Hand-cranked mini ball track soon to be available in kit form

The folks over at BustedBricks.com offer hobby supplies and laser cutting services. To this useful list, they will soon be adding the nifty little rolling ball sculpture shown in the video as a kit! The video shows a test version of the kit. The final version will have a an easy-to-assemble laser cut plywood track, which does not require soldering skills or equipment. I adore the laser cut gears!

The kits will be available on Friday of this week at www.bustedbricks.com. I'm thinking these would make great holiday gifts. In the meantime, I recommend you check out the Stirling Engine Kits they currently offer!

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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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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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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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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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Stirling engine that requires no fuel...sort of.

Well, of course it requires fuel...the laws of physics tell us you can't get energy for free. But, this working Stirling engine only needs a bit heat to run. A beautiful high-end physics toy featuring a solid brass fly wheel, graphite pistons, glass chambers, and stainless steel hardware.

From the Stirling engine description:

This is the Stirling engine that's powered by any heat source--even the palm of your hand. The engine relies on the same thermodynamic principles that powered Robert Stirling's original model in 1816, but is enhanced to operate in response to a low temperature difference between the upper and lower plates of its base. The two aluminum plates are connected by two sealed piston chambers and when the bottom plate is at least 5º F hotter than the top, the air inside the chambers expands and pushes the pistons upward. As the pistons rise they spin the flywheel, which in turn pushes the pistons back down, repeating the mechanical cycle until the heat differential--from a computer monitor or even a cup of coffee--is lost.

Here's where you can get this (not exactly, but awfully damned nice) "fuelless" Stirling engine.

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Sun to Stirling engine to generator to NiMH to car

I'm not sure if you caught it, but yesterday, I declared this holiday season to be The Year of the Physics Toy. (One perk of having your own blog is that you get to make random proclamations like that.) You have got to check this toy out: it combines solar energy, a rhombic geared drive train, a Stirling engine, a generator, and a motorized car in one system. I defy you to NOT learn some physics from this toy.

About the Solar Stirling Engine Racer:

A 11"-diameter parabolic mirror reflects sunlight onto the Stirling engine, heating its glass tube and causing the air inside to expand and contract. The expansion and contraction of air forces the piston to move up and down and powers the movement of its gears and rhombic drive--the same heat-to-work conversions that powered Robert Stirling's original engine in 1816. The Stirling Engine powers a small generator located in its translucent assembly, which in turn recharges the racer's AAA NiMH battery. The rear-wheeled drive racer has a geared transmission and operates for five minutes after a three-hour charge.

Here's where to get the solar Stirling engine racer.

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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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