Seismograms Blog

Geologic Dykes – Don’t Panic Podcast Episode 348

Geologic Dykes – Don’t Panic Podcast Episode 348

In this week's geocast John and Shannon talk about geologic dikes and how they form. These features are injections of rock into pre-existing strata, classifying them as intrusive. There are two main classes: sedimentary and igneous. While igneous dikes are more...

Our Awesome New 3D Printer: A lot has Changed in 10 Years!

Our Awesome New 3D Printer: A lot has Changed in 10 Years!

I have been using 3D printers for nearly a decade now. To be honest, I started out in 3D printing as a way to make things when I had no machining capability and not a lot of money to outsource that machining until I knew the design was perfect. In fact, I even wrote a...

How to Fix Messy Solder Paste Stencil Results

How to Fix Messy Solder Paste Stencil Results

Applying solder paste through a stencil can be a finicky task. If you are having trouble getting a clean result, there are numerous variables that could be effecting your attempts. Dry solder paste or cold solder paste are often easily identifiable issues; however, an...

GEARS 2022 Workshop

GEARS 2022 Workshop

Summer is quickly becoming our favorite season here at the shop. Why? Because we get to welcome a new crew of students in for our summer workshop class! 2022 was the second year of our GEARS (Generalist Electromechanics for Applied Researchers) Workshop. Just like I...

Come See Us at the 2022 Earth Educators’ Rendezvous!

Come See Us at the 2022 Earth Educators’ Rendezvous!

Come see us at the 2022 Earth Educators' Rendezvous in Minneapolis Minnesota! We'll be on-site Monday-Thursday July 11-14 showing off educational demonstrations, custom equipment, and more! We've got lots of exciting new products launched right before the meeting and...

Why We Support Open Source (but not everything we do is)

Why We Support Open Source (but not everything we do is)

Open source hardware and software has become a huge industry and movement. The idea that we can all make better widgets by sharing flies in the face of conventional industrial secrecy, patents, NDAs, and lawsuits. While there is still a place for “trade secrets” -...

How to Solder Wire to Wire Connections

How to Solder Wire to Wire Connections

Splicing Two Wires: The ability to electrically and mechanically join two wires together is essential for all types of prototyping, maintenance, and modification of any electrical system. There are several ways to join two wires including wire nuts, Wago connectors,...

Want to Start Soldering?

Want to Start Soldering?

Soldering can be quite intimidating - the hot iron, the smoke, the images of burned and destroyed equipment. However, with minimal tooling, and a little practice, anyone can make professional looking solder joints with consistency and ease. We're going to walk through...

GEARS 2021 Workshop

GEARS 2021 Workshop

Well, 2021 has been a lot of firsts for everything - many of them not so great - but it was an exciting first year for the GEARS (Generalist Electromechanics for Applied Researchers) Workshop! This workshop has been a long time in the making, and we plan to make it an...

Stop Testing Batteries with a Voltmeter!

Stop Testing Batteries with a Voltmeter!

What’s the first thing you check when something doesn’t work? Power! The classic “is it plugged in” question, though hated by everyone, can pretty often solve the problem in seconds. What about equipment with batteries? Well you can change them, but some equipment has...