Kirkaldy’S Testing Works

If you're the kind of person looking at going to a museum about materials testing then you don't need a review to tell you to go. That said, it's a truly amazing space and tour, and a good reminder of how much work goes on behind the scenes of every day life to ensure that a building or bridge doesn't collapse on us.

I worked for many years in my imprinting shop, with english machines, so is very interesting visit museum. And i made one too in italy but very small.

Very quirky museum to the art and science of testing materials to destruction. Run by highly knowledgeable volunteers and the highlight is the massive proving and testing machine produced by victorian James Kirkaldy. Only occasionally open. Well worth doing the tours of the building. The machine is sometimes in operation.

Fascinating glimpse of mechanical engineering testing from the past! The museum may only be open once a month, but its space is full of machines that can make physics live for those interested in engineering, and give a fascinating insight into niche Victorian and Edwardian industry for those leaning towards history. Each tour is staffed by knowledgeable volunteers, who are incredibly enthusiastic. If you can, stay for the machine test run - it's a weird and wonderful stretching of metal to b...

I've been meaning to visit Kirkaldy's for ages but have struggled because it's only open on the first Sunday of the month. I'm so pleased that I finally made it. What a wonderful old place. It smells like oil and metal and wood. The volunteers are all brilliant, so committed to the museum. It's really inspiring to go and see them running the big universal testing machine. Usually they run it at 2pm. It's exciting to watch the massive aparatus pull a rod of cast iron until it snaps like dry sp...