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Would you encourage your children to become Engineers?

cstanton

Or perhaps they have naturally gravitated towards it themselves?

Some say if you have the tendency for engineering, technology, the sciences, the 'knack', then you'll gravitate towards it - but as an Engineer or perhaps a practical or technical Maker yourself is Engineering a career or hobby that you've encouraged? Or did you find that they naturally picked it up?

Or would you actually prefer they steer clear of it and why? What potential pitfalls from your experience would you advise against or to prepare for?

Parents

  • I can't say my experience is the common path, but I recall my Dad who worked at a factory bring junk parts home (motors, wiring, etc) and I would take them apart while he did stuff on his work bench. At a later date he went out and got a beay up lawn mower and had me take apart the engine. This putzing around at home led me to taking shop classes at school (electronics, metal working, wood working, auto stuff). Those experiences led me to have an interest in engineering initially.

  • in reply to rscasny

    I was going to say: I bet most kids gravitate towards engineering because of a parent, grandparent or teacher encouraging an interest in such things.  Some kids just like taking things apart to see how they work (and not necessarily being able to put them back together again!) Either way, I think that kids develop the knack very quickly if they're interested enough.

    George Daniels started by taking his father's clock apart when he was out at work and failing to put it back together again; in the 1930's the only encouragement that got you was a clip around the ear!  But it started his lifelong passion with mechanical objects, particularly watches and clocks (but also Bentleys) to the extent he taught himself every step required to make a watch from scratch and invented a new escapement that changed hundreds of years of 'the norm'.  And how to change a clutch on the hard shoulder of the M6 in winter in the pouring rain.

  • in reply to Andrew J

    There was a great documentary on GD a while back! It was awesome. Very clever escapement. 

Reply Children
  • in reply to shabaz

    I missed that but I have read a lot about him.  Back in 1999 when Omega released a set of watches with his new escapement in I bought one - a bargain really.  The exact same model is in the Science Museum (mine is a higher edition number though!)  His book on 'how to make a watch' where he describes all the processes involved, with drawings, is fascinating.  You forget when you see the pictures, he's actually talking about machining (manual lathe) parts that are a couple of mm long or toothed-wheels that are mm's in diameter with complicated shaped teeth.

  • in reply to Andrew J

    This is the moment where I have to make a confession: I subscribed to the youtube channel Wristwatch Revival. Not because I'm that much into watches - I don't own one. But it is very comforting and nice to see someone working on these incredible fine mechanisms. Therapy.

  • in reply to Andrew J

    Nice! Smart move buying one back then. Every couple of years I look at Omega watches but kept putting it off, thinking there are other uses for the money, but the prices keep going up too : ( I think prices are easily double what they were 10 years ago.

    It was called "The watchmaker's apprentice', it's on Apple TV but maybe there's a version elsewhere too. 

    It's definitely one incredible labour of love to be able to make such a device from scratch. I also liked reading about John Harrison, in the book 'Longitude' by Dava Sobel. That's a really enjoyable book.

  • in reply to Jan Cumps

    This looks like a great channel, I may watch some of this tonight : )

  • in reply to shabaz

    Prices have gotten way, way out of hand and for the most part aren't worth it given very few manufacturers genuinely make their own movements.  I wouldn't buy an Omega now, even second hand they're over priced in my opinion.  I should know, I just sold a 20 year old Seamaster for £500 more than I bought it for brand new!  I read that book very recently as well as "The Marine Chronometer" by Rupert Gould, both are very good - a lot more history in Gould's book.