Super-small 12 cylinder engine may be the smallest in the world!

With close to six million views on YouTube, this video doesn't fall into the "undiscovered" category. Nevertheless, it falls into the crazy-amazing-miniature-machine category.

This incredibly small motor is the work of a Spanish engineer named Patelo. 1200 hours went into designing and fabricating one of the world's smallest V12 engines. The video shows the assembly process and culminates in the motor running on compressed air. This is some very fine miniature machining, indeed.

It's Monday; let this inspire you to make all that you can of the coming week. Enjoy!

[ Thanks John! ]

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Working replica of Mercedes from 1900 is powered by a Stirling engine

It's wonderful to see so many great bbooks and plans on Sterling Engines. Likewise there is a huge range of working Sterling Engine models around these days. Some of the nicest I've come across are those sold by Hammacher Schlemmer. Take for example the beautiful external combustion kraftwagen model I posted about last year. I don't know who exactly is producing these beautiful metal models for them, but they state that they are made in Germany.

This fully operational model is machine-tooled from solid brass, stainless steel, and aluminum. Power is supplied by the amazing Stirling Engine which uses the expansion and compression of air to turn the engine. An alcohol burner in the rear fuels the engine. These engines are remarkably efficient: full burner of ethyl alcohol allows the engine to operate for up to 15 minutes. Not keen on the idea of running an engine indoors. No worries: the exhaust is just steam and heat!

Here is where you can get the Mercedes model powered by a Stirling engine

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Plans to build a model of a flathead 4 motor out of scrap wood

Ken Schweim has come up with a new set of plans. This time around, he has designed and built a Willys L-134 flathead engine model out of wood! The plans are available as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.

From the book description:

The engine rotates with a hand crank mounted on the flywheel end of the crankshaft. The movable parts include the four pistons, connecting rods, eight valves, cam shaft, crankshaft, and timing gears. The head is included with the four spark plugs, plug wires, and a distributor (for looks only). The valves are all timed for a normal four cycle engine and the firing order is the same as a Willys L-134 flathead engine. The head is mounted on two wood hinges to allow a clean view of all the valves and pistons.

Made from small pieces of scrap wood pieces, the motor model can be built using with standard woodworking tools. The model measures approximately 12" long by 8" wide. The book contains over 300 step by step photos and blueprints. Here's a sample page from the book showing the plan drawings and helpful photographs that accompany the text:

Not only does it look like an enjoyable woodworking project, but you will learn about how internal combustion engines work along the way. In fact, it looks like the model would make a great science fair project! For those interested in learning to make wood automata, the project incorporates many commonly used mechanical components including the hand crank, crank shaft, gears, linkages, and cams.

Here's where you can view more sample pages and order your own copy of the book Build a Wood Flathead 4 Motor

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Laser-cut Stirling engine kit runs on a single tea candle

Check out this lovely Stirling engine. As you can see in the video, it runs very well on a single small tea candle. In addition, the diaphragm material is easy to replace. The parts are laser-cut Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF).

This Stirling engine will be available as a kit from the nice folks at Bustedbricks.com, who also offer supplies the models, model engineering, and other hobbies.

For more info on Stirling engines (until you get the kit shown here, of course) check out the book Eleven Stirling Engine Projects You Can Build, which includes detailed reviews of 4 existing Stirling engine kits, several original engine designs by the author, and a few classic designs from the web. Many of the design in the book can be made with materials scrounged from around the house.

If you simply can't live without a one, this assortment of Stirling engine kits should keep you very busy. Enjoy!

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Glass working model of Stephenson's Rocket

I posted the other day about the wooden kit for Stephenson's steam engine Rocket. As cool as that kit is, and as amazing as the original invention is, here is something perhaps even more amazing. This working model of Stephenson's Rocket was made by master glassblower Michal Zahradník.

No only does the model work when a fuel tablet is lit bellow a small boiler, but everything is made of glass: crankshaft, piston, counterweight, all of it. No gasket materials or sealants were used.

On the difficulties of making working piston in glass:

The piston is the most arduous part to make due to to extreme level of precision needed. Its parts have to be so accurate that no machinery is of use here. The piston and its cylinder must be hand sanded to perfection, and they are very likely to crack in the process! On average, three out of four crack.

For more info on Stephenson's Rocket, I highly recommend the book The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention.

[ Thanks Catherine! ]

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Video of Stephenson's Rocket wooden kit

I did post last year about this kit depicting Stephenson's locomotive called Rocket. The original engine can be seen at The Science Museum in London.

I was particularly excited about the kit because when I learned of it, just finished a book called The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention. The book centers around the history and development of Rocket, invented by Robert Stephenson in 1829. If you like history and/or technology, I can't recommend this particular book highly enough!

