Group Skills

The purpose of this page is to serve as a list of skills that new group members need to either already have, or acquire as they start to work in the group.

General Lab Skills

Tubing and Fittings

___ Types of fittings: swagelok, ultratorr (cajon), NPT, barbed, other pipe (ISO, FPT...), others
___ Ferrules: front and back, how to put them in (use tube trick)
___ How to swage a fitting: 1 1/4 turns when new (less when re-doing)
___ How to tell whether a swagelok fitting is damaged
___ How to tell whether an ultratorr fitting has all the parts and is assembled right
___ Types of valves: ball 2-way, 3-way, needle
___ Types of materials and when to use each: steel, brass, nylon, teflon, aluminum
___ How to tell whether an ultratorr fitting has all the parts tube)
___ Tubing cutters for metal and plastic
___ Tubing benders for large copper and steel

Controlling and Measuring Flows

___ Using the Gast air pumps / compressors (34 lpm free air displacement, only 1 use)
___ Controlling flow with O'Keefe critical orifice set
___ How to control larger flows (parallel orifices, drill orifices)
___ How to control smaller flows (AMS style orifices)
___ Measuring flows with a Drycal
___ Measuring flows with a Gillibrator or bubble flowmeter

Testing for Leaks

___ Making bubbles with Snoop (if system can be pressurized)
___ Pressurizing the system and checking rate of P loss (if system can be pressurized)
___ Evacuating the system (with hand or electrical pump) and checking rate of P loss (if system can tolerate vacuum)
___ Filtering the air into the system and using a CPC (for flow systems)
___ Using a Helium leak detector
___ Using the AMS mass spectrometer (for leaks in the AMS)

Making electrical and electronic connections

___ Making a new AC plug or socket
___ Making a new serial connector
___ Telling the difference between serial (9-pin), VGA (15-pin), and other connectors
___ Straight-thru vs. null-modem cables and adaptors
___ Loopback plugs (serial)
___ BNC cables and connectors, and when to use them
___ MHV and SHV connectors
___ Using a multimeter: measuring AC, DC voltages
___ Using a multimeter: testing continuity and open circuit
___ Using a multimeter: measuring current
___ Using a multimeter: measuring capacitance and inductance
___ Using the high voltage probe
___ Using an oscilloscope
___ Using an oscilloscope dividing probe
___ Using the high voltage probe with the oscilloscope
___ When do you need to use a grounding strap
___ How to use a grounding strap
___ Measuring voltages with a computer (NI USB, Labjack)
___ Measuring voltages with a computer (PCI Cards)
___ Generating voltages with a computer (NI USB, Labjack, PCI)
___ Creating simple programs in Labview

Measuring and controlling temperature

___ Types of thermocouples (we normally use yellow = K)
___ Using a thermocouple display
___ Using a thermocouple amplifier (1 mV per degree, use in F for better SNR)
___ Changing the battery in a thermocouple amplifier (Lithium 3V, NOT AA 1.5V)
___ Connecting a thermocouple amplifier to a multimeter
___ Connecting a thermocouple amplifier to a computer

Measuring and controlling humidity

___ Relative humidity probes
___ Stand-alone T & RH probe (with display)
___ Humitter 50Y T & RH probe
___ Salts for calibration of RH probe