Gold Blend. A Coffee Jar Engine........

[Rob.Wilson]

  spot on David   

Runs great 


Rob

[modeldozer]

 
Well done.

 

Abraham

[madjackghengis]

Wow, that is great!  Have you considered using rice cakes for the displacer?  (Still trying to find a possible use for a rice cake).

Having just stumbled on this build, after missing for a while with work from a storm and cleanup, I found this from the start to be just my sort of thing:  looking around and getting smacked in the head with an idea which jumps off the shelf and strikes me between the eyes.  I haven't finished going through the build because this quote was too perfect to waste, but I've been looking to build a stirling and even have a kit I bought and haven't started, but twenty years ago or so, I got a sample actuator which is pyrex glass tube with a graphite piston, meant to operate some gizmo or door or something, and I've never got around to using it.  The rice cake sounds like the perfect start of a displacer and about the right size to go with the actuator.
   I have to say, the initial trial run of this actual build is very impressive, and I'll probably sound stupid not having read the rest, but seeing those spokes flying around, my first thought was "hang the flywheel, replace those spokes with blades, and you've got a very fancy table fan to keep you cool in the summer, or warmer in the winter.  Fantastic workmanship, and proof positive no glue necessary with balsa.  Truthfully, I was afraid the displacer would be too heavy, but it obviously isn't at all.  Very nice job.   Cheers, mad jack

[doubleboost]

I would be pleased as well
Runs great 
This has been a fun build to follow
John

[madjackghengis]

Just as a matter of general information, I was a Marine, and we had to keep all our brass well polished and we used brasso, but also jeweler's rouge, easy to find on a military installation, but I would ask a jeweler where to get some, when my lump runs out.  As to WD-40, it is about 97% Stoddard solvent, and some two or three percent castor oil, according to the company's data sheet.  I also use liquid polishing compound for auto body work for lapping, adding rouge to it initially and finishing with just the polish.  In a pinch, one can sneak into the better half's side of the cabinet and find her "rouge" and it is the same stuff and equally fine for lapping.  Looking forward to the finished project and another video.   Cheers, mad jack

[Bluechip]

While we are on about lapping ... or not ... anyway I'll poke my nose in ..

Ages ago I used this stuff in the making of very thin sections of fossils ... before sticking to microscope slides ..

http://www.ceriumoxide.co.uk/

It is a very fine polishing mineral. I have some ... err .. somewhere 

Not from the supplier above though.

Anyone used it for pistons/bores etc ??

BC

[NickG]

Brilliant that David well done, very smooth!

[Stilldrillin]

Thanks very much Chaps, for your interest and kind comments. I'm thoroughly enjoying this project! 

Frankly, I couldn't believe how sweetly it ran. Even though it's only roughly cobbled together, just to prove (or not)......

So, I permanently fixed a few more parts, and tried again........

Getting a bit boring now, innit! 

The knock, was one of the spokes catching the column, just above the cylinder.
There's not much room available, so I intend to reduce the dia of the column's centre section.

Talking of flywheels, and their cost. I spotted this omelette pan in Tesco, £4.......




Just under 6" dia machined area. Hope I can adapt it to fit, without making too many scratches. 

David D

[Bluechip]

That engine runs really nicely ... 

BTW ....

If you're just going to use the pan ..

Can I have the omelette ???

BC

[Stilldrillin]

If you're just going to use the pan ..

Can I have the omelette ???

BC

Dave.
When I get this thing finished, and running...... You can have the omelette, no problem! 

David D

[Dean W]

Second run even sweeter than the first, David.  It's soo good..  Calm, quiet, smooth.  Just lovely.

[stirling lad]

If you're just going to use the pan ..

Can I have the omelette ???

BC

Dave.
When I get this thing finished, and running...... You can have the omelette, no problem! 

David D

Bc, stop egging him on, cant u see he's still shell shocked..
Well done David,its running so smoothly, and if your flywheel idea works out you'll be eggstatic...

ok. ok. i'll get my coat..

  ...Mike...   

[NickG]

Good job he didn't go for the Ross Yoke or he'd be egging his bets ..

[Stilldrillin]

                       

Thanks Chaps!   



Just made a start. The alloy's as soft as plasticine. Drilled 3 concentric holes, to bolt back to me faceplate...... 

