Finished Stirling Fan

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Boot

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Just finished my first project since I retired 2 years ago. It's a Jerry Howell plan for a Super Stirling Cycle Fan. I didn't know if I had the equipment to do it but I did. It was fun building it and more thrilling when it actually ran yesterday. I ran into some glitches ,but I over came them with some creative thinking. I would like to know what kind of solder was used on the flame guard. My solder melted with the small flame recommended by the directions. I used both rosin core and plain plumbing solder and both melted. Next is trying low heat silver solder or divising a way to bolt the guard together with tiny screws.
 

Congratulations Boot!

It looks great. A great feeling for sure.
 
Great job on the build!!!
I was looking at the plans for that exact fan this morning.
Was it a difficult build?
 
Nice looking fan Boot!

To hold the fame guard together I used some small copper wire and just stitched it together.
good job!
 
Very nice Boot!!! :big:

How about a video of it running???

I have two of his plans that i need to get going on!
Hopefully one of them will be my winter project!

Andrew
 
Hello Piper- Pilot . If you can fly a plane you can build it. Having a small lathe,drill press and a small miller are a necessity. I found finding some of the material very difficult. I was an experienced machinist with 37 yrs. doing it in industry and that was a big help. I knew how to make some of the tools and how and where to start on a part helps tremendously. The instructions and the plans from Jerry Howell's son were super easy to follow and they are true to scale. If you measure the length of some thing on the print it is the same as what the dimensions stated say it is. Probably for a beginner it would be about a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. I'm only guessing this. I sure someone else can help you with their opinion also.
Thanks Doc on the instructions of sewing the seam with thin wire. I think I will try that and use the 2-56 screws to screw the support brackets fast the screen.
 
Hello Andrew, I'll make a video of it as soon as I put the flame guard back together. I did run it a short time this afternoon after I came back from Chemo treatment for my Lymphoma.
Give me a day or two and I'll fire up my camera. The flame melted all the solder off the brackets and I don't want to reuse the same parts. I made the brackets today ,but they need to have the holes drilled in where they connect to the bottom support ring. The chemo doesn't make me too sick, mostly weak so I should be able to proceed with making it.
Thanks for the compliments fellows; when I got my diagnosis I didn't know if the cancer would finish me before I finished my fan. I want to make a cone to go underneath and enclosing the hot cap and see if I can get it to run on my woodstove. I would like to make a water-cooled hit and miss engine like the old Internationals as a next project. Any free plans out there
would be appreciated. :)
Thanks again , Boot
 
Hi Boot!

Whenever you get a chance, the video will be appreciated by all!

I am sure you will "Boot" the Lymphoma from your system!

Awesome build work again!!!
I see that the 37 years of experience does help!! ;D

Andrew
 
Thanks Andrew; That is quite a project. I'm sort of having second thoughts on the Kerzel. I never messed with the timing on engine since I owned a 56 Chevy back in the 60's. I would have to buy or borrow a timing light. It is a cute looking little hit and misser. I can't imagine someone designing some thing like that. Nice plans and instructions.
Boot
 
External-combustion in any form is great. Beautifully executed... I've always loved Stirling, flame-licker, and other "oddball" engines! :D
 
Here's a video of it running. At least I hope I did it right .
 
Sorry about that . You have to click on the picture to bring up the screen to see it run. I have never posted a video before . First time for everything. I guess I should have cut, copied and pasted with one of the other options. Better luck next time. I had longer videos of it ,but the file sizes were 70 and 41 MB's which would have take forever to download.
Thanks again for the compliments.
 
Now that is sweet!!!!! ;D

Love the sound of it!!

It would look awesome next to my computer.... :big:

Congratulations again!!!

Andrew
 

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