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November 10, 2014 - 1:21am
Starting to realize why Mechanicals and Electricals are usually segregated into their own departments...
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Comments
-SOME- mechs have an appreciation for precision tools and would not use them for a brute force job.
And what self respecting mechanical engineer doesn't carry a multi-tool or three on them at any given time? Or a pocket tool kit? Or is that just an American thing?
Unfortunately, Leatherman multi-tools don't come in metric configurations, so they would be useless to Canadian engineers.
Leatherman is only one brand. I had a Gerber and a CRKT that were both metric-only. My current choice of Gerber has both metric and imperial.
You see this a lot in the US but in Vancouver it's rather uncommon to carry a leatherman or pocket knife.
I am a bit biased by my limited experience with Canadians, and honestly even among others in the US I'm more... shall we say equipped? My regular day bag has a wide variety of basic hand tools in it. Clench wrenches, a ratcheting socket set, a ratcheting screwdriver, a small claw hammer, locking pliers, a 'precision' tool kit (tweezers and an array of small screwdrivers), and at least one multi-tool.
And yet not a week goes by I don't use at least one thing from my bag outside the house.
Even as an Aero student most my friends carry around a couple tools, everything from scissors to screwdrivers to duct tape to wrenches. I myself use a creditcard multitool...
As a mechanical that likes to use his tweezers for both the fiddly bits and the brute force, I highly suggest some micro pliers http://www.mcmaster.com/#micro-pliers/=ujft9r
Can only agree. Works for both disciplines, really - use the appropriate tools for the job, and micro-pliers are good! Surface mount stuff is a different matter though - had to build some special tools to do prototyping effectively with this, but they are quite simple to make.
I could have used one of these today
Sometimes the useful tools are *really* simple... https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQSfU602oCVJ9y8Vczi2_dsze8Y6MFxHAXzrCxWj2Sw38UthsXU5Q
The one I made was a bit more complicated, though. Uses the PCB drill stand, but replaces the drill with a spring-loaded point facing directly downwards. Holds even the smallest components in place for soldering. Also check out Handi-vac for picking them up - http://www.leenol.com/index.php?_m=mod_product&_a=view&p_id=768
And now the big question, did you guys actually catch the depicted tweezer siezer, or is he an archetype?
Yes, but even when the tweezers are pristine, its Loki's own joke on anyone who's trying to populate through-hole boards to try to keep those little bastards on target, much less in the board. Tap the board with a feather, and awaaaaaaay they go.
You can tell he's an engineer and not a technician or a technologist. A technician or technologist would never populate a PCB without prepping the components first. Engineers are notorious for bad soldering.
Is it socially acceptable for engineers to call those tweezers? Over in my world, biologists call those forceps and we are teased and taunted if we ever call them tweezers.
Forceps itself is an almost exclusively medical/biological term. There are physical differences between the tools though. If it doesn't have a hinge or lock and the teeth at the end are smooth, both terms are correctly applicable. If there is texture to the teeth or a hinge or lock in the body for leverage, they are forceps.