An SEM in the garage...

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billbillt
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:01 pm

An SEM in the garage...

#1 Post by billbillt » Sun Jun 11, 2017 11:32 pm

This lucky guy bought an SEM from Ebay and has it installed in the garage..

http://hackaday.com/2017/06/11/scanning ... arage-lab/

BillT

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Pat Thielen
Posts: 372
Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 5:02 am
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Re: An SEM in the garage...

#2 Post by Pat Thielen » Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:22 am

That is really quite awesome -- That kid has some amazing parents. I would love an SEM, but I certainly don't have the technical smarts to make it happen. I could make room for one though...
Pat Thielen
Motic BA310, C & A Scientific Premiere SMZ-07, Swift Eleven-Ninety, Swift FM-31, Bausch & Lomb VM349, Olympus CHA
Nikon d810

billbillt
Posts: 2895
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: An SEM in the garage...

#3 Post by billbillt » Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:01 am

Pat Thielen wrote:That is really quite awesome -- That kid has some amazing parents. I would love an SEM, but I certainly don't have the technical smarts to make it happen. I could make room for one though...
Hear you go:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVEX-SIGMA-GOL ... 1444522146

Seems like reasonable price plus a few hundred for shipping.. They require some extra stuff.. You have to have a supply of liquid nitrogen on hand and some type of sputter coating device to plate non-conductive samples... Still it is fun to dream about it!.....

BillT

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Pat Thielen
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Re: An SEM in the garage...

#4 Post by Pat Thielen » Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:09 pm

billbillt wrote:
Pat Thielen wrote:That is really quite awesome -- That kid has some amazing parents. I would love an SEM, but I certainly don't have the technical smarts to make it happen. I could make room for one though...
Hear you go:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KEVEX-SIGMA-GOL ... 1444522146

Seems like reasonable price plus a few hundred for shipping.. They require some extra stuff.. You have to have a supply of liquid nitrogen on hand and some type of sputter coating device to plate non-conductive samples... Still it is fun to dream about it!.....

BillT

And it would seem a forklift is required. I wonder if I can get one of those on Ebay as well! :lol:
Definitely something to dream about, though.
Pat Thielen
Motic BA310, C & A Scientific Premiere SMZ-07, Swift Eleven-Ninety, Swift FM-31, Bausch & Lomb VM349, Olympus CHA
Nikon d810

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Pat Thielen
Posts: 372
Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 5:02 am
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Re: An SEM in the garage...

#5 Post by Pat Thielen » Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:14 pm

You know, what is really awesome about living in the time we are is this sort of thing is actually possible. Back when I was a kid there wasn't this thing called the Internet, and so of course there was no Ebay on which you can buy nearly anything. Even if my parents had wanted to buy me an SEM there was probably no way they could have simply because there was no real way to contact sellers of used equipment like there is now. For me, they went to a local microscope store and bought me a used Swift Eleven-Ninety, and I thought that was the most awesome thing I'd ever seen. But the whole idea of being able to buy the things that are available now was simply not in my consciousness; it was unthinkable. So, I find this whole thing incredibly remarkable. And I still think his parents are amazing to support this level of scientific curiosity.

Science is so much more available now than it ever has been. I really hope more people are willing and able to take advantage of this.
Pat Thielen
Motic BA310, C & A Scientific Premiere SMZ-07, Swift Eleven-Ninety, Swift FM-31, Bausch & Lomb VM349, Olympus CHA
Nikon d810

billbillt
Posts: 2895
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: An SEM in the garage...

#6 Post by billbillt » Tue Jun 13, 2017 3:33 pm

Pat Thielen wrote:You know, what is really awesome about living in the time we are is this sort of thing is actually possible. Back when I was a kid there wasn't this thing called the Internet, and so of course there was no Ebay on which you can buy nearly anything. Even if my parents had wanted to buy me an SEM there was probably no way they could have simply because there was no real way to contact sellers of used equipment like there is now. For me, they went to a local microscope store and bought me a used Swift Eleven-Ninety, and I thought that was the most awesome thing I'd ever seen. But the whole idea of being able to buy the things that are available now was simply not in my consciousness; it was unthinkable. So, I find this whole thing incredibly remarkable. And I still think his parents are amazing to support this level of scientific curiosity.

Science is so much more available now than it ever has been. I really hope more people are willing and able to take advantage of this.
Hello Pat,

I am with you on this thinking.. I also grew up when we had very little technology.. I can remember the first television I saw, one the neighbors had it.. It was the size of a refrigerator and had a 10" screen.. Our telephone was a party line.. The old Swift was a great stand in it's day... This should give you my age(67)... Good old memories!..

Take Care,
BillT

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