LODESTAR MAGNETICS

The Lodestar story began in 1971 when Dr. Gary Scott enrolled in graduate studies at Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (University of Texas at Dallas). There, Dr. Scott conducted research in paleomagnetism in a small nickel shield with just enough interior space for a spinner magnetometer and demagnetizing instruments.

 

Over the next few years, paleomagnetic research burgeoned with the introduction of the cryogenic magnetometer, which coincided with growing interest in magnetic shielding.

 

In 1979, Dr. Scott joined Woodward-Clyde in California to conduct fault studies in their commercial paleomagnetic laboratory. It was at this time that Dr. Scott was asked to design a new “room-sized” magnetic shield; the new shield would be built more economically than the nickel shields being used for paleomagnetic research at the time. This newly designed steel shield would become the first of many unique transformer steel shields designed and built by Dr. Scott over the next 40 years.

 

With success in designing and building the first low-cost steel shield for Woodward-Clyde, Dr. Scott was commissioned by Dr. David Van Alstine to design a shield for a commercial paleomagnetics laboratory for Sierra Geophysics in Redmond, Washington. 

 

Then, in 1982, Dr. Scott designed and constructed a magnetic shield for Dr. Joe Kirshvink, which would be used for a new paleomagnetic research laboratory at CalTech in Pasadena, California. This would become the first high-performance magnetic shield built by Dr. Scott at a major university.

 

The year 1983 brought an increase in demand for high-performance, cost effective steel shields by Dr. Scott, especially for academic research including: Taiwan National University, Phillips Research, Scripps Institute of Oceanography and University of California at Santa Cruz. This wave of contracts made it clear that Dr. Scott’s consulting firm should expand its horizons and incorporate. Lodestar Magnetics, Inc. was formed in the spring of 1983. 

 

Since 1983, Lodestar Magnetics Inc. has designed and installed 64 magnetic shields for academic institutions worldwide and continues to be a leader in magnetic shielding for research. 

 

Today, Lodestar’s paleomagnetic laboratories combine the best in technology and aesthetics. Every laboratory is uniquely designed to maximize shield performance while providing an appealing interior space designed for the applied research of each laboratory.