Christmas Gift Ideas for Design Engineers 2022
It’s that time again! The holiday season is soon upon us, and with it the mad rush to find the perfect gift for the important people in your life. Cue our fourth annual gift idea review for design engineers. If you’re shopping for a designer or an engineer, this article is for you. If you are a designer or an engineer, this article is also for you, to help alleviate the stress of having to produce a list of gift ideas on top of everything else that’s already on your plate.
We are unaffiliated with these products but sincerely recommend them to anyone in the design world and hope you will appreciate them as we do. Whether you use this list to shop for someone else, or to inspire ideas for your own gift list, we hope that its use leads to good design and creativity. The BDR team wishes you a merry Christmas, and happy season of giving!
Tools
1. Klein Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper, $21
Chris Mabey: This was a game changer for electronics projects when I need to strip wires. It handles 12-22 AWG wire. You don’t have to make sure you select the right hole, just put your wire in and it perfectly strips the insulation. It’s only a few dollars more than the wire strippers with the holes for each wire gauge, and Klein tools will last you a very long time.
2. No. 6 Kline screwdriver (very large flat head screwdriver) $14
Chris Mattson: A few years ago, when I was building out a new tool bag, I watched many YouTube videos on what trade professionals included in their tool bags. One suggestion was to have the large Kline number 6 flat head screw driver. The YouTuber said if you get one you’ll use it all the time, but rarely for large flat head screws. I bought one and learned he was exactly right. At home I use my at least once a week. I use it as pry bar, a wedge, a lever arm, as a digging pick (especially when I’m working on the sprinkler system). This tool is surprisingly useful and beautiful.
3. Milwaukee fastback, about 10$
Samuel: If you follow the design review, you’ll know that we are all big fans of this utility knife. Milwaukee’s latest iteration of this knife has made it lighter and it’s still just as useful as ever. The fastback is really easy to open and change out the blade when you need to. Given its small size, this is my new favorite knife for hiking and travel. There are also versions of this knife available that have a screwdriver on them.
Chris Mabey: You will often hear these called “speed squares”, and they are great for marking lines when prototyping, checking if corners or tools are square, as a guide for cuts, and scribing lines. I like that a rafter square is fixed and you don’t have to worry about the alignment being correct.
Samuel: This app has become indispensable to my design work and my school work. I was originally looking for an app that would simply let me import and annotate PDFs, and I found something even better. Notability is a great app for note taking, sketching, drawing, and annotating imported documents. It has a written note to text feature, and it also lets you record audio and sync it with your notes. My only complaint is that it is only available for iOS; I hope the app expands to other devices in the future.
6. Ryobi Electric Screwdriver, $25 (on sale right now, normally $40)
Chris Mabey: Great for assembly and light duty tasks. I love having one around if I ever need to disassemble a product, it is much faster.
Chris Mabey: These steel blocks have a side that is 1, 2, and 3 inches. So its great for a quick dimension check or to calibrate a machine. They have threaded holes to fix them to a surface for making a jig. A precision block of steel also just feels great.
8. Digital Tape Measure - $39.99
Derek Ashby: I’ve always hated trying to figure out which microscopic tick mark my measurement fell closest to. Here’s a solid solution to that issue.
9. Long surgical forceps (really): $13 for pair of two (one curved, one straight)
Chris Mattson: My dad once gave me an old pair of long 10 inch surgical forceps. I have gone in and out of using this tool frequently, but I’m glad I have it. It is indispensable for reaching into small areas and picking something out (like a dropped nut or washer). It is also great for delivering a nut or bolt to a precise hard to reach place. It is also a mini and cool looking clamp. I have a pair that holds closed my multi-use alcohol wipe for cleaning my 3D printer print bed.
Supplies
10. Super Glue Accelerator ($15)
Chris Mattson: After watching enough YouTube videos where makers were using super glue accelerator, I decided to try it, and it is great. In essence it makes super glue instant, so there is no shifting while waiting for parts to dry. I don’t even like to think about using super glue without it. While I do use it in my office, it is an aerosol, so use with caution.
11. Threaded Inserts for 3d Prints: $70 for full kit.
Chris Mattson: When I first started 3D printing, I printed things the way I would have injection molded them, including planning for self taping screws to hold parts together. Then after sometime I began designing for 3D printing and to take advantage of its properties, this led to me using threaded inserts. These are small brass ‘nuts’ that get melted into a 3D print after the print is done. Parts fastened together with threaded inserts are rock solid and the joint is infinitely reversible. You can pick them up at McMaster-Carr. I use the threaded inserts 6-32 for 3D prints. You’ll also need the 6-32 bolt or screw, clearly. A basic Weller soldering iron with the 6-32 adapter is best, and can also be purchased at McMaster. Other sizes are available such as 1/4-20’s, which I have. But for the consumer level handheld sized objects I 3D print for, the 6-32 is the size I use the most.
Iron: $33, this is the iron I use
Books and Fun
12. Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley
Samuel: This inspiring book helped me get a better idea of what design thinking is and how I can apply it in my own design work. It’s full of memorable stories as well. Kelley’s advice will help you get better at ideation, teamwork, prototyping, and strengthen your resolve to create innovative and human centered designs.
13. Magnet Pen - $13.90-$15.90
Will: If you’re a designer, you’ve always got a pen handy. Why settle for a boring ball point pen? This pen can separate into multiple magnetic sections, two stylus tips, and includes magnetic balls for when you get bored.
Samuel: It’s always fun to find a toy that is intentionally and beautifully designed. These tops are machined out of aluminum, steel, and titanium, and come with machined and electroplated finishes. They have a ceramic tip that lets them spin for minutes on end. I keep mine on my desk, and whenever I get stuck or distracted on a problem, I give it spin.
15. Magnetic Levitating Globe - $40.99-$41.99
Will Godfrey: Desk getting too drab? This is an easy and fun way to add character to a desk. Includes a lighted crescent magnet and lighted globe which can spin freely in the air.
16. Shape Shifting Box - $25.00
Will : This doesn’t look too crazy right off the bat, but it can be a mind bender. Looks great on a desk, and works well as an aesthetically pleasing stress-reliever.
17. The Dune Series by Frank Hebert
Samuel: I’m currently on book four of this series and am loving it. Dune is an outstanding piece of sci-fi and I am continually impressed with how well the world of Dune is designed. Herbert wrote books one, two, and three in parallel (although he finished book one first), allowing the characters and plots of these books to work together in a spectacular way. The characters, worlds, governments, and technologies feel real in how well they are researched and described. For every kind of designer, engineer, scientist, or story teller, Dune is sure to enlighten and entertain.
