Member postings for Brian Rutter

OK here goes!

I would love to build a steam engine, but no money, time or facilities has made that highly improbable.

A couple of years ago I came across a couple of videos on youtube which I thought were steam engines but subsequently turned out to be Hot Air Engines. A bit of research and I was hooked.

Cheap, no expensive tools required, no high pressure steam - with many examples being made out of recycled paint cans and the like and can be made on the kitchen table.

When I started out I did not have any stainless steel paint cans, but I did have a few feet of 2.1/2" copper pipe.

Stirling engines have a sealed cylinder, one end of which is heated, the other end is cooled. I chose to build my cylinder in copper but with a thermal break between them to prevent the heat transferring quickly from one end to the other.

To join the two ends of the cylinder together I used a clamped / flange connection that I developed for a previous project.

The former for making the flanges I made in a hotel bedroom in Abu Dhabi cut from a nylon chopping board using an electric drill, coping saw and a file. No work bench just a glass topped coffee table. It was done to pass the time away on a boring contract.

Edited By Brian Rutter on 24/06/2020 15:05:09

**LINK**

Moderator - please delete

Toodlepip

Brian

Edited By Brian Rutter on 24/06/2020 11:11:09

Edited By Brian Rutter on 24/06/2020 11:12:09

Brilliant !!!

Thanks for the quick reply and the offer of help.

I am in Middlesbrough, but I am only 50 yards away from a post box. I could post two bolts and a drill bit and include a SAE for the return.

I gave up my car this year, that combined with the Coronavirus is making things a bit awkward.

If this is OK would you send me an address I can send the bits to.

Thanks again

Toodlepip

Brian

I make Stirling engines, primarily because I do not have the facilty to make steam ones. I generally make the engines with hand tools and soft solder all the joints.

My latest one is a horizontal comfiguration that runs at about 200 RPM but has no power to speak of and will not run even a small generator or pump, to try and increase the power I added a fire box and additional burners with the intention of changing the displacer to a regenerator and increasing the size of the piston.

The first part went ok with the additional heat, but then the solder on the stuffing gland on the hot cap of the displacer cylinder promptly melted.

I intend to replace the soldered joint with a mechanical fixing - ie a brass bolt drilled through the center to take the 1/8" piston rod. I have made several attempts to drill down the center ofthe bolt and failed every time to make a success of it. My pillar drill is not very ridgid and appears to have a mind of its own. (it cost £18 from deepest China) .

I am down to my last two bolts and have been unsuccesfully trying to gain access to a lathe or someone that has a lathe and is prepared to drill two holes for me.

So I am hoping that someone in ths forum would be prepared to help.

Thanks for reading this so far.

Hi All,

I started building things late in life and I cannot justify investing much in equipment or facilities.

I do have a smaller than average man cave and a selection of somewhat blunt hand tools.

I will put up a couple of videos of bits that I have made.

https://youtu.be/RJ4R7CUNRCs

https://youtu.be/t2NVVwjVn-c

They are still works in progress and I am enjoying tinkering with them. They are both made with recycled bits and pieces that cost next to nothing and no investment in machinary . I was wondering if there were any other Stirling builders around?