"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:35:05 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

I'd learned
mechanical drawing in jr high and Statics and the properties of
metals

Statics or statistics? I had all the tech classes in early school,
too. Metal and wood shops, basic aviation, HS organic chemistry,
mech
dwg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statics

I haven't used it enough to remember how to calculate moments of
inertia so I use the AISI Manual of Steel Construction and these for
beam and column loading.
http://books.google.com/books/about/...yvs9 AAAAYAAJ
http://www.amazon.com/Simplified-Des.../dp/0471666297

I studied other fields to learn enough to recognize impending problems
and credibly convince the project engineer that he needed to consult
an expert to solve them. I learned machining so I wouldn't make dumb,
expensive design errors.

Companies that design with moving parts, like Segway, have mechanical
engineers, but purely electronic companies may be lost when the
occasional mechanical design issue arises.
-jsw