Laura Mathews x Accu: These Screws Bring Dragons to Life

Artist. Engineer. Storyteller.

Laura Mathews is not your typical engineer. She’s a sculptor, puppet maker and content creator, whose fascination with biological mechanics drives her to design intricate, moving creatures - from feathered sparrows to towering dragons.

“I love working out linkages to replicate the action of bone and tendons. Wings and flight are especially interesting to me - my mind is blown by the complexity and grace of organic aerodynamics.”

Laura Mathews, Artist & Puppet Maker

Her YouTube channel and social platforms have become a window into a world where anatomy meets art and every joint, wing and sinew is powered by motion and precision.

The LBX Dragon: Precision at Scale

In 2024, Laura took on her most ambitious build yet: the Big LBX Dragon, a 9-month project commissioned as a centrepiece for LightBurn Software’s LBX event in New York. A sculpture on this scale required reliable motion, beautiful form and total control.

“LBX itself was amazing. The install went smoothly, and the response from LightBurn and the visitors was wonderful. Hearing people gasp as the wings opened was exactly the reaction I was hoping for!”

Sculpturally striking and mechanically complex, the dragon relied on a backbone of Accu’s precision components. M8 countersunk screws and M8 nyloc nuts provided structural security and repeatable disassembly, while miniature M2 slotted countersunk bolts delivered visual elegance in her articulated kits.

“The variety of lengths of screws that Accu offers, going up in small increments, is incredibly useful. I’ve not found anywhere else that does them at sizes like 14mm or 18mm. They always look really nice too.”

Engineering from the First Sketch

Laura doesn’t just use components at the end of the build - they inform her design from day one.

“Accu is often where I go to research parts, even before working on the design.”

For the LBX Dragon, she imported CAD models directly into her files to avoid clashes and reduce friction in the prototyping process.

“That sped up the process and helped me work through problems much faster than if I was having to design each fixing myself. It’s like having a parts store built right into my CAD.”

Designing with Certainty

When prototyping complex motion systems, being able to iterate quickly matters. Laura turned to Accu’s CAD models throughout the project.

“I imported all the CAD files into the design. That sped up the process and helped me work through problems and clashing parts much faster than if I was having to design each fixing myself.”

This workflow unlocked both speed and creative freedom - ensuring the mechanical motion of the dragon matched its lifelike beauty.

Art Meets Engineering

When it comes to puppetry and kinetic sculpture, beauty matters just as much as strength.

“When I’ve cobbled together nuts and bolts from different places, the colours haven’t matched. For my art, everything needs to be beautiful and uniform.”

Beyond aesthetics, Accu’s product range unlocks new design possibilities.

With access to rarely available M2 lengths (up to 45mm), Laura doesn’t need to compromise on layering or motion design.

“Rather than debating between 12mm and 16mm, I can use 14mm no problem. That makes a big difference in the number of layers I can include.”

Learning Through Components

The LBX Dragon challenged Laura to scale up her engineering knowledge - working with bearings, bushings, and fasteners on a much larger structure than ever before.

“Working at this scale has been so rewarding. I’ve learnt so much, all of which I can take into future projects.”

She also finds value in Accu’s technical resources, from our Help Hub to the engineering guides found in our news section:

“The website was really helpful when deciding which locking nuts to use. I read the articles and went with Nylocs - but I’m curious about Aerolocks too. I love discovering new components.”

Components As Craft

In Laura’s work, aesthetics and function are inseparable. Every detail needs to look right and perform right.

“When I’ve cobbled together nuts and bolts from different places, the colours haven’t matched. For my art, everything needs to be beautiful and uniform.”

For upcoming kits, like her new dragon puppet and large-scale human wings, Laura is already planning to use Accu’s R clips, clevis pins and brass fixings to maintain that balance of mechanical reliability and visual elegance.

“Working at this scale has been so rewarding, I’ve learnt so much, all of which I can take into future projects!”

More Than Just Components

Ordering from Accu isn’t just about finding the product - it’s about removing friction from the creative process through a fast and supportive service. Laura recalls a critical last-minute order where split shipping saved her project timeline:

“Accu sent out the parts in two deliveries for free. That kind of service is incredibly useful when you don’t need any additional pressure.”

Standing Out in the Maker World

Laura’s audience often asks where her miniature fixings come from. She tells them what her peers told her about Accu: the service is fast and reliable, the range is exceptional and the CAD files are invaluable.

“I needed an M2 screw with a thread length of over 30mm. Someone said, ‘Check Accu.’ I was amazed - up to 45mm? That changes how many layers I can use. And rather than choosing between 12mm and 16mm, I can just use 14mm. No compromise.”

Watch the LBX Dragon Take Flight

Want to see more of Laura’s LBX Dragon and other puppets & sculptures? Check out these awesome videos on her YouTube channel, showcasing her fantastic work and where you may have seen it on display!

Making Of: The LBX Dragon

Laura Mathews Puppet Festival Exhibition 2024 Showreel

 

What's Next For Laura Mathews?

Laura’s future plans include a dragon puppet kit with Accu’s M2 fixings and human-scale mechanical wings using R clips and clevis pins.

She’s also preparing for a January 2026 exhibition - where a new set of articulated, feathered wings will take centre stage. And Accu will be there - in every joint, hinge and motion link.

“I’ll be using brass components, maybe binder screws - and having the CAD files will really help me choose the right fixings for the design.”

“I love finding new components to solve new problems. It’s part of the creative process now.”