Sounds like an entertaining man to have working on the engines. ^^ If you went Artificer/Alchemist Savant with him, and if he's going to be leveling up with the rest of us, then once we get past level 10, I think the Master Alchemist prestige class from Magic of Faerun might be worth looking into.  It fits with the theme, and it will make him even better at brewing up all sorts of potions.