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After-hours Fun with Capacitors at Work?
Chiggy_Von_Richtoffe asks "Hey, Folks! I start a new job at a small manufacturing plant (capacitors and small run custom circuit boards) in a few days, which itself is kind of cool. What is even more cool is that their facilities include an electron microscope, programmable high temperature ovens (think kilns), rapid cooling chambers (liquid CO2) to test component robustness, a lapping machine, all the kinds of ceramics i can think off, as well as equipment for die cutting, electroplating, and a few other industry related tasks. This of course fills my mind with wicked designs for homebrew projects, but i am always looking for new ideas to try. Given this kind of workshop what sort of (non-destructive, and fully legal) DIY projects could you come up with?"
Make sure you have permission to do any of this. I know you didn't state that you did NOT have permission, but you also didn't state you DO have permission to use any of these toys "after hours"...
On a related note, in my early years as a sysadmin some people were "let go" from a company I worked for because they were using the company assets to play games on. Now, this was after hours, and nothing was destroyed, but management finding out about what was happening (from network traces) was all it took to say "See ya!"
Of course, I could just be over-reacting, thinking you'd be using the facilities just for fun. You might just be willing to be a customer of the company you work for. I guess you didn't spell that out either....
Just dot your i's and cross your t's.
Karnal
"non-destructive, and fully legal"
Where's the fun in that?
Obviously, getting permission is important. But even if you get permission, do you really want to be playing games with work equipment right away? I would strongly recommend waiting until you have become a respected and valued employee before you pull stunts like using work equipment for non-work projects. Hey, I'm a technical manager and I read slashdot damn near every hour -- does your new boss? If s/he sees your post and can easily figure out who you are, what are they going to think about you? You haven't even started work and you're preoccupied with how to play games? That's not the kind of employee I want working for me.
My advise? Concentrate on doing good work and impressing your co-workers and management before you even think about playing around. You can repost your Ask Slashdot question in six-months (and don't include so damn many details about yourself and your job next time).
GMD
watch this
Loads of fun, just be sure you're checked out on it by someone who knows what they are doing. Before you look at anything organic, make sure it's allowed. A running mechanical wristwatch is incredible.
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
"It is better to ask forgiveness than permission."
Be sure and post links to videos of the resulting explosions.
Are you...Are you some kind of genius?
No, ma'am, I'm just a regular Slashdot reader.
What is even more cool is that their facilities include [...] programmable high temperature ovens (think kilns)
What's a think kiln? Is that where crackpots are hardened?
I own a manufacturing plant and we just hired a guy who was so excited he would have access to our equipment...
Oh man - sounds like fun. Interesting projects are listed below
1) See subject title. Cat + Tesla coil = fun
2)Industrial strength Twinkie testing! - Nickel plated Twinkies anyone?
3) Raw hamburger + huge charged capacitor = "Insta-cooked" hamburger
4) Use electron microscope to take picture of a cell of yours. Use inductrial fabricating machine to create 100,000x actual size copy out of rare ceramic. Proceed to chrome it. Use as object d'art.
5) Does your girlfrind have a second cat? Rapidly freeze in liquid CO2 bath, soak in acetone to remove oily fats, then chrome plate cat.
6)Make ultra hard/dense ceramic Dungeons and Dragons dice - especially the pointy, pyramidal 4sided die. Can be used as emergency caltops to escape from bad guys.
7) Make shatter proof ceramic coffe mug out of $10,000 ceramic. "Accidentally" drop off desk often, and make co-workers envious of your "lucky" cup.
8) Freeze dry rose, and gold plate. This will be useful for making up with girlfriend from steps 1 & 5
9)Make rail gun and fire magnetically plated ceramic sabot at ultra-fast frozen pumpkin. Film at high speed.
10) Use industrial kiln as personal trash incinerator.
..........FULL STOP.
First off, the electroplating tank:
These are a blast. Everything looks better if you electroplate it!
Any of the cool looking, under the hood gagetry for your car, found cheaply at Schuks Auto would look better in gold. Any flat sided metal object can be enhanced with whatever artwork you can make a sillouette of on your computer, print in Press-n-Peel masking material
iron on, and plate.
Flatware should never be monochromatic
Your own Electron Microscope? Sweet.
The first thing to do is find the guy that's good at operating this and buy him several good lunches. Getting good images is tricky. That done, there is a world of stuff that looks better super close up, and best yet, the annoyingly black and white nature of this device lends itself to.... Yes! Electroplate sillouttes! Imagine how cool the aluminum case sides of your favorite computer would be if this were etched on the side. Your kids/nephews could have the coolest metal lunchboxes in the school. Like this or this or this or this.
A clear spray-on enamel will keep oxidation from uglying things up if your experiment with some of the more easily tarnished metals like copper and silver....
Sounds like you're in for a good time. Good luck.