The Neverending Search
The Neverending Search
(OP)
It's been almost two years since I started working as an engineer, 6 months since I started in the aerospatial industry as a materials&processes eng. And there's this thing I noticed: 80% of the things I deal are not easy-access.
I mean, I always end up wasting time, stuck into finding what hell of an ASTM standard is out there for nickel alloy welding, or where I can find the density of the Whateverflom-Butidontnyl polymer or similar stuff.
It is not that I haven't got resources, we have handbooks, manuals, catalogues, access to standard-downloading pay websites and whatnot...
...but it happens more than usually that the component I'm searching for is highly marginal and with so few data available, and I have to look endlessly until I find the property I want into an obscure reference hidden into the darkest place of the archive or into a link in the internet, just before I was about to retreat.
I use this site a lot, and it helps, but sometimes it isn't enough.
Do you, senior engineers, have the same problem or is it that I haven't mastered the art of search or something?





RE: The Neverending Search
In my first ten years as an engineer after uni I didn't buy any books at all - I got a few freebies along the way.
In my third decade I think I buy at least a book a month.
So I have a strong suspicion that a young engineer lacks the shear density of reference material that I rely on.
Materials data in particular is more difficult - it costs money, and there is no theory driving it - nobody gets intellectual kudos from publishing big tables of fatigue properties.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The Neverending Search
The good news is that as you continue, you will be building your own knowledgebase and it does become a bit easier.
Regards,
RE: The Neverending Search
At that point it is worth considering exactly if, how and why you should publish it - after all, it scarcely seems reasonable to expect other people to do what you won't. (Clue - you won't publish it, be bloody glad that previous generations were so generous)
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The Neverending Search
I spend much less time searching for info, except for the data on unobtainium. Greg is right on his hint, you will not publish the results of your testing to give your competitor an edge (unless the testing was funded with tax dollars).
RE: The Neverending Search
RE: The Neverending Search
My last company decided to clean house one Saturday.
They (facilities) threw out everything including books, drawings, tooling, paper, etc. They didn't know what the stuff was!!
So, I am fresh out of books...
Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
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SolidWorks Legion
RE: The Neverending Search
RE: The Neverending Search
Thanks to everyone for your comments!
Well, first thing I thought was to find a senior and "suck" all his research knowledge, but problem is, I haven't still found the right target!!
I guess I just have to keep searching until I build a good database and a solid list of sources. But, as of today, for me it can take an enormous amount of time to find a number or a reference, or useful data.
About testing, well, If I was free to do so, I would tensile-test even my pencil and publish the data everywhere. But I'm afraid my company is not that keen about testing. And also there's a lot of internal bureaucracy to fulfill...
RE: The Neverending Search
RE: The Neverending Search
Today, like Greg, I buy almost a book a month, but mostly they're not as much help they used to be. Early on, your career is well within the mainstream boundaries and things like Mark's Handbook are quite helpful. Later, if your interests and abilities allow it, you move toward the edges of what is known/proven/accepted and have to make more and more judgement calls without any authority to cite. You know you've arrived when you look something up in a book (or Google it) and find that nearly every citation for that subject is from papers you've written (or your own eng-tips.com posts).
One thing that I wish someone had told me early in my career--start a file of equations early. Ten years ago (about 20 years into my career) I started a MathCad file I call "Fluid". Every time I have to derive something, decide which published constants I believe, or simply find something that was useful I put a fully documented version in my Fluid.xmd file with a title and a collapsed area. Right now it is around 30 screens collapsed and is invaluable. It is the first place I go with a problem that I think I might have ever seen before.
David
RE: The Neverending Search
You are clearly smarter than I zdas04
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: The Neverending Search
V
RE: The Neverending Search
The file approach seems like a good idea if you are always around the same kind of problems. The problem, as I said, is that I end up doing different things, and although they aren't breakthrough rocket-science, they aren't precisely mainstream.
So, a "stiff" approach, such as building or getting into a good database doesn't also seem to be the answer, because one day I can find the data for an specific subject but the next that stuff is invalid, because I'm into another stuff. I need to stablish "dynamic" routines of searching instead. Maybe it's best for me to build a database of sources, and their related knowledge field.
Well, maybe that's an idea. I can write an excel with all the sources/references I find for different subjects...
RE: The Neverending Search
I have a lot of source references that are often useful, but more often than not the great sources that I cited are no longer available the next time I need them (e.g., a lot of people have bookmarked www.muleshoe-eng.com for the samples pages, when I actually retire I am not going to continue paying for that web page so anyone who marked it will find a broken link).
Good luck
David
RE: The Neverending Search
I'm currently thinking of writing myself a Wiki of all the stuff I know (or think I know) about tyres and vehicle dynamics. This would be more focused on racing and setup engineering (i.e. practical vehicle dynamics) than theory - because that's what I've got through experience that isn't really published or written in books.
I'm planning to use DokuWiki on a stick (h
I was originally planning a documents database, but found I wanted something a bit less structured that was still linked together in some way and searchable.
Just wondering if anyone else has done anything similar?
Ben
RE: The Neverending Search
Unless your in a prison cell.
RE: The Neverending Search
David
RE: The Neverending Search
Of course, then I'll need a backup for the backup drive...
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The Neverending Search
RE: The Neverending Search
Having a stick where I can collect things as I find them, to use for future searches might be a good idea.
Anyone experienced on the DocuWiki thing? is it really practical?
Maybe just a log file to index things and throw everything into folders might be enough.
RE: The Neverending Search
It suits the way I work very well, I can write notes, with other files embedded. As wordprocessors go it is not much good for writing reports, and I haven't tried to print anything out yet.
The worst thing is tables, for which wikis, and browsers generally, have rather ugly syntax.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The Neverending Search
Regards,
RE: The Neverending Search
Also I have heard you can have the wiki search pdf's to find what you are looking for this would be great for going through codes
RE: The Neverending Search
Databases have two related problems:
1) When they are empty, they are boring.
2) Putting things in is boring.
If you can get over (2), (1) goes away.
- Steve
RE: The Neverending Search
Ben