exFSAE
08-11-2008, 07:19 AM
As a spin off of the other thread, might be worth putting in some input as to what's worthwhile for YOU to get yourself if you plan on working on the team? Or stuff to keep in mind?
These are just my thoughts..
Tools<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Your own dial or digital calipers. God knows what people have been doing with the shop calipers and how accurate they are anymore. Plus, inevitably someone is using them when you need them. You can get cheapo ones.. but Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, and Mitutoyo are all very good quality
<LI>If you're doing any welding, your own gloves and electrodes. The shop/team gloves will be used by a zillion people, and for stuff other than welding. They will get tough, shrunken, and/or torn.. even though they only got purchased a month or two ago!
<LI>If you're doing machining, some of your own basic end mills (carbide preferably). Inevitably even if your shop has decent ones, they get abused, chipped, worn, tapered, or melted.. by running the tool backwards, running it through stainless at a speed more appropriate for aluminum, etc.
<LI>A couple good Sharpies so you don't have to use the ones that are wore to a nub and have no ink left.
<LI>Mechanix gloves. Welding gloves are for welding. Not general purpose crap. Helps so your welding gloves dont get tough, shrunken, and torn (see above)
[/list]
Tips
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Don't trust anyone's input without having it make sense in your own brain. I don't care if its me, other people here, your alumni, your advisor, or Claude Rouelle. There's no one gospel to all of this, and no one knows it all. It's gotta make sense to YOU.
<LI>Don't trust anything mechanical. Check it yourself first. Machine tram, welder settings, that everything on the suspension is tight, brake bias, jam nuts on the wrong way, you name it. If it can be fucked up, it will be
<LI>If you're really new, ask how everything works and why it is the way it is. Be extremely wary if the reply is "that's how we've always done it." You'd be amazed at how easy something is done as a hackjob fix one year, and then continues year after year through mindless repetition
<LI>Be wary of anything you see on someone elses car. Popular thing at comp is to go around checkin out other teams cars for ideas, etc. I don't care who it is or how many competitions they've won. Chances are they do a great job, but just because it works for them doesn't mean its the best solution, or one that will work at all for you. Been plenty of times I've seen people taking pictures of our car and thinking to myself "Oh wow.. don't take a picture of THAT, that thing is terrible!"
<LI>If you learn to machine or weld and you're any good.. you will have your hands full!
<LI>If you're going to be team captain/lead - you can't do it all yourself. I learned the hard way. As much as you want your car to be THE ONE, and perfect, at some point you gotta give some stuff up. You can be the project manager OR the lead design guy OR the lead metal fabricator OR the data guy. Trying to do all at once is bad, bad news.
<LI>You will not be an effective PM or captain by being everyone's friend. There is a time for tough love. Your title really means nothing, and being a manager of your peers is very difficult when you ARE their peer. Lead by example, ask nothing more of a team member than you are willing to give yourself, realize not everyone is at the same level of dedication, and if people respect you they will listen.
[/list]
Just my 2 cents.
These are just my thoughts..
Tools<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Your own dial or digital calipers. God knows what people have been doing with the shop calipers and how accurate they are anymore. Plus, inevitably someone is using them when you need them. You can get cheapo ones.. but Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, and Mitutoyo are all very good quality
<LI>If you're doing any welding, your own gloves and electrodes. The shop/team gloves will be used by a zillion people, and for stuff other than welding. They will get tough, shrunken, and/or torn.. even though they only got purchased a month or two ago!
<LI>If you're doing machining, some of your own basic end mills (carbide preferably). Inevitably even if your shop has decent ones, they get abused, chipped, worn, tapered, or melted.. by running the tool backwards, running it through stainless at a speed more appropriate for aluminum, etc.
<LI>A couple good Sharpies so you don't have to use the ones that are wore to a nub and have no ink left.
<LI>Mechanix gloves. Welding gloves are for welding. Not general purpose crap. Helps so your welding gloves dont get tough, shrunken, and torn (see above)
[/list]
Tips
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Don't trust anyone's input without having it make sense in your own brain. I don't care if its me, other people here, your alumni, your advisor, or Claude Rouelle. There's no one gospel to all of this, and no one knows it all. It's gotta make sense to YOU.
<LI>Don't trust anything mechanical. Check it yourself first. Machine tram, welder settings, that everything on the suspension is tight, brake bias, jam nuts on the wrong way, you name it. If it can be fucked up, it will be
<LI>If you're really new, ask how everything works and why it is the way it is. Be extremely wary if the reply is "that's how we've always done it." You'd be amazed at how easy something is done as a hackjob fix one year, and then continues year after year through mindless repetition
<LI>Be wary of anything you see on someone elses car. Popular thing at comp is to go around checkin out other teams cars for ideas, etc. I don't care who it is or how many competitions they've won. Chances are they do a great job, but just because it works for them doesn't mean its the best solution, or one that will work at all for you. Been plenty of times I've seen people taking pictures of our car and thinking to myself "Oh wow.. don't take a picture of THAT, that thing is terrible!"
<LI>If you learn to machine or weld and you're any good.. you will have your hands full!
<LI>If you're going to be team captain/lead - you can't do it all yourself. I learned the hard way. As much as you want your car to be THE ONE, and perfect, at some point you gotta give some stuff up. You can be the project manager OR the lead design guy OR the lead metal fabricator OR the data guy. Trying to do all at once is bad, bad news.
<LI>You will not be an effective PM or captain by being everyone's friend. There is a time for tough love. Your title really means nothing, and being a manager of your peers is very difficult when you ARE their peer. Lead by example, ask nothing more of a team member than you are willing to give yourself, realize not everyone is at the same level of dedication, and if people respect you they will listen.
[/list]
Just my 2 cents.