3 Fun DIY Engineering Projects

Those who are interested in engineering can have a great deal of fun at home without having to worry about having a lot of materials on their side to have fun. There are a variety of different DIY engineering projects that are not only fun, but can be extremely educational and help you to become a better engineer. On top of all of this, some of these projects can be functional to the point of helping to make your daily life even easier. While not all of the following projects are easy (some can be quite tricky and complicated), all of them are worth putting your time into, and the end result can be overwhelmingly rewarding.

Small Robot
Robotics is a discipline that is more popular now than perhaps ever before. Not only are home hobbyists getting involved, but public schools are even beginning to incorporate robotics programs into their curriculum. Robots can range dramatically in size and scope. Some are small enough to fit into the palm of one's hand and barely do anything at all, while others can be life-sized and are capable of extraordinary feats.

Determining which route to take comes down not only to the amount of time and money you're interested in investing in the project, but also to your knowledge and experience in working with robotics. Fortunately, there are plenty of plans that are available for free on the Internet, some of which are easy enough to build even for those who have never worked with robotics in the past.

Box Compass
Anyone who spends a good amount of time in the outdoors needs to do whatever they can in order to prepare themselves. One of the most important tools that such a person can have on-hand at all times is a box compass. Compasses can be very expensive to buy (high-quality ones, at least), although there's no reason why one who is engineering-inclined can't build one themselves.

Building a box compass doesn't have to be expensive, and is one of the easier DIY engineering projects that one can take on. It's the perfect option for those who are trying to take on a project with a family member, as it requires little in the way of experience.  

Homemade Antenna
Antennas may not be as commonly used as they were at one point in time, but this is not to say that you can't take building one on as a project. You'll need a variety of materials, such as pliable metals and perhaps a CLC Series load cell. You'll also need to do some research in terms of how to approach building an antenna so that it will be functional for you, in which the details will depend upon what you're trying to do with your antenna. Regardless, it can be a very fun project to take on.

DIY engineering projects can be great for the whole family, and don't have to be costly at all. Consider the above three, each of which can be done at home and for little money.