Why The Saturn V Used Kerosene For Its Hydraulics Fluid

We usually think of a hydraulic system as fully self-contained, with a hydraulic pump, tubing, and actuators filled with a working fluid. This of course adds a lot of weight and complexity that can…

Building A Hydraulic System With 3D Printed SLA Resin Parts

Hydraulics are incredibly versatile, but due to the pressures at which they operate, they are also rather expensive and not very DIY-friendly. This isn’t to say that you cannot take a fair sh…

Building A Hydraulic Loader For A Lawn Tractor

Lawn tractors are a great way to mow a large yard or small paddock. They save you the effort of pushing a mower around and they’re fun to drive, to boot. However, they can be even more fun wi…

Miniature Hydraulic Jack Is A Scale Marvel

Most hydraulic jacks are big tools that can lift upwards of 1000 kg but [Maker B]’s is quite a bit smaller than average. The world’s smallest hydraulic jack is a tiny hand-machined mode…

Building A Hydraulic Lego Excavator Using Standard Pneumatic Cylinders

Everyone already knows that Lego Technic is pretty rad when it comes to existing, pre-made kits, but there’s also quite a bit of hacking potential left. One such area is the lack of hydraulic…

Robot Hand Looks And Acts Like The Real Thing

Throughout history, visions of the future included human-looking robots. These days we have plenty of robots, but they don’t look like people. They look like disembodied arms, cars, and over-…

Impressive Sawdust Briquette Machine

When you are a life long carpenter with an amazing workshop, you’re going to make a lot of saw dust, and managing its collection and storage poses quite a challenge. [Russ] from [New Yorkshir…

Scratch-Built RC Excavator Is A Model Making Tour De Force

Some projects just take your breath away with their level of attention to detail. This scratch-built RC-controlled model excavator is not only breathtaking in its detail, but also amazing for the m…

Pressure Washer History: High-Speed Hydraulics Forged from Prohibition

How the pressure washer revolutionized the way we clean outdoor surfaces—and occasionally, lends itself to creative solutions.

Building A Heavy-Duty Log Splitter, One Piece At A Time

With temperatures dropping in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time of year when many people start processing firewood for the coming winter months. For the city folks, that means chopping a tr…