Here is a handsome historical print on canvas your can hang on your wall:

You can order the wood automata kit of Stephenson's Rocket on the Cabaret mechanical Theatre web site. For those of us in the USA, you can also get the kit at http://www.timberkitsus.com. Here's the product page for Stephenson's Rocket kit.

If you are more into paper models, they published a kit back in the 80s that allows you to make your own miniature version of Stephenson's rocket.

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GĄBKA (Sponge) - solar-powered kinetic sculpture

The video here shows one of Szymon Klimek's incredible miniature brass sculptures. the sculpture measures 11.5cm x 9cm x 7cm. Though that is quite small, it is larger than much of Klimek's works -- many will fit inside of a wine glass. As with most of his pieces, the delicate metalwork is driven by small integrated solar panels. I'd love to see him putting one of these tiny model engines together. It would probably very educational!

See more miniature kinetic sculptures in brass by Szymon Klimek on his web site.

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Beautiful external combustion kraftwagen model

Hammacher Schlemmer is certainly fond of Stirling engines. Well, who can blame them? The latest addition to their catalog is this Stirling engine powered vehicle. Made of machine-tooled brass, stainless steel, and aluminum, there is no denying that it is a beauty of a working model, if a rather pricey one.

From the product description:

An alcohol burner in the rear heats a cylinder; a quick twist of its brass flywheel sets the engine's displacement and working pistons into motion up to 2,000 rpm. The resulting expansion and contraction of heated and cooled air inside the engine operates a rocker arm, connecting rod, cam, and crankshaft, which spin four flywheels to drive its two 3 1/2" diameter rubber-bound wheels. A third wheel in front can be manually turned 360 degrees, allowing the car to perform autonomous circles while it putters efficiently.

Here is where you can check out this External Combustion Kraftwagen.

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Red rocket tin toy with Wilesco steam engine

Check out this awesome tin toy powered by a Wilesco steam engine! Manufactured in the famous toy producing area around Nuremburg, Germany, this Red Steam Rocket tin toy is limited to only 250 pieces worldwide. While they say it is perfect for mechanically curious kids, the price tag suggests that this gem might really be for collectors. I'm not a collector, but man...do I want one!

Here's where you can read a bit more and see additional images oftin toy rocket powered by a Wilesco steam engine.

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How to make a tin can Stirling engine out of scap

I have yet to make a Sterling engine. I have bookmarked this particular Instructable because the engine looks great, requires only a few tools, and is made almost entirely from recycled materials and scraps!

Here is the full Instructable on how to make this Tin Can Stirling engine.

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Article on Hero of Alexandria & video of aeolipile

The io9.com site featured a nice summary of the work of Hero of Alexandria earlier this week. Among his many inventions were sophisticated automta and a steam engine known as an 'aeolipile' -- a modern version of which is shown here. The post also shows a nice video of a recreated version of Hero's steam engine.

Here is the article on The Greek engineer who invented the steam engine 2,000 years ago at io9.com.

Here is were you can learn more about the beautiful steam turbine model shown above.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Stunning desktop internal combustion engine

So it is Contraption Week here a The Automata / Automaton Blog. It's probably not fair to call something this slick a "contraption", but it has the requisite number of moving parts and lack of utility to qualify. So,...a beautiful contraption, then. This is a desktop internal combustion engine sold by Hammacher Schlemmer. It burns butane and can reach a speed of 2,000 RPM.

From the engine description:

Crafted from solid brass, stainless steel, and aluminum by a German engineering company, the engine has a precisely calibrated carburetor, spark plug, and piston that generate maximum mechanical energy in a smooth, efficient manner. Fueled by butane (available at camping stores), the engine starts by turning its flywheel. A piezo magneto is attached to a timing disk that sends an electrical impulse to the spark plug, igniting the fuel within the cylinder. An adjustable fuel valve controls the engine's speed and the simple yet elegant movement of the valve rod, cross head, and crankshaft are clearly visible at lower revolutions.

Here's where you can check out this gorgeous desktop combustion engine.

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Stephenson's Rocket - automata kit...and book!

I've been rambling at length to anyone who will listen about this great book I just finished called The Most Powerful Idea in the World, which centers around a locomotive named "Rocket" invented by Robert Stephenson in 1829. It just so happens that automata kits have also been on my mind a lot lately too. Imagine my surprise when the good people at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre sent out a recent email featuring a wood automata kit of Stephenson's Rocket!

The book is one of the best I have ever read on the history of technology (and have read many). The author uses Rocket as a destination and leads the reader on several avenues of inquiry to explore its invention: history, culture, technology, invention, economics, science, industry, intellectual property...even psychology. It's incredible. Someone should make a documentary series based on this book!

