Stirling Böhm Engine

Jimbonaut

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I got this a few years back, got it to work once and then it shat the bed. Even made a fancy base for it from a piece of walnut burl (I think). It's sat on the shelf as a trophy of failure ever since, until today. Took it apart, cleaned it up, re-lubed it with some PTFE dry lube (think that was the mistake I made last time - used the wrong lube which gummed up its sensitive little self) and bingo, little fella fired right up.

https://youtu.be/zGnJFAJ2F4o

These things are ludicrously satisfying and immensely fun, not to mention beautiful. And they go like the absolute clappers - you can hook up a drive belt to one of the rear brass wheels and get all kinds of clever. Apparently.

76EB6k0.jpg
 
It's made (unsurprisingly) by a German company called Böhm Stirling-Technik (http://www.boehm-stirling.com/en/). They make all kinds of engines, vehicles and accessories, all powered by the same technology. Since getting the thing running again yesterday i'm having a hard time leaving it alone - which I have no problem with but the wife thinks is weird. Pfffft.
 
It really is absurdly satisfying. I'm thinking about how to customize it, and what I could hook the thing up to. Either way it's annoying the shit out of the wife's cat, so that's a huge win.
 
I had great luck using silicone spray as a very low-friction lube on RC helicopters. Prestone brand, I think. Didn't thicken over time and stayed on a long time. For a dry lube, just rub some graphite on the bearing surfaces. Damn, I wish I had the touch to make one of those.
 
These things are really friction-sensitive, too much lubrication or the wrong lube will jam them up in no time. The PTFE seems to be working well, but even that needs to be applied in the finest amount. The engine comes with ceramic paste but that went awol years ago. The sound they make when they're winding up is a real throwback, like Edison or Stevenson have popped round for tea and biscuits while demonstrating their latest invention.
 
There's a bank down the road, been robbed at least twice since I've lived here. Neither time by me. But should I come into a windfall soon - by means nefarious or otherwise - I'd spend at least some of it on something utterly useless but totally brilliant like this -

https://youtu.be/MuIbzJ0aiLo

Wife thinks she's annoyed now, wait till I hook this badboy up. The steel-y slide of those marbles would lull her off to gentle insanity in no time.
 
The Jimbonaut said:
There's a bank down the road, been robbed at least twice since I've lived here. Neither time by me. But should I come into a windfall soon - by means nefarious or otherwise - I'd spend at least some of it on something utterly useless but totally brilliant like this -

https://youtu.be/MuIbzJ0aiLo

Wife thinks she's annoyed now, wait till I hook this badboy up. The steel-y slide of those marbles would lull her off to gentle insanity in no time.
Is that where the expression comes from perhaps?

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datadavid said:
Is that where the expression comes from perhaps?
Could be...

If 1. I rob a bank, 2. I drop some funds on this thing and 3. the wife goes totally doolally once the marbles roll I'll be able to either confirm or deny. In the meantime the cat still looses its shit every time I fire up the engine which is almost as much fun as the engine itself.
 
Jimbo, I really dig that little engine.. did you order it as an kit that you assembled? And is that website that you linked the only source for something like this.. I really dig this kind of stuff.
 
Yeah man - ordered it as a kit from the website I linked to. The company's called Böhm Stirling-Technik. Fun to build too, but the base I made myself. I shopped around and these were the nicest looking machines I could find, but there are plenty of other options (some a lot cheaper) on amazon. Type in "Stirling Engine" into amazon and you'll find a bunch.
 
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