I am planning my next project (when I get my tailstock in working order). I was thinking of building another Stirling engine but I do not think ''John'' has English instructions.

**LINK**

This may not be too much of a problem as the ''Laura'' Stirling engine had very good plans/diagrams and the English instructions were very limited in that they do not tell you how to make the parts. It is assumed that the builder already knows how to do that.

The flame eater ''Nick'' looks interesting and it has English instructions. The base is also pre-milled which is useful because I do not have a router. Has anybody built this engine before ? Do you have any hints about the build ? Are flame eater engines any more difficult to get going than Stirling engines ?

**LINK**

Edited By Brian John on 23/03/2016 13:13:23

Ian : that was my gut feeling on the matter too ie. a flame licker is more difficult to get running. Although they are interesting and unusual. At this stage I am leaning towards the ''John'' Stirling engine even though it has no English instructions.

I bought the Nick flame eater kit. It arrived on Friday and I have been looking through the instructions before starting anything. They say that the most difficult part is the cylinder (part #20) : ''the cylinder bore should be drilled first and reamed or turned to size…..then turn the cooling fins''

I would have turned the cooling fins first as then the work piece can be supported between centres. Any thoughts on that ?

''Then turn the cooling fins, but do not yet overwind lengthwise''

What does that mean ?

Edited By Brian John on 14/05/2016 17:35:14

1. Okay, I will drill and tap for M5 (tap drill = 4.2mm). What is the face plate likely to be made of and how difficult will it be to drill and tap ?

2. How thick should the timber or MDF board be on which the face plate rests ie. how far from the face plate should the closest edge of the flywheel be ?

Edited By Brian John on 17/05/2016 13:46:22

I have drilled and tapped the face plate for M5. I made a mistake by drilling from the back in the first instance (holes with arrows). I was trying to avoid the recess on the back of the plate but I forgot about the recesses on the front. So I ended up drilling through the edges of some of those front recesses…not good for tapping. I drilled a second set of holes from the front ( holes with circles) and these were finally in the correct place for tapping. I used plenty of tap magic and there were no problems tapping into the cast iron face plate.

I am still a bit confused how to go about this. There is not a lot of room once the clamping plates are added to the centres (photo 3) so I am not sure I can take a facing cut off the hub doing it this way. I may have to put the clamps on the outside (photo 4) and take a facing cut across the hub then drill/ream the centre hole that way. But having done that, I am not certain of maintaining concentricity when I remove the outer clamps. I may then have to use the mandrel to finish the outer surface and the rims.

I think it is a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees ! 

Edited By Brian John on 18/05/2016 14:33:24

I made up some clamping plates from 25mm M5 washers today by shaping them on the bench grinder (photo 1). I did not think they quite covered the spokes enough so I used some 31mm washers and cut some tangents off them with the angle grinder ( photo 2). That seems to be a better fit and I hope to give the face plate a tryout on the lathe tomorrow.