The reading room

Articles

Original illustrated articles for curious engineers, with practical examples to read alongside the archive's lessons, calculators and Bristol academy records.

A drawing can tell you where to drill before you pick up a tool. A test result can tell you why a promising design failed. These workshop notes take one engineering question at a time and work through it with a concrete example. Browse the learning resources for calculations and exercises to try alongside them.

Articles

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Article · · 5 min read

Build a simple syringe-powered hydraulic arm

Make a small cardboard lifting arm with two needle-free syringes, then test how its attachment position affects movement and reliability.