Honey, I Shrunk the Steam Engine

Mike machines a tiny steam engine, measuring about 5 mm long.
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[@chronovaengineering]

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[@associatedblacksheepandmisfits]

That's a lovely lathe m8.😊

[@RichardBetel]

The Obese Mosquito is a pretty good name for a steam engine, IMO.

[@petesmith9472]

I was so engrossed I found myself blowing at my screen to get rid of the swarf.

[@TrueHelpTV]

This deserves a home in a museum somewhere.

[@nickybeingnicky]

I'm joining. But only because I want you to make a tiny 2 stroke.

[@martinfisker7438]

Making a motorcycle for an ant is pretty cool, but honestly having a wife who made a steam engine is the biggest flex of this video

[@TerrySumpter2007]

Agreed 1000%

[@jeffspaulding9834]

@@littlefrank90 There are a lot more men who machine as a hobby than women. You can argue about why that's the case, but it's true. Some guys find that novelty attractive. Personally, there are a lot of other things I consider more important in a potential mate, but everyone's different.

[@deca0]

@@jeffspaulding9834it was clearly a joke

[@NerdGlasses256]

Bu why ut /s at the ned then (it means serious, and is used to clarify "no I'm not joking. It'S counterpart is /jk)

[@plumbum8284]

@@NerdGlasses256 /s means sarcasm, serious is /srs

[@sdrc92126]

World's first steam powered watch?

[@drewcagno]

Tell me more....... 😂😂😂

[@nevernether3368]

Brilliant!

[@Fan-lq6uv]

Steam train for ants?

[@stinkfist911]

Use something that your body heat can vaporize, maybe ether.

[@sloppycee]

Lung power

[@timoteiNitrogen]

Bro just causally went to his fucking scanning electron microscope, standard shop equipment

[@TheGuyWhoComments]

I remember that time my lines on my 3D printer were messed up so I used my electron microscope to scan them and find the issue

[@tonywright8294]

Why the swearing ?

[@FabiansLab]

​@@tonywright8294 Because SEMs cost easily $200,000 most engineer minded people are frustrated they can't do their own personal projects due to the cost of most tools

[@mrb692]

@@FabiansLabthey make tabletop SEMs nowadays that are comparatively cheap, as in only tens of thousands of dollars instead of hundreds.

[@FabiansLab]

@@mrb692 oh that's neat, I was just betting on buying a used one... One day.

[@Simple_But_Expensive]

Having been a steam engineer most of my life, I am astonished. Truly impressive work. It may be the smallest steam engine on the planet. Call Guinness!

[@akaHarvesteR]

It very well might be. Btw that 'adapter' part is hilarious. It just shows how ridiculous the scale is, when the air feed tube is also the entire engine mount 😅

[@Simple_But_Expensive]

@@akaHarvesteR Hey! Good engineering is making one part serve two purposes!👍🙂

[@dundeedideley1773]

Guinness is a pay to play sham.

[@robm.4512]

To be fair, he’s earned a decent pint for this.

[@garychaney5484]

​@@robm.4512pint of bourbon!

[@DallasG83]

One day, ants will build statues of this man for helping them industrialize their colonies.

[@nixie2462]

"WHAT IS THIS, A STEAM ENGINE FOR ANTS?!?!" "Yes" "Oh..."

[@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE]

"... Needs to be at least three times this big!"

[@julianwalde4810]

wait til you see the ants startegic bomber fleet and space station ...

[@MatchaMakesThings]

Ah yes putting it under the Electron Micron microscope to figure out the issue XD. Lovely build. Really pushing the limits!

[@akaHarvesteR]

I love how casually he takes his parts to the scanning electron microscope, as if it was a thing you find in most shops 😅

[@king_james_official]

electron micron microscope? that's a new name for me lol

[@robm.4512]

@@king_james_officialIt’s probably smaller than yer average common or garden home workshop scanning electron microscope. I think we should be told.

[@custos3249]

Don't forget, you don't have to go bigger, you can also go more dense. An osmium flywheel would've been interesting to say the least.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

Lead would be doable, or some alloy of lead. Tungsten would be better, but I know it's notoriously hard to machine, so it might not be possible with his workshop.

[@akaHarvesteR]

Isn't osmium ridiculously toxic? But yeah, tungsten could work... But it's famously a PITA to machine

[@custos3249]

@@akaHarvesteR It's used in jewlery, so no. It's no more toxic than platinum, which makes sense since it's one of the noble metals. However, like platinum, compounds containing it can be especially hazardous, such as it's oxides. Easily mitigated with simple galvanizing though.

