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Most working undergrads (RAs) in the physics department at my university had been trained in the Physics department machine shop at some point in time, so it wa
by prpl 5y ago
Most working undergrads (RAs) in the physics department at my university had been trained in the Physics department machine shop at some point in time, so it was common for
them. Probably the only program outside ME where that was true
- R0b0t1 5y agoNot sure this is normal. Have heard stories of physics department needing to contract to the engineer's union, and people getting in trouble for screwing together a wooden box.
- jbay808 5y agoThat's the scenario that I'd call abnormal! What a nightmare!
- R0b0t1 5y agoSeems fairly normal from what I can tell. Issues like needing everything to be vetted my a mechanical/civil/electrical engineer, depending on what it is, and not being able to machine your own parts and needing to let the university machine shop bill time.
- s5300 5y agoOne of the funniest things I can remember about uni shop bill time was that some aerospace engi's needed some really special washers. They were quite expensive and the shipping time was going to cut a deadline extremely close. So they were able to send one of the grad students who watches over the after hours student machine shop a few hours away to a place that had the metal needed in stock and then have them CNC all the washers. They charged typically charged a good bit for physics/aerospace dept. to use said CNC, still ended up being much cheaper and much faster... for simple washers.
- azalemeth 5y agoMe too -- I had a 30 hour course in the workshop as a graduate student in physics. We covered both manual and CNC milling and turning, with Bridgeport mills and Colchester lathes. Completely opened my mind. Made me a better experimentalist. I spent about 99% of the time utterly terrified and wanting to check everything about ten times to make sure that I didn't wreck either the job or myself.