TeacherGeek Hydraulic Arm User manual

Hydraulics are AMAZING!
Use the power of water to control a machine.
This guide will help you create
your own Hydraulic Arm.
Perfect for Grades: 3+
Difficulty: Beginner
THINKING AHEAD
What kinds of objects can you
move with different gripper designs?
Download Documents
at teachergeek.com

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Below is the list of “ingredients” you’ll need for each Hydraulic Arm Build.
Available as a 10 pack, which includes extra parts for your own innovative creations!
Connector
Strips
300mm (12″)
Dowels
Blocks
Cable Tie
Tubing
cut to
a 2.85m (10ft) piece
100mm (3″)
Slide Stop
#10 1″ Screw
¼” Cylinder
Screw
#10 Nut
13mL Cylinder
4.5mL Cylinder
Perfect for sharing in groups of 3 and 4!
Time to break out those tools and start building! Remember to be kind and share with others.
Multi-Cutter
Reamer
Screwdriver
Pliers
Go on your own scavenger hunt to find these items. Try building with all kinds of materials!
Safety Goggles
Tape
Crayon
(rub on dowels to
make sliding them easier
into holes of components)
Recycling Materials
What else could you
use for a gripper?
x4
x6
x6
x1
x1
x5
x18
X1
x1
x5
x6

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Hydraulic Systems are the foundation of
how this build design functions. Follow the
steps below to connect and fill cylinders to
create your own hydraulic system.
Please note: in order to work properly,
there can be no air bubbles in the
cylinders or tubes.
Cut tubing into the following lengths:
One 60cm (23″)
One 85cm (33″)
One 115cm (45″)
Fill the five 14mL cylinders and one
4.5mL cylinder with water by pushing
the piston all the way in and
submerging the tip under water;
pull back to fill completely with water.
Remember: no air bubbles
Quick Tip
Use food coloring
to make seeing
the water easier.
Attach the cut tubing pieces from
Step 1 to four of the filled cylinders
from Step 2.
Connection
Close-Up
Over a cup, push the cylinder piston to
completely fill the tubing with water.
Remember: no air bubbles
Attach the water filled tubing to the
remaining water filled cylinders from
Step 2.
Insert a
1/4
″ cylinder screw into the hole
next to the cylinder’s tip to prevent the
tubing from disconnecting.

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From the end of a dowel, measure
and cut three 55mm (2 ⅛″) sections -
save the extra, you will use this later.
Push, wiggle or tap the 55mm (2 ⅛″)
dowels into the holes of a connector
strip as shown below.
Push, wiggle or tap a second connector
strip onto the 55mm (2 ⅛″) dowels.
Ream
the two
holes
marked with a .
Cut a new dowel to get two 150mm (6″)
dowels and slide one through the
reamed holes from Step 10. Hold in
place with two cut 6mm (¼″) sections of
slide stop.
Push, wiggle or tap two blocks onto
each end of the 150mm (6″) dowel and
leaving 5mm (¼″) of space on the ends.

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With the blocks pointing down, attach
the ends of two connector strips to
each side of the 150mm (6″) dowel.
Push, wiggle or tap the leftover 150mm
(6″) dowel from Step 11 in between the
ends of the connector strips from Step
13 to complete the base.
Good job!
You just completed the base and first boom of your hydraulic arm.
You should be able to pivot the boom at the fulcrum.

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7
With the 60cm (24″) hydraulic systems
from Steps 1-6, ream the hole marked
with a on one of the cylinder’s pistons.
Cut a 150mm (6″) dowel and insert
through the reamed hole from Step 15.
Cut two 6mm (¼″) sections of slide stop
Slide onto both ends of the 150mm (6”)
dowel all the way to the center,
touching the piston’s handle.
Insert the 150mm (6″) dowel in
between the base connector strips
and insert the pegs of the cylinder in
between the boom connector strips.
(You can change this position later).
Quick Experiment!
Does changing the placement
of the piston move the lever with
the same distance or force?

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8
Create a second boom by cutting two
45mm (1¾″) dowels and inserting them
between two connector strips.
Ream
the four
holes
marked with a .
Cut a 65mm (2½″) dowel and slide
through the reamed holes to connect
the first and second boom.
With the 85cm (34″) hydraulic systems
from Steps 1-6, ream the hole marked
with a on one of the cylinder’s piston.
Cut a 45mm (1¾″) dowel and insert into
the reamed hole from Step 22. Hold in
place with two cut 6mm (¼″) sections of
slide stop.
Place the cylinder assembly from
Step 23 in between the first and
second boom connector strips
(you can change this position later).

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Quick Experiment!
Change where the cylinders attach to your arm
to allow it to move as far in and out as possible.
Start to create the gripper by cutting
two 90mm (3½″) dowels and push,
wiggle, or tap into the center holes of
two blocks.
Cut two 110mm (4⅜″) dowels and push,
wiggle, or tap into the outside holes of
one of the blocks from Step 25.
Ream
the
holes
marked with the
symbol on the leftover block/dowel
from Step 25.
Slide the reamed block from Step 27
onto the 110mm (4⅜″) dowels from
Step 26.

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Use the remaining hydraulic system
from Steps 1-6 (the 13mL cylinder
connected to the 4.5mL cylinder)
and insert the two dowels into the
holes of the 4.5mL cylinder.
Use a cable tie to attach the
cylinder’s piston to the dowel
with the sliding block.
Place two blocks on the ends of the
60mm (2 ⅜″) dowels to complete the
gripper.
Cut the last two holes off the
connector strips of the second boom.
Use a screw and nut to attach the
gripper to the second boom.
Cut the pegs off the loose cylinders
and use #10 1″ screws and #10 nuts to
attach the cylinders together to form a
control panel.

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Tape the tubing to the arm, but be careful not to crimp or smash the tubing.
Quick Tip
Use different colored markers,
tape, or colored water in the
cylinder tubing to identify
which control panel cylinders
connect to which arm parts.
Documents at teachergeek.com/learn
If you are going
to do the optional
Fluid Power Lab,
now’s the time!