Homemade Twin Walking Beam Stirling Engine

Hi . This is a twin cylinder twin walking beam Stirling engine that i made after watching some other diy Stirling builds , I didn't follow any plans ,just got stuck right in to the build & played it by ear . The most difficult part was getting the fulcrum point right for the walking beams .The displacer cylinders are made from large aerosol cans and the displacer pistons are made from oasis foam as used in flower arranging as it is very light and heat resistant . The base fire box & upper water jackets are cat food cans and tinned fruit cans .The power cylinders are copper pipe with JB WELD pistons , I first assembled the displacer cylinder assembly and temporarily fitted the power cylinder on with blue tac ,i then applied heat to base of displacer to measure how far the power piston moves in the cylinder when the displacer is raised and lowered , this measurement gave me stroke of the power piston and the fixing point on the flywheel crank arms for the power piston con rods , when making the power cylinders make them long enough so that they can be cut to the correct length after the stroke length is determined in the previous heat up test . When building an engine all moving parts must move with no resistance and there should be very little too no air escaping from inside the cylinders .Also the displacer pistons should have enough clearance between the piston & cylinder to allow the air to pass freely from hot too cold end . If you make a hollow displacer piston from a smaller can it must be sealed perfectly around the connecting rod and any other joint so that air pressure from inside the cylinder does not enter the displacer piston can , as this will affect performance . If you use a hollow displacer piston be aware that too much heat could cause the displacer piston to pop or distort due to the air inside expanding .The flywheel can also affect running , if its to small or light , the engine will run in a rough jerking motion between the air expanding & contracting , a heavier flywheel will smooth out this motion . Hope this information helps with any builds you may undertake . Hope you like what i've done so far , It was made in the evenings in my living room with no special tools so if i can do it any one can , just give it a go . Thanks for viewing.Gary

[@kragf1802]

An absolutely beautiful machine.

[@timstewart6326]

I have to say I only recently got into building these engines, but i've spent quite a lot of time looking at them online and yours is by far one of the best looking - and smoothest running- i've ever seen. Props.

[@kimanijohn3563]

After 7 years it's still the best looking for sure

[@jasonmills3503]

Very nice. Good job

[@chip3man]

nice job!!!

[@kennetharnesen8044]

Hi, Gary Knight would you be able to post a tutorial video on how you made your Stirling engine? It would be much appreciated! By the way your Stirling engine is awesome!

[@garyknight4150]

Thanks Kenneth , I'm not sure if or when i'll be able to make a tutorial as there is a lot going on at the present which is filling my time .

[@derendohoda3891]

I guess 7 people were upset there weren't four cylinders?

[@mayankbhatia7555]

where to place power cylinder and at what distance?

[@garyknight4150]

Hello Mayank . It depends on what style of engine your building , i would suggest looking at other other engines on youtube that are the same design that your going for . If its similar to this engine i would say that around half way up the displacer cylinder is ok , mine are a little higher .

[@boowonder888]

DIYers take note! you can get ready made steel push rods from your old umbrella.

[@boowonder888]

@@1islam1 You forgot "Dont Eat Pigs, (But Every Other Animal Is OK By Me"

[@1islam1]

@@boowonder888 🔵THE MEANING OF LIFE "SPOKEN WORD"🎬👇🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZWUZ3amjNVgpc0

[@TheDenyingDutchman]

Definitely one of the nicest Stirling engines made from common parts.

[@AtlasReburdened]

I do believe that saying you're content with an engine is a violation of man code. It may very well be true, but you're obligated to at least mention a passing desire to slap a supercharger on it.

[@ManualdoMotorStirling]

Very good that your new engine configuration. Congratulations. Greetings from Brazil, Leandro Wagner.

[@ManyHeavens42]

Please make one using acoustic or magnetic Heat or electric coils, I like to know how juice you can ramp up.

[@freezerfreezer9097]

best part of this video it that the guy actually talked . I've watching videos all night . And while they had nice ideas, they were mostly silent videos. like they are scared to talk with a camera going .... nice job Gary

[@bjl1000]

She's a beaut

[@AB-C1]

Brilliant! Great British Engineering (and good old back yard engineering!) at its best!! THIS is why they put they "GREAT" in Great Britain! Wonder if you could scale this up or apply it to run something, perhaps a small go cart or dinghy or just an electricity generator perhaps linked to a rewired alternator charging battery cells and/or direct into a voltage regulator/inverter etc etc? (With a slightly larger version of course!) Lol 😂 but this design in particular runs very well and smoothly low noise, I think scaled up and tweaked this COULD be a very FRUGAL and ingenious modern re implementation of an old technology given the fuel crisis/position people are in this LITERALLY could be one cheap simple and efficient answer to saving money!!? (Even at this scale I'm sure this could be added to to charge low voltage battery packs for power tools perhaps? Or phones laptops, aimed at off Grid living or times if power cuts or to save money.. (or even charge car batteries or LifePo4 cells for off Grid in addition to say a wind and solar set up??) Well done!! Cheers from London 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@garyknight4150]

Thanks mate for your interest and comments. Gary. Rochester Kent.