[@custos3249]

@@bow-tiedengineer4453 Given heat is a staple of steam engines, the wheel needs to spin at high speed, lead's melting point, and malleability.......

[@Yora21]

At this tiny scale, even really exotic and expensive materials might be affordable.

[@GeorgeD1]

I don't think it came through very clearly on video, but anyone who's held a 0.3 mm drill bit knows how incredibly tiny it is! I have one and I can't imagine how they are even produced...

[@markrainford1219]

I don't trust any milling cutter below 3mm, they could be selling me a drill bit for all I know. 😅

[@JJFX-]

Last time I attempted using bits like this it broke when I looked at it. Sometimes you just have to admit you aren't the gorilla meant to do the job.

[@Airclot]

I had to use 0.3 mm drill bits for some ceramic parts. The box that contained 10 of them fell off the microscope stand onto the table below while I was messing with some parts. Every single bit immediately snapped off when it hit the table. I stopped working for the rest of that day to cool off after that.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

And then you were presented to the almighty 0.1 mm drill bit.

[@JamieBainbridge]

The scale of this didn't become apparent until I saw the gigantic toothbrush at 10:05

[@Terminarch]

Should've been a gag reel honestly. Get a hilariously large toothbrush the size of a leg for that zoom shot lol

[@somethingelse2740]

In the early 90's I read an article in (I believe) Model Aviation magazine about an elderly watchmaker immigrant in NYC who made a bunch of multi cylinder CO2 engines so small you could fit the collection inside a Contac capsule. The article included pictures or I wouldn't have believed it. A working 5 cylinder CO2 engine about 3 mm wide. I was never able to find anything about him on the internet. Machining super tiny machines is amazing to me

[@akaHarvesteR]

I know watchmakers make tiny tings, but holy hell, this is _ridiculously_ small! My jaw dropped from the thumbnail already (hah, pun retroactively intended)

[@ian-c.01]

I remember making one of those oscillating engines in school over 50 years ago as an introduction to machining, I really enjoyed the process ! You make it look fairly straightforward but it's difficult to get a sense of scale on a large screen, drilling the match head at the end put it into perspective nicely !

[@leifvejby8023]

I made one too, out of oak, very similar to this, but twenty times larger, 20mm bore. It ran quite well, but wore itself out in a few minutes.

[@SpeedyGwen]

I would absolutely love to see u make a super tiny water boiler that can run this engine while being incredibly tiny, it could even end up in a watch or something as a proof of concept and because its cool, also I would love to see the efficiency of this engine

[@bettafish541]

a tiny water boiler that runs off a little slow burning string

[@mrimmortal1579]

Holy crap, that’s amazing! If you keep up like this, it won’t be long before people are telling Chris from Clickspring “That’s some Chronova level workmanship, mate!”

“This is the larger version my wife Hazel made several years ago” I’m lucky myself having a wife who shares and appreciates some of my interests but this just another level :)

[@IneptOrange]

That dwarven couple in the corner of the tavern who forge weapons together have competition

[@Sugar3Glider]

"This is a really tiny steam engine." ~Chronova "YES." ~Fred Fredburger

[@WeirdPros]

YUS!

[@LafayetteSystems]

The design and precision machining at this scale is incredible!

[@richards7909]

It’s mind blowing how small it is, amazing at the skill required but I was lost for words when you casually mentioned looking under an electron microscope! Wow, just wow! :)

[@barneszhun4041]

This isn't even machining anymore, it is pure art at this minature scale!

[@thesjyoungjr]

It's a good thing you don't have allergies. A sneeze at the wrong time could be disastrous. 😊

[@twestgard2]

It might run the engine!

[@thesjyoungjr]

@@twestgard2 maybe in hyper speed.😄

[@nat7278]

Man that pantograph is the bees knees. What an incredible undertaking you accomplished. Bravo

[@ratcrib]

17:11 @theslowmoguys need to film this

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Easily got my thumbs up! No stupid music, got to hear the sounds from the processes, and very interesting content to follow along with whereby anticipating the progress. Thank you for sharing the video

[@Iceflkn]

16:01 an obese mosquito? How do they sound? Hungry?? Lol

[@williampayne8876]

Obese mosquito is not hungry. It's full.

[@trevordickson8617]

Truly impressive. I always like hearing from clever people who just get on with it.

[@fburton8]

Having witnessed your amazing achievement, my head is spinning at what feels like ~42,000 rpm. Bravo!

