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FollowingmyexperimentswiththefirstLTDStirling,Idecidedtotryandmakeabetterone.Themain
problemswiththefirsthadbeenthegluedjointleakingair,andexcessiverequirementsfor
machining.Thisonewouldhavesolderedjointstopreventtheleaksandwouldhavefarless
machiningandcouldbemadewithjustadrillpress..
ThemaindifferencebetweenthisoneandthefirstoneImadewasthediffusercylinder.Thisone
wouldusealonger,thinnercylinderwithanaluminiumpiston.Ialsodecidedtousemetalwhere
possibleonthisoneandhaverollerbearings.Thediffusercylinderwouldbeboltedonallowingstrip
downofthemachineandarubbergaskettoholdtheseal.

Step1:Materials
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ForthisengineIusedthefollowingmaterials:
1lengthof22mm(1")copperpipe
1lengthof15mm(1/2")copperpipe
122mmcopperendcap(notshown)
3aluminiumheatsinksfromanoldTV(scrapyard)
1pieceofresinstock
PaxolincoppercladPCBboard
HDDactuatingheadarmwithbearingsandshaft
2.5mmbrasstube
1.5mmbrassrod(slidingfit)
Onemarkerpenwithanaluminiumbody(notshown)
Partofaplastic3"pipeorsimilar(notshown)
ThebrasscentrebossfromadefunctCDdrive
Ashortlengthof10mmaluminiumbarfromascrapprinter
Ashortlengthofaluminiumchannel(notshown)
Solder
Glue
Variousnutsandboltsrescuedfromscrapitems(notshown)
Asmallpieceofhighdensityrubber(apieceofbicycleinnertube)
415mmbrassdisks(notshown)
Thereasonforthenotshownitemsis.....atthispointIhaven'tacquiredthemyet!

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Step2:ThePistonsandCylinders

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Thepowercylinderonthisengineismadefromapieceof15mmcopperpipe,1/2"willdoifthat's
whatyouhave.Icuta40mmsectionusingacheappipecutter,thencleanedtheendsupwitha
Dremeltoremoveanyburrandlipattheends.Theborewaspolishedusingasmallwirebrushinthe
Dremel,followedbywirewoolandveryfinegritwetanddryrolledintoatube.
Ithencastthetubeusingtheresinprocessinmyotherinstructable.
Justanotehere.Itriedboththeresinandsomeepoxyputtycastinternallyasperother'iblesonthe
site.Ifoundthatinbothcasestheshrinkage(around5%)madethepistontooloose.Maybeit'sthe
brandIwasusing.
Theresinblankwasthensandeddowninthedrillpressandpolishedforaslidingfit.Thisgavea
piston13mmindiameter.Icutitdownto13mminlengththencrossdrilled2mmanddrilleditout
6mmatoneendfortheconrodconnection.
Idecidedtosimplifytheconrodsforthisengine.Iwentdowntothemodelshopandboughtsome
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more2.5mmtubeandsome1.5mmrod.Thesetwocanbeslidintoeachother.Thepiston
connectingrodis2mmsteelfromanoldprinter.TomaketheconnectorsIsimplycrushed4mmof
thetubeflatinthevice,thencutitoffat10mm.Drilledtheflat2mmandsliditontothepiston
connectingrod.
Thediffusercylinderisalengthof22mmcopperpipe(1"shoulddo).Thepipeneedstobecutto
lengthasdependingonthelengthofthepistonandthestrokeofthecrankshaft.:
Thepistonmusthaveagapallarounditinthecylinder,theideaisthatasthepistonmoves,airflows
arounditfromoneendofthecylindertotheotherheatingandcoolingasitgoes.Thereshouldbea
gapatthesidesofatleastacoupleofmillimetres.IwantedtouseametalpistonsothatIcoulduse
atealightcandletoruntheengine.
Ifoundanaluminiumbodiedmarkerpenthatwasaround16mmacross.Thisleftagapofabout
2mmeithersidewhenslidintothetube.Ideal.Icutthepeninhalfandremovedtheinnerdswhich
werediscarded.TheplasticendwasbrokenoffandcleanedwiththeDremeltoleaveaniceround
hole.ThenIworkedoutthelengthoftherequiredpiston.AguessbutIwentfor65mm.Tomakethe
pistonIcuttherearportiondowntogivetheoveralldimensionIwanted,thenIslidashortsectionof
15mmplasticplumbingtubeintotheendaglueditusingsupergluegel.Theotherpieceofthepen
wasthenslidontotheotherendoftheplumbfittingandsecuredwithsupergluegel.Thisgavea
lightweightairtightpiston.Theopenendwasfittedwithanaluminiumplugpredrilledfortheconrod.
Thatcompletedthediffuserpiston.
NowIwantedtobeabletostripandreassemblethisenginesoasfewgluedjointsaspossible.You
coulduseaplainsolderendcapononeendofyourcylinder,butbecauseofthesolderedboltsI
didn'twanttodisturbwithmoreheatingIusedacompressionfitting.Thiswillbecomethehotend.
NextIsourced4brassmotherboardmountingboltsfromascrapyardPC.Thesecomeinanumber
ofthreadsizes,mostcommonsizesareM3finethreadorM3coursethreadbuttherearesome
imperialonesaround.thetrickistofind4thesame(whichshouldbethecaseiftheycamefromthe
samePC).Find4boltsthatfitthethreads.Theseneedtobeatleast15mmlong.Iftheyaremetric
youshouldhavenotroublefindingbolts.Iftheyareimperialsuckitandsee.
Cutoffthethreadedpartofthebolt,leavingjustthebrass'nut'whichshouldbeabout6mmlong.We
aregoingtosoldertheseontothecoldendofourcylinderandthenusethemtoboltthecylinderto
thechassis.Ifyoumanagetosolderthematexactly90degreeseachthenyoudon'tneedtomark
thecylinder.Ididn'ttrustmyaccuracysoIscribedatopmarksothateachtimethecylinderisbolted
upitwillgobackinthesameplaceallowingformisalignmentofthesolderedstandoffs.
Imadeasimplewoodenjigtoholdeverythinginplace.itinnedtheboltsandoneendofthepipeand
thenusedamicropentorchtosoldertheboltson.Itestedboltingitallupbeforegoingbacktofinish
thechassis.
Withtheexceptionoftheconrodsthiscompletesthecylindersandpistons.
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Step3:MainChassis

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Assemblingthemainchassis.
Thisenginediffersfromthelastinthatthecoolplatewillhouseaseparatediffuserandpower
cylinderoneeitherside.Bothwillbesealedintheirownrightandlinkedbysometubing.
Thechassisismadeupofasandwichoffourplates.Twoheatsinks(theyhadpowertransistorson
them)fromaTVIfoundinthescrapyard.Theyhavepredrilledholesinthemfromthetransistor
mountsandareidentical.ThismeansthatIcanreverseandscrewthemtogethertoformasingle
thickplatewiththecoolingfinson.
Eachcylinderisformedfromthecoppertubing,thepowercylinderissolderedtoaPaxolinboardthat
isboltedtothetwoheatsinks.ThediffusercylinderwillbeboltedtoasecondPaxolinboardand
boltedtothechassisviaagasket.Thisshouldenablemetosealthetwocylindersandthensimply
linkthemwithsometubing.(Ihope).
IcleanedupthetwoheatsinkswiththeDremeltoensuregoodmechanicalcontactbetweenthem.I
cutandmarkedoutthetwoPaxolinboards,thendrilledthepowercylinderboardtobolttotheheat
sink.

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Thediffusercylinderboardwasmarkedupanddrilledforthebearingandthefeedertube,then
tackedonwithsuperglue.Thefourmountingboltholesweredrilledthroughandthenthetwofeeder
tubesweresolderedintoplace.Thepowercylinderwassolderedonandthenylonbearingforthe
diffuserpistongluedin.
Finallythefeedertubewasconnectedup.Thatcompletesthemainchassisassembly

Step4:TheFlywheelandBoss

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Iwantedtomaketheenginelooknice,soIdecidedtotryandmakeanelegantflywheel.
IhadfoundanoldbrasscentrefromadefunctCDorDVDplayer,thenIdownloadedaprotractor
templatefromthenetandmarkedlinesat0,120and240degreestogivethreeequalspokes.Istill
hadthetopringofafoodcontainerIhadcutdownformyfirstStirling,soIusedthatastheflywheel
outerring.Youcouldcutaringfrom3"plasticdrainpipeinstead.
Iplacedthebrassbossontotheprotractorwithdoublesidedtapeandthenmeasuredandcut3
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lengthsof1.5mmbrassrodfrommystock.Thesewerethensupportedonsomelevellingmaterials
andsolderedtothecentreboss.Theouterringwaslaidontotheprotractorandmarkedthendrilled
1.5mmtoacceptthespokes.Becausetheringisslightlyflexibleitwaseasytodeformitenoughto
forcethespokesthrough.Onceitwasallbackinshapeandtruedupontheprotractor,thespokes
weresupergluedintothering.
Apieceof10mmaluminiumwascuttosizeanddrilledreadytoacceptthecrankshaft.Itwasthen
supergluedontothebrassboss.
Thatcompletestheflywheel.

Step5:TheSupportPillarandBearings

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RecognitionfortheideaforthesupportpillarandbearingsmustgotoeVoltiwhichwasaninspiredbit
of'ible.
Idecidedtouseaverysimilarsystem,justabitsimplerinexecution.
UsingtheheadarmandbearingsfromtheHDDthatIgottheplattersfromformyLTDengine,I
drilledtheshaft2.5mmtoacceptthecrankshaft.Theheadhadoriginallyhadfourreadarms,threeof
theseweregroundoffwiththeDremelandalltheancillarycoils,wireandtheactualheadswere
removed.
Thearmwascarefullygroundtofitapieceofaluminiumchannel,thenthechannelwasdrilledand
thearmboltedtoit.Alittleepoxygluewasaddedforareallygoodstrongjoint.
Thechannelwascut60mmlong,butyoucansetthesizetowhateveryourequire.
ThebottomofthechannelwasboltedtothethirdheatsinkIfoundintheoldTVwhichhadagood90
degreebendinit.Thebendwillbeboltedtothemainchassisplate.

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Step6:TheCrankshaft

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Thecrankshaftconsistsofashortlengthof2.5mmtube.Thisispassedthroughthebearinghead
andcarriesaflywheelononesideandthecranksontheother.
Thecranksareformedfrom15mmdisksofbrass.Youcouldcuttheseoffapieceofbrassbar,asI
intendedtodo,butwhilstIwasintheplumbingsectionofthehardwarestorebuyingthecompression
endcapforthediffusercylinderIcameacrossapackoffour15mm'blankingcaps'for79p.These
willdothejobverywell.
Idrilledthecentresofthreeofthecaps2.5mmtoaccepttheshaft,thenIdrilled1.5mmoffsetby
5mmfromthecentreforthecrankrods.Thiswillgiveastrokeof10mm.
Thefirstdiskwasslidontooneendoftheshaftandsolderedinplace.Thedistancebetweenthe
cylinders(26mm)wasmarkedontotheshaftandthepairofdisksforthesecondcrankwereslidon
andsolderedinplace.
Thecrankrodswereslidintothedisks,theconrodconnectorsslidontotherodsandthentherods
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weresoldered.
FinallytheextrametalontherodsandthemainshaftofthecrankweregroundoutusingtheDremel.
Theshaftwassecuredtothebearingusingsomesupergluegelandtheflywheelfitted.

Step7:FinalAssembly

Imadeupasmallconnectorforthediffuserpiston,thentheconrodsweremeasuredandcutto
length.Thesewerethengluedintopositionusingsupergluegel.
Theenginewastestedandadjustedtoensurethateverythingturnsfreely,andforbalance.The
flywheelwillneedsomeworktogetbetterbalancebuttheengineshouldwork.
Ineedtomakeastandsothatitcanbepositionedaboveatealightcandlebutthatcanwait.
Imaygetaroundtopostingavideoatsomestage.
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