Gnome Engineering

Gnome Engineering is one of two disciplines engineers may specialize in upon attaining level 20 and 200 skill. The other is Goblin Engineering. Gnome Engineering innovation is diverse, with items ranging from Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt and Gnomish Mind Control Cap to the World Enlarger. This diversity can give Gnome Engineers the element of surprise and situational advantages when facing enemies.

Becoming a Gnome Engineer
Once you've reached the level where you can choose an engineering specialty, you can pick up the quest Gnomish Engineering from an engineering trainer in a capital city. Alliance engineers should see Lilliam Sparkspindle in Stormwind, Tana Lentner in Darnassus, Ockil in the Exodar, or Tinkmaster Overspark in Ironforge. Horde engineers should talk to Roxxik in Orgrimmar, Danwe in Silvermoon City, Engineer Palehoof in Thunder Bluff, or Franklin Lloyd in Undercity. You can turn in the quest to any of these trainers in your faction.

To complete this quest you must build or purchase the following items:
 * 6x Mithril Tube
 * 2x Advanced Target Dummy
 * 1x Accurate Scope

Manufacturing these items requires the following base ingredients:
 * 18x Mithril Bar
 * 6x Bronze Bar
 * 6x Iron Bar
 * 1x Gold Bar
 * 1x Jade
 * 1x Citrine
 * 2x Medium Leather
 * 8x Heavy Leather
 * 2x Wool Cloth

If you don't have a Gyromatic Micro-Adjustor you will also need 4x Steel Bar to make one. This tool is needed to make the scope.

When you turn in the quest, the Gnomish Engineer specialization is added to the Engineering section of the Professions tab in your spellbook. You can now learn engineering recipes that require Gnomish Engineering! Congratulations!

Membership
Having completed the exercises above, you used to be given a Gnome Engineer Membership Card. This remains valid for 14 days of 'played time' (336 hours in-game), not 14 real days.

Prior to Patch 3.1.0, you could renew this card for 2 gold, and as a side benefit get Gnome Engineer's Renewal Gift in the mail, which had a chance of being a useful engineering schematic. The schematics Schematic: Lil' Smoky and Schematic: Pet Bombling were only acquirable this way.

Now, however, it is simply an ability in your spellbook, called Gnomish Engineer. Clicking it opens the Engineering dialog.

Gnome Engineering items

 * Gnome Engineering items require specialization in Gnome Engineering to craft.
 * Some Engineering items which have 'Gnomish' in the title do not require specialization to craft or use, e.g. Gnomish Cloaking Device.
 * While some Gnome Engineering items require specialization to use, others do not. Some are tradable, some are BoP.

Switching specializations
To change your engineering specialization, open the Professions tab (default 'k' button) and click the red icon to the left of "Gnomish Engineer".

Note that switching specializations will cause you to unlearn all associated recipes for your current specialization.

From patch 3.2.0 until Cataclysm, Gnomish Engineers and Goblin Engineers could switch profession specializations for by visiting Narain Soothfancy's hut in northeast Tanaris and interacting with the book on the table.