[@mceajc]

Astonishing work.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

This is absolutely insane!!! I just saw a video that might interest you. It's this new tech of a silicone microchip that acts as an active cooling fan you can put into electronic devices. I definitely recommend you check it out. It kind of utilizes similar properties. The chip uses ultrasonic vibrations that's within a custom container with a unique seal that allows for moving hot air and cold air to circulate. Just thought it's a fascinating advancement in heat pump, cooling fan type technology.

[@y2ksw1]

Wow! I'm impressed!

[@momerathe]

the pantograph is cool. it's like an old-timey CNC

[@da___man]

Great job. I am jealous of your workshop. I especially like the Schaublin lathe with the milling attachment.

[@NotTJFlamezz]

15:53 that one mosquito in my ear:

[@robertw1871]

Very cool, impressive collection of tools! I’m jealous!

[@ilikaplayhopscotch]

“Obese mosquito” is very, very amusing to think about! Thank you for this.

[@coldpond]

It's really impressive! 👍 Superb camera work as well.

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

Does Guinness world records require more work to recognize this?

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

Seems like there's loads of miniature engines out there, so it's probably unlikely.

[@KathrynLiz1]

Love your little lathe...and your level of craftsmanship. I know what you mean about speed with small drills...although my smallest have been 1/64" (about .4mm)... but even they didn't really cut well under 30,000rpm. I made my own drill from a 12v slot racer car motor that freewheeling shows close to 50,000rpm on my tachometer. That speed put one of those tiny drills through a 2mm steel plate in just a few seconds... My source of such tiny drills in NZ no longer exists, but my need for such tiny holes is past now....that was all back in the 1960s. Perhaps a similar little engine of this kind might work for drilling? 🙂

[@RalfyCustoms]

Wonderful as always, well done and thanks for sharing, I do believe that there comes a point when faster is not better on smaller bits

[@TomSedgman]

You continue to astonish me with the scales you are able to work at! i'd live in mortal fear of sending one of those tiny pieces pinging across the desk!

[@deadmeat1126]

That lathe set up is already impressively compact and then you remember hes fitting a camera in there somewhere for these great shots too

[@JackBender]

Perfect application for the use of a high-speed camera and a macro lens to try to understand those vibration modes.

[@Remulos1]

@AlecSteele needs a steam engine for his newly (beautifully) restored power hammer. Please send him this 😂

[@JasonMesmer]

Impressive as hell, but I just spent 18 minutes thinking "don't drop it, don't sneeze, don't even breathe on those tiny parts..."

[@BenJandrell]

Stunning work and impressive machining, well done. 👍

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Wow. That is small. Good job sir

[@AlexDiesTrying]

Wow, beautiful. A sterling engine could be next. Oh, already happened...

[@Silv3rDragon]

Seeing it up close you think its not too bad, till you realize that its probably a tooth brush... 3:26

[@kristianrehorovsky7717]

Seems like the perfect motor for a steam powered toothbrush

[@kotten9534]

I think this might be the most impressive thing I have ever seen made on youtube. Incredible skills in the craft - hats off!

[@1234567890CAB]

I found that when using small carbide bits, you have to spin them as fast as possible and feed them into the part excruciatingly slow. Think about when you tense up your hand to do something extremely delicate; that's pretty much how you have to turn the handle of a manual mill. In industry, these bits are often used for printed circuit board manufacturing. The CNC routers they are used in often spin 100,000+ rpm to achieve normal feed rates. The chips they make are pretty much dust.

[@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE]

Brilliant work! Subscribed!

[@pancake_king1106]

I loved watching him turn the little spring

[@lone.faerie]

I thought the thumbnail was AI, and then I clicked on the video. Amazing work!!!

[@kevito666]

Great video. With small scales, thin film application can help a lot to restore tolerances or to put finishes on items that improve the performance at a molecular level. You can thin film deposit inconel or nickasil and then 'polish' away to tolerances, giving you a bit more lee-way with machining things for final assembly.

[@TheDistur]

Pretty interesting how conventional machining works at that scale.

[@SuperAWaC]

"if it runs on air it should run on steam" running on air and steam are two completely different animals

[@MeriaDuck]

Hardly dared to breathe whole watching, I'd lose track of the tiny parts 😂

[@BikerTrashWolf]

This is at once amazingly satisfying. But i cant imagine the amount of frustration i would experience attempting this

[@johncronin7843]

This is quite commendable. You could make an even smaller lathe. It could run on dry ice. So many inspiring ideas. Thank you!

[@RyoCanCan]

This is insanely inpressive. It working and having some torque is genuinely mind boggling for it's size!

[@dranon0o]

The question is... how much energy can you get out of it with some magnets and core wires?

[@cloudedarctrooper]

I'm sorry, I couldn't hold my laughter, it sounds like a teeny tiny cartoon fly

[@bact1om]

And I thought assembling mini-legos from Japan was a pain. Your finger looks massive next to the engine 😅

[@johnmoorefilm]

Amazing work…you’re in my will, some nice vintage watches heading your way (hopefully not too soon!)❤

[@purplepug69420]

I've found simple steam engine designs, but this is the pinnacle of simplicity and its cool

[@Razer_-fe9mo]

As a model train enthusiast, I have MANY ideas for this!

[@iteerrex8166]

Great build 👍. The pantograph reminded of when Stefan Gotteswinter had one. Interesting the effect of the resonance on the performance. It acted as constructive or destructive interference.

[@punking488]

watch makers are the true mad scientists of the engineering world. kolibri pistol was an example. its not even just micro engineering, just art as well.

[@jochenreichl796]

The engine is nice, but the lathe is steals the show. A beautiful machine.

[@ggtt2547]

Firstly, amazing work, thank you very much. And secondly, i love that you also show your failures and how you are overcoming them. Everybody is gonna fail, but you have to just accept it and move on. Failure is a huge part of success!! Whatever success means for different people. Thank you for that too!!

[@superkip5920]

Ik heb laatst precies zo'n zelfde stoommachintje gebouwd! Ongeveer zo groot als een lego minifiguur! Zo klein als u hebt gebouwd is ongelofelijk! Groetjes uit Nederland!😃👍🇳🇱

[@Allthegoodhandlesaretakenlmao]

I never realized how a steam engine is basically a gasoline engine but with a different method of building pressure. That’s actually really cool!

[@SpringDivers]

The tiny drill bits you were using are commonly used for PCB manufacurer.

[@LANless]

That is a fabulous device, so long as you don't sneeze during assembly.

[@Hobypyrocom]

excellent workmanship... your focus on details and precise work makes me anxious, which is why i like your videos 😂 keep up the great work and keep the videos coming...

[@cyber_nuggets8302]

GET THIS MAN A PROGRAM ON PBS RIGHT NOW!

[@paxsevenfour]

Honey, wake up! Chronova just dropped a new video about tiny engineering projects!

[@MyBinaryLife]

As a jeweler watching this, im just amazed at using the pantograph engraver for machining work lol. so genius for tiny parts I never thought of that.

[@AppliedCryogenics]

Another intriguing feat of manual micromachining! Great stuff.

[@tornasever]

I absolutely love its simplicity and reliability

[@cody5535]

Completely gobsmacked by the size of this thing; absolutely incredible feat of precision!

[@KnowArt]

awesome stuff

[@haikuheroism6495]

this guy makes one of the smallest steam engines every created and describes his beautiful creation as "an obese mosquito"

[@olipas2775]

This is unbelievable! Great Work!

[@mikehibbett3301]

Your points at the end are very interesting and worth further research. Thank you!

[@derekofalltrades5494]

"I made a steam engine that uses 1 water molecule" "I made a steam engine, but water molecules are bigger than it"

[@Si-Al-Ti]

I love using the old tech pantograph in combination with modern 3d-printing

[@coslorem6943]

I'm not gonna lie, I've got kinda hungry while you made these extra tiny and extraponated stuff.

[@WaefreBeorn]

Whoa whoa whoa, air powered drones with low psi bike pumps and a pressure canister? The flow regulation needs to be shrunken but dude you just made an air powered drone motor!

[@roryoconnor1411]

This is an absolutely ridiculous level of precision 🤯

[@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT]

Very impressive work! Well done!

[@MegaZsolti]

That's a cute little engine, impressive. -Now make a triple-expansion steam engine in that size-

[@hannesreichen8362]

Thats absolutly crazy

[@agranero6]

An oscillating cylinder steam engine, just like the on Dr Stone made.

[@darthbuzz1]

A wife that builds steam engines? You are a very lucky man.

[@not_anton]

"I will make an adapter for the engine" Next frame: An engine being a tiny part on top of an adaptor

[@XthegreatwhyX]

- make em small enough to work with human sweat - inlay them into fabric - free energy

[@yodaman8015]

Imagine a world where microchips never got invented, and we just make smaller and smaller steam engines