Internal Fire Museum of Power

Gentlemen,

On the back of some points regarding the suffolk challenge thread I thought I would start another.
When and how did you get the skill/knowledge of engineering or interest in engines.
I know for a fact that my brother and I new the basics of using a lathe by the time I was six and my brother was four and a half, our Grandfather, our dads dad, was a model engineer and he had a Britannia Colchester treadle lathe and he had us making wooden whistles, he would treadle and we would turn and bore and make plugs to block the tube and make the reeds for the whistles.
We also learnt how to fire, with real coal, his model traction engine and steam powered boats until we started making and repairing stuff including bikes and cars.

we've been doing it ever since, how about you lot.

Martin P

Whether by nature or nurture I had an insatiable curiosity for how things worked from an early age. Started by taking just about anything I could get my hands on apart and gradually moved on to putting some together again!

NHH

Hi
Same here, nothing was safe from dismantling, rebuilding some times took much longer!
Regards,
Ploughman

Same here! started off with an old briggs lawn mower engine and moved on to what i have now!

Funny isn't it - perhaps that's what links us all together...

I dismantled anything I was allowed to touch; electrical and mechanical. By the time I was 10 I could rebuild watches with a fair chance they would run afterwards.
I just loved cars, motorbikes and aeroplanes, but I didn't get my hands on an engine until I was about 8, and then it was a model aircraft engine. My first proper "hands-on" was a Moggie 1000 that we used for banging around the fields (no bonnet, boot, wings,roof - basically just a dune buggy!) - by then I was about 11 or 12.

I'm not really quite sure why I became an electronic engineer...?

Martin.

Probably because you knew that there would be more money in electronics, after all cars were much more reliable ( until they became infested with electronics)!
Regards,
ploughman. (owner of a pug 406 with air con fault which the ecu says is not there!)

Age 18 I remember thinking long and hard about whether I wanted to make electronics a career and things mechanical a hobby or vice-versa. Plumped for a mech eng degree and failed miserably. Got a job with EMI Radar Div and 'pissed' a day release HN something-or-other in electronics. Now I'm a sales engineer for mechanical products (aircraft bearings) and what I can remember of the academic side of either discipline could be measured on the fingers of one foot. Go figure!

NHH

Gentlemen,

When it came to education I was lazy and always did enough to pass and no more so when the decision came to look for work I opted for an engineering apprenticeship and became a machine tool fitter and then a few years on I was asked whether I wanted to learn about being a cross trades Technician so jumped at it and got a basic grounding in Electronics and Electrical knowledge which has seen me in good stead in Service engineering. I dont regret a minute of what I have done or achieved.
Its amazing what you retain from your education that you thought was a waste of time but now I find myself using it.
By the way the electronics I learnt I applied via Pneumatic logic, hydraulics etc because I find some commonality.

Martin P

I started along the same lines as everyone else with pulling things to bits, With me my first memories are of evenings spent disassembling Scalextrics cars.

Then it was bicycles until I was about 14 when I developed an interest in motorcycles, a neighbour gave me and a mate an old NSU Quickly which we soon had running.

We then progressed onto a Lambretta GP 150 which we stripped down to the basics, we had a lot of fun with it over the fields and woods which have now sadly given way to roads and houses.

At this point I was hooked on the Infernal Combustion engine forever, of coarse I eventually made it onto stationary engines but my first love still remains the motorcycle.

Cheers, Gerry.

I just turned 69 and can't remember when I wasn't interested in how things work. Dad was also interested in electronics (ham radio operator from way back) and kept our lawnmowers, plumbing and other stuff fixed.

I was often Dad's willing helper and picked up a lot of knowledge from that. As a child I could also be found looking over the shoulder and bothering a local auto mechanic (now a good friend who's over 90 years old and still runs his own shop).

In the service, I trained in electronics. Became a licensed broadcast engineer after the U. S. Air Force. After a while I struck out on my own as an electronic and mechanical design consultant and now, being retired, worthless and bone idle, I design and build small engines.



You can all go back to sleep now.

_________________
Take care - Elden
http://www.eldensengines.com

We always had engines in the family as my dad started gathering them in the mid 50's. I ended up becoming a time served toolmaker, but moved out of getting dirty hands for a living about 15 years ago. The engines help me keep my eye in and I can't get enough of tinkering with them.

However, I'm still learning ..........

Dazzla

When did I learn? I'm still learning.
That's the great thing about engineering. As soon as you think you've learned about something, they improve it.

John

My "training" began when I was about 5 helpling my Dad to keep His Austin 16 on the road. I distinctly remember helpling Him to change the Big End Shells and tinkering with the horn button in the middle of the steering wheel because it used to blow the horn every time You turned a corner!! Then came one of My favourite Xmas pressies of all time, A Number 4 Meccano set!!!! From then on I was hooked!!!!!

I was one of these ones that took stuff apart from a early age, been told I also put them back together and they worked, which was nice.

Started on Engines when I was about 4, Grandad was a founder member of the Kernow Old Vehicle Club.

To keep me out the way of my mum and my newborn Sister I played with engines, this kicked me off into engineering at school and college.
at college I got a few machining skills, for final project for my AVCE Engineering, I fitted a Stuart turner P4 with a electronic governor and hocked it up to a bus Dynamo, so an exact voltage could be achieved by setting the revs, we used the magneto as a rev counter and it worked quite well, But it was for from prefect.

Started a HND while learning about Radar and Radio equipment on a work placement at RNAS Culdrose, got fed up not having any money and joined up to become a ICT Tech.
Had a break from engines for a few years as I had no storage as I lived in the block, got my tinkering fix by servicing cars for people on camp, got married and the engines flooded back.

Started working as a Network Security Engineer and now being sent to be a typist.......Not happy!

My wife doesn't like my engine habit now, just wait until I'm in a job where no thinking or technical know how is applied! Just stamping bits of paper and a bit of typing, I cant even type, Been a few years since I touched a Lathe so probably forgot it all

Cheers Steve