[@suoppsdn9751]

Great love this concept. Maybe very easy to make in a four cylinder, six cylinder or even eight cylinder. Love this concept Thanks for sharing

[@JA-dk3xc]

SALUTE BRO AMAZING 👏

[@Lechoslowianin]

Fajna maszyna. Dobra robota

[@petethewrist]

Very nice model, looks like it runs nice and smooth, I love these things I have two on display in my living room and I run them most days for a short time, shame about the noise they make or I would have them on all day, Cheers, Pete

[@JChristopherWestland]

Very nice, and thank you for sharing your design. I've purchased a small machine from China. They are simple, but surprisingly captivating. I also like your black&copper scheme.

[@kazekich6432]

Can anyone know how actually the candle helps in reciprocating motion of the piston thus rotating the crank.What happens inside the cylinder?Is fumes from the candle alone runs the engine?Anybody???

[@mikehart6708]

love the twin aspect of your engine. I made a single cylinder stirling that runs, but it was from plans so that all the dimensions were already worked out. My hat is off to you----superb job. I am encouraged to try one myself. The twin is so much more interesting to watch than the single. Keep up the good work!

[@garyknight4150]

Thank you Mike . I must admit that when its running it can be quite mesmerizing watching all that is in motion . Go on mate , have a go at building one and wishing you good luck if you do .

[@МаксимГригорьев-ъ7к]

Hello, do you have any drawings of this design? From what and how you did the cylinders inside?

[@ПавелАндреев-р7х]

Можно многократно увеличить мощность стирлинга. По капле пееред моментом нагревания легкоиспаряющей жидкости. Пропускать через полноценный радиатор и еще миниатюрный компресор дозатор. Система будет сложнее, но мощность все перекроет. Герметичность еще высокая нужна.

[@pierre5325]

Greetings form New Mexico I would buy plans for this lovely device were you to offer! pierre

[@philcampbell6537]

hi Gary love your stirling engine by far the best I have viewed so far apart from your twin beam , could you please tell me the dia of your flywheel many thanks PC

[@manvstaco]

I'm making one right now! half way there, Search "Walking beam stirling engine test 1" on youtube it's the first one. Pretty excited, thank you Gary :)

[@gustavgnoettgen]

Are you scottish? That's a nice machine, well done! I think I try a similar thing. I also want to use cans and simple materials, and this is a great inspiration!

[@Firepowersupreme]

Very nice my friend! I'm thinking about building a sterling, not sure which design yet. Keep up the good work!

[@jojay6472]

Hows the power from this thing? Have you tried connecting a bike dynamo for electricity?

[@eelcogg]

Very nice looking engine :-) I like the polished copper on flat black scheme.

[@howardosborne8647]

As I've commented on one of your other engines,this is a great example of a fine engine built with low budget materials but high on innovation and creativity. Lovely job.

[@jean-francoisrullier3631]

Very elegant pure brittish styled machine

[@vanillacoffee]

I would like to have your babies please.

[@erikrobillard6950]

this is so nice and quiet. thank for sharing. jb weld piston?

[@LovepreetSingh-lo2hl]

what is a diameter of flywheel,and walking beam length between the flywheel and cylinder arrangement

[@drakfella_12]

beam engine, more like bean engine, really cool how you repurposed the cans

[@soniknik4864]

My friend, this is impressively simple yet clean in the most efficient way a home tinkerer could accomplish - brilliant! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@JA-dk3xc]

WISH WE HAD A FULL DIY ON IT..

[@garyknight4150]

Hi. Sorry there are not a any instructions on my builds. At the time of making them I was only building them for myself. With no thought that I would show them on youtube. I also didn't make any plans as I was just tinkering around and thinking things out as I went along. Thanks for your interest.Gary

[@crazyhorsetrading8655]

Brilliant engine. thanks for the share. gonna build me one of those

[@superpunkmuffin]

Great engine, sounds very smooth, Cheers yer star, Brigs :)

[@raykent3211]

really nice machine and useful diy tips, thanks a lot. I'm thinking of making a stove top fan. The top plate on my stove is naturally ventilated and probably doesn't get far beyond 100 C. Never thought of oasis foam, any idea what temp it can support? I've tried moulding a piston in alu tube a few times and failed, so now thinking of bellows.

