Workshop History

The Workshop's history can be traced back to the early 1960s with the formation of the University Technical Services Department. In 1972 the department joined the Faculty of Arts and Science. Staying with Science when Arts and Science became their own faculties, the workshop operated for 21 years, providing centralized machining, welding, electronics, woodwork and glass blowing to the faculty. In 1991, the department downsized and decentralized, which resulted in the formation of today's Science Workshop. However, the new name wasn't officially adopted until 1994. The Science Workshop continues to be an invaluable asset to the Faculty of Science.

Some of our projects have flown to the upper atmosphere by balloon, others have been to space by rocket and shuttle, and many more have gone to the top of mountains and the bottom of the sea. We have drilled holes as small as 0.15mm through 1/8" of 316 Stainless Steel, and have even built a human pendulum! It is very unlikely that your project is more bizarre than anything we have done in the past. Some of our many projects over the years include:

• Rothney Astronomical telescope, including Canada's largest IR telescope

• Satellite mounted & ground based instruments to measure particles in the Aurora Borealis

• Treadmills for a wide variety of critters (mice, cats, moose, and crabs)

• Optical components for microscope and laser

• Spectroscopes, microscopes, telescopes

• Nano-manipulators for myofibril research

• Flight mills for bark beetles

• Pressure vessels for sulfur research

• Branding irons for salamanders

• Three-dimensional seismic models

• Mathematical models

• Large assortment of teaching laboratory apparatus