Hydraulic Syringe Arm Most Popular Currently

Mousetrap car articles on my website have almost always been the most popular by far until recently when the Syringe Hydraulic Arm became more popular by almost double the number of views. My Simple Electric Motor article is also more popular currently. Everything changes when school dismisses for the summer but normally everything is less active equally.

Syringe Hydraulic Arm

In almost panic mode I have been busy getting ready for College for Kids class I teach in a couple of weeks. At the start it looked like enrollment would be down and at the last minute it exceeded what is normally allowed for class size.  This summer I am introducing the Syringe Hydraulic Arm for the first time and I am busy making up kits for this.  There are many more parts than it would appear from looking at a completed prototype.

Some of the parts in the kit.

Part of the reason there is so much work for me to get ready for the class is I cut and drill eveything because the only tools available for the students to use are what I bring. This consists of hot glue gun, scissors, ruler, and a screwdriver.

Tube Straps

Tube Straps Hold Cylinder

One of the ideas I had for the syringe arm design is to use the copper-plated tube straps to hold the cylinders to the frame of the arm. The right-angle bend is straightened in the straps but holes are already in the straps for bolts to go through. For the kits I also have used a large wood screw through the base up into the vertical part of the arm, this should be stronger than a hot glue joint.

After the students build this project I will have to create another post about how well the project went for them.

Bill Kuhl
http://www.scienceguy.org