Which I now realise has 8 big holes........ 

I hadn't counted 'em, and I can't get 'em to line up sensibly! 

Sheesh! 

David D

[madjackghengis]

While we are on about lapping ... or not ... anyway I'll poke my nose in ..

Ages ago I used this stuff in the making of very thin sections of fossils ... before sticking to microscope slides ..

http://www.ceriumoxide.co.uk/

It is a very fine polishing mineral. I have some ... err .. somewhere  

Not from the supplier above though.

Anyone used it for pistons/bores etc ??

BC

BC Hi, thanks for chiming in, as long as David doesn't mind, I'd long forgotten that compound, not having used it in a few decades.  For some of the finest lapping, cigarette ash is among the finest available, as it is the silica drawn up with the water into the tobacco plant and the source of the paper (wood etc.), and as it is drawn up by capillary action, only the finest grains are light enough to end up in the fiber of the plants.  It can be put with water or oil, whichever is most convenient, and it leaves a mirror finish if the right steps are used.  Having watched the new video, I have to say it is a work of beauty, built the way I enjoy the most:  built out of the scrap bin, and using old stuff, which is the single most effective way to save energy through recycling.  No cost to alter the scrap and turn it into a refrigerator or something, but used in its original form for a slightly different purpose.  In this video, the spokes actually look like large fan blades as the crank spins smoothly and silently.  By the way, the pan is most likely very close to pure aluminum, which makes it act sort of like butter sometimes, and a lot like peanut butter at others.  Very fine job all around, and looking forward to the final touches.  Cheers, mad jack

[lazylathe]

That is awesome David!!!!!!! 

 

Fantastic runner and quiet just like a Stirling should be!!!!

Can't wait to see the final result with the flywheel!!

Andrew

[Stilldrillin]

Got some more done.......

After the 3 into 8 won't go conundrum, I paced out the faceplate holes accurately, on my rotary table.

Just squeezed in........




Sawed away the excess diameter. Note the obligatory scratch........  





I'd marked off the holes in the pan freehand, with dividers and centre punch. It fitted perfectly on the "precision" placed studs.
Nice to know I can still mark out accurately!  




Skimmed o/d, and both sides, then swapped to some precision, thin cardboard........




This allowed accurate facing away of the radius, leaving a truly flat disc......




Found it very difficult to get the scroll spinning true..... Until I placed the drill chuck close by, and tapped disc true with lead tup.




Topped, and bored to 1.5".......




Will turn a spigot on the 2" boss. Should look something like this.......




Rear view........




Two of the holes will fix the balance quadrant. The other will have a plug fitted.

Next up, is recycling the boss. Nowt much goes to waste here!

Plugged the spoke and grubscrew holes, ready for re machining......




More progress, sometime next week, probably.......

David D

[saw]

Nice work on the flywheel 

[NickG]

Yeah looks good that David, how thick is the frying pan base?

[Stilldrillin]

Thanks Chaps! 

Thickness is .085", in the centre area Nick......


Does anyone think, this is taking conservation of resources a little too far?   




David D

[Stilldrillin]

Two more weeks gone by! Haven't been able to do much...... 

Spent a lot of precious time on balancing the pistons, separately. Displacer needs 14gm at flywheel rim, piston needs 7gm .
Made a lovely curved weight, guessing at a final weight of 14 gms. Riveted in place between the two 90* throws. Remembering to bias 2/3 towards the displacer.




The engine swayed from side to side!!  So I took it off, but left the rivets in place as a talking point...... 

Decided it was time for another run. Less heat this time.

I was surprised, and delighted.......

Still to be pulled apart again, for final locking pins, and sealer. But, looking good, for when it's run in. 

David D

[arnoldb]

  Very nice runner David  - quiet & smooth 

And no surprise at all; you built it well, so it should run well 

 , Arnold

I was going to tease you a bit about everything being stuck to the wall...    Just how did you manage to make that tea candle have a horizontal flame ? 

[Chuck in E. TN]

Stilldrillin',I'll be studying this build intensely. I'm going to copy your efforts to build a wood stove fan for my brother.

Chuck in E. TN

 :doh:Forgot to add: Very nice work. indeed.   

[sbwhart]

I new this one would PAN out Dave 

What a little beauty 

Stew

[saw]

Very nice engine you got there