lets have some fun

[mobile_bob]

ok guys and gals, just for fun, an exercise to see how each of us engineer our projects

bear in mind there is no right answer to this question, the goal is to get an understanding of the average diy'ers approach to project development, share some experience, some stories, successes and failures, all in an effort to maybe learn something from the collective membership and maybe have some fun too.

preface with this,  there are engineers that will not even think of starting a project without hours of planning, development, mockups, finite element analysis blah blah blah, even if the project is something as simple as making a birdhouse.  on the other end of the spectrum are those that are seemingly allergic to taking even a moment to think, let alone even draw up a rudimentary plan of what it is they want to build, even if it were something as complex as some sort of life support system.

while i am sure there might be a couple of our fellow members that fit the two extremes, my bet is most of us fit somewhere in a broad spectrum down the middle between both these extremes.

so here we go

1. how would you classify yourself in this regard?

2. have you always been this way?

3. are you trying to change your approach to project production?

4. what would you say was your best result and worst result as it relates to a project?

5. what would you attribute the success of failure to?

again, i don't want this to spin out into "wow, that guy sure seems boneheaded" (or worse), because it takes all kinds to make the world go round and we all learn from others methods, successes and failures.

if you guys want to think about this a bit, and respond later, that is ok. i too am wanting to think this through a bit more, and will post on it a bit later.

thanks guys

bob g

[TimSR2]

The key part of the design process is to find or inherit some valuable key element that holds great promise to be something really useful or unique. eg, an engine, generator head, mast and boom.... oscilloscope, whatever.  Then put it under the workbench for a while and let it simmer.  Eventually, you will invent a new purpose for it. Given enough time, another key component will then volunteer itself, at a price that is too good to be true. The second component finds a purpose for the first component.

Then you are well on your way to being a true inventor.

A really bad marriage helps, because you get to spend more time in the shop (hiding from swmbo)

[Lloyd]

I'm in my planning, development, mockups, finite element analysis blah blah blah. All just to answer this post.
hehe

Lloyd

[uber39]

I'm the type that has a thought and runs with it, most things work - some should never have been started.
wind gen works a treat ( very old commercial model though )
solar trackers, see whats in the junk piles, a couple of universal beams - trailer axles - half a day with angle grinder and welder. Jobs done, didn't take twist into acc. and had to add a couple of rear legs, that problem solved, a week ago had a bad wind storm that took out one actuator, I'll repair soon as it pulled out the bearing that holds the whole thing together.
cogen ?? another story, but gett'in there   

[Mad_Labs]

Well, my process goes something like this: Once I have the idea, I kick it around a bit before I get going on it. Just to see if it seems viable and the idea sticks around long enough to get it's priority level. If it gets up to "lets check this idea out", I usually do some kind of proof of concept experiment. If successful, then I flesh it out a little and try to think it through a bit. Then I start actual building. If it feels good, I keep going. If I don't like the direction it is taking, I put it on the back burner and allow some time for new ideas and solution to problems. If the back burner doesn't work and I still want to do the project, I go ahead even if I don't like it so far and see how it works out.

1) Dunno. I'm not objective enough to rate myself. At a guess, a 5 out of 10 for pre-planning.
2) No. I used to be far more impulsive. Repeated painting myself into a corner or breaking things learned me.
3) Always. Change is progression. For example, I am trying to document better when I build. Makes repairs and repeating projects easier.
4) Best: Always willing to give it a shot, even if I have no idea what I am doing. Worst: Getting distracted and losing focus.
5) I'm good at finding stuff in the junk stash that can be made to do what I need.

I notice you didn't answer these question yourself, Bob!

Jonathan

[mobile_bob]

1. how would you classify yourself in this regard?

depends on the project, but i find that as i get older getting something to work just on dumb luck seems to be a less frequent occurrence. i find i do much more planning, study, research, and thinking (then go lay down and sleep on it), wash rinse and repeat, until the urge to build it is such that it overrides my hesitation to expend the energy. so for the most part i think i am a bit more toward the upper end of the scale, maybe somewhere around an 8. 

2. have you always been this way?

oh, hell no!  it seems most folks start out a bit more ambitious and jump right in, and i am no different in that regard. however the high cost of failed projects in physical input has matured my thinking a bit, actually quite a bit.

3. are you trying to change your approach to project production?

yes, i am really working on this.  and trying to learn all i can on how successful projects happen. it seems to be very rare that a really good project just happens or is built from an idea and an afternoon in the garage.  at least those projects that are anything other than very simple ones.

4. what would you say was your best result and worst result as it relates to a project?

worst results? probably early years with gokarts and scooters. building gokarts with no throttle control, no brakes, no engine shutdown and very little knowledge of gear ratio's always leads to near death experiences.  scooters are probably worse because they can fall down on you and make for a bad day.  other problem projects for me are wood working projects, where i have a hell of a time keeping things square. while this seems to come natural for some folks, it has always been a constant battle for me.   poor planning is the genesis of all my project problems, it seems the better i plan the better the result. the inverse is also true, and i think there is a non linear relationship at least for me.

5. what would you attribute the success of failure to?

successes?  proper planning, research, study and a plan. drawing it all up in detail goes a long way toward a better result in my experience.


failures?  lack of proper planning, and as much as i hate to admit it, trying to save a buck by using a part that turns out to not only not save me any money but cost me much more in time and money to replace it with the proper one to get the project to work.  often times that part i bought for 5 bucks costs me 50bucks to integrate into a project, when the right part might have cost me 10 bucks to start with and been a lot less hassle in the first place.

bob g

[LowGear]

I'll reply when I can take the time to read the entire question.

This is my most thought out planned answer.  I'd write more but I've got my finger stuck in a dike and I'm setting on a can of gas so the fumes don't get ignited.

Casey

[Mad_Labs]

Bob,

Didn't realize that #4 was about projects, even though it clearly stated so. My life is strewn with things that went wrong, but a few highlights:

Worst:
Jumped off the roof with an umbrella around age 7. Broke leg. Made a parachute based on watching WW2 movies and went to try again. Luckily, Mom caught me first.
Thought I could take the family tractor apart and put it back together while Dad was out of town. Wrong. A few months later thought that with my previous experience I should be able to do it now. Still wrong.
Motorized a tricycle, one of those big ones. I went into a rose bush, trike into a neighbor's swimming pool.
Got a big x-ray transformer. Made a Jacobs ladder using a tree to hold the wires. Burned the lawn and the tree.

Best:
Crystal radios that could DX all around the world.
Tesla coil that cranked out 9-10 foot thick hot arcs.
Plasma tweeter that sounded uncannily clear.
Sonoluminescence project that finally worked.
Current alt/motor charger for my off grid battery bank.

Jonathan