The Workshops
The Departmental workshops have played a
significant role in supporting the research work of many groups, but the
emphasis has changed over the years. At the start, the mechanical workshops
were much the most important, and the Commander, (Fred March, Ivan March's
father), as head of what Hinsh called the Red October Works, turned out some
fine instruments. These were the days when only the simplest pieces of
scientific apparatus were commercially available, and the workshops met the
need by building a fine infrared grating spectrometer for the Thompson group,
and two vacuum ultraviolet and a 21-foot concave grating spectrograph for the
Barrow group, the latter partly with the help of members of the Department of
Engineering at the Royal Military College of Science.
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Doug Cook (r.)
instructs Roger Bowler in the use of a milling machine. |
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The development of computers, and the need
for control, recording and data-handling systems has led to the development of
the electronics side of the business, initiated by Doug Cook, who joined the
Department in 1947, as a skilled instrument maker. When Fred March retired in
1960, Cook was appointed head of the mechanical workshops. Later, following the
growth of the electronics workshops and its move downstairs from a small
central office on the first floor, he became head of both workshops. His
contributions - among which was the construction of a fine double focussing
mass spectrometer for the Danby group - were recognised when he retired in 1975
by the award of an honorary degree by the University. Nowadays the electronics
and the mechanical workshops are of equal importance, the former being in the
charge of Jim Jessup and the latter of Andy Whiting until 1994, then of Ivan
March until 2000, and now of Roger Bowler..
Aside from the making of instruments, the
workshops have been responsible for a jug-and-bottle service first of liquid
air, from 1958, then of liquid nitrogen, from 1964, and finally of liquid
helium, from 1969 until 1993. Since then helium has been supplied by outside
delivery, the boil-off gas being returned by a pipe-line to the Clarendon for
liquefaction there.
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Steve Boorne and Frank
Jenkerson attend one of the liquid nitrogen machines. |
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The workshops in 1991
