[ttoinou]

Whenever I see an explanation of an old technology, I don't wonder "How do that work" but rather "How did they even build this"

How did they make vacuum and be sure it was indeed a vacuum ?

How did they melted that metal alloy into the right shape ?

How did they built those precise mirrors ?

How many times did they fail before succeeding ?

How did they lubricate and seal properly all components ?

I know I could explain 80% of those inventions easily by studying them for a few days each. I know I would never be able to build 1% of those machines myself, I'd constantly run into technical issues and it'd take me years for each

[inigyou]

One of the most conceptually simple ways to make a vacuum is a Sprengel pump. You have, from top to bottom, a pipe full of mercury, a restriction so it comes out in drops to the next stage, a chamber where the vacuum is developed, and an exit pipe. Mercury drops fall through the chamber, trapping air between them as they fall down the exit pipe. The energy comes from lifting the mercury back to the top.

A way that's easy to execute, but doesn't produce a perfect vacuum, is to fill a chamber with steam (actual high temperature steam, not the clouds coming off a kitchen pot), seal it and cool it. This is only a near-vacuum because it's filled with low pressure water vapor, but it's very easy to do.

[davidpapermill]

For this reason, I always point out that toolmaking was an essential and often forgotten part of Manchester’s Industrial Revolution.

[Sophistifunk]

You might enjoy How to Make Evertything on YT.