# Poppin Flame Licker Engine



## NickG (Jan 23, 2011)

Hi all,

Almost a year after starting, I have finished 1 of the intended 2 poppin engines! ;D

The main reason I started this was straight after I'd got my Jan Ridders Internal Valve Flame Licker running. I'd had (like a few people) quite a bit of trouble getting that one to run, so wanted to try a completely different design to see what the difference was and how the characteristics of the engine differed. 

I was intending it to be a fairly quick project and I was going to build 2, 1 to keep and the other to sell to recoup some money for the workshop. Then my machine vice broke and I lost all momentum and desire to be in the workshop in winter! It's taken this long to get myself motivated again, repair the vice and get back out there. I did that in about october when I started working on a 7 1/4" loco and then the Tiny Stirling for my Dad's xmas present. This poppin will now be my dad's Birthday present to hopefully make up for the non-running stirling he got for xmas! Better than selling it on ebay... I will finish the other one for myself soon after a short break from the workshop.

I would say that poppin is a more orthodox, robust design and much easier to get to run. This ran the minute I held a flame to the port, but I had learnt a lot of valuable lessons during the Ridders build I was able to apply so it's not a fair test. 

Some of the machining techniques were more complex and parts were more fiddly than the Jan Ridders design. Poppin is a good design, but it's build to quite close tolerances, or clearances should I say. There isn't a lot of room for error and unless you study everything carefully it's best to stick to the original plans as closely as possible.

Anyway, here are the pics / video. Again, I would like to thank everybody for their input during the build.

Nick






















[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfmtRP4OPc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMfmtRP4OPc[/ame]


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## chizz (Feb 12, 2011)

hi nick well done that engine looks really nice it will make a very nice present, i am in the middle of making two half scaled jan riddler stirling engines as presents one for my father in law and another for my brother :-\ hope i can get them to run.

ive looked at making this engine before how hard is it to get a good seal on the port with the way that valve moves.

Chizz


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## dsquire (Feb 12, 2011)

Nick

I don't know how I missed seeing this when you first posted it but I guess its better late then never. It looks like a very sweet running little engine. It is also top notch in the looks department. It looks like paying attention to detail has paid off with a good runner that you can be proud of. :bow: :bow:

Cheers 

Don


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## NickG (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks Chizz,

1/2 scale ridders engines sound interesting, think it'll be a first. Get a couple of pics up when you've finished. 

Don, many thanks. It seems to run well, I have tightened the spring up quite a lot more now and it runs much more consistently.

Nick


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## cfellows (Feb 15, 2011)

That's a nice runner, Nick, runs better than mine. Nice work

Chuck


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## NickG (Feb 16, 2011)

Chuck, thanks, I think my graphite piston played a large part in getting it to run easily first time. It's light, needs no lubricant, easy to machine and to get a good fit.


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