Be Gentle it's my first time

[Shipdisturber]

Right up front my apologies to Jann Ridder, it was his plan I loosely followed then promptly butchered. First off my machining skills are flawed at best and my patience factor has a lot to be desired. This little motor should be held together by good machining and Loctite 603, I soldered everything together because most of my fits weren't good. The best part is the little crankshaft because believe it or don't that thing spun beautifully. The rest of this little project will be in the scrap bin. I may save the little crank for another day. The part of the crankshaft build that was supposed to be removed I soldered in place and made the crank around it, then I cut the scrap metal out of the centre. This is the place for anyone who needs a holier than thou fix because this is not how you guys do these things. I attached pictures because every picture tells a story.

 

[cwelkie]

I think you are being too hard on yourself ... you stayed with it until the end and that's more than many would have done. It would be a shame to bin it. Keep it as a reference example of how much your talents have progressed over time. I enjoy grinning at my first "engine" when I've goofed up something on the current project. (Baring that, I'll bet you could sell it on as 'art' to a steam punk aficionado.)

 

[vederstein]

DON"T CHUCK IT!!!

There's something special about your first runner. My first runner was far worse and I kept it for at least eight years until I ran out of space on my Shelf of Shame.

...Ved.

 

[kuhncw]

Congratulations on your first engine. Don't bin it! We all have a first start. Mine is still on the shelf.

I like the look. It has a bit of rustic or Steampunk look and I mean that as a compliment.

Chuck

 

[Shipdisturber]

Thanks for all the kind replies! You could consider it a runner if it actually ran, I think it may have assisted me for bits at a time. No I won't bin it but I may curse it from time to time. This actually isn't my first attempt, the other was a Flame Licker engine. It would seize at times but I think it actually made an attempt to move itself. The Flame Licker cylinder I can reuse and repair, the rest of the parts may be useful too so I think I will do a build thread with that one. This business of building these little engines is very useful for improving my skills on my South Bend and I am getting better at using my Mickey Duck El cheapo milling machine. For some reason once I figure out how something works I do a better job of building it without plans, lets see how that works with these engines. Just to show you I am not a total write off here is a video of one of my scratch built creations. It's made from African Sepili hardwood and the mechanics are my own brainchild. Notice when the oars enter and leave the water there is very little splashing, that was the part I spent half the time on.

 

[natalefr]

Welcome your ship is nice, good job

 

[Shipdisturber]

Thank you.

 

[neil_1821]

We all have to start from somewhere but don’t be too hard on yourself. You had great success with the boat so your metal work skills will develop. I’ve built a few engines and I think when you build something yourself you can always pick fault. Stirling engines are a pain to get running as everything has to be ‘just right’. Not too tight and not too loose. My first engine was the Stirling bas engine by jan ridders.

I also attempted this one you’ve made but I used acrylic pipe and I couldn’t get it to work. I keep meaning to go back to it and get it working but it’s all tucked away in a box for now.

 

[Shipdisturber]

I don't think it's so much being hard on myself. It's more like how a coach talks to a team, tells them their bums in the first half and now it's time to go out there and prove themselves. When it comes to being beat by a machine I humble myself, look at the mistakes and then go at it tooth and nail. At work they give me the engine diagnosis jobs that everyone and their dog tried to figure out and couldn't. I pull out all the stops and get that baby running like she should. One job in particular one of our other shops ran this bus for three months with attempts to repair an overheating problem on a daily basis. They brought it to us and after one day I found a piece of rubber debris in hose coming from the surge tank which was the problem all along. When it comes to machines with a problem the puzzling part is so very often something simple. As I do with diesel engines once I get the combination for these little Stirling engines I will likely have so many I'll be giving them away for Christmas presents.
Boy that last statement sure sounded cocky, sorry, I sometimes forget Canadians shouldn't be so arrogant.

 

[Shipdisturber]

I soldered the one wrist pin so it wouldn't hang up on the coin then spun and spun it till it felt loose. It was looking hopeful until I realised the set screw had backed off some so I Locktited it in place. I once again got it turning free so I thought lets try it. Set up a little stand over a lit candle and tried to spin it, it actually turned a half a turn on it's own at times. I let it sit over the candle longer in hopes it would work better. I tried it and I think the whole thing ended up hot because the crank support was hot to the touch. Cooled it off with tap water and believed some water got sucked inside causing the bigger piston balsa to swell, now it doesn't turn well. I could rebuild it and someday I may, just not today.