Engineer Recommendations

[The H]

Starting a thread to keep together a list of recommended items for engineers or engineering cadets.

Looking for examples of:

• Books
• Computer Software
• Equipment
• etc

Once complied this can be condensed into an article for our home page.

[Clanky]

Books:

General Engineering Knowledge - HD McGeorge

Marine Auxilliary Machinery - HD McGeorge

Marine Electrical Equipment and Practise - HD McGearge

The Running and Maintenance of Marine Machinery - IMarEST

Zeus (sp?) tables

Software:

Word processing and drawing, OpenOffice.org stuff should be good enough for preparing any reports that you need, it is free and people with experience in MS Office should pick it up quite quickly.

Equipment:

A good drawing set (most colleges will have these available to buy)

A good waterproof torch, needs to be Ex (intrinsically safe) rated if you are going on tankers, better if it is regardless of where you are going.

A digital camera doesn't have to be top quality, just enough to produce photos to add to reports and remind you where things were during orals revision

A decent sized memory stick

If possible a laptop, but you should have access to a ship's computer if not

Etc.

A sense of humour

[The H]

Thanks Clanky, would you say that was more for cadets? Would you add anything once qualified?

[Clanky]

Books

The Reids Marine Engineering Series - General Engineering Knowledge for Marine Engineers, Motor (or steam if you are that way inclined) Engineering Knowledge for Marine Engineers are a must for second's / chief's CoC study, there is also a couple of electrical books in that series, IIRC one is more theoretical and one more practical, and an instrumentation and control book.

Software

Can't think of anything extra

Equipment

A shifter (bahco)

A new torch, your old one will either have been lost or broken when you were a cadet

Etc

A new sense of humour, your old one will either have been lost or broken when you were a cadet

[ETwhat?]

Software wise i would recommend a CAD program i use the free version of Vector Engineering and might even upgrade it at some point its fairly basic but is good for simple proper drawings that can have dimensions etc added, handy for making some nice looking pictures in reports etc.
AutoCAD offer students free product keys but you need to know what your doing with it, and also need a decent screen and computer to really use it.

Books practical marine electrical knowledge by denis t hal is a good cover for all electrical things.

[mak]

K.A Stroud's Engineering Mathematics has done me well so far. Camera is an essential. I'm all at sea (ha!) without mine just now, it having been nicked before I left.

[Chiefy]

The blue electrics book....D Thompson (?)

Steam table...for college, I have a set in excel are awesome :-)

[jc173]

A set of decent pens ... amazing how much you write down and how many pens you loose

[GuinnessMan]

My list: -

A) Torch - A decent intrinsic one (brightlight make some good ones). I've yet to see a decent one on a ship.

B) Comfortable walked in Safety Boots/Shoes - Trust me!

C) Comfortable, proper fitting boilersuit, closing method will depend on ship (no zips on certain tanker types)

D) Shifter - A decent one,

E) Hard-Wearing Pad that is small enough for your pocket and lots of cheap biro's (I still lose them by the dozen),

F) Small Multi-Tool with a sharp blade - comes in handy all the time but you must maintain it!

G) I wouldn't bother with a CAD program. You won't use it very often.

H) A small, but tough camera that won't mind a few scrapes. We used to use Casio camera's in my previous company and those survived being dropped to the bottom of a ballast tank. Go-Pro's would work equally as well and I did see one of those survive a few thousand feet fall,

I) Proper set of ear defenders - Don't go cheap on this as your hearing is important and it's nicer to have your own pair than a pair someone else has sweated into. Arco make good sets.

J) Sense of Humour and Humility - Very important! Make sure this one gets packed otherwise you will have one very lonely and poor trip.

[mak]

I take at least two pens to the ECR every day and every day they get nicked or lost. I discovered the stationery cupboard at the weekend and I don't care anymore!

[Clanky]

www.marinediesels.info

This site is fantastic for both cadets and for those studying for higher certificates.

There is a free section which is pitched at about the right level for cadets and a members section with past paper questions and worked answers for seconds and chiefs motor EK's

I wouldn't recommend that cadets pay for the members section, as that part of the site is aimed at a much higher level than you need, but the free section is very good and for anyone doing higher certificates of competency the members section is well worth the money.

[Chiefy]

Ear defenders should be company supply

[jc173]

http://www.marineengineering.org.uk/

Is another essential source that we had on a local drive onboard!

[Clanky]

Bump, can a mod / admin please stick this thread?

[size4riggerboots]

Done!