you can remember de coking your 2 stroke motor cycle
9. When you can remember that the Drawing Numbering system has changed many times over the years and you are the only one left at the company who knows each system – intimately
10. When you can remember seeing a cad system for the very first time and thinking – “this will never catch on”
Not Only Old Engineers:
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
Feb 28, 2017 | ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Leaking Tire
I would like to share a story about dodging a (flat tire) bullet. Tire technology seems to have advanced rapidly over the past few years and familiarity breeds contempt – as the saying goes. Therefore the last thing I expected was a leaking tire.
However – Even the most mundane of stories can have an important message
I’m probably one of the worlds worst when it comes to checking the tires on my vehicle.
I haven’t had a problem for years and my mindset is that tire technology is so good that there is virtually no chance of a problem.
So far so good……
And yes I know that I should check the tire pressures when I’m “filling up”.
But It’s always – I’ll do it “Next Time”
So I’m driving along a back street and negotiating one of the many small roundabouts which are springing up everywhere when BANG – being a lazy driver I didn’t quite turn the steering wheel enough and I managed to clip the kerb edge with the rear wheel.
Dash it all – I thought to myself.(or similar words to that effect)
Hoping that I have not dented the rim of the wheel and caused a slow leak.
About fifteen minutes later I’m parked in the driveway of my house and having a good look at the tires.
Visually, the tire that I clipped looks to be softer than the others. I needed to check the tire pressures – but its been so long since I used my tire pressure gauge that I’ve got no idea were it is. This would be the logical thing to do.
Anyway – The more I looked at the tire, the more convinced I was that it was softer than the others.
So, out with the spare and I changed the suspect tire.
Once the tire was off, I was able to give it a close inspection and was fully expecting to see a dent on the wheel rim which was causing a leak.
Surprise, Surprise – the rim looked good but as I rolled the tire around I saw a metal hex head embedded in the surface of the tire. Sometimes stones and similar can get wedged between the tread and give the impression that something has driven into the tire when in fact that’s not the case and that is what I was expecting to see.
On closer examination I could see the shaft of the small bolt protruding into the tire – EUREKA
Almost certainly that was the cause of the leak
This was removed from the tire
I then made a trip to the tire service center to get the tire fixed and was very surprised to see the hex head bolt which was removed. A flat end – no sharp point.
Placed above the tire to give a perspective
To give some perspective – this is the removed bolt placed atop the tire
I can only guess that an awful lot of coincidences came together to drive this bolt into the tire.
And how long had it been embedded in the tire? Have I picked it up from standard highway and street use ? – It’s been a very long time since I was in a yard or a construction site.
For me – Murphy’s Law generally kicks in with the worst which can go wrong at the worst possible time.
So on this occasion I’m thanking my lucky stars that I clipped that kerb, otherwise I could have been experiencing a flat tire at the worst possible moment – not that there is ever a good time to get a flat.
I guess that the message I would like to share is – not to get complacent and that the simplest and most basic maintenance tasks still need to be done.
Not Only – But Also ……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Looking for “A Better Way” – Go to – Engineering the 3R Way for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset and link to the full list of topics
- Then Take A Break – With the List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Or check out Engineering Odd Bits for more odd subject matter – including humor and comment
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
Feb 15, 2017 | ENGINEERING NOSTALGIA, ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Old Engineer Memories – Number 2: Simple And The Best
Can you remember being a young Engineer many years ago and listening to the old Engineers talk about how things have changed over the years? Old Engineer Memories – Number 2: Simple And The Best takes you on a journey back to Engineering in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s
And now it’s your turn to look back on your Memories.
If you are a younger Engineer wondering what things were like – all those years ago – Ask one of the older guys to explain.
You Know That You Are An Old Engineer ………
- When you can remember the first Engineering Office calculator being a valve set and needing a 10 minute warm up before it could be used
- When you can remember that the (above) calculator could – add, subtract, multiply and divide and if you were very clever you could find a square root by multiple approximations
- When you can remember charts with square and cube roots and all types of other useful data being readily available
- When you can remember working in an Engineering office where ”everyone” smoked and the air was so thick with smoke that you could not see from one side of the office to the other
- When you can remember that there where always pipe smokers in the office and you can still smell the aromas of the pipe and cigarette smoke
- When you can remember using tools and implements which were marked with the last 2 digits of the year of manufacture and the whole year started with 18 eg 96 was 1896
- When you can remember watching that rusty old piece of machinery being carted off to the scrap yard and remembering when it was new and just being installed
Old Engineer Memories – Back to the Drawing Board
- When you can remember using drawing boards with machines using the parallelogram counterweight systems that where never square
- When you can remember Project Managing jobs without JSA’s, Hazard Studies Work Method Statements or the like
- When you can remember being able to climb a ladder without a “Work At Heights Permit”
- When you can remember being a Young Engineer and the Old Engineers telling stories about the “Good Old Days”
Not Only Old Engineers:
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
Jan 28, 2017 | ENGINEERING ODD BITS, Uncategorized
Engineers And A Little Bit Of History
Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn’t just how you like it, think about how things used to be and how Engineers have changed peoples lives for the better. Continue reading Engineers And A Little Bit Of History
Here are some facts about life in Briton the 1500’s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Having A Bath in Medieval times was a bit different to having a bath today
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women followed by the children and last of all
the babies. By then, the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence, the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
Houses had thatched roofs of thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all of the dogs, cats and other small animals including mice, rats, and bugs lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery, and, sometimes, the animals
would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
There was nothing to stop garbage from falling from the underside of the thatched roof and into the rooms of the houses. This was a general problem throughout the house but especially in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could be really annoying to people who are sleeping. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection and that’s how the 4 poster canopy beds
came into existence.
Living in a typical medieval house was a different experience to living in a house today
The floor was dirt and only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence, the saying “dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors and in wet weather these would get slippery. To prevent the floors from being slippery, thresh (the waste husks left over from threshing the grain) was spread on the floor to absorb the water and moisture. In very wet weather, more and more thresh was added so that when the front door was opened the thresh would all start slipping outside. To prevent the thresh from slipping outside, a piece of wood was fixed across the bottom of the doorway and this was called the “thresh hold.”
They cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, and then start over the next day. Sometimes, the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence, the rhyme, “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.”
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man “could bring home the bacon. “They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and
”chew the fat.”
The wealthy had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so,
for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers, a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Often, trenchers were made from stale bread which was so old and hard that they could use them for
quite some time.
Trenchers were never washed, and a lot of times worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy moldy trenchers, one would get “trench mouth.” Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or
”upper crust.”
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence, the custom of holding a “wake.” – This is an oft repeated tale – However according to Facts – Lead poisoning is a slow, cumulative process and not a fast acting toxin.
Briton is old and small, and they started out running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a “bone-house” and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive.
So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin
and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the “graveyard shift”) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be “saved by the bell” or was considered a “dead
ringer.
And that’s the truth …
So where would we be without Engineers ………..
To take a quote from James A. Michener
“Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them”
Lets mash it up a bit and say –
“People might dream of a better life. Engineers make it happen”
And that’s the truth…(Whoever said that History was boring?!)
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