As for the kit, I haven't assembled this one myself, but it looks like a nice model. All of the Timberkits are made of solid wood pieces that you simply peg and glue together according to the instructions.

Here's where you can order the wood automata kit of Stephenson's Rocket. For those of us in the USA, you can also get the kit at http://www.timberkitsus.com. Here's the product page for Stephenson's Rocket kit.

Here's where you can get a copy of the book The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention

The two items together would make a very nice gift package for the mechanical-historian type of person in your life.

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Working desktop Hero steam engine

Check out this sleek working steam turbine model made from solid brass and black anodized aluminum. Based on the design of Hero (or Heron, if you prefer) of Alexandria, this high-end model stands about 5 inches tall and is powered by an alcohol burner.

From the description of the steam engine model:

A precursor to the jet engine, Heron's steam turbine was the first of its kind to extract thermal energy from pressurized steam and convert it into rotary motion. The desktop steam turbine is powered by an alcohol burner that heats a sphere boiler holding 2/3 oz. of water, evoking the metal cauldron that heated Heron's original aeolipile. When steam is generated, it is expelled through two nozzles on the sphere pointing in opposite directions, generating thrust that rotates the sphere on its axis up to 2,500 rpm.

Here's where you can learn more about this working model of Hero's steam turbine.

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Stirling engine powers Ferris wheel model

Here is a top-of-the-line desktop toy: a metal Ferris wheel model, powered by a small Stirling engine. It's not exactly cheap, but it sure is nice!

From the mode description:

The Stirling engine's flywheels are connected by a rubber band to four flywheels on the Ferris wheel, powering its rotation. Made in Germany, the kit's parts are made from machine tooled solid brass, stainless steel, and aluminum components on a walnut stained wood base. Ferris wheel: 9" H x 5" W x 4" D. Stirling engine: 5" H x 6" L x 4 1/4"

Here's where you can learn more about this The Stirling Engine Ferris Wheel.

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A Stirling engine powered model Ferris wheel

Take a look at this gorgeous Ferris wheel model powered by a small Stirling engine. This is pretty much the ultimate desk-top conversation piece.

From the item description:

This working Stirling engine powers a rotating Ferris wheel using the same thermodynamic principles invented in 1861 by Robert Stirling to create a more efficient alternative to steam engines. Still taught today in mechanical engineering courses to show the high efficiency, quiet operation, and heat utilization of closed-cycle regenerative heat engines, Stirling engines are powered by the expansion and compression of air. Two alcohol burners heat the chambers on the Stirling engine, causing the air inside to expand and contract and push the pistons toward the chambers. This movement displaces some of the warm air, forces the vertical pistons upward, and turns the flywheels. The Stirling engine's flywheels are connected by a rubber band to four flywheels on the Ferris wheel, powering its rotation. Made in Germany, the kit's parts are made from machine tooled solid brass, stainless steel, and aluminum components on a walnut stained wood base. Ferris wheel: 9" H x 5" W x 4" D. Stirling engine: 5" H x 6" L x 4 1/4" W

Here is a link to this Stirling Engine Ferris Wheel.

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Vertical Solar Machine by Szymon Klimek

Back in November of 2009, I did a short post featuring a tiny brass solar powered engine by Szymon Klimek. Here is another one of his incredible working miniature engines spinning away inside of a glass goblet! The detail and craftsmanship are simply fantastic.

See the full dazzling array of working miniatures by Szymon Klimek on his web site.

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Engineering in Miniature - model engineering magazine

Engineering in Miniature is a British magazine published monthly for amateur and professional model engineers. The magazine features model engineering construction articles which includes scale model construction of locomotives, steam road vehicles, stationary, marine, gas, and hot air engines, clocks and many model engineer workshop projects, tooling and machinery.

Here's a page where you can subscribe to Engineering in Miniature

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Book: The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria

Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria (c. 10-70 AD) was a prolific inventor and mathematician and is one of the first known creators of automata in the history of Western civilization. His original works were destroyed in the fire that consumed the ancient library in Alexandria, but some of his work survived by way of copies that were made in Arabic. Here is his work on Pneumatics, which included a working steam engine -- an invention that was perhaps several thousand years ahead of its time.

Here is the book The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria

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Book: Miniature Internal Combustion Engines

Model engineers have been making miniature internal combustion engines for as long as that type of engine has been around. Some, though, have been put off from this endeavor because of the perceived difficulty of the task. This book attempts to remedy this situation. The text covers various internal combustion engine designs and their operating cycles. The core of the book provides detailed information about the process of constructing internal combustion engines. Readers with a basic knowledge of machining should find the information necessary to build a simple single cylinder engine. The book features tons of photographs and beautiful drawings to make the concepts clear.

Here's where you can learn more about Miniature Internal Combustion Engines

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