Stirling engines

[hilltop170]

Bruce-
I didn't mean to hijack your thread, just mentioned another odd working device that intrigued me as a kid and I still don't fully understand.

Did you make your Sterling engines from plans or was there akit available? They are amazing devices.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Did you make your Stirling engines from plans or was there akit available? They are amazing devices.

There are 5 or 6 basic Stirling designs. 2 or 3 of them can be made out of beer cans. Plans for beer can models are available and there are many Youtube videos showing how to build them which make it look easy. You can also buy kits and plans for designs not using beer cans. And I think you can buy them assembled ready to go.

I'm to cheap to spend even $12 dollars so I spent about 6 hours watching and memorizing ever Youtube video I could find. Then I gathered all the best ideas how to build with beer cans and glue and looking a pictures tried to duplicate one. It did not work. Don't know why. Spent another 6 hours rewatching all the videos and decided I was just to precise in my building technic and material. Found a video of a design I liked and tried to duplicate it. When I needed a measurement I'd judge the size relative to the builders hand or some other known object. This on worked and is the one in the movie. I spend a couple of hours trying to improve this model and perhaps learn the mysterious Stirling secrets and apply it to one of my own design.

I then found plans for one that was designed to work of the heat of a coffee cup. Spent about 20 hours over several frustrating nights tying to get that to work. No dice.

So I have one working model and one that doesn't work and parts of about 5 others. My frustration level rose over the enthusiasm level and I decided, for the time being, I''m going to be a Stirling engine builder of one.