New enthusiast with questions!

[tour86rocker]

Howdy! New stirling engine enthusiast here.

I'm very interested in tips for someone just starting out. I'm finishing college, but I don't know engineering or machining.

When my brother showed me a stirling engine running on solar power in someone's backyard I fell in love. Prices to buy these things seem steep and I'd love to find a way to produce electricity so I've been devouring reading materials on stirling engines online like wikipedia.

I'm looking for pointers of where to start when it comes to building.
I tried to build this one <here> but I found it difficult to make without a woodshop. If anyone wants to see my end product for the sake of levity, let me know! (it doesn't work)

But really, can anyone make a recommendation? I have access to basic power tools but nothing too complex. Please tell me how some of you got started. Thanks

[speedless]

Hi
Seems like you are looking for something simple to start with.
I started with the walking beam,then went on to try something simpler.
My goal:Make a easy made and working engine from scratch.
Okay heres the ingredience;
2 emty cans of tuna fish for displacer cyl.(Those with rip-off lid is perfect)
Bicycle spokes for connection rods
Bicycle valve rubber and/or spring from ballpens as connections to crank and piston.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0050.jpg
1 cd/dvd for the flywheel
1 small coint for balancing the flywheel and displacer.
2 ball bearings from discharted CPU coolers.
polish steel rod from discharted cd-drive;3mm to fit the bearings

Some of the parts you have to buy.(Unless lucky)
Copper or Alu tube;inner diameter 10-15mm
Copper or Alu tube;inner diameter to fit ballbearings.
Brass tube for the dislacer bearing,fitting the spokes.
A block of "OASIS".
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0041.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... 0042-1.jpg
Heat resistence epoxy.(Chemical metal or similar,up to 160C) to glue it all together and cast the piston.
The crank could be made very simple from one steel rod.
I had trouble with bending this right and made the crank from pieces of brass and steel rod.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0045.jpg


Any questions or comment are welcome.
Getting started is allway difficult!

No.2:
Specs:
Displacer cyl.:2 cans.Ø85x43mm
Displacer piston:"OASIS".Ø83x24mm
PWR.cyl.:alu tube Ø16/Ø14mm.
PWR.piston:"chemical-metal" mixed with "anti scuffing paste"
( grease with graphite or molybdenum) moulded in tube;Ø14x15mm
Main bearing:ball bearings Ø5/Ø3
Crank:Brass bar 12x3mmx35 with 3mm steel axels
Bicycle valve rubber and/or spring from ballpens as connections.
Brass tube and alu tube for con-rods.
Everything is glued together with "chemical-metal"
Running 400+ rpm with methanol burner.
Up to 700 rpm with ice !
tunavid:
http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0035.flv
tuna pics:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0040.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk18 ... CT0037.jpg

Jan
PS:http://boydhouse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=267