What are some resources I can utilize to teach myself the basics of engineering and mechanics? Answered

I gained most of my engineering knowledge from my father (an old time steam engineer) Also doing practical projects with varying success when younger.

Reading practical thinks (magazines abound even on line) and making models something I still do today.

http://www.animatedengines.com/

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php

http://www.john-tom.com/html/Engines.html

http://www.nativeaccess.com/allabout/index.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=Popular+mechanics&tbs=,bkv:f,bkt:m&num=10

http://durealeyes.com/

http://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/Bohm_Stirling_Engines_and_Kits.html

http://www.jjjtrain.com/vms/library.html

http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/

http://www.mekanizmalar.com/index.html

http://herff.com/wordpress/?cat=12

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/03/history-of-human-powered-cranes.html

http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=vOhIAAAAMAAJ


Enough already!  The information is out there :-)

Read - Try - Do

Best way to learn anything.

check http://anengineersaspect.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%2025%20Lists and read section 15. It's a lot of free educational resources. I received AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor for free by being a student, and taught myself the programs. There are plenty of good books out there, but I find experimenting on your own or with somebody else works best. I have had the privilege of being around engineers for a large portion of my life, and I'm now an engineering student at my local vocational school.

Taking apart everything mechanical in sight is a pretty good start as well. It's best to know how to put them back together though.

Do you mean the theroretical basic of engineering, which is highly mathematical, or a sense of mechanism ? Most degrees don't seem to offer a sense of what's possible, or what has been achieved. Old engineerng books are a great resource - I picked up a lovely set of books on mechanisms from a remaindered book store in the USA on a visit a couple of years ago.

Or do you mean the practical basis ? Like hand skills ? These are MUCH easier to find if you can get to one of the hacker spaces that are springing up everywhere.

Steve

Follow this thread to observe and learn how a problem is resoled
in a technical group.

A

First you must learn to change a flat tire on a Ford at night.

A

Speaking only for myself:

I have no formal background in this area.

I have some extremely basic knowledge that I have picked up by learning it when I needed it -- mostly, enough to have a sense of what might be possible and what isn't, and enough to discuss what I need with someone who has the deeper knowledge when I need to ask for assistance.

Part of the art of inventing is knowing how to break a problem down into parts that someone else can make for you. Part of the business of inventing is figuring out how to hire them -- and in general how to do your experimenting without going broke. Among other things, the expert will generally find a way to do what you need better and less expensively (in production) than you would as a tinkerer.

Learn what you can of what you need -- but also learn when to say "this is something which I either need to learn properly or farm out to someone who has learned it properly."