[@garyknight4150]

+Ray Kent Hi Ray , sorry not replied sooner , i had not viewed comments in a while . I do not know what temperatures the oasis foam can withstand , all i know is that i tried to set it alight with a butane soldering torch and it just scorched so i assumed it would work ok in the engine . I haven't taken the engine apart to check but it is still working fine : ) . Good luck with your engine , hope it works well for you . Gary.

[@MrShovelheaddan]

Wow! That is one of the prettiest and best running tin can engines I've seen. How does the horizontal piston work? Does the displacer piston move from below it to above it?

[@garyknight4150]

Hi Dan , when the displacer piston is in its upper position the port to the power cylinder is just above the lower edge of the displacer piston & in its lower position the port is open & above the displacer piston . I dont know if this is the best position for the port but it works well for this engine.

[@MrShovelheaddan]

Gary Knight Thank you, Sir. I'm gathering the stuff to make one. It will be based on your design. I can't wait.

[@garyknight4150]

good luck dan , hope to see it when its done . cheers.

[@santoshtiwari7653]

sur jeshe mene train kaa model banaya hai to keya kare aap kuch batty

[@joshuahighman6375]

Nice Stirling Engine mate. How did you connected the power piston(Epoxy Putty) with those metal rods? How did you fix it because they look tricky to make as the rods look like they are loosely fitted..:)

[@garyknight4150]

Hi joshua , the epoxy pistons are cast with a deep cavity in the rear end , when they have set hard a hole is drilled through the piston ( from side to side ) which passes through the cavity to allow a small brass pin to be pushed into , the pin must be a tight fit in the piston and a little shorter than the diameter of the piston so it does not rub against the cylinder wall when fitted . The connecting rod end is flattened and drilled the same size , this hole is then made very slightly larger so that when it is fitted to the pin it is free to move but with very little play . if you look up pictures of a piston connecting rod assembly it will show you how this works . Hope this helps you . Gary

[@StirlingEngine123]

Nice work. Congratulations!

[@cannissolis]

that's a great model but This is not a "walking" beam. Walking beams have a longitudinal movement to avoid using (or pre-dating) James Watt's parallelogram linkage at the cylinder, walking beams did not have a fixed central column but instead had a pair of vertical links either side of the beam, pivoted at the ground as well as the centre of the beam, this allowed the beam to follow the straight line motion of the piston rod and due to the vertical links rocking back and forth looked (with a little imagination) as though it was walking. So your engine is a rotative beam engine.

[@THEonlyAEON]

Thanks for your info . I am no expert on steam engines . I thought that was what it was called because when you search google for 'walking beam steam engine' virtually every one is of this style , ie fixed central fulcrum . I know of the design you talk of , and have tried to research walking beam engines and can find very little info . Further research needed . Thanks . Gary

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Great work.

[@andrewvarno1587]

Hello, I am constructing a Stirling Engine for a school assignment. I was wondering if you have any construction plans for this model.

[@garyknight4150]

Hello Andrew , i'm sorry but i don't have plans for any of my engines . I made each part by hand with the trial & error method and some educated guessing . luckily for me it all worked out ok . there might be some information that will help you in my chat with Tuhin Das further down the comments list .Good luck with your project.

[@aplinewalker]

Outstanding engine,,, I should hope your delighted with it,,, she's brilliant and runs beautifully, lovely finish great right up and description, Can I ask what J B weld is (never come across it) is it a type of epoxy or 2 part resin. I have been wondering if I could convert my beam engine to a hot air engine instead of running it on the exhaust from a vacuum cleaner.

[@garyknight4150]

Hi Alan , jb weld is a 2 tube epoxy resin & hardener , also called liquid steel , if you do a search for jb weld it will show it , i bought mine from ebay . Also many thanks to you and all others who have viewed & commented .

[@garyknight4150]

***** Just been viewing your engine and i must say that i'm very impressed, you have great skill in producing high quality parts from mdf etc and the finish looks just like a cast item . cant wait to see the finished engine . Cheers mate.

[@aplinewalker]

Gary Knight Ya im quite pleased with her, the flywheel and beam don't look bad,,, the cylinder will be clad in mahogany with brass banding get some brick paper on the wall and flag stone floor and she could start to look ok,,, but there is still something magical about Stirling engines ,,,, In fact I have thought about putting a displacer cylinder alongside the engine house wall and making it look like a Lancashire boiler. Then obviously the power cylinder would have to be smaller ,,, about an inch in diameter so I could in theory put that inside the 4 inch cylinder as I have it now and that would keep the proportions correct,,, but my theory falls apart when it comes to getting a linkage from the crankshaft to the displacer cylinder,,, but then again we could re-build her with an aluminium cylinder etc,, and try to get her going on steam,,, we will see. cheers and thanks Alan

[@pleaseyourselfsir]

WOW ! Lovely ! 🧐🇬🇧🤔😀😀😀👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️

[@garyknight4150]

Thank you : )

[@prairiemountaineer]

Wow, great looking little Stirling Gary. You make it sound easy. Thanks for sharing.

[@garyknight4150]

+Cam Dee . Thanks Cam .

[@Electronic_hobby]

Would you please shoot an explanation video of how you made it, parts, assemble?

[@duggydugg3937]

like an early gasoline engine ...imagine the stirling refined and improved like today's gasoline / petrol engines ..i would bet a really strong one could run a generator charging battery banks for household electicity ..gary's craftsmanship is excellent...

[@marcosvaleriociencia1021]

Very very nice, my friend!!! Grande abraço, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil!!☺☺☺☺

[@drewm5567]

This is pretty sweet, Gary. I could watch that thing for hours.

[@Mattiamordini]

I love this engine !!

[@OlaftheGreat]

I like this one. Nice work 👍👍

[@sawatdeee9663]

ขอบคุณโรเบิร์ดสเตอริ่ง

[@AmazingMazen]

Beautiful. Great job sir.

[@malcolmmyself9653]

Excellent job. The goal in my mind is how to make a practical heat engine that will run off the temperatures that I can develop with a solar hot water system that is cheap enough and small enough and home made. It would mean that I could effectively have solar power 24 hours per day. Keep going enthusiasts.

[@dizzleparnizzle]

Did you have to seal the push rod for the displacer cylinder at the top of the can? Any chance you could do a video explaining your design of the displacer cylider? Great running machines. Thanks for sharing.

[@garyknight4150]

Hi dizzle , Thanks for viewing & comments :) I do not use a seal on the displacer connecting rod . The rod is moving through a length of brass tube which has very little clearance , when lubricated with a small drop of thin oil it makes an air tight smooth moving joint . On my last engine i bought 2 lengths of brass tube for the rod and guide sleeve from a hobby shop , they come in metric or imperial sizes . As the tubes increase in diameter they fit perfectly inside each other ( a smooth sliding fit if not bent ) Hope this makes sense and helps .

[@dizzleparnizzle]

Thank you sir. I did a little shopping and came up with something similar to what you described.

[@OlaftheGreat]

Have you considered putting a load on it? It might be strong enough to spin a small motor and produce enough electricity to light up a lightbulb. It would be a fun party trick.

[@gurnblanstein9816]

That's awesome good job man!

[@sauravkadel284]

hey gary .......really amazed by your project .i was wondering if you can give me the pictures or snapshots of the disassembled components that make up the engine,and also the details on construction of each part...it would be very grateful of you

[@carmelpule6954]

A very good arrangement for the Stirling walking beam engine. The workmanship is excellent seen by the compression in the system, not much losses in those seals. This could be made into a museum piece through adding some artistic polished columns and mahogany flywheel with some curvy spokes. Personally , I am not too keen in the manner I finish the engine and its artistic contents as I care more for the excellence in engineering, but life is what it is and to attract the general public one needs to embellish an engine. If the beams were operating about the horizontal it would look more elegant . Full marks for the craftsmanship and performance of the engine. Excellent in every manner. I have to try the copper cylinder with a cast JB weld, it looks quite efficient.

[@monkeymadman420]

great engine. do you know how many rpms was that running at?

[@garyknight4150]

Hi Monkeymadman420 , i'm sorry but i dont know , i have not got a tool to read the speed . It will run alot faster than that if i make the wicks longer to produce a bigger flame & therefore more heat . I have just finished my next engine which i will be filming & posting soon . cheers mate.

[@santiagocortez9554]

Can you send plans of this?

[@mheermance]

Nice job. I like the contrast of the flat black cylinders against the copper cylinder and exhaust pipes. Two cylinders also seems a little more esthetically pleasing than one to watch.

[@moisesdjovey1640]

Genial una configuración distinta y funciona muy bien, un sonido agradable y suave... saludos...

[@DFX2KX]

Nice little sterling engine. They're pretty tricky to make, so it's impressive you pulled it off without any plans.

[@garyknight4150]

Cheers mate . as you said ,they can be a bit tricky . But when it does run for the first time its a great feeling knowing that you built it yourself. I now have another video of my latest build - my Watts Stirling engine .

[@DFX2KX]

I'll have to check that out! I've never actually built one of these, myself.

[@jameswil7687]

Anyone know the HP and torc

[@rampart1234]

Gary, brilliant stirling. Could you be bothered to give a parts list that includes measurements. I would love to build this but I could use a little more information. I appreciate all the hard work you have put into this beauty.

[@thomaswynn2319]

Amazing

[@LovepreetSingh-lo2hl]

How did you connect the whole engine arrangement with the base ?

[@garyknight4150]

Hey Mate . The heat boxes at the bottom of the displacer cylinders are open at the bottom . I made 3 small right angle ( 90 degree ) brackets which i screwed to the base , then drilled and used screws to secure the heat boxes to the brackets . The beam support and flywheel supports are held on by long screws from under the base .Hope this explains mate. :-) Gary

[@cgod241]

I would leave it without oil I like the sound , You've done an awesome job of it if your going to do something do it well two thumbs up thanks

[@glasstronic]

Well done!

[@lena19191]

Does doubling the cylinders give more torque , or does it just raise rpm . Basically is 2 much better than 1 , thank you

[@garyknight4150]

Hi Timothy , the more cylinders you have the more torque produced . These engines do not make a lot of torque so if you were to use one to run a generator you would need an engine with higher speeds than mine and use gear reduction pulleys to increase the generator speed without overloading the engine .

[@lena19191]

Gary Knight . Thank you for the quick response , love your engines , they are presented beautifully and are works of art .

[@eastenderaz1]

i like that engine very much, i'm still working on perfecting my version of a double beam engine to run as smooth as yours..great job...can you tell me what fluid you use to eliminate the soot buildup ?

[@garyknight4150]

Hi eastenderaz1 , i use a methylated spirit burner i made , i still get a little bit of soot from the wick slowly burning , a meths vapour burner would be cleaner. A nice blue flame is the cleanest , a yellow flame produces soot. Good luck with your engine mate , please show it when your finished . Im close to finishing a new more detailed engine myself .

[@eastenderaz1]

Gary Knight thanks for your response....can you tell me how much time it took you to get a finished working engine?

[@garyknight4150]

eastenderaz1 This engine took about 3 weeks of doing a bit in the evenings after work when i had some free time . The engine i'm working on now i have been working on for about 3 months on and off.

[@bjl1000]

You did an awesome job ! What is that nice black coating?

[@garyknight4150]

Frenchie Hi Frenchie thanks for complement , the black coating is a heat proof black spray paint bought at a DIY store , its used for high temperatures as on barbeques or stoves .

[@boowonder888]

+Gary Knight you can get ready made steel push rods from your old umbrella. With holes and all!

[@JoelHouck]

Nice job mate.

[@vanillacoffee]

I think you are a very beautiful man x

[@miguelangelsm9627]

Que genial motor :)

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

very nice work !

[@ronroberts110]

Well done!

[@TheCreatorReviews]

ive been looking for a engine to try and make, and im genna try this one, it looks simple enought

[@garyknight4150]

+RotoDotGif Good luck with your engine build , hope all goes well.

[@TheCreatorReviews]

Gary Knight thanks

[@StumpfsCurse]

Nicely done. :)

[@reypolice5231]

Very nice work, very well balanced and quiet. Well done.

[@mheermance]

Not only do I like it, I came back three years later to watch it again.

[@garyknight4150]

Thank you very much Martin .

[@Maybe-So]

Beautiful. Outstanding job. Thank you for sharing.

[@geodeaholicm4889]

very cool & elegant little engine, a pleasure to see operate, i bet you had fun building & operating it.

[@tobiascourt3104]

could you email me some close up photos of this do i. ould copy it i think its brillant

[@johndilsaver8409]

That is excellent work, thanks for posting this, it's inspiring!

[@firststeps232]

Gary this is a great little engine. smooth, quiet and well thought out. kudos.

[@christomold3142]

Awesome.

[@shantelguetgen4157]

Just use InpliX instructions. you will make it. its so easy

[@richardebbole1]

very nice

[@xBagChaSerx]

What parts of the umberrlla you used ?

[@garyknight4150]

Hi Joel , i haven't used any umbrella parts on my engines . Someone else left a message saying that the ribs of an umbrella could be used for push rods .

[@M67648]

❤

[@arrowbow2405]

NICE