Gift ideas for mech eng buddy?

Kinja'd!!! by "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
Published 04/19/2017 at 16:11

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My close group of uni friends get each other bday gifts and we always have issues for one particular dude. Oppo, I turn to you looking for suggestions.

Kinja'd!!!

Last year we got him the pictured Lego Crawler Crane. He loved it even though there was manual work involved.

This year he got his own office at work so we’re thinking something cool that can be used as a decoration while also being, well, cool. Perhaps some weird architectural thing or a mechanical system... he likes cars but not quite at Oppo levels. Part of it can be a model CLS cuz that’s what he drives. I also wanted to get a scale engine model but they look kinda cheesy unless it’s the real deal.

Criteria:

The premise of these gifts is something you might not necessarily buy for yourself but would enjoy if someone else got for you

combined total of $200 CAD

Must be purchasable in, or ships to, Canada

Cool


Replies (20)

Kinja'd!!! "For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
04/19/2017 at 16:15, STARS: 2

As an engineer, all I want for a gift is an intern.

Kinja'd!!! "bob and john" (bobandjohn)
04/19/2017 at 16:16, STARS: 1

...i want the crane.

Kinja'd!!! "deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
04/19/2017 at 16:18, STARS: 0

One of these. Dorky, cheap, mildly entertaining.

https://www.amazon.com/Useless-Surprises-Machine-Assembled-EASTBULL/dp/B00YIOVWEW/

Kinja'd!!! "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/19/2017 at 16:20, STARS: 0

Unfortunately we cannot gift him that

Kinja'd!!! "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/19/2017 at 16:21, STARS: 1

Does he have a slide rule yet?

Kinja'd!!! "Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
04/19/2017 at 16:21, STARS: 1

Maybe Lego architecture if you want to keep it with the plastic bricks. That’s all the ideas I’ve got.

Kinja'd!!! "Mondial goes to 11" (mondialgoesto11)
04/19/2017 at 16:23, STARS: 0

LEGO Set#42053 Volvo EW160E. Working pneumatic system!

Kinja'd!!! "smobgirl" (smobgirl)
04/19/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 1

I really want one of those working model engines you have to assemble yourself, but no one is going to buy me one.

Kinja'd!!! "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/19/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 0

I don’t think he has one. Let me sneak that in as a question to him...

Kinja'd!!! "Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
04/19/2017 at 16:28, STARS: 2

https://www.amazon.com/Abong-Mechanical-Wooden-Clock-Kit/dp/B00R8ET4O4

Kinja'd!!!

How about a wall clock?

Kinja'd!!! "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/19/2017 at 16:28, STARS: 0

The legit ones that actually drink fuel as opposed to have an electric motor to simulate movement basically don’t exist to purchase - you have to fabricate and build them from scratch. Unless I didn’t look hard enough.

Kinja'd!!! "RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/19/2017 at 16:31, STARS: 0

There are antique century-old German ones available, Russian/Soviet ones with instructions in Russian - I’ve just been on eBay and it’s a treasure trove of them. Maybe get a slide rule *and* some other engineering/drafting tools. I think as a BSME myself that that would rule to get as a gift.

Kinja'd!!! "RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
04/19/2017 at 16:31, STARS: 3

The Useless Machine:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

My engineer clients get a kick out of it. Way under your budget too, so you can get him a denim jacket or some Molson’s.

Kinja'd!!! "smobgirl" (smobgirl)
04/19/2017 at 16:35, STARS: 0

Sorry, I don’t have any specific detailed knowledge of what exists. I just like putting stuff together.

Kinja'd!!! "415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)" (415s30)
04/19/2017 at 16:37, STARS: 0

What is Lego thinking, a crane would never pick that up with a claw, you have to wrap points with span sets and shackle that. Totally unsafe lego crane operator, we should melt him with a magnifying glass.

Kinja'd!!! "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/19/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 0

Really cool, will suggest to my friends. Thanks!

Kinja'd!!! "Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
04/19/2017 at 17:42, STARS: 0

Working steam engine kit sounds awesome to me.

https://www.ministeam.com/acatalog/Kits.html

Kinja'd!!! "valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/19/2017 at 18:44, STARS: 0

Wooow this is beyond cool! But damn some of these sets are really expensive. The search begins...

Kinja'd!!! " The Compromiser" (charger)
04/19/2017 at 20:02, STARS: 0

A neat older technical drawing.

Kinja'd!!! "404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
04/19/2017 at 21:41, STARS: 0

Is he into electronics as well? Maybe something like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi robotics kit:

https://www.amazon.ca/Elegoo-Four-wheel-Ultrasonic-Intelligent-Educational/dp/B01DPH